Playing by Hearts

It's a lovely rainy day today, and even though it spoilt our plans to relax by the pool with a nice book, it's still a beautiful sight fr our full walled window panel. Such a pity that the ships in the distance aren't visible tho ~ Was hoping to get to the ArtSingapore fair (it's funny how i never used to care much abt art but i've become more sensitive since jewellery!) but that'll have to wait till tmr. Got my eye set on Ebihara Yukato's paintings, one of which appeared in the ST Life article this morning, simply in love with her cheery colours & cartoony feel ~ Unfortunately other half has limited my spending with the very heartwrenching "It's either your wedding gown or these (art)!!"

Yesterday was mommy's birthday and dinner was splendid and stuffed us to bits, but only after we had gotten lost in the peak traffic forever!! (Mom drove) Both of us were arguing abt directions in the car while matt and bro just sat there in terror. Later while waiting for food to arrive, matt commented how alike my mom and i were in terms of stubbornness - said it was clear I was my mother's daughter cos the way we argued and our mannerisms were totally alike! Isn't it funny when someone tells you how similar you and your mom are? In the past, I would have baulked at the idea but now it just brings a silent smile. Sometimes there is just no way to hide :)

Been working hard at jewellery lately and ta-dah, new pieces featuring 3 of the heart-shaped glass rose focal beads like the one fr Tinkle Stream ~ Just found out they're really lightweight Japanese acrylic beads called "tensha". Revelation!

The Amethyst's Heart - Sold

Coming up with a colour combi for this black tensha heart was no mean feat though it may seem deceptively easy, esp. with the same tensha heart being used in my Midnight Garden necklace. Although the outlines on the the bead were in gold, I've decided to go with black & matt silver chains instead. Talk abt being naughty!

Large amethyst czech beads, cluster of purple lovelies & a movable silver filigree heart on a teeny rollerball chain create a most unexpected layered effect. I like! (and oh don't forget the silver heart toggle too~ abt 17 cm long)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Moon Rose - Sold

I have a nice stash of these rainbow moonstone beads in different shapes but I can never bear to use them. Just hide them in my drawer and admire fr time to time haha. I researched on this beautiful stone and turns out rainbow moonstone is a kind of natural gemstone that's generally white and semi-translucent with flashes of iridescent blue. I have reluctantly taken one flat round out to be used with this GORGEOUS blue rose tensha heart.

Sky blue swarovski pearls & a cluster of calming blue cuties can look so inviting on black & gold chains! (and vintagey too) Moon Rose has zero display appeal, look how soppy it is when laid flat but it looks so fab on the wrist! (Abt 18cm long ~)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Baroque Sweetheart - Sold

Don't you think the swirly candy sweet wrapped up with a black/red mesh looks cool?? Love the colours in this somewhat gothic-toned piece. Faceted onyx rounds, large gold-link chain, black faux crystal heart & other gold blings bring out the delightful baroque charm in this baby.
(very slightly longer than 18cm ~)

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Weather's clearing so maybe hubby and i can have a quiet read before heading out for yummy curry! Meanwhile I'm still working on new pieces of my collaboration with Karin so hopefully they can be launched mid Oct :) A sneak peek of one darling:

Enjoy the rest of your weekend folks! ~

Lila's Jewel - Sold

I've been in the mood for pastel colours and it's so fun mixing colour combis! Like this citrusy lilac toned bracelet which I fancy so much :)

The same yellow rose glass bead fr Fall's Treasure appears here, together with the orchid glass cube fr Violett. A yellow chalcedony nugget & a motley crue of lilac, citrus glass beads make up the rest of this sweet ensemble. The bling factor comes in the form of 2 gold maple leaves & a vintage-style glass charm.

I will be busy with an IT course for the next 2 weeks which means less time for creative therapy! Sobz. Hopefully a neat course in web stuff will help me in the upcoming Oriental Rose webbie which is long overdue *sheepish* I've got some new bracelets yet to post so fret not, more goodies are still on their way! :)

Be gone, monday blues!

