A New Chapter: I’m Officially a Bee Happy Brand Ambassador!

Hi everyone!

This post is a little overdue because the announcement has already been made, but this is definitely one for the books - or in my case, one for the blog. This is a milestone that I want to look back on years from now, so it absolutely deserves its own post.

I am officially a Bee Happy Brand Ambassador! 

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might be wondering, “Weren’t you already one?”

Well… not exactly.

Last year, I had the privilege of becoming a Bee Happy Guest Ambassador for the first quarter of the year. Ever since Bee Happy launched the Guest Ambassador program, I secretly hoped I’d get the chance to be part of it someday. So when they reached out and invited me, I was beyond ecstatic.

Being a Guest Ambassador was already a dream come true.

Even after my Guest Ambassador term ended, I never really left the Bee Happy community. If I was active before being a Guest Ambassador, of course I had to continue joining the Weeklies challenges still. Not because of the prizes, but because I genuinely enjoyed them. They pushed me to create consistently, introduced me to new techniques, and allowed me to interact with an inspiring community of crafters. More than anything, it gave me another way to support and promote a brand that I love.

Then something completely unexpected happened.

During our vacation last month, while we were on our cruise, I received a message from the owner of Bee Happy. Naturally, I thought it was just going to be our usual conversation.

Instead…

She invited me to become a Bee Happy Brand Ambassador.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

I was so happy! It couldn’t have come at a better time too. If you’ve ever been on a vacation, especially a cruise, you probably know that bittersweet feeling when it’s almost over. I always get a little sad when vacations come to an end, but this news completely changed that. Suddenly, I had something incredibly exciting waiting for me after the trip.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

I never imagined this would happen because I’m currently based here in Saudi Arabia. While the logistics really aren’t much of an issue (I’ve become quite an expert at bringing Bee Happy hauls from Manila to Saudi by now!), I simply never thought being based overseas would still make becoming a Brand Ambassador possible.

But apparently, it was.

And of course…

I said yes.

I mean… obviously! 

The Official Announcement

Below is Bee Happy’s official announcement welcoming me to the team!

I also wanted to share one of the many photos I had my husband take just because I wanted to have lots of options to choose from. The funny part is that I was the one standing completely stiff while he was the one moving around trying different angles. I am really so awkward when it comes to posing for photos.

This is my ngiting tagumpay photo. Hehe!

Looking Back

Since I didn’t have this blog yet when I became a Guest Ambassador last year, I also wanted to include that announcement here for posterity.

Along with it, I’m sharing one of the many photos my husband took then. Looking back at those photos reminds me just how much this journey has grown in such a short amount of time.

It’s nice having this little corner of the internet where I can document these milestones.

My First Brand Ambassador Kit

My first Brand Ambassador kit has already arrived in the Philippines! I won’t actually get my hands on it until we meet up with my family during our Indonesia vacation this September, but I’m already so excited.

Here’s everything I picked for my first kit:

• 180gsm Curious Translucents Clear Vellum Paper (10 Sheets)
• 140gsm Curious Translucents Clear Vellum Paper (10 Sheets)
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Milled Lavender
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Lucky Clover
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Bundled Sage
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Spun Sugar
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Fossilized Amber
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Wilted Violet
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Mermaid Lagoon
• Ranger Distress Oxide Spray – Victorian Velvet
• Tim Holtz Distress Spritz – Worn Lipstick
• Tim Holtz Distress Spritz – Wilted Violet
• Tim Holtz Distress Spritz – Barn Door
• Tim Holtz Distress Spritz – Uncharted Mariner
• Assorted Premium Paper Bundle (150 Sheets)
• Bee Happy Watercolor Paper Pad A4 (300gsm)
• Bee Happy Double-sided Adhesive Tape (12mm)
• Bee Happy Double-sided Adhesive Tape (24mm)
• Bee Happy Double-sided Adhesive Tape (48mm)
• Bee Happy 3 in 1 Maker Tool
• Bee Happy 4 in 1 Tag Punch – Punch A
• Bee Happy 4 in 1 Tag Punch – Punch B
• Bee Happy 90 Colors Solid Watercolor Set
• Pinkfresh Studio Blossoms & Berries Washi Tape
• Mont Marte Premium Masking Fluid
• Mont Marte Taklon Brush Set (7-piece)
• Mont Marte Acrylic Colour Paint Set (48 colors)
• Mont Marte Acrylic Colour Pastel Paint Set (48 colors)
• Kindli Lil’ Maker Fuse Beads Kit – Emojis
• Kindli Lil’ Maker Fuse Beads Kit – Cute Cat Crew
• Kindli Fuse Beads Party Kit – Prism Kit
• Kindli Mini Fuse Beads Starter Kit – Pastel Set

Seeing everything on the list already gets me excited for all the projects I’ll be creating over the next few months.

