D.I.Y. Debut

Finally, I can show you what I've been up to these past three months. I couldn't really talk about each of them one by one because... well, it's kind of hard to take any quality pictures when you're borrowing your DSLR camera, as a lot of my old posts might have shown you. Besides, I find it better to dump them all in one sitting, don't you? Haha.

Thanks so much to Tita Lianne from Sugarpuff Photography for the amazing pictures!

It all started with a sketchbook...

One of the things I'll miss the most about prep is writing and drawing my ideas in this journal, even if the debut shouldn't be the end of my entries. I guess this is the first time writing a journal wherein I truly didn't think about what I was writing except for the gist of it, of course. I just let the words flow~ Haha. I'm not really a journal-keeping person (says the girl who tries to maintain a blog harhar) except for all those fictional ones that I have to "script".

I can't wait to look back at this book and see what took up most of my time between August to October 2013, haha.

The Cake

Expectation, reality. Haha, but in fairness, I love how the cake came out, it complimented the party beautifully! I guess an entire ombre-on-the-inside cake is way too ambitious too anyway, but I really love the color blending. Thanks so much to the bakers from Cravings for achieving this so beautifully.

Painting everything...

From the watercolor invites... (these are the originals, I scanned them in and laid them out on Publisher so you could fold them into actual cards! I apparently fooled a lot of people into thinking I did them one by one... hahaha)

...to the poster paint menu cards (I actually had to go through several trials of this because of the changing menu, haha - but I loved food tasting and taking reference photos, although making the food look appetizing with poster paint was a liiittle challenging. Thank God we tackled the color wheel at school before this so finding and mixing colors was easier for me and with this medium then)...

...to watercolor signs and banners posted on the events page and at the candy buffet...

...to the watercolor background on the Freedom Wall, which also took several tries to perfect because the mother/"manager" had a few changes... hahaha.

I'm quite proud of the turnout of several days scattered with hard work, I can't believe it's all collected into this, haha. The whole thing really upped my appreciation for painting and watercolor, that's for sure.

The Souvenir Bag

Aside from the adorable candy buffet provided by Ate Jaz from Sweet Nest (who also did the gorgeous table set-up, backdrop, registration front, and provided creative ideas for so many things) my Mom suggested we have canvas bags for give-aways (aside from the tiny notebooks we hand-stapled and the paper of which we got from our usual supplier, Emerald, near Anonas station) and found the Rehabilitation Sheltered Workshop for the National Capital Region. We learned the bags are hand-crafted by persons with disabilities and even got a discount. They work so efficiently, we got the final bags a day after they started. Also, I sent them a preliminary study for the logo and they were able to Photoshop one for me (because I had no Photoshop at the time haha) and the two-tone print was included in the package.

Seriously, if you guys want to custom order bags or are finding a supplier to sell them, check out the RSW and their website here. You're supporting persons with disabilities as well as getting amazingly crafted quality bags and other products.

Miscellaneous Signages

Before we went to the salon Ate Jaz asked me to drop by so I could write on the black side of some illustration boards. I'm not so good at calligraphy yet so it took me a while (and a looot of erasures) before I could finish these hahaha. Luckily, I wrote a poem beforehand for the toast, but I really chickened out on saying it mostly because it was so cheesy hahaha. But oh well, both of them turned out quite nicely~

***

Like I said, I'll really miss stressing out on party preparations (even though my amount of stress is nothing compared to my parents' hahaha) and working on everything. The party passed like a dream - a four to five hour whirlwind of a dream filled with people who were hopefully happy, and things that took me by surprise, and things that hopefully went as planned, and then suddenly it's all over. Three months of hard work coming into something like this. But hey, in the words of the immortal Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

I'm looking forward to being legal, and even if I do have to be careful where I tread now that was one hell of a party, and I'm so glad to have spent my first day of being legal with the people I love (even though some of them unfortunately couldn't make it) and in a way that really captured my me-ness hahaha. Even though I stressed about the party not being about "me" it was still one of the most memorable experiences I've ever had. :)

Belated Happy Halloween, everyone! :D

Do It Yourself Debut

School takes a heavy toll on the relationship between a girl and her blog, but I stopped by regardless of an English paper due this Friday and a paralyzing clogged-nose-and-almost-fever combination to let you in on my plans for the next... three months? Haha.

