Altered Alchemy

Darkness Rising

2012-05-28T04:27:00.000+08:00

the past couple of weeks have been quite a roller coaster ride for me. between me and Maia, we had high fever for 2 weeks. started with me having another episode of a plugged duct. those of you who have breastfed would probably know what it is and how painful it can be. after that cleared Maia had her fever. really high fever like 40C for about 3 days before bursting into millions of tiny pink rashes called Roseola Infantum. and then the fever made a U-turn back to moi ... this time with a vengeance. i was practically lying in bed for a good 6 days with a backache that makes first trimester pregnancy, pale in comparison! (i had a perpetual backache then too). Man ... i have never had that bad a backache, which radiated all the way to my toes! they even had me do a blood test to test for Dengue fever cos the fever didn't seem to wanna go away and i'm popping paracetamol like a drug addict. but thank goodness ... it did go. finally. after a week.

and i could work again. commissions that should have been finished 2 weeks ago were added to the 'now' commissions, and rushing is no fun. but ... i did managed to come up with a journal that i'm quite pleased with :) remember my dark magic journal that's supposed to be inspired by Lovecraft? well ... Lovecraft didn't happen cos i just couldn't wrap my finger around that world. perhaps becos i haven't read that world. so i made a decision to make the Grimoire inspired by another world ... one that i have read. and i read all 5 books in 7 days :) it's by the author Karen Marie Moning and this was her Fever Series. just can't get away from fevers now can i?!

Darkness Rising was inspired by the concept of a book called Sinsar Dubh in the Fever Series.

… as an act of atonement, the Unseelie King poured all of his dark side into a single Book, sealed it and promised never to unleash this darkness into the world ever again. In time, the Book was forgotten. But IT … did not forget. As eons passed, the Book took on a life of its own … and then, it was ready, to unleash itself into the world …

The central motif was derived from a pair of wings which the “Unseelie King” in the series was said to have possessed. The wings were then stylized and made into the motif you see, and then hand-sculpted with clay to achieve a 3D effect.

i think if i'd forced a Lovecraft, i wouldn't be truly satisfied with it. but i loved how this turned out ... becos i knew where this was coming from, i could immerse myself in that world, and it was real for me. the creative process is always more enjoyable when you're comfortable with what you're doing.

no-solder birdhouse tutorial

2012-05-25T03:10:00.000+08:00

i have been asked by several people how i made my no-solder birdhouse in my piece 'the House of Alternate Reality' :)

well ... here's how :)

1. i'm starting with a piece of paper becos it's easier to write the measurements, but you can begin straight with a piece of metal.

the measurements can be any numbers. i cut the paper to 65mm x 45mm becos this is the size of the scrap metal i have for the birdhouse later.

2. divide your metal sheet as such. 10mm off every edge except the top edge which will be the roof of your house. measure 15mm for that.

3. snip off areas as shown on the right sheet

4. this is the scrap brass i have. it's kinda black becos i've tossed it on the kitchen stove to anneal. makes the metal more pliable and easier to shape.

you can see that it's been cut to shape and the edges filed down so it won't be too sharp to handle.

5. and now it's time to fold the house, origami style. you should still have your lines on the metal. i use a flat nose pliers to help fold the metal along to the lines.

6. i shall let the photographs do the talking in the next few steps.

9. when you're done folding the bottom part of the house, it's now time to complete the roof.

find the center point (in our case since the width is 45mm, then the center point is 22.5mm). mark the center and draw 2 diagonal lines to meet the 'wall' on both sides

10. before you begin folding the roof, make a hole for the bail. i dun have a hole puncher so my method is pretty direct. ice pick, hammer and some brute force ;)

remember to file down any sharp edges surrounding the hole

11. now you can proceed to fold along the diagonal lines.

12.

13. in order for the roof to look like it's covering the house, you need to push the roof (from behind) slightly forward so that the 'eaves' sit on either sides of the 'walls'

14. to make a bail from your wire stash, roughly curl one end of a piece of wire (this is a 16g brass wire)

15. push the other end of the wire thru the hole, leaving the curly part inside

16. make a loop and wrap the remaining wire round a couple of times as you would when you make a wrapped loop

17. and you are done!! now all you have to do is to fill it with treasures of all sorts!!

romance

2012-05-04T03:32:00.000+08:00

this has been a great week ... a romantic week. before i say goodbye to romance and welcome dark magic, i thought i should blog about the romance that's been in the air.

last month, a customer wanted me to do a journal commission for her as a gift to her friend. she explained that her fren likes to write poems. so this journal would be for her poems. she wanted something close to one of my older works Je T'aime Forever, something romantic and ornate.

i managed to find a beautiful escutcheon and layered it with other filigrees.

with a collage of old postcards as side panels, a heart and a barrel key, this journal emerged. i totally fell in love with it. it is not often that love at first sight happens in a commission piece. but it happened to this piece. immediately, the song "My Heart Will Go On" popped into my head ... so naturally, this became the name of the journal too.

the romance lingered. i let it, as i continued to play with hearts. i'm doing that a lot lately ... using a lot of hearts in my work. it must be reflecting something in my consciousness. do you have a favourite symbolic element that you like to use in your works? and do you ever wonder why you keep using it at that point in time?