Do you ever pause in the middle of what you're doing and wonder why you're doing it at all? I had such a thought-provoking moment after a wonderful time of catching-up over dinner with some uni mates yesterday. There were meant to be 4 of us but family commitments kept 1 away at the last minute. Bugger! Sitting there talking abt the latest happenings in our lives made us miss our uni days tgt... we were playing varsity canoepolo tgt and you cannot imagine how the unlikeliest of teams we were, being so different and most of us from TOTALLY DIFFERENT sports previously. It took us a whole year to finally bond and stop being so an** to each other haha.

One's a lawyer specialising in insolvency (not the kind of lawyer you wanna know too well haha), the other 2 are in marketing but thinking of a career switch. Somehow we always seem to want to do sth that's completely different fr what we're currently doing. So why are we waiting? I commented to them that sometimes talking to peers with proper careers make me wonder what would have been had I not left the corporate world. Would I have a dignified namecard to hand out to pple? Would I be striving hard to climb up the ladder? It's so difficult sometimes to explain to pple when they ask abt what I do for a living. When I say I make & sell my own jewellery, they almost seem sympathetic and at a loss to say anything. I'm not sure if they feel sorry that I don't have a proper job?? It doesn't help when your own parents are skeptical abt your ability to earn your own keep and keep questioning how long you intend to do this.

Hearing my Funky Monkey team-mates (I'm serious, this was really our team name!) share their own dreams and reassuring me that it's far more impt to love what you're doing than be stuck in a thankless job made me feel more confident abt this path I'm taking. Ms W. wants to open a cake shoppe in a few yrs while Ms V. is planning to pursue a master's in speech therapy. We are going places man! Girlfriends are so impt in keeping us grounded. I just hope we can continue to spur each other on towards our goals and not lose sight of the dreams we cherish! :)

And oh I had the privilege of meeting Ms Blingalicious in person @ That Bazaar yesterday too! Hubby & I were in town and I had read abt a bazaar at The Hilton so I had to drag him along against his will. Such a wide array of crafts, clothes, homeware and other yummy goodies! I chanced upon the Blingalicious booth, one of Sweetpea's links and who also turned out to be Belinda's cousin! There were many jewellery stalls there but Blingalicious stood out for its classiness and gorgeous play of colours! I admit I gave in to my magpie weakness and bought 2 necklaces fr the Bling mistress herself. One of the gorgeous pieces was called Oriental Rose (2) so I had no choice! It was meant to be! Haha... Naturally I had to shoo Hubby off to a cafe first before I made the covert purchases. The other's another beauty called Little Czarina in purple and green featuring AMAZING wirework. I have no patience and no skill when it comes to these techniques. Ms Bling doesn't post pictures of herself on her blog where she sells her wares, which is such a pity cos she is a babe! And such a sweet person to boot. I've linked her so go say hi!

The end of a long week

Ah, it's been a really hectic week for me finishing orders and answering emails. Thank you for all your kind emails and encouragement! They made my busy week so much more bearable :) Matt and I have been bogged with wedding preparations but we're relieved to finally booked a photographer! Benny's works have a certain journalistic quality to them and he sees uniqueness in the ordinary, just my kind of guy haha. He doesn't come cheap but memories last a lifetime and I'm not gonna compromise on that! Next stop: bridal gowns! (note to self: stop procrastinating)

The biggest upset this week has been the theft of 3 bracelets fr my space @ Pandora's Box!! Elinor, Beary Memories & Lavender were discovered to be missing when I did a check on Thursday. Words cannot describe how distraught I felt - it wasn't so much the money but the time, the effort, the heart.. that went into each piece. I could comfort myself by thinking of it as a compliment, but theft is wrong and should not be condoned. If any of the culprits are reading this, I hope they will reflect on what they did and see that it hurts people and not make the same mistake anymore.

On a lighter note, Matt knew how upset I was over the loss so he surprised me with candles & rose petals & a nice hot bath when I got home that night. You cannot imagine how touched I was to come home to such a wonderful husband. These little gestures really make all the difference! (I'm sorry girls, he's very much taken!!!)

And oh doing a collection is so difficult!! My mind's all over the place, and I have to force myself to concentrate on a theme. ARGH!!! Maybe I need more time to get into the hang of things? I'm going to end A Wander In The Woods with these new pieces for now, and slowly cultivate more flair as a designer. It's not wrong to be bursting with ideas right? *hee

The Good Earth - Sold

Named after the famous book by Pearl S.Buck, the earthy colours of the beads and the oriental flavour of the porcelain rounds couldn't have made it more apt. A cluster of turquoise, gold, bronze & metallic green beads add a touch of colour to this down-to-earth bracelet.

