SweetKrafz Journal

Kaye

2011-08-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

Kaye and I had great of fun sussing out a card for her mum. What better card can a mother receive than one that is made by her dd. Good for you, Kaye

Hamper Labels

2010-12-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

"I want hamper labels with a difference"
It was like, "Wow! How different can labels be?"
Challenged, I took on the task. Uphill at first as this time, I had to work on a space smaller than a bookmark! KT was pretty adamant that the label should attract yet not overwhelm the hamper.

Again, another pleasurable journey in crafting.

PaperBag album

2010-11-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

It all sounded so complicated. But then my dd and I decided that we would do something nice for a friend. It was awesome. I used up the handmade papers from Teresa, my dear eBay friend from CEM. Thank you Teresa for the supplies. I have never been so challenged .... venturing into glitters. The things friends make us go through.

Wee are Stamping

2010-07-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

Chee Mek visited from KL to spend some time with our Sa Chim. Chee Khuan too, flew in from Kuala Terengganu. We had a meaningful time with our much endeared aunt who at this time of writing, is safe in the arms of Jesus.
Meanwhile, I just wanted to get my sisters involved in this therapy called paper crafting. Being very practical people, I thought bookmarks would be best sincethey have never been card collectors.
After much persuasion, they got started. Before long they were on their way .....no stopping them!
Here are some bookmarks they made.

My Scrapbook Story

2009-11-25T23:51:00.000-08:00

EnHui planned a sleepover with some friends. They planned to make cards. That was fine with me.
I knew that they will be a box of birds right into the wee hours of the night. After all ... been there, done this. I know what it's like.
The morning (11 am is still morning, right!)arrived and they dished out scrapbooking paper! They decided to make a scrap page instead!
HORRORS!!! I have never done that before!!!
My protests were not heard in the midst of their chattering. Perhaps, ignored even.
Well, they made some really lovely scrap pages as you can see. I was inspired!

En's Friends

2009-11-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Xing Qiao made this:

Hui Rei made this:
..... last,
but not least, this made by Li Jie:

2009-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Where else should one learn but from the Master Craftsman Himself? Which artist is able to blend the colours of the rainbow ever so perfectly? Surely, the One Who made them!
As you read on, I am sure you will not miss pictures taken by my family of the works of the Master Craftsman. These are but humble samples; a fraction of the beauty He has bestowed us with.
So here I am, trying to apply what He has taught me in His marvellous creation.

My A-Cardion Story

2009-07-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by my dear cousin Florence (again!!).
She made an absolutely gorgeous journal-cum-photo book as a bon voyage gift for my daughter. She used scrapbooking paper designs which I wouldn't even give a second look and churned out an exquisite piece of art. It is a class of its own. It took my breath away.
It is one of those not-so-daunting projects. The journal flips like a accordian. There's plenty of space for journalling and photos. Both the front and back can be used.

Now, I am into it!

Siew Hiang and friend

2009-07-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Siew Hiang brought Mei Kian, a sister from her church who has an outreach ministry in East Asia. We had a constructive time discussing the various crafts that can be used in the ministry there. After a lunch of soup and bread, we wrapped up the day with each of them making a bookmark.
A few weeks later, Siew Hiang came back to make a gift for a friend's baby.
Free standing frame... perfect for that small space; Folds like an accordian, music not included!

My Gift Tags Story

2009-05-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Debbie asked me to make some gift tags. Another challenge!
A really great way to make use of those little scrap papers.

Finicky little things!Made a few but did not go very far from there.

My Brag Books Story

2009-05-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I bought some "Beyond the Pages" stuff a long time ago. Every time I tried to pull myself together to work on it, I just freaked. I had seen Angie's creations. They are so lovely.
Two months ago, with three little additions to my extended family, I decided that I should make some keepsakes for them. "Beyond the Page" waved out to me again! Like the Charge of the Light Brigade, I treaded into these:

They are pretty much like mini Scrapbooks except that they are smaller. The covers are thick and sturdy. Deoupaged and embellished them. Added several blank pages, stamped some journal lines and there you go.
Ahem, the added pages need to respect the shape of the cover.
I thought that I should not deny the mothers, the pleasure of filling in the album. They don't necessarily agree with me. Well, its the thought that counts

Neat Knit

2009-04-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am gloating.
It was history in the making!
It was a major achievement to be able to get EnHui to even pick up the knitting needle.
She started well early. Many dropped stitches (not to mention, needles) later, she got the hang of it. She really wanted it to be something she did all by herself ..... until the countdown was in hours! Mum to the rescue, of course.
After all, what are mothers for, huh?

