Welcome to the new The New Candy Sanctuary!

Like the new look? Tell me what you think!

All the time (or mostly) that I wasn't here or doing crafts I was working on my new blog design! I should of been done this last year but I got seriously burned out and abandoned anything related to my blog and sweets deco pretty much. But since then things have been getting better and better. I have tons of updates and progresses to tell you starting with the blog design.

Overall the design itself and the time it took altogether (not counting the huge gaps between the work sessions) only took about a week or two. Mostly because I'm new to custom blogs and editing its html so after that huge learning curve things got a lot easier! That and troubling shooting and finding alternatives if a certain method doesn't work. Google is forever your best friend when it comes to blog customization. No matter what the problem is you will find plenty of ways to solve it. Seriously, most of the technical credit goes to the many people that post about blog customization. So my number one tip for anyone wanting to make their own custom blog is to go to Google for all your needs! The graphics and art is made 100% by me in Photoshop and Sai. My fursona on the right was made in Sai to give her a vector look.

If fact I was thinking about opening a commission shop for anyone that wanted a personal drawing or mascot for their blog. I already opened an art shop over at the Latale (an online MMO) forums with some pretty good results. One person wanted two drawings from me. The first part I've already posted here:

The second part I'm 80% done, all I need to do is to fancy up the line art and then I'll be finished! But getting back to my original question, would anyone would be interested in commissions? If you are just comment here and we'll set something up. I'll also ask at the deco den forums to see if anyone would like one there as well. Since I'm done working on the blog design my creative free time has opened up a lot so I can fit more projects.

I'm yet again one step closer to selling my charms, in fact I might make cookie brooches and sell them soon. I listed all the clay and materials that it takes to make some of my most common charms that I like to make out of polymer clay. Even though I want to make so many more items out of polymer clay I got the hang of its measurements so its easy to list down how much it might take to make. I have yet to do this with my paper clay charms but it should be easy. Once I have a decent idea of how much everything will cost I'll be that closer to selling! I've had so much motivation lately that have been helping me 10 fold get all the things that I needed done.

As far as any personal deco den projects I haven't' really done any. I still have to make my headphone deco but its been so cold that I've decided to wait till it got a bit warmer. That and the share kitchen where I do my silicone work is crowded with pots and kitchen wear that I need to clean up. Hopefully though I can find a great time slot where I can do it all in one big session and get it over with. I need more practice with fake whip cream haha.

Okay thanks for reading, I'll make sure I'll post pictures of everything I made so you guys have something to look at. Bye for now!

Angel card reading livesteam

Hey all my sweet sweet followers!

I have no crafts to show but I have something even more exciting to talk about, angel cards!

I recently got the archangels oracle cards and been practicing with them with great results, so I want to give readings to as many people as I can haha. I'm thinking about doing a live stream session with them for people who have questions or just want to see them in action.

Would any of you would be interested? Tell me what you think.

I can't be positive for you

When positivity isn't enough

I can't be positive for you and no one else can be for me either. When your desperate for something to happen whether is to find a job or something as simple as getting that book your really wanted it can hurt when it doesn't happen.

Often when I really want to be there for someone that's in despair there's nothing I can do or say. I think back to the times where I was in the same position and remember how nothing could possibly pick me up. No amount to words could comfort me, all I wanted to do it is be angry, blame, and be by myself. In fact someone saying "its going to get better" only made things worst. I was at rock bottom or so I felt at the time, it was the end of the world and nothing could get better. So now when I see another hurt or in total pain all I can do it be there and let them vent if they chose.

I can't say be positive, things are going to be okay, or even things have been worst. I feel like I'm giving them a rope that they can't reach to get out of the hole that their in. I can't put myself in a state of despair either to lower the rope because it won't help anyone. The one thing I can say is to have faith and keep fighting for the better days. You might not like it but life does move on and the world isn't going to stop on your feet because you're having a bad day. Take the anger, rage, and blame then channel it to move forward so you can see the better days.

There were many times where I had make the decision after a shit load of BS that tomorrow will be a better day. I had to pump myself up and hold on a small pocket of hope and tell MYSELF that things will get better. I probably won't wake up the next day in a perfect world but I can start feeling like I'm worth something. Its better then crawling under a rock and pretending your life is over. Life truly starts with you and how you feel. If you really want to see the better days you got to climb over your negatively and grab hold to whatever good that comes your way. Grab that good, hope, faith, that fighter in you and keep it moving even if things seem like they are not getting any better. Seeing through the eyes of hope and great expectation is better then seeing in "everything bad happens to me" and hardship.

That's why I can't be positive for you, if you can't see the good, I can't take it out my pocket and show it to you.

How I learned to follow my dreams

 How to follow your dreams

I was just playing one of my favorite games called pasty passion. Its hard not to be happy when your lining up ingredients to make fanatic looking 2d sweets. I was thinking about how wonderful 2011 is going to be because of all the magic and positively I'm pouring into it but I'm also thinking how I got there. 2010 has been an awesome year but its only because I followed my instincts, changed my attitude, and continued followed my dream.

