Karagami

Interrupting my regular programming coz I got to see an active volcano ☺️🌋 I kinda wish there was lava coming out (there was last year) for the full experience.🥹

I came for a wedding and got so much more 🥰 I went from riding the plane straight to hopping on an atv,
drove for an hour or so, hiked to the foot of Mt. Mayon and ziplined going back (coz I was tired and already fell so I’d rather not tempt fate again) 😋

This has got to be the most fun wedding weekend I’ve ever been to! I’m happy to have friends who love the outdoors🌄 Happy wedding .ann✨😎🫶

Can you spot which ones are mine?

Swipe left to check if your guesses are right. 😉

I wanted to say, I’m going through self-doubt because I feel like my art is not really up to par with most artists. My style is very different, my medium is also so different, and after the pandemic I’ve been struggling with what to do with this little hobbusiness of mine.

Instead, I’m telling my brain, nope, we’re sharing our art. Never mind that it’s different, never mind who I impress. Because I’m coming to terms with, I make art not solely for the purpose of selling, but to feed my soul. And if it makes me happy, that’s all that matters 🤍

One day, I’ll be back on the selling grind too. For now, I’m allowing myself time to experiment and see where Karagami can lead to ☺️

Some snaps from the 🇹🇭 trip 🐣

I had the time of my life just discovering little things around Chiang Mai.

2024 Journal is Midori's Hibino
I'm in love with the cover 😍

What's yours? 💎

On my way to have a very Merry Christmas 🎄
I hope you have the same happy Christmas too 💖✨️

Nature is therapy 🌲

Me on rest mode:
Carves stamps for fun.

Me the biz owner:
You should be carving stamps to sell, not for your own amusement right?

Me: … riiiiight 😅
Also me: but it’s just so fun teehee! 😬

Shop update: Restocking at Common Room Rockwell soon, currently figuring out how to ship internationally, and how to open shopee for local orders ☺️ The holidays are here and I’m still playing instead of prepping, oopsie!

It’s a good sign tho because this is exactly what I was like before I started out years ago. And I’m in my start again era ✨ I just remind myself, it’s okay to take my time, no lives are at stake, so I’m allowing myself to just have fun ☺️

In disbelief that it's November! 😳
Made a cute layout with my teeny tiny stamps 🍂

Dropping some journal inspos with this post 😊 The stamps on the first pic are all handmade by me 🙆🏽‍♀️

In my attempt to master the mind, I've been trying to vomit out (aka write down) whatever comes to mind in the mornings.

It's been almost a week of doing this and you know, it low-key helped because I noticed that whatever I write down no longer takes up space in my brain for the day. I think that's a good mindful practice 😌

Have you tried stream of consciousness journaling? Thoughts on it?

Happy start of the week!

I was going through some pages of my journal and was reminded of how melancholic I was that I didn't have a 'dream'. (This is after my planned life not working out)

It took almost five months for me to start dreaming again ☺️ The trick was to let life reveal what it is you could do with it 🌅 And be patient enough to wait for it to happen.

But, phew, not having a dream, purpose, nor meaning was a tough one. Glad to see myself through and give myself a chance. I hope you do it for yourself too 🌱

Btw, these Moody stickers are available at Rockwell 🛍️

One of my most recent (Oct 2022) sticker sheet creations.

Thought I'd share it with you for closer inspection and journaling inspo. Truth be told, I designed these stickers for myself. To represent all of the friendships I have that have been important in keeping my sanity and willingness to keep on keeping on.

Life huh? It sure is not easy, but people we love do make it worthwhile 💗

Available at Common Room Rockwell 😌

Happy Day of Independence 🇵🇭

A Philippine stamp I designed in 2019
that continues to be one of my favorites
in my stamp collection. The orginal size
was around 4x6 in. I then reduced it to
a smaller 2x2 in. (approximately) to make
it part of my Philippine-themed clear stamps.

I will restock the clear stamps
soon. I've had a series of unfortunate events
(from covid in the household to now a hip injury) 😅

Just when I've been getting so much inspiration
to release more PH inspired stamps in time for
a happy event in September! 👁

How I build my journal spread 🌱
Hope u've had a restful weekend.
It's holy week in the PH and i've just
been using this time to get sunburn☀️😅

Btw, you can buy my handmade stamps
and clear stickers from
Rockwell, on the second floor 🌷

It’s almost the weekend ✨ And i have the perfect sticker sets for that!

So there’s a pen show happening at Holiday Suites in Makati. There’s a coffee festival at BGC Highstreet. And I am happy to use my own clear stickers when I journal all about it, so maybe you’ll be too? ☺️

They are available at Rockwell.

Greeting you all with the biggest smile ✨️
Merriest Christmas 🎄

Here's a little story ⚠️ trigger warning but well worth it, i think:

I moved to Siargao Nov of last year, days before Odette hit. The intent was to heal myself from severe depression. I found joy while surfing on vacation so I immediately associated joy to chasing waves.

Less than a year later, life in the island exhasperated me because I literally had to do everything myself. I was mechanic, plumber, electrician, internet chaser for months on end. I let go of so many comforts in life (heck I would shower with huge spiders, flying cockroaches, and frogs in my bathroom). But, I did face all of the trauma I suffered in the past & was cleared by my doctor of depression. With a warning, "you still have chronic/mild depression, so just take it easy".

I did not. I moved back to the city. Repeated patterns, I knew better not to, and was well on my way back to depression again. During this time when the shadow takes over me, I get very pi**ed off. I have no one but myself to blame.

