Oh Canada!

Well, I’ve been planning to go to Montreal for years, I have lots of friends there and they are always asking me to come, but I don’t know, it was until this year that I had the chance to to go, so, since January I start planning it, with my brother, he goes every year, but this time I told him to come with me, so he could show me around, he was taking a road trip in June – July so we decided to go after, in August, it was also my brother’s best friend birthday and since my brother’s friends knew he was coming they book him to play in Montreal, at Salon Daomé, We got our American Visa, to get better flights, and I bought our tickets in June. Everything was ready to leave and I was so excited!!!

Around the 2nd week of July, my cousin saw in the news that Mexicans were asked to get a Visa to enter Canada, and she called me. I don’t want to make this a long story, so I’ll just say that I didn’t get the visa, It was refused, my brother did, but I did not get mine. This Pissed me off, sorry for my language, but you can’t imagine how mad I was.. I had my 2 weeks yearly vacation, I had my plane ticket, and a friend od my brother was going to introduce me to some fashion store owners, to get them to buy some of my bags and dresses.

My personal feelings about this…. about the Visas… Well, every country can do whatever they want, I don’t think a visa will stop the immigration, look at United States, visa or not visa, people are still crossing the border.

but I don’t agree that this was a good way to do it, they should at least give more time to get the visa, it was holiday period a lot of people was traveling there, had planned everything, payed flight and hotels, and even also maybe the have already bought the entrance for a show or a tour.. The embassy should give a period of time to get the visa… so that people that already have everything planned and paid could go this time…. I think if I didn’t had friends there I would not go to all this trouble to get the visa again.. I rather go to the states, they did got me the visa.. and for me, working at a governments office, it was easy to get. But, my friends are waiting for me, so, I’m going to apply again, lets see if I can make it to go in October. Now, I know what was wrong, so that is something I can change, write a letter explaining why it was denied the firs time and see, If I get it.. if not, I’m going somewhere else.. I wasn’t planning to stay there, I mean I have my job here, my restaurant, my family. I was In NY a few months ago, and I didn’t stay there. So will see, I so want to get a Poutine!

No estaba muerta, andaba de parranda!

Hola!!!

There is a expression here in mexico:

No estaba muerto, andaba de parranda
(He wasn’t dead. He was out partying.)

The exact context for the saying in question, that of someone who disappeared, worried everybody, next has been given up for dead, and just for finally “rise among the dead”, showing to all he actually had went out partying all the time. In Mexico is mainly used for greet somebody who hasn’t been seen for a long time, denoting a lot of surprise, or for refer to somebody from who one has just had news.

I’ve finally found the time to write on my blog, just to say I’m still alive even if I’m not posting something lately.

I am still crafting but haven’t posted about it, I lost my camera, so I can’t take any pictures of the work that I have done. I kind of let sewing on the side, and went back to crocheting again, I wish I had the time to do all, crocheting, sewing, painting, and all the thing I wan to do, but I don’t have the time to do it all, so I have to choose. Like I’ve said before, I kind of get excited about something, but only for a while, then I get bored of doing that and I feel like doing something different. on top of that, I was sewing for 2 weeks until 5 am every night, to finish the cover up dresses for the contest, so after that I felt like I needed a break. I haven’t touch my sewing machine since..

I go to Puerto Morelos every weekend, and sometimes I get bored there, that’s why I went back to crocheting, is something I can take with me everywhere.. I promise I’ll post the pictures soon.

What Type of Crocheter Are You?

According to Rachel, there are 3 types of crocheters. Which one are you?

The “I Need Instant Gratification” Crocheter

• Needs projects done fast for instant gratification.
• Get it done in one sitting or never get it done at all, that’s my motto!
• Doesn’t have the time or the patience for huge projects.

The “Slow and Steady Wins the Race” Crocheter

• Has a ton of patience!
• Loves making blankets and other large items.
• Can work on a project for months and still not get bored of it.

The “I Can Care Less” Crocheter

• Can care less if the project is large or small.
• Makes what the heart desires, no matter how long it takes.
• Has patience, yet still enjoys the boost a small project gives.

I’m the “I Need Instant Gratification” I don’t have a lot of patience, and I kind get bored, I loose my modjo when it’s a long project, and I want to see my project finish as soon as I start crocheting.

Cover-up dress.