She was one of the early writers to have influenced me greatly - I still remember devouring all her books one by one as a student. Born to American missionaries, she grew up in China where she learnt the chinese language and customs. Somehow her unique background brought a special feel to her novels which mainly chronicled the lives of chinese people during the turbulent & revolutionary period of 20th century China. I can't seem to remember much of the books I read so long ago - which means it's time for me to reread them! :p

Little Maplets - Sold

A fiery pair inspired by falling golden maple leaves in the woods, I wanted to capture that sense of flight amidst the colours of autumn :) Long trails of crystals & metallic beads & gold (non-tarnish chains & wirework) bring a swaying motion to this piece. Drop is 6.5cm ~

Nature's Gold - Sold

Another asym pair featuring a pale beige acrylic rose & a gold filigree leaf... I love the little topaz rhinestone ring! (Drop is 3.5cm and 4.5cm respectively) I was in such a good mood making this pair cos of its sunny & cheery colours :)

A sweet yet funky pair for that lovely sundress (wear it while you still can)!

Baby's Breath - Sold

Sweet blooming blues ~ A pale green rose and a pretty blue rose glass bead (similar to the rose in Tinkle Stream!) take centerstage in this beauty.

Sky blue pearls, amazonite rounds & some sort of serpentine jade-like flat nuggets add that soothing romantic flair ~

Garland - Sold

The flowers are really coming out in full bloom!! Just bought a bootload of beads so I had loads fun matching colours to these pretty clay roses.

Garland sees a pale pink rose nestled among mixed beads in cheery citrusy tones. There's even a small garland of pinky-goldish & matt pinkish teardrops for an extra blooming effect :)

I love asymmetry and it shows! Beads on one side, double brass chains with a special purple bronzey glass bead on the other.

Birthday Cheer!

Had the most amazing birthday ever over the weekend and I thought nothing could top spending it in Bali last year! (Although matt and I did suffer fr massive food poisoning and puked and s*** our guts out)

Had been expecting a quiet birthday, just the 2 of us, no parties no fanfare. Little did I know the surprises! The day began with opening presents in bed (our little ritual), or to be more exact searching the apartment for presents :p I had planned not to use the computer over the weekend and just relax. Unfortunately the workaholic in me prevailed and I could not resist logging on, only to read a lovely post by Jes on some of her crafting friends and I got an honorary mention!!! *blushes* She's been an incredible inspiration to me, always so free-spirited, so full of fun and cheer. I am a big fan of her one-of-a-kind necklaces and a proud owner of a Look Closely and Little Junquey Lovelie. People never fail to stop and admire them when I wear them out :)

She's in the midst of a collaboration with Hope (another collage artist that I admire) and I can't wait to see the results!! If only I had just an ounce of their talent ~
Thanks to Jes, I've received encouraging comments fr other crafting friends and it's so nice to hear fr similar-minded pple all over the world! Will be adding links to the sites of these fabulous artists soon :)

Back to where I was , as you know matt & I attend a premarital counselling on Sat afternoons and my birthday was no exception. I had not expected matt to conspire with the group to celebrate it for me! Such a wonderful surprise! :) It was quite funny when pastor suddenly walked in during the party just as matt was going to pray for me. He was so nervous and said some silly things which made all of us giggle. The funniest bit was when he ended with, "...I know we'll have troubles ahead while planning the wedding and even though it will get harder I hope she will still want to marry me!" What a classic moment.

We've been checking out gowns and since in the western tradition the groom doesn't see the bride's gowns till the wedding itself, we've decided to do away with the Singaporean tradition of taking bridal photos before the wedding. It's a weird chinese thing, taking posed shots of the couple in their bridal outfits before the actual day. I guess the photos just give guests something to look at on the screen while they're waiting! And I heard the latest trend is to show animated cartoons of how the couple met and their love story etc. It's amazing how different (or strange) wedding traditions can be! I've been poring over what to give as wedding favors - magnets, bookmarks and the like have been overused already, suggestions anyone?

