Love-a-flutter - Sold

Fulfilment of another special request ~ This pair of charm earrings is anything but wallflower! Butterfly cloisonnes, love charms, gold leaves and bits & bobs of colour :) In the mood for colours, anyone?

The Dancing Maiko - Sold

Seems there's a permanent orient-inspired side of me! Couldn't resist making this mismatched piece with the geisha-like dancer and old-fashioned comb charms ~ Red tenshas, rose quartz rounds, cream pearls, teeny clay flower and jade donuts complete this classical piece. Charming and different :) Drops are 7cm and 8cm respectively ~

Prima Ballerina - special order

A really sweet babe has been waiting patiently for a bag charm featuring the ballerina charm she has had her eyes on for a while so this is a special piece just for her!

Viv's free-spirited deer!

Had a yummy sushi treat from Viv yesterday for accompanying her to do something *ahem* less than glamourous and this deery necklace was ready just in time to be passed to her new owner! Viv really liked Oh my deer! but unfortunately that had been sold so she was hoping for a black deer necklace of her own. Silver ribbon on brass filigree, black rhinestone ball and layered chains come together for a childhood-reminiscent ensemble with edgy undertones!

The Beauty Within - Sold

Had a bit of time this afternoon to flex those fingers so here's a simple pair of mismatched flowers & leaves that would be pretty this chinese new year :) Enamel flower cloisonne, gold leaves, mixture of frosted 2 tone czech beads ~ Drops are 3.5 cm and 5 cm respectively.

Jittery heebie jeebies!

First thing.... wanna apologise to all the sweeties whose emails I've had to answer, thank you for your patience! It's been crazy lately and it's sure to get worse! We're in the midst of moving to our new home (still undergoing painting and I have a lovely purple room that I can do up as I wish!) so our apartment's just filled with boxes and papers for packing. Kinda sad to leave this cosy apartment overlooking the sea ... and the massive pools and jacuzzi downstairs ... and the wonderful breeze and view!! Sniff.

We've spent so much money on the new house so if I tell matt now that I don't wanna move, he'll probably throttle me!! To be frank, it's a really cute corner house with a high ceiling that echoes and a teeny garden and patio that we can have barbeques so it's not too bad!! It'll be great to have my piano again so I can out-noise the yakky terrier next door and the cockerel that crows all day long... oh wait a minute the cockerel's not there anymore! Maybe our neighbours had it for dinner. Good for us!!

Cheongsam's fitting on Wed, this custom made hand embroidered dress travelled round the world and back and took nearly 6 months to complete!! Really looking forward to seeing this baby and hope I can still fit into it! Mummy & Daddy Challenger are arriving Friday, food-tasting on Sunday, bridal gown fitting following Tuesday... you get the picture. Many many appointments but only one me.

Still it's a once in a lifetime event and as much as I whine abt all the hassle and bicker with matt over decisions, it's still a wonderful exciting experience for the 2 of us! Thanks babes for your beautiful emails and kind wishes... really appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness! I hope to have a little sprint of creativity before the entire challenger clan swarm in and of cos I need to start on accessories for the entourage and myself! Did up Chris' earrings for her fitting last week and I'm simply relieved she liked them! Unfortunately I didn't have time to snap shots of her earrings but maybe she will haaa.

More updates as things start to heat up! :)

Forbidden No More - Sold

A cheery summery piece of red & green ~ did you know the apple is a misunderstood fruit? We think the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden was the apple but actually the bible never said that at all! :p This mismatched pair of apples & colour is sure to brighten your day!

The Rose & The Shield - SGD 27 - Sold

These silver shield-like charms with a rose image on it are simply beautiful! Add some teeny blush roses, silver clovers, red garnet, peridot, olive pearls and voila, a picture of charm and poise ~
Drop is abt 5.5 cm (sterling hooks).

Behold The Purple Roses - Sold

Chanced upon this poignant Under the Purple Flowers by ThanhThanh NhuanLee and this is for the romantic in all of us :)

In the purple flowers’ shade
You kissed me the first kiss.
The moon lit its light of jade;
The cicadas sang their song of bliss.

In each letter sent to the old place
You said you still missed this start
With the purple flowers of grace
And this young and true heart.

Lilac clay roses, burgundy cloisonne hearts, tiny lapis lazuli nuggets, swarovski rhinestone balls & sapphire crystals on "woven" gold hoops ~ Drop is abt 5cm.

