*sigh*

Here's a failed attempt at Scott's Roses painted on a stool haha... a classic example of "don't-paint-if-you-are-not-in-the-right-mood". It was a request by a customer for Scott's Roses ... but the outcome is nothing like Scott's *sigh* ... oh well if she doesn't like it, the stool is mine ... one of the reasons why I don't take deposits ... if the painting is unsatisfactory, then the customer need not take it ... anyway... she has not seen it yet... she may or may not want it hahaha ....oh wellll ....

Tulipa Liliaceae ...

Mimi came to me with Portmeirion plates... samples of flowers she'd like me to paint. I'd just completed 1 with 2 more to go hehe. She requested tulips on a signage for her washroom ... but she wanted something different.... to paint the tulips without the butterflies on a background other than white as in the case for all Portmeirion designs. It was a task I enjoyed for it makes me think ... my brain is forced to think ahead before I put the paints down onto the surface!!! So what you see here is the outcome of my thoughts .... and after thoughts hehehe ...as changes were made as I paint ...yup!yup!yup!

I now have to wait for my carpenter to send me the tea-box and a plague for another signage to be placed at her entrance .... till I get them done ;)) ... be seeing y'all ...

For the bride....

It's 1.03am now... I'm dead tired but I can't sleep .... too many things in my mind (err...on my mind??? prepositions always my weakest!!! hehe) ... thoughts not coherent. Need rest ... ah well... might as well get this post out .... promised you all didn't I?

Kak Masnah's son's wedding just passed last weekend ... thus I'm now free to show off my work on her boxes and trays. I was under obligations not to show prior to the wedding hehehe. It was done in a unique blend of grey and silver and pearl white ... it took me many many MANY sleepless nights to mull over the designs to make them unique but definitely presentable masterpieces. Each item has a different design but all tied together with the same colour scheme. Kak Masnah, being the creative lady that she is, has successfully enhanced them with other ornaments and accessories teamed with beautifully laid flowers. I don't have the words to describe them... but these pics will say a thousand words .... have a look see ya ...

The book stand was simply painted to give a 3D effect and was used as a stand for the Quran

The lid of the box was given a textured effect, made to look antiqued. In it she has put in the toiletries ... I think hehe












The papier mache boxes came in a set of threes. I definitely must have forgotten to take the last one as it was added as an after thought. I did some lacework on them ...same concept but different designs











My lace designs I borrowed and modified from Arlene's works apart from some that I designed myself. So in this lidless box, goes the shoes and purse ...











I actually don't know what goes into that box ... hehe I took these pics as she was still decorating them. Anyway... I did a battenberg lace on the lid ... it was a strain on my neck and shoulders ... but I enjoyed it :))














That's the money box .... with big dowry on a bank draft hehe ... lucky bride *sigh*












This was for the ring .. I think ... can't really remember what she told me.... yup! you got it right... memory gone on holiday and forgot to come back hehehehe ...




What you see here are just some of the boxes and trays that were almost done ... below I'll show you the rest of the items that I'd done for her.... as of 6 June 2010, it was not yet adorned with Kak Masnah's specially delicate and intricate touches. I didn't have the opportunity to view the full completed settings though :(

2 cake stands with more lace work of different techniques;)















The last 2 boxes to show off ... It took me over a month to complete them all... but it was worth the effort!!!













...and the time now is 2.48am.... taking my rest now.... zzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz

Portmeirion lilies... again

This seems to be a favourite amongst portmeirion ceramic lovers from the Botanic Garden series. I'd done sweetpeas and recently strawberries (a design from one of the many series that they have... don't ask me what... can't remember hehe!!!) ... but my customers love the lilies. I'd had them painted on jewelry boxes, wall shelves, huge wall mirror frame, bins, lazy susans, placemats, trays and cutlery boxes ... that's to show how versatile the design is!

So here's to show 2 cutlery boxes with a mirror image of the lilies painted on the top lid .... had to paint both at the same time in order to maintain the colour scheme ...

On another note, last Jun 3 2010, we (Aniza, Zaiton and I) ran a workshop for Dapur... painted strawberries on a cheese board. This is a first of the Dapur workshop series for beginners. There's news that Laman will start off with the intermediate series early next year... so lovers of decorative painting... be on the look-out for the advertisements in these 2 magazines ya... what's in the syllabus you asked? ROSES ... so for those of you who'd been with Laman for the beginner series... you are priority .... so start practicing your strokes... refer to our book for guidance if you are lost ;))

Have a great day y'all... be seeing you soon ya... will show off my collection of lace work next...

Ebony set

I am blessed ... I was commissioned to paint a set of items for a lady who has everything ...that her friends feel that my paintings would be make great personalised items from them to her. And thus the journey began ...


