💚 Unboxing GOT7 K-pop Pins & Delicious GOT7 Tarts 💚

This year I decided to make a bigger effort to support more smaller businesses and instead of buying GOT7 merch from big heartless companies to instead support my fellow Ahgase and their beautiful artistic creations which are 100% made with love. There are honestly so many amazing artists out there making so many beautiful items that really need your support, especially during these tough times, so I thought I would share some of the cute things that I got recently.

GOT7 Retro Camera Pin & Stickers

As soon as I saw this pin I knew I had to have it for my collection! I love film photography and I love GOT7 so of course this pin was just perfect for me. I love the teal and rose gold colours and also the tiny details like the Ahagse and "I love you GOT7" written on the bottom in pink. The stickers were free gift as I pre-ordered the pin but are now available to buy separately. This pin now has a home on my Love Bird Ita bag and it's so pretty I can't stop staring it. I also really adore the cassette tape pins from the same designer her work is so beautiful detailed and she doesn't just make GOT7 themed goods she also has a store dedicated to other Kpop groups so I definitely recommend you check out her work and give her a follow!

GOT7 Pineapple Tarts

Pineapple tarts are a traditionally served at Chinese New Year and one of my favourite treats so when I saw an Ahgase selling these cutie GOT7 themed ones on Twitter I could not resist! I've actually ordered these about 3 times now (soon to be 4 for my birthday next month) as they are so good! The pastry is soft and buttery and the filling is chewy and not too sweet, they are so good and some of the best pineapple tarts I've eaten, just check out the reviews! In addition to the GOT7 boys she also makes cute little Ahagse tarts (which you can see in my unboxing video below) and also offers strawberry and kiwi fillings to so you can completely customise what you want, if you live in Thailand I totally recommend you order yourself some and if you're not a GOT7 fan she can make some more traditionally shaped tarts for you to.

Jackson Wang Birthday Pins

Eunnise Pins are my best girls are previously gifted me with a bunch of pins which I treasure so much and over the past couple years since opening they have been on a roll creating not just beautiful pins but now branching into clothing and even plushies! I have been waiting forever to get myself their Jackson birthday pins to add to my Jackson Ita pouch and I finally got them and I love them so much, the constellation pin even glows in the dark!! The girls also threw in a bunch of extra goodies for me, some stickers, a Polaroid, a Jackson hair pin and "Broke Ahgase Club" patch which I can TOTALLY relate to and need to sew onto one of my bags soon. I always get excited to see what new designs they come out with and they are the sweetest so go give them some support.

There's so much creative and amazing fan made merch out there and there is literally something for everyone from cookies to clothing to pins to plushies, and these small businesses need your help more than ever right now so please do show them your support and if you have a fave store be sure to link them in the comments for everyone to check out and let's spread some love and support in the fandoms.

What are your favourite K-pop artists?

Love & Ahgabongs

Cate

xoxo

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🧼 Bangkok Soap Opera 🛀 Natural, Handmade, Eco-Friendly Soap & Skincare ♻️

I have walked past the beautifully smelling Bangkok Soap Opera so many times but sadly never been inside however I happened to notice one day while scrolling through Instagram that they were having a sale so I decided as I was down to my last sliver of soap it was the perfect opportunity to order some of their delicious looking soaps to try out and as it arrived to me so fast and so beautifully wrapped with sustainable packaging and smelt so wonderful I just had to share this amazing find with all of you because who doesn't love pretty soaps that smell amazing?

The most appealing thing to me about Bangkok Soap Opera is not just their amazing soaps but the fact that they do some amazing work in the community. Not only do they teach soap making skills and host workshops on natural skincare and candle making, which I definitely want to take part in one day, they also have a project where they take the used oil from local street stalls and restaurants and which would otherwise go to waste and use that oil to make into soap and then donate that soap to communities and charities in need, so by buying their soaps and supporting them you are also supporting a great cause and a more eco-friendly, sustainable future. 

As someone with quite sensitive skin I'm always cautious about what I put onto my skin and try to source as natural, organic and vegan as possible. Bangkok Soap Opera prides themselves on their natural ingredients and state they don't use any ingredients in their soap you can't eat as only if it's safe for you to consume it's safe for it to be used on your skin. Using only these natural ingredients they have produced a wonderful and wide selection of soaps in many "flavours" to suit all skincare types, I purchased 5 of their many soaps on offer, strawberry and rose, mangosteen and lemongrass, coffee and orange, chocolate pumpkin and cinnamon, lemon and tamarind, and they all smell amazing! So far I have only used the strawberry rose and it's wonderful, not only does my bathroom smell like an amazing rose garden every time I walk in but I've had complements about my "new perfume" and my skin feels so soft, beautiful and cleansed I really can't wait to get back into the shower to use it again.

