After 84 Years...

Hello everyone! Cookies for those who'd be able to guess the reference for the title. If you're in the Philippines, I'll send you something.

Anyway, the weekend Arts & Crafts Workshop is going to push through. I'm still trying to figure some things out. It's going to probably start sometime in August.

In the meantime, after almost two years, I'm finally able to start with these scrapbooks of our trip to Algiers, Algeria and Paris, France in October 2013. Like everyone else, I'd love to do it in 12" x 12" format, but alas! Like always, I was intimidated and overwhelmed even before I start. I said to myself, with not a small amount of bleeping words to mention here for general audience, I'd just make a couple of 8" x 8" bound by rings. I'd do the books myself.

And here they are. They're not finished yet, but I'm currently working on them. (No. They're not just on my table to remind me to work on them. I'm actually, really working on them. Ha!)

I wrote the words by hand; cut some titles by hand; and did some high school-level kind of letter cutting. I have a Cricut but somehow, I'm not happy with the letters that it gives me. They felt so impersonal. I used them for journaling cards, though. The pages are as simple as can be. I don't want to further overwhelm myself and give up after working on one page, so I just did this.



The one on top is our Algiers trip for the Festival International de la Bande Dessinee d'Alger. My husband was a guest and he gave a talk about Philippine Komiks.



I handcut the Algeria word. I like that it's in my handwriting.

Same goes for Algiers here.

These are how most of the pages are: pictures, words and pieces of paper as embellishments... if you can even call them that.

And of course, pocket! There needs to be a pocket for the souvenirs we collected.

I'm not done with the Algiers book, but the photos for the Paris book are all in there, as well as the souvenirs in its own pocket. I should be done with these babies at the end of June, because there are lots of projects to do yet. One frustrating thing about doing crafts and being motivated is, you really can't rush things so you can move on to the next project. You have to finish it!

See you all around for the Paris book!

Weekend Arts and Crafts Workshop 2015

Hola!

Wow. My goodness. How long has it been?

So much personal things happened and still are happening, but I think I've adjusted enough to do this.

This year, soon, hopefully, I'll start my Weekend Arts and Crafts Workshop here in San Pablo City, Laguna, that will run all year through with few breaks in between. It'll be open to everyone from 6 to 106 years old. Heh! Not a joke, though. The Arts part will include drawing, painting and mixed media art classes. On the other hand, the Crafts part will focus mostly on papercrafts, because that's what I love the most.

I'm still thinking if I'd like to offer calligraphy class but I'm mostly a fan of really pretty handwriting for everyday use, and not the artistic kind that which could be framed afterwards. If there are people who are interested in improving their handwriting, then I'd probably offer that... even if I'd only have a couple of students.

Each class will have 10 sessions of 2-4 hours each. If you want to stay beyond that, it's up to you. Bring your lunch and snacks, though. I'll provide water. Arts classes will be in the morning. Crafts classes in the afternoon. Lessons will be age appropriate, so it's going to be, more or less, one-on-one instruction even if we're going to be in a big group.

Even if you think you don't know how to draw and you still want to take classes, please come! You will surprise yourself. I promise. So, if you're around my area, please check us out after I've hashed out and posted the details.

Fees will be on a per session basis. There will be an official announcement later on.

See you later, guys!

It's Going To Be A Long Summer Vacation

Hello everyone!

Just read the news yesterday that, apparently, our school calendar will shift and Academic Year 2014-2015 will start in August. Four months out of school, and that means a lot of time for papercrafting. So much time I could devote to it and yet...

My problem, and this has always been my problem for years and years, I cannot stop reading. I would start reading something and say, "Oh, just two chapters today." or "Just those two articles," and then I will do chores. Or do some crafts. No. That never happens. I would devour that book till the last page, and would realize the day has come and gone. Sometimes, I would realize, months have passed. 

I wish I could say, "I will do crafts this coming four months and nothing but that," but I'm sure it won't be true. I'll try my best. I hope this would be better than my New Year's Resolutions where none ever came close to happening.