Everything falls in place…. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine asked me to make her a cover-up dress, after a lot of thinking -I was kind of afraid of measurements and patterns-  I finally did, but I got over excited about this and could not stop, I bought and I bought and I bought fabric thinking about the beautiful dresses I was going to make with it. I Started one night sewing a strapless dress, and could not stop, so, after few cover-up dresses made, something got in the mail, a Cover-up contest sponsored by Singer, Cool!!!!

I continue sewing and sewing until 5 am everyday, finally I had some nice dresses to shoot. I run into a friends of my brother, Carolina & Agatha, show them the dresses, and ask them if they could model for me. I explain everything about the contest and they got also so excited that promise to help me. I was juts thinking about taking the pictures myself you know, totally amateur but turns out Agatha is a Photographer and Carolina used to model, so thanks to them I got this beautiful shoots of my stuff.  THANKS GIRLS!!!!!

and finally… this are the cover-up dress that i submit to the contest, I hope I win!!!!!

I totally love this one, it’s inspired in the Yucatecan Huipil, that I always talk about.

This, has a detachable belt to wear with another outfit.

Fotografia: Agatha Lanz
Modelo: Carolina
Ropa y Accesorios: Guaya
Locacion: Puerto Morelos, Mexico

Africa, shoulder bag.

This is a special request from my friend Paulina, it was a B-day present, but I forgot to take pictures before I gave it to her, so I ask my friend to take pictures before she gave it to the b-day girl. and she send me this, don’t you love the chair??? I really liked the composition of the photo, I ask my friend Paulina, to borrow her house for the next shootings.

Moon bag, completed

Do you remember that I was trying to make a bag that I found on a magazine? well I have finished it, I know, it doesn’t look exactly like the magazine, but still I really liked the way it turn out to be. I leave the tutorial, sorry, I’m not very good writing tutorials but I’ll try to do my best.

T U T O R I A L

1.-  Cut 2 A, 2 B and 2 C, and 2 A for lining.
B has to be double the length of the inside curve.

2.- Fold B in half  lengthwise.
Make the gathering along the edge with basting stitches.

3.- Mark center of A and B
Pin gathered B to center and corners of A right sides facing
stitch around the edges of inside curve
Topstitch to finish
Do the same for other side of the bag.

4.- join 2 A right sides facing and stitch around outside curve
turn, and attach lining the easiest way you know.
(sorry about this part, it was a bit complicated to attach the lining and I can’t explain it in English)

5.- Fold C in half  lengthwise, stitch around the seam edges, leave one side open to turn, turn and iron to make your handles.
insert the handles into the gathered tube made from B, make a bow, and “taran” your bag is ready.

Sorry I told you I’m not very good with Tutorial, hope it works for you, I’ll try to take pictures of the process to explain better.

Some bags I’ve been working on.

S A F A R I

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A F R I C A
Shoulder bag, with hand painted detail

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G I R A S O L E S
Shoulder bag, with decorated key chain, braided straps and wooden rings.

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L A  C A T R I N A
Special request.

Chips coin purse, recycle!

Bored as I am sometimes, wanting to make something but not sure what, I was watching an episode of Grey´s Anatomy eating some chips and this thought came to my head: could I turn this chips bag into a coin purse mmmh… I trow the rest away, washed the envelope, and try to see if my sewing machine can sew on this plastic.

Surprise! it does, but only with some fabric under it. I think this is a cool way to recycle chips bags. Now i just told my friends: if you eat chips save the envelope for me and I will make you something nice out of it, I got so obsessed about this that i also put a card box in the grocery store near my house to get people recycle their chips bags. We´ll see if it works.

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Aburrida y con ganas de hacer algo pero sin saber que, mientras veia un episodio de Anatomia de Grey y disfrutaba unas ricas papitas se me vino una idea a la cabeza: podre convertir esta bolsa de papas en un monederito? mmmmm…. tire lo que habia en la bolsa, lave la bolsita e hice una prueba para ver si mi maquina lo podia coser.

Sorpresa!! si se pudo, pero solo con un poco de tela debajo, para que la maquina pueda avanzar mientras cose. Creo que es un proyecto chido para reciclar, ahora ando buscando por todos lados bolsas de sabirtas vacias, ya les pedi a mis amigos que si comen sabritas me guarden la bolsita, me obsesione un poco con este proyecto, ja ja ja, pues ya hasta puse una caja de carton en la tienda cerca de mi casa para reciclar las bolsitas de sabritas. Veremos si funciona.

