fancy dinner and frilly filigrees

The hubster surprised me with a fancy dinner last night, it's the first time we've gone out on a date in AGES!! I've nearly forgotten how it was like going on dates and spending time chilling out over good wine ~ He'd made reservations at Broth on Duxton Hill and the food was wow! I liked the cosy ambience (yeah it's small) and the service was excellent. I especially enjoyed my starter of crab salad and the rare beef fillet steak with blue cheese and spinach that matt ordered, though my grilled lobster and scallops in hollandaise sauce was just as good! We finished this quiet yummy dinner with muscato jelly and melon with honey yoghurt sorbet. Divine! We'll definitely be back :)

Enough about food, here's the latest offering online:

Silver Leaves - SGD 29 - Sold

Another silver-gold combination that I enjoyed doing ~ gold filigree leaves on textured silver shields with the crystal belt bling I love to use, sky blue drops, faux pearl drops and czech beads in shades of forest greens. Drop is abt 6.5cm on 14k hooks.

Sorry no new updates today, just the usual sneak for Maad heh ~ Btw do you know what Maad stands for? Market for Artists and Designers! I only found that out recently :p Anyway I really like this cute girrafe piece below called I Dream of Africa, will be really upset when it goes!
Matt's taking me out to a surprise fancy dinner later yippee! It was good timing that I just went to the hairdresser's today haha... xoxoxo

Little Birds - SGD 24 - Sold

Dropped by Xin's place cum work studio today to discuss some design ideas ~ I really enjoy these moments when we can just chat and share our lives and work together with fellow crafters. We talk abt our creative blocks, our weird day routines, struggles in our art (and with annoying pple) and basically draw strength from each other! Knowing we are not alone in what we're going thru, and that in a way keeps me from going insane. Sometimes I sit at my table, and wonder why I'm doing this at all? I love what I do, but sometimes it drives me nuts too.

Anyway pardon my rambling, here's a new pair of earrings ~ Little Birds is ... really little! The littlest birdies ever with shades of yellows and browns and teeny flowers. This mismatched earrings are slim and long at 8cm with swishing tweeties. Simply adorable!
And here's the latest sneak for Maad ~ it's next weekend!! That sounds really close. Shudder.

Finding Ariel - SGD 38 / USD 24

One new bracelet for the road! Been hoarding new stuff for Maad but here's one baby I'm letting slip now ~ Finding Ariel is a mixture of black & silver, with metallic purplish and deep red czech beads. Rhinestone drops and Ariel herself sw-ay hi from this charm bracelet. Toggle closure.

And... ta-dah! New sneak today from my Old is New is Old series:

See Prestige and more at Maad on 5th & 6th May! More details to come ~ toodle-oo!

sneak of the day

Sorry there haven't been much new pieces postings lately cos I'm still working on stuff for Maad still. Target's 100 items and yeah, the going's been slow and steady. And oh, I've been on a necklace roll lately! I keep churning out piece after piece whereas my earrings section's all forlorn and sad. Cherry's the latest sneak, and she'll see you at Maad!

Here's a customised pendant I did for a lovely person who's into oriental
feminine chic ~I'm so glad she liked what I did for her! :)Hope you're having a fab warm weekend! I'm off to catch Blithe Spirit tonight!

Don't mess with nature

Was watching Nick Baker's Weird Animals on TV last night with the hubster and though we enjoy animal documentaries occasionally (our fave is Meerkat Mansion), we were sitting there glued to the couch! Topic of interest? A parasitic catfish in the Amazon River called candiru or carnero which is eel-shaped and translucent, making it hard to notice in the river. They call it the vampire catfish cos it swims into the gill cavities of other fish, erects its spine to hold itself in place before proceeding to feed on the blood in the gills. What makes this candiru so scary that even the natives fear it above the piranhas?

Apparently it's bcos this fish is attracted to urine or blood so there have been cases of the fish swimming into human orifices of unknowing bathers!! This guy who was interviewed apparently had one swim up his butt and bit him so he defensively pulled it out which turned out to be one of this fish that could grow up to 6 inches in length! He was in pain for quite a number of days.
Another woman was attacked (i will not name where) while she was washing clothes in the river and needed a doctor to remove the fish which died soon after INSIDE her. Ewww!!

I know you probably didn't want to read all these so early in the morning, but hey you have to admit it's interesting, no? :p Matt was so nervous thru out the show until Nick Baker said statistics show women are usually attacked more than men. Dang!