Here's me. Giving myself a pep talk to do creative things in the next four months. GO!

Griffonage

Today, I learned a new word.

WASTED Box Sets

Hello everyone!

I said I'm going to post something around the 15th. Well, the 16th pretty much still hugs around the 15th, yes? Anyway, I was just so tired last night to post anything at all, so I'm doing it now.

Yesterday, Gerry had a signing at Comic Odyssey for one of his comic books. Also, we got to deliver 10 of these box sets as well. We offered 20 box sets but as it is submissions time at the uni, I wouldn't be able to do that for the 15th. So, 10 sets, and another set for delivery on April 12th for this Summer Komikon or the Philippine Komiks Convention. I actually made something similar back in 2009 for Elmer comics.

Anyway, what is a box set? I think, you guys are familiar with your dvd or Blu-ray box sets, right? It's similar to that. It is a set of related materials in a box, simply put. For this one, it is a set of printed and handwritten materials related to the comic book Wasted. My husband made this comics 20 years ago and it still has such a following up to today. This edition is the third printing, excluding the one that was printed in Fudge magazine years back. Now, for Summer Komikon, we are going to launch another comic book written by my husband and drawn by my cousin, Arnold Arre, titled Rodski Patotski. It's in full color and printing is not really cheap so we thought of raising some funds for that. One of them was to produce these box sets.

It contained a hardbound copy of Wasted with a slipcase. If you look at the above photo, the book is the one splattered in red paint and the one behind it is the slipcase. It goes inside the bottom compartment of the box which is also the main box, and on top of it, there is another compartment for the extras as shown here:

The box is black to complement the comics, and lined inside with a textured red board because textured board is very glue-friendly. The bottom inside of the main box has strips of black board that act as corbel to hold up the top compartment. It also has a black ribbon to pull up the book as it would be difficult to remove it without something aiding it up. If you also notice, the top compartment also has a ribbon loop so it would be easy to pull it up as well.

Here's the inside so you can see more clearly:

And here's Zara, wrapping and labeling the boxes in Japanese (tissue) paper and plastic bags to avoid dirt and grime sticking to them. And of course, I wouldn't want the photo on top sticking to the plastic:

Here's a link to the digital version of the comics if you want to read it. Be ready for the angst! You will know also why the book cover is splattered in red paint.

Wasted Comics Online

Here's a link to my husband's web site:

Komikero.Com

I would like to make a video or photoset tutorial for these boxes. Sometimes, though, when I'm so into it, I forget what other things I'm supposed to do. I hope I don't forget this time.

See you next time!

Hey!

Hello everyone!

It's submissions time at the university! Finished six reflection papers (two-page essays each) in the last month, and two research papers to finish until March 24th, and I'm dead. My English language brain cells are depleted to alarming levels. 

And yet, I'm so happy about these two subjects I got this semester: Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education, and Teaching Strategies for Developing Critical and Creative Thinking. The discussions and the papers we did were very meaningful, thought-provoking, and it makes you want to really do something and be somebody better.

I'll be posting something around the 15th. I hope I'm still alive by then. See you!

Custom Stationery

Hello February!

This is one of those projects I didn't know I would ever do. I don't really draw. I mean, yes, I'm an architect but I'm more of the three-dimensional-building kind of designer. I like three-dimensions; four, if time travel is involved. Drawing is two dimension, flat on a surface without texture, that actually involves sketching lines. It involves a lot of thinking, teeth-gnashing, and tears.

Get my drift about how I feel about drawing?

Second, this style of drawing is out of my comfort zone, but it is what is requested. These are my interpretation of the design requirement: something fun and not serious for these custom stationery. The names would be written in my handwriting. 

Anyway, here are the thumbnails for the proposed designs. The one with the lamps and cushions, and the coconut tree, those are for the spa owner who's the client. The other two are for gifts to her friends. I'm still not sure if she would want these designs but for now, I'd like to share them with you.