Washi Wednesday: Hobby Depot Haul

It all started with the idea that I needed washi holders to bring my washi with me to my upcoming travel. I already set up my traveler’s notebook in advance. Only one shop had them, so I combined my order with washi to add.

Hobby Depot offers stickers, stamps, washi and also washi holders for those antsy documenters who cannot bear to be away from their favorite washi. (Guilty.)

I also took the chance of including the camping themed outdoor seal sticker for the pages of my traveler's notebook. I already used up the bus and tent image on my TN. Hobby Depot has more stock of this, so I'm going back for more (for those hiking trips next year). 

Now I just had to have this panda washi because it's meaningful for me. I personally know someone who claims to be a panda, so it sort of became a panda obsession. 

The ticket washi adds a vintage feel to my TN pages, and it’s relevant because of the bus ride, road trip to the mountain ranges, and then the flight. I love it really. It completes the travel theme.

Finally, I cannot do without coffee. This is for my coffee-themed planner, my TN and anything that’s coffee oriented. Something tells me that I need to have an extra roll so that I won’t panic when this one runs out. I love the handpainted details on this roll. Yep, I’m going to get another one.

Hauling from Hobby Depot is easy, shop owner is quick to reply and updates with stock availability. Transaction is a breeze and I’m definitely coming back for more hauls. The shipping is also quick, it arrived just in time for me to set up my TN and bring these washis and the holder with me.

If you want to purchase washis, holders, stamps or stickers, feel free to visit Hobby Depot on Facebook anytime. There’s a lot of good stuff and pretty washi to satisfy your artsy gut. If you want some inspiration, the Instagram account can also give you that. 

Hobby Depot on Facebook

Hobby Depot Instagram

Shop Feature: Washi and Stamps Haul From Cathy’s Craft Buffet

This is where browsing Facebook arts groups can lead me to. 

The special feature about Cathy’sCraft Buffet is the 3 for Php 100 deal and believe me when I say that the washi rolls are the premium ones. I’ve seen the same washi on sale in other shops for more bucks, and since the ones I spotted in her offerings are patterns, seaside, galaxy and brown vintage ones, I dove in and helped myself, so to speak.

The choices from my buffet came with a freebie consisting of hot air balloon clear stickers. This is quite significant for me because I always have special memories associated with hot air balloons. They always bring back beautiful memories of a weekend where everything flies.

Not only that. Since I have a total of 16 rolls from this haul alone, I also received a reusable, compartmentalized box that’s just the right size for all my orders. I’m not sure how many clients Miss Cathy has who have received this, but this has got to be a thoughtful gesture.

Taking a look at my haul one by one, I have wooden number stamps that also come with fun icons such as camera, phone, mustache and others. I thought it would be good for stamp layering and dates. I’ve already tried them out on my Limelight Journal and they’re great with my Tsukineko ink pads in Coffee Bean and Pearlescent Olive. It seems like my favorite color palette anyway; what else is new?

As for the washi, I consider myself lucky to have scored these brown vintage ones. One is postale themed, the other one has typo textured script. I like it together with my vintage spreads on my journal and they look great with my postale wooden stamps from Deco Art Ph.

Onto the patterned washi, I have dusty blue ones that are a mixed pattern. There are florals and polkas, and also vivid, Morrocan washi in bright pinks, purples and red. I also adore the muted browns, blues and grays, also in patterns.

Now the convincing factor for me is the galaxy washi. Okay, I got a little carried away and got four. But looking at the swatches takes me away to a dark, starry sky and you know that I’m hooked. That and I did a post last time about galaxy washi.

And finally, there’s the seaside washi that I got two of. I love them both. I get to go all out with purples and oranges because of these two.

So that sums up my haul. I like that everything is super affordable and kind of haul-inducive if you’re like me with poor self-control when it comes to washis, stamps, stickers and writing instruments.

I know, I know. I need more discipline. But with deals so good such as this, who’s ready to pass up?

For premium washi tapes at 3 rolls for only Php 100, visit Cathy's Craft Buffet on Facebook. It's worth your while, I bet ya! 

Shop Feature: D Deco Art Ph- Haul and Shop Review

Anyone with an obsession for creative journaling can stumble upon shops on Instagram, (I'm no exception) because the Discover option serves more than its purpose admittedly. 

