January 12, 2022

DIY Acrylic Holiday Ornaments

It is already January but I’m still blogging about my holiday ornaments. And expect that this is just the start of my ornament series because I’ve made different ornaments last year. I wanted to blog about this last year but I can’t because this is my husband’s gift for his colleagues. Wala ng surprise if ever may makakita ng post ko. #feelingmaynagbabasa hehehe! 

Anyway, I only need 5 Holiday Ornaments so initially, I planned to make Stained Glass Ornaments but I changed my mind because it took me few days in creating my personal ornaments. I didn’t have a lot of time because my husband’s company outing was near. I need an easy project that I can finish within the day. 

Then I remembered the Memorial Ornaments that I’ve made before so I used them as my inspiration for this project. First, I created the design using the Chill Out Christmas Illustration Collection, Hand Drawn Christmas Lettering, and Tropical Hand Drawn Font. 


Almost two years ago, I just print and manually cut stickers but last year I already knew how to use the print and cut feature of my Cricut Maker so I used the machine to make my life easier. I also cut round phototop to make the stickers water-resistant. Then I layered the stickers and photo top on my acrylic blanks then add a metallic cord. 




After finishing my holiday ornaments, I don’t know how will I package them, I was contemplating if I will use a box or plastic but I ended up using plastic. I remembered the ready-made graphics that I purchased before. The ornament frame from the Holiday Season Collection is perfect for my backing card. I just changed the color that so it will match the color of the ornaments and add some text.


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January 11, 2022

Cricut Project: Christmas Insert Card Designs

In my previous blog post, I shared about the Christmas Greeting Cards that I made using my Cricut Maker. I was satisfied with the result so I decided to try another SVG file that I purchased last Black Friday Sale. The Christmas Insert Card Bundle has 7 card designs that are suitable for Cricut Joy, Cricut, Silhouette, and more. I bought the bundle but you can buy per design. 



The digital file includes the card, insert card, and even envelope designs so all you have to do is upload the files on Cricut Design Space and start creating your project. I was so excited to make this project because I thought I just needed to cut the files. I already finished cutting all the cards before I realized that I had forgotten the “Pen Feature”. Waah! 


There are 3 steps in making this card so don’t forget to change the settings to Pen, Score, and Cut. For this project, you need a Cricut Pen, Scoring Wheel, or Scoring Stylus and Premium Fine Point Blade. It’s been more than a year since I got my machine but it was my first time to use my Cricut Pen. The setting is Cardstock Intricate. 

And because of my mistake, I had to start all over again so I repeated the Christmas Bauble and Christmas Tree designs. Based on the example, they used glitter cardstock for the insert card but I decided to use my leftover glitter cardstock to make it more colorful. Then plain cardstock for the insert card to hide the imperfections. 





After finishing the two designs, I decided to reuse the cards that I already cut. It was a challenge to draw the designs so there were some flaws but I still finished all the cards. It will be part of my crafting memories.



Update: 2023


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January 10, 2022

Cricut Project: Christmas Greeting Cards

It’s been two years and this COVID19 virus is not yet over so I’m glad that my sanity is still intact. I’m thankful for crafting because it keeps me busy when I felt physically, emotionally, spiritually, and even financially challenged. Bill Malone said “Hobbies are great distractions from the worries and troubles that plague daily living” 

And it is true, in order for me to lower my stress level, I limit my social media browsing and news intake. Instead of sulking because I am stuck at home, I find a hobby that will distract me from my daily worries. So since the start of 2021, I’ve focused on my new hobby and I started exploring my Cricut Maker and doing one project at a time. 

Crafting is a bit expensive hobby because I need to spend on my craft supplies and graphic elements. But for my sanity sake, I invest in my Cricut hobby because it makes me happy. So last Black Friday Sale, I bought a lot of digital files and napasobra ko sa add to cart so I guess my files will last until next Christmas Seasons. Hehehe! 

