It's a New Year, New Beginnings, and more weddings...

It hasn't been two weeks yet into the New Year, but 2016 has been off to an amazing start especially for those in love.  I have lost count on how many people I know are engaged and/or going to tie the knot soon.

It's such a great blessing to stand before God and witnesses with the person God has given you to spend the rest of your life with.  I am truly blessed.

So my creative juices ran wild, and I created these two collections with many more to come.  One collection illustrates a Chinese/Asian-inspired wedding brocade theme.
 

The other collection features a vintage state capitol wedding theme.

For an in-depth look, you can take a look at them here and purchase them there.






Or if you would like for me to make a customize one for you, feel free to contact me.

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year out of the way, love is now in the air.  It's time to focus on Valentine's Day.

Here are some unique creative designs that I am falling in love with:

Imagine giving you special loved one some sweet chocolates:

(Disclaimer:  I am not receiving any monetary compensation for mentioning the charitable organizations or companies mentioned in this blog post.  I just arbitrary looked up these organizations and companies or thought about them as I am writing.)

Tuesday, December 1st, 2015-

It's #GivingTuesday and #WorldAIDSDay 2015 today!

According to Giving Tuesday website, this global day of giving is fueled by you and me through the power of social media and collaboration.  It's observed on the Tuesday following #Thanksgiving in the United States (US) and the recognized shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  It happens that #GivingTuesday

Source: Giving Tuesday

kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.


The world is in a cheerful mood today since it's a day designated to raise awareness of specific causes such as giving your time or something to someone or sending a monetary donation to some organization like a church, non-profit, charitable organizations such as Christian Healthcare Ministries, Samaritans Purse, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), and American Cancer Society.  After all it's is giving Tuesday.  Since it's a timely story, the major news organizations here in America and I am sure the international media are covering this global awareness.  There's a good article from National Public Radio (NPR) on Giving Tuesday.  You can read it here.

Source: World AIDS Day

It's also World AIDS Day.  According to the official website, every year on December 1st "is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988."

In an article by ABC News, it says when the Centers for Disease Control published its first known report on AIDS in the 1980s, it looked at the five men who appeared to have a rare and virulent form of pneumonia and it killed two of them.  Fast forward to today, nearly 37 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide and about 1.2 million of them are living in the United States.

Since today's the day to raise awareness for these special causes (AIDS and #GivingTuesday), here are some things I came across on the web.  You can purchase these items if you like to show your support, but it's up to you.  I would like to say this disclaimer that I am not supporting or advocating these sellers or getting anything in return, just sharing the creative minds out there who want to show their support and/or cause so others can volunteer and/or show their awareness, too.. if you get my drift.

My objective is not to gain any monetary funds, but just to let you know -- I allowed my creativity run wild a while back with my masterpiece which is fitting on this #givingtuesday.  It is to raise awareness and support for a rare disease called Hirschsprung's Disease or HD. If you are interested, you can take a look at the rest of my collection about this rare disease here.



I call it "Crap That Matters!  Support Hirschsprung's Disease, because it has to do with the colon and intestine. It is hard to digest so that's why crap matters so much.  In addition, there are support groups for those suffering from this rare disease on social media.  Since my nephew has this rare disease, there hasn't been much support groups at the time when he was diagnosed back in the early 2000s.  So my sister started a group at Facebook called Awareness of Hirschsprung's Disease.  It's where she posted other information and resources.  However, you need to become a member of the group. It's an active group, if you want to know more about it and/or interact with those who suffer from HD.


I always wanted to try to create things to support various causes, but I noticed there's already a handful of artists and designers who already are doing it.  I need to creatively think of how to do it to make my designs and art different from the others.  I'll think about that and hope to get back to it since I already have so many ideas on other designs and art I want to do.  So stay tuned.

Now there are some designers and artists who already have made some great ones to raise awareness on this #GivingTuesday and #WorldAIDSDay.  Most of these designs, I came across in a simple search so I can meet my deadline to get this post published came from Zazzle.

Source:  Awareness Gifts

Source:  Shabaz Designs

Source:  Awareness Gifts

Source: giftsforawareness

Source:  pics4merch

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!  We just celebrated Thanksgiving here in the States.  After gobbling the turkey and its trimmings, it's now time for Christmas/holiday shopping! More feasting, eggnog, family reunions/gatherings, being festive are in.   Wow!  Where has the time gone?

I didn't get the chance to create all things Thanksgiving this year, but I liked the one to the right although I did not create it since it's a simple design that reminds me we are in the fall season.

Source: thotsnememorieswagon

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, I have been busy with work and other projects.  I did not get the chance to create a Christmas/holiday design until now.  I try to make designs like a month or two in advance.  Anyway, I received some inspiration for a Christmas design that I came across and I liked this chalkboard design at Zazzle. Of course, I need to put my own touches and let my creativity flourish.

As you can see, I am in the Christmas/holiday spirit and  managed to create festive things so here is a look at some of them excluding the Thanksgiving invitation.  Take a look at my design below.

Source: CreativeMastermind's Zazzle Store

The product of my creative mind is shown on the left.  This design features a chalkboard background with chalk frame and elegant Christmas spiral arrows and flowers, Christmas decor such as Christmas tree, wreath, candy cane, symbols and banners with presents decked out in vibrant colors.

