Pinkies and the Reds

So this is the last post on the gifts which I prepared for the birthday girl.

This is part of the whole birthday package:

It is basically a pink basket filled with mostly red goodies - my matryoshka doll, the amigurumis (Big Heart Bunny and Cheeky), a pink scrunchie, 3 red eggs and Hershey's Kisses.

Some of you may wonder why are red eggs included. Honestly, I don't know either :D. Mom used to dye hard boiled eggs on birthdays (mine, my sisters' and dad's) and we each had to have at least one. I miss having those on my birthday, which may seem a little silly because all I had to do was to boil an egg and dye it red if I wished. But I guess it is simply not the same :).

I did a little research on the symbolism behind having red eggs for birthdays and I came across this - "Eggs are symbols of life changes and their round shape is the symbol of harmony and happiness in life. Eggs are dyed red because it is the colour of happiness in the Chinese culture."

Hehe. I'm not at all superstitious, but I think its a rather sweet gift :).

And lastly, I bought a plushy throw rug because the birthday girl loves furry things.
That's it from me!
I have a party to attend and a Diwali celebration to check out, and I shall be back soon (I think).

Have a wonderful weekend ahead!

The Russian Doll and her Apple

So I have been a tad busy over the week. I have been helping a friend with her media assignment, and bits and pieces of me (primarily, snippets of my eyes, mouth and nose) are being featured in her video.

Anyhoo, my acting debut (or lack of) aside, I have made this:

An applely matryoshka doll.

I really love how it turned out - it is a big improvement to those I made earlier this year. It also has a little pocket at the back. Perfect to hold a note or something similar :).
The apple label on the back of its head is a super cute buy from Daiso!

These were a tad more expensive than one would expect them to be, but they were toooo cute to resist! :D Perhaps someone who is able to read French is able to tell me what the words on the Paris and apple ones mean? I think it has something to do with the love of summer.

Summer love... Love summer :)

Tomorrow, I shall be back with more, in order to make up for the lack of posts this week!

Till then, take care :)

The Maries

Do you remember Marie Cherrie?

The original Marie Cherrie is a brooch which I made 2 months back, and it was gifted to Hazel, Jacqui's adorable daughter.

Jacqui requested for more Marie Cherries as party favours for Hazel's upcoming party (a flattering request as Jacqui is an awesome crafter). Hence, the circle of Marie Cherries is formed :). These are for the girls, and the two Dinohs seen in the earlier post are for the boys.

The brooches were the focus of my attention for the last week. Completing this order taught me many things, mainly:

• I have to stop thinking that I am Superman (tucks red cape away in wardrobe). Grossly underestimating the time that should take in completing the brooches is not cool.
• Secondly, having a custom order is stressful. Jacqui was very nice in letting me do my "own thing" (so long they are ice creams and dinosaurs), but there is always the fear that the trust is misplaced.

Anyhoo, the order is now officially complete and was passed to Jacqui earlier this morning :). My first time selling my handmades! Hooray!
I have attempted to sell some of my stuff before. I started a Trade Me account (very similar to ebay, but TM is NZ based) a couple of weeks ago to sell the mounting handmades in my apartment. But more importantly, I needed the money to buy supplies. However, the response has been so terribly disappointing. I guess part of the reason lies in the fact that TM is mostly devoted to selling cheap, second-hand goods. Also, I think the word "handmade" scares most TM surfers off :(
I'm contemplating selling on Etsy, but taking a step towards this unknown is scary. Bleh.

Anyhoo, do visit Jacqui's lovely blog. She has a super tutorial on an adorable felt bunny that you may like to make! It has such an adorable tail, and really, who can resist adorable bunny tails? :)

Wishing you a super sunny and lovely day!

BlurbberryMoffin-Wants-to-Be-Poncake

Hey everyone *waves*. I'm back, and I'm exam-free :). I have no study-related stress piled up on my shoulders. The feeling is absolutely amazing. And tho' the carefree period is destined to be brief, it is nonetheless liberating :).

So I had a Plan. A very good Plan of what I would do after my last paper.
The Plan: To catch up with all the sleep lost in the past two weeks.

But it was not to be. I was pumped up, and wanted to do something.
So, I cleaned every nook and cranny of the apartment during the day, and stayed up late to finish this.

Sorry for the horrible photo. The weather in Auckland has been grey and gloomy, providing little natural light and mucking up all of the photos. I'll take more tomorrow. Fingers crossed that the weather will be good.

She has been named BlurbberryMoffin-Wants-to-Be-Poncake. Yes, she's a moffin wannabe poncake. She was also my obsession during the exams. I have eaten so many of her buddies from the local supermarket that I've temporarily sworn off muffins (which is mighty unusual for me!). Now, all I'm craving for are blueberry pancakes. :D

I've also picked up a couple of books from the local library which I am excited to share! Will do that in a couple of days time :).

Mom's Day: A dedication to her =)

Some of you may know that I'm living far far away from my family. I'm currently in Auckland, while my family is in Kuala Lumpur. The whole family used to live here, but due to some family circumstances, my parents and sisters relocated (temporarily!) to Kuala Lumpur, while I continue with my studies here.

So basically, Mom's Day, Dad's Day, family birthdays, my birthday - are all celebrated by my lonesome self here. Well, maybe not my birthday, as my friends are always here for me =).

On this mother's day, I know mom would love this as a gift.

Photo credit: Amazon.

She has been coveting this since goodness-knows-when. She loves looking at pictures and admiring them on display. But because Kitchen Aid mixers are very expensive, she is reluctant to buy one. Maybe when I start working, I will get for her one (Yeah, 3 1/2 years more to go to get those darn Law and Finance degrees! Hang on mom, I'm getting there!).

She bakes the most fabulous cakes, by the way (or so, I think =D). My favourite is her super chocolate mud cake =).

Photo taken during Christmas 08.

She has a mini business where she takes cake orders on a casual basis. She was also the one who put together a mini morning tea for the guests at my cousin's wedding.

Mom whipped up some cupcakes, blueberry cheese tarts,
carrot cakes, mini sandwiches and jellies.

Other gifts I know mom would like:

Le Creuset Enamel-on-Steel Whistling Kettle, Pink
Photo credit: Amazon.

KitchenAid Cook For The Cure Measuring Tool Set, Pink
Photo credit: Amazon

And for myself, I would like..

Fiesta Head Chefs Silicone Measuring Cup, Pink
Photo credit: Amazon

If I could, I would share these Paumes magazines with mom:

Paumes Children's Rooms "London"
Photo credit: Amazon Japan

Paumes Children's Room Paris
Photo credit: Amazon Japan

I think that mom would actually prefer Paris Kitchens or San Francisco Kitchens, than my above selection =P.
*Hearts Paumes*

And... Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there! Sleep in, enjoy the day and craft away! =)