Mandala Kolam

In conjunction to Deepavali (or Diwali or Festival of Light) celebration, shopping mall prepared and decorated the floor with the Indian traditional creative artwork "Kolam". The decorative designs of 'kolam' which are decorated out of coloured rice into fascinating patterns of flowers.

Happy Diwali to all Hinduism

For the Makers of Tomorrow , an Indoor Mural Wall

I passed by this awesome mural wall at Masjid Jamek LRT Station (underground tunnel between Kelana Jaya Line and Ampang/Sri Petaling Line). The mural wall is 175 feet long. Just can't get my eye off it and it is easy to spot the integration of local elements (National Flower Hibiscus, Lion Dance, Wayang Kulit) in the wall painting.

 #ForTheMakersOfTomorrow is a collaboration project of local artists. It is sponsored by a telco company, Telecom Malaysia (TM).


#forthemakersoftomorrow

Journal system

After few years of exploring in various type of art journaling, I've manage to develop some journaling techniques to my busy daily live (career + study + family). I've create my own version of journal system, that help me to keep sake my monkey thoughts when the time I'm busy with other task. Over the time, I learned that at one time I can only focus in completing one task before the others. Due to this, I recognized the need of having a good system that can steer and direct me to my plan and also not forgetting my goal. 

Those pictures shows the journal books that cater different needs in 2015.



(Top Left - Evernote Moleskine ; Top Right - Muji Monthly Schedule)
(Bottom Left - Camel small notebook ; Bottom Right two are Plain Journal from Inspira)

I keep a monthly planner and to-do-list (bucket list), in writing... Okay, you may laughed at me at these :)   I'm from old school, still loves to pen them down on the piece of paper even there are many high-tech apps out there.  


Monthly Planner (to keep a small goal and doing something small everyday) Muji Monthly Schedule

- for my free time doodling, fruit label sticker, colors etc.
- as a financial monitoring. Expenses tracking (on the monthly utility, credit card payment, car installation)
- as a health log tracking. For instance to keep track the menses timing, exercising / stretching
- as a leave / holiday planning. important for me to put in activities.
- as a reminder (even a countdown) for a special events / occasions / assignment due date / examination date
- to record breakthrough out of the norm activities. For instance, I have 2 and half hours in every Friday, so instead of lunch at the familiar stalls. I do it bit different by having my lunch in different restaurant / stalls.

List Journal (where I 'park' all those monkey thoughts)
-  Handy and compact To-do-list / To-Experience-List that I feel something fun to explore. For e.g. baking / cooking
-  Values of life that I want to bring in (such as decluttering, give back to society)
-  Commitment that I promises for the family
-  Books to read
-  Blogging ideas
-  Lesson learnt (observed that I tends to do one thing (repeatedly) that bring me unpleasant feeling)


More reads

• Bullet Journal 

101 Things in 1001 Days

(Edited on 10 Oct' 15) 

In practice, I've keep a 101 Things list since 2009. I went through the list that I kept in my small notebook, and there are still something that I would like to explore

1) Learn to use photoshop / illustrator

2) Pick up Drawing / Painting skill

3) Photography

4) De-cluttering and reduce

5) Use the neon and blackboard paint that I purchased few months back

6) Making my own zine

7) Visit Zine / MT Tape Fairs

8) continue Reading

9) Calligraphy

(Edited on 20 Oct' 09)


As I read from Kathryn's blog (Collage Diva), she had prepared a list of 101 Things in 1001 days. It's such a great idea to put up all my resolution of the years into action list.

So, this is mine.

Mission : To complete 101 present task in period of 1001 days
Start : 22 February 2009
End : 20 November 2011