Birthdays are the best times to catch up with old friends (if you can remember their birthdays) and this week will still be a busy time of gal pal outings - I've got so many chums with sept birthdays that I've gotten the dates of 2 friends' wrong already!!!!! I am so pathetic I know. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze some time out for jewellery ~ And oh Karin and I are in the midst of a collaboration to come up with some of her fabulous polymer beads exclusive to Oriental Rose! I've received a batch fr her already but I must confess I haven't had the time to touch them yet. Expect lots of roses and flowers :) The sweetie even included a pretty millefiorie heart pendant and I have happily kept it for myself hee.

As Jes puts it, "hurrah for talented friends!"

Tinkle Stream - Sold

A pretty light & airy bracelet with powder almond pearls & citrine-like stones (goodness I really need a refresher course in semiprecious stones!), I love the heart-shaped rose glass focal with the cluster of gold/bronze/frost beads! My fave bit is still the bird-perching-on-a-branch toggle clasp :p

Refreshing for fall ~

Magic Berries - Sold

Ooh don't they look like magic berries? There's just sth abt that etched butterfly clasp & salvaged rustic silver heart button that makes this piece look enchanted...not forgetting that lovely opalite oval & string of cool blue pearls & matt silver beads & chain after chain of delight~!

A spirited ensemble of rustic silver & cool blue

Ruby Relish - Not Available

Ah I am so fascinated by these bright red discs! They are some kind of semi-precious stone but my knowledge is so limited I can't identify them right now so if anyone knows what it is, pls enlighten me!!

I was envisioning mushrooms, magic toadstools, the like so this is a bolder, louder piece with large rope-like links, amethyst & topaz czech berries, bronzey coated glass beads and naturally a pretty black organza ribbon for that fairy's touch.

You won't believe it but Matt was the one who suggested wearing the necklace slightly off-centre for a more asymmetrical flair ~ how cool is that?!! Unfortunately my untamable frizzy curls have spoilt this picture :(

My Lao Sisters

Me and 2 mates fr uni days - we got to know each other on a youth expedition to Laos 3 years ago and we've been inseparable since! Char is doing her master's in Adelaide so our foursome is one short :p Amazingly all of us have never been in the same schools or courses. EVER. Plus we had signed up for the trip on our own, throw us into a shabby shack 24-7 for 3 weeks and thank God we became chums!

Eileen (the centre babe) is a teacher at a prestigious girls' school now where she is loved by her kids who baked cookies for her on Teacher's Day and which were promptly devoured by MOI ~muhaha. Don't underestimate her sweet kind exterior, she can be quite formidable! And oh this is so funny but on our last backpacking trip to Vietnam she kept getting picked up by the locals!! We have told her to give up Singaporean men already.

Lee En (babe on right) is an accountant now and she's planning on a major trip next year - you go girl!! I seem to be surrounded by friends who disappear into the region and have to be located by GPS. I shall have to tag Lee En with a GPS microchip before she goes~

My Lao sisters keep me sane and it's just really heartwarming and funny how for all our birthdays, we scheme and try to light candles on cakes under the table or scribble cards while pretending we're just sms-ing! That element of surprise is always more funny then actually surprising haha.

And oh yes I've changed my hair! Just have to do sth different for my birthday each year - still getting used to big hair but I'm glad hubby likes it! Here's to the goodness of female friendships and more wacky years to come :)

Sweet Lilac - Sold at Tea!

Ah the sweet scent of lilac blooms ~ magical colours adorn this pretty pair and makes you feel like a princess! Drop is abt 3.5cm ~

Spritz of Green - Sold (One-off piece)

A little bit of magic, a little spritz of green.

Pale green roses, autumn hearts & yellow drops make this a delicate pair for fall.

Drop is abt 3.5cm ~

Fairy Pink - Sold @Pandora's

Ooh dramatic fuchsia petals for the oh so vain fairy princess in all of us! Clusters of gold blings and my fave bling balls add glam-ness to these small danglies.

Drop is abt 3 cm ~

Dreaming of Roses - Sold at Tea!

What are you dreaming of today?

