Happy World Card Making Day, 1st October 2021!

Did you make any special card today? Or perhaps you did card swap with your crafty friends just for fun? Well, I honestly did not make any cards.. Sorry! :)

Yesterday, I looked at pictures of all my greetings cards collections from the first day I fell in love with card making. I begin to realize that creating cards/crafts has become a self-therapy session for me :D Every blank card stock on my table is the medium to release tensions and emotions out. Beautiful thing always happen when I know that somehow my card is quite meaningful to the receiver.. and that pumps up good energy into my life. Is it just me or you have that feeling too?

A bit surprising, right? But it's true. My daughter (9 yo) even feels the benefit of making cards :) She started to make them last year. The above portrait is one of her creations. I never push her to draw or make cards/crafts coz I wanna make sure that it is something she likes to do. Fortunately, she enjoys it so I let her to use my crafts tools. Ever since then, she has been making her own greeting cards. She gave it to me, my husband, her brother and send them over to her grandparents, aunties and uncle :) Not only she's happy at getting great feedback from our families but it also lifts up her spirit to keep on creating and spreading happiness through greeting cards. Positivity is really contagious! :)

Now speaking of how I'm going to celebrate WCMD this year? I want to roll out few names of Indonesian card maker :) This is NOT about advertising and NEITHER those endorsement thing! Yes, most of them are my friends whom I have known from the internet and social media for almost a decade. Over the years I have picked up so many creative ideas from their posts and videos. It's not just about making cards but also perseverance and consistency. So it would be an advantage if you can learn from them too. Here are the links to their Instagram account:

1. Melania Deasy

I like her modern style. For me she is the most consistent card maker until this day. And if you want to see the latest trend on card making then you should take a look at her wonderful creations. I love each one of them! She was also the winner of Gallery Idol 2013 held by Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking Magazine (sadly the company closed down on 2014). 

2. Dwita Siregar

Mbak Dwita :) Mother of all crafters :D She knows about everything related to crafts especially greetings cards! You can learn from her on stamping technique, scrapbooking and almost all paper crafting stuff. She's also a very good teacher and recently focus herself on woodworking :)

3. Iin Creative Shine

An expert in paper flowers! Ranges from simple flowers to the most difficult ones. They can be used for greeting cards and scrapbooking. I'm not into paper flower making but I always feel inspired looking at her creations. She's currently making them in digital format too :)

4. Rini Rusli 

Just full of creativity! Quilling, Paper flower, Doodle on cloth or paper, even those gigantic and gorgeous flower decoration. You just dream and ask what you need.. then she will make it come true for you! Remarkable details and neatness in everything she makes! Go check out her link and see it for yourself :)

5. Eka Hikmawati

The most consistent person in the world of origami and an origami instructor :) Whenever I hear "origami" word, her name comes first in my head :D I'm not much into origami but her creations somehow inspiring me

6. Vera Quilling

Love all the soft and minimalist color :) Her oustanding quilling is so impressive, details and unique. Just happy to see her stunning quilling art to this date

7. Ngesthy Crafts

Another friend who is fun and fearless! One of origami maker that I admire. She also collaborates with other origami maker and youtuber. Check out her link and see her wonderful creations. 

8. Silvia Listiani Hong

Origami lover :) I enjoy looking at her pattern especially those that are used for greeting cards. You can also see other creation such as gift boxes that are embellished with origami!

9. Renova Handmade

Mbak Nova's creation is worth checking too. Her style of layering is more into scrapbooking (wait, this is from what I see). I just hope I can see more cards from her. Let's make more cards, mbak!

10. Amelia Utomo

One of the most talented person! :) Everything she makes is great! I love the composition and layering style. She's now focus on painting and drawing which is also inspiring!

11. Nick Craft

If you need cards material, this is the best place to visit :D Not that her own creations are also beautiful but she provides card paper and die cut out with competitive price

12. Morny Makes

Last but not least, Mbak Morny! I hope she will start to make cards again :) I have always admired her coloring technique. She used Copic marker and you should see her coloring result that looks so real! 

