An Eco-friendly Bead

I recently started a stinkysocks line of paper bead jewelry. I made them from origami paper that my daughter played with before. Suprisingly, the paper bead jewelry became very popular especially with its uniqueness and affordability. I also like to wer paper jewelry because it is soooooo comfortable. I usually dislike dangling earrings because they tug on my earlobes but I find that paper bead jewelry is very lightweight! Also, the fad now is all eco-friendly and green products, these fit right in!

The making of paper beads dates back to Victorian times. The women of the house would use wallpaper scraps and roll them around knitting needles to create beads. They would then string them on yarn to create paper bead curtains. Today paper beads are used to make purses, jewelry, greeting cards and wall art to name a few. The bead shapes, sizes and colors are endless when creating paper beads, making them a great addition to one of a kind designs. Jewelry pieces made from paper beads are light weight and quite durable making them comfortable to wear for most people. Paper beads are water resistant if sealed properly. The shapes and color possibilities of paper beads are endless making them a great addition to one of a kind designs.
A lot of people has shown interest in the making of paper beads. Here is a step-by-step instruction guide stinkysocks style:
1. Cut 4 inch by 1 inch (100mm by 20mm) triangles out of magazines or colored paper.

2.Apply a bit of glue to the pointy end of the triangle. A glue stick or a tiny bit of liquid glue will do.at you like.

3. Starting at the wide end use a dowel or other slender cylinder such as a skewer or a pen refill) to roll the triangle into a cylindrical bead shape. You can make the spiral symmetric with the middle if you try or let it tend to one side.

4. Make sure the narrow end sticks firmly and the bead stays rolled up. Apply another dot of glue if needed.

5.Slide the bead off the end of the dowel.

6. Brush your beads with a solution of one part clear, white glue to two or three parts water. Marvin Medium or ModPodge also works well. This step is optional, but it will make your beads last a bit longer and help to smooth out the surface a bit. Let them dry thoroughly, making sure they don't stick to anything while they dry. Try hanging them on a string to dry.

For more of my paper bead jewelry. Visit my etsy shop http://stinkysocks.etsy.com and narrow down on my paper bead jewelry collection. Or click here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/stinkysocks?section_id=10136032

Thanks! till next blog!

Philippines, my Philippines

I was born more than 3000 mi away in a country officially known as the Republic of the Philippines. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world.  An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

I love the country i was born in although I have been away for more than 15 yrs. If there is one thing i miss, it was the beaches over there:

I also remeber the province. I love provincial life! my mother or my yaya would take me to the fish market...everything is fresh! Life seems so simple in the province

In honor of my homme country, I have dedicated a stinkysocks haircomb and bagcharm/keychain. The color of the beads symbolize the colors of the Philippine flag.

In Philippine mythology, a Diwata is a mythological figure similar to fairies or nymphs, although this trivializes the importance of diawata in pre-colonial Philippine culture. 400+ years ago, diawata were seen as gods and goddesses.

to view more products from Stinkysocks, visit http://stinkysocks.etsy.com

I am proud to be born a Filipino but I am happily living now in the United States of America. I can understand how hard it is to be living in between worlds. Thank god for fil-am friendship! July fourth is fil-am friendship day =)

hope you enjoyed my little tourism rant . till next blog!

Dad's day

Father's day 2011 in our family started out with a stroll along fisherman's wharf, the wharf was jam-packed with tourists! It was also very hot and windy that day.

then we ate lunch at rainforest cafe which was so fun for our daughter! It was fun for us too because we love seeing our daughter laugh =)

This day made me reminisce then about my own father. Virgilio Dytuco is his name. He was in the export/import business. This was his feature in CITEM (Center for intermational trade expositions and missions) Phils.:

When Virgilio Dytuco started a cottage industry operation doing macrame planters, his main rationale was to put to productive use the time of his schoolbus drivers. But the business grew and in 1977, JOVER'S Philippines began displaying its products at the NACIDA emporium. That was where a fateful meeting with a French buyer was to change the course of the company and their very lives. Andre Laval, owner of le Monde Sauvage, was instrumental in giving Virgilio the business breaks and was the tower of strength when personal tragedy struck the Dytucos. With Laval's encouragement, JOVER'S diversified into the manufacture of furniture made of bamboo, buri and rattan. But it is in bamboo that they have made a name for themselves. Their work with bamboo led them into exhaustive technical research to find a solution to the perennial "bukbok" problem. With the problem solved, they then went into product design development. Their best selling items are their sturdy knockdown beds and gazebos which are highly valued by the U.S.A., Canada and Australia. Virgilio and wife, Hortensia, are embodiments of the Filipino entrepreneur, bold and undaunted in in the face of crisis. Blessed with faith, fortitude and fine friendships like Laval's, theirs is a  triumph of the spirit.