Even more exciting was when different friends started sending me photos after spotting my kit at the Bee Happy store! It was so surreal seeing my supplies sitting there waiting for me. It somehow made the excitement even more real, even if I still have to wait a little while before I can actually bring everything home.

Looking Forward

One thing I want to do differently this time around is document this entire journey here on the blog.

That means every Bee Happy Brand Ambassador project I create will have its own blog post - from cards and scrapbook layouts to mini albums, journals, and whatever crafty adventure comes next.

Looking at my current pile of projects, I already have quite a backlog waiting to be written about. Looks like I’ll be spending plenty of time catching up!

Before I end this post, I just want to say thank you to Bee Happy for trusting me and welcoming me to the team. It truly means so much to represent a brand that I’ve loved and supported long before becoming an ambassador.

I’m so excited for everything that’s ahead, and I can’t wait to share this creative journey with all of you.

Until my next project…

Be crafty, Bee Happy! 

Digi Choosday Project | Sparkly Summer Mermaid ATCs featuring Polkadoodles Winnie Mermaid Mermazing

Hi Crafty Friends!

Welcome back to another Digi Choosday project! For this week, the Design Team was given the prompt “Hot Hot Hot” to celebrate summer.

Now… summer here in Saudi Arabia can go as high as 50°C, so there’s really not much to celebrate. Haha!

But I know summer in many other parts of the world means sunshine, beach days, ocean adventures, and all things bright and fun. So for today’s project, I decided to create something inspired by magical summer under-the-sea vibes... these sparkly Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) featuring Polkadoodles’ adorable Winnie Mermaid Mermazing.

I wanted this project to feel fun, bright, and magical, so I combined coloring, mixed media, shimmer sprays, stenciling, and heat embossing to create dreamy ocean-inspired backgrounds.

I ended up making not just one, but two ATCs because I had so much fun playing with the sprays and colors!

About Today’s Project

For this project, I used Polkadoodles’ Winnie Mermaid Mermazing – Kisses digi stamp and colored her with Ohuhu Alcohol Markers. To make her extra magical, I added sparkly highlights using Ohuhu Glitter Pens.

Since this is a mermaid project, I wanted the background to have lots of shimmer and ocean-inspired colors. I used Lindy’s Gang Starburst Sprays in Mermaid Seashells, layered different colors, and added texture with stencils and embossing powder.

If you’ve been following my blog, you probably already know how much I love mixed media. I find it so fun and actually therapeutic about getting in the zone and just spraying, layering, drying, embossing, and seeing the background come together. 

Materials Used

• White Cardstock
• Digi Stamp – Polkadoodles Winnie Mermaid Mermazing – Kisses
• Mermaid Coral Sentiments from Polkadoodles
• Foam Tape
• Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue
• Tim Holtz Guillotine
• Scissors
• Lindy’s Gang Starburst Ink Sprays – Mermaid Seashells
• Ohuhu Alcohol Markers
• Ohuhu Glitter Pens
• Stencils (I used a Tim Holtz stencil and a Ciao Bella Paper stencil)
• Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad
• Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder
• Blending Brush
• We R Memory Keepers Heat Gun

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Color Your Digi Stamp

Start by printing and coloring your mermaid digi stamp.

I used Ohuhu Alcohol Markers to color Winnie Mermaid and added glitter details using Ohuhu Glitter Pens for extra sparkle.

This step is perfect for adding your own color palette and personality to the project.

Step 2: Cut Your ATC Base

Trim white cardstock to 2 3/8” x 3 3/8”.

This will be your main ATC panel.

Step 3: Create the Mixed Media Background

Spray your first Lindy’s Starburst Spray color onto the ATC panel.

Let it dry completely before adding the next color.

I recommend building the colors slowly in layers to achieve more depth and avoid muddy colors.

ATC1

ATC2

Step 4: Add More Layers

Continue layering more spray colors until you achieve your desired look.

This is the fun part... there’s no right or wrong here.

Just play with the colors and enjoy the process!

ATC1

ATC1

ATC1

ATC2

Step 5: Add Texture with Stencils

Choose your stencil and apply Versamark Watermark Ink through the stencil onto selected areas of your ATC.

ATC1

ATC2

You don’t need to cover everything. Partial stenciling adds beautiful visual interest.

Step 6: Heat Emboss

Sprinkle Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder over the stenciled areas.

ATC1

Use your heat gun to melt the powder until smooth and shiny.

ATC1

ATC2

This adds gorgeous texture and shimmer.

Step 7: Add a Border

Trim white cardstock to 2.5” x 3.5”.