anyhow, i was twiddling with a small heart and i absentmindedly put it into a bezel. i liked the look so i went further. i nested it and put a rusty wire mesh over the bezel.

at first, i really didn't know what to do with it. out of boredom, i took some photos and did some simple manipulation with the GIMP. i loved the tone and mood of it.

then last night, i decided that it needed to be on a romantic, turn of century inspired something. i whipped out an old faded jean seam, the old crocheted table cloth with some other stuff and started putting them together with no particular design in mind.

i was literally 'Lost in Time' ... it was just liberating to let go.

and so the heart in a bezel now has a home on a cuff bracelet. this would probably be the last of my romantic streak for the moment. this morning i received an email from a customer asking me how his commission was coming along ... i told him that i shall be starting his next week. i needed some time just to allow the 'romance' to ease off before i can immerse into the realms of dark magic (his commission is an evil Book of Shadows, inspired by HP Lovecraft)

that email conversation made me realize suddenly that i do need the time to get out from one realm, before i can get into another. just like i did when i was doing TV work, i needed to get out from one character before i can take on another character/role. i was a little surprised that it felt exactly the same. now that, was pretty cool!

alternate reality

2012-04-26T04:30:00.000+08:00

i've often wondered about parallel universes. if they exist. i believe that they do, well ... at least they do in my imagination. this week was particularly exciting ... becos the imagination was exceptionally active and the visuals vivid. i love days like these! its an escape. i travel to places where no one's been, and i travel without being out of the house. yea ... i'm a weirdo.

my adventure began when i saw myself on a ship. a ship from a bygone era. i saw myself in a gown, with an old leather suitcase, a map of the New World (the 'then' New World) and an old fashion telescope. i felt wind in my face and i felt my heart pound with anticipation. it was SO real, and i wanted to remember this feeling in an artwork. so i grabbed one of my little book pendants.

the New World ... this piece is called. Faint gold writings on the back of the motif, just like an excerpt from my diary detailing my travels to the New World.

and the Key ... symbolizes the key to discovery, the key to freedom.

my next piece started with an experiment. i often view experiments as a journey of discovery. courtesy of Barry i have quite a few pieces of recycle mixed metals in my possession which i guard fiercely. today i picked out a piece of copper which was not too thin. i dun own plenty of professional tools so i use what i have. and what i had was a garden shear which surprisingly cut thru the copper sheet like butter!! and then it went on the kitchen stove to anneal, becos i knew i wanted to fold it.

what came out of it was this little house, origami-style-no-soldering house.

i twiddled with it for a day, marveling at its cuteness (^.^) i knew i wanted to do something unique with it tho i didn't have a concept in mind.

i wanted to house a book. and maybe call this piece the House of Knowledge. i quite liked that. unfortunately it didn't work out. and then i made another little house, becos i wanted a House of Science and a House of Arts. those didn't work out either. but i still wanted my little book snugged cozily in there. then, as always imagination took over.

my mind again traveled into a different realm ... this time it looked like a laboratory, old world laboratory. lots of instruments in brass, weird artifacts and loads of books on the shelves. it looked like one of those scenes in a hidden object game, or the movie the Golden Compass.

and as i placed the book into the house ...

like a time capsule, i was propelled into that alternate world. secret codes written in the book, if unraveled, would perhaps take you to a different place and time. wires twisted and knotted, like brainstorms, like conduits for the mind to travel into this alternate reality.

my heart that hangs off the little house, give it that goth-steampunkish look that i so love. and to remind me that every time i follow my heart, magic happens.

the miniature book is releasable from its catch, but attached to the house with a chain so you may not loose your secrets at any time. and so ... finally, it happened. the House of Alternate Reality.

asymmetry

2012-04-15T21:33:00.000+08:00

it's nice to be able to blog again so soon, tho i suspect after this post i'll probably disappear for another 2 weeks or so since i've started taking orders again and intend to begin the frenzy tomorrow. took 4 days off since Thursday ... mostly off exercising actually, cos yours truly here, snapped something in her shoulder Thursday morning getting off bed and could not move her head for the past 4 days. couldn't look down ... not upward pass the thighs anyway. could only see as far as my thunder thighs and the head wouldn't bow any lower UGH! today is better, i could see my tummy :)

but that didn't deter me from making stuff now did it? of course not!! i just have to bring my materials up to eye level! over the weekend i made 3 pairs of asymmetric earrings. relentless! i realized that my last 6 items on etsy were earrings!! i remember there was a time when i just couldn't make earrings and now ... Maire was right she said once you start making them, you can't stop.

it began with Lost & Found

i love how pretty but simple this pair came out ... sometimes its just freeing not to overthink things and let the energy flow where it wants to go. i didn't even realized that i had made this pair when i finished. that's how zoned out i was ...

and then of course, the smart-alec Otak (Brain in Malay Language) have to stick her nose right back in and i thought ... hmmm ... i wanna make another 2-word-jargon-inspired (whatever you call these idioms) piece.

the next 2 words that popped right in was Torn & Tattered

i could make 'Torn' with torn paper (i thought) but wanted to add something more to just, well ... torn paper. so out came my ever cute miniature music notes, torn and resin-ed into a bundle. and a 'Tattered' linen and lace bundle was the match.

i often find myself pretty unpredictable ... and that's how my creative energy flows too. Perhaps an attribute of my Piscean nature? 2 fishes swimming in different directions simultaneously. and so after all the old-world-oh-so-sweet-and-romantic-lalala, Otak decides to start a rebellion.

and the result is this dark and goth Angel & Demon!

would anyone even want to wear something like this!?