I have dedicated a stinkysocks product in honor of fathers:

It is a masculine charm without any beads or frills, it can also be coverted to a keychain with the attached key ring. The lobster claw can easily hang from any gym bag, back pack or brief case.

What is Stinkysocks anyway?

Stinkysocks is a brand I created to personify elegance. It is an accessory shop that features goddess haircombs and bagcharms.The goal is to make every woman feel beautiful whenevver you wear Stinkysocks.

Every stinkysocks product is delicately handmade so each piece is one of a kind! Elegance and handmade do come hand in hand.

Take note, it is not Stinky Socks.... it is Stinkysocks so don't worry, the items are not Stinky or made of socks. More importantly, the owner is not Stinky or the customers are not stinky =)

here are some of the products of Stinkysocks:

Diana's comb

Diana was most often identified as a fertility goddess and protector especially worshipped by women as their patron goddess and presided over every aspect of women’s lives.

Penelope's comb

Penelope is traditionally been associated with marital faithfulness. Wear this piece to signify your commitment and fidelity to your partner.

Persephone's comb

Persephone is the goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Hades. She was also the goddess of spring growth, who was worshipped alongside her mother Demeter in the Eleusinian Mysteries. Persephone was titled Kore (the Maiden) as the goddess of spring's bounty.

Artemis's comb

Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertilty. Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. Her main vocation was to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land.

Aphrodite's comb

Aphrodite is known as the Greek Goddess (Roman Venus) of love, desire, beauty, fertility, the sea, and vegetation.

Athena's comb

gold and white glass pearls wired onto a metal haircomb. it comes with a safety guard and a story card about the godess Athena.

Stinkysocks also feature bagcharms. Here is the latest bag charm in honor of America:

View more of the collection of haircombs and bag charms at Stinkysocks . Hope you enjoyed my tale of Stinkysocks. Till next blog!



IN and Around SF- Stinkysocks style!

I love San Francisco and couldn't get enough of it. I was born in the Philippine and grew up in Anaheim. Needless to say, I have my share of knowing and living at other cities but I can safely say, I'm proud to be a San Franciscan! On my days off, I enjoy going to Zeum with my daughter. Zeum is an art, science and tech museum for children. It features a playground (play circle) and a carousel too.

There is a park near my house that I enjoy, Victoria Manalo park. It is where the kids from the nearby school, Bessie Carmichael scool, go to after school. There is a dog park there as well as a playground too. They actually have two playgrounds, one for little kids and one for bigger kids.

Last mother's day, my husband and daughter treated me to a spa and Tiburon. We took a ferry there. Tiburon is amazing! It has quaint little shops that sell trinkets and offbeat items. They also have nice little restaurants , mostly seafood though. The prices are pretty high but what tourist spot isn't? Tiburon is a nice little fishing town.

Some Weekends I like the ferry building on the embarcadero. There is an artisan craft fair outside wherein you can watch the artists work and buy their products (hmmm, stinkysocks idea?). All around are the different piers where you can watch the different boats on the water. On a nice summer day. there are sailboats too!

How can we forget my biggest playground of all? the Westfield mall! I don't know why I can't get enough of it. In the basement, there is a foodcourt wherein the food is awesome. I guess I like the glitz of the stores, the stores they featureare on the high-end side. There is even a family lounge in the basement where they have a tv for the family, they have couches, they have breastfeeding stations, diaper stations and a little play area. Only families with chidren can get in there though.

I recently discovered Children's fairyland in Oakland. We had a fabulous time there! We just took the bart and it is right by lake Merritt. My daughter enjoyed the storybook theme of the rides and attractions. She loved the live animals there too. The animals are all child-sized if that exists! like there is a live minuature donkey, which is cute. There is also a duck and squirrel.

Oooh and the best feature in SF.....drumroll please! Stinkysocks is on google maps!

StinkySocks SF

1180 howard, san francisco, CA 94103 (415) 244-8675 ‎ stinkysocks.etsy.com

That's it for now! I hope you enjoyed my favorite places in SF. Till my next blog!

Hello!

My name is Mary Ann.

 I am a first time mom and I love all things MOM. I love going to the local playground with my daughter, this is where I get to run around, climb on the monkey bars and slide! I can do this so i can closely monitor my kid, or so I say LOL.

Most especially though, I like spending time at home with my husband and daughter. I like roaming the city with them, I can't get enough of sf

I figured that the best way to spend more time at home is to eventually quit my day job and start doing the thing i grew up knowing how to do, crafts! so I sarted this thing called Stinkysocks

wherein I handmake bagcharms and haircombs. It is also a form of stress-relief for me and hopefully turn up a little profit from my little hobby.

Anywayss, that's all for now and see you in my next blog!