par-tea!

(Click on picture for larger view)

Remember to RSVP by 5th Sept if you haven't already done so :)

For more directions on how to get to the shop, go here. See you next week!

biggie news!

Yay! We're doing a tea party in Sept! So far the basic info is as follows:

Date: 8 Sept Sat
Time: 11am - 2pm
Venue: Maki Squarepatch: Hello Eco!
111 Emerald Hill Road, Emerald Mansion

We're still working on the emailer so watch this spot for more details and directions! RSVP will be required so drop me a line if you wanna join us on a Sat afternoon for some tete-a-tete, and oh what would tea parties be without gal pals? Bring them along as well! :)

The weather has been nothing short of eeky with looming dark clouds and persistent showers. Such a damper on the mood! Which probably explains why my latest creations have been full of sunny yellows and oranges (i have to recreate what nature denies) ~ Usually by this time (2 wks before an event) I'll be super psyched and running on adrenalin but somehow it's different for me right now, I seem to be... dragging myself still? A teeny voice inside hints that maybe I'm burnt out but I don't really wanna find out. I guess it may be good timing that I'll be taking a loonng break come Sept post-tea party. Yup it will be a good 3 weeks away though I'll still be updating this blog regularly I hope.

First the hubster and I are heading up to KL for a wedding mid-Sept and since the day after the dinner's my birthday, it's a good excuse (oops) to stay a while longer. Straight after we get back fr KL, I'll be shooting off to Adelaide and Tasmania for another 2 weeks which is kinda fast and last minute but we like living on the edge anyway heh. I've always wanted to see Tasmania since my outdoor days in JC and my teacher-in-charge had this huge poster of Cradle Mountain on his wall at home. Everyone I know who's been there absolutely loved the nature scenery so it's been on my heart ever since. We'll be heading to Hobart first and driving up the coastal route to Launceston before taking a domestic flight back to Adelaide. If anyone has any recommendations, please let me know! We're be sooo grateful cos I don't wanna travel goodness knows how many thousand miles to the destination of my dreams only to miss something I'll regret later.

Rain seems to have calmed down so maybe I can go out and take a walk instead of being stifled in this cramped overcrowded little workroom of mine (which by the way was meant to be a baby room). Talk later! :)

a case of wanderlust

Charlotte (the youngest of us 4 who call ourselves the Lao sisters cos we met and bonded during an expedition to Laos in uni) wrote to us recently to ask when we would visit her while she's doing her masters in dietary nutrition in Adelaide and said how much she missed us being the only one away. We kept putting it off saying how busy we were with work and life until it suddenly hit us. Hey! We should just seize the day and grab this chance to go on a road trip with each other before life's busy-ness takes over and we lose this chance for good. How often do we get to travel together now that we've all got our own lives to live after graduation?

It so happens Lee En will be in between jobs during Char's term break so yeah we're looking at Adelaide in late Sept! Tho poor Eileen will not be able to join us being the teacher that she is. We haven't got tickets yet but we're pretty psyched abt this last minute trip! It'll be really cool seeing the sights and driving to Melbourne... I feel so bad cos I've just come back from another vacation and this Adelaide trip will come hot on the heels of our little stint in KL . How decadent! 3 holidays in 2 months! I'm glad the hubster is so understanding of my little wanderlust hee.

Sneak of the day!

All i need now is work my arse off to raise funds for the trip ~ i'm this close to a garage sale!!

creative block and trudy's pups

Oh dear it's been a stressful time! We haven't been able to confirm whether it's gonna be tea party or Maad for the month of Sept and the dateline's this week (for a booth at Maad)! Doesn't help that i'm having some major blockage in the creating department :( Yesterday seemed like a pretty good day, finished some orders and completed some new pieces for whichever showcase we finally decide on. But today, yikes! Think i overworked my fingers cos the index finger of my left hand is bleeding under the nail... i use it a lot in holding teeny and sometimes sharp materials and I think the nail kinda pulled away fr the flesh too much so now it's bleeding underneath :( You probably didn't need to know that haha. So now I'm taking a little break before i lose my nail for good.

