Polka Dot Fabric Jewelry Bags by A Cup of Sparkle

If you have shopped with A Cup of Sparkle Jewelry and Accessories before, you are probably familiar with these fabric jewelry bags. To add the season a little bit more color, I changed the color and design a little. Here is the new handmade jewelry bags in bright orange polka dotted fabric lined with matching orange satin ribbon.

These are perfect to keep your jewelry safe and organized either at home or while you are traveling.  All of the A Cup of Sparkle jewelry bags are made by me and my mom, and comes with any A Cup of Sparkle purchase.You can also find the tutorial on how to make these multifunctional bags in my blog as well as many different styles of jewelry bags.

Have a refreshing long weekend.

After a busy couple of weeks, I am so ready to relax. My hubby, doggy and I are going for a short camping trip this weekend. It is our first time taking our dog to camp with us. I am hoping that he will also enjoy being outside of the city for a while. What about you? Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Hope you have a refreshing one...

I ran 26.2 miles: BMO Vancouver Marathon

Yes, I ran 26.2 miles on May 5th in Vancouver. It was a great experience; both training for it and actually running the entire distance on the race day. My running partner and I have started our training almost 7 months ago. It feels so great to reach our goals after so many after-work runs in South Lake Union and long weekend runs on endless Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle, rain or sunshine...

Remember my first race medallion, here is a photo of it from a 15K run almost one year ago. Since then, I have done three half marathons and some short races but, this is my first full marathon. Now, I can proudly say that "I ran a full marathon"!

The line marked in red on the map is the route. It started at Queen Elizabeth Park, looped around the University of BC, Stanley Park and ended in downtown. The route was absolutely spectacular! Even though I have not done any other marathons before, I cannot imagine a more beautiful place to run than Vancouver.

Here are some more photos from the race day. It was a very hot day! However, the volunteers kept us hydrated with drinks and some spectators even sprinkled water from hoses to cool us. I truly appreciated all their efforts and time.

Thanks to everyone, to my husband, my training partner and all the BMO Vancouver Marathon organizers! It was a long, fun and a rewarding experience that I will always remember.

Have a heart-racing weekend.

What are you all up to this weekend?  I am having a sparkling Saturday and hoping to have a relaxing day on Sunday. I love this logo that fits perfectly for my day as I am running the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon today with my running partner. (wish me luck!). Hope you will be doing something to get your heart racing with enjoyment and excitement this weekend... Have a good one!

Hand Stitched Birds Nest Card Making Tutorial

I tend to keep myself busy making so many variety of crafts and arts but, card making has never been one before. My hubby has been unfortunately sick this last week, so I wanted to make him something special and came up with this hand stitched birds nest card. In case you would like to make this special card for someone in your family, here is the simple tutorial on how to make this hand stitched birds nest card:

Materials: Tread, a branch, needle, beads, paper, scissors, pen, glue or double sided tape

Step 1: Pick a thick paper and one or more thread of your color of choice. I started with an A4 size paper. So, I didn't worry about centering the nest.

Step 2: Start stitching and leave a 1- 2 inches long thread on the surface by keeping the tension on the tread very loose. 

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you create the base of the nest. Make it into a ball shape like a nest.

Step 4: Once you have the base, continue stitching horizontally. This time you won't be poking the needle to the paper. Move the needle through the base to crowd the nest until you are happy with its look. You can easily switch back and forth with different colors of thread to create a 3-dimensional look. (You don't want to tear the paper. So, it is very important to use the technique in this step)

Step 5: Now, it is time to lay the eggs onto the nest. I used three beads representing myself, my hubby and our puppy Aslan. You could also choose to add number of eggs representing only the children in the family. In this step, you will sew the beads in the center of the nest in a triangle.

 

Step 6: Your nest is complete. You can now accessorize it by adding a branch, leaves, flowers, birds, butterflies... anything you can think of to embellish the card. Use your imagination and personalize it for that special person you will give this card to.

Step 7: Trim the paper to the size you want the card to be. And then, apply a glue or double sided tape to add a paper on the back so that the stitches wont show.

Step 8: Give this card to someone special and make them smile :)

Let me know if you decide to try to make your own nest and if you have any questions. Cheers...

Happy Heart Day!

Happy heart day!!!! Hope you are having an awesome day with lots of love. It can be hard to come up with an original gift for this day of romance as it has been celebrated every February 14th since 1400's...
But today, I read a fascinating Valentine's surprise on NPR. This guy named Payam bikes around San Francisco etching a heart shape on a map. Isn't it super sweet and romantic? If you have been in SF, you could imagine how hard it will be to do that as the city is extremely hilly. It is one of the most creative surprises I have ever heard for a long time. You can read more of Payam and Clare's story here.

A Cup of Sparkle in Mexico: Get inspired by color

Every artist needs inspiration and every artist finds inspiration in different things. I equate inspiration with travel and colors. To get ready for a new year,  I took some time off from my Etsy shop and traveled to Mexico for a week during my break. I guess it is the fact that how little sunshine I get in the rainy city Seattle I often times pick sunny destinations to travel.

Mexico is full of colors... Everywhere you go, there is a touch of bright color to the ordinary and old which makes almost everything look eccentric and cool. This is steps to someone's house in an Island called Isla Mujeres:

 

One of my favorites is the buildings that are painted in vibrant colors inside and outside: you will find random doors and walls painted in bright yellows, hot pinks, eggplant purples... like a rainbow! Frida Kahlo's paintings will seem more close to the reality while you are wandering around the streets in Mexico.

Black and white is quite hard to spot. And when you see one, it is very artsy. Check out this door that opens up to a cool Mexican bar in Puerto Moroles:

Paintings and drawings on walls are quite common in Mexico. This coffee shop is so welcoming and serves mostly to tourists in a small town near Tulum:

And last, Mexican traditional women are always dressed up in very vibrant colors, usually accented with intricate flower motifs. It is hard to see them in very touristic cities like Cancun, but I have seen many of them in a town called Valladoid. Below is a funny picture of me that is taken in a museum:

I am happy to share some of the photos I took during my travel. I will be definitely sharing more in the future. I am very inspired from all of the things I have seen and experienced in Mexico and looking forward to reflecting it to my arts and crafts in 2013, and most of all sharing them with you. Thank you for reading! See you soon.