On the Pursuit of Happiness

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

― Marcel Proust

I had an absolutely terrible morning.

After waking up early to a racket created by our two dogs, this morning was filled with one disappointment after another. From chores to major life events, everything was a big let-down.

It is hard to work (or do anything, really) when you are sad and upset. It is especially difficult to teach with a heavy heart because kids do not learn anything from a teacher that’s dull and lifeless. I could barely muster the energy to leave my room, let alone go to work. I had to think of something to cheer me up. Fast.

Stamping makes me happy. My recent foray into the world of hand carving has cemented this into fact. I enjoy the process of creating, and stamping is the only activity so far that fulfills my need for instant craft gratification.

Armed with my hand carved stamps and stamp pads, I decided to make thank you note cards for all my officemates. Making the cards helped greatly improve my mood. Not only did stamping give me instant happiness, writing down things I am thankful for made me realize how loved and blessed I am despite of today’s disappointments.

Notecards made from index cards and decorated using handcarved eraser stamps

What do you do to make yourself feel happy on a bad day?

Meet My Crafting Buddy

I had 2 projects lined up for the first 2 days of February — decorate the office’s bulletin board and prepare prizes for a friend’s bridal shower. I had ample time to prepare, and I even put together inspiration boards on Pinterest. But the last two weeks of January were surprisingly busy, and I was only able to prepare for these projects 2 days before they were due.

Enter Adobe Illustrator, aka my dirty little “crafting” secret. I use this program to brainstorm layouts and draw templates that can be printed out and cut.

PROJECT #1: BULLETIN BOARD

I work at a reading clinic, and we take turns in decorating the bulletin board in the waiting area. My colleague and I wanted to combine the ideas of LOVE because it’s February and READING because we’re reading clinicians. Also: research shows that children who read with parents get better grades.

Bulletin board concept that I laid out in between classes

The words “someone you” and “LOVE” are reflected in their mirror image to hide the outlines from the front.

bulletin board templates

My co-teacher Nat helped me in cutting the words and hearts. Thanks, Nat!

The finished product:

The children put heart-shaped PostIts over the books they wanted to read with a loved one.

PROJECT #2: BRIDAL SHOWER

My husband and I made a poster for Mara and Sheng‘s underwear drive for monsoon flood victims. I used the panties I drew to make panty buntings for a friend’s bridal shower.

The panties spelled out “HERE COMES THE BRIDE” and were printed on sea foam green, lilac, and powder blue papers.

I also traced the template over wrapping paper to make “lacy” panties.

Finished product:

I hung the panties on lilac-colored yarn using wooden clothespins. The panty buntings went well with the existing decor of the venue.

I was also able to design and print labels for the prizes and favors.

Anti-dengue citronella sprays and soaps never looked so classy.

Thanks to my best friend AI, these projects each took just under 2 hours to complete.

What do you do to make arts and crafts projects easier?