The customer is always right ....

There is a saying that the customer is always right :) It is something we service providers have to stand by all the time ... regardless the consequences ...

I discovered today that my paintings were not up to expectations ... I misunderstood the specifications and did it my way as I usually do unless specifically instructed. I happily announced in my last 2 posts that the lady was happy with my work ... when unfortunately she was not. I understand the feelings of dissatisfaction when what we want is not what we get ... so here I have to remind myself to make sure the customer gets what he/she wants.... but again... oh well... *sigh* ... there is another saying... one man's meat is another man's poison... you just can't please them all...

So till my next post... have a great day.... ;)

And so we continue...

Yup... to continue where I left in my last post.... no new stories but just what I'd painted the past 2 weeks ;) Unfortunately... at the moment, I'm lost for words... ya ya I surprised myself too haha!!! ... so I'll just let the pics do the talking ....


Apart from the green furniture set, I was commissioned to paint on white furniture too. Ita's husband, Tarmizi, is an excellent carpenter. Just give him your specs and dimensions to anything you fancy... and he'll have that built!! Anyway ... here are the pics ...


The white buffet hutch sent to me was without legs. It was an urgent order, to be sent outstation ... so Mizi sent it to me in pieces to be assembled later upon completion hehe. On this set, I painted brilliant pink roses as per requested. I was told the lady was pleased with my effort .. and I'm very happy she's satisfied :) It just made my day when my work is appreciated. I'm always at jitters as to whether my work is up to expectation ... not good for the heart though!!! :(




These were painted on the sides of the buffet hutch... huge pink roses with blue-violet blooms. Took me a total of 7 hours to complete this piece ... exhausted with pain in the thighs upon completion haha. Had to paint it whilst standing and in every other position to accomodate the angle to paint the design hahaha ... top, sides, bottom, along the shelves ....




I'm currently rewarding myself with this custom-made shoe cabinet. I've not really painted on anything big for myself ... oh wait!!! I did.. I painted on my old fridge hehe... the fridge??? ... nope... not completed... it stands outside as it was since I last posted it here ... muahahahaha ... one fine day.... one fine day hehe

To this I bid thee ... fare thee well my friends ... till we meet again ... need to continue on the shoe cabinet ... ;)

It's time again...

Yup... time to update my blog... been neglecting it for quite some time now... again no other particular reason except for sheer laziness. I take my hats off to those bloggers who diligently and religiously update theirs ... *salute*

Recently I turned half a century old... officially hehe. I feel blessed and much loved for the whole week I was wished and dined upon. The morning of Aug 18... I had morning tea at Marmalade, Bangsar Village Park with Kak Masnah, Zaitun and Aniza. Later that night, I had dinner with family at Sri Melaka, One Utama.....my mama's treat. Wednesday Aug 19, I had another b'day dinner with May Lee, Anis and Eli... my Assuntarian schoolmates at Subak Restaurant, Bukit Lanjan.... lovely place with pleasant ambiance with the sounds of cicadas, frogs and other nite calls from the surroundings hehe. Then Thurs, Aug 20 ... at Yati's home... it was supposed to be a painting class... but they had other plans. It was lunch for me with the rest of the painting gals :) ... yup! so tell me... why shouldn't I feel blessed and loved huh? I have friends for life.... Alhamdulillah ...

Well so much for the above story... what's new with my paintings??? I've not been skillfully challenged lately ... nothing new as yet. Been busy painting for Ita as apparently there was a demand for my scarlet roses and blooms on her green furniture. I'm thankful for that ... because that means that my paintings are appreciated hehehe... so here I show off what I'd done so far ya ...

That's a love-seat... a double seater. Ita had a cushioned seat tailored to fit to make it more comfy. It's pre-ordered ...so it's already in somebody's home ;)

The buffet hutch is another preo-ordered item. I love the doors ...

Lastly the two 3-tiered magazine stand .... right that's it for now... will continue later for more updates.

.....have a good day ya...

The make-over...

Remember the "kendi" I mentioned in one of my earlier posts... the one that I was dying to show off but couldn't because I was binded by my promise to the owner that I shall not have it posted until she'd sighted it??? Well... the "kendis" are with her now... since last Sunday haha... sooooooo here in this post I show them off to you .... Made of galvanised tin, the two kendis had tarnished over time... after all they belong to her mum!!! Gee is an avid collector of things beautiful and rare ... she kept her mum's kendis and finally contacted me for a make-over a few moons ago. Upon her request, I had the pair basecoated in white with pink and blue as the predominant colour of each kendi. Pink roses are painted to decorate them ... so now her kendis are better than new ... hehehe ... if I may say so myself ;)

Guess what???