To justify my spending, I try my best to use those files. And because it was a holiday, I made Christmas cards. Nowadays, we normally send digital cards or text messages for our holiday greetings but I still make an effort to send Christmas cards to my mom who is miles away from us. “Sending Christmas cards is a good way to let your friends and family know that you think they're worth the price of a stamp.” - Melanie White 


I purchased these Merry Christmas Greeting Cards Templates last Black Friday Sale so I was crossing my fingers that I can do this project successfully. I tried making cards last March but it was not successful so after wasting a lot of cardstocks, I stopped the project. It took me several months to try it again and I’m so happy that I made it. “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try, try again” Michael Chang 


The Merry Christmas cards templates are so easy to use and it is suitable for Cricut, Silhouette Cameo, or even hand cutting (print). The designs can be cut using different materials like paper, vinyl, stencil, and others. In my case, I used white and colored cardstock. I uploaded the design on Cricut Design Space, changed the size of the file to fit my cardstocks, and clicked Make It. The setting is cardstock intricate. 


I only need a few cards but I cut all the designs so I can practice more. I also created a square box for my card insert or backing. My cardstock colors are limited so I only use 3 colors. My son used the “Let It Snow” card and I sent it to my mom.

6 Designs of Christmas Greeting Card Templates


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January 06, 2022

Printable Learning to Trace Activity for Kids

Giving gifts to toddlers is easy because there are so many options out there, you can buy toys, books, and clothes. But because of the COVID19 virus, I am hesitant to go to the mall just to buy gifts so the majority of my gifts last Christmas were DIY. Three months ago, I prepared Alphabet Dot Marker for my godson’s birthday so last month, I prepared this Learning to Trace activity for my husband’s nephew. 


To make my life easy, I just purchased this Printable Learning to Trace Activity. This is a digital file that includes AI, PDF, and PNG files. This activity is good for 3 years old and above, toddlers, Preschool, and even Kindergarten kids. Children will learn how to trace lines, shapes, and even the alphabet. The file is ready to print already so I did not change anything. I just print and laminate everything. 



I remember when my son was in toddler years, I bought a lot of tracing activity books so I like this laminated version because it is not a one-time-use. Just use whiteboard markers and wipe after using. This is a nice activity especially now that most of the kids are stuck at home because of the COVID19 restrictions.  

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January 05, 2022

Cricut Project: Santa Gift Card Holder

I’ve spent the last quarter of 2021 doing crafts so I guess my blog for the month of January is filled with DIY and Craft posts. Yesterday, I blogged about 3D Christmas Gnomes and today let me share with you an easy DIY project which is Santa Gift Card Holder. 

I initially wanted to make a Christmas money envelope but I purchased this Santa Gift Card Holder during Black Friday Sale so why not use it. This is an easy project and you can make this even you don’t have a Cricut. There is a PDF file that you can print and use as a pattern to cut your paper.


But since I have a Cricut Maker, I just uploaded the SVG file on Cricut Design Space. I did not change the size, I just change the color and duplicate the shapes so I can make a few pieces of it. I used light to heavy and glitter cardstock. 




Assembling the pieces is easy and I used Aleene’s Original Tacky Glue for that. I also cut names using a white vinyl sticker and stick them at the back of the card. This is a gift card holder but I used it as a money envelope. I just put washi tape to secure the paper money. 


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January 04, 2022

Cricut Project: 3D Christmas Gnomes

In my previous post, I mentioned that my son has a Table Appointment project and he was informed that there will be additional points for those students who will submit early. Since it was Christmas Season, my son will prepare Christmas Table Appointment so I decided to make decorations so our wall won’t be bare. The decors are not included in the computation of the grade kasi ang ivideo ko naman yung pagset niya ng table pero para mas feel ang Christmas, I decided to make Christmas Gnomes. 


I purchased this 3D Christmas Gnomes file during Black Friday Sale, it has 5 designs but I only tried one design because my cardstocks colors are limited. I used different cardstocks ranging from light to heavy and I also used some glitter cardstocks so I can complete my layers. 




At first, I planned to make one Christmas gnome but since I did not encounter any problem in cutting the design, I ended up making 3 gnomes, perfect for our family of three. This design has 7 layers of paper and I added an acetate at the back so the paper won’t be damaged if I will stick it on our wall.