'Angel' was easy-peasy to assemble, but 'Demon' ... hrmph!! true to his nature ... it took me treble the time to assemble him, dismantling and assembling at least three times before i was satisfied! little troublemaker!

anyhow, i am quite pleased with how this pair turned out ... 'art'-wise ... but wearability-wise ... hmmm ... i guess they are for very special, especially rebellious occasions :p

ok ok ... i'll stop now ... a bit chatty today aren't we ...

of epochs, excaliburs and editorials

2012-04-09T19:34:00.000+08:00

after giving myself a break from taking orders, i am slowly getting back into it. it was break i should have taken earlier! this week i completed a new journal and an old old commission that i've been putting off becos i just couldn't do it. i hope she still wants it! i realized that if i ever get into this seriously, like having a studio and doing this full time, i need to find a way to get myself out of this kinda 'rut' situation where my mind's telling me to be responsible and go finish the commission, but my heart is acting like one of those spoiled Hollywood brats whose only vocab is 'NO'.

anyhow that brat's gone, and here's something new i made ... it began as an experiment but turned out pretty convincing. sometime ago i did an online class with Mr Supremely-Awemazing Michael deMeng (one of my 3 favorite artists of all time) and he taught us how to use something called caulk ... yea, the kind for home repairs. this could be a cheaper alternative to texture paste. so when i had this design in mind, i wanted to try his 'caulk' tip.

The Coming ... this is called. "it is said that on the 21st day of the 12th month of the year 2012, the World as we know it shall end and a New Epoch shall begin ..."

the base of this cover was covered with the caulk substance and the raised areas is epoxy clay. you can see that after painting and aging, you actually couldn't tell between the 2 mediums! so that was pretty cool.

next, is the commission that i was finally able to complete. it's a revisited version of my Nimloth of Eressea journal, but with a twist.

the client wanted it to have a sword and a crest of some sort and wanted the base to be forest-y green. something that a horseman of Rohan would carry. and altho the sword comes from another fantasy game call Warcraft, i thought it looked pretty lethal when put together in this assemblage.

them books was what kept moi busy last week, amidst the treadmill-ing, and the extra cardio running after baby Maia. oh YAY!! Maia is finally walking!! at 17 months! and now she's running ... *pant pant pant* ... better exercise than my treadmill actually (O_O)

there's one last thing i wanted to share. last month i made a couple of earrings and listed them on etsy. one night i received an email from a sweet lady named Debbie Blair who turned out to be the Managing Editor for a magazine called Handcrafted Jewelry. and it turns out, they wanted me to do a tutorial on one of my earrings, to be featured in their Fall's 2012 magazine! YAY!!

i accepted and a tutorial on how to make "Ephemeral" will be coming out around September in the Fall 2012 issue of Handcrafted Jewelry :)

before i go, for those of you who are interested in caulk, this is how it looks like and one of the surfaces you can create with it. you need to buy the acrylic or paintable caulk. don't get the silicone base ones, cos you can't paint on them. comes in a huge tube and you'll have to get a 'gun' to use it ;)

epic!

The Pulse of Mixed Media

2012-03-19T18:01:00.000+08:00

today i went to the post office in anticipation.

today the book i ordered finally arrives from Amazon.com.

today i walk afloat like there's wind underneath my soles.

today i saw with my very own eyes, my work on the page of a book.

so ... this is how it feels to be 'published' ^.^

The Pulse of Mixed Media by Seth Apter is a book about the inner workings of artists. within those pages they share their inner most secrets and passions, and what make them the artists they are. the first 2 sections highlight 31 accomplished mixed media artists, their works and their inner worlds. the last section of the book features another 103 artists and their works, from all over the world. and that's where you'll find lil ole me :)

i still remember Seth calling for art submissions ... that must have been about 17 months ago becos i remember i just had Maia and she's now 17 months old :) i thought i won't make it for the selection, and i didn't for the first part of Q&A, but just about managed for the submission of the artwork part.

i feel so blessed that Seth gave me my first opportunity to be in a book, HIS book. you know what they say about firsts ... they stay in your heart for the rest of your life :)

how do you want to live your life?

2012-03-10T21:21:00.000+08:00

i've been away for too long wow! how time flies. many things have happened which contributed to my long absence. well, it started with one evening after driving Llara home from school. upon returning home, i felt light headed and realized that i was walking towards the left side even if i intended to walk straight. then i felt pins and needles on my left arm. man ... i panicked! i thought i was about to go into a stroke or a heart attack or something like that!! Jason took me to the doctor's and the dr did a couple of tests including blood pressure, blood sugar and the tandem walk on me. everything turned out alright and i was diagnosed with either being overly tired or having an anxiety attack. but that scare was enough for me to do a full body check up the next couple of days. results came back and i had really high cholesterol levels!! to cut the story short, in the next week a treadmill arrived, and a total change in diet and lifestyle.

it's now about 2.5 weeks since i made this change. i have been walking on the treadmill 30-40 minutes a day, everyday and eating a lot more greens and oats, whilst cutting down meat. i've dropped 4kgs in weight (have about 11kgs more to go) and feeling a lot more energetic. i hope i'm doing it right. in 3 months i will go for another check up and see if i have managed to cut my cholesterol levels. i have refused medication for now, becos i wanted to do it the natural way ... eating and living right.

in the midst of all this, my Muse deserted me. i was in a creative drought for about 2 weeks. 2 WEEKS!!! but good thing she returned ... i think she was stressed up too. so i forgave her :)

when she returned, we mused about Spring (i know it's not here yet, but i'm in anticipation!) ... and it occurred to me that Spring was befitting my current situation ... it's a time to renew, regrow and rejuvenate. time to make a change, and be born again, hopefully healthier and more conscious of how i want to live.