The Art of Beauty - Sold

I've kept this vintage rose necklace with me for the longest time and I know it was just dying to see the light of day. In an inspired moment, I've added my own touch to it, and a lovely kamoe rose round makes its appearance too. Chain's also authentically vintage with the gorgeous dark tinge of time to it :) One of a kind!

Beautiful Dreamer - Sold

Lovely kamoe rounds are set gently against lilac blooms while little swarovski butterflies together with opalite & matt baby blue drops add that dreamy romantic touch. Drop is abt 6.5 cm ~

Sweet Peas - Sold

I was looking up flower species and I thought the blooms in this pair looked like wait a minute... the sweet pea flower!! Not to mention that Jes of Sweetpeas is one of my bestest crafting gal pals! She's such a darling and so is this pair! Drop is abt 8.5 cm ~

Princess Viola - Sold

A really princessy pair with fuchsia roses, rings of tiny cream pearls, peachy sandy leafy beads, tiny trios of metallic czech beads and smoky quartz faceted drops (non-tarnish wirework & sterling hooks). Drop is abt 5.5 cm ~

Peach Goddess - Sold

Ethereal and elegant, Peach Goddess features carved pink quartz roses, brass flower charms, rings of metallic white czech beads, swarvovski crystals, pearls & bobs. Drop is abt 6 cm ~

Silver Matinee - Sold

This is my favourite piece in this batch just cos it's simple yet classy and funky at the same time. Mismatched pair of silver roses and white howlite drops on sterling hooks.

Drops abt 7 cm and 5.5 cm respectively ~

Hope & Faith - Sold

Hope & Faith has special meaning for me cos these 2 words are what's engraved on our wedding bands. To us, hope and faith is what will keep us going through the good times ... and the bad. Hope that's not too cheesy!! ;p

Mismatched pair of little hearts and a double-ring charm. Drops are 6.5 cm and 4.5 cm respectively ~

Jardin de Roses - Sold

These red clay roses are so enchanting against the brass filigrees, with the soft lilac & opalescent beads & pearls. Like a romantic stroll through a rose garden during spring. Drop is abt 4cm ~

Clair de Lune - Sold

Your soul is like a landscape fantasy,
Where masks and Bergamasks, in charming wise,
Strum lutes and dance, just a bit sad to be
Hidden beneath their fanciful disguise.

Singing in minor mode of life's largesse
And all-victorious love, they yet seem quite
Reluctant to believe their happiness,
And their song mingles with the pale moonlight,

The calm, pale moonlight, whose sad beauty, beaming,
Sets the birds softly dreaming in the trees,
And makes the marbled fountains, gushing, streaming--
Slender jet-fountains--sob their ecstasies.

-- Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)

Debussy's musical depiction of Verlaine's Clair de Lune is a wonderful masterpiece and it came to my mind as I was making this piece. Thought I'd share the poem here cos it's simply too beautiful not to share.... Pale beige roses, vintage-print rose tenshas & blush faceted drops ~
Drop is abt 4.5 cm.

Why Is The Rose So Pale - Sold

Ah Dearest, canst thou tell me why
The Rose should be so pale?
And why the azure Violet
Should wither in the vale?
- Heinrich Heine

Carved pink quartz roses, 2 tone lampwork glass beads with roses and pale blush faceted drops make up this delicate pair that is Why Is The Rose So Pale. Drop is abt 5cm ~

Purple Passion - Sold

Just realised I've been underusing my purple beads and these purple clay roses were too deliciously luscious to resist. My gal pals are big purple lovers and I can already imagine this pair on them! Yummy! :)

Drop is abt 5.5 cm ~

"Sweetness & Light" series!

When I looked at these pieces that I've created for Feb 14, somehow none of them struck me as particularly "Valentine-y", and I'm almost relieved! Somewhere along the way Valentine's Day has become yet another over-commercialised fad and marketing strategy to get us (ok the guys mostly) to spend spend spend, and pandering to it would be the last thing I want.

Matt first started calling me "Sweetness & Light" and I really love it when he calls me that cos it just gives me that sense of being loved, treasured and cherished. I don't know how to describe it, but it's something close to me, that I'm not just his baby, honey or darling. It' makes me feel even more special than that. So today, I've named this new series just that ~ Sweetness & Light ~ and hope that each piece will evoke that sense of love that's almost ethereal, sublime, that words cannot explain, but is only understood between you and your loved one.

