Welcome Hijrah 1430 and 2009...

I bade farewell to the year that has passed with much more fondness than sadness...There's so much to be thankful for if we spend time to reflect and removing the pains aside....

Daisies & Hydrangeas

I have painted these pieces this week & last...still accessing the perspectives he..he...like sifu says..where the lights coming from, shadows, veins and true to life conditions rather than just painted beauty... I copied the daisies from Priscilla Hauser workbook and the other two just draft it myself...

These are the first painted daisies and two hydranges after the lessons.

Classes with Norana

I had an awesome time while attending my fast-track classes with sifu Nora. Instead of normally having her students follow her steps on what to start with first..for me I was asking her if I could start with the leaves first and so on. Why leaves? I have the hardest time getting them right and I still do and keep on practising....

Nora gave me beautiful instructions on how to get to her place..I start off early from Puchong but took the wrong way by going thru the Sunway toll of LDP...should have taken the NKVE. Anyway, I was stuck for nearly 2hrs..reaching Nora's house abt 10am...waah..sifu finally dapat jumpa ehh..I was so seronok to manage coming to the class at all..dah banyak kali sangkut before this...

I met Zahirah & Sharifah the first time...Zahirah is my blog buddy..yeah...tapi kita was so engrossed tak sempat nak ambil gambar or borak2 sangat...Takpe sis..next time insyaállah.. 2nd. time there was this lady I lupa nama who always travel on her job...my 3rd. class I went with CT..she took some photos with the 2 Z's..I lupa nama lagi..sorry fren... That's abt it...the highlights of my trip to Msia....

KIKA Step Stools..Completed..

Today I have complete the two KIKA step stools for Zahrah & Linda. Will be delivering them by tomorrow....sad..sad..wish I have them for me....These are one of my first orders for painted items...I had made a few others but I am keeping them for the moment..just to see whats the differences I have made....

So...got to go on and other stuffs..but i got to schedule my time first. I think Tuesdays are good coz'I have Elsa coming to clean the house and I get to goyang kaki..except maybe cook lunch..but today easy peasy nasi goeng will suffice as I am still on puasa 6...

KIKA Stools - Painted but Not Varnished..

Today Ferial cancel the Quran class...what did I do with the time?I decided to start with the step stool wanted by Zahrah. I couldnt find a pattern so I was free-hand drawing the outline from..probably bcos I have to stop in between the lines sketch to answer the phone..I realise that the orientation of the roses and the gaps are inconsistent between the two sides..I guess..I will still offer if she wants it and I can also make another one using same pattern but by tracing them this time. I need to copy the photo and make the tracing from it... Anyway..these are the two step stool that is almost complete....Guess..if I am to be commissioned to paint a project by someone..I need to have a more standard pattern....

But I believe the individual flowers and leaves do look better today on both step stool..Only problem is putting the whole design together you can see the discrepansies....Wonder if I can keep these for myself?

KIKA Foot Stool - Update

Today, I put on the base color for the design. Hmm..the Maroon looks a bit to bright and the leaves a little pale. Let's see what will become of it. Since it's gonna be used as a step up stool to reach high cabinets etc..my friend says "Jangan lah cantik-cantik sangat..nanti sayang nak pijak." He..he.. not sure how it's going to turn out...

Decoupage Try-Outs..

These are done before I have the courage to start with decorative painting..I can say that it is much easier to do...and the outcome are usually nice if you have the patience in handling each step especially the part where you stick the flimsy layer of tissues to the surfaces.

After 2 hours....

Hah...see what I did after 2 hours?..I will always practise on paper first to get comfortable with the flow and colors..Than only I will do on an actual piece...I guess I have to settle with how I can paint it rather than how others are painting it. The above are the practises that turns out quite ok... Any comments? For the roses and leaves..I am using Plaid coz' that's what available here...so for roses it was Permanent Rose & Titanium White with Baby Pink load full b4 the side load. For the leaves I use Southern Pine for shade, Clover for base and Ice Blue and Lemon Yellow for highlights...Since it's just practise..I just use whatever color I have..But when doing a project..the right colors must be selected for the project. Wonder what i have that can be painted....

Still tak halus mulus..still comot momot. But no matter..from far looks ok... and looking for a design so that I can paint the pattern on the stool I have halfway basecoat.

Got to go prepare for Iftaar now...

ue

Bringing The Brushes & Water Out...