I don’t have an adhesive spray so I just used Aleene’s Acid-Free Tacky Glue. Assembling all the papers take time but I’m satisfied with the result and as of this writing, it is still on our wall. I will make the other designs for the next holiday. :)

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January 03, 2022

Shopping at Mandaue Foam Sta Rosa

Happy New Year! Vacation is already over and today is the first day of school but my mind is still on vacation mode. For the last two months, I’ve been busy with my holiday preparations and end-of-the-year errands so I have less time to blog but this year, I will try my best to finish my backlogs. 

Anyway, I’ll start with our first visit to Mandaue Foam Sta Rosa. I’ve learned that they have a new branch but I thought it is far from us so I was really surprised when I saw this store just in front of the New Sinai MDI Hospital. It just so happened that last October, my mother-in-law was confined in the hospital and my husband dropped by at the cashier to pay bills. So this was my view while waiting at the parking lot. I’m happy that we don’t need to travel to Alabang just to visit Mandaue Foam. 


But since we don’t have the budget for shopping yet so I promised myself that I shall return. Hehehe! After a month, my son has a table appointment project in school so I decided to check Mandaue Foam Sta Rosa and I was glad that they are on sale for up to 30% so I bought some kitchen stuff for our home. The store has two floors and marami rin naman mabibili. Sharing some photos that I took. 









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December 22, 2021

How to Spend the Holidays at Home If You Have Kids

A few days before Christmas and here we go again, the holidays still look and feel different. It is another year of staying at home because we are still dealing with COVID19 issues. Although, the world is slowly opening up not all people have the vaccines yet especially the kids here in the Philippines so we have no choice but to adjust our holiday celebrations. 

There are some Christmas traditions that we still cannot do because of the restrictions like watching events, shows, or concerts. Watching movies on the big screen. Attending Christmas parties, reunions, or get together and most especially, spending the holiday in a different place or country.

Other people are busy planning and packing for their annual holiday, but here we are, we are not going anywhere. Our Christmas break is another staycation. I’m not bitter because one of the advantages of HOLISTAY is, it is more budget-friendly and less stressful. We have more time to relax, get more sleep, read a book or just do the things that we wanted to do but have no time. 

Stay-at-home vacation means we have more time for family bonding. And since the majority of us will spend the holidays at home, I’m sharing some ideas on how to spend the holidays at home especially if you have kids. 


Decorate Your Home 

I hope COVID19 won’t stop you from decorating your home for the holidays. We usually start as early as the first week of December so it will set our mood that Christmas is approaching. Kids and kids at heart love to put up Christmas tree and hang Christmas stockings. 

Make Holiday Ornaments or Decors 

If you love crafting or DIY projects, I highly suggest making holiday ornaments or decors. No need to buy new ornaments every year, you can upcycle, recycle, or use whatever materials you have at home. Pinterest would be your best friend when you need some inspiration. Our Christmas tree is a testament to the different ornaments that we did every year. 

Make Christmas Card 

Nowadays, Christmas cards seem to be a thing of the past but we still make and send Christmas cards especially to my mom who is across the miles. Like Melanie White says, “Sending Christmas cards is a good way to let your friends and family know that you think they’re worth the price of a stamp”

Wrapping and Delivering Holiday Gifts 

If you are dealing with a holiday rush, allow your kids to help you in wrapping or packing presents. If time permits, deliver or ship your gifts as early as possible. 

Baked Christmas Goodies 

Let us stop checking the weight loss calculator because “Calories don’t count on the holidays” so enjoy baking Christmas goodies with kids like gingerbread men, snowflake cookies, Christmas light sugar cookies, fruitcakes, and many more. The smell of the Christmas goodies will boost our holiday spirit. 

Movie Marathon 

Since we are not yet comfortable watching movies on the big screen. We are thankful for our Netflix subscription because we can binge-watch holiday movies every night. Some wholesome and popular movies are The Christmas Chronicles, Klaus, The Princess Switch, Jingle Jangle, The Grinch, and many more. 

Turn off the Technology 

Offline is a new luxury so turn off the technology and have a family bonding. Have a family game night and play board games or cards. Our favorites are Monopoly, Chess, and Uno cards. Toddlers and kids also enjoy reading time, take time to read Christmas stories or Bible stories. 

Kid’s Playtime 

Though offline is a good idea but remember, it is Christmas break so let your kids enjoy the holiday too. Let them play online games while you are busy preparing or cooking for the holiday menu. There are culinary-related online games that they can play too wherein they can learn about food, cooking, farming, culinary arts, restaurant business, and others. 