Enjoy! :)

* I received a comment saying that aren't I doing exactly what I said I didn't want to - pandering to this commercialised fad? It is a valid comment and I hope to add on to what I may have failed to explain clearly in my rush for time, that Feb 14 prompted the creation of this series with the inspiration of the love between my husband and myself, esp. in view of our upcoming wedding. The fad that involves intentionally jacking up prices and putting guys on guilt trips to buy stuff during this time is not what I want to pander to. I don't have a problem with Feb 14 itself. Matt and I do wish each other Valentine's Day and we have a quiet meal at home. Without Feb 14, I would have still come up with the series. I make and sell stuff, so that's an unavoidable connection to marketing and I am sorry if I have misled people with my comments. Thanks for letting me know! :)

Chinois is Chic .... plus three!

I've been so overwhelmed by the amount of green pieces that have emerged from my messy worktable so please just take them away from me!! In the spirit of keeping things simpler ( I know I'm guilty of thinking complicatedly), these 3 pieces are less chunky than my usual stuff and totally suitable for CNY too!

Jadite - SGD 25 / USD 16

Jadite sees classic pale jade chinese knots coming together with clusters of tiny darlings for a symphony of green. Drop is abt 4.5 cm ~

Sage - Sold

These semiprecious green pillows are delicious enough to eat! I've used matt gold, topaz & browns to make this an earthy-inspired pair. Notice my fave rhinestone balls? Drop is abt 5 cm ~

Flower Duet - Sold

Love these cherry quartz butterflies! They flit on diamond cloisonnes to the music of spring and feast on berries of red and cherry! (As if! It just sounds good that's all ;p) Drop is abt 7.5 cm ~

The Cat Who Dreamt Furballs - Sold

Finally saw the sun today! Though it did rain a little, it was actually warm and our pool's filled again! Imagine that! What a wonderful respite from the madness of the flooding rain we've had for the last month! Such a happy day deserves happy earrings :)

The Cat Who Dreamt Furballs sees the lovable woody kitty buttons teamed up with a silver flower filigree, brass ball and Dream charm. Wonder what this kitty is up to? Taking a cat nap and dreaming of furballs of cos! Truly a vintage storybook-inspired darling!

Drops are 5cm and 4cm respectively ~

Girl Talk!

Ooh just had a fabulously full meal of home-made lasagne :) And more importantly a long distance convo with dear Cara in Australia! She's one of my first and oldest friends though unfortunately she moved to Australia when we were 9 or 10. She'll be visiting Singapore next month so yay! Girly catch-up time! I'm bummed that it means she won't be able to attend my wedding but I'm sure she'll make it up to me hahaha. She's another jewellery freak so we're gonna have fun crafting and shopping together!!

We had celebrated Yunshi's birthday earlier today as well and I was surrounded by naggers who just kept bugging me about my wedding prep!! Goodness people!! Give me some time!! I had to borrow the birthday girl's camera to take a pic of Val and I cos I realised to my horror that we had surprisingly few pics tgt from cambodia!! The only other nice one we had was an awful shot at angkor wat by Jeremy which showed us with terribly double chins. Doing up a surprise to thank her for being bridesmaid so yup yup, girly pics are a must!

Another highlight of the day was having the bridesmaids come together for a mass tailoring appointment! Such delicious fun!! I won't divulge much of the details here, will let the photos do their work when the day comes :) But one thing's for sure, everyone will be in my fave colour - green! Some bustier dresses, others halters and a lone funky toga ~ it will be great fun taking pictures together!! I'm so blessed to have these amazing girls sacrifice their time and money, with Char flying all the way from Australia in the middle of her school term, to spend my big day with me! Next on the agenda: The HEN PARTY!!!! *whoohooo! Val has already some things up her sleeves, and I'm sure happiness-inducing liquids will be part of them!!

Before I go rush out all the things that chief bridesmaid aka nagger Val has bugged me about all afternoon, here's a big thank you to the gals that have been supportive of my work and this new Chinois is Chic range, you babes keep me going! I'm currently working on the 2nd batch for Chinois and the odd bits for another range. The former should be out within this week! (I hope) And yes, it's about time to have some sort of mailing list system. Trust me, I'm working on it. But knowing me, it'll be a while. So let's just let my conscience do the bugging, and have a fabulous week ahead peeps!!

Peach & Emerald - Sold

This is my first wholly gold-filled pair so that explains the higher pricing. From the filigrees to the hooks & chains & wirework... all gold-filled baby! Meant to last so it's a worthwhile investment :) As usual, green is the colour de rigeur with peach blossoms & gummy drops. Love the little seed bead details on the side. Luxe out darling!