On a lighter note, the hubster's sister Clare got us started on Facebook so we could get in touch more easily since the whole clan is on it. It's such a laugh!! We can share unlimited photos so there are pictures of matt at 14 with his leonardo dicaprio floppy hair and of cos we get to see the lil tot liam up to his antics as usual :) There are some lovely pics of Clare's boxer Trudy and her new pups!!

Ok this looks like it came out of the movies Species but it's really the

1st born out of Trudy's pups

milking mummy for all she's worth

milking mummy again

jim and the pups - he's really good with them!

Think the blood has dried so i'm going get back to work ~ sneaks soon!

Superpowers!!

Your Superpower Should Be Super Speed

You're quick witted and fast to act. You're mind works at warp speed. From your perspective, everyone else is living in slow motion. You get so much done, people have accused you of not sleeping. Definitely not a couch potato, you feel a bit crazy if you're not busy doing something. Why you would be a good superhero: You're be the first on the scene... and likely to finish the job before anyone else shows up Your biggest problem as a superhero: Being bored by everyone else. Including other superheroes!

What Should Your Superpower Be?

Haha I found this really amusing :) One of those quirky quizzes that you can't resist doing *wink*

Firebird - SGD 27 - Sold

Got this greenish gold little tree trinket holder in Manila so thought I'll use it in some of the photography :) They were a steal at S$5 each for that size! Firebird is a simple easy to wear mismatched pair with a peachy phoenix cloisonne charm on one side, and swirly twirls on the other. These swirls have alternate speckly and smooth surfaces, and I added little drops in frosted blush pink and metallic pink-gold to complement the colours in the phoenix. Unfortunately they have come out a bit too pink than they really are. The colours are more of a soft muted champagne!

Drops are 5 cm and 7 cm respectively from 14k goldplated hooks ~

TEA, anyone?

I've been back from Manila for a while now but haven't had the time to blog much cos there was quite a bit on the plate but I'm here again! :) There was so much shopping and eating ~ so wickedlicious! Imagine a Spoiled Diva mani and pedi combi coupled with a complimentary martini at Dashing Divas for just SGD 30! We lived like queens haha. Think the epitome of the trip was all that fabulous food we had, just check out the crepe and shrimp below to get what I mean. As food-crazy singaporeans, the first thing we did upon arrival was to make reservations at all the "right" restaurants haha.

Security was amazingly tight for us used to such safety in Singapore, imagine bag-checking/metal detectors/sniff dogs and sometimes a quick pat-down (of cos in separate lanes for women and men) just to enter a shopping centre, or any building for that matter. We knew there was unrest in other parts of Manila so we thank God that nothing happened where we were. Not only that, we arrived just as a typhoon ended and left just before another started so weather was clear for the duration we were there! :)

Amazingly we stumbled upon a designer shop that sold the most beautiful italian charms with finishings that looked like those on some of my own charms from Japan so I couldn't resist a bunch! It burnt a hole in my pocket though and I had to forego this gorgeous pair of deep red ballet pumps in the comfiest leather ever ~ I even dreamt abt them! Such is the depth of my obsession. Sniff.

Still I was glad to be home (esp. since i've signed too much haa) and perhaps it was excellent timing that the hubster had the craziest schedule ever while I was away so he didn't have to worry about me complaining abt his long hours heh. So now it's back to the daily grind! I'm still stuck with a bit of a creative block, it seems to plague me for most of those pre-maad months. Hopefully this nasty phase will pass as Enqi from makisquarepatch and I are trying to work out a tea party for Sept! Though the original plan was to be at Sept's Maad, I was hoping to do sth a little different this time round cos it's abt a year since OR started and it's my birthday month too! :) Also, we will be hosting a friend of the hubster who's visiting fr UK on the same weekend as Sep's Maad so it's just bad timing. We're still in the midst of sorting out details but I'll release more news once it's firmed up!