Frantic (EnHui) Craftin'

2009-04-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

No easy feat to get EnHui to do nifty things. She is actually pretty good in crafting, but ... to do it is quite a different thing altogether.
She wanted small tokens to thank her colleagues at Pharmacy, NUH. I pretended great disinterest. It worked!!
Two days before her last day at work, she was frantic! Panic button on, she worked into the wee hours of the night. As you can see, it really paid off.
See how generously she used my precious Dark Brown chalk ink! Grrr...rrr

Monique Craftin'

2009-04-21T01:15:00.000-07:00

Monique from Hamilton South Baptist Church, New Zealand was in Singapore. Now, Collin was posted here for 6 months. Now, Monique and I went back a long, long way. Our friendship was sealed when she studied in Waikato University and her family moved to Hillcrest.
The Currans opened their home to the overseas students, to rest, talk, and not excluding food. Guess what! In all the years I have been to their home, it has always been through the kitchen door that we made our way in. Don't even know where the front door is! Now, that's what I call an Open Home!!
I was nervous at first. Now, this Monique comes from a very talented family. Fine that they are musically talented; no threat to me. But they are crafty (in a nice, art-y sense) too, you see. Her sister Heather made a puppet using an old, dried up apple for its head!
She came over to make a card for Collin's sister. An oriental touch by a Kiwi. 1st time by bamboo stamp was used. I was very pleased. So was she
Boy, we had a great time!

Farewell with Craft

2009-04-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Annette and Gerdine came over a couple of weeks ago, to make cards. I was supposed to be the "si fu", to show them the tricks of the craft ......since they came saying they haven't the slightest clue how to make cards.

They were very quickly on their way. All too soon, the aspiring teacher became redundant and sought sought solace with the camera.
Such crafty lot!

Stocking Up Time

2008-11-26T22:13:00.000-08:00

Saturday, 15 November 2008 found me bright an early at Jatujak Saturday Market, Bangkok
The market was massive ..... and crowded!Vendors don't even know what was sold in the next alley. There I was frantically flashing samples of the embellishments I was looking for.
I was greeted with rows and rows of mulberry papers, recycled papers with really pretty flowers and leaves. Pretty is of course an understatement.Believe you me, much restrain was executed. I drooled.
Finally ... the shops selling mulberry posies. It was like "Wow!!" (another understatement). I was like a kid in a candy store.
There are only two words to describe my state here:
TOTALLY CONFUSED.
And why not? The heaps and heaps of paper posies in a kaleidoscope of colours.I must say I was rather impressed by the long suffering of by KSiang, EnHui and EnYi.
As the crowd grew and I mean visibly ballooned and the heat set in, I knew it was time to leave .... sob, sob!
Need I say more?

My Bookmarks Story

2008-11-25T22:10:00.001-08:00

I agreed to my darling daughter's request for about 20 bookmarks for an NUH Pharmacy function. Piece of cake! 3 days before the actual event ( and I had not even got started), the numbers hiked to 50!!! Adrenaline pumping I set to work.
Personalized? I resorted to the computer! The printer played up as usual when you're on 911! After much persuasion, it obliged.
As usual, my ribbons turn out quite the wrong way. Darling daughter solved the problem by starting with the wrong way. It worked!! Gotta do it wrong to get it right. Hmmmm...
3 days of intensive labour and unkept house later, I got the bookmarks all out. Phew! It was like by the skin of my chinny chin chin.

Told myself I would not make anymore bookmarks, but ....

Shalom BZBeez

2008-11-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

24 August 2008
It's that time of the year.... Shalom Eye Screening 2008. Some sisters tried their hands at card making. You know, to say "Thank You" to the staff of SNEC (Singapore National Eye Center).
See their labour of love!

We all had a great time... colouring, pasting, tearing papers, a little comment here and there not to mention tearing our hair out.
"Necessity" truly is the mother of invention" Many skills surfaced. ... and they say they are not creative! Are they modest or what?
Moral of this story: If anyone can make cards, it has to be you!!

My Photo Frames Story

2008-09-22T23:37:00.000-07:00

Darling daughter's capping.
Photos were taken, courtesy of a brother, Tian Keong, an avid photographer.
We wanted to send some of the photos to relatives. Bought some frames .... Ugh!! It did not do justice to the good photography
Took a trip into town to get those really nice thick 300gsm papers with wood texture.