Metallic czech beads in different shades of gold & white add shimmer to this pretty brass bracelet. Not forgetting a romantic gold rose & dream charm with bits & bobs ~ Length is 17.5cm

*4 Oct: I've reworked this slightly, just added more beads cos colour is good for you!! :p

Fall's Treasure - Sold

A pretty bracelet made up of translucent mandarin rose beads, brass whirly acorn-like rounds, freshwater pearl coin and a mixture of pearls-glass-bling! (gold toggle closure, abt 19cm long)

Little treasures in fall's colours ~

Wood Sprite - Sold

In the woods prancing and dancing are little mischievous sprites & oh how their faces are filled with glee ~ A salvaged woody button with metal etched flower on a wreath of tiny daisies with other metal embellishments (hill tribe silver flower & gingko leaf) & oh a funky bronze medallion charm! Strung on an edgy black chain.

Chinois Rose - Sold

Oriental pixies bounce along in the meadow of wild flowers ~ jade donuts, carved coral roses, agate & czech beads make this a special pair for the chinois lover. Drop is abt 6cm long~ (925 wirework, findings & hooks)

Midnight Rendezvous - Sold

In the quiet of the night come little bands of sprites & fairies & nymphs to the forest clearing, for a secret rendevous of magic creatures ~ dark black roses, glistening white & grey pearls with black crystal rondells & little metallic beads perk up the pointy ears of many a naughty fairy.

Drop (fr end of hook) is abt 3 cm ~

Burgundy Blooms - Sold at Tea!

These deep burgundy roses are a treat for the eyes ~ they pop up where you least expect it and little flower nymphs are sure to be nearby! Tiny rings of celtic blessings, clusters of metallic/opalite purple beads & drops of ruby red bring little bits of beauty to these gorgeous blooms. Drop is abt 5cm ~

A Wander in the Woods Collection

I've always held a soft spot for the season of fall ~ all those falling red leaves in the wind and on pavements, the hint of a growing chill, oh I love how pretty the fiery colours of autumn can be! Unfortunately for me, Singapore is blindly hot all year round so I can only enjoy this season overseas. All those childhood Enid Blyton stories abt kids going for walks in the woods in their wellies and the forest fairies & sprites & other magical creatures aren't any help to my fascination with the woods either :p

I've decided to take D aka lulu's advice to try and be more systematic in coming up with collections so that I can adopt more flair as a budding designer and voila, my first Fall collection: A Wander in the Woods. Nature & floral-inspired, I hope to recreate that sense of wonder as you ramble thru the woods and see some of nature's wonders for the first time. I am still creating as we go along so hopefully more wacky inspiration will come my way. Enjoy! :)

Foxy - Sold

A foxy feline perches on its pretty paws in this sleek bracelet. A funky obsidian tile-like focal, metallic silver czech & matt black chains purr the silent stealth of this feline ~

Paradiso - Sold

I was in love when I saw this enamel peacock charm cos it was so graceful, so ethereal and I simply had to get it. Plus I've always been a sucker for such coloured enamel :p I used a mixture of pale peach crystals + frosted + half-metallic drop beads to create this asymmetrical pair of earrings. Drop is abt 5cm & 6.5cm respectively ~

Funky yet lady-like with subtle glam punk chic!!

Firefly - Sold

I didn't fancy the pendant much when I first saw it, but playing it around in my hand convinced me it would make an unusual centrepiece. What clinched the deal was how vibrant the shades of yellow, orange, red and other colours on the glass donut were! I experimented, played around, tried hard to bring out the colours and make it the main attraction. Somehow just using plain ole black beads with interspersed gold/yellow accents puts the spotlight on the pendant. A gold-tone dragonfly or firefly adds a sparkly unique touch to this piece. Abt 16" long ~

Perfect for those who like colours but still a bit reserved at heart :p

My Fair Lady - Sold

A pretty bag charm for a fair lady ~ this sweet edition of Clarity has a lace trail & black organza ribbon while large acrylic heart & drop charms dangle off round brass links with bronze accompaniements.

My Mocking Merriment!