Ok enough of scary animals, thank God we don't live anywhere near the Amazon, mosquitos and the usual tropical bugs are about as much as I can take (you can tell i'm not a big fan). Everyone's been enquiring abt new postings online instead of what they can see but have to wait till Maad heh. Here's one!

Nature's Novel - SGD 30 - Sold

Nature's Novel is quite a dramatic piece bcos of its length, drop is nearly 10cm! I say if you want to be noticed, go all the way! Gold leave charms on textured hoops, greens & blues & chains & all with matt black links make up this interesting piece. 14k chains & hooks ~

And of cos a sneak of what will be available at Maad:More updates in the days to come!

Maad here we come!

Just received confirmation that I'll be at Maad on the weekend 5th and 6th May! Yay! *happy jiggly dance* Do mark the dates and drop by if you can! :) It'll be nice to have a stall again after all these months and see familiar faces. Think I've been so cooped up in the house for so long, the only person I talk to most (apart fr Matt) is the chicken rice auntie down the road hahaha... More sneak peeks here at what's gonna be available at Maad!

Lola

The Rose Promise

More tantalising sneak peeks in the days ahead!
xoxoxoxoxo

The Key Factor - SGD 26 - Sold

The Key Factor is a matt silver version of the gold-toned The Key & the Bling, thought it'd be nice to do a silver counterpiece :) Also an one-off piece cos I only have one "bunch of keys" charm. Deep midnight crystal buttons, pale grey swarovski crystals & czech beads make up this mismatched pair. Drops are 6.5 cm and 3.5 cm respectively ~

Gleaming Silver - SGD 24 - Sold

An elegant slim pair for those pretty ears ~ i've mixed silver and gold here for contrast and i'm quite pleased with the result! Glittery speckled leaves, gold rhinestone balls, little moonstone nuggets and white metallic czech beads on sterling hooks. Drop is abt 5.5 cm ~

colour therapy

I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful crafter at Fash Bash last Saturday ~ Grace of Nitty Gritty! She does the most amazing work with bags and beads and charms ... her mom sews most of the bags from vintage and other pre-loved fabrics and Grace adorns them to make them her own! I couldn't resist her colourful, cheery bags and took home this pretty black & white bag made from vintage linen curtains with one of her trademark bag charms. Yesterday I dropped by her workshop studio on 25A Bali Lane and I am so so so in love with her cosy spot which is on the 2nd floor of a quaint old shophouse in a laidback artsy area full of other worldly finds! The studio's still in the midst of DIY renovations but visitors are welcome to pop by and check out her wares (if you don't mind the mess) . She's such a friendly spunky gal, no wonder we hit it off so quickly! Just remember to bring cash if you intend to do shopping :p

I've been feeling a little burnt out today after too many hours at my desk, a good swim would have been fantastic but it's been threatening to rain all day :( This Word Play bag charm from Grace couldn't have come at a better time to cheer me up! Encouraging words of faith, peace, joy, glory, love and hope with lotsa happy colours ~ That's what I love most abt nitty gritty, everything's so happy! I haven't posted much new stuff yet cos I feel my recent creations have been a little monochromatic and being such a colours person, I would prefer them to be infused with a little more colour and joy! Maybe I'm just tired, I don't know. Anyway I was happy to take some time out to do sth for myself after realising I don't keep much of the stuff I make ~ that ain't no self-publicity eh? This chirpy collage of colours came abt as a result and I hope it'll cheer you up if you're having a blue day :)

I dream...

lil sneak peek!

I'm so sorry the latest batch is not up yet due to a change in plans ~ hopefully this "change" will materialise! Xin is currently working on a revamp for me, and I'm hoping to take part in Maad soon as well! She's been bugging me to join them at the monthly Maad weekends but I've not been able to do so due to the wedding, family over etc. etc. Been approached to conduct jewellery-making courses as well so yup, it's been crazy!

Even though it seems quiet here, this girl has been putting in 15 hours daily in the sweatshop working on expanding the 'Old is New is Old' series. They're all one of a kind, lots of effort have been put in and I'm quite pleased with the result which most would agree is quite different from my usual style. Existing and custom orders have also made me very busy, and if you haven't heard from me yet, don't worry I still remember your orders! Apart from those who have already approached me and I have agreed to do them, I regret that I will not be able to take on any more custom orders for the month of April. I'm already behind in my schedule! *sweats* Really appreciate the positive response and I wish I could fulfil everyone's special orders but no workshop elves means it's a one-woman show for now.