1) Our honeymoon to Santorini / Mykonos
2) Backpack to Silk Road, China (DONE)
3) Creative everyday
4) Go for a walk with husband and daughters during Friday’s night time (DONE)
5) Paint the wall of my creative area (DONE - Not paint but postcards & photos)
6) Participate each week on Soul Journal (Kathryn posted on True North Art monthly, joined her 2 workshop recently)
7) Visit Sister SBS5 blog at least once a week (N/A)
8) Allocate at least 1 day for myself , be solitude a day bimonthly (I DID IT)
9) Complete my bucket list
10) Complete travel journal of Taiwan (DONE)
11) House keeping photos in my hard disk
12) Laugh out loud (YES, LOV TO DO IT)
13) Exercise at least 30 minutes a week
14) Eat something good / treat myself a good lunch or dinner (DONE)
15) Write and send Postcard (YES. Still keep this hobby alive)
16) To reply to everyone who leave comments on my blogs (YES. I Love to)
17) Get up early ~ 5.30am (YES. New habit already)
18) Practice guitar
19) at least One Sentence Journal a day
20) Go dates with husband , only 2 of us , for at least a day in a month (DONE)
21) Re-read the Secret (DONE)
22) Spend at least 15 minutes for Secret daily inspiration
23) Re-read the Simplify Your Life ~ by Elaine St James (DONE)
24) Drink at least 1.5 litre water a day (YES)
25) Gather with mom, sisters and brother bimonthly (DONE.)
26) Tidy my creative area & art stuff weekly (YES)
27) Learn in Photoshop skills
28) Taking portrait of husband and I once a month, paste on the 12 x16 LoVe Canvas that I prepared here.
29) Compile list of inspiration quote (for year 2009)
30) Participate in GPP street team once a month (YES)
31) Re-do my inspiration board (DONE)
32) Travel with mother (DONE)
33) Learn on Fork-art painting
34) Recycle, reuse and reduce (YES)
35) Help to develop reading habit with WenXin (YES)
36) Spend quality time with little princess, minimum 2 hours per working day (YES)
37) Plan family trip (local / oversea) (DONE)
38) Record their stories in babykwen blog (DONE)
39) Bring WenXin back to visit daddy’s hometown
40) Reduce meat, more veggie (YES)
41) Can’t live without musics
42) Complete my ‘felt’ cake (DONE)
43) Complete another canvas painting
44) Decorate Family Photo frame
45) Go for a picnic (DONE)
46) Make birthday & Valentine's card to DH (DONE)
47) Take some series of photograph about the things surround me (DONE. Love this)
48) Practice in drawing with pencils (DONE)
50) Reduce junk food (YES)
51) Make monthly donation (DONE)
52) Review my goal every 2 months (DONE)
53) Smell the flower
54) Learn the origami paper folding
55) Pamper myself … Facial
56) Do not use credit card for one week (YES)
57) Family tree
58) Start in sewing (DONE)
59) Taking pictures of the sky for 1 month (DONE)
60) Cutting out the articles from newspaper which speak to me (DONE)
61) Scrapbooking (DONE)
62) Live everyday like the last day of life (YES)
63) Blog at least 3 entry per week (DONE)
64) Write a love letter to myself ( thanks to Kathryn)
65) Pay visit to Art Gallery (DONE)
66) Set up our etsy / ebay
67) Tidy up my FDC & Stamps collection
68) Start my LOVE Journal with DH (DONE)
69) Smile like I always do (YES)
70) Donate old magazines (DONE)
71) Take photo of WenXin (YES)
72) Visit to Angkor Wat (DONE - in 2015)
73) Visit to ShangSuo and Longshen , China
74) Donate half month salary out in June (YES)
75) Make use the Flash Card
76) Enhance Art Skills
77) Learn on cooking (YES)
78) Zentangles (DONE)
79) Prepare Travel Art Journal Kits for travel (DONE)
80) Keep a journal / blog documenting this 101 list in 1001 days (DONE)
81) One art activities with family once a month
82) Complete the bird house
83) Scan all the postcard that I receive on the blog (DONE)
84) Make searching / studies on the postcard that I had received (DONE)
85) Participate in Vintage Paris 4x4 swap (DONE)
86) Making my own postcard
87) Pay a visit to Full house (DONE)
88) Taste various great food recommended in a magazine (in Klang Valley) (DONE)
89) Fly the kite which was bought few years ago
90) Participate in Collage images swap (DONE)
91) Make my own Vision Board (DONE)
92) Practice to be LOHAS
93) Read on religious magazines
94) Deep breath 
95) Choose some books for reading (YES, Part of habit)
96) Reminisces father (YES)
97) Prepare a birthday surprise for the loved one (DONE)
98) Send at least one birthday card out every month.
99) Live without internet a day a week 
100) Donate RM10 to charity for every incomplete task (Thanks to Kathryn)
101) Review the 101 list once a month

October- Be you, Bravely

This art journal page incorporates the collage images, paint, pen and doodles. 

Every piece of image is blending so well as a whole. 

I enjoy the process... be you, bravery.

Life belongs to living and he who lives must be prepared for change. 

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Make the Everyday An Adventure

A peek in my world, play with collages, paint and pen.  

The art piece still under work in progress, bit of bit are adding, I notice the page is keep on transforming, so do I.   

Latest display at Typo store, KLCC. 

Let It Rain Cafe House

We visited a zakka style cafe house "Let It Rain" which is located in Cyberjaya in one of the weekend. I couldn't resist but to post some of the photos that caught my eye ... admire at how the cafe owner who is blending the local elements and zakka style.  

PASSIONS in Living his Life , probably..

It is always fun to imagine ...what would you do if you own a cafe house ? 

How to attract customers to walk into your store ? 

Any home dishes that make your customers to look for them again next time ?  

How to optimise the space, by not projecting messiness ?

77 marked the year I was born..

We are also happy to meet XinYi, a Singaporean artist in personal.

The above was some of the cuties she drew for display.

I bought few pieces of her printed artwork as well.   

Love this corner ... and feel that the table lamp is just so matching.

Another favorite corner  

Making Washi Paper

I attended a short session of making washi paper yesterday at Oriental Art & Cultural Association. 

According to the craftsmen from Japan, the ingredients used for Echizen Washi paper are mainly Kozo, Mitsumata and Ganpi. 

Process of Making Paper

1) Steeping & Washing - to steep barks into pure water for 10 hours to make the barks soft. 

2) Boiling - To boil the barks into the solution liquid for 1-2 hours to melt the main components and let them cool, then proceed with washing away of impurities.

3) Removing harshness & dust off- To float 1-2 barks on the water and remove the harshness and dust by hand. 

4) Beating - To beat the fibers. Well beaten fibers will become strong paper. Only perform by skilled person. 

5) Paper Making - To scoop the wood pulp by screen and reed and to spread them, swing and scoop for few times and leave it on the bar.  

6) Compression & Dry - To compress the paper not to change its shape carefully and dry them one by one. 

7) Finishing - To select the paper, polish, cut and wrap. 

Basically at the work shop, we are giving chance on trial making the washi paper (as step 5 above), to decorate (with dried leave and flower) and dry the paper on heating board. 

My finished deco. washi paper. 

current obsession (3)

I have few of this silhouette cum. 3D pop-up card.


 

   

Who can resist the Eiffel Tower ?

 
Such a lovely birthday card !