... first blooms ...

... young love ...

... youth ...

... how do you want to live your life ...

... restoring balance ...

Promise ...

2012-02-10T20:03:00.001+08:00

She continued to love him deeply everyday, although he will never return to her. She knew that if she were the one who went to war, he would have done the same for her. It was a promise they made to each other …

Many years pass and it came her time to leave too. She looked at the book one last time, and closed it. She locked it, and kept it in a safe place.

For within those pages,

lie her memories of him, and her heart ...

Perhaps one day, when another finds it, she and her love one would find 'happily ever after' … and the heart within would start to beat once again …

... Promise ...

timeless ...

2012-02-02T15:30:00.002+08:00

“I have Loved you for a Thousand Years …

And I will Love you for a Thousand more”

this song sung by Christina Perry is not only beautiful and haunting, it has the power to transport one to a different place and time where love is Forever … Eternal. and age-old love stories are written in books that are stained with the elements of time, but never forgotten.

inspired by this thought and vision, i made TIMELESS ...

the intense surge of different emotions i felt during the creative process was ... one of a kind. i am SO in love with this piece ... so in love.

this piece took me many hours to construct as each page was lovingly burned by incense and fashioned in a way that the burned hole in the middle of the page tapers towards a blood red heart. i have also included little features like miniature music notes, miniature love letters and miniature dictionary excerpts in between the stained blank pages.

here is what i call 'the Progression' towards the core ...

i have however, left many untainted and unfilled pages behind this heart for the love stories of the next Thousand years.

i wonder who would write in them ...

juggling

2012-01-26T22:21:00.000+08:00

of late i have been feeling a little tired. after rushing out so many commissions in such a short time and then prepping for Chinese New Year, it really did take a toll on me... more mentally than anything else actually. made me think that perhaps i should stop taking commissions for a bit and just go back to making some ... well, thingamajigs ... or, whatever-i-wanted-to-make-without-any-sort-of-expectations.

taking the 2 weeks or so break during this CNY, gave me a window to kinda mess around. the results were a couple of necklaces and 2 pairs of earrings which you saw a couple of posts ago. also, after 2 frantic days of CNY, i was able to create this chunky cuff, which i really enjoyed making ... which also made me think ... yea ... i want to just make whatever.

this piece i named "I AM" ... even stamped the letter "i" on the key (if you can see it) ... guess that says it all ... i want to find back the 'artist' in me.

not that my commission pieces are not me ... they definitely are. but they also come with a lot of expectations. tho like Louise of Bibliographica reminded me, sometimes commissions can spark new ideas, which i totally agree. my Palm Size Quidditch Handbook would never have materialized if it was not for a client asking if i could make a Harry Potter inspired journal for her after seeing my HP inspired book necklaces. tho it took me a long time to come up with the design, but in the end, i was delighted with the result. it then morphed into this little baby below.

this little baby must be one of my cutest design :) it even got about 22,000 hits on tumblr... YAY!!!

let's face it, we have bills to pay and commissions do just that ... which i am so grateful for honestly. if i stop doing made-to-orders and commissions, who is gonna pay my bills? that's the dilemma. so the question is ... how do you juggle? any advise?

..............

p/s ... thank you for all the Chinese New Year wishes!! :) another year older ... and hopefully a little wiser ;)

Gong Xi Fa Chai !!!

2012-01-21T18:42:00.003+08:00

that's the Mandarin way of saying ...

Happy Chinese New Year!!

here's little Maia wishing all who celebrate this Lunar festival, a happy and prosperous Dragon year with much abundance, good health, shining luck and delightful dreams come true :)

why ... is it 2012 already?

2012-01-16T00:51:00.000+08:00

the beginning of 2012 felt like a whirlwind to me ... it still feels like one! Llara started "big girl school" this year and i now have to drive her to and fro school. no longer just hoping into the lift from our condo to the kindie on the 2nd floor ... that, was pretty neat! now i have one more day job added to my resume ... driver + bodyguard! you cannot believe how normally-docile-little-parents can turn into lean-mean-maniacal-driving-machines during dropoffs and pickups at school!! it's totally crazy i can tell you!

amidst all the happenings, i was still able to complete 12 commissions in 2 weeks (pats oneself on the shoulder) ... i am still amazed at what deadlines can do to you!! ((O_O)) this week tho ... i allowed myself to just chill, let myself wander and create whatever that came to mind ...

i took out Barry's stash, and again, the copper half capsule-like rod caught my attention. it was quite perfect to begin with, but i thought i wanted to ruffle it up just a bit, and then use it as some sort of time capsule or vessel. and this was the result of it ...

i coffee stained a piece of linen and then imprinted a mail stamp using archival black ink and then ironed over it on high heat to set. it's now permanent and would not wash off :) whoot!! you learn a new trick every day! i really rather liked how it turned out ... :)

i liked the mail stamp thingy so much that i made another necklace with the same technique. i think you can see it better on this one :)

these necklaces reminded me of old love letters ... those that were written beautifully and extravagantly, and in impeccable handwriting ... in a time when letters began with "My dearest darling" instead of "yo!" or "hiya!"

it's been a long time since i made earrings, cos i never have the right box for earrings!! anyway i made a pair, with little books hanging off of them :) will think of the box later when it sells ;)

before i go, let me just show you how 1st day of school looked like ...

