Michi Photostory

Actually, I had planned to buy a machine last December, but I couldn’t decide between the Cricut Joy Xtra and the Cricut Maker 3. Then, in February, the Cricut Maker 4 was announced, so I decided to wait a few more months. Unfortunately, there’s still no news about whether this machine will be available in the Philippines. 

I checked Amazon, but the additional taxes were too steep, so I changed my mind. 

I watched a lot of videos comparing the Cricut Maker 4 and the Cricut Maker 3, and honestly, the only noticeable difference seems to be the speed. I couldn't wait any longer — kasi naman, my wedding anniversary, Mother’s Day, and even my birthday had already passed, and still, no sign of the Maker 4. So I told myself, Cricut Maker 3 na lang. 

Sakto, there was a 9.9 Cricut Sale, so I told my husband about it. 

I added it to my cart, and when I saw that the price had dropped to ₱19,999, I immediately purchased it. A few minutes later, I realized it was still September 8, and the sale actually started on September 8 at 8 PM. Toink! Hirap talaga pag inaantok pa. 

I missed the ₱999 Cricut voucher, but I’m still happy because I got the machine for ₱18,799, thanks to a Shopee voucher. That’s even cheaper than my old Cricut Maker, which I bought for ₱25,000! 

It was delivered the next day, but since it arrived in the evening, I waited until the next morning to unbox it. 

Here’s what immediately stood out:

1. The Maker 3 is noticeably faster than my old machine. 

2. Matless cutting is a game-changer. 

3. The loading system feels smoother and quieter. 

4. It came with free Smart Vinyl, Smart Iron-On, Smart Paper Sticker, and Transfer Tape. 

The downside is: 

1. It doesn’t come with a cutting mat. 

2. Smart materials can be pricier. 

3. No additional blade, like a rotary blade. 

To test the machine, I searched for Cricut Cuties on Cricut Design Space. For the past five years, I only had one sticker on my old Cricut Maker—but now, just on my first day, puro design na agad!

I’m so happy with my birthday gift, and it was definitely worth the wait. Huge thanks to my husband, who always supports my crafting hobby

Yes, I made my own birthday cake topper, and I’m proud of it! It was the perfect way to personalize my cake and add a touch of handmade charm to the day. 

Unfortunately, I forgot to buy my own cake – but luckily, the complimentary cake from Café Hyatt Regency Manila saved the day. 

I went with a clean, fun design that simply read "Happy Birthday to Me" – because why not celebrate yourself? I used the Thinker Font, which you can find here: 

For a special 17th birthday celebration, I crafted a topper that read “Ethan Ranked Up to 17” using the Somekind Font. 

Fun fact: I actually made two versions of this topper because I didn’t like the color combination of the first one – perfectionist problems, right? 

A milestone birthday deserves something extra special. For this one, I created a topper in silver and black cardstock, giving it a classy and elegant vibe. I used the Chirp Font for a clean and modern look. 

Pro tip: Layering metallic cardstock adds instant sophistication! 

What’s a birthday without a card? This one’s for the beer lovers out there! 

I designed a birthday easel card featuring the punny phrase: “Happy Beer-day!” It has a layered design with 3D beer mugs, frothy foam, and bubbles – all made from cardstock. 

The easel style means it stands on its own, making it perfect for display. 

The 3D beer SVG file is from Craft with Sarah 

The easel card template is from Cricut Design Space 

Crafting these birthday projects reminded me of the meaning and value of handmade creations. Whether it's a simple cake topper or an elaborate card, adding your personal touch makes any celebration extra special. 

Until the next craft project – happy crafting!

Anyway, let me share my first visit to Nitori! We were supposed to go to S & R for groceries, but my husband said my son needed a new phone cable, so we dropped by Festival Mall first. We had a quick lunch at Ramen Nagi, and afterward, we bought the phone cable. While looking for a restroom, we saw Nitori. 

Nitori was founded in December 1967 in Sapporo, Japan, by Akio Nitori. In 2007, it opened its first overseas store in Taiwan, and has since expanded to China, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and now, the Philippines. 

Nitori’s first store in the Philippines opened on April 18, 2024, at Mitsukoshi Mall in BGC. Since then, my husband has been asking if I wanted to visit the store. Sakto naman kasi namimili kami ng mga gamit for our new house, but I chose IKEA at the time. And since I couldn’t think of anything else we needed, I completely forgot about Nitori. 

Fast forward a year, and I finally did it! I visited Nitori for the first time. I had no idea they already had six branches: Mitsukoshi Mall, Glorietta 4, SM Mall of Asia, Festival Mall, Lucky Chinatown Mall, and Eastwood Mall. 

Nitori is the kind of place that makes you want to redecorate your whole home. The store offers furniture, bedding, kitchenware, storage solutions, decor, bathroom items, and other space-saving essentials. 

I went in just to “have a look,” but ended up leaving with a paper bag! I bought some storage boxes for my 12 x 12 cardstock — I got two sizes of the A4 File Case. The slim one was PHP 219, and the wider one was PHP 329. Since it was an unplanned visit, I didn’t bring a bag, so I had no choice but to pay PHP 5 for a paper bag. 

My husband teased me, saying, “Nawala yata yung sakit ng puson mo sa Nitori!” I wasn’t feeling well that day, so I didn’t really get to explore the store as much as I wanted to, kaya alam ko na, may next visit pa ‘to. Hehehe!

Have you been to Nitori? What did you end up buying?