I've got the water basins out today...check on the brushes..bring out the books and sketches and what nots..Now I am still planning on what to do first..the difficult or the easier ones first. After about a month hiatus..I figured my hands should be able to be retrained on doing a different strokes just to get the roses right...

I should be able to sit down for awhile without hurting my bum so much..well..after the slip on the stairs last week and thumping down a few steps..so now I am feeling the effects. Finished vacuuming at least downstairs, changing sheets on 2 beds..I sure hope my housegirl can find the time to come soon. After returning from Msia 3 weeks ago..I was quite busy with the house work definitely..the unpacking and the storing...with school and homework and Miss Hannah wanting to audition for Honor Band to go to Switzerland..Zayd wanted too but he is still sitting while sis has been huffing and puffing on her French Horn for a while now..yesterday her music teacher called to say that she will benefit from a private tutor to prepare for the audition..a steep SR100 for half and hour and its going to be a couple of lessons till the audition. After that they will practise in school..so..hey..okay... Next..I was busy with the house renovation in Subang Alam while here in Dhahran. Luckily with the available technology I could see the progress...I will be happy if it comes out at least 80% to planned ideas..insyaállah..

So..here goes today...

My Other Passion ~ Floral Crafts

When I was working at an MNC few years..years back...I always see my staffs will have something to do during breaks...usually I do not pay any attention coz'I am the type if I want anything I will go look for it and buy..but one particular day..I see almost everyone was at it..doing the straw flowers..it looks so simple and cute..I remember too about the straw cube I use to make when I was about 10yrs old or so..Hmm..I wonder if I can learn this..So..it started with the straw flowers...than the sponge soap...a few more other things..Than I started making flower swags and wreath and decoupage at the same time..I also make those cuties in the small bottles with potpuri and stuffs....I dont have any of my decoupage stuffs in photo..but I make plaques..candles..soap..on bottles and boxes..

OK..but what I want to show here were the flower crafts that I have make recently and is taken up..plus the ones that I put up for myself...I can always make another...

Paintinq Try Outs...

I tried painting on these items..again free hand...I don't advise this as I have difficulty getting the arrangements right and sizing up the whole design. Anyway..it's good practise for me on these surfaces....

I figure that what I should do is :-

• How to convert the S, C, Comma, U etc... strokes into the ones that make the flowers or leaves etc...He..he..it seems easier than it actually is just by reading what the painting book authors say..especially if your hand is crooked and stiff like mine. But like they say..this craft is something that you can learn. Just be patient and keep on trying..I keep telling myself that whenever I feel disheartened if it doesn't turn out right...There's always next time and next pieces....


• Get a real teacher if one is available near you...this will show you tips and pointers...like how wet your brush should be, how to hold the brush, load the brush..do the strokes, highlighting, floating etc...Or..get a DVD or watch from Youtube as the next best thing... these are much more helpful than just books and painting packets...


• How to choose colours...especially if the type that is indicated in the books are not available at your locality..

This is actually a cutting board with legs...saw it at Ana Zul's house party and ask where she gets it..says it's not hers but rather belongs to Ana Ahmed instead...dear me go and ask it from her.. I am going to use it as a cake plate stand or a water bucket stand etc....This is done free hand...the base was painted with Raw Umber..the streaks on the surface were actually wet colors I tried to wipe off but it keep sticking. So, rather than paint the whole thing again...I just let it be since it's for me...

This next piece is also a cutting board....based it with wood stain 2x..than for this I draw a design first and paint accordingly. But..my weakness was and is still...I will tend to steer away from the design and add or minus as I like part of the original design.

This tray I got it from the Women Exchange for SR30..it was originally with paste up design and I peel most of it off...originally color was dark grey blue somewhat...Had to scrape the glue.. sandpaper the surface to smoothen and than paint it with Linen...about 3x..and sand paper in between layers...Draw the desin with free hand pencil sketch not transfer like above piece... The design looks like below....Than I proceed to apint them and ended up with I feel too much leaves in it..Hannah & Azlan likes the color and again the leaves..and me..well..ok..so be it...Yet..I still ahve to apply varnishes before I can use it...again for myself...

The KIKA Step Stool...

While the previous entry pics were old records....this is new attempts after getting the book from Nora. These two pieces were requested by Zahrah & Linda....they said doesn't matter how long I will take and not too beautiful because they want to step on it...He..he....