Don't the amount of parents frighten you? ((O_O))

and that's my baby girl getting ready for "big girl school" :)

Featured!

2011-12-31T01:41:00.000+08:00

I am delighted to announce that 4 pieces of my work have been featured on Ontologica - A Journal of Art and Thought, in their Winter Issue 2011!! and one other piece also made it to the cover of this biannual online magazine :)

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends and may the coming year bring to you lots of Joy, good Health, great Abundance and buckets full of Inspiration!

old, new, borrowed, blue

2011-12-25T18:10:00.000+08:00

first up ... wishing all my blogging friends a Very Merry Christmas!! some of you are just about starting Christmas day and some are probably doing Christmas dinner already. how amazing that technology has made it possible for people all over the globe with 12,18, 24 hours difference in time, to share Christmas day like we were neighbours :)

today's a slightly lazy Christmas day for me as i am unfortunately down with a flu, but i just couldn't bear being in bed for the rest of the day. so i thot perhaps i should write something for Inspiration Avenue's Challenge theme set by Priti Lisa ... "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" ... what a lovely theme!

this necklace i made at the beginning of last week, tho not solely for this challenge but fits perfectly, i thought.

“Starting with Forever” combines the likely with the unlikely, the light and the dark … it amalgamates the fragile and beautiful with the lethal. All of these elements coexist to strengthen each other’s energies, so that they may stand the test of … Eternity. Not unlike the love between a mortal and an immortal.

something old ... an old salvage gear, an old watch face, an old tablecloth and an old metal spike.

something new ... let's see, the beige linen, the brass findings and the book are all new ... but knowing me, new things become old pretty quickly with the help of some coffee and paint :)

something borrowed ... the name of this piece "Starting with Forever" is borrowed ... a phrase from a book/movie ... do you have an idea which one? ;) bet you do ...

something blue ... the overriding color of this piece is blue, and neutral of course. tho i did wanted to make it pink in the beginning, but becos of the paradoxes that reside within this piece, i thought blue would be a better color for binding together the "thought" behind this, and the "creation".

pink would have been too ... cliche.

my DIY light box

2011-12-15T22:55:00.000+08:00

today i decided that it was time to DIY a slightly more "permanent" light box :)

Step 1 :
~ construct the Ikea Antonius frame that you bought today ... turn it upside down
~ cut to size this transparent board (dunno what it's called) and fit into Ikea Antonius like a tunnel

Step 2 :
~ tie light source to one Antonius tray and slip tray in upside down

Step 3 :
~ check if the light works
~ *CLICK* ... and we have Light!!

Step 4 :
~ add whatever paper you have and line the sides of the tunnel
~ also add whatever else you want as decor

Step 5 :
put your artistic creation amongst the decor and *SNAP*

Step 6 :
dump the image into GIMP and Voila!! MAGIC!!

COST :
Ikea Antonius frame : RM 35
Ikea Antonius wire basket : RM 15
transparent board : RM 14
light source : nothing, becos it was from an old disintegrated lamp

TOTAL : RM 64 (approximately USD 22)

and i am HAPPY!!!!! :)

a Secret Garden ...

2011-12-13T18:16:00.001+08:00

have you ever had the feeling of being thrown back in time when you catch a glimpse of something? like visions whizzing pass in your mind's eye like a movie montage? i get that all the time when i see old things. i do love the feeling of traveling back in time if only in my mind's eye ... the feeling is all at once exhilarating, filled with mystery, nostalgic and romantic ... what a combination! but a combination that makes my heart race!

an old key ... i wonder which door it opened and what stories will unlock. an old watch face ... who wore it? was it a romantic gift from a loved one? if these artifacts could talk, what would they whisper in my ear ...

a square coin! King George VI, the present Queen of England's father. i didn't realize that this coin exists in my country from way back. i wonder how life was like in 1939 ... in those days, men still courted the ladies, open doors for them, have tea on porches and steal kisses :) they would still go down on one knee to ask for a hand in marriage ... and they dressed, properly :)

music ... when i close my eyes, i see a theatre filled with musicians of old ... but whilst the music played on stage, what intrigues are happening backstage. love, lust, romance, triangle, jealousy, murder ... life is a stage.

i dunno when i fell in love with books. i just know that i've loved them all my life. and now, i'm making them. old books with stained pages ... what stories and adventures lie within, what worlds are described, what secrets could be uncovered.

an assemblage of sorts, some inspired, some real. whilst making this, i traveled back in time to worlds unknown. tho i am glad it's all only in my head and whatever happened there was exactly how i wanted it to happen :)

i can tell you the ending ... i didn't get stabbed for one ((O_O)), and i even got the man ")

and tis ... is my little Garden of Secrets ...