I've never really given my 18th birthday much of a thought. I'm not the kind of girl who wants to feel like a Princess one day by asking eighteen of her friends to talk about her and dance with her (probably mostly because I don't have enough guy friends?), so I spent about two weeks in conflict about whether I still wanted to hold a debut or not. I do want to hold a party, but what would people be doing for, I don't know, approximately 5 hours?

A couple of days ago I had the idea of holding an Open Mic party just so I would have something to fill in the time. I kind of hate how I didn't think of it earlier, because I know three months before my party isn't the best time to start planning. I don't even have a venue yet, as of now.

Another thing I've decided on is to go all-out Martha Stewart on this thing. Yes, I'm planning on D.I.Y.ing my debut - undoubtedly my biggest, scariest project to date, because as much as I like going to parties, I'm not the kind who's had a lot of experience.

I'm taking pegs from places like MarthaStewart.com, Pinterest, and one of my crafting idols Lorra Elena Angbue-Te Or. However, a lot of the D.I.Y.s here are central to weddings and kiddie parties. The debut, after all, is a Filipino tradition - I admit I had, and am having, a hard time looking for nice inspirations for a non-traditional debut, since I've only attended less than ten so far and a lot of them only involve the whole shebang.

I came up with a "hard copy" Pinterest, an extra black-bound blank book from school to document my journey... I might be able to post some pictures here, if I have time. Hopefully, I will have the time. Hehe.

Wish me luck. :)

In other news, WE HAVE A NEW BUNK BED. HOO HAH!

For Interested Parties: Canlaon College

Canlaon College is a fiction and art anthology about Philippine mythological creatures based in a High School to College setting. Please keep in mind that submissions are primarily done for free. Whether or not you're a first-time author or illustrator doesn't matter: anyone is welcome to submit. :)

Submission Requirements:

1. Must revolve around the theme of Philippine mythological creatures in a High School or College setting.
2. Can be in English or Filipino.
3. Can be in fiction, comic, or artwork format.
4. Must be original (of course).
5. Must not be previously published.
6. Created by someone of Filipino nationality/ethnicity.
7. Only one submission per person. Should the work not be considered for inclusion to the anthology, rights to publish or enter the story in a contest unrelated to this specific anthology will be given back to the creator.
8. Preferably targeted to a teenage/young adult audience.

Not-Requirements:

1. Does not have to occur specifically in school, as long as it focuses on that certain theme or age.
2. 500-7000 words in fiction, only preferably.
3. Art will be published in grayscale.
4. There is no maximum for comics, but preferably they should not exceed 20 pages (excluding the cover). Any submission that exceeds 20 pages should be justified solely by the plot.
5. Avoid fancy formatting if you are to submit fiction. Entries will be standardized according to our own format eventually.

Editor's Notes:

1. Please include your real name in the submission e-mail. Pseudonyms will be discussed once your submission is considered for publication.
2. When your work is considered for publication, we will require you to submit a short bio, with or without publishing history.

How to Submit:

1. Join the Canlaon College group on Facebook so you can participate in discussion and/or consultation.
2. E-mail your entries to canlaoncollege@gmail.com with your real name.
3. Submissions may be done in the following formats: .doc, .txt, .zip, .jpeg, .png, .rtf
4. Deadline for submissions is on Jan. 1, 2014.