Make a Year in Summary Scrapbook or Photobook 

Pandemic or not, it is nice to end the year by writing a Highlight of the Year, creating a scrapbook, or printing a photobook. It is the best souvenir for the year and it is something that you can look back as the years go by. 

What are your favorite holiday activities with your kids?
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December 18, 2021

Confirmation

Seven days to go and it’s already Christmas and I still don’t have holiday plans. Waah! But I don’t want to stress about it so I will just take one day at a time. So for now, let me lessen my endless backlogs. 

Four years ago my son had his First Communion and just a week ago, he already had his Confirmation. If there is no community quarantine, my son will have his Confirmation last year because this is part of their event in their school. But there is no news about it so when my friend informed me that there is Confirmation here in our place, I immediately informed my husband about it so he can register my son.

Even though I don’t fully understand the Sacrament of Confirmation, I know that it is a special event for my son so I still prepare something for this event. First is the Confirmation Cake Topper, this is just a layer of glitter and metallic cardstock. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use this cake topper because my son doesn’t want a cake. He prefers to eat leche flan and the topper is too big for the flan. Anyway, it is still a souvenir that I will keep. 


And because of the COVID19 scare, only one parent and godparent are allowed to attend the Confirmation so I was not able to witness my son’s Confirmation but in spirit, I am there. Since there is only one godparent, I DIY the Confirmation Souvenir. 


I just personalized this mug using Teckwrap color-changing vinyl (hot) and designed a Care Card Instruction and Confirmation Gift Tag. I found the message on Pinterest and I just recreated it. I edited this file so just in case you need a souvenir tag, feel free to download it here. (size is 3x3 inches). 

"To my Confirmation Sponsor,

Thank you for being my godparent. May God bless you for your commitment to walk with me on my special journey, leading by example when the path isn't clear, waiting for me when problems slow my pace and offering to fly with me when my spirit wants to soar. 

With love,"



I also make a card for my son, (the message is from Pinterest too). I did not buy a gift because I am taking a break from online shopping. I dislike delay delivery during Christmas Season so I just bought a gift at the mall after our celebration. 


"Confirmation is a time to remember the promises of God. He has said that He will always be there to guide us in every circumstance and to renew our faith when we are discouraged. He offers us the strength to overcome temptation and difficulties. Most of all. He has promised that He will always love us."




After the Confirmation, my husband fetched me and we had lunch at Kuya J. I have a gift voucher that I want to use so we ate here. It’s been a long time since we at Kuya J and I was surprised when I saw their menu because the food that I used to order, was no longer there. My husband ordered Crispy Pata PHP590, Pinakbet PHP210, Rice Platter PHP125, Iced Tea Pitcher PHP180, Leche Flan PHP75, and Kuya J Halo-Halo Espesyal (Original and Ube) PHP120.




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December 17, 2021

12 Days of Christmas

In the season of giving, Creative Fabrica wanted to give back to their amazing crafting community by offering amazing deals and discounts. They are celebrating the end of the year with a bang and A LOT of freebies! For 12 days starting from 25th of December 2021 - 5th of January 2022, Creative Fabrica will launch… 

A new free bundle every single day  - 12 quality free bundles in total!  
Exclusive fonts for All Access Subscribers only!  
Mega Christmas sale on over 1 million fonts and designs on the website! 


12 quality free bundles every day, including some of the most popular designs and from popular designers on Creative Fabrica - everything including premium commercial license! 12 Days of Christmas is launching 25th of December. 

Each of the deals will be visible on the website on the day of the launch. 


December 25 Free Popular Crafts Bundle
December 26 Free Fonts Bundle 
December 27 Free Sublimation Design Bundle 
December 28 Free Graphics Bundle 
December 29 Free Quotes Bundle 
December 30 Free Popular Fonts and Graphics Bundle 
December 31 Free Popular Crafts Bundle 
January 1 Free Digital Paper and Clipart Bundle 
January 2 Free Fonts Bundle 
January 3 Free Popular Fonts and Graphics Bundle 
January 4 Free Fonts Bundle 
January 5 Free Valentine’s Craft Bundle


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