I think as consumers we should all be making more of an effort to support businesses and brands that make a difference, personally I want the little money I have to go to the right places and businesses that align with my own ideals and beliefs and Bangkok Soap Opera is definitely a business I'm proud to support, not only are their products handmade with completely natural ingredients of the highest quality, they smell amazing, leave my skin feeling beautiful and are very reasonably priced to so worth every single penny and more, they ship worldwide to so please do go check them out and maybe treat yourself to some natural handmade skincare made with love.

Which one of their soaps would you love to try out?

Love & Bubbles

Cate

xoxo

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*This post is NOT sponsored all views are my own, all items were purchased with my own money and not gifted.

📮 Postcard From A Stranger 💌

Postcard From A Stranger was an interactive exhibition/project hosted in Bangkok at BACC where you could write a postcard to a stranger with some words of positivity in the hopes that that postcard will be picked up by someone and make their day a little bit more brighter, and in exchange for you leaving a postcard you can also take one and hopefully that person's words will bring some comfort and positivity to you. The hope of this project was during these turbulent times to spread a bit more love and positivity into the world and let everyone know we are not alone and we can get through these times together. You never know the personal struggles that someone's is going through and even the smallest of kind of words from a complete stranger can make a big difference to someone's life.

Sadly by the time I heard about this project it was after the end date but due to popularity the gallery decided to extend it for another few weeks so I visited during its last days to leave my own postcard of positivity there. It was so amazing to see so many people getting involved, the walls were covered floor to roof with so many comforting words of positivity and love and not all postcards were written in Thai I saw a few in other languages to, absolutely everyone and anyone could take part in the project all you needed was a pen and paper which were also kindly provided by the gallery for you to take part in the project.

So much has happened over the past year and so many people have been struggling to cope so this was a really great way to bring people together and spread some love. I was overwhelmed with the amount of messages left by people and it wasn't just postcards and notes some people left original their artworks, photos, fortunes and even K-pop photocards for people to take and it eventually evolved into a place where people could not only spread some love to each other but a place for people to share their art, themselves, their love and passion with the world.

This past year has been one of the toughest for me, I've been distanced from the people I care about, I've lost friends and family and I have felt so alone and hopeless at times but people even complete strangers have shown me so much warmth and kindness it has really changed my perspective on a lot of things. This exhibition really touched me and really made me proud to be here, especially when I saw just how many people had been visiting, usually BACC is reasonably quiet but since word got out about this project hundreds of people took time out of their lives to visit and leave these postcards, it really was a beautiful thing to be part of and I hope we can see similar projects happen all around the world because right now we need a bit more kindness in the world.

What message of positivity would you like to say to someone?

Love & Life

Cate

xoxo

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🦙 Nahim Cafe x Handcraft - Bangkok - Thailand 🦙

 

Bangkok really does have the best cafes as just across the road from Wallflowers Café is Nahim Café, I have passed this café a few times on my way to and from Wallflowers but on this day I decided that I would go there instead and try something new and I'm so glad I did as it's such an adorable little café. Nahim is so bright and colourful with vintage toys and llamas in every corner, from floor to celling, I really did feel like a happy little kid sitting there sipping on my purple latte. 

I love the cosy feel of this café I sat myself in a corner at a little desk and felt so comfortable and happy being surrounded by all the cute toys and pastel décor. The menu has a great selection of cute drinks and snacks, the donuts are their most popular snack and the polka dot milkshakes their most popular drinks but I opted for a sweet potato latte which was served with crackers in a really adorable cup which they handmade themselves.

The café also has a small selection of handmade items you can buy and you can even buy the cute cup that my latte came in. I always try to support independent artists as much as I can so I picked up a birthday card to send my Dad and a cute little pumpkin cup that was only ฿70!! One of the reasons I love Chinatown is because of the artsy vibe, it has some of the best street art and most interesting cafes.

I unfortunately couldn't stay too long at Nahim as this was just a quick refreshment break on my way to the market to pick up jewellery making supplies but if I could I would have spent the whole day there playing with all the cute vintage toys, but I will for sure come back and try one of their cute snacks and maybe even bring home another cute cup, you can never have enough cute cups!

What's your favourite cute snack?

Love & Llamas

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more of my adventures you can support me by clicking the button below, buying me a coffee and get a shoutout on my next post

End of Year Etsy Sale!!