Haha you won't believe what a maniac I can be when I'm waiting for online purchases to arrive. I will just wait to hear the postman's scooter and check my mailbox a few times a day haha. My Look Closely necklace came today all wrapped up prettily in a deep green organza pouch and dearie Jes even included a bagful of amethyst chips for me! Awww.... there was also an envelope containing namecards of her many crafting friends. Can't wait to check them out! It's just so nice when pple share good stuff you know? :)

Royal 21 - Sold

A beautiful large key charm with a bling knob and a pretty heart locket makes this bag charm a delightful 21st birthday gift - which was the inspiration to begin with! I've used a maroon organza ribbon for a sweet girlish touch :)

I am psychic! (kellyrae rocks)

Guess what? I'm psychic! I just blogged yesterday that I really need some visual stimulation on my walls and my kellyrae works arrived today! How amazing is that. Was working at my table in my dowdy singlet & shorts when my doorbell kept ringing nonstop. I thought it might be a friend playing the fool cos you have to get past security blah blah so I just screamed at the door (i.e.person standing outside door) to wait and stop pressing the bell while I get decently dressed. I was so embarrassed when it turned out to be Mr Postman with my parcel! ~hee

I loved how my prints & original work were packaged, so professionally yet artistically homey at the same time. She's such a fabulous mixed media artist! You can tell I'm quite an insane fan :p

My new work table!

Yay!!! I've finally gotten a proper work table after months of back-breaking-bending over the wooden coffee cum dining table. Daniel, Matt & I trotted down to Ikea in D's mega Odyssey just so we could fit this giant table in the car. It even has a glass top (that's covered by the mirror frame in the pic) that can be illuminated fr below, how cool is that! It's in a strange location by the door but that's the best you can do if you live in a small apartment and you wanna watch the TV sometime when you work ~hah. As you can see, I've moved all my barang barang fr the couch & floor onto this workbench. You can actually walk around the lounge now without tripping!

Ooh can you see how shiny the floor is? All thanks to very domesticated Matt who's been ungrudgingly taking care of sick ole me and keeping the place clean and exterminating any pest that may intrude on my workspace. (I hate cockroaches! Esp. flying ones! eeyr....)

All I need now are more pictures on the walls to rest my tired eyes and inspire me!

Tempest Rose - Sold

Ooh I love this baby, so classic so chic! I made it at the same time as Aqua Rose but bad photography kept it fr being posted earlier. This is an okay shot tho not fantastic. A large grey clay rose sits amidst faceted black onyx rounds while trails of pearls & complementary crystals. You can wear it with the rose in the centre or to the side. I've used matt silver chain links instead of bling bling silver for an edgier touch. Black doesn't have to be boring!

Marina - A gift for someone special!

A Little Dangly Pretty is this ocean-forest inspired pair of carved blue roses & aqua-toned crystals. Looking at the colours makes me feel all calming & soothing inside...so refreshing!

Lady Blue - Sold

A graceful pair of filigree hearts are accompanied by midnight swarovski buttons & silver trails... metallic & crystalline beads complete the mystery of the lady in blue.

Silver Berries - Sold

Silver Berries
Originally uploaded by Oriental Rose jewellery.

Inspired by one of my mummy's necklaces, I've brought my own nature twist to it by using shiny silver twig-like links with dewy drops - they look like berries on frosted trees! Kinda reminds you of Christmas doesn't it? Y-necklaces are so flattering cos they taper to your *ahem* cleavage & the delicate rollerball chain in this necklace will highlight your clavicle beautifully :)

Post-Watershock Ramblings

Ahhh it's so nice to finally be out of the sun cos it was BLAZING HOT today@Marina Bay! We got up early but somehow we ended up rushing to remember to bring the essentials, and then we realised we didn't have any small change!!! Anyway we cabbed down and got kinda lost around Marina South, Marina Bay before a call to Val (and a very nice cabbie) got us to our destination. I must say I was pretty psyched abt my very first stall appearance even tho it was a small event and there were quite a number of other jewellery stalls. Sadly the crowd wasn't much but I was really happy to bump into a few old friends like Cheryl!! Who supported me by being my first sales of the day *haha* I'm just glad to be there to showcase some wares and pass out namecards :)

Matt & I trying to look cool in the scorching heat

We had to leave part way for our premarital counselling so I got my guy pals Daniel & Damien to help me tend the stall even tho it's such a girly thing. Thanks guys!!! (I was hoping to use the cute guy bait idea unfortunately it didn't work too well) They had to pack up soon after cos the weather changed and started drizzling. Singapore's weather is just so unpredictable!!

