Major Etsy shop update!

I finally wrangled a bunch of pieces together and have completed an Etsy shop update. I listed 7 new pieces! Here are some of my favorites:

This piece is similar to the one worn by Holly. I received a ton of inquiries about it after her lovely wedding to Mario was posted on Snippet and Ink.

You must view more photos at the photographer's blog. Her dress was done by Elizabeth Dye!
Photo credits: Jonathan Canlas

Enjoy!

Diamond Grade-How to Grade Diamonds

From chemistry point of view, diamond is a mineral and is the hardest substance that already known by human being in the world. It is composed of carbon. Its earliest record dates back to some 3000 years ago in India. Diamonds have always been associated with mystical power and great beauty throughout the history. Recently they are endowed with another meaning-the symbol of power and wealth.

If you are going to spend a substantial amount of money on a diamond, it is necessary to learn diamond grade and how diamonds are graded.

Diamonds are available in varying colors, sizes and qualities. Naturally their colors rang from very clear fine whites to pinks, bright yellows, greens and browns. The majority of diamonds used in jewelry today are white diamonds.

The value of a white diamond is determined by what are commonly referred to as the 4Cs. The 4Cs are the Diamond's Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat. Each of the 4Cs is important and the most valuable Diamonds are those that possess the best of all four measurements.

Clarity is the term used to describe the size and number of flaws known as inclusions in a diamond. The most brilliant diamond always has the fewest inclusions. So the fewer inclusions diamonds have the more valuable they are.

Diamond color grades start at D and continue through the alphabet. Truly colorless stones, graded D, are extremely rare and very valuable. The closer a diamond is to being colorless, the rarer and more valuable it is.

Carat is comparatively common term to us. The weight of a diamond is measured in carats, which is easily for us to understand. The larger the diamond (and therefore the rarer) the more expensive per carat it will be.

While nature determines a diamond's color, clarity, and carat weight, the hand of a master craftsman is needed to release its fire and beauty. The cut gives each diamond its unique sparkle and brilliance by allowing the maximum amount of light to enter and reflect back out of the diamond.

To find the best Diamond that fits within your price range it essentially comes down to a compromise between the 4Cs and your consideration of which factors are most important to you. If you really want a larger stone on a limited budget you could decide to purchase a stone which is graded slightly lower in terms of clarity and color.

Karalyn and Erik at Belle Mer 2.21.09 Part 2

Karalyn and Erik really wanted some fun photos that felt like "Newport", and I really wanted to give them what they wanted. I was a nervous wreck the whole week fretting about the weather... but Karalyn lucked out. We had a gorgeous day, the sun was shining and the wind was blowing a little, but not enough to keep us inside. When Karalyn and I met a few weeks ago she assured me that she was up for anything for photos. She said I had free reign to drag her all over Newport... okay Karalyn, be careful what you wish for... We started at Salve Regina in Newport, I love these big ornamental gates.

Romantical...

You can't have enough smooching...

Next we head right down the street to 40 steps on the Cliff Walk. I love this spot, but it's tricky... sometimes the light is all wrong- and then there's the problem of tourists- not today! The sun was in just the right spot and we had the place to ourselves.

There's that breeze- it's working for us though!

Where are we?!






Trish is coming to the rescue... Karalyn forgot her bouquet at the top.







Karalyn was very brave and went off roading a little here- not too easy in heels, but she was giving it 110% as she says... it pays off!









Nice of you to join us Erik.

Here's Trish and Mike Picard getting the shots pictured above... I am not sure what's going on in this other photo- it's pandemonium, I like it though. Who is Erik trying to catch here? Me? Karalyn? Both of us? I think we are both in trouble if we slip. Oh- and what is Melissa doing? Catching Erik? This has disaster written all over it.

Karalyn loses the shoes to make it back up the steps...

Pretty dreamy.

Karalyn had some fun sunglasses stashed away- I am picturing her wearing them now on the beach in Hawaii.

Fun.

Next stop... Bannister's Wharf. Doesn't get much more Newport than this.

Every time I am down here I find a new spot. I love this little dock. It's so New England.

This is Trish's shot. She's pretty tricky, I didn't even see her doing this photo. That's the fun thing about shooting together, when we get back to the office and look at the photos there are all these unexpected perspectives... Love it!

This photo was Karalyn's idea, she liked the sign. Good idea!

Heading back to Belle Mer, it's party time!

2 more photos with yours truly. I love the bottom one with me and my bride buddy.

You think that was fun!? You haven't seen anything until you've seen Belle Mer transformed by Semia! The sparkle factor is going to hurt your eyes (in a good way!) Stay tuned for Part 3 On Saturday!

♥ NISYA is 11months now!!.

Heee ~ My lovely baby sister is 11months now!.

She's an adorable baby.. veryyy cutee & smart.

She's able to sit down by herself now,clapping hands when you asked her, pretend to have a headache when you said "pusiiing", do a little finger dance when you sing for her, & said "AHH" if nobody was talking & she wants to play.

HAHAA.

Isn't it just the cutest thing ever?

She hardly recognized me when I went back at first,because I left her quite sometimes that confused her.. but we're getting along through days. =)



This is some pictures of her..











Oh by the way,I found some cutee special characthers on the web.

Thought I might share..

☀☁☂☃ ★☆☉☊☎☏☠☢☣☤☪☮☯☹☺☻♀♂ ♁♑♛♚♠♡♥♢♦♣♫♪♨♯✄✆✇✈✉✌✍✖✘✗❝❞

☠ I Got Robbed..

My Auntie got married!.

T.qiqi..

I remembered we used to live together in Makassar just both of us,sharing our stories,changing BF..hahaa.

Can't believe she got married now ~

Soo congrats to her & her new hubby!. Om Akbar.



I went back to Makassar for a week to attend her wedding day & also to nostalgia with my high-school friends.

It wasn't bad at firsts. The wedding was fun..I get to see the whole process & considered it as my training before MY real marriage. =)

I also get to hang out with my gang..

despite all the fun..I had a terrible experienced after 3days staying there.



This is the story..

I was hanging out with my friends at that day. We went to the beach,around 15 of us. Eating corn with cheese & chocolate.. yummy!. After all the fun,we decided to went back home. I rode the bike with ADHYA,one of my girlfriend. It was a smooth road at firsts,but after we were about to turn right on the traffic light,these 2 guys went to the back of us,tapped me on my shoulder,and robbed my purse away.

=(

my favorite Neverfull LV purse.. with a camera that worst quite some money, My LG phone that I got for free from my friend after I won the dance competition. and my crocodile skin wallet.

I chased the robbery & screamed as loud as I can that night,but seems like everybody was busy with their own thing that only one bike that was trying to help me out.

I saw a crowd of people a few blocks from where I got robbed,I went down & ask what was going on there but they said somebody was having a fight. So I thought I should just stay away as far as I could & head back home.



The next day,I received an information that the police had caught the robbery & found my purse. But the camera (which is the most inportant thing in that bag) and my phone was already gone.

What's the point?

After 2 days later,I went to the police station to report my case. & saw the 2 robbery behind bars.



What doesn't make sense is,that.. why would the police found my purse & my wallet with my complete money,& ATM in there,but how come they lost the camera & my cell?

I clearly put my camera in my camera bag,and guess what...the police found the camera bag,but just it was empty inside!!!!!!.

& also,I put my cell inside the zipper of the purse,and it's also gone!!.



According to the police,this is what happened..

After the 2 robbery took my bag and speed up with the bike,they were in the wrong place & time because at that time there were many police there were doing a routine of stopping the illegal racing around the road. The robbery almost hit one of the police,fell,and ran away. They hide separately in other people house.

Of course,the people who live among there were suspicious & eventually beat the crap out of the robbery. & according to them..my purse fell laying on the street that the police saved them after.

So you see..

If the mass of people were beating the crap out of the robbery,they wouldn't have time to actually open my camera bag,take the camera,closed the camera bag & put it back in the purse. They also wouldn't have time to,then,open the zip of my purse,take my cell,and zipped off the purse again. It's gonna be too obvious and somemody else will eventualy see them stealing things out of my bag. It's just too weird. They didn't even take my wallet at all!!. They are people with not much education,a.k.a VILLAGE people that they wouldn't be that smart and they would take my wallet as the first thing they would steal.

It's just too neat.. too impossible..



So where has my camera and my cell gone?

Only God knows where it gone..

It might happened that the robbery already passed it along to their other friends,or the mass people that were beating the crap out of him could also take them,or even the corrupted police could take them and pretend like they were innocent.

Wallahu, 'alam.

Right now I can only be 'Ikhlas' even though I'm still hoping for a little bit,I'm still hoping to find my camera that got stolen,AMIN.

Whatever best happened for a reason..



Maybe I can only hope,if only the police in our beloved country worked hard & not corrupted.

& actually served the people,like what their duty is suppose to..

>> (this is the actual thiefs, the chubby one was the one rode the bike, the thief on the right was the one who robbed my purse) <<

A little shop update later today!

I rarely get the chance to make pieces open to the public for my Etsy shop but over the last few weeks, I snuck in making a piece here and there and have a nice handful to post Wednesday afternoon/evening, possibly at night depending on my schedule. I also have a few boutique orders to deliver over the next couple weeks including a new location/boutique, which I'll announce when I get everything ready to go. Anyhow, check my Etsy shop later in the day Wednesday for some fresh new pieces (I'll blog about it too!). Here's one of the fun new pieces:

Perfect for a spring wedding - bride or guest - or for a romantic stroll through tall grass.

Wish

Happy Hump Day everyone! The work week is downhill from here and Friday is now in sight! I think this is probably one of my favorite Tilda's ( I don't say that about each one, do I????) I just think she looks like she's sooooooooooooo deep in thought!

I colored her with my Copic markers (soon to be available at Hallmark Scrapbook) and set her inside a circle I cut with my Nestabilities. The DP is by Daisy D's from last year or maybe even the year before. Cardstock is Bazzill.

I got that beautiful pink ribbon from I Heart Papers, and the buttons are just from my stash. I threaded them with some embroidery floss. The letter from "wish" came from that sheet of letter stickers that comes with the packages of Basic Grey paper. I used the lower case letters. I also used a couple of my Martha Stewart border punches across the bottom. I really love those border punches!!

I sure hope you're not getting tired of seeing me make Tilda cards. I just got a whole bunch of new ones that I'll be inking up pretty quickly. I'll TRY and squeeze in some other cards here and there! LOL! Don't forget!! If you love the Magnolia stamps, they are on their way to Hallmark Scrapbooks shop. They should be there soon, with awesome prices and superb customer service!!

Thanks so much for stopping by to check in on me today! I sure do appreciate your visits, and love it even more if you take a minute to say hi and let me know what you think about things. Have a wonderful day and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!!