SETTING DETAILS/INSPIRATION

1. No specific school is designated to be the setting for "Canlaon College".
2. Stereotypes/cliques per species is designated as follows (no need to follow, but recommended to at least exemplify):

• ASWANG/MANANANGGAL
• The self-appointed rulers of the school - confident, reassured people by day who are, well, beasts once night drops. Female aswang are to be dated with caution, as they are known to be man-eaters - literally, and, more usually, figuratively. Their carnivorous streaks are toned down now that they have to lie low in their schools, but they still retain a fierceness that doesn't require any bloodshed. Usually.
• TIKBALANG
• Jocks who enjoy flaunting their fitness just because it's in their blood. They're the students who, despite the hectic demands of academic life, never seem to run out of horsepower. Ahem.
• DIWATA/ENGKANTO
• The students who just can't help but exuberate their own brand of fash-own on campus. You could dismiss them as free-spirited hipsters, but when it comes to environmental activism, they're so much more than the average dreamcatcher-toting, Instagram-using, trendsetting teenager.
• KAPRE
• "Stoners"/activists/sometimes slacktivists, only rarely seen without a cigarette or, in some cases, a cigar between their teeth. They might seem lazy and uncouth at first glance, but one should learn never to judge a Kapre sumply by their laidback appearances.
• SIYOKOY/SIRENA
• Like the Diwata and Engkanto, the sea-dwellers can't help but feel protective of their home and will most likely be spotted at the next "Save the Dolphins" wall-painting session. However, they also can't help being inevitable scene-stealers and will most likely sing, dance, act and dramatize their way into conviction, no matter how over the top it looks.
• NUNO SA PUNSO
• The Nuno, by today's standards, may be quite awkward and nerdy, but there's no way they're going to go down from a bullying without a fight. Nuno are still the smiths of pranks and practical jokes, benevolent and otherwise, and one would be smart to pay a little respect to the descendants of the very first hill-dwelling people.

Mythological creatures not mentioned above can be written about in any way you wish.

Team Effort (and the importance thereof)

Yesterday I popped over to Motzie's house to - finally - work on the Project Bayani 2nd issue pages that have remained stagnant since a month ago. 

I decided to ask her if I could come over around Wednesday all of a sudden because nothing was happening. Like, literally. I was, to be honest, unconsciously putting off work because 1) I have so many ideas and other projects piling up, even though school hasn't started haha, and 2) I am lazy as hell. I thought it would do me good if my co-creator was physically there to attend to me, thereby forcing me to do as much work as I can. I allotted seven hours - 11 to 5. Despite a couple of transpo problems I made it to her house.

As you can see from the ecstatic Instagram "live feeds" I'd been posting, progress was amazing. I finished inking all of the pages (without black masks) in the span of 5 hours, as we went to Moonleaf after and had time to spare to erase my pencils.

Did I mention that it just so happened to be Project Bayani's first birthday, coincidentally? We'd only found out when I looked at our Copyright Certificate again.

Conclusion: pressure is, indeed, very helpful. It stemmed from the way that writing circles and running clinics (one of which I've attended, heh) stimulates one greatly to get what they want done - it's the idea that people actually, physically bank on you to finish something, and it's kind of the best feeling ever to accomplish something after.

I thank Motzie because if it hadn't been for her, I definitely would not have finished these on my own. Yes, I'm that lazy haha. On to wrapping up inking, then it's post-prod by scanning and Photoshopping. Wish me luck. :P

The Man and the Monster

I apologize sincerely for not being able to post as often as I promised. :( Life gets in the way, and this isn't cutting out to be the hip, adventurous Summer I was planning it to be. Haha. Expectations > Reality, as always.

One good thing about this Summer, however, is being able to indulge in all my ideas. I've been drawing like crazy, especially since I've restarted on Issue 2 as a clean slate (yes... hehe).

Anyway, one of the ideas I thought of expanding was the Manobo version of Beauty and the Beast from my Filipino Fairy Tale series. I love Manobo clothing and aesthetics and no matter how tedious the textiles might seem (are), it's really rewarding.

You know what else is tedious and rewarding? Freaking crocodile scales.

Habang lumipas ang mga taon, lalo siyang nawalan ng pag-asa. Sino naman ang matututunang magmahal ng isang halimaw?

I was especially inspired by Claire Hummel's Historical Princess series in this one. Dat style.

I'm sorry I have so many words for just one picture, I spent almost a day working on this, alright?

Also, here are some detail shots, because I worked hard on these, dammit!!!

No Gas

Guess who went to her first day of driving school today?

