Art and Coffee Collide: How I Used Relief Art to Add Depth and Dimension to My Small Business

It's been six months since my last blog post, and I wanted to update you on what I've been up to.

As some of you may know, I retired from government service at the start of this year. It was a big decision, but I knew it was time to pursue my passions and explore new opportunities.

One of those opportunities was starting a small coffee shop business. It's been a challenging but rewarding experience so far. I've been learning a lot about running a business, connecting with customers, and making delicious coffee.

But what I'm most excited about is incorporating my love for arts and crafts into the coffee shop. I've always been drawn to creative expression, and I believe that art and coffee have a natural synergy.

That's why I recently added a moon on the wall of the coffee shop. It's a beautiful and realistic three-dimensional relief art that looks even more stunning at night. I've received a lot of positive feedback from customers, and I'm excited to continue exploring ways to incorporate art into the coffee shop.

Of course, I'm still passionate about crafting and art, and I plan to continue sharing my experiences and insights with you through this blog. I'll be writing more about the intersection of art and coffee, as well as sharing tips and tutorials for those of you who are interested in pursuing your own creative passions.

Also, I've been taking care of myself and my mental health. I've been practicing mindfulness, spending time in nature, and nurturing my relationships with loved ones. It's been a challenging year for all of us, and I hope that by sharing my journey, I can offer some inspiration and support to those who need it.

Thank you for your continued support, and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with y'all.

xoxo, Ails

Thank you!

Hello lovelies!

It's been more than 2 years since my last post! And to start off this 'comeback,' I am sharing with you a drawing I did for the National Teacher's Day.  I made this to create cards for my little one and my nephew's teachers.

I also drew an image of the boys in their uniform...

The boys had fun coloring the images. They also assembled the cards for their teachers. Here they are working on the images...

And here is a sample of their card...

It was a very fun experience for all three of us.  And I am glad that their teachers loved the cards. I know because they told me and they even asked me who made the images. :D 

Eniweis, I will be visible here again. I will also finish re-designing this blog. And I would like to THANK my readers for continuously coming back even if I was away for 2 looong years. THANK YOU SO MUCH! <3 nbsp="" p="">

Love, Ails

Everyone's Vision Petron : National Student Art Competition

Hello lovelies!

Thirteen (13) Art Club members joined the Everyone's Vision Petron : National Student Art Competition. The deadline of submission of entries was last August 16, 2013 but we submitted theirs last Tuesday, August 13, at the Project Secretariat Office in Makati City. Below are just samples of the students' artworks.

 We left Laguna around 11 am, so we stopped by Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center to eat our lunch - picnic style. :D  I didn't know there's a lagoon in there!  We took some fun photos, of course.

 We reached the Project Secretariat Office 30 minutes before 5pm.  Good thing they closes at 7.  

Then we stopped by Megamall to view some art galleries.  We were lucky because 2 artists were opening their exhibits at 7 pm that day! I like their style.  Buhay Mendoza has that Heavy Metal effect on me that I really, really love.  While Neemo calls the child in me for his fun and kyut monster art.  I really hope that their exhibits inspire the art club members to find their own style and to dream of having their own show there someday.

This trip with the art club members has been really fun and exciting.  It was also very refreshing for me.  Its good to be in the company of those who love and create art. :D 

Lighting Tips on Photographing your Sylvanian Families & My 3rd Entry to the Contest

I've been thinking of ways to shoot Up using my Sylvanian Families for days.  But the perfect set-up only came to me at midnight last night.  It was 12 hours before the deadline and 6 hours before I have to get up from bed and prepare for work.  "What will I do?," I thought.  Without hesitation, I got up and started cutting balloons.  I knew that sleep won't come in an hour or so because I won't stop thinking about the Sylvanians.  And I knew that I will forever regret it if I didn't shoot them right away.  In less than 2 hours and with only 4 camera clicks, I got my 3rd and last entry to the PH{heart}SF "Love at the Movies" Photo Contest.  I emailed it right away so I won't have to worry about it this morning.  Here's the photo...

I loved it!

This time, I'll be sharing how I photographed my entries.

Lighting played the biggest part in all of my 3 entries.  Since, I am shooting at night and inside the comfort of our home, I made sure to use both cold and warm lights to get the effect I wanted.

Cold lights = fluorescent lamps, reading/desk lamps/ emergency lamps, or any other "white" lights 

Warm lights = Christmas lights (yellow), incandescent bulbs, or any other "yellowish" lights

As you can see from the illustration below, I used 4 light sources for the set-up. 1. Ceiling "cool" light, 2. Desk/reading lamp "cool" light, 3. Emergency lamp "cool" light, and 4. "warm" Christmas lights covered with cotton.