She's a teacher retiring today... and her colleagues felt that personalised paintings on household decorative items would be most befitting for a lady who has everything that money can buy. I hope I lived up to expectations... have a look see here ya... a wall mirror teamed with a tissue box, a wall plague and a tea-box ... set painted in black with hydrangeas ....











The wall mirror and the wall plague









The tea-box which can actually be used as a jewelry box too









The tissue box as seen at different angles







Have a great day ya... am facing writer's block today ... haven't the words to story-tell hehe

Ai Kuan's Vol 52

I was commissioned to paint a b'day gift for Ai Kuan by a group of friends who were lost for ideas on what to get for a lady who's got almost everything! I'm honoured that they feel that my paintings are good enough to present as a personalised gift from May Lee, Anis, Eli and Jennifer.

On this book-box, I painted a design I adapted from a serviette (something I took off Zaitun's table just a day before ...hehehe), a design by Kathryn White ...done my way. I fell in love with the design the moment I laid eyes on it, and Ai Kuan's gift box seems to be most timely and appropiate for me to paint it. Spent marathon hours over a period of 3 days ... but I love the final look. I do hope Ai Kuan finds it precious enough to treasure :)

To this... I end with a good day to one and all. I need to continue another marathon of painting... to complete a set of gifts for a retiring teacher and cutlery boxes for a house warming... BY 30 JUNE!!!!! 6 items in all ... to sigh? or to smile??? ... I shall choose to smile :)))

Have a great week ahead ya ....

The 20-minute job...

*Sigh* ... painting mode ...OFF. Been pottering around in my garden... presumably giving TLC to my plants (hahaha! big joke!!!) ... yup! my poor neglected pathetic looking plants ... guilty as charged!!!! ...

Anyway... will show you my garden later ya... am slowly but surely giving it a face lift, adding more colour here and there. It's like a weekly affair now... there will be something different somewhere somehow ... minor but yeah! different ...hehehe

Age is also definitely catching up with me. Am not as energetic as I used to be. If my mornings are spent in the garden or filled with classes... then, by afternoon I'm almost listless ... and by nightfall... I'm DEFINITELY lifeless, seeking the comfort of the bed for an early night!!! Oh well ... life goes on.. anyway, for now... I only have this plague to show off.

Had it base-coated almost a year ago... but left it alone for lack of ideas. Roses were the order of the day... but somehow the mood never came. For one thing, the base was a colour I had experimented with. Loved the effect but since it's a unique colour (don't ask me what colour I used ok... errr can't remember hehehe!!!), I found trouble in getting the correct colour tone for the roses. SUDDENLY a few days back... I had the urge and just followed my heart... and frankly... I love the look. Very pastel, romantic tones to match the background. 20 minutes!!! That was all that was needed to paint the roses... and to think that I left it alone for a year!!!! Sheeeshhhh!!!!! (what else is new huh???) However... the look is not complete. I'll have to give it back to the rightful owner as she'd like to paint in the letterings herself.... over to you, Ita

So now, I need to seek the ON button again... have two major projects to complete before end of month... YIKES!!!!!

Have a great weekend y'all .... nora over n out!

A gift for you?

Have been painting on small items currently... friends wanting personalised gifts for their friends. Simple items ... but still an heirloom of course ;)

Here's a book box painted with roses ...gosh...when was the last time I painted roses??? It's always an effort to paint roses again after a long period of no-roses hahaha ... anyway, Nita was very happy when presented with this box ... or so I was told ...



Azura bought this bell-jar thingy for her friend's house-warming ... lucky friend *sigh* ... with it she has a cheese cake to grace the board. Had a simple linen lace design with distressed effect on the plain wood ... turned out to be very rustic looking ... again *sigh* ... lucky friend .... errrrr ... do I sound jealous????

hehe ... that's it for now... have a great day ya ;)

Washing today?

I love it when I'm challenged to paint other than flowers. It stimulates the brain ...at least I know dementia has not set in as yet haha. This time I was given a laundry board .... hehe albeit many many many moons ago ... but it was only this week that the urge to paint on it sets in. Finally finished it just before midnight ... oh well... I won't exactly call it finished for as long as I'd not varnished it... the tendency to add or change is still there .... hmmmm ... anyway... we shall see ;)

Monalisa ... you are not going to wash on this are you????

Nite nite y'all... off to bed and lala land ... muah

Who called the kettle black huh?

Completed another project today :) .... yup! completed .... BUT yet to be varnished hehe ...

Painted strawberries using a design from the Portmeirion collection ... had trouble painting the grape leaves on the cover as I couldn't really see the design from the printed image ... oh well .... nobody's perfect right?

Have a great Sunday ya ....