First Craft Tutorial by eyeARTyou

Dear crafters,

I finally plucked up some courage, budged, and made my first craft tutorial. I think I could go on and on with the tweaking but then that would mean this first tutorial will never be published.

P/S : View in full screen & delete the ad in window 
to enjoy the cartoon (it changes) at the bottom.

Hope you guys enjoyed watching it... I made the cartoon at the bottom of the video too ;)  I think video making could be addictive. If only it doesn't take up so much time.

I also managed to dubbed the tutorial in Malay to cater my Malaysian & Indonesian friends.

Blog Candy Coming Soon

Initially, I wanted to hold a Blog Candy Giveaway this month but I realized there would be two Craft Fairs taking place in London this April. So I shall wait till then to get more goodies for an even better giveaway. I will most likely post about the giveaway by end of April or early May.

So, don't forget to return for more updates :)



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Easter Story

Last week, I have made quite a number of cards including some commission jobs. Will share those cards in my next blog entries.

Here is a simple card design with the background wordings again. The background page was chosen for this card based on the biblical content with its first line referring to the Resurrection.

During Easter & Christmas, I try my best to make/send cards that reflect the Reason these events exist in the first place. Therefore, I have chosen not to use bunnies or baby chicks on my Easter cards.

I love watching the heat embossing seal image/sentiment on to paper. It's like magic every time :)


Sharing this card at these challenges below :

Bearly Mine - Easter
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Easter / Spring
Whoopsi Daisy - Buttons or Bows
Paper Mill - Easter
Polka Doodles - Distressing





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I Am Back!

Glad to be making cards again. I have been admiring this recent trend for postcards and posters the past months - image on a background of wordings.

So here is my take of the trend using heat embossing.

It has been ages since I joined any of these challenges. Surprised And a little sad when I discovered some of the challenge blogs I followed have been discontinued. 


Submitting this card for these challenges :
My Mum's Craft Shop Blog - Spring Has Sprung
Bearly Mine Challenges - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesday's Challenge Blog -  Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenges - Embossing
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Add A Sentiment
Stamp and Create - Spring is Coming
Paper Playtime - Sentiment Stamp
The Pink Elephant - Anything Goes
Kaboodle Doodles - Blings
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday - All That Glitters


 
So, what do you think? Please leave a comment. I could use a bit of encouragement. A kind word goes a long way. :) 




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The Dreamer

Dear friends,

So much has happened the past weeks. I have yet to digest each and every one of them. The gloomy winter doesn't seem to help either. But I want to remember today as my first brighter day since the start of February.

I would like to share this following video with all crafters, designers... & dreamers. 
Dare yourself to dream (again). 
If there's no dream, there's no hope. 
If there's no hope, there isn't life.

Take baby steps if you must. Dream a little, live a little. If everything seems too difficult, I heard chocolates help :) Apparently, chocolates is the answer to every question.


P/S : Missing you Jiffy Jeff, the Dreamer friend.

Chinese Valentines

10th of February, is the first day of Chinese New Year this year. The front window where my craft corner is, has been decorated with some chinese red paper cutting art. As Valentines Day is also around the corner, it has been even easier for fellow chinese here to find red clothes to celebrate the CNY.

CNY to me is about family... & food. This year, I would not be able to reunite with my parents and I am already missing the local food back home.

Meantime, I just made these birthday cards for my mum & an in-law and had them delivered a.s.a.p.

 
Hope they would like it.





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The Big 3

So, how does it feel to be 30?

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Artist in action...

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Alive :)

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What A Sewprise!

This morning, I was waken up by someone knocking on the front door. The delivery guy placed a box on the side of my gate. I stared at it in amazement. I doubted if it got delivered to the right address. I checked for my name... yes, it stated my name. The packaging itself told me what it was - a Singer sewing machine!!!

I stood there for a while thinking who would have sent it. The delivery guy asked if anything was wrong and I replied in a dreamy voice, "No... it's just that... I was not expecting this. It is a surprise gift". He chuckled and said,"Okay, enjoy then".


Later that day, I found out it was from my brother & sister-in-law. So thoughtful of them. Best birthday gift ever!




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The Christmas Month

This December was almost as busy as the last. After I presented & submitted my garment design, I had a little bit of breathing gap before I went on a trip to Amsterdam & Brussels.