Anyway apparently a girl fr a neighbouring stall came by quite a few times to look and she seemed particularly taken with a pair of earrings and went back to her stall to make sth similar right away!! I was quite upset initially to hear this but perhaps my lovely assistants were mistaken. I guess whether it did happen or not, I have to be prepared for such incidents in future. Sometimes it's inevitable esp. since there are so many handmade accessories locally and there's just a lot of competition for ideas. But I still believe in the existence of creative integrity. It doesn't matter if pple copy my ideas, I'll just have to take it in stride and continue my work with new original ideas eh? :)

My lovely assistants!!

And oh I got myself a pretty green padded card purse fr a really nice girl at The Living Habitat! It's totally handmade with a cute blue elephant applique *wholly handstitched! (she stitched it on for me on the spot. Impressive!) They have some really nice cases & pouches so do check them out~

Meanwhile it's time to embark on a new collaboration which I'm really excited abt, and plans to start proper collections, seasons etc. for Oriental Rose and oh ideas for Christmas! My fave festival ever* But first there's my birthday to look forward to - hmmm...time to remind Matt abt my birthday wish list again haha~ Enjoy your Sunday peeps!

Ramblings of Watershock

Well folks, I'll be down at The Flea Market@Watershock 2006 tmr so I've taken some pieces fr Pandora's Box for this special event. If you happen to pop by the shop and discover how barren the cube is...don't worry! I'm still around! Just gonna revamp the space a bit as well - I realise the lighting isn't particularly impressive plus the yellow shelves make my pieces look kinda pasty. Yuck. MAKEOVER TIME!!!

Meanwhile, more details of Watershock:
Date: 2 Sept 06 Saturday
Time: 10am-7pm
Venue: Marina Bay (along Marina Boulevard)

What's happening:
This is a 1-day festival organised by SMU and there will be telematches, kite-flying, FLEA MARKET, food bazaar, reverse bungee, lucky draws & live bands! There will also be water events such as wakeboarding, kayaking, CANOE POLO (my sport, at least when I was in uni), banana boat, water wheels etc. etc. It's meant for everybody and not just SMU students so come on down and have some fun in the sun!

I will be bringing most of my goodies down plus some silver stuff I call "Silver Platter Wares" and pretty packaging too! Even before Oriental Rose began, I've always known that I'd want my wares to be packed in pretty organza pouches with little potpurri rose buds & quaint paper bags that look like parcel paper. I'm also using pretty envelopes made out of a purple & silver fibre paper. Unfortunately, since OR just started and I'm trying to keep prices affordable, I can't give out the pouches for every purchase yet. They will be free for purchases totalling S$50 and above. If you'd like to buy it together with a piece of jewellery as a gift, they will be available soon. Just give me some time to post them online ya?

Apart fr pouches, I have 12 heart-shaped velvet boxes (5.5" by 5") for sale which are really pretty and look so posh! Perfect if you're getting a dainty set for a friend - it'll look gorgeous inside one of these jewellery cases! You can see the black velvet box below, the inner padding is the same black velvet~ They are priced at S$8 each.

I also have 4 round gift boxes (3") made out of a natural fibre paper with a pretty cream organza ribbon on it. They are priced at $3 each. While stocks last!

I am so unprepared for my first fair! I've been sorting & choosing & sorting & packing & re-sorting......argh!! I'm clueless abt how to decorate my table or make everything look nice & presentable. It doesn't help that we've got guests tonight and our place's the usual mess. Matt's specially taken the day off today to CLEAN and whip up his fantastic fajitas & chilli rellenos ~ yummy!! I feel so bad that he has to do most of the housework while I continue my creative work :( He doesn't complain abt it (which is why I advise my single gal pals to find men who actually enjoy housework!) but the guilt still bites you. Esp. since I'm not great in the kitchen as well. His mom is a great cook and he is too, but unfortunately for him I did not take a single home ed class in secondary school (I chose to do music instead) so I'm paying for it now I guess.

And oh, here's a glimpse of some collage bookmarks I've been doing recently:
I like dimensional stuff but they are hard to keep in books so I might convert them to cards or bookplates....still need to think if it's feasible. Singaporeans don't seem to go for these sort of thing much? Alrightey, back to work & more cleaning, I've only got 3 hrs left!!!!!!!!