Then there's D Deco Art Ph which had a clever marketing strategy on Independence Day week to hook those stalkers by offering freebie stickers which was a hit. There were also other attractive goodies, (and at such an affordable price too) that those who had no urge to resist ended up with no urge to resist. 

One thing led to another, and with not much personal restraint, the following is a confession I made:

The Story Behind The Haul

I'm in it for the stickers!

Okay, there I said it.

I mean, who wouldn't want a piece of the action? The Independence Day stickers were a freebie but I'd go after them if I were you... They're cutesy-sized, the sheets are 2.5 inches each and contain Filipino icons such as slippers, jeepney, palm tree, church ( a testament to Pinoy devotion and faith), sun, Philippine map, and of course the Philippine flag. My other favorites are the sentiments: Mabuhay! Pinoy Ako and #SarapMagingPilipino. 

This sticker set is so timely for the month. I recommend that this set should be patented if it's even possible! 

On to the rest of the haul, I was looking for vintage washi designs to go with my Starbucks siren planner because its pages are full of coffee-stained artwork so I'd like to keep with the brown-vintagey theme in the absence of coffee washi and stickers. I was kind of late to the party so some beauties kind of escaped me, and I was told that the next restock will be happening in the last quarter of the year (so I have my alerts turned on already mind you). 

Also, I love how these stamps are able to give crisp images on my planner. Travel-crazed layout on my planner achieved! And you won't believe how crazily affordable they are at only Php 100 per set of 6 stamps. Steal! 

The Shop 

D Deco Art Ph is on Instagram and offers washi, sketchbooks, stamps. planners, post-it notes, brush pens, ballpens and anything else that can gain your attention. There's a lot of interesting stuff I swear. My transaction was fast and easy, courier of choice also was fast (I was surprised too that it came early). If you're interested in something, send them a DM in Insta. 

For my part, I'm going to be busy writing (another long weekend) and because it's my art therapy of sorts. Also, I'm keeping an eye out for new uploads but I'm also serious as hell on saving money, but goodies being offered in Deco Art are affordable that it's almost a crime (trust me I've compared prices in other shops). 

I'll give you updates soon but right now, enjoy your long weekend!

P.S. Follow @raisiespeaks on Insta because I'm doing messy art there LOL

NYX Beauty Haul From Beauty's Treasure Shop

 

I have to say that it’s my first time to try NYX products. My makeup brands have always been Mary Kay and Urban Decay plus the bonuses I get for reviewing samples. I found quite a bargain from Beauty’s Treasure Shop and I think no other shop will be able to give out so many freebies. Ladies, my advice would be to keep an eye out for this shop, you get absolutely good value for your buck!

On to my haul, there’s quite an assortment for the lips, eyes and cheeks. This has got to be the ultimate bargain haul. To begin with, there is a matte lipstick in Audrey that’s a pale pink shade, almost like old rose. I’m not so sure that this matches my skin tone though. I do have high hopes for the Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp and Monte Carlo. They smell good, not like the boring lipstick scent that I normally observe. Antwerp is close to Audrey in a soft pink shade, Monte Carlo is a ruby red shade and both have long-lasting power. I might just want to give these a try.

The eye palettes are just something for me, as if they were just waiting for me to come along. They come from the Caribbean collection and have an assortment of smoky eye shades and also evening glam in violets. I Dream of St. John is just the right smoky eye palette for those who want to try it and I Dream of Barbados has violets with hints of shimmer.

To be honest, this is my first encounter with a Mosaic Powder Blush, this is the Spice variety. I normally just use a peach blush and that works on me. But right now I feel like I want to experiment. So what does a Mosaic Powder Blush do? It is “a medley of 9 matte and shimmery colors creates a flush of color and dazzling glow for every skin tone. Use to highlight, enhance, brighten and bronze. Each mosaic of color blends beautifully with magical results”. Sounds promising doesn’t it? Let’s see what a swirl of this can do. 

Lastly, there is the Cream Blush in Tickled. Upon closer inspection, the pigments have fine gold shimmer and have a touch of elegance about it. I have yet to find out how it will fare against the ordinary powder blush that I've been using.