i wonder if my little Secret Garden would qualify for the Projects with Depth in Simon Says Stamp and Show ...

to the Women of (English) Literature

2011-12-04T16:35:00.001+08:00

over the week, i suddenly remembered my mom had a very old piece of crocheted table cloth with a huge gash in it, that i feared she most probably would have already thrown it away. but i asked her anyway, and told her if she still had it, i wanted it. she gave me her signature frown (mom will never understand why she has a junk collector for a daughter) and the next day turned up with not one, but 3 pieces of beautiful old crocheted table cloth for me to repurpose!! YAY!!

as Christmas commissions are tailing off, i manage to once again play :) took out all the stash i have plus my mom's tablecloth, now coffee stained ;) ... i made a necklace.

originally, the chain on the necklace was slightly different. i had initially used a 5 piece rutilated rondelle instead of the copper plate and the phrase.

but when i looked at it as a whole, it felt 'weight-less'. yes, it was feminine as i meant it to be, but there was no strength in this lady. she looked as if she could disintegrate anytime! and i think women are one of the strongest creatures on this planet, so this feeling just didn't sit well with me. the energy was wrong. could we retain our ability to be feminine and also be strong? definitely.

during the 19th century women were supposed to grow up, get married to a rich man and try to live happily ever after. one woman defied this social norm, and it was her strength within that allowed her to defy all odds and achieve her dream as a novelist. and altho Jane Austen never married ... she's made a mark in the history of literature and paved the way for many future female novelists.

coming back to the necklace, i needed to find its 'strength'. at this point, Barry's half rounded copper plate literally jumped out at me (onto my lap). i looked at it, and nothing can be more perfect for the crowning glory of this piece! i have not had the opportunity to use any of Barry's metals. perhaps unconsciously, i was hoarding on to them. but this time, there was no doubt ... this was it! isn't it amazing how one little change to the necklace can make such a great difference to the energy of the piece? now it has femininity AND strength.

so here's to all the Women of (English) Literature who defied all odds to become what the are. CHEERS!!

before i go, here's to another female writer ... can you guess who? she hails from Gloucestershire, England ...

i bet this could have been the first ever handbook on Quidditch that Hogwarts had, and it should now be sitting in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library ;)

for more English Literature inspired creations please visit Inspiration Avenue :)

aged beauty

2011-11-27T03:04:00.001+08:00

some of you might know that i belong to a team called Inspiration Avenue, altho i haven't been active in the team for a long time now ... since i had health issues when i was pregnant with baby Maia. but 2 weeks ago, Shel sent me a message via facebook and asked if i wanted to host one of their coming weekly challenges. i said yes :) so this week at Inspiration Avenue, my challenge was themed Aged Beauty. so me isn't it? the "aged" part especially ;)

now being the host, of course i had to come up with something to show tomorrow (Sunday noon is usually the deadline). in fact, i have not just 1, but 3 to show! HAH! tho i haven't decided which one i'm gonna put up there, i'll decide tomorrow when i'm done collecting and showing everyone else's entries :)

i'll start with, well ... Aged Beauty, a mixed media bracelet with all sorts of nick nacks ...

this bracelet has everything i love ... a mini handmade book, old key, words and miniature music notes on coffee stained paper then resin-ed, clock gear, a clay heart made by me, some aged fibers and lace, rustic stones like tourmaline, jasper, petrified wood and a huge garnet in the rough. there is even an old square Malaysian coin from the days of King George VI!! (Malaysia was once ruled by England).

the second piece is called Eternal Rhapsody ... and you know why ...

well, it's inspired by old fashioned romance and courtship personified and embraced so well by Edward Cullen :) ahhh ... yes, i watched Breaking Dawn, and now my brains are mushed up SO BAD ... i can't even walk properly from too much swooning! i am definitely in danger of OCD ... Obsessive Cullen Disorder ...!!

this third piece is a commission :) my sweet client wanted a frozen charlotte on the cover ... so i made one that "resembled" a vintage frozen charlotte's head with apoxy clay, crackled and then aged it.

True ... symbolizes a bond between 2 friends that is growing from strength to strength thru time ... a friendship that is lasting, sincere, honest and true.

if you have the time ... do hop over to Inspiration Avenue after 12noon tomorrow and feast your eyes upon the lovely entries of Aged Beauty :)

twilight ballet

2011-11-12T17:19:00.001+08:00

i often tell my frens, depending on the time of the year, i'm a Witch, an Elf, a Narnian Queen or a Vampire. so if you think about it ... i'm actually shapeshifter. i shape shift according to what's on the blockbuster ;) and now it's time to shape shift once again. it's time to turn into an Immortal :) call me Ms Cullen ;)

ok ok ... i am shameless i know! but my kids are too young to know that their mommy is shamelessly a Twi-fan. (and a Potter fan, and a Narnia fan and an elf living in Middle Earth) ... so i'm safe!

being a Fantasy genre fan, i am anxiously anticipating the premier of Breaking Dawn 1, which will be on the 18th Nov. i probably won't get to catch it on premier night unless the cosmic energy is smiling upon me, but i am trying very hard to bribe my MIL to come babysit baby Maia so i can sneak off to watch Breaking Dawn the week after premier :)

and of course, whenever there's Fantasy amidst, the Muse wants to play. inspired by 3 main storylines that attract me in the Twilight Saga, i have come up with a series of 3 wearable book necklaces. Here's the Twilight Pas De Trois (Pas de Trois is a term i learned in Ballet ... it's a dance by 3 people)

each of these pieces is a personal interpretation of the 3 storylines using the symbol of the Heart as the underlying theme.