So those are the names BUT it does not mean that OTHERS are less creative. Believe me, there are still hundreds names in my lists and all of them are remarkable. Maybe next time I will write more card maker for your reference. For now, go check out their creations by clicking the links and let me know what you think :)

See you on my next post and keep creating! :)

Hello there friends,

Hope you are all in good health. It's been few weeks since the last time I checked in here hehe.. had been busy with my mother in law funeral as well as moving out to a new island and city.

Now that we have managed everything and slowly get back on our track again :) Today I just want to upload my newest watercolor painting to celebrate this year of World Watercolor Month July 2021. I am a total beginner and I really made so many mistakes and I'm sure your kids paint way better than me. Yet, I feel happy to share my learning process here with you :D 

This is also my entry to join the 7 Days of Challenge Nautical Summer from my former teacher at Skillshare Ohn Mar Win. Oh I wish one day I can join her classes again, she was so transparent and informative, I love her teaching style! 

So here is my creation. Please feel free to give positive suggestions which I can use to learn :)

Stay healthy and stay safe!

Hugs, Ika

 Hello friends,

Hello friends,

Anyway, I tightened them together so they would look like a flower bouquet and added some floral hand drawing doodle and sentiment stamp "Precious One". Well, even trash can be precious sometimes :)

This card is my entry for the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge - Flowers as the focus

Lemon Short Bread Challenge - Anything Goes #147

Thank you for reading my post. 

Take care! :)

Hello friends,

I'm here again with my cards :D This is the card that I made using a simple hand drawing doodle. I used kraft paper for the card, a gel rolls white pen from Sakura, a white Posca marker, and an acrylic stamp for the sentiment. I gave a bit of color to the doodle using a pink Copic marker. 

As for the heart shapes, I cut them from leftover cardstock and glued them to a small piece of paper which is folded before I attached it to the card thus giving a "pop-up" look. And That's it :)

This is my entry for the following challenges:

Creative Fingers Challenge - Anything Goes #209

We Love to Create - Anything Goes at WL2C #6 Mixed Media Challenge

Polkadoodles - Week #22 Crafts and Card Making Challenge

Through the Craft Rooms Door - Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by. See you soon :)

Love, Ika

Hello friends,

Hope you are all in good health! Today I want to share another creation. 

I always love the butterfly, especially it's this cute and small. The card itself is for all occasions as I don't give any specific sentiment. Although perhaps most of you would choose it for a wedding card really, you can give this to any of your family members, spouse or best friends. It's really a simple and an easy peasy card :)

This is my entry for the below challenges:

A Place to Start - Challenge #5 Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week #626 Any Celebration (Not Birthday)

Creative Moments - Challenge #215 Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge  - Always Anything Goes

Thank you so much for stopping by! Take care :)

Love,
Ika

 Hello friends,

I hope you are doing well and in good health. As we are all aware that this pandemic situation has changed most of our lives completely. Some of us have lost their loved ones due to the virus, others lost their income and jobs (this happens to me too :) and sadly none of us know when this bad condition will be over.

However, although this is a very tough situation for all of us, it is very important to keep our spirit and fill our minds with positive thoughts. I'm making this black card using recycled paper with florals patterns and put a sentiment sticker with a word "Smile". Simply I just want to say that even in the dark moments, we must not lose hopes. Thus, hopefully will give us the strength to carry on with our lives no matter how bad the situation is right now. 

I submit my cards to below challenge blogs:

The Paper Funday Challenge - Challenge #29 Anything Goes with Twist Flower / Floral

The Creative Crafter - Challenge #40 Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Challenge #208 Anything Goes

May God will protect us and hopefully things will get better soon. Amen.

Thank you for reading my post and Sending you virtual warm hugs :)

"Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it"

~ Buddha ~

We wish you a fruitful and spiritually refreshing Vesak Day to those of you who celebrate it. We hope you had a great time with your family and friends.

It was fun to draw this little monk sketch. I used Copic Marker, Pen Marker and Gel roll pens. For the little monk's outline I used 0.4 Black Pen Marker. I used Gell Roll pens for the sentiments and Lotus flowers. As for the rest of it I used Copic Marker. It's quite simple and does not take a long time to make. I'm sure you can draw this at home too on your spare time :)

See you soon and Take Care!