My blog post about a Teachers’ Day Gift Idea is now live on the Printable Cuttable Creatables website! In this post, I shared how I created a Coffee Gift Card Holder using digital paper. For this project, I used the Coffee Gift Card Holder SVG and the Back to School Digital Paper Pack from Printable Cuttable Creatables. If you want to recreate my project, download the SVG files and use my code MICHIPS15 for an extra 15% discount. 

Last week, a friend asked me for a Teachers’ Day gift idea that I could make, and I suggested a custom chip bag, and she loved the idea! I designed the chip bag using my Chip Bag Template from Design Bundles and paired it with graphics from the Retro Teacher PNG Sublimation Bundle from Creative Fabrica. 

You only need a printer, photo paper, double sided tape and paper crimper for this project. 

I really enjoy making chip bags because I can easily customize the designs using clipart. So far, I’ve created versions for Halloween, Christmas, and Teachers’ Day! You can fill them with snacks, candies, school supplies, or other small goodies; they’re always a hit.

Teachers appreciate all kinds of gestures, but a handmade gift shows extra thought and effort. Whether you're a parent, student, or fellow educator, these DIY gift ideas are a simple and meaningful way to show appreciation to those who give so much every day.

The 3D Car, 3D Fire Engine, 3D Police Car, 3D Tractor, and 3D Construction Vehicle are all designed by Digital Gems. You can purchase the bundle on Design Bundles, or if you have a Cricut Access Subscription, you can also find these designs in Cricut Design Space. 

3D Construction  

I already shared the 3D Construction last year; it was part of my Valentine’s Day Craft Project. 

And today, I’m sharing the rest of the shadow box.  

Transportation is such a fun and versatile theme because it works well for nursery decor, kids’ rooms, baby shower gifts, transportation-themed birthday parties, or even classroom displays. 

Each vehicle was carefully layered with multiple pieces of cardstock, all cut using my Cricut Maker. The machine made the cutting process incredibly easy, and I truly enjoyed assembling each 3D shadow box.

It’s amazing how just a few sheets of paper can be transformed into something so creative and display-worthy. Watching these designs come to life in 3D form is always the most rewarding part!

Baker On East is located in the heart of Makati’s Salcedo Village, just behind Valero Plaza Condominium. It started as a small home-based passion project by two brothers, Chino Cruz and Gio Cruz, and has grown into one of the most talked-about pastry destinations in the city.

I live outside Metro Manila and bihira na akong mag-browse ng travel and food posts — more on crafts ang lumalabas sa newsfeed ko, so maybe that’s why I wasn’t familiar with this doughnut shop. 

When my husband sent me the list of flavors, I was surprised because they weren’t the usual ones. I got curious and told him to buy one of each flavor. They’re PHP110 per piece or PHP620 for a box of six.

Here’s what he got: 

Strawberry Chamomile 

Black Sesame 

Miso Caramel Apple 

Guava Cheesecake 

Malty Hojicha 

Milk Choco Seasalt 

Their doughnuts are known for pillowy-soft dough, fresh fillings, creative glazes, and unique flavors. They're not available on Mondays and Tuesdays, so if you're planning to visit, make sure to go from Wednesday to Sunday.

My husband and son liked the doughnuts, but for me, okay lang. Hindi kasi ako mahilig sa doughnut na may kakaibang filling. I only tried the Milk Choco Seasalt and Guava Cheesecake, tumikim lang ako because I can’t finish one doughnut.

I used the Dementia Clipart from Design Bundle Plus Exclusive Products. The set features a mix of grandfather, grandmother, medicine, apple, and a scene of their daily routine. 

I made this fun little sticker to remind our awesome lolo and lola to take their meds, vitamins, get moving, and stay healthy every day! A little reminder goes a long way! 

These stickers are ideal for journaling, scrapbooking, planner decoration, nursing home projects, etc. Staying healthy can be fun too, especially with stickers!

Since I love teddy bears, I decided to create a few projects around that theme. What began as a simple idea turned into a delightful collection of birthday gift stickers, a personalized card, and papercrafts. 

This vintage-style teddy bear is part of Craft with Sarah’s Advent Calendar 2024. I didn’t purchase the full Advent Calendar, so I waited patiently until the file became available on her website. As soon as I saw it, I downloaded it using my credits. To make the most of my 12x12 cardstock, I ended up creating two versions. 

Two months ago, we attended a birthday party, and I needed a gift sticker, so I decided to make my own! I used my favorite Bear Birthday Party Clipart to design it. I only needed one, but since I didn’t want to waste sticker paper, I made a few extra pieces. I printed and manually cut the stickers. 

I found this Teddy Bear Card design absolutely adorable—I just had to make it! I only wish I had some light brown cardstock like the one I used for my Vintage Teddy Bear project. It would’ve matched perfectly. 

I always try to use up my paper scraps, so I’m constantly on the lookout for designs that can be cut in smaller sizes. These two bear designs by Digital Gems were perfect for that. They’re small, simple, and so much fun to put together. 

KKV is known for its wide selection of products that are trendy, fun, and affordable. It’s quite similar to Miniso, Japan Home, Daiso, and other concept stores. The shop offers skincare, cosmetics, personal care essentials, snacks, stationery, and a variety of lifestyle finds. It’s the kind of place where you can easily lose track of time because there’s just so much to see. 

During our visit, I enjoyed browsing the aisles and checking out different brands and products. Even though I left without buying anything, I knew I’d come back, especially when I need gift ideas or simply want to explore new finds. 

Here are some photos I took during our visit.