I Do symbolizes the point in time where Bella and Edward give their self(s) to each other. the wedding is the confirmation of Bella’s willingness to give up her mortality to the man she loves. the wedding also marks the point where Edward in actuality gives up his comfortable and solitary life to a shared existence, for better or for worse. he knows that this path would not be an easy one for it may cost his and his family’s existences, but is still willing to take the risks for the mortal he loves.

Choose Me symbolizes the constant pain and struggle of Jacob Black. a wolf trapped and bound in a man, not of his choosing but of his heritage. his heart trapped and bound, at his own choosing when he chose to love a person who cannot reciprocate, yet he is willing and would even sacrifice his life for her. raw and rustic, yet true and righteous is this man-wolf.

The Royal Coven is a manifestation of extravagance, royalty, opulence and indulgence. it is regal but cold, it is ornate yet stylish. but mostly, it is passionate, yet … there is no compassion, as symbolized by the dagger striking straight into the Heart. the large rough Garnet nugget also depicts this coven's carnal blood-lust. it is the embodiment of the Volturi.

there you go! my twi pieces :) now off to bribe the MIL ;)

today and forever ...

2011-11-11T15:23:00.001+08:00

I, Winnie Luthien Thye take you, Jason Chong, as my always-and-forever soulmate. The love you have given me unconditionally has reached into my heart and taken me captive. I have known no other love like yours and I joyously re-pledge myself to you, as I did 9 years ago. I will share with you all the good and all the bad of life. I will rejoice in your strengths and encourage you and love you in spite of your weaknesses. I will love you the rest of my life, because it is my choice to do so. This is the covenant I make with you ... for as long as we both shall live ...

just books

2011-10-19T17:48:00.006+08:00

today seems like a good day to write. the baby is fast asleep and my table is clean ... CLEAN!! but my house is still in a mess ... UGH! it's amazing how little time i have now, that i have to consciously "make time" for this and for that. that reminds me ... i need to make time for gym. i haven't lost my preggie fat AT ALL!! that is BAD!! well, i better not complain too much, at least i have time to make art, even if i have to use sleep time for that :)

and yes ... i have been making lots of it. books mainly. big and small. wearable and not.

these two are "newly out from the oven" ...

i guess i dun have to tell you where the inspiration for the Son of Numenor came from :) but if you want to know ... here are some small prints for you ...

… It is said that the descendents of Numenor possess the gift of longevity. It was bestowed upon them by the Valar, the Elder Elves who live in the Ancient West. By the Grace of the Valar, the line of Elros was also given the privilege as the race who would rule the Kingdom of Men. However, in time, the Numenoreans became arrogant and desired immortality, so they called for a rebellion against the Valar. That action led to the downfall of Numenor and the King of Men were exiled to Middle Earth. As time passed, the race of the Kings faded into legend … or so it was thought. There is however, a last surviving royal bloodline of Numenor. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, who would in time ascend to his rightful place on throne of the White City of Gondor …

the Book of the Brotherhood is something like my Book of Celts, only the motif is a Celtic Cross, my newest illustration made into a rubber stamp. i am so pleased with it!! this design seem to sell quite well ... as i was uploading this image, a message popped into my email and told me that someone from Australia bought it :) YAY!!!

the next three were commissions ...

Tales from Faraway is another favourite design of many :) i love this too ... maybe i'm was an explorer in my previous life ...

Dream Keeper is a little darker ... it was inspired by the client's love for skulls, hearts and quirky dark Gothicism (if that's a word) :) the papers in this one is artist quality 160gsm white paper.

ooo ... Book of Massacres ... a huge book measuring 16.5 x 12.5 inches ... not something that i would normally create but it was a fantastic challenge and lots of fun! albeit creepy at times! my client wanted a sketch book inspired by his favourite band. i had to tell Llara that is was chocolate-strawberry sauce when she asked what's that dripping out of the clock :) so as not to creep her out :) dunno if she believed me tho ...

those were the big dudes ... and here are some little ones :)

i am quite certain that books are my calling now ... they give me so much contentment!!

the baby is still asleep!! yippee!!! off to make some more :)

happy birthday sweet Maia Fae ...

2011-10-06T23:43:00.002+08:00

my little preemie turns 1 !

baby Maia was born on the 6th Oct 2010 and today, she turns 1 :) we didn't make a big deal out of it becos somehow, we felt that it was a time for reflections, bonding, family, love and being truly thankful for our little fighter, our little miracle. for those of you who have been following this blog for some time, you would know that baby Maia was born premature at 29 weeks and when i was 8 cm dilated they still couldn't find a ventilator for her.
anyhow ... that's past and today is a joyous day :)

we decided to do something rather meaningful for all of us ... we took Maia back to the NICU to visit the nurses and the doctors who took care of her for the first 52 days of her life, the ones who nursed her back to health. and we brought DOUGHNUTS for everyone!

they were absolutely delighted to see her!

took turns to cuddle her ... of course she enjoyed all the attention :)

in the evening, we went for a quiet family dinner and then bought a cake home to celebrate.

daddy, mommy, big sista Llara, grandma and birthday girl

traditional red packet for good luck (and some pocket money ;)

this is the first time she's tasting cake and cream :)

and guess who is sitting silently in the corner gobbling up the cake?

it was a great day filled with love and a lot of joy for everyone. we feel so blessed to have our girls in our lives ... they complete us ...

happy birthday baby Maia ... Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!

where to begin ...