New year is almost here and I'm hoping for a fresh start so with that in mind I thought I would offer my final handmade items at a discounted price, there are only a few things left now so please be quick if you want anything as there won't be anymore in the future once I'm sold out. So for an extra 10% off everything until the end of the year be sure to enter the coupon code below and your discount will be automatically applied...

LASTCHANCEDEAL

As it's the end of the year I also have a limited quantity of Luck Bags or Fukubukuro for sale where you can get several handmade items for the price of one but what you get will be a complete surprise, so it makes the prefect gift for yourself or for a friend, I guarantee you will get some super cute items and also some exclusive stock I never made available for sale before.

There are only a few scarves left in stock including my Game of Thrones Direwolf scarves which I have also given to the cast at past Comin Cons so if you want one then be sure to check them out, a lot of styles are already sold out but there's still a few left and they will definitely keep your neck nice and warm this winter.

Finally I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, it's the end of an era and I've had so much fun creating all these handmade goods for you, it started off as just a fun personal hobby but became my lifeline as so many people wanted to own my designs to and I hope in the future to work on new projects but for now goodbye etsy, thank you so much.

Check out this post to open your own Etsy Shop for FREE!!

Love & Bunnies

Cate

xoxo

When The Wendigo Met Hannibal - MCM Birmigham 2018 (Mads Mikkelsen)

Back in May when I visited the UK just a few days after my arrival I noticed that Mads Mikkelsen would be attending Comic Con and as a huge Fannibal I had to go meet him in person, he's such a great actor and Hannibal is one of my favourite series ever and I really enjoyed his recent appearances in the Marvel and Star wars Universe so this was an opportunity not to be missed. I'm writing this months later but my brain still can't process that I met him in person, it was all so quick but he was so charming and cool.

I had just a week to prepare for this con and nothing to wear, I knew that I wanted to dress "Hannibal Style" but had left most of my wardrobe back in Thailand, seriously I only had one pair of jeans and one skirt packed in my suitcase and a few jumpers I had left behind after my winter trip so I rushed out to H&M to check out the sale section and luckily found a few things I could use for a Wendigo outfit. I also rush ordered some black lenses which I ended up not being able to see properly out of but they really added to the look I was going for so I persisted. Luckily my antlers I made many years ago were still in tact and I found a Hannibal style tie I used as a belt to keep the jacket in place. Finally I added my rosary beads I got from my trip to Palermo (where Hannibal was filmed) to complete the look and although it wasn't perfect I was quite pleased at what I managed to put together and received some nice compliments from my fellow Fannibals.

Meeting Mads was just a complete blur, I was so nervous but it was very calm and so charming and signed my poster I got from Hannibal's first panel at San Diego Comic Con which he mentioned he was sad not to have been able to go to then afterwards I went to get a photo with him and completely forgot to take my flower crown out of my bag for him to wear, the picture is really embarrassing to you can see just how nervous I was but he of course looks dashing as ever!

After the blur of meeting Mads we decided to check out the rest of the con and it was surprisingly quiet compared to all the cons I've been to in the past and I ended up not buying anything which is really unusual for me but finally seeing Mads in person was just so amazing and brought back all my Fannibal feels, it was definitely one of the biggest highlights of my visit back to the UK and I'll never forget it.

Who would you love to meet from your favourite series?

Love & Antlers

Cate

xoxo

My ETSY SHOP IS OPEN & GIVEAWAY!!!

Good news everyone my Etsy Shop is open YEY! I thought with the holidays coming up I would offer whatever crafts I have left in stock for sale so I can share the cuteness and hopefully save up some money to go visit the family as I'm starting to miss them again. Unfortunately I won't be able to do any custom orders and there won't be any re-stocks or new products as I just don't have the time or resources to do that here in Thailand but there's still lots of cute scarves and jewellery available to buy and I'll be including freebies with every purchase.

Speaking of freebies to celebrate the re-opening of my shop I've decided to host a giveaway for one of my most popular designs the fox scarf.  Winter is coming so I thought this would be a nice gift to keep you cute, warm and toasty during the colder months so if you want to be in with a chance of winning this scarf check out the widget below for details...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favourite Etsy Shop?

Good Luck

Cate

xoxo

Kawaii Mini Anime Lucky Bag Giveaway

Everyone has been so kind and super supportive of me lately that I wanted to do something nice to give back to the community and what better way than super awesome cute giveaway! I did a poll on twitter a while back asking what prizes you would like to see in a future giveaway and anime came out on top so I put together a little surprise lucky bag of around 10 items including some of my cute handmade jewellery, yummy snacks, gashapon goodies and some charms from my one of my favourite anime Card Captor Sakura.