Por cierto mientras traducia esta nota, se me olvido la plabra con la que nos referimos a la bolsita de sabritas, mi mente de plano lo bloqueo, y lo tengo aqui, en la punta de la lengua, y se que no podre descansar hasta no encontrar esa palabra, ja ja ja.

More Yucatecan embroidery

I know it looks like I haven´t done any crafts recently, I swear I had.. but I havent post about it, I´m sorry! I was invited to a Fashion show in Playa del Carmen for mothers day, they wanted to use my bags for the models and in exchange they will give me a place to sell my stuff during the show. But unfortunatly the show was cancel due the swine flu. All massive events were canceled and this was one of them.

But before this happened I was working and working to get something done for the show, I don´t have anything left since I´ve sold almost everything that I have made.

This are some of the things I´ve been making. This flower patches were made by Mayan Women, I bought them on a trip to Valladolid Yucatan, I wish I had bought more, originally I wanted to use them on bags, but one day I found a brown Tank top that I really like but was accidentally stained with bleach, and I though hey maybe I can cover the stain with one of this patches, I tried it and I could not stop sewing this to some new tank tops I had laying around. As you have seen I have this obsession with Yucatan embroidery. I think I´m coming back to Valladolid to get some more.

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Se que parece como que no he hecho mucho ultimamente, he dejado un poco abandonado mi blog, pero tengo una buena excusa, me invitaron a participar en un desfile de modas en Playa del Carmen para el dia de las madres, me pidieron usar mis bolsas para las modelos, y a cambio me darian un espacio en la plaza para vender ese dia. Desafortunadamente el desfile se cancelo debido a las alertas de influenza, todos los eventos masivos fueron cancelados y este era uno de ellos.

Todo lo que habia hecho lo he vendido ya, asi que tuve que ponerme a trabajar arduamente para poder tener material para el desfile de modas, entre unas de las cosas que he estado haciendo, estan estas camisetas, los parches de flores estan hechos por mujeres mayas, los compre en un viaje a Valladolid Yucatan, ojala hubiera comprado mas. Originalmente los queriausar para bolsas, pero un dia encontre una camiseta que me gustaba mucho, se habia manchado con cloro, y se me ocurrio que tal vez podria tapar la mancha con una de estas flroes, lo probe y me gusto tanto que no pude parar, use unas camisetas que tenia por ahi para otro proyecto y a coser se ha dicho. mmmm creo que   tengo una obsesion con los bordados yucatecos creo que pronto regresare a valladolid por mas.

Half moon bag, in progress

I saw this bag in a magazine, and really really liked it, and today I decided to give it a try, maybe I could make one for myself.

After many trials and errors, I kind of get it. Sorry this is a raw model, I didn´t want to spend a lot of time with the lining and details and maybe it will not be right at the end. But now that I know it kind of looks like the one in the magazine I will make a good one.
Has anybody made a bag like this? any advice on sewing round stuff?

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Vi esta bolsa en una revista y me encanto, asi que hoy decidi intentarlo, a ver si me puedo hacer una igual.
Despues de muchas pruebas fallidas, como que me salio bien al fin, Disculpen es un modelos burdo, no queria gastar mucho tiempo con los detalles y el forro y que al final no me quedara bien.
Alguien de Ustedes ha hecho una bolsa como esta, algun consejo para coser en redondo?

Sharing tutorials day

How to make Marble Magnets
Como hacer imanes decorados
Not Martha

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Recycled paper beads in a necklace
Collar de cuentas de paper reciclado
Ihanna’s Blog

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Hand Carved Stamps Tutorial
Estampado con gomas para borrar
Geninne’s art Blog

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Water Balloon Luminaries
Lamparas de cera hechas con globos
Candletech

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Love You Bookmarks
Mmmcrafts

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How to make a repeat pattern
Design Sponge

Quintana Roo

Cancun, safe to visit!

These typically are the good days for Cancun, a busy time where the locals catch their breathe between the madness of Spring Break and the high summer national tourist seasons. Several Cancun Hotels are offering a “Swine flu free travel program”, a campaign that promises you three years of free vacations if you get H1N1 while in their hotels. This expresses the high confidence that it is indeed safe to travel to Mexico. The tourism boards and travel service companies are working diligently to ensure that visitors start to return to Mexico, to a safe and healthy environment for all to enjoy.