Adhere your finished ATC onto this layer to create a clean bordered finish.

Step 7: Assemble Your ATC

Once your background is dry and finished, adhere your colored mermaid image to the center of the card.

I used foam tape to add dimension.

Step 8: Add Sentiments

Choose a sentiment and attach it to the ATC.

This helps complete the design.

Step 10: Finish the Back

Don’t forget to add your ATC details at the back - artist name, date, title, or project information.

And tadaaaa!!!

I absolutely loved making these mermaid ATCs.

It was one of those projects where I got fully immersed in the creative process—spraying, drying, embossing, layering, and simply having fun.

I made a second ATC using a different combination of sprays and stencil patterns so I could explore more colors from the Mermaid Seashells set.

That’s one of my favorite things about mixed media projects, no two backgrounds ever turn out exactly the same.

I hope this project inspires you to pull out your sprays, stencils, and favorite Polkadoodles digis to create your own magical summer-themed ATCs.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Be sure to check out the Digi Choosday challenge and the rest of the Design Team’s amazing creations for more inspiration.

Until next time! Stay crafty and keep creating!

Happy Planner + Life Lately | A Week Full of Wanda, Crafty Wins & A Big Move!

Hello hello!!!

This week’s Happy Planner spread makes me ridiculously happy because I finally got to use the Polkadoodles Wanda Cute Printable Planner Kit - something I’ve been wanting to do for the longest time!

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but Wanda is probably my spirit Polkadoodles character.  She’s a little quirky, a little sassy, always cheerful, and just so much fun… so a planner spread dedicated entirely to Wanda felt very me.

To complete the layout, I paired the printable kit with my Happy Planner LOL Quotes Sticker Book, using the colorful boxes and list stickers along with some Wanda-like sentiments like Heck Yes, Hot Mess, OMG, Today I Will Put On My Positive Pants, Sassy but Classy (which is sooo Wanda), and Fun Day for the weekend.

I also added the two “Must Do” stickers from the Wanda kit for a couple of Design Team deadlines this week, plus the “Work It Girl” sentiment because… well… packing has officially begun. It’s going to be a busy week, but at least it’ll be a cute one!

---

Life Lately…

Good news first - I am almost caught up with all the post-vacation ironing! 

Our living room has basically been occupied by an ironing board and neat stacks of freshly ironed clothes for days now. I actually like leaving them there because seeing the growing pile reminds me that I’m making progress… even if it’s slower than I’d like. Haha!

In the middle of the week, Ton and I also treated ourselves to dinner at Tenderloin Co. It has always been one of our favorite restaurants here, and every visit reminds us why we keep coming back. We ordered our usual favorites, enjoyed a slow dinner together, and simply had a nice break from all the busy days we’ve been having lately.

Speaking of being busy…

I hinted earlier that I’ve been packing… but packing for what?

Don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s do a little crafty catch-up!

I’ve already finished two projects for Traci Reed Designs this week.

The first one was for Sketchy Sunday #76, which ended up being the perfect time to scrapbook my usual double-page cruise layout while the memories are still fresh! That almost never happens for me, so I’m calling that a win. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check out my blog post on Traci’s Sketchy Sunday blog here. 

The second project is a mini album that will be published on Traci’s blog later tonight, so keep an eye out for that too! I absolutely love how it turned out. I even started thinking about making one each for KM and Kaye… but let’s see if I can squeeze those in sometime soon.

Over at Polkadoodles, I’ve already finished three out of my four Design Team projects for next month, and I love how all three turned out! They’ll be published throughout August, so for now I’ll just share a little sneak peek of the colored digi stamps I’ve been working on.

For Bee Happy, I finished two super cute projects and I seriously cannot wait until they’re published!

One of them is another Armour Etch project, and this time I took a risk, I etched my brand new bottle of Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet! Thankfully, everything turned out beautifully, and I loved it so much that I immediately etched Ton’s bottle of Dior Homme too. Haha!

The other one is a board game for movie nights - to make choosing a movie to watch o Netflix easier!

Three of my initial Bee Happy Brand Ambassador projects have also been featured already! I’m linking them below together with the photos because I’m just so happy seeing them shared. 

Bee Happy Weeklies Week 29 - Umbrella-ella-ella

Bee Happy Weeklies Week 28 - Friendship and Pets

Bee Happy Weeklies Week 27 - Watercolor Your World

And yes…

I still owe you all a proper blog post about becoming a Bee Happy Brand Ambassador. 😂 I promise it’s coming!

For Kendra’s Card Challenge, I’m sharing cards 6–10 for June. I’m really happy I decided to use my Rosie’s Studio stash this time because I realized I still have so many untouched 12x12 collections and ephemera packs just waiting to be loved.