God works in mysterious ways... yup!yup!yup! Our paths crossed years ago when we were still very young girls... who could even imagine that we'd meet again and become bosom buddies???

As a young girl, I led a nomadic life. Abah would be transferred ever so often from state to state in his course of duty with RISDA. I was in 9 different schools all over Malaysia before I finally ended school life in 1977 and entered the varsity in 1978.

The story starts way back in 1967. I was then in Std 2 in St Nicholas Convent, Alor Star, Kedah. Completed Std 2,3 and 5 ... skipped Std 4 as I was in the express class... and 1 term of Std 6 before we started to move again. Guess who was in Std 1 then? ....haha Zaitun was there too in SNC !!! Huh??? Yup! ZAITUN. Apparently her father was a nomad too... and was serving in Alor Star then. U- uh... never knew Zaitun then haha... but anyway, she wasn't there for long though. Then in 1970... guess who started school in SNC?... yessss... ANIZA!!!! Yup... the other partner-in-crime!!! Oh my!! There was Zaitun with me in SNC in 1967 and Aniza in 1970... our paths crossed and we never knew of each other's existence there until just last Tuesday!!! It was such a coincidence that we were just beyond words to describe the discovery....

How'd we know you asked? Oh it was just in a passing conversation with another friend (Kak Masnah) in one of our morning teas together at Zaitun's home. But that's just it... it is ordained as such that we are actually no strangers without even realising that ... hahaha.. and now here we are... bonded again by the love of Decorative Painting... Allah is Great... Amen. We are now friends for life ... InsyaAllah (God Willing)...

Latest addition...

Had a few more pieces painted other than that for Ita. Here you will see 2 rice bins and a toilet roll mini cabinet.



Painted poppies on this bin. Lizana carried this small wooden bin all the way from Korea. Finished painting this one whilst I was caring for Syukrina in JB... but had it varnished just recently. It has been there on my shelf for some time now ...waiting for its mistress to come collect.... so here I show off my handiwork hehe.



Painted poppies all round the bin. It's distinctively my style of painting... I do not normally sit my designs symmetrically or smack right in the centre unless specifically requested.



Hydrangeas were painted on the rice bin and toilet roll mini cabinet for Noorazma. This is a classic example of hydrangeas on contrasting backgrounds giving off distinctive effects... but both look equally good... don't you think so????



Rice bin was based with dark green... and pastel hydrangeas painted all round it. Did this whilst in the hospital with Ira. It's finished but yet to be varnished... in time for Noorazma to collect on Monday ;)


It has been quite some time since I last painted hydrangeas on a dark background... so this was a welcomed diversion from my current paintings on items for Ita hehe...




And finally the last one for today... hydrangeas on the white mini cabinet. I quite like the look of this cabinet... I had it ordered just for myself. What shall I paint on it??? ... ummm don't know yet. It may remain as it is for quite sometime for all I know muahahahahaha ... another UFO... that's sooooo Nora !!!!! Anyway... this item was completed in JB too ....






I'm actually dying to show off the "kendi" that I made over for Gee... but since I could not find the time to send them to her yet... I'm still bound by my promise to her that I shall NOT have it posted until she has sighted them :(

At the moment... I'm painting teddy bears on a bin (half way through now)... had 2 dustbins and 2 display cabinets basecoated all ready to be painted on... apart from the fridge that I'd started last month!!!! Ita will be sending more stuffs soon... together with my shoe cabinet ;)

Busy, busy, busy .......

Latest for Zieta

Going to make it short here... showing off pics only. Had these painted for Ita.


Finished the umbrella stand yesterday.... painted a simple bouquet of a rose and hydrangea bloom in the same colours to match her previous green furniture set.


Ita received orders for more picnic hampers with specific requirements for the designs on the cover. The base remains as the sample I had painted recently ... it's just the top covers that vary. This one I finished whilst caring for Ira in the hospital. I normally will make use of whatever available time anywhere to do some handiwork... may it be painting or needlework. Time is precious...