2011-09-18T03:46:00.006+08:00

wow ... i just realized that my last post was on the 25th August. that's nearly a month ago!! what have i been doing? where to begin?

well, to start off, poor baby Maia was down with a bad bad cough and hence was in a bad bad mood becos she can't breath properly, can't sleep and won't eat. *sigh* but that's OVER!! she's fine now and has returned to her happy cheeky self :)

i was supposed to start on a commission on 2 big big books but couldn't becos my raw materials have been delayed! UGH!! but i did managed to go on to other commissions ... so that's great. now i only have half the time i'm supposed to have on the big big books, and that is not so great :(

in between commissions, i sneaked to town and did some shopping. i also made some other things ... just to relax the mind and allow it to wander. what did i buy? ... oooo ... some really amazing turquoise beads!! huge ones, high quality, tri color and mouth wateringly beautiful!! i also acquired some old brass amulets from this guy from Nepal! and this is what i made with my acquisitions ^_^

isn't the turquoise bead just amazing?!! i had to couple it with one of my little books and i really LOVE the effect! and this piece was aptly named Ode to Opulence :)

inspired by some of the myths that the Nepal guy told me of his homeland, i was feeling all spiritual these few days ... as a result, Tantra was created. 'course it needed a turquoise bead too ;)

”each one of us is a union of all universal energy. Everything that we need in order to be complete is within us right at this very moment. It is simply a matter of being able to recognize it. This is the tantric approach”
~ Lama Thubten Yeshe ~

continuing on my spiritual path, this next piece was inspired by the continuous cycle of life, a Buddhist belief ... Samsara. this necklace has a beautiful piece of Picasso Jasper, some rare rutilated quartz rondelles, and an amulet depicting some sort of karmic cycle.

Samsara means “to flow”. Our consciousness is continuous, our selves die but is reincarnated into a similar or a different form. The universal cycle is a continuous karmic flow …

and so these were from this week's wanderings ... tho just before Maia fell ill, i also made 2 other pieces which i did not get to blog about. of course during that time, the inspirations were ever so different ... as you will see ...

isn't it wonderful how unpredictable the muse is?

which of these pieces talk to you, i wonder ... and i'm curious, how are you usually inspired?

of travel, time and pulse ...

2011-08-25T19:15:00.008+08:00

how fast time flies ... it's approaching the end of August already and autumn is on the way. i still remember blogworld a-buzz with the excitement of the approach of spring like it was yesterday!! i haven't been very good with blogging i must admit ... excuses? plenty! but i needed any extra time i could wrangle to make things.

i've finally completed a long delayed commission for a lady who approached me in spring ;) she wanted a journal. she is about to embark upon a journey of a lifetime, traveling the world (how COOL!!) and she wanted a place to keep her memories. she gave me some specifications, things she liked like hearts, wings, keys, warm colors, old maps ... and a date that is of significance to her. here is what i came up with ...

this is Journey

i loved how it turned out ... esp the heart with the little copper wings. gives me the feeling of freedom and a heart taking flight! and that date of significance, is etched in aged brass and embedded into a brass vintage name plate. i hope she likes it :)

this week's challenge theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show is "Travel" ... and i think this journal fits perfectly, so i'm gonna go ahead and submit it :)

another commission came in from another lady residing in the UAE a couple of weeks ago. this time, she wanted a piece of jewelry as a remembrance of the people she loved and lost. she liked one of my previous designs called Facets, a necklace that you can wear many ways. but she wanted to include a key on the minute book and the phrase Memento Mori ... WOW!! i didn't know what the phrase meant until i googled it, and it was powerful ... it's a Latin phrase and it means 'Remember Your Mortality'

i was so touched by her story that i was inspired (probably not the best word to use ... can you be inspired by pain or sadness?) to make another piece. i came up with this mini book necklace called Time Turner

"Have you ever wanted to right a wrong, to do things differently or to tell a passed one that you love him ... Have you ever wanted to turn back time"

that, was the idea behind Time Turner. notice that the burnt clock on the cover has it's number going backwards? it symbolizes the turning back of time ...

she loved them both and took them. i hope these pieces would bring to her peace and healing in time to come. i felt really honored to be entrusted with her story and hope that my little contribution has helped her is some way.

to wrap up this post, i want to share something really exciting! i am SO thrilled becos this is my first time :)

i was chosen to be amongst the 100 contributing artists in this new mixed media book by Seth Apter. WOOHOO!!!

i'm not allowed to show you the piece that's gonna be in that book, but here is a sneak peek of the cover :) it will be out March 2012!!

i am SO SO SO THRILLED!!

if you like to visit the author of this book Seth ... here is the link to The Altered Page