Really psyched abt the tea party and a possible workshop at their quaint shop (yep you read it right), hopefully I will have good news to share real soon! Meanwhile here're little sneaks of some new pieces for the next showcase, there are birdie stuff (and non-birdie stuff of cos) and lots of vintage flowers from my current fixation. I'm into both miriam haskell-inspired nature-evoking old glam and contemporary organic looks at the moment, which is making me kinda schizo right now but great for me to work on for future ranges. Ooh yeah. Fun times ahead.

xoxoxoxo

bye for now

Ok I'm just finishing up the final touches to those packages going out today ~ I'm due at the airport at 330pm and I'm not packed yet!! Running on adrenalin now haa... okie doks peeps see you next week! Hopefully I'll be back fr a nice restful vacation in sunny Philippines and better recharged for the next fair :) Happy national day folks and happy birthday Singapore!!

The Flower Faerie (one and only) - SGD 70 - Sold

Another flowery necklace bursting with blooms in pick-me-up cheery colours ~ pretty coral ribbon flowers and vintage leaves, lilac metal flower and turquoise starburst with rhinestone centres, another layered vintage pink bloom, gum blue brio and a pondering faerie charm. Little bling chains are hidden amidst the trails. Chain's made up of a brass & 14k goldplated chain with a good dose of frosted white beads. This is my absolutely one and only piece in this design cos the creative (and manufacturing) process is quite time consuming. (basically i get bored doing the same stuff :p)

Length is 26" so it hangs comfortably below your decolletage. Comes in a pretty box for safekeeping - wouldn't want the flower faerie to sneak away while you're asleep!

Prospero (one and only) - SGD 45 - Sold

This is one super collaged piece I have no idea how I put it together in the first place. It started with that little jeans-coloured vintage rose at the top of the left earring and blossomed into a whole mirage of blooming blues. Hidden among the flowers are keishi and swarovski pearls and little secret charms. Very pleased with the textures in this pair and hope you will be too!

Drop is 5cm and 8cm respectively from rhodium hooks ~ check out Prospero against an ivory background here.

More customised orders

I'm officially crazy abt work. Even though we just got back from a bible study course and I have yet to pack for tmr, I just can't help turning on the PC!! Think I work better (and more efficiently) under time constraints haha cos I've churned out stuff for more orders in the last 2 days than I do normally. These 2 pairs of earrings were part of the finished pieces and they'll be off to their happy owners tmr!

Reflections is a modified version of Mulberry Mirror featuring the vintage flowers fr Alexandria.

Lustrous combines both Love, oh glorious love! and Bling of all things
~ lotsa bling indeed!

Makati here we come!

Just realised that a whole week has passed without me knowing!! The hubster was ill for most of last week while I suffered my usual bout of migraine. Thank God that we're both much better! Except that we had dodgy guts this morning after eating too much rich food for dinner at my parents' last night haha. We go back to my folks' on sundays whenever we can and my mom prepares a feast like it's the CNY reunion dinner all over again. We can never finish the food cos there's just too much so we end up packing some food back for our dinner on Monday nights haha.

Was at makisquarepatch's launch last Wed and boy, was it crowded! Chris's chocolate banana cupcakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries were a hit and we chatted for the longest time cos it's been a while since we last met... since her wedding I think! She wanted to check out Food for Thought so I accompanied her down the next day. P.S. You can now taste her cakes at the cafe!

Enqi and moi

xin and her funky optimus prime top! I want!!

I'm still in my birdie phase and this is my duckie necklace:

It's my staple accessory of the mo and you can see me wearing it at maki's launch :p It looks quite cartoony and all but i like the colours of the vintage flowers and the bright yellow duckie cos it brings me back to my childhood... going to do a few birdie necklaces for Maad in Sept just to satisfy the kiddy in me! hee...

Meanwhile I'll be off for a much-needed break to recharge over the national day hols on wed ~ will be back on sunday so I'll respond to your mails when I get back ya! I'm rushing a few orders hoping to ship them before I fly so bear with me for the lack of new offerings online. Will be back again with more pictures of Makati!!

