Last Christmas

I've been wondering when can I post my lovely handmade for Christmas. As the holidays passes by and slowly I became a lazy bump but I would love to share them, so I finally manage to find the memory card and the card reader to extract my pictures.


Well, before I sent my Kodama to my swap partner in the States, it was happily taking photos with some of the Xmas dolls that I've made. An experimental Santa and a few snowmans make a jolly Xmas. If anyone interested in adopting the crochet santa, i will be happy to give away.





Santa wouldn't be happy without Rudolph and Christmas tree! So I added 2 rudolph instead of just a plain o' one.








There's a lot of ideas of Xmas handmade posted by those wonderful crafty people has led me to my new christmas tree creation. In this felt tree, I finally started using ribbons and buttons, which usually quite hesitant to add them as it could be disaster if it doesn't match the handmade.




I added a snowflake embroidery with gold thread and a greeting " Merry Christmas" at the back of the tree.



But my favourite Christmas theme handmade would be the customized crochet snowman and gingerbread man for my friends. The requirement for the gingerbread man as follow: "custom made gingerbread man with half of his head eaten and also his leg" by Karu!


Let's have a look at the baking of gingerbread man:











With a bit of twisted mind, I almost added another droplet of blood at the broken leg.



Finally, it's well baked and ready to go! A special custom made gingerbread man.





And lastly, my first attempt on crocheting a snowman and it's a much larger size amigurumi I've ever made. As usual, my favourite tophat was added to spice up the gentleman look of the snowman and a blue polkadot felt scarf.

Mr & Mrs Hippo

My first hippopotamus plushies!!!


Introducing Mr & Mrs Hippo, a pair of newly wed hippos for my friend's wedding gift to her newly wed friends. The bride loves hippo and purple, initially I want to make a Moomin plushie for her but the time is too short for me to figure out a pattern for it. Instead, I have referred to Tamiesnow's cute hippo for inspiration and guidance.





It was kinda difficult to write a pattern then trying out, as I couldn't achieve the effect i want with my pattern. So I decided to crochet and write the pattern along the way. It's a fun and exciting journey in making this pair of wedding dolls.






The dolls are made with acrylic yarn with some beads for the eyes and button for the nostrils. I added felt bow and top hat for the groom. As for the lovely bride, I made a pearly necklace and a simple veil with white flowers and a small rose corsage that made from an adjustable ring.






My favourite would be the top hat, as I always love to make top hat. Even for my snowman, I always put a top hat to keep them warm and looking sharp!!!




This is my first order for wedding dolls, hopefully more orders will come in. If you are interested, do drop me an email at yi3hui@gmail.com

佐賀的超級阿嬤

用了 3天 把“ 佐賀的超級阿嬤” 这本 很棒 的 书 给看完了 。







第一次 在 星洲日报 看 到 “佐賀的超級阿嬤 ” 里 的 文章 ，觉得很有意思 ，常常得空看报纸就翻看副刊 。可是近这几个月，家里的阿嬤视力不好，家里也就没买报纸了，就此把“佐賀的超級阿嬤 ”给忘了。


前几天 ，无聊中看到了 “ 佐賀的超級阿嬤”这本书，打算拿来打发时间，可是就从此迷上了这本书。 这本感人又有启发性的书是由岛田洋七著作，讲述他跟外婆 相依为命的佐賀童年。在城市长大的我，慢羡慕昭廣的童年，以大自然为乐园，每天都会有不一样的惊喜和玩意。爬树这门危险玩意是 on my mom's banned list，所以好羡慕乡下小孩的童年。


看了“ 佐賀的超級阿嬤” ，让我觉得生活再艰难，只要懂得动一动脑筋，思想开放一点 and just learn to appreciate what you have now and life isn't so bad after all !!

Lastly, 在这本书里头最欣赏的一句话 ： “窮有兩種，窮得消沉和窮得開朗” 。

Welcome Year 2009!!!

Have not been updating my blog, as too much holidays in December, and I went on holiday in Singapore. I did some handmade for christmas, will be posting the pictures soon, as they sitting in the camera, waiting to come out!!

I have many plans for year 2009: more swapping action in swap-bot, (i've completed 7 swaps, one more coming); taking diving lessons; start selling handmade online and many many more.

Here's 2 swaps I've just sent out to my partners both in the US.




My first dotee doll, it a heart theme dotee, which means i need to include heart somewhere on the doll.

I hope Sara loves my kinda weird heart dotee doll, as it didn't really turn out the way i wanted but it's adorable. My very first dotee, hope to make more of it, as it is simple and easy to make and the best is you get to be creative with it.

And this my "Absolutly Cool Handmade Magnet" swap for Milly. Milly is a cat lover, so I've made a kitty magnet for her from felt. I have also made marble magnet , with a mushroom face and a "Hi" stained glass effect marble magnet. The last magnet is a magazine cut out magnet glued onto a piece of wood that I bought in Multifilia and gloss it with Modge Podge (from Art Friends).

Buttons

In the midst of looking for button handmade ideas, I 've come across some pretty interesting button art and photos.

Here's a hug teddy stitched with buttons from Art of Housewives :




Some great ideas from Meringue Diary using buttons as art and photography :







Great button artwork by Lisa Kokin,

Passage
Buttons and mixed media, imitation sinew, waxed linen, chicken wire
41 X 29-1/2, 2004




Most Likely to Recede
Buttons and mixed media, imitation sinew, 31 x 31, 2004

There's more of button ideas such as rings, bracelet, necklace, embroidered onto bags and lots more. Creativity rules!!!! Anything from LED lights to steampunk accessories could be a piece of great artwork. Love to see more creativity peeps.

Kodama swap

This my second swap, a kodama (handmade swap of Miyazaki style from the film Princess Mononoke.). A kodama (木霊, 木魂, or 木魅) is a spirit from Japanese folklore, which is believed to live in certain trees (similar to the Dryad of Greek myth). Cutting down a tree which houses a kodama is thought to bring misfortune, and such trees are often marked with shimenawa rope.I have received mine from Jennifer from USA, totally love it. It is so adorable and so soft. Thank you Jennifer for this wonderful Kodama stuffie.

My Kodama stuffie from Jennifer

I have also made one from crochet for my partner Elaine from the states. Hope she like it as much as I love it.

My version of Kodama for Elaine

If you are interested in Swapping, drop by Swap-bot.com. It's so much fun, I have done 4 swapping up to Dec 08. My third swap was "I Love Your Blog Swap".The blog swapping is so much fun where you get to visit fun blogs and get comments on your own blog too!!

Happy swapping peeps.

Swap O Swap

New found hobby : Swapping!!!!

I found Swap-bot.com an interesting swapping place through introduction by a forum friend. Now, I am really hooked.

My first swap is a Profile Surprise which requires me to send 3 items to my partner, Destiny in the States. Instead of sending only 3 surprise I sent her 5 surprises. I really hope Destiny would like it!

Here's the goodies I sent last month, hopefully the parcel reach you soon.

A red crochet mushroom with pearly bead and crochet bracelet specially made for Destiny

A cupcake made with felt and with a face for Destiny's shop mascot

And this is the surprises (+ miniature cupcake where the pictures are not taken) that I have sent for the profile surprise swap.

I can't wait to receive my profile surprise from my other swap partner as Swap-bot swapping lands you with different swapping partner that you send to and receive from.