Now…

Time for the biggest Life Lately update.

We’re Moving!!

Yesssss!!

We’re moving to Al Khobar! 

Which means…

No more two-hour drives to Dammam Airport every single time we travel! If you’ve been following my travel blogs, you’ll know just how exciting that is. 

Buuut I'm actually feeling a little emotional though.

As much as I used to tease Al Ahsa, it has quietly grown on me over the years. I’ve come to appreciate the slower pace, the peaceful neighborhoods, and being away from the hustle and bustle of bigger cities.

But don’t worry - I’m definitely not complaining!

I’m already making my “Before Leaving Al Ahsa” checklist.

It includes:

• One more visit to Maza for my favorite broasted chicken.
• Going back to the 5.75 store because months ago I saw the cutest miniature Saudi brands grocery essentials magnets.
• Finding a decent “I ❤️ Al Ahsa” sign for one last photo. (haha medyo OA sa last)

I’ll finish the list and share it next week!

Oh! I almost forgot - I’ve already checked one thing off that unofficial “Before Leaving Al Ahsa” list. I said that earlier this week, Ton and I had dinner at Tenderloin Co., and that one'sone of our very first favorite restaurants here!

Before all the apartment hunting adventures, we made a quick trip to Bahrain to finally pick up our clay throwing projects! It had been more than a month since we made them, giving them enough time to dry, be painted, glazed, and kiln-fired (that’s the final baking process that hardens the glaze and gives it that beautiful glossy finish). It was so fun to finally see our finished pieces after waiting so long! Plus, it was really really hard to make the plowl! haha. That's what I called my hybrid plate bowl that was supposed to be just a bowl. If you missed my blog about this experience, you can read it here!

Of course, before heading to Passion Art to collect them, we made our mandatory stop at Bahay Kubo for lunch. We ordered our usual favorites (because why mess with perfection?), enjoyed a delicious Filipino meal, and then happily headed over to see our finished pottery. It was definitely worth the wait!

Then on to our next adventure - we went apartment hunting.

Out of everyone who replied to our inquiries and of those that allow pets, we ranked the apartments based on photos and price, then prayed that we’d fall in love with the very first one so we wouldn’t have to spend the whole day viewing properties.

It reminded us so much of when we bought our condo at Kai Garden. We viewed the first unit… loved it… and never looked at another one.

Well…

It happened again.

We absolutely loved the first apartment.

It was spacious, practical, and only slightly more expensive than what we’re paying now but so much bigger!

Here's a quick apartment tour video!

The broker still convinced us to see another apartment nearby that was about 500 SAR (around ₱7,500) more expensive.

I remember telling Ton, “That’s still ₱7,500!” 

He just laughed and said we might as well look since we were already there.

The second apartment was prettier and had a softer, more feminine feel… but somehow it had way too many doors and rooms, making it feel a little confusing.

Check it out my apartment 2 video tour:

The first apartment just made sense.

Simple.

Practical.

Exactly our style.

And it even has a little outdoor area!

To make the decision easier, two of our friends came with us to view the apartments too, and all of us unanimously picked the first one.

Definitely a sign.

After apartment hunting, we headed over to our friend Che’s house because she invited us for Filipino merienda.

She prepared so much food!

There was beef batchoy, fresh melon juice, saba con hielo… and then she surprised us with wagyu steak too!

It was such a fun afternoon catching up, and I loved that she didn’t mind me bringing two more friends along. She even asked about another friend who’s usually with us but couldn’t make it that day.

The best part?

Our new apartment is only about 10 minutes away from them!

Huge win!!!

Later that evening, we met up with another friend at the mall before ending the day at Tim Hortons because they had a Buy 1 Take 1 drinks promo. 

So…

Why exactly are we moving?

Because my amazing husband has been promoted… again!

I’m incredibly proud of him.

It’s going to be a much bigger role with more responsibilities, but I know he’ll do amazingly well. I’ll be cheering him on every step of the way, and probably making sure there’s always good dinner waiting for him after long days.

We need to be fully moved into Al Khobar by the first week of August, so we’re hoping to start bringing boxes over this weekend.

And yes…

I’ve already started packing.

So far I’ve boxed up:

• our fridge magnets,
• my candle collection,
• extra toiletries from our stockpile,
• and… of course… my precious 12x12 patterned papers and paper pads.

Priorities. 

This next chapter feels exciting, a little scary, a little bittersweet, but mostly I’m grateful.

Grateful for new opportunities, for answered prayers, for wonderful friends we’ve met along the way, and for having a husband who’s worth following anywhere.

Here’s to new beginnings, new memories, and hopefully a craft room that’s even bigger than the last one. Wish us luck… the packing adventure has officially begun!