Re-Post: Notebook Cover

This is a re-Post from my facebook Notes few months back

Today I made this cheery cover for my notebook. These days are so windy and dusty that I think a cover would be necessary..:D. It's simple one, made of flanel and cotton lining. Envelope type of cover with velcro closure. Elastic on the top cover to prevent it from sliding down while it's open. So from now, at least, I dont have to dust before using it..;)

When it's open

Snugly closed

Thanks for reading this and have a great weekends ^_^

I believe: Sekar

I just want to share stories about my friend who got married, quit their 9 to 5 job to pursue what they love most, either being a homemaker, mothers or business woman. I will try to write regularly from this month


I remember my father used to tell me “As long as you can move your fingers you can earn a living” and how true it was.

I love making handmade stuff, from beadworks on scarf, cards, scrapbook, glass painting, to table. Well, it was an ugly kitchen table and I sort of cover it up with papers to make it into my study table, complete with the book racks. I wish I’ve taken the pics then..:(. I love to try different kind of craft..:D

Recently on my visit to my hometown, I met my ex-colleague who used to run a home furnishing shop. I went to her shop few years back and nothing had impressed me then. After 3 years, otw back to India I called her up and she told me she had something to show me. We met and she showed me her beautiful creations of patchwork bags and prayer mat. We keep YM-ing and FB-ing and one day I sort of tell her about Etsy. She showed me one of her latest creations : Interwoven cushion covers which really floored me! Her work is really neat and meticulous that you will fall in love instantly.

She works from one workshop near her house with only one helper. She does all the preliminary works from choosing the fabric, cutting and even stitching. What I marvel is, despite her family background, she chose to walk the unbeaten path to write her own story.

In the beginning of this month she officially opens her very own etsy shop and I’m very proud of her. I wish her all the best in her new ventures.

Thanks for reading this and have a wonderful weekends

Quotes

I read one old Femina India and found these very interesting quotes:
Nandita Das (Actress) :”Woman suffer from a deep sense of guilt that stems from an even deeper conditioning. Today’s woman has a double burden of excelling in work place, which is often a male domain and being super wife, mom, daughter-in-law or home maker. The challenge for us is to be ourselves and not feel guilty for what we do or want to do. Let being pretty, smart or sexy NOT be the defining factor of our worth. Instead lets exploring our inner talents and living a life that is more fulfilling give us the confidence and desire to be who we are”

Kiran Bedi (India’s First IPS Officer): “I am challenging myself to traverse many more paths and experience newer routes to determined destinations. Or destiny sent destinations!”

Those 2 quotes really hit me today and made me think, how lucky I am that I've been blessed with the most wonderful husband, who's being an Indian male, never - not even once - trying to clip my wings but intead he gives me wings to fly. I could not ask for more.

WIND BENEATH MY WING - Bette Midler


Have a great day, everyone...

Feeling down :-(

Today I feel a bit down. I checked my Etsy inbox and got one convo saying that she’s yet to get her parcel from me. It’s almost 1 month. I filed a complain with the post office and I hope someone there will do something about it. For me, selling online is not just about money. The customer’s satisfaction is my UTMOST importance. If my customer(s) don’t get their order or not satisfied with my products I’d rather refund their money.
Today, that was what I offered her. Fortunately she agreed to wait for sometimes. I hope by the time, my parcel will reach her. I think this is the most crucial things in selling online..ehmm..beside photography (at least for me).

Whenever I’m sending the parcel (even for swap) I always take really care, such as make sure I wrap everything in plastic before put it in an envelope and if necessary, during the monsoon season, I use double envelopes and put broad cellotape all over.

I love to send my parcel in special wrapping that I made my self . Or if I don’t have much time, I wrap it using one traditional piece of cloth (gamocha), which is our traditional symbol of friendship, love, respect,etc. Otherwise for small order like trims and ribbons I made a drawstring pouches. I also made a simple Thank You card.