I won't tell you exactly what's in the goodie bag as I want to keep it a surprise but if all goes well with this giveaway I might start hosting them monthly so if you're not interested in anime be sure to look out for the next giveaway and if you want to be in with a chance to win this month check out the widget below for details on how to enter AND as a bonus if over 100 people enter I will pick 2 winners so be sure to tell all your anime loving friends to enter to!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's your favourite anime?

Good Luck

Cate

xoxo

How To Open An Etsy Shop For FREE!

Etsy is one of my absolute favourite websites for buying and selling one of a kind handmade goods from artists and creatives, if I ever want to buy something special for myself or a loved one it's the first place I head to. I've been using Etsy to sell my handmade crafts and jewellery for many years and although I'm currently taking a break one of the most popular questions I get asked is how to sell on Etsy so for those of you who want to create an additional income, share your talents or grow it into a business this is how you can test it out for free.

http://etsy.me/2lsGIXB

The link above will allow you to open a shop and earn yourself 40 free listings as it normally costs $0.20 to list each item on Etsy and each listings only lasts for 4 months this way you'll only be charged a 3.5% fee if the item sells so this is a great way to test out the website and see if it works for you without investing too much money and if you do use the link above it will give me 40 free listings to and although my shop is currently closed because I'm busy studying in Thailand should I decided to re-open in the distant future this will be a great help to me, so it's helpful all round!

Do you have an Etsy Shop? Link it in the comments and let me know if you open one!

Love & Lemonade

Cate

xoxo

Etsy Birthday Discount Code

August is my birthday month so to kick of the celebrations I thought I would offer 20% off all purchases* made in my Etsy Shop for the whole month YEY! All you need to do is enter the code below at checkout and your discount will automatically be applied

BIRTHDAY

As I say every year you don't have to buy me presents instead buy yourself one because the joy I get from each sale in my Etsy Shop and the knowledge that someone out there not only likes my creations but is wearing them is the best gift ever!

♥ Thank you so much for your support ♥

Love & Cookies

Cate

xoxo

* Psssst I have a bunch of these Marvel Kinder Egg Toys so if you make a purchase and you want one just leave a note with the one you want (and maybe a backup incase I run out of your 1st choice) in the comment box at checkout and I'll include it in you parcel as a gift.

D.I.Y. Fashion Tutorial: Hannibal Inspired Antler Headband

Being a "Fannibal" antlers are something I have tried to make multiple times but I was never happy with the end results, this time however I was so pleased with how freakin' simple they ended up being and how awesome they looked that I thought I would post a tutorial so you all can make them to.

YOU WILL NEED:

Let's begin...

STEP 1: Wire Frame

First I wrapped some wire around the headband to give me and anchor then I basically freehanded the design until I got a shape I was happy with, using the pilers to help flatten and twist the wire, so go crazy with one you can make them as long or as short as you want .

STEP 2: Masking Tape

To create a basic shape and form the antlers I used masking tape because it's lightweight, sticky and easy to mould. I basically wrapped tape around the wire frame to create the defined points of the antler and add mass to it so I'd have a base to work with.

STEP 3: Papier Mâché

To give the antlers strength I decided to go down the papier mache route as this would be lightweight but durable and I decided to use glue instead of flour and water to prevent mould and create a stronger base. I used small strips of newspaper and did about 3 - 4 layers letting it dry for a few hours between each layer, if you want yours thicker then add as many extra layers as you want until you're happy with the result just make sure to let it dry completely before starting on the next layer.

STEP 4: Prime

Once I had allowed my Papier mache base to dry overnight I decided to prime the base to cover up the newspaper print so I would have a nice clear and easy base to work with. Also at this point you can also sand down any lumps and bumps you don't want, I chose to keep mine a bit rustic and gnarled for a more natural effect.

STEP 5: Paint

I used acrylic to paint my antlers black and painted about 3 - 4 coats until they were opaque. As with the primer be sure to let your paint dry completely for a few hours between coats to prevent any streaking and unevenness then once you're done allow them to dry overnight to make sure the paint is completely dry before you wear them.

STEP 6: Gloss & Decorate (optional)

If you want a shiny finish to your antlers you can paint on a coat of modge podge gloss and if you wanted to add a few flowers like the antlers above just simply glue them on with a glue gun.

If you decide to make your own antlers be sure to let me know in the comments, I want pics!