Drop is abt 5.5 cm ~

And this is the last baby fr the Chinois is Chic collection....spent the whole day photoshopping the text on the pics and uploading them. Phew!! Gonna take that much-needed shower now and spend the rest of the night with my baby. Nitey nightz!

Mystic Garden - Sold

I started with this vintage-like rose charm, the autumn leaves... and everything slowly fell into place. The peach aventurine (I think) flat round nuggets & powder almond swarovski pearls & carved butterfly came later in bits & bobs. When everything was added, the classic brass rose toggle just had to come in! The result is a classic, earthy charm bracelet chockful of little surprises!

Pixiu - Sold

The pixiu is another Chinese mythical creature that resembles a winged dragon and is regarded as an auspicious animal for wealth. The myth is really quite funny too! Apparently this pixiu violated a law in heaven so the jade emperor punished it by limiting its diet to gold and sealing its *ahem* butt-hole. Which means gold can enter its body but can't leave it. That's the story of how it became a symbol of storing wealth and good fortune. Man.

Anyway... I'm quite pleased with how this double loop bracelet turned out. Gorgeous rich chocolate & powder almond Swarovski pearls, freshwater pearl coins & metallic gold czech beads adorn the long chain, which you're meant to wind around your wrist twice before hooking it on the brass loop from which the pixiu sits on itfloral filigree 'throne'. Chinoiserie has never been this classic cool!

The Lion Roars - Sold

What would Chinese New Year be without all the mythical creatures? This auspicious lion brings good fortune while a trail of jade knot, cinnabar barrel & tangerine cloisonne add a mismatch touch. Funky cool!

Drops are 5cm and 4.5cm respectively ~

Chabana - SGD 28 - Sold

Cha-bana literally means 'tea flowers' in Japanese, and these almost batik or kimono-print like tenshas inspired the name! I adore these cloudish blue roses (finding out the name now) and thought I'd keep things simple by sticking with basics. Tiny red garnet beads & faux pearl drops add the final zen touch.

Drop is abt 4.5cm ~ non-tarnish wirework & sterling hooks.

Begonia Blush - Sold

A Kamoe-Rose creation! These lovely red flower on green rounds were my faves from the last batch of beads Karin sent me and though they look a tad more Christmasy than CNY, I am going to squeeze them in anyway haha. I'm not certain what semiprecious stones these carved roses are, but I'm thinking cherry quartz. Tiny baubles of gold, cream, almond & maroon pearls and yummy green drops finish Begonia Blush. Drop is abt 7cm ~

Citrus Tea - Sold

Ah, now we come to my uber fave of this batch - Citrus Tea is a gorgeous blend of carved peach aventurine roses, mother-of-pearl rounds & cascading autumn leaves. I am so tempted to keep this darling for myself!! Drop is abt 7cm ~

Emerald Rose - SGD 29 - Sold

I'm not big abt the swaying-on-hoop-thingie but I just had to give it a go when I laid my hands on these beautiful seed beads from Japan (I'm in my green phase now if you haven't noticed).
Somehow the carved aventurine roses & greenish-gold lampwork bead are divine together! Entrance people with this emerald beauty! Drop is abt 7cm ~

Jade & Turquoise - Sold

This is one of my darlings from the Chinois is Chic collection. Beautiful smooth turquoise ovals, little jade fishies & faceted olive briolettes.... simply gorgeous! I've added a good dose of gold blings & green bits for good measure. Drop is abt 7cm ~

Cherry Blossoms - Sold

About time the pink side made its appearance heh - these blush roses are reflected in the heart-shaped cloisonnes below, while cream pearls, frosted beads & pale jade donuts complete this oriental piece. Drop is abt 6cm ~

The Red Lotus - SGD 28 - Sold

A dash of rouge adds that sultry touch to an otherwise delicate combi of lavender on white. Lilac clay flowers, white cloisonne donuts, red faceted briolettes & a cluster of greens & earths finish this Red Lotus ~ Drop is abt 7cm.

Fairy of the Waves - Sold

I adored these white flower cloisonnes the minute I laid my eyes on them! Pure lily white with glimpses of pale blue. Fairy of the waves, as it is known to the Chinese, is another name for the narcissus flower, which is a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. It is an important flower for Chinese New Year and ironically it first came from Europe!