I just hope all my customers will get their parcel in time and also my swap partners. Thanks a lot for your patience and I hope what I have sent you is worth the wait :-)

~ have a nice day ~

Quickie Pouch/Wrislette for dear friend

I made this pouch the other day. Actually I've been wanting to make something for her and her b'day has come and gone and she lives across the 7 seas..:D

She's a crafter herself and she makes beautiful cards. I've been very lucky to receive few of her handmade cards. What can I say..she's really really talented.

Here what I made for her: small wristlet..:D. I used pure cotton fabric left-over from the frock I made few weeks back. The lining is handwoven olive green cotton. I machine-quilted it and put a simple lace there.

I made the label my self. I print it out using fusible interfasing and it turns out ok. Though I am not sure the print will stay on after washing ^_*. But for the time being it serves the purpose..:D

I hope she likes what I made for her...and I still have few more stuff to make..
Until then....have a great day..

Pirate Ship Projetcs ^_*

Everyday is crafty day if you have a curious 5 years olds who constantly giving you his ideas of making things. He loves drawing & nowadays painting. His favorite objects of course is his superheroes, either superman or Ben 10.

The other day he suddenly told me he wanted a pirate ship. My first reaction was “where am I going to get it from??”. But my crafty mind, fortunately, kicks in and I said “ we’ll make one”, even though I have no idea as yet how to make it.

Today morning, he reminded me that I promised him about making pirate ship. I remember my KG days when we used to make paper boat, now why don't we use a bigger paper to make a SHIP.

So, the 4 of us (DH included) sat down and start the “Pirate Ship Projects”
The material:
1. 1 sheet of chart paper/manila paper
2. Lots of cellotapes
3. Fabric Scraps, cut into triangles & rectangles
4. Few long sticks ( we use sticks from coconut leaves)
5. Glue
6. Scissors



First: Make the Ship (I guess all of you must have known how..I just make a collage pics how I made it) and draw the skeleton (My elder one drew it )

Please ignore the last 2 pics..:D I'm just learning how to make collage :)

Second, cut the sticks into different length and cut the fabrics. Put the glue to the fabrics and stick them to the sticks.

Third: Attach the stick to the ship (to the triangular middle part one) using the tapes .

We made 2 Pirate Ships for both of them and these simple toys makes them busy the whole day playing pirate.

Have a great day…

I've got Mail and bla bla bla

Ahh, finally got around to blog again. A bit busy with my little brats and my sewing machine being wonky for the past 3 days, apparently the bobbin case has got bad and had to buy a new one.

Well, here we go:

First: Yay!!..Got my cute butterflies few days back. Thank so much Lolo, they were soo cute! I love it so much. I’ve been dying to make one butterfly appliqué for my pouch but still hasn’t got around making one, and now this cutie is here I guess I’ll make my self a patchwork bag with that…:)

But I still got 2 smocking dress to make and feel a bit lazy these days, maybe because of the weather, which is super duper HOT and HUMID. By mid morning I already run out of steam :D. It’s just too hot for May, it feels like July!
Second: My best friend has just started her CRAFTY BLOG. She’s heavily pregnant now :D but she’s so full of energy that she has finished 3 ribbon embroidery bags! Mind you, she’s just learning sewing few months back and ribbon embroideries few weeks bag. She’s a fast learner indeed.

Third: Read on the news paper about Nomophobia and google it and VOILA! it is a new desease, or so they said. Click HERE to read more.

Oh and my son's got his last mail SWAP finally, here they are:




Thanks alot Molly and Winnifred, my son really enjoys filing his mail. Too bad I missed the 2nd round of Kids Mail Swap , cos I didn't blog much recently:(. Well, hope she'll have another round though..:D


That’s all, my head is still buzzing with butterfly bag..must make it soon!!..
Thanks again Lolo, you really made my day…

Have a great weekends

SPRING SWAP ~ from Texas

Today I got this white parcel with USPS logo on it. My first reaction was "but I didn't buy anything online recently". and when I open the parcel..."OMG..my swap.." I really didn't expect to receive it this early..:) I mean, since I sent out 2 days late..:D.