(Continuing the OOTD entries I started here, except time won't let me take pictures of all of my outfits every day if I watercolored them. Oh well. Thanks to Stumpy Brush for contributing to 90% how good this one turned out! Haha.)

Fortunately, with a couple more days of going out planned in the coming days, I'll be able to document my OOTDs more often! :)

Unos

My Tagalog-Shakespeare feels started to tingle this week, and the only way to abate them was to draw something.

Now, once upon a time, I thought about adapting a Filipino The Tempest called Unos. I remember drawing a bunch of things, but all that's lost to time now. So I started fresh.

Notice the deterioration in effort per character the less colors I have. Haha. These palettes, by the way, come from the indescribably inspiring Landscape Palettes Tumblr.

Hopefully I could come up with concept art of the rest of the characters. I've been itching to do Caliban as well. :) But for now, here's the most recent art post on my dreadfully art-less art blog.

Oh, and speaking of Caliban, I whipped this up on a whim under my Filipino!Shakespeare fever:

Huwag mangamba. Ang isla'y puno ng alingawngaw. / Mga tunog at kalugod-lugod na hanging nagbibigay ng katuwaan at 'di namiminsala. / Minsa'y isang-libong instrumentong tumutugtog / Ang umuugong at pumapalibot sa aking tainga, at minsa'y mga bosesNa, kapag ako'y nagising matapos ang isang mahabang pagidlip, / Ay muling magpapatulog sa akin; at, sa aking pananaginip, /
Inakala ko'y ang mga alapaap ay bubukas at magpapakita ng kayamanang /
Handang malaglag para sa akin, nang ako'y gumising, /
Ako'y tumangis para managinip muli.Inakala ko'y ang mga alapaap ay bubukas at magpapakita ng kayamanang / Handang malaglag para sa akin, nang ako'y gumising,Ako'y tumangis para managinip muli.

Cheers! :D

Cosmic Love {D.I.M. Galaxy Canvas Shoes}

So there's this new thing I'm trying called Did It Myself. Since I'm terrible at formulating Do-It-Yourself type tutorials, here's a chronicling of things that I - proudly! - was able to do myself!

***

If there's one thing I'm grateful for the hipster community for, it's turning space into a trend.

Quoting the inimitable Hank Green.

Seriously, how could you not like these? Or space in general?

Quite unabashedly, I love galaxy prints simply because they're so pretty (...I get really guilty when I like something just because it's pretty).

Once upon a time I bought these Vans canvas shoes. I thought they were pretty cool back then; besides, they fit me (they're a Men's 11). I have a hard time finding shoes that fit me around here (which is why I treasure the nice shoes I actually have). Now I think they're really ugly; besides, I was never able to wear them with anything that really matched. I've always wanted to do something to them. So when I saw Lorra Angbue-Te's post on D.I.Y. Glitter Shoes I finally decided to get off my butt and do it.

Do What You Love

And I do love to create!

Mood music. (Although to be quite honest it's my least favorite Gotye song, but hey, it's the most fitting one I could dig up. :))

I promised that I'd blog about Graphika Manila 2013, so here it is, fresh out of two weeks of memory. Haha.

Go Do

I finally got to use the Muji binder my friend Trisha gave me for my birthday!

I really didn't expect the paper to receive watercolors so well. The pages looked so thin and I was scared the water would eat it all up. To my relief, there was only a little crumpling and the paints worked like a dream. (Trisha, if you're reading this, you da best. :D Hihi)

I painted these yesterday, and took the advantage of borrowing my Tita's camera to document them today.

I had indeed tried drawing other things on this prior, but the perfectionist side of me took over and I tore both pages (yes, two :'() out and started anew. I thought my first Outfit of the Day entries (inspired by fashion bloggers everywhere and Flominowa especially) would be appropriate for that new start. :)

I actually have the chance to dress up now since it's Christmas Break. And yes, these are mostly accurate, starting from the bottom which I wore to the school Christmas Party. :)

Yeees, making up for my lack of bravery to own a Lookbook, and the resources to take pictures of my outfits everyday. Woohoo!