Like I said, it's my first time to try out NYX. What should I expect? Care to share your thoughts? Have a good day!

Scribbles: Quirks and Novelties Haul + Thoughts

Some time ago I did mention that I will  be introducing a regular feature on stationery over here. I mean, who doesn't have a love for journals and stickers and handwritten letters (almost like calligraphy) and with the amount of kitschy-cute stationery abound these days, one's bound to notice right? 

I spotted this haul online from Cash Cash Pinoy and thought, why yes! I need a dedicated blogging notebook to jot down my posts and ideas and a place where I could keep track of all my report writing and dates due of each. Besides, you wouldn't believe how many My Gel pens I can empty in a month because of my scribbling and the post-it notes I have. I run out of post-it notes and my day is not the same again, ever. 

Back to the haul,  I chose the items carefully and narrowed my choices to the ones that reflect what it is that I really do-and that's writing for a living. After settling my payment, you could just imagine how curious and on top of that-very excited I felt to receive them. The ad did say 3 day shipping nationwide and there I was biting my lip from the excitement (must be due to the urge of instant gratification).

But the exchange of emails between me and the rep later would show that my orders will arrive over a month later from my purchase date-something that can get on my nerves. I can understand if shipping can take 3-5 days because I am in ZC and that's something I am already used to, but did I really have to wait for over a month? 

Another thing to note is to align my expectations with realities.

The site didn't provide measurements for the notebooks and they all came in single sizes so all the while I thought that I got good-sized notebooks, especially since I can scribble away like crazy for ideas and posts and things to do. 

This is what arrived.

It's a hot pink silicon bound blank-page notebook that's pocket-sized. At least I can take it anywhere with me. The blank pages may just be something I can doodle on. Its pages are also generous and makes the whole binding quite thick which kind of makes up for the size.

I like that there is a Keep Calm notebook for writers and I chose the one that came in my favorite color.  You can see that it is lined and has colored dividers, again it's not a big notebook and it sort of feels heavy but I think it's also due to the good quality paper. Its edges are a bit worn, it's something I don't fancy at all.

Finally, there is the attractive gel pen set that has assorted designs in pastel colors. If you look at the color labels closely, there are three varieties of blue and two types of green, yep- no brown. But then it's a set that writes fairly well and makes for good headings when I jot down notes on post-its.

All in all, I think that it's a good haul and I am just not satisfied with the notebook sizes because they are not what I expected, perhaps some measurement sizes would have been helpful. I prefer bigger notebooks though and was wishing that they could be used for the intended purpose.

Unboxing: 13 Piece Sampler Buffet from Beauty Selection by Aliza Sim

 

When the good news broke, I decided to reward myself just because. I also found Beauty Selection by Eliza Sim at Happy PH. This Sampler Buffet has 13 products and comes in a cute pink travel pouch in kiss prints. Perfect for Valentine's  don't you think? Can you believe I did the unboxing in a hospital room of all places? I was playing watcher and keeping my mom company when she was confined for a weekend. The confinement didn't last long thought because she was insisting to go home because she badly missed her dog! Dog lovers, yeah...

I'm also grateful that the bag included perfume samples because fragrances give me an idea on which scents to write about for my next On Fragrances post. I have another feature coming up though!

The bag also has some hair care products, I received Rockaholic Hair Spray in travel size and a Technician Color Care shampoo which I gave a try in the hospital room.

 

These are my favorites in the bag. The Urban Decay Primer Potion will go well with my Naked 2 Palette and I already am impressed with this brand. I already emptied my ELF Primer wand now I have this to play with.

The Escada Shimmer Powder is really cute and handy. Its powder is perfumed. Although I'm not really a fan of shimmer, I am willing to put this on exception simply because it's one of those feel good products that I can use to give me a boost. The puff is small but still very useful.

I'm quite grateful that I got this bag that's not just an assortment of mumbo jumbo. I actually can use some of the products here especially for travel since I'm anticipating another trip at the end of the month. This turned out to be a feel-good bag and I am so enjoying it!

Do you see some products here that you would want me to review? I'm thinking of doing a quick spotlight on the fragrances already. Let me know!