You can also see the position of the light sources from the illustration.  The ceiling light is slightly on the left-front side of the set-up.  Lights 2 & 3 are both below and very slightly on the front side of each sides of the set-up.  And my only "warm" light is directly under the set-up.  The problem with shooting at night is the appearance of shadows that's why I had to use lots of light sources.  If you have a photo studio, then you need not worry about this of course.  In my case, I don't so I had to make do with what I have.

Notice that only one light source was above the set-up.  This was because I do not want to give much emphasis on the balloons because first, they're just made of paper; and second, the Sylvanian Family house and creatures are the focal point of this photo. 

 For the Moulin Rouge, I used 3 light sources. 1. Ceiling "cold" light located above-front of the set up; 2. Reading/ Desk "cold" lamp directly in front of the set up (the Mr. was so kind enough to hold it for me); and 3. Christmas "warm" lights under the set-up covered with cottons to create cloud effect. What's so perfect in this lighting set up is that the "catch lights" on the eyes of Mr. & Mrs. Fox are sooo visible.  "Catch light" gave the creatures more life. This is also true when shooting people's faces. The Mr. taught me that. :-D

For the Upside Down, I only used 2 light sources because the movie, if you haven't watched it yet, always has that cloudy sky with light and darkness almost always fighting in between both worlds. Did you get what I mean?  I am not good with words so just watch the movie and see for yourself. :-)  Anyway, the first light source was the marbled lamp with a white bulb located at the back of the scene/set up.  It was hidden behind a white cloth with lots of cotton to create the sky effect. The second source on the other hand was scattered on the floor area of the set-up.  Only the lights coming from the second source provided the lighting for the faces of Mr. & Mrs. Fox which gave the photo a more realistic appeal.  Putting a harsh cold light source in front of the set-up will negate the nice effect on the background. 

Of the three entries, shooting Up was the easiest.  I had to set up Moulin Rouge more than 3 times probably because it was my first and also because I couldn't seem to find the perfect elements for it, except for the clouds and the elephant. As for the Upside Down, hubby and I had to try probably a dozen or so lighting set up before we finally got that picture.  This whole "Sweding" thng wasn't easy but it sure was FUN!

I am not a professional photographer and I didn't go to Fine Arts school, so the tips I shared above are based purely on personal experience and experiments.  If you'd like to add more tips on lighting techniques in photography or correct some of the techniques I did, please feel free to do so. I would really love to hear more ideas and constructive criticisms. :-D

Sylvanian Families "Love at the Movies" Photo Contest 2013

Last year, I joined the 2012 Sylvanian Families Love Photo Contest.  It was fun and exciting.  I only had 1 Sylvanian family back then so I used real plants and some non-SF objects as props.  

So anyway, the PH{heart}SF is once again hosting a LOVE photo contest this year!  The theme is "LOVE at the Movies."  This time, I submitted 2 entries. 

Can you guess what movie inspired me in this first picture? 

It's Moulin Rouge! I absolutely LOVE that film. Everything about it.

How about this second picture? Do you know the inspiration behind this?

It's Upside Down.  It is a cute LOVE story with a beautiful cast.  But I absolutely LOVE its special effects.

And the best part of joining the contest was that I, together with the Mister, had LOTS of fun "sweding" the inspiration movies I used for my entries. Here are some of our behind the scene photos...

My first entry was taken using a Samsung S3 camera.  The 2nd one was with a Nikon D90.  The behind the scenes of course were taken with the S3.

The contest mechanics and rules are posted in this album. Deadline of submission of entries is on February 28, 2013.  Once again, this contest is open for local residents (Philippines) and a there's a different contest for the international community.  You can view the local submissions here and the international submissions here.

They are once again giving away really AWESOME prizes for the winners as bonus to the fun one gets while playing and shooting with one's Sylvanian Families!

Can you tell how much I enjoyed this experience? Haha.  I was thinking of shooting my 3rd and last entry (maximum of 3 entries per contestant) tonight if time permits. Wish me luck! :-)

Sylvanian Families Love Photo Contest

I joined the PH{heart}SF's Love Photo Contest in Facebook yesterday. I used my one and only Sylvanian Family to create the scene I want with few non-SF props. Here's my entry...

"Earth Love"

"Mr. and Mrs. Fox are teaching their little ones to love the earth by planting trees. This simple step can make a positive impact in our environment and can help Mother Nature recover her balance for future generations."

Featured are my Sylvanian Fox Family planting trees. Non-SF props are Barbie sunglasses, water sprinkler eraser, and some miniature polyethylene that I made myself. The plants and organic soil are real.

Here are some outtakes...

If you own Sylvanian Families too and would like to join the LOVE photo contest, just LIKE the PH {heart}SF's facebook page. The contest is open for both local (Philippines) and International Sylvanian Families lover. :)

Click here for the official rules of the contest. Deadline is on February 29, 2012 at 12noon.

They're giving away 2 houses and a Kimono Set as prizes. So what are you waiting for? Join now! :D