This sampler will give you an idea what the full design line looks like, the detailing that went into every design sheet: a gold-dusted sheet, a matching distressed and stained linen sheet and two tropical-inspired printed sheets. The full kit offers 2 different butterfly designs in various colors – acrylic foam stamped and distressed. The sampler contains one of the butterflies from the full collection. This sampler contains an exclusive torn panel. I offer this gift to them as my token of thanks for all the support, the stories shared, kind words they have all given me (and all the crying that went with it over Granny!) as I introduce to you…

Island Girl: The story behind the kit

I used to say I can’t live without my laptop. That was quickly followed by my digital camera then junked it for an all-in-one cellphone… added my Ipod… then reasoned I had to have my shuffle too! Wait! Then there’s cable TV… and any small pocket TV to be on the loop…Ok? You get the point right? We define and limit our life and how we experience it by things we think we cannot live without.

However, being trapped in an island where people lived simply, where they rejoiced daily on what they had instead of focusing on what they lacked. Where everyday became an opportunity to show that it would take something much, much bigger to bring their spirits down — That story made me think… really think if I have limited my life experiences only to what I believed I needed instead of what I already have. This is the essence of Island Girl – to look for joy and find peace DAILY in the littlest of things.

To realize you have everything you need to be happy. You don’t lack anything. You are complete.

The sea was colored so beautifully I tried to capture the color in the Island Girl alpha set!

I stayed in an island called Marinduque for close to three weeks. (I intend to travel back and forth to the islands for the next couple of months in the course of finishing my work for the local government). It’s a heart-shaped island surrounded by pristine blue waters, beautiful white sand beaches (in most areas) and marine sanctuaries. I’ve been told it has one of the most beautiful, virgin coral reefs (a secret few professional scuba divers don’t want to share with the rest of the world). Five out of the six municipalities of the island have great dive sites! I’ve also met one of those who dive in the islands who is actively researching the time and area/path of dolphin visits… as well as that of manta rays. It is truly such an awesome place and while I was there, I’ve seen so much picturesque views that more than once took my breath away. They were like pictures from National Geographic!

It’s a place to marvel at how a simple life can be so beautiful.

T’was true… what I read in various travel blogs before I went to the island — Time stopped in Marinduque. It’s like time stood frozen in say, 1970 (if you ignore the cars and the well-paved roads). Everything is rustic and beautiful. No malls, no big fancy restos and hotels. No loud music playing anywhere. It’s a place where people rush to be with their families come dawn. Simple living, very simple folks. There’s just this beautiful stillness there. I love it and embraced it. You can “talk” to your soul and commune with God. Considering that the poverty level in the island is close to 3/4, the people in the island have this innate joy in them, a sense of contentment and a visible, palpable hope that things will be better tomorrow. For this and for the fact they live in such a beautiful place, I consider them truly blessed.

White sands… Deserted beaches… What more can you ask for?

A traveler in a blog post said that she’s willing to forgive how small her “lodging” was… how the service lacked the fancy stuff she got from more developed tourist sites… how the choices for food and restos were down to four (LOL!). She said she will still travel back and visit Marinduque despite of everything. Why? The people are wonderful. They’re simple, happy folks who would willingly lend a hand. The seafood is divine and dirt cheap. The beaches are perfect – no people. I agree to all.

They’ll fly around you making you feel like a fairy princess!

The one thing I loved there was the presence of so many butterfly farms. It is an industry there and they ship live butterflies to various parts of the country for weddings, gardens or just about anything that would require these wonderful creatures! Butterfly Country. The Heartland. Any which way these people choose to call their island is fine by me. It’s one “secret” place I hope tourism won’t spoil in the next few years. They have these beautiful caves I still have to visit. Forest sanctuaries where rare orchids bloom. Secret places I still have to explore. I plan to discover every nook and cranny of this wonderful island (and I hope to make a kit for every visit I make!)

So I captured the “essence” of what I find Marinduque to be in a digital kit. My first visit. I hope you get to enjoy the sampler (and all the small freebies I posted previously) as much as I did staying in the island for close to 3 weeks even if it’s for work-related.

I will also assume you have already downloaded some of the earlier Island Girl freebies I posted that are color-coordinated with the entire set. I’m sorry if you weren’t able to. They’re gone now. (They were up for more than two weeks!)

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Here is the full Island Girl Design Line.

No. I won’t stop making freebies. Nor will I start offering anything for free simply because they are “not good enough to sell. “My freebies will ALWAYS come from the same pack of stuff I will be selling. Every freebie will always give you something from the full KIT.

More Island Girl freebies coming up!
Thank you all for your continued support. This is all so new to me… More freebies under the Island Girl line are coming soon! I promise they’ll be great! I hope you purchase the kit because so much joy and celebration with Mother Nature and the simple life was packed into it too! I’ve tried so hard to make it “celebrate the simple life!” I promised myself that I’ll hit the clear blue waters the next time I visit the island (and I believe that’ll be the first week of November) and through this blog, I’m bringing you all with me! Enjoy the Island Girl Design Line and thank you so very much for this new beginning! I feel truly blessed.