So I decided to go on a retreat in Chiang Mai. I've been subscribed to Nick the Monk on Youtube who helped me not end life through the pandemic, and he mentioned that where he was was open to visitors. So I went.

The thing about my brain is I've always believed it was sick. Doctors told me it was. What kind of brain turns to self-harm and darker actions when I begin to question the kind of love i don't receive? I refuse to give in to depression again. I've always known meditation can help, but I was never a practitioner. Until Pa Pae.

I expected to be bored out of my wits or worse confront my shadow, be swallowed by darkness. So head bowed down, I attended my first meditation practice. (For what I think was 30 mins.) my mind just kept going places. I'm stubborn enough and patient enough to keep still though.

And then I fell into a frame of void of complete and utter silence. I kept falling, physically I was just sitting. And it was the most exhilarating experience of my life. And I have never felt so safe in my own mind & being. My mind is a safe and happy place?

What a revelation.☁️

How did StickerCon feel for you?
It was surreal to me, like 2019
amazingly surreal way!

Thank You old and new bebis
for dropping by and supporting
makers like me ♡

See you online or at
Common Room Rockwell soon ☆

More new designs!✨
I’ll be at booth 49 at
Stickercon Mnl, Oct. 16

Naturally when I made
the girls, I had to make
abstract swashes that
will go along with them.

I cannot wait to see
how you’ll use these 🤎

New Sticker designs
for StickerCon MNL tom✨
Whitespace Manila
10am to 8pm

They’re clear and thin
perfect for journaling!

See you 🌞

I give you new designs
at Stickercon Mnl
Oct. 16, day 2✨

I have a confession,
a month ago I was
struggling with the
colors for my stickers.

The sheet featured here
in particular. So when I
needed to submit my artwork,
I went with pastel—
soon I realized, mmm…
that’s not exactly how
these girls should appear.

They needed tones that
were more neutral and
grounded. So I quickly
overhauled the colors.

I apologize in advance
if you liked the candy-
colors as posted by
🙏🏽
It just didn’t feel right.

What’s your journal aesthetic? ✍🏼

Come, let’s join us!
Stickercon Mnl, Oct. 16
Whitespace Manila ✨

Yes I’m back with a
lovely surprise. 🤎

After many failed attempts
at reviving ,
I’m proud to share my
new work—

Stickers for Reflective Journaling ✍🏼

I have spent the past years
improving my drawing skills, just as I did with my stamp carving. And I’m surprised
at what I was able to create.

My 7-year-old sticker hoarding self must be so proud. 🙌🏽

I cannot wait to show you
how I use them on my journals.
Stay tuned here for more updates.

See you on the 16th!

Stamps, inspired by iconic places in the island that unfortunately suffered from Typhoon Rai too.

Sugba Lagoon
Cloud 9
Coconut Road

My little way of immortalizing these places that will surely be back one day 🌴

Selling these very soon! Stay tuned.

⚠️LAUNCH UPDATE⚠️
Hilom Siargao Stamps & Prints will be on sale by the end of January. Why?

Because the maker, me, Kara, hi! ~ tested positive for Covid. So to ensure that I will not spread the virus to anyone, I shall wait until I get clearance from my doctor & get a negative result.

Please stay tuned.
Stay extra safe and keep sane.
I shall update you when all is good to go!

Karagami updated their information in their About section.

The last design for my Hilom Stamps. An update: my tools are slowly arriving. And I’ve decided to outsource the creation of stamps I’ll sell because I figured if I hand carve each one, it might take weeks to put them up for sale. These little details take long hours to carve and a lot of deep breaths 😅

Although, I’m still considering hand carving a few for those who would be willing to wait ☁️

Tomorrow is exciting! My embossing tools are here and I just need to find the cotton board paper to make postcard size prints. If only didn’t completely soak my beautiful cotton card stock, but here we are.

Maybe sometimes you need to let go of beautiful things so you can be led to new adventures 🛣

Cloud 9 .
The place where I surf
at sunrise or sunset.
The place that kept me
constantly in awe of
its beautiful horizon.

We shall see her again ⛅️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
For now, a stamp
to remember the place
that made me feel alive again.

It was exactly 15 days ago when Typhoon Rai flattened .

It took me almost 10 days to leave the island, heartbroken from the devastation caused. I couldn’t stay because I had the means to not take more of the limited supply that the community needs.

So on Christmas Day, I began designing these stamps. Iconic places that no longer are today.

Before the year ends, I hope you keep Siargao in your hearts. I will be knocking on your generosity when I complete this set as my way of helping heal the island that healed me.

A gentle, quiet New Year to you my dear friends. May you heal too🌱

I no longer want to be the “better person” I want to be the happy person* let me explain:

Since I could remember, I’ve been told that because I know better, I should be the better person, the bigger person.

An idea ingrained in my brain to put others first, myself last. What it cost me? My identity, my happiness, my capacity to treat myself with love and respect.

Being the happy person doesn’t mean I take advantage of others or I’m worst than other people.

It simply means not being less than people who take advantage of me. Because when we say be the better person, what we imply is forgive and forget, forget even yourself.

So, no, I’m no longer the better person. I’m the understanding person. I’m the forgiving person who remembers what it’s like to be taken advantage of and neglected.

I’m a person with boundaries, with an identity, and ability to be kind especially to myself. 💕

Go be the happy person, yes?