Scoring it was a pain in the neck! Actually, it is the shoulder!
I thought it did more justice to Tian Keong's work than the bought frames.

My File Box Story

2008-06-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

2007! It's Teachers' Day again!
I have seen teachers' tables heaped with the standard gifts.. photoframes, pencil holders, etc etc. They could set up a co-op shop if not for not wanting to hurt the kids' feelings.
Thought I should think outside the box ... look into file boxes. Teachers will of course have good use of them. After all, they made us parents invest in these stuff with all the worksheets they give (with good intentions, of course) our "bao bei" to work on.

And I wanted it to be unique. I had to!
While the idea was good, by the time my dear son lugged them to his primary school teachers, I think they probably didn't know which score line to follow!
Ah well, it's the thought that counts.

Angie n I

2007-11-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

We got started making an album for a dear friend of Shalom, Nelly van Acker. Very adventurous for ones who are so new to the craft. But the angie, she is really crafty (in the art sense, of course)

I need to put on record here that what you see above is a mere fraction of the mess. Angie dropped the jar of decoupage paste. Thank goodness OUR WORK WAS SPARED!! I got the blame for not having the lid on tight. Well, that's life.
We were so impressed with our work that we forgot to take pictures of it :(

My MakeOver Boxes Story

2007-05-24T02:25:00.000-07:00

Boxes of the moon! Well, they really are Mooncake boxes.
Florence gave us a session on Antique Box Making. It was fun and messy. Scrapbooking papers, decoupage paste, brushes, glue tapes, eyelets, brads, ribbons etc, etc. I was beginning to think that my childrens' mess is an inherited behavior!
I have made a number of boxes. Of late, I find that Mooncake boxes are so beautiful that there is no justice in any more makeovers.

My Card Story

2007-04-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

My friend Angie mentioned making cards. With all good intentions, I tried to put her and my card enthusiast cousin Florence together and lo, I was smitten.
Ok, I am down-to-earth and most of my works are earth-tone. Card-making has drawn me to observe nature, God's handiworks.
Each card is unique. Yes, they are all singular edition.Birthdays
Congratulations
Encouragement as in Inspiration and Scripture
Festive Time
Get Well
Loss for Words
Someone Special
Sympathy
Thank You
Thinking of You

My Pottery Story

2006-11-20T23:46:00.000-08:00

How each piece turns out depends on the hands that designed it. The hands give the clay its final shape. That lump of clay cannot dictate what shape it wants to take on. The hand decides. This is a constant reminder to me that God is the Potter; I am the clay. What a humbling lesson in moments of discontent.
I had often been intrigued by pottery, but equally often, dismissed. Never dared imagine I that I could do it. Just not my cup of tea. Too daunting to me. ...or so I thought.
The challenge came as I spent 3 wonderfully therapeutic and dusty years working with clay at the Parents Pottery Club of Dunman Secondary. I am thankful to my instructors, Mr Zul and Mrs Chern and to the Principal, Mrs Edelweis Neo for for her tremendous support.

I never knew dirt could be so therapeutic.

My Class Jar Story

2006-11-19T17:55:00.000-08:00

I saw recycled jars beautifully painted at Raffles City. I would have got one for myself if not for the atrocious price. I walked away impressed and slightly depressed.
You can imagine my excitement when my then little girl(then)sprinted back from school with a brightly painted jar. I wasted no time and after interrogating her teacher, made my way to Spotlight.

This is an earth friendly craft. Reuse jars which would otherwise have been thrown out. After all, we have only one earthly home... yea, Earth itself.

My Tapestry Story

2006-11-18T02:45:00.000-08:00

I picked up this art in school and have never looked back since. My very first piece of work is stored in a special place to remind me that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single (very often, humble) step.

My very first piece of work is stored in a special place, a reminder that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single (very often, humble) step.
My dear friend Mah Lai can never understand how one so lacking in patience could take up such a patience-tapping hobby. Neither can I!

2006-11-16T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hi there!
Welcome to my journal!
Here are samples of my crafts. Yup, the range; I thought it is a good idea to record my first steps into these crafts.
Visit my SweetKrafz blog to view them.
I have also spent wonderful, wonderful times with friends who friends come over to do a little bit of crafting. It is amazing how much we learn from each other.
Email me for enquiries of any sort.