Love & Stags

Cate

xoxo

On Etsy: Sushi, Cookies, Direwolves & Superheroes

There have been quite a few new items added into my Etsy Shop lately so I thought I would share some of them with you incase you've haven't seen them yet. I absolutely love crafting and sometimes find myself up all night working on a project, when I get in the zone I can't stop! A lot of the designs I've made lately have been projects I've had in mind for a while but haven't had much time to complete so I'm so happy to share them with everyone today.

Game of Thrones Inspired Direwolf Scarf (Lady)

It has taken me a long time to to complete my Direwolf scarf collection because I wanted to get the perfect yarn for each of them. Lady is the final addition to the collection and I decided to go with a simply grey design with silvery flecks to represent her and Sansa's innocence and youth.

Kawaii Mini Sushi Bracelet

When I first got into polymer clay jewellery making one of the 1st things I made was a sushi bracelet so I thought it was about time for an updated one now my clay skills have improved, and I had to include my absolute favourite Tamago on there to, just looking at it makes me hungry.

Pink Love Heart Macaron Bracelet

A friend mentioned that it has been a while since I made any macaron jewellery and they're right it has been almost two years since my last one. When I was in London I treated myself a huge raspberry flavoured macaron from Laduree which was super cute and just as delicious so I thought I would recreate it in clay. 

Candy Cookie Bracelet

All I've been baking lately are cookies so of course I had to create some cute jewellery to match the occasion and as yummy as this one looks it probably won't taste that good but never fear I shall be posting a few of my fave cookie recipes soon.

Purple Bunny Scarf

A lot of my bunny scarves are pastel coloured so I thought I would make something a little bit darker and found this beautiful purple yarn in my stash, I think of this one as an older sibling to my Candy Violet Bunny Rabbit Scarf.

Marvel Comics Chibi Figure Charm Necklaces

Kinder Egg have been releasing a bunch of awesome Marvel themed eggs lately so I thought I would make something awesome out of all the extra figures I have and turned them into necklaces, they all look super cute don't you think?

Love & Cookies

Cate

xoxo

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter everyone, whether you celebrate today or not I hope you have an awesome day. I personally will find any excuse to celebrate the awesomeness of bunnies and the photo above shows just a few of the bunny scarves I have made this year which you can find for sale in my Etsy Shop. Unfortunately I don't have any Easter presents for you today but I will be hosting another giveaway soon so stay tuned for details!

Love & Bunnies

Cate

xoxo

#OOTD: The Nightmare Stag

Hannibal is one of my favourite TV shows ever and I became quickly obsessed with it after seeing the first episode. Bryan Fuller has created such a beautiful yet grotesque world and I am in awe so I thought I would put together an outfit inspired by a constant visual theme in the show of the Wendigo and Nightmare Stag.

I am desperate for the next series of Hannibal to start! The acting, the visuals and the music are just perfect and it's one of the few things on TV I watch which I get completely immersed into, seriously when I'm watching it not even a car crashing through my living room could disturb me!

Are you a Fannibal? Be sure to let me know in the comments

Love & Hearts

Cate

xoxo

Outfit Details
Antlers - Handmade (tutorial coming soon!)
Necklace - Cateaclysmic Crafts
Dress - H&M
Cardigan - Unif
Shoes - Forever 21
Contact Lenses - Pinky Paradise

Mystery Lucky Bag Giveaway

I'm making 2015 the year of positivity and happiness so thought I would kick off the new year and share the love by hosting an awesome giveaway to show my love and appreciation for all you amazing people who read this blog and support my crafts. One of my absolute favourite new year customs is the Fukubukuro, surprises can be so much fun so I thought I would make up my own Mystery Lucky Bag full of handmade goodies from my Etsy Shop for one of you lucky people to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open internationally and entries will be accepted from now until midnight (GMT) on January 31st, just follow the instructions in the widget above and be sure to leave a valid email address that I can contact you at should you win.

Good Luck

Cate

xoxo

Winter D.I.Y. Projects

Winter is a great time to get crafting, as the days get darker and colder you find yourself spending more time indoors and the best way to get rid of that boredom or just get that butt off the sofa and doing something useful is to give yourself a project. I always use the Christmas holidays as a time to work on some personal crafts (#cosplaychristmas) so here are a few awesome tutorials I've found which would be fun to do over the holidays.

♥ Sequin Phrase Sweatshirt D.I.Y.

♥ Pom Pom Fruit

♥ D.I.Y Whiteboard Calendar

♥ Newspaper Print Full Pleated Skirt

♥ Pouf Zippy Pouch

♥ Spiced Latte Hand Soap

Will you be trying out any of these projects? They'll be more geeky tutorials coming soon!

Good Luck & Happy Crafting

Cate

xoxo