It was from Shean...and what a treasure it was..:

1. The cutest embroidery...*mental note: must get frame soon*. An angel (just like you are, Shean). I marvel at her patience to do it, all the small details are embroidered with care, with the wordings et al... I LOVE it..

2. The pretty FABRIC. Oh how I love that red one with pictures of the people around the world..and one from India too...;). This just too cute! and the yellow one..simply beautiful. Now my mind already buzzing with ideas..:D

3. For my sons...It's so sweet of her to send color pencil and rubber stars and mats for my sons. My elder one who starts learning spelling says "mama look, star - S _T_ A_R"..yes I said, one sweet aunty has sent these to you...:D

Once again, thank you so much Shean...I hope my parcel will reach you in good time..

Have a nice crafty days, everyone

*** I'm really glad I took part in the spring swap by the 6 o'clock stitch, this is really fun and can be very addictive too..;) ***

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Well, nothing special actually happened in my home. I got a kiss from my sons and a scream of "Happy Mother's Day Mama"..:D But that was really sweet. Then he told me that he made a card in school but Miss kept it..:D (let's see if today he brings home the card)

Anyway, Finally I have finished and sent the SPRING SWAP (yay!)...but it was 2 days late..:D
So, since I've sent them out I guess I can show off (*_^) abit here..LOL.

I made this Ribbon Embroidery for Shean. I learnt ribbon embroidery from a book and off course You Tube. Thanks to all those creative people around the world who's generously sharing their knowledge.
I hope you like it Shean..:)

(please Ignore the stick..it's borrowed from my other wall hanging :P)

And I made this one for Lolo. I have this idea for a long time in my mind : To make flower garden using Indian mirror work embroidery. I made the rough drawing in my sketch book and started doing it. I'm not sure in the beginning how it will turn out, but it seems okay to me. I just sent it as it is, so that (I thought) she can do something about it, such as bags or cushion covers..:D ~ just a thought.

the detail mirrow embroidery

Now I'm back to my smocking projects..:D. I was really envious of people who's lucky enough to own a pleater, but after I read Marie Grace's BLOG, I guess hand pleating is still better...ehm..mainly because now I can't afford to get one...it's more that 200$..(eeewwwww!!). Anyway, here the most recent frock I've finished:

Thanks for looking & have a nice day

My Rosebuds

Just a quickie post...few things I've made while I'm blogwalking..:D

Golden Rose Buds




Silver Ones




On the card



On a dress:



Thanks for dropping by..have a lovely day

Done and Delivered

The last 2 weeks has been a hectic one...First, I got this "shoulder spasm" (what's the medical term for it??) which become very bad cos apparently I neglecting my body sign. I rest very little cos I got to finish few orders of both offline & online customers. The doc said got to slow down a bit and after few pain killers and "shoulder exercise" finally the headache gone. And since few days back I resume my exercise routine. I used to exercise regulary, but you know sometimes I get so lazy and lazier and lazier..and I thought I'll be okay without one...;)

These 2 frocks finally done and nothing's make me more happier than satisfied customer. When they rang me up and told me how happy they are and all my shoulder aches gone...(well, at least at that moment..;)

And few tunics that'd done and ready for delivery:






Then with Rizqi, we made cards for my friend's children. One is actually for her "virtual" b'day party on her BLOG . We had a great time. He literally likes the idea of playing with scissor, paper & glue ..oh and of course my ribbons..

(is there an easier way of uploading photos here?? I still do the "Upload & Drag" things, and it gets very tiring when I have to upload lots of photos..:D. Please share how you do yours..THANKS..BOHOT SUKRIYA ..TERIMA KASIH )