Despite whatever happened, I never let go to that once small flame that made a world of difference for me. It really showed me that you can achieve anything despite what's going on around you, what people say or believe. I know for a fact that this year will be the best year yet because I learned so much about "chasing" dreams. Its not about chasing them at all because its all inside, you just have to look for those small "stepping stones" to go forward with them.

Before I really held a good grasp of how to achieve my dream I went out of my way to make things happen. Things that I can't even control. I knew I wanted to have my own business, selling things that I made so immediately start checking out similar businesses/ my idols and thinking of ways I can get ahead of the competition. Each business had their own style, identity, and unique products. I would be drooling all over the computer screen because I wanted what they had so bad. I in fact was very jealous and envious too, I can only see where I was at compared to them. 

So to make up for what I thought was having nothing, I try even harder to chase my dream. Which made things harder for myself. There were so many obstacles I felt like I had to get over in a day because I thought it was the only way I can do it. No pain to gain, only hard work can get results but it only burned me out numerous times. Only till I start following advice from some good friends that told me to "relax" and "enjoy life" was when I start seeing results. I still did things that would help me to start a better business for the future but I did it out of joy and not "keeping up with the competition". Not only that but I was much happier with following my dream rather then worried if everything is going to be in my favor because I was going off the beaten path. Once I enjoyed myself and only done things that was fun for me was when the road lit up and I knew the steps that I needed to take. Its like magic when you hear, see and read the exact thing that opens that next stepping stone for you. It never stops either unless you rush ahead of yourself, and believe me I've done that for years.

I know saying "don't work hard" might seem idiotic but it works if you let it. Give it a week or two, just start doing things that really mean something to you and let the other things go. You will see the world change around you and work with you. 

5 Ways to jump start your sweets deco and crafts for 2011!

How to jump start your sweets deco and crafts for 2011!

Hey all! Its a new year and that only means another year full of crafting! I know 2010 was a shaky year for my sweets deco because of life in general but I got back on track. My skills are getting better and I can't wait to improve them in this new year. If your deco year was less then desirable never worry because each day is a new day, a better opportunity to kick start those creative juices!

1. Get inspired!

It might be better said then done but it the best way to get the drive and kick in the butt! Go to your favorite deco den site, start listing small goals or even take some clay and start playing with it in your hands. Anything that can give you that  fire back! When I got in my bad hiatus, being inspired was hard to come by, or more just the "drive" to do it. When I looked in my drawer to see my paper clays had harden into a clay rocks it really got me down. Only when I took some action and decide to revive my clay rocks into beautiful piles of usable clay was when the fire got back into my belly. It was like I was reborn again and ready to pick up where I left off!

2. Make some sweets deco space!

So your inspired and ready to go right into deco but your room says different. Clean that sucker up! Just enough that you can make something and still have some clay and main tools around at your disposal. My room is the only place I have to make any sweets deco (besides the share kitchen that I use to work with silicone). I only have one table and that table have one spot I can work on, and I use that one spot for drawing as well. I have a lot of junk and stuff on the table so when I wanted to work with my deco, the thought of my table turned my stomach. It was way too much of a pain because I always have my drawing supplies and tons of papers around. I changed this around by doing simple things so I can work on small projects. I cleaned up the papers, moved my drawing stuff, cleaned my table and just got enough deco materials to make macaroons. It helped a ton because I was able to do my craft again but not stress myself out at the same time.

3. Start small!

Are you an over achiever? Do you like to make a dozen cup cake charms but find yourself burned out afterwards or even procrastinating future projects, start small! One of my biggest problems especially in the beginning was "I was doing way too much". I would want to start whole collections of three different things. By the time the second or third day came around of making charms, I would want to work on something else or be completely uninspired. Mix it up a bit and try small different things that won't take a life time to complete. You'll find that you will get much more done and you will be happy at the skill that you will farther develop!

4. Make personal projects!

The very thing that had me addicted to sweets deco again was making the cutest and very first bag charm. I wasn't worrying about if people will like it because it was mine. I didn't even care if it looked good or not because it was mine. It made me really open my mind to the inspiration I needed to come up with something I loved. Without the noises in my head telling me to go this way or that way, I was able to get in tune with myself and my creatively. No matter what you want to do with your sweets deco like selling or even making a gift for friends, always give time to make something for yourself. You won't believe the untapped resource that will come of it. 

5. Try something new

This ties in very will with getting inspired. When your inspired it feels like you can do anything so why not try something different. It can help you branch out your skills and even improve old ones. Its always a nice feeling that you decided to try something new even if it didn't turn out the way you imagined. I never tried making fruit with air dry clay, so the next time I get down on my sweets deco I'm going to try to make some strawberries!

I hope everyone found this insightful and a way to start of their deco new year right! I can't wait to see everyone's projects. Take care!

Also if you happened to just starting with the craft here are my tutorial posts to help you make ploymer clay charms!

Chocolate charm tutorials

Ice cream tutorials

Clay whip cream tutorials 

Cupcake tutorials

Lollipop tutorials 

strawberry tutorials