Here's a sneak peak of my fave piece so far:

Will be posting random pieces still so this blog won't be swamped with cobwebs! :) And thought I'd share the bookmark card I made to thank Vivien for helping with the wedding ~ xoxoxo

camera woes

For some strange reason, both my cameras have been acting all kooky lately! The old one keeps reading card error while the usb port for the new one just wouldn't work. This is so very frustrating!! Anyway despite the technoccups, I've really been hard at work finishing custom orders and coming with a new collection! Which was about time anyway. No more wedding excuses! Had a really inspirational day on Monday which saw me slaving at my table the whole day till my eyes gave up and I had to retire for the night, but my mind was still churning out ideas so it was crazy! I rarely have such moments, so when I do have them I make sure I capture these ideas and work my arse off! I'm not quite sure what to make of this series which I've named "Old is New is Old" ~ a rhapsody of new and pre-loved materials, of vintage cuff-links and brooches, with a touch of the old and the new. Watch out for them this weekend!

I've been in this vintage mode recently so imagine my joy when I discovered The Vintage Brooch Company on etsy! I simply had to get this equinine brooch ...

and this lovely Lady or the Tramp as well the minute she listed it ~

Mary has such an amazing eye for combining vintage items, rhinestones, and other jewellery parts to create pins with a vintage soul - I'm such a sucker for her one of a kind creations! They will be fun to pin with my sweaters or dresses or even sashes with my jeans, how cool is that?! Okies right have to scoot to the apartment soon, we're officially moving out tmr which is so sad cos I'll miss the humongous pool! Not to mention the beautiful sea view and the other facilities... oh well I have to learn to live in a bigger place now and enjoy the space! :)

Grace - SGD 28 - Sold

Coy and confident at the same time, Grace is about oriental fans, pretty roses and gorgeous moonstone ovals bound to gold flower filigrees on hoops. Metallic czech beads and frosted seed beads add colour and texture to this charming piece in gold & brass ~ Drop is abt 8 cm.

Masquerade - SGD 28 / USD 17.50

These matt silver faux-vintage charms were so delighful I just had to lay my hands on them! Not forgetting the white howlite drops, faceted glass daggers & wonderfully matt black chains ~ drop is abt 7 cm. Perfect with that funky little black dress for a night of classy chic!

Juliet - SGD 28 - Sold

Juliet is a vision of loveliness with carved clear quartz roses and vintage-print rose tenshas ~ Adding to its allure are black clovers with faceted drops and smoky swarovskis. Drop is abt 7.5 cm.

Black Frost - SGD 29 - Sold

I simply adore these intricately-veined clay (i think) leaves!! Together with the swaying rhodium leaf filigrees hanging from a fleur ring and topped with a twirling silver ball, this is one charmer for everyday! Drop is abt 7.5 cm ~ 925 hooks.

Portrait of a Lady - SGD 49 - Sold

This photo did not turn out as well as I hoped or maybe I'm really as dark as it seems in the picture. No wonder my dad always threatened to use kao bleach on me cos I'm like a solar absorber, I can get tan lines from just 5 minutes in the sun. No kidding.

In Portrait of a Lady, I think I unknowingly went slightly victorian gothic with cool matt silver filigree shields, a jet black swarovski button and charms in the shape of the Eiffel tower and an old perfume bottle ~ a belt of black swarovski bling, a faux crystal drop and trails of faceted black glass drops finish this fancy portrait.

An Age Bygone - SGD 48 - Sold

I've sort of been in the mood for more elaborate pieces lately, perhaps it has something to do with all the glamourous outfits I got to wear during the wedding! (oh how I adore my lime green evening gown...*swoon*) After much struggling in the sweatshop, literally by the way, it gets so hot in the craft room in the afternoons I feel like I'm getting heatstroke, here are 2 new necklaces to see the light of day ~ Lengths can be set according to your preference. They are one-off pieces, meaning even remotely similar pieces will not be available so grab them soon to avoid disappointment!

An Age Bygone was nearly named Farewell my Concubine, but seeing we've just exchanged vows, concubinage isn't exactly the most appropriate subject right now oh well silly me anyway. I've used japanese glass beads in white, each bead is hand made so they are not exactly the same in roundness. A belt of swarovski bling is stretched across a ring wreath from which hangs an oriental fan charm, heart charm and a white cloisonne butterfly. Trails of gold and a red drop add a flirty touch to this delicate piece (14k chains and parts).

in the mood for love?