This is the raw piece....

This I have applied with sealer....transparent...

This I have just base coat the top with Plaid - Forest Green. The other sides was painted with Lemonade but all were just 1x application...waiting to be sand papered..

The wood is raw with some oozing of rubber like goo or something..I read in the DP books that I have to apply something called tannin to stop the ooze...I don't have it...what I have is some sealer and gesso. So..again...since the wood has just too much of burrs..I wash it again with thin paint....dried and sand it for the Green piece..as for the Maroon piece..I straight away apply Gesso....Still haven't completed pass the basecoating stage..am still thinking what next...

This piece is with white Gesso applied 2x and sand papered in between...I feel this is easier to handle as compared to the above when I want to basecoat them and sand papered...

The top is basecoated 2x with Plaid - maroon and the other sides with Raw Sienna...the bottom rod will be painted with maroon or something lighter...This piece looks and feel smoother than the other piece even before sand papering..

Next..I will ahve to decide on a design..but will use transfers so that it become more uniform since it is for others. Also to decide what kind of roses its going to be..I am still practising the strokes with knowing how to have enough water in the brush so that paint is smooth...I just have no feeling or idea how this is..probably more practise on paper...

Next Few Pieces...Welcome Plaques...

I started the next few projects by making these Welcome plaques...the two top most are using design transfers..so it turns out better. But this is before I learn how to do the writings..still not good at it but already with some ideas for the next time.



This is my first plaque...so eager to see how it turns out. I guess this is my actually 3rd..painted piece...Hannah love the flowers but not the writings..Azlan likes thewriting but too much flowers he said...so I got an idea for next of somewhere in between. Again this is free hand...

This is also free hand but the writing using a template. Everybody hates how the words turns out but like the yellow roses.

All the pieces is using wood...I had a difficult time smoothing it as I try sanding before painting and it was a mess. The wood is quuite cheap though if compared to Walnut Hollow...but it gets easier to smoothen if I applied a thin wash of colr first and use a medium sand paper once it dries to make it smoother. But I still leave it rough as I like it that way...all the pieces were just for me to learn something new and see how the skill improves...I haven't sold anything except for the golf iron commission..maybe if I am happy how things turn out than I can start with joining the local crafts sale in December...

First Few Practices for Decorative Painting

This is an old golf iron that was full of scratches requested to be given a new image. I was hesitating as my skill was not yet anywhere hence the blotches and image built up. But it was good to practise on a real object instead of just paper. The base was initially painted with gesso to amke it sticks..I had a hard time making the painting stick...actually this was the 2nd. painting as initially used an enamel paint and it lifted up from the metal surface..not sure why though...

This blue & green thing is actually stove plate covers...bought an already painted piece which was commercially made with a black and white irises...scrub the surface with metal wool and coat with gesso again...next put 2 layers of base paint before painting...this was done with the design being sketch first on the objects..many of my practises were fee hand direct too the object..was a bit impatient but than it depends what is your objective..


This is just free hand painting to get the strokes..still did not get it well...

KIKA Trip....

Today decided that I am going to start with what I plan to start earlier...get the paintings moving....I have done practices over and over again on paper till my brush has start to scream.... I am still waiting for the book from Nora..probably tomorrow I will get it since my abe says he got a notice to pick up a package from the post office..so I assume it will be IT...

Today aftera late lunch with cendol pulut at MK...we stopped over at KIKA next to Dhahran Mall..It's newly opened...seems very similar to IKEA and as it will bve known IKEA & RedTag will be opened soon too...all near each other but you cant walk to one and the other.

I bough some step stools, wooden plate, and two round stools. The stools are slightly varnuished I think..but the step-stools are raw wood..Urghh..still got no idea how to treat..The books says you have to treat your wood before starting to base paint. So that the wood "juices"will not seep out to the paint..Huh..beats me what this means..Anyway..I cant do anything yet tonite..but I plan to do so day after tomorrow after my classes....

Start Of Another Beginning

This will be the blog for just my crafts..no matter how bad they can be..I can say that I do it my self. i would want to include in addition to the finish product the methods, tips, suppliers, costs, place to sell them etc.... Tentatively the crafts that I will be indulging in are :

• Floral Crafts using Silk Flowers...Swags, Wreath & Topiary


• Cinnamon & Spice Crafts


• Napkin Decoupage


• Small Cutesