Unveiled Paradise

Just in case there was any of you wondering where have I been this whole week, I wrote this post only to tell you that I went for a vacation with my family, to Bali. ha ha ha...

I got not much story to tell, because, well, everybody knows Bali better that I do. I got a lot of experience, and super exhaustion too. Not that "super", honestly. But after chasing around my 3 years old daughter and my 5 years old boy for three days, without nanny, exhaustion is a common thing for a mom like me

Okay, I will let you enjoy some photographs I took during my vacation


On a plane took us to Bali. Yup, it was one of lion air's

My favorite landscape :



A sunset in Tanah Lot :



Zakiyya in a colorful merry-go-round in Bali Safari and Marine Park :



Padang-padang Beach :




Oops, whose feet were those ?

And my last day in Bali was spent in Pura Ulun Danu, Bedugul. It was a rainy and fogy day. Using my panorama mode, this was the best shot of the Pura that I could take :



Overall the trip was extremely fun and unforgetable
So tell me, do you have any favorite destination ?

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Creating Success around The World : Edhini from Kiyut

Welcome to "Creating Success around the World"
The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe. For your info, this is my last feature post for the blog hop. For March, you can follow this blog hop in "Green Issues by Agy" from Singapore.

This last week of February, I will introduce you to a pretty girl from East Java. She is Edhini, from Kiyut

Hi..I'm Edhini..I'm Indonesian,an architecture graduate and full working woman who love and interest with crafts..arts..DIY...make something cute in my leisure time^^...love piyo2.. love YOGA...travelling...photography.. cooking..

She makes pretty and, of course, cute accessories from felt and fabrics.
Can you imagine how to eat those cute onigiris (japanese rice ball) that she made ? I surely can stare at them all day long.





And was that Wall-E ? OMG, Din, you are a handy-girl. Can you make the same Wall-E for me, please...



She also sews some handy organizers and blackberry pouches



Umm, can I have them all ?



Ok, stop drooling. I know, I can't. But it's time to check other guest bloggers around the world. Visit each continent's host below :








You can enter this blog hop by putting your link in the bloghop below. Don't forget to put this button in your sidebar. Please visit one or more blogs and drop your comment there.

<a href="http://jembellish.blogspot.com/search/label/Creating%20to%20Success"><img src="http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac152/creatingtosuccess/blog%20buttons%20-%20Creating%20my%20way%20to%20Success/creatingsuccess_orange.jpg" border="0" alt="Creating Success Around The World" /></a>

Let me restate that this is my last feature post of Creating Success around The World. Thank you for Jill, Ojan, Mayya, Rika, Pingkan and Edhini for making this February a great month for us. Especially for Pingkan and Edhini, I'm so sorry if I couldn't make my promise to interview both of you. Really really sorry. I wish I could have more free time to do the interviews, but I couldn't.

Crafters, for making "handmade" grows into a more powerful wave, stay connected, help each other, and keep linked to your true self.

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Creating Success Around The World features "Pingkan from Pink's"

Welcome to

"Creating Success around the World"


The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

This third week of February, I introduce you to my friend Pingkan, from Pink's. She's from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. She loves ice cream, dog and cat,crocheting while watching television. Her childhood obsession was to be a writer and a journalist. She sews her own dress and sometime for her children. She can't swim but she will learn to do it. And she likes to go to other country to learn their culture.

Hello, my name is Pingkan. I'm a working mother and lives in Bandung, Indonesia. I love making various creation of crochet, sewing clothes and doing many interesting things that makes me happy.

Let's drool over her creations

Crocheted goods :




Flower brooch // Coin pouch // key chain // Key house // crocheted flowers // snowflakes



Sewing goods :



Bible cover // Reversible bag // Tissue pouch // Blouse

Thank you Pingkan for letting me feature your crafts
I have an interest in crocheting, but never have a dare to try it. I don't have enough patience. Looking at Pink's creations makes me want to try crochet. Is that hard ?

Now, it's time to check other guest bloggers around the world. Visit each continent's host below :








You can enter this blog hop by putting your link in the bloghop below. Don't forget to put this button in your sidebar. Please visit one or more blogs and drop your comment there.

<a href="http://jembellish.blogspot.com/search/label/Creating%20to%20Success"><img src="http://i895.photobucket.com/albums/ac152/creatingtosuccess/blog%20buttons%20-%20Creating%20my%20way%20to%20Success/creatingsuccess_orange.jpg" border="0" alt="Creating Success Around The World" /></a>

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More Baby Shoes - My Take on Products Photography

Above : a newborn size baby maryjane

There's a little bit of change in my blog. You will see more updates about my craft products, my little shop and fewer tutorials. I must be honest, writing tutorials are so time consuming. Unless I am sure that I can handle and finish it, I won't write any tutorial for you months ahead. So please don't get bored whenever you see my post about my shop, again and again

I'm working on my small line of baby shoes for March. And I've tried to photograph the shoes by myself. Considering that taking products' photos is different with taking a photograph for my blog, I'm learning and trying to take better and better shots. When you take photographs for blog or prints, you can edit your photos endlessly, as long as the editing will suit your desired need. But when taking photographs for your inventories (which are for sale), some rules must be applied.

In facts, I don't want to buy products when their real appearances are different from their photographs in an online store. You may think the same way that I do

So here are of my trials in product photography. I really really need your feedbacks



Above : a newborn maryjane on the top of a 9-12 size

Their soles are in different materials. A 9-12's soles are non-slip, so they are safe for a pre-walker baby


A pile of fabrics on my working table

And a bag of notions


I didn't edit them much. I just changed their white balances a bit, diminished some shadows, added sharpness, cropped some of them, and then added watermarks
Which one of my photos you love most ? And which one you don't like

Note : This post has been linkep up to some of these link parties




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So Me - My Favorite Board

Do you have any spesific color scheme that you love so much ?
I do. My latest and my most-loved board in Pinterest, "So Me", is full of things that I adore. A little bit of cream, pale pink, pale blue, and laces. When I said that, you might say that they have been in my blog. I did have a special request about the blog's color scheme for Tabitha that moment

You can visit the original pinterest board here



So, I need your thoughts
Are the colors too cute or too girly for a blog of an early 30 something woman like me ?

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Creating Success Around The World features "Rika Daniel from Craft & Sweet"

Welcome to

"Creating Success around the World"


The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

This third week of February, I introduce you to my friend Rika Daniel, from Craft and Sweet. She lives in Riau, Indonesia. She loves children literature,writing,sewing,crafting,traveling,cooking, mammals,and anything fun. She dreamed to be full time crafter, and she had started her dream, a very cool start indeed. And she made beautiful dresses and engagement ring pillow & box, wedding souvenir and guest book for her own wedding



1. Can you tell me a little about how you became a sewing artist, what drew you to sewing?
It was on November 2010 when I stumbled upon a video on youtube about a super quick and easy way to sew a dress. I was totally amazed when the video presenter putting her old dress onto a fabric, draw the pattern, cut it out, sew it, and voila! New dress just made! From this video I was brought to another sewing tutorial video, I just can’t stop seeing another amazing videos ever since. Then I want to learn sewing, I bought 2 meters very cheap cotton fabric, using my old dress to draw pattern, as I seen on youtube, and sewn the dress by hand. It hurts, but I was very satisfied. Two weeks after the “enlighten moment with youtube”, I bought my sewing machine.

2. Your style has changed quite a bit over last year – from sewing dresses into sewing accessories. What are you focused on right now?
Yes, it has. Initially I wanted to learn sewing because I want to sew lovely dresses for myself. Well, I can sew very simple dress for me without any special sewing course, but I can’t sew dress for others. Then another important moment happened that I found a lot of inspiring blogs about sewing craft, which is not only about making clothes. Honestly, during first days of finding these inspiring blogs (including yours), 90% of working hours was blogwalking and 10% to do the work :D. I just can’t take my eyes of the beautiful handmade stuff! Then, I new that I have found my passion, I want to be in this world every time, I want it to be my way of life and I knew that I can make money from making handmade craft that is more possible for me rather than sewing dress that will took more time to learn. So, my focus now is making simple yet beautiful handmade stuff. I also want to be more focus on making handmade household items like tea coaster, placemat, or lovely cover for household stuff from fabrics.



3. What about "Craft & Sweet" ? How did you come up with your business name?
The first work refers to the crafts I made, and the second word refers to another dream. I dreamed to have a craft and sweet (cake, pastry) shop. I love sewing and cooking.

4. What inspires new designs and styles?
Kids, children literature that I love so much, and the lovely zakka craft.



5. Do you sell your creations? If so, how? Where? And is it profitable?
Yes, I sell my creations, I put on my father’s shop and on my online shop on facebook page (Craft & Sweet). I am building my business, promotion is still on the process, if the question whether it is profitable or not, it is profitable, but not as much as I wish. I am still on my way to expand the business as well as improving my creations quality.

6. What mistakes have you made or lessons you have learned?
As the famous saying, creativity means allowing yourself to make mistakes. I made uncountable mistakes during my learning process. I learnt to make something patiently and seriously handling the details. Impatience won’t give you the best result. Treat every single handmade thing you make as your masterpiece. Craftsmanship comes from the heart of the crafter. Do not underestimate your ability, If you believe you can make something, do it, don’t just dream it and don’t worry about the result.



7. What's your next plan for this year ?
The main focus for this year is making various purses, especially framed purse and household items as well as building the network.

8. I’ve asked a couple other artists what DIY and the handmade movement mean to them – what does it mean to you? Do you see the movement growing?
It is something that you make with all your heart. For me personally, I just can live without making something. Seriously, I am obsessed already with this world that I want to quit my daily job soonest, hahaha. One of the best moments in my life was joining the group Indonesian Crafter on facebook, every crafty day is so exciting that I can share with all the talented Indonesian Crafter. This is a good sign that handmade has been growing positively as well as building the respect to the local product.


Above : Rika's DIY wedding presents, cool !!



9. Are there any local artists you’re excited about right now?
I am amazed with all local crafters, especially the beloved Indonesian crafter members. I think we should make this group bigger and let the world know about us.

Thank you Rika for the interviews. I know how bold the interactions in our new Indonesian Crafter community. I wish the community can grow and we can support each other.

Now, it's time to check other guest bloggers around the world. Visit each continent's host below :








You can enter this blog hop by putting your link in the bloghop below. Don't forget to put this button in your sidebar. Please visit one or more blogs and drop your comment there. Last, for bloggers who reside in Asia continent, if you want to be my guest blogger for this month Creating My Success, just send an email to : mama.rafif@gmail.com

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