Turquoise, swarovski pearls & crystals, mottled blue czech & oh-so-lovely aquamarine faceted briolettes complete this fairy darling. Drop is abt 5.5cm ~

War & Beauty - Sold

I took this piece off temporarily to launch it together with the Chinois is Chic! CNY collection.
A classic orient-inspired piece, this pair is named after the period drama I blogged previously abt palace rivalry and deception among the concubines. The lavish costumes & jewellery in this show totally inspired my oriental side, and it's brilliant for the cheongsam season.

Carved clear quartz roses, blue diamond cloisonnes, drops of gold & flashes of green & topaz go together brilliantly in this royal darling~

Chinois is Chic!

The long-awaited 'Chinois is Chic!' collection for Chinese New Year 2007 is finally out of the stove! Check out this latest exclusive collection of 14 new designs! - 12 pairs of earrings and 2 bracelets. Go on, relish the vibrant bold colours, chinoiserie cloisonnes and japanese prints! I will be focusing on churning out new designs so these pieces will be here till they are snatched ~ Enjoy!

Meanwhile I will be clearing the inventory to make room for new stock so certain items will be discounted in the next few days to keep them moving. Yay! New space for new beginnings :)
For now, here's the first piece in the new collection :

Sakura - Sold

Sakura makes its debut as an auspicious pair with red jade rounds, kimono-print tenshas, swarovski pearls, red garnet & gold leaves. Bold and totally yummy! Drop is abt 7cm ~

The Cat Who Found The Secret Key - Sold

Today was a wonderfully productive day for the CNY collection but yay! One funky non-CNY piece made it as well! :) I love these woody kitty buttons which I've used as charms here instead. A brass key and hollow flower adds an adorable rustic touch to this vintage-inspired pair ~ Drop of each side is abt 4cm and 5cm respectively.

Meanwhile do check back often as I will be putting up a whole buncha new pieces from the CNY collection soon - mostly earrings with the odd bracelet, all themed for the wonderful festive season of chinese new year!! I'm particularly excited cos I've got new outfits lined up for visiting already!! Some cheongsam tops, tunics and a bright mudan red kebaya ~ I'm determined to stay in shape so I won't look like a ba zhang (rice dumpling) in these fitted outfits! Heh. All i need now are accessories to complete the look! :)

Sunshine Deerie - Sold

Though it's raining dinosaurs today, I'm still gonna post this sunny piece! Hopefully this leetle bambi will bring back the sun! :) Sunflower kamoe rounds, citrus semiprecious nuggets, czech & japanese beads are linked by non-tarnish wirework. Glass leaves in autumn shades add a rustic touch to this deer-in-woods piece ~

Meanwhile I am taking down a few pieces cos I've decided (belatedly) to launch them together with the chinese new year collection I'm currently working on. Yes, you heard me right, I've not been on holiday in lala-land for the last few days but rather poring over beads and more beads! I will be doing a separate collection for Valentine's ~ though I don't think there are many blokes who check out this site but oh well, it can be a girl's way of rewarding herself ya?

I've not had the chance to post my angkor stories yet cos not all the photos are in from the gang (my miserable pathetic camera died midway) but you can check out my Flickr album for some classic moments heh. Like the photo of the yummy insect snacks Jeremy happily shuttered away while I had to turn away in horror ~ mind you I've had my share of fried crickets and the sort but these cambodian delights were HUGE MIND BOGGLING cockroaches, water beetles and other creepy crawlies who looked like they would fit better in Mimic! Or Fear Factor haha.
Gonna cook myself some gou loh meen now, tata darlings!

Emerald Glitterati - Sold

I've been in my green-nature-is-good mode! Perhaps that's the influence of Ann, Matt's cousin aka spider prof and ecologist. Yup, she's a cool gal with a fetish for the 8-legged!! Though I think she's trying to shed that image haha :p

Funky gold-veined maple leaf charms, swarovski crystal hearts, cream pearls & a string of bling make this a glittering pair for the glam foresty goddess ~ This is such an understated charming pair! Friends who came over for drinks were so tempted to grab them off my worktable! Heh.

Strawberry Sundae - Sold

Made this pair just before I left for Cambodia but things were just too crazy so I'm posting it only now. This pair was a much-needed breath of sunshine after rushing all the Christmas orders :) Adorable strawberry charms in coloured enamel and gold, opalite and gummy green drops, swaroski blings and balls make this a cheery pair for the new year!