Lorraine's birthday do!

It's been a trying week as the days are packed with so much to do! The hubster has been poorly over the weekend so I've had to do a bit of mothering on top of the usual creative work. To add to everything else, I've been invited to do a 4-part workshop at a local school so that's been taking up some time planning-wise since it's the first time I'm taking a class! The group's mainly 17-18 yr olds, hopefully I can interest them with the basic jewellery-making techniques and that they won't eat me alive!! (too many scary stories abt a teacher's life in the classroom) My first session's this Friday *shudder* but come next week, I'll be off to the Philippines with my gal pals for a much-needed hol! This is the first time I'll be missing the national day parade on TV but oh well we have to follow the holiday schedule of my civil servant (hah) friends so yay! 4 of us will be heading to Makati City for some sun and shopping!

Even though Matt was really ill yesterday, he still managed to make it to Lorraine's birthday do with me at the newly opened Food for Thought cafe on North Bridge Road, just across the National Library. This funky foodstop began with School of Thought that was started by 5 of Lorraine's friends and now they've continued their social enterprise aspirations with this "quirky little indie diner". For instance, tap water is served free but you have the option of donating to international well-building projects so that people in other countries may enjoy free water like we do someday. You can also choose to drop some change into the waitresses' university funds :) The cafe's simple no-frills decor and warm comfort food like their cream-less mushroom and fennel soup made us feel so at home!

David explaining the selection of meats to us


Us mortal folk looking on in awe

The 2 chefs David and Peter had planned a special menu for our party of 10 and we had a little corner to ourselves, smiley face banners, balloons, poppers and all! Much to the amusement of some fellow tourist diners :)

Peter, Lorraine and David


The pretty birthday girl and her pink lilies ~
Happy birthday babez!

xoxoxoxo

Tomorrow's the opening launch party of Maki Squarepatch's: Hello Eco! shop on Emerald Hill so that's something else to look forward to! They've put in so much hard work into this shop so I can't wait to see what stuff will be in store! I'm meant to be working on some exclusive pieces for them as well but oopsie, still have a long way to go :p Chris will be bringing some of her baking goodies *yummy!* It's really hard not to put on weight when you're in my shoes :(

Wild Roses - SGD 45 (No remakes) - Sold

Karin's beads have the most beautiful colours ever and these rose lentils are just proof of that. Swirls of raspberry, chocolate and pale pink on a peachy base ~ yummy! This is my only pair for sale as I'm going to keep the rest of these beautiful beads for myself. On one side, I wired a pink vintage flower that has little tea stains on the petal edges which just adds to its rustic agedness, and included a little bling, pearls and a pale blush brio. On the other side, another frosted pale pink acrylic bloom sits atop a cluster of pastel AB czech drops and beads, ending with a little rose pink swarovski rhinestone "ball" ~ Drop is 5.8 cm and 7 cm respectively from gold-filled hooks.

Odette - SGD 32 - Sold

Soothing hues of subtle blues... a chesty swan cloisonne and frosted blooms with teeny deep blue brios and swarovski pearls ~ drop is 5 cm and 8 cm respectively from goldfilled hooks.

Lyn - custom order

Specially created for Lyn as a farewell gift fr Weilin ~ both of whom are my friends and supporters! :) Hope you like the purple combi babez!

Geranium - SGD 42 (no remakes) - Sold

Bright colours to cheer you up any day! I love how vibrantly red the polymer rose is and oh, that beautiful vintage red heart! With petite tangerine clay roses and layered lemon-tea coloured vintage acrylic flowers, a flitting brass butterfly, paisley charms, brass flower with rhinestone centre, crystal chain, teeny meadow green czech beads and faceted smoky quartz brios ~

Drop is abt 5.8 cm. Picture shows the earrings with brass hooks but you get goldfilled hooks for your lovely ears!