You can add your special touch with customizing some text and photo. Get into the Christmas spirit and send your special holiday greeting to your family and friends!


Of course, I created some other Christmas/holiday items, but the one above is my favorite.  If you're curious here is what else I created below.. and yes, it's all at Zazzle.  You can also take a look other items I created at my store page here on this blog or on Zazzle.


Then I created a simple design. I remembered early in my childhood when I believed in Santa Claus, cookies, and cookies along with one of my favorite classic Christmas songs, "Joy to the World."


I wish you a joyous and wonderful Christmas and holiday season!  Merry Christmas to all!

'Tis the Season for Giving!  

I don't know about you but I'm usually a cheerful giver all year round supporting many causes and give my time that are dear to my heart.

One of them is Hirschsprung's Disease or "HD" for short.  You are like asking the obvious question, what is HD?

What is Hirschsprung's Disease?   
I did not even know or heard about this rare disease until it hit so close to home almost two decades ago.  One of my nephews, X-Zavier, suffers from it.

Many of you may not know what it is.  According to the Mayo Clinic. it is "a condition that affects the large intestine (colon) and causes problems with passing stool. Hirschsprung's Disease is present when a baby is born (congenital) and results from missing nerve cells in the muscles of part or all of the baby's colon.  A newborn who has Hirschsprung's Disease (HD) is usually unable to have a bowel movement in the first days after birth. In mild cases, the condition might not be detected until later in childhood.  Hirschsprung's disease is treated with surgery to bypass or remove the diseased part of the colon."

I can see how debilitating it is for my nephew.  Since people may have a bad reaction to him or that they don't want to hang around him because they simply just don't understand or willing to find out.  I see how it has made him inferior and how embarrassed and hurt he is.  However, we all empathize with him. Although, we take it for granted that we can just take a crap anytime we want to, and then there are others who have a difficult time to take one.  Society and popular culture say it's not cool and it's a stigma for HD people. Children and adults who suffer from HD, they are just like you and me -- normal human beings.  Let's show the humanity and harmony towards everyone.

I am hoping to raise awareness for Hirschsprung's Disease.  I used my creativity and words to describe about this rare disease.  I am hoping you like these designs and you'll be able to support and show your awareness of Hirschsprung's Disease.  You can check Crap That Matters! Support Hirschsprung's Disease at Zazzle.

Again, the objective of this posting is to raise awareness and support those suffering from Hirschsprung's Disease along with showing my creativity when I can.  My objective is not to get money, but it will be great if people buy.  Remember Crap That Matters!
If you are interested in learning more about Hirschsprung's Disease, you can check out some of these resources/links for additional information:

Awareness of Hirschsprung's Disease Support Group on Facebook

What I need to know about Hirschsprung's Disease

Hirschsprung's Disease Resources on Mayo Clinic

 
There's an overly used term in the broadcast media that flashes before our eyes each time we watch or hear a television newscast or radio in America. What term am I referring to? It's "breaking news." I understand the concept behind it -- but it is now sounds more like a cliché and losing it's meaning. In the media, shouldn't every news story airing or printing be "breaking news"? Yes. Now there's another cliché I cannot stand but I will not get into it in this blog entry. Back to the breaking news term.. I admit I have used this term before while producing local television newscasts. However, a particular cable network uses this phrase in everything from news supers and banners when it's not really breaking news. I am sure you know which one I'm referring to. 

 For a long time, I always wanted to create something unique and funny that combined both "breaking news" and that particular network. This is what I came up with: Breaking News: I am C.N.N. (Curious, Nosy, Neighbor). Why you may be asking?  Well, you know where you live there may be one or you could be a C.N.N.   However, that's great!  You may be looking out for your neighbors or your neighbor is looking out for you! Needless to say, I'm not saying I am C.N.N. 

Now, this creation is not to make fun of that media company. However, we all know perhaps a neighbor or we could be one ourselves. I hope you like what I created.

Please tell me what you think about this creation and if it's true.  You can see the entire collection of this at Zazzle.  If you're interested, you can purchase these humor/parody gifts at my store.  

Recently, I started using mason jars for storing food and drinking out of them.  I never bothered  using them as a part of my daily life before, since my family does not like using glass all that much.  You know, it's that silly superstition of breaking glass gives seven years of bad luck. I got over that superstition. 


I need to thank my beautiful wife for that.  I remember we had a refreshing strawberries and aloe vera drink on a hot summer day right out from a mason jar with a handle.  To amazement....  I said, "Oh my - that's beyond awesomeness!"   I was referring to the drink and the clever use of the mason jar.

I don't think I have seen fireflies up close and personal.  I remember covering it cooped inside for work --  as in watching video of fireflies for a few visual stories back in the day and watching nature programs on the tube.  I was so mesmerized by the fireflies.

With my new likeness for mason jars and fireflies, I thought I'd see if there's anything creative with both of them.   I wonder if there's a great idea!  After searching, I found something great!  I am so inspired by this amazingly talented artist/designer who has a store called Thoughts and Memories Wagon at Zazzle.

For the brides-to-be who are looking for a rustic, wedding invitations -- you can check out this creative designer, Jinaiji.  If you like fireflies and mason jars, I think you would consider the design below.

What do you think?  Please comment or send me a message.

Thank you to Thoughts and Memories Wagon and Jinaiji!