It was a fulfilling time with my in-laws. We experienced love that reflects the Christmas spirit. How wonderful!

I managed to make some Christmas postcards & cards for my folks and delivered them in time. I realized how I missed making cards.

I look forward to some blessed restful time at cosy home with my hubby this Christmas. As the London public transports & eateries would be down on Christmas Day, we would definitely stock up our fridge. We won't want to be stuck at home with no food! Ahaks.

Merry Christmas, bloggers.




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My Life-size Origami Skirt

The fashion design presentation day cum CRIT for my precious-blood-and-sweat garment came (literally meant the 'blood' bit - poked my fingers with the sewing needle umpteen times). It would be an understatement to say I was nervous. But I was really prepared & fortunately the judges were pleased with my presentation & design concept.

I shan't bore you with the whole garment making details. So, let's let the photos do the talking...

    

       

        

What do you think?





Apparently, my work has been featured on the design school's website, blog & tumbler.


All in all, I think my ability to produce a presentation book and the right choice of concept made it to impress all members of the floor. I would say I could do with more practise on sewing manually & with the machine. :)

Mission Accomplished.







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Origami Crunch Time

When I get a project that is not from work (thus no daily cut off time), I often go overboard to complete it. I would disappear into my own world & working away till it's way past sleep time. 
But hey, that's what you might do too when you are passionate about something, right?

Here are some of the photos depicting the process of fusing the origami concept into a garment...

Prototype

 

 

 

Prototype on mini mannequin.

 Life-size experiment in paper. Tedious part of this design has begun.

The crunch time started when I began hand stitching my garment design after one mini prototype & one life-size experiment.Stay tune for the next report regarding the final outcome of the garment. For some unforeseen reasons, it morphed!

Dolphin & Dandelion

Coloured with graphic markers

I met up with a friend whom I have not met for more than 10 years.

Over an extended lunch, he and his fiancee shared with me their testimonies including a prophesy they once received. It was a good inspiring session. The next day, I decided to illustrate for them the prophecy that means so much to them in a pictorial form.

Van Gogh wannabe?

Here are some of the design exercises done during the fashion course...

Produced colour palettes to match the samples given.

Task : Paint a fruit with secondary colours.

Copied designs from magazines

Practised sketching fashion designs... this was totally random & impromptu.

 Monochrome painting of Van Gogh according the original sample on the left. 

Not bad eh for someone who for two decades didn't like painting because she finds it difficult to control the brush?

These exercises brought back some good ol' memories of my first year in Interior Design.





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Restless Creative Juice

After all the Olympics & Paralympics hype subsided, and the moving of home had taken place. I began to think, "What next?"

I would usually like to think I want to be a lazy couch potato & just watch the tv whole day long. But I realized one consistency of me getting restless after 30 minutes or less sitting in front of the tv, knowing there are nothing waiting for me to work on after I am done watching the tv.  I need to do something more fulfilling. I need to be occupied with work or projects to get my brain juice working & to push my creativity further. 

I know I could make cards & join online challenges like I used to (actually I can't wait to resume) but I realized some things in life can wait while I acquire more skills.

So long story short, I took a short 5-week fashion course, had a go with the industrial sewing machine and designed a garment. 

The course required individuals to choose a theme to their design collection. And one garment to be completed by the end of the course. Some of the themes chosen by others were animal print, lace, punk, leather, army print, red carpet, egyptian, african & etc. Guess what theme have I chosen?

(Pic by Crafts 4 Camp)

Origami! A paper folding concept. Don't you think it would be interesting to wear/own a Origami garment? ^_^ I am already excited thinking about all the possibilities!

The garment will also be submitted as a competition entry, so I will be doing a presentation to 4 panel judges in December. Results shall be out by early 2013. If my design wins, it will be displayed/modeled in Stratford's Westfield, London. Fingers crossed.

Nomadic Londoner

It's time to move home again. I have been told that Londoners are prone to moving a lot. But moving for a person with too much stuff...  like me, is big hassle. The process of packing, dismantling, cleaning up, getting movers, handing over & etc is tedious. Meh.

Nevertheless, it is well with my soul and I know that God is moving us to an even better place each time.

During this busy month,  I managed to make a very quick trip to Nottingham.

  

My mister rushed off to catch his NF football team playing in a match while I went to discover the town & played with my camera.

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