Lotus Myth - SGD 30 - Sold

These quaint rose-pink vintage acrylic flower charms remind me of blossoming lotuses for some reason, maybe it's the soft unfolding of colours... little sashaying rhodium leaves, crystal chain, matt shimmering paisley filigree and czech beads complete this lightweight pair. Drop is 5cm on rhodium hooks ~

Pondering Shea - SGD 35 - Sold

It's been so rainy lately it's put a dampen on my mood ~ Have to brave the rain soon to run some errands so boohoo, sometimes it's just nice to stay indoors and be dry instead of out there in the rain with a brolly too small for me. The serenity of the house put me in a pensive mood and Pondering Shea came to join me in this peace and quiet.

Pretty keishi freshwater pearl clusters, white czech flower, garden cloisonne charm, deep blue brios and a little faerie deep in thought ~ drop is abt 5 cm fr 14k goldplated hooks.

Pluck & Emerald Hill

Yesterday was Hui Ling's actual birthday "day" so she'd taken the day off and we went a-gallivanting! She heard me gushing abt the brownie & ice-cream at Pluck so I had to bring her there of cos and she loved the place the minute she stepped in! Must be something to do with the myriad of colours and prints and beautiful things that makes you want to cosy with everything you pick up. It was still early so there were just 2 of us in the parlour enjoying our rum & raisin and baileys ice-cream (potent stuff) with a nice cuppa cappuccino. Tammie the young lady manning the shop revealed that the brownies were handmade by her dad while she helps run the shop which her sister opened. Isn't it heartwarming when a family comes to do something together? My family runs our own business too (minus moi now) and though it can get difficult at times (for us) , I liked that we were able to see each other quite a bit. Think I miss my family more now that I've moved out of the coop. Sniff.

I was hoping to check out Xin and Enqi's new store, Makisquarepatch: Hello Eco!, located snug inside the tranquil quaint Emerald Hill as I knew they'd just opened their shop on Monday. We'd never been to this part of town before and we were so pleased we did cos the whole atmosphere was just so surreal. It's almost as if you're transported back in time with all the conserved 1920s -30s two-storey straits chinese shophouses... their low saloon doors and little stone steps and frangipani trees and white flowers strewn everywhere..... sigh.... it was really romantic, esp. when it started to drizzle lightly. We felt like we were in a scene fr one of Qiong Yao's novels!!

Unfortunately I made the boo boo of forgetting to jot down their unit number and they had turned off their phones cos of a TV shoot. In the end we popped by The Oppt Shop for some vintage therapy where we (christine the sassy shop staff and I) did a little vintage makeover for H. She was still in shock at what we convinced her to get but trust me girl, you sure look fab in them! Xin called soon after so we trotted back up the hill for more exercise.

Check out the photos of their lovely studio shop! H was so fascinated with the 3 Ho-Ho-Ho reindeers cos her family name's Ho and she has 3 sisters so she felt a strong affinity with the 3 plushies. I loved the colours and spaciousness of the place! There was a little painted house in a small corner at the end of the wall which said "1-eyed jack". Xin shared that 1-eyed jack was a stray cat who passed away at that spot when they were setting up the shop. He had only one eye and was very sick and skinny. He was supposed to rest in their shop for one night but he never woke up so she painted this house for him, hoping that he's now in a much better home than the one she painted. For some reason I was very touched when I heard this story, maybe it's cos I'm in my missing-home stage and though I've moved out for 2 years now I still wish I was a little girl tunneling between my parents on their bed watching TV and dozing off and being carried off to bed by my dad... at least before I became a little chubby kid!

Sadly I learnt during separate moments yesterday that the 26 yr old guy who passed away fr dengue recently was more connected to me than I would have expected. We were from the same school, he was well-related to a church friend and teacher, he was also a good friend of another. As Nat puts it, "how poetic it is that the death of one person can draw so many connections in the lives of others". If there was to be consolation or comfort or hope, it would be that my friend and teacher who knew him and was much affected by his demise said this of him, "he was someone who had lived life to the fullest without any regrets..." I hope that when my time comes, this will be true for me too.