The second set I finished yesterday... together with the umbrella stand.



Painted a mini hutch too ... but that pic I took with my phone and had not had it transferred to my notebook as yet. Spent 2-3 hrs daily for 3 days... juggling time in between sessions of home and hospital. Together with this, I completed 2 key cabinets of same designs as the sample I did for Ita... so these 2 I need show since I'd already posted it.... nothing new.

Well... that's it for now.... take care

My poor girls :(

July... is a month full of trials for me... in terms of family health. First week... I was in JB for my eldest girl who needed to remove liver cyts and congestion at the outer walls of her ovary... 2 ops at one go. Now 2 weeks later... she's doing very well... Alhamdulillah

Last week... my Aida was down with flu, cough and sore throat. Not a good combination with all the viruses in the air everywhere. It was stable for a while ...until she developed fever yesterday. At the same time yesterday... Syakirah complained of severe pain on her right side... not persistent but it comes and goes. With experience... I'd immediately suspected appendix (hubby, son and ma ... in that order... all had their appendix removed!!!) So ... together with Aida and Ira... off to Assunta Hospital we went...

Aida was cleared of whatever danger that lingers in the air currently... but Syakirah was another story. Spent 4 hrs in Assunta juggling between doctors and lab tests... and finally by 6.00pm... she was warded and due for an op at 8.00pm that very night! Yup!... by 10.00pm... Syakirah is appendix-less. My poor baby ... it's never a nice feeling to see your babies sick.... or in pain !!! It makes it even worse when you have to choose to spend more time with one at the expanse of the other. Aida has to take care of herself as I focus on Ira....

I'm now in the hospital ... juggling my time between my babies and commitments to my customers. Mom took over to sit with Ira whilst I rush back home and spent 2 hrs painting on the hutch for Zieta. It's half way done now... will continue another 2hrs tomorrow... Zieta needs it by Sunday for a preview on Monday (or something like that... can't exactly remember what she said hehe). I also brought along her key cabinets here to paint...

And my garden??? Hehehe ... I think I'm planting weeds again *sigh*

Good night... sweet dreams...

Laman Workshop 5

Last Saturday we had our 5th workshop organised by Laman Impiana.... as usual for the beginners. This particular group is a rather quiet group unlike the other groups before them ... most of them were really focused and concentrated on their work. It's funny sometimes how we seem to get a group of almost similar characters. I remember the Saloma group was a really boisterous group as in contrast to this particular group. As usual, we had participants from East Malaysia and all over Peninsular... and males too :) The pics below will speak for themselves......


That's the 3 of us... Aniza, Zaitun and I... busy busy busy departing our knowledge and skills to the participants...

At the end of the day... everybody went home with a completed project... hopefully satisfied with what we could give within those limited hours ....

We were told Laman Impiana is collecting a database of past participants. Hopefully by next year, we will be able to have another workshop for the intermediates. In the meantime... the 6th beginner workshop will be held next month, 15 Aug. Just check out details in the Laman magazine ya.... and oh btw.... keep a date with us on 2 August (Sun) at Popular Bookstore, Ikano. We were invited to do a demo of our craft from 1.00 - 3.00pm. See you there?

More for Zieta

Here are more pics that I'd missed out... all for Zieta. These were painted before the JB trip... about a week earlier than the ones I'd last posted...

Here I'd painted on a birdhouse-hutch ... reminds me of those days when grandma used to store her cooked food away from the flies...except that grandma's "gerobok" had a normal top, not shaped like a birdhouse. Again as it's part of the green set... I had my scarlet roses and blooms on it.


The opposite sides of the hutch. Was quite challenged painting this ... had to paint them whilst standing. If you notice the roses fall from the top... thus I had to twist and turn my head, hand and body to get the angle correct haha. Couldn't rest the hutch on it's side to paint due to the roof that juts out, and can't have it on its back either as it was harder to paint when placed in that position... so standing was how it was painted. Ended with a pain in the neck (literally! not metaphorically!) and stiff shoulders hahaha




Decided to divert from the normal scarlet roses... so on this caddy I'd painted white roses. Looked good... not as bright and cheery as the scarlet roses ... a bit subtle here. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder... another man's meat may be poison to another. Oh well.....at least the customer has a choice hehe....

Taa y'all ... that's it for now, thanks for dropping by ... have a blessed day ya ;)