Orchids - Psychopsis Mariposa & Bulbophyllum Makoyaanum

I found these two exotics, surprisingly, in a shopping center flower stall that only sells orchids.  Surprising in the sense that these type of stores normally just carry different varieties of  the "standards" - dendrubiums, phalaenopsis, cattleyas, cymbidiums or oncidiums.

This is a Psychopsis Mariposa, very striking and odd at the same time.  I heard some people call them spider orchids but for me the name mariposa is more fitting because in my dialect mariposa means giant moth, and these one looks just like a giant moth.  The size is pretty impressive, it's about 8 inches to the tip of the "antennae".

This other one, I have never seen before.  I asked the seller if it is an orchid and he said yes.  He said most people call them daisy orchid for apparent reason but the scientific name is Bulbophyllum Makoyaanum.  He also mentioned that unlike daisies, each "petal" is a flower.  So this particular one has eleven flowers in one stem.  Compared to the Psychopsis Mariposa, the Bulbophyllum Makoyaanum is tiny, about 2 inches in diameter.  It's not the best shot but the best I can get with my cell phone camera.  The smell is not very pleasant either.  Most orchids, not all, if they have a scent usually smell like vanilla or different variations of vanilla scents.

I didn't buy either one because plants die on my watch and my Mom just left for a four-week vacation.  A lot can happen in four weeks!!!  When she gets back and if they have another blooming Psychopsis Mariposa, I'll get her one and I can come over whenever I want to see the flower.

Name Tag

I created this name tag for my upcoming group meeting.  I used MDS2, a digital design software by My Digital Studio which is one of Stampin'Up's product line.  MDS2 is a recent upgrade and there are tons of new design tools and digital contents.  I think I went a little over board trying a lot of new stuff and cramming so much elements in such a small project.  The tag itself measures 3" x 2".  I made it to fit in a plastic sleeve hanging from a lanyard.

I'm really excited that I figured out how to use the splatter tool which enabled me to have the sponge look.  I was also able to changed embellishment color which is another new feature of MDS2.  The software is very intuitive and user friendly.

The layout is not quite balanced but I grouped some elements together and I had so much layers that making changes became tedious, I decided to leave it alone.  There are elements that don't even show.  As I was adding embellishments and layers of papers and brush sets some things just got buried.  I'll try again another day with a different approach.

Halloween Collage Swap

I am participating in a swap with my stamping friends that is a little different from our normal swaps.  Instead of creating cards, we are making little squares that will be made into a collage.  The important requirement is that the squares have to be 1-3/8" by 1-3/8" or use the Stampin' Up Square Scallop Punch.

When I agreed to participate, I thought I can easily get this done since I already had a idea floating in my head.  The one with a tiny tag was my original idea but I wasn't too crazy about it.  The one on the left was my second try.  Then the spooky bats, first in green and then in gray.  I really liked the bats but the bat punch was retired last year so I can't use it.

The final design I decided to go with is really simple and easy to mass produce.  I need twenty squares and they are due October 15th.  I finished them today in, like, an hour.  It's really a simple process.  I cut 1-1/4 x 1-1/4 squares from white cardstock and stamped the spider in black Stazon and "Crawly" in Calypso Coral.

Then I sponged Wisteria Wonder around the squares, covering almost all the white cardstock.

Next, I glued the squares to punched out scallop square.

And now I'm done!!!  Way ahead of schedule.  Stay tuned for the next collage swap which is a Christmas/Holiday theme.

All stamps, inks and cardstocks used were from Stampin'Up.

Altered Notebooks

I'm a sucker for pretty papers - cardstocks, handmade paper, coordinating designer papers, you name it.  I can't resist buying papers when I see a design or color I like.  The problem is I don't want to cut them up and use them so I end up hording beautiful papers.

Recently, I challenged myself to use more papers on my projects.  I picked my current favorites and created something with them.  One of the best way to use beautiful papers is altered notebooks.  I still prefer handwritten notes in spite of all the available fancy gadgets around and I always carry a notebook in my purse.  

Today, I'm sharing my notebooks with you.

I love these mini notebooks.  I carry one in my purse for when an inspiration strikes me.  I make notes for future projects or blog posts but I don't use them for grocery list!  I also altered the pens to coordinate with the notebooks.  While I'm at it, I made a simple pen cupholder.

These are the regular size composition books.  I kept them simple so I can add monograms later.  If I give them away, I'll add the recipient's initials.  If not, they'll have my initials!!!  These too, have matching pens.

This is a spiral notebook from Staples.  I added the tabs so I can separate my notes.  And the coordinating pen just makes writing so much more fun.

This is the inside cover.  I added post-it notes and a small pocket for stamps and business cards.  The big pocket is part of the notebook.  I kept it as is although  a blank canvas like that is screaming to be embellished!!

All rubber stamps, cardstocks and Designer Series Papers are from Stampin' Up.

Post It Note Pinwheels

Do you ever get those days at work when you just don't feel like working or are not getting anything done no matter how hard you tried?

When that happens to me, I usually organize my work space, sort my paper clips and binder clips, go through my desk drawers, or whatever mindless task I can find.  It was on one of those kinda day when I found my stash of  neon Post It notes.  Our office normally uses the plain yellow ones so finding these bright and colorful stash was a treat for me.  I can't remember when and how I got them.

What to do, what to do????  How about pinwheels?

I ripped open the clear plastic around them and laid them out on my table.  I randomly paired two different colors together so each side had a different color.  I snipped all four corners and folded the corners to meet in the center and used push pins to attached them to the erasers at the end of pencils.  I put them in my pen/pencil cup, they looked nice but they won't spin.  So I unpinned them from the erasers and stuck them on my board.

I think they look better scattered on the wall.

After that, I was ready to get back to my financial statements, crunching numbers, debits and credits..........

Miss You Dad!

It's been sixteen years!  I still miss your humor, compassion and stillness.  I wish you have met my son, I tell him stories about you all the time.

He was about five years old when I told him the moth story.  You see, a few hours after you passed away, Aser and his family found a moth inside their van on their way home from the hospital.  Terry and Toy got distressed with the moth flying around in the van so Aser told them that it's just Grandpa making sure we get home safely.  When they got home the moth was gone and they could not understand how it got out when all the windows were rolled up.

Everyone of us had moth sightings that first week after you passed away.  All of a sudden there's a moth in the house and soon it will be gone, no open windows or doors!  Over time, we all got used to visiting moths and we all like to think that it's you dropping in on us.

When Ian was about five years old, he started freaking out when he saw a moth flying around in his bedroom.  He wanted me to "kill" it when it landed on the far wall towards the ceiling.  That's when I first told him about the moth story and it calmed him down.

One day I heard him talking while I was in another room.  When I asked him who he was talking to, he said, "Oh, I was just saying hi to Grandpa, he's over there" and pointed to a moth perched on the wall.  Not long after that the moth just disappeared.  To this day, he's thirteen years old now, he still says Hi, Grandpa whenever he sees a moth in the house.  I hope you can hear him.

I love you Dad.

Dad and his loyal friend, Butch.

Orchids - Purple Phalaenopsis

I was at my Mom's earlier today and this single purple flower caught my eye.  It's the last of the buds from this particular plant and it was quite spectacular.  The color is deep purple and some areas are so dark they look black from an angle.

Funny how I go to her house everyday and never noticed it.  The color must have peaked today and combine with the bright sunlight streaming through the window it was screaming to be noticed.

Unfortunately, I don't have the exact hybrid information so can't share that with you.