Our main priority continues to be the safety of our citizens and visitors, and with evidence that the flu appears to be less threatening than originally thought, Mexico is ready to welcome back all of its visitors and offer them the hospitality and services that have always distinguished us.

There is no doubt that the H1N1 has hit our country very hard; specially the tourism sector, an essential part of our economy. Mexico is known for its capacity of coming out of tough situations even stronger, and this will not be the exception. The travel industry -at all levels- is ready to offer its visitors what they come here for: diversity, culture, relaxation, luxury, adventure, world class infrastructure and most importantly, the best service in the world.

It’s a great time to book a trip down to the Mexican Caribbean, some great deals and great weather, if you love Mexico, pack your suitcase, take a plane and come down here. Great package deals are popping up, if you don’t have a trip planned, now would be a great time. With so few people in the area at the moment, it will almost be like a private vacation. Come to cancun!!!

Update on Swine Flu today

Swine flu it’s controlled, everybody I know agree that this look more shocking that it was… Probably because the news make it look bigger that it was  at least here in Cancun, things were not that bad, there were only a few cases in this part of the country.

Of course I’m just talking of what I see, what surrounds me. I don’t mean to minimize it, is jut that I don’t know of anyone who died of “influenza”.

In the case of Cancun, where everything depends on tourism, the tragedy came not from the flu itself, but from the economic crisis that came as the result of the influenza,The most important tourist destination in the country and the Caribbean, now faces one of the most acute crisis, provoqued by cancellations of flights from United States, Canada, Spain , Germany and United Kingdom. The lack of tourists in Cancun, provoked that many hotels closed down until the high season. Workers are being fired or put on mandatory rest period for even 60 days with out salary; the news report 20,000 unemployed people in the state. I heard that the unemployment rate is bigger than when Wilma hit the State 3 years ago.

So right now this is what worries us the most, loosing our jobs (for those who still have it), finding a job (for those who lost it), feeding their families, paying the bills, and in most cases I’ve heard people is worried about what will this 20,000 unemployed people will do, we wonder if assault and house robbery will be provoked by this. Every day I hear of someone who lost their job or had their wages cut or are living on absolutely nothing. Most people are hopeful and can see a brighter future ahead, but it doesn’t make it any easier to survive right now.

On May 15th, The State Governor, Lic. Félix A. González Canto, confirmed that with the withdrawal of travel restrictions by the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Israel, Argentina, Peru and Ecuador, the recovery of tourism in the destinations of Quintana Roo will be immediate. Local authorities have lifted the restrictions places on bars and restaurants, all facilities are now allowed to operate at 100% in Cancun and Quintana Roo. Hopefully with the travel alerts being lifted the hotels will re-open very soon and the area can start trying to recuperate.

Swine flu, it’s for real.

* Prepares Q. Roo massive evacuation of tourists, Although not yet recorded a single case of H1N1 influenza, more than 40 foreign tourists who are in Cancun and the Riviera Maya prepare their departure as a preventive measure, reported Latif Sara Ruiz Chávez, Secretary of Tourism state.

* The federal government called for the suspension of economic activities “not essential” to the public and private sectors from 1 to May 5 in order to strengthen preventive measures before the epidemic of swine flu, after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alert level 4-5 on a scale of 6, which means an “imminent pandemic.”

*Mexicans’ quarantine ‘and imminent risk of pandemic, Mexicans should stay in their homes until Monday to prevent the spread of swine flu that left eight dead in this country and one in United States and threatens to become so “imminent” in a pandemic, as WHO warned.

What is happening right now in Cancun? Not much of anything really, it’s pretty quiet out in the streets. It kind of looks like a regular day, only that people look stressed about the economic situation that is to come, since Quintana Roo mayor economic is Tourism, and with no tourist around, all of them are sent back to their countries, so people is a think, more worried about this that they are about influenza itself. No one knows when are things going back to normal, yesterday there was only schools and big clubs, Today we will be asked to close the restaurant, and also will other bars and restaurants in Puerto Morelos until Monday. I do have my regular job at the tourism bureau so that is kind of a relief, but imagine all the people that works in restaurants, or hotels, or clubs the will be with out work for a few days if not more. So no I’m starting to worry about this. Yesterday I was calm, didn’t believe nothing will happen here.

And as I’m in the 4 walls of my office, making calls, trying to find out the latest reports about this, I start to realize that this is Real, and it’s getting seroius, and I feel like craying, but as soon as I go out and see that people outside are not panicking, I try to do the same.