Just received more photos from weilin's camera and wow! These 2 shots totally make me feel like I just stepped off the set for In the Mood for Love ~ think maggie cheung and her high-cut cheongsams minus the poofy hair. Thanks babe, love these pictures!

Me and the sillv babeDerek, Weilin and moi
vivien and weilin in a classic moment captured for posterity A picture says a thousand words. How true.

Chris is getting married on Sat!

Hey hey, chris the baking fairy is tying the knot this Sat and we'll be there to see her at her best! She's been such an amazing influence in my life even though we've only known each other for short while. Guess the fact that we have very similar family background helps! :) She's a brave and strong woman with a sensible head on her shoulders, plus she's a really fun person to be with! And did I mention her baking? Just check out what she made as my wedding favours ~ yummy chocolate cups with sponge cake filling, banana slices, dark chocolate mousse, strawberry halves, chocolate "cigars" and white chocolate icing that says "M&Y"!

And at our wedding - Kris, Chelsea, Chris and Chern Wei
Congrats babe and hang in there! :)

hen party pictures!

Yup, good ole Val has finally uploaded the pics fr her camera so here they are! Being the nice sensible girls that we are, we opted to have some food at Tapas Tree and yummy pudding at the Chocolate Factory before heading back to our room at York hotel for lotsa muscato and TABOO!! No bartop dancing or strippers or pole dancing I'm afraid. Just good clean fun with a bunch of fun wacky girls! As the night went on, people started slurring and making all sorts of hilarious blunders... a real night to remember! Check out the fairy wings, they're our official hen party wings and it stays with me till the next babe's turn to get hitched! And yes, that's an authentic hula outfit with real coconut husks all the way fr hawaii, courtesy of ann marie! (who got sloshed and ended up our hula girl for the night haha)

Girl friends are still the best! :)

Lil' Robin Blue - SGD 24 - Sold

Little robins perched on birdhouses of 14k gold with little tweets of sky blue accents & swarovski blings ~ Drops are 4 cm and 6.5 cm respectively.

Swansong - SGD 39 - Sold

Pardon the yellow tinge of the photo on the right, Swansong is really quite a lovely piece! A gorgeous enamel swan charm with vibrant coloured feathers, a pretty lovey-dove charm, white japanese glass rounds, metallic peach czech beads and a string of swarovski bling for some dazzle ~ chains & findings are 14k gold. Only 1 piece available!

Roxie - SGD 29 - Sold

The stark constrast of black against gold reign in this punk royal Roxie ~ Falling leaves of gold with swings of matt black chains and faceted drops. Drop is abt 7 cm.

Showers of Gold - SGD 29 - Sold

Showers of Gold is dripping with opulent chic in 14k chains, swarovski bling & semi-precious nuggets ~ Drops are 6.5cm and 4.8cm respectively.

Swirl - SGD 36 - Sold

Made this monochromatic bracelet before the wedding and mommy challenger liked it so she got it for her friend as a birthday gift ~ Kamoe-Rose creation of cos!

I'm back!!

What can I say? The last few weeks have been a blur with the wedding going on and family staying with us... I wish I could have shared more abt the silly things that happened, the painful parts of planning a wedding and the joy of having loved ones with us. Unfortunately transferring internet access and basically other gas, electricity stuff over to the new place is a real challenge. But my internet (and workstation) is finally up and running so I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things (and replying the hundreds of emails sitting forlornly in my overflowing mail box)!

It was hilarious on our first night in the new house, which by the way was the weekend before the wedding so yes, we are very brave souls. We wanted to take a shower, only to realise our showerhead was faulty and our sink pipe leaked. Tried other toilets only to find out 4 out of 5 sinks leaked. Then we tried to hang our towels, only to realise we forgot abt bathroom hooks. When we got hungry and thought abt whipping up some food, we found we had to get the gas pple in to do some hooking up to the stove. Very pathetic moment. Esp. with relatives who just flew in around.

Anyway I've got to run now to send the last brothers and sisters to the airport, plus pick up the wedding albums. They're out!! *happy jiggly dance* Can't wait to upload the wedding photos!
P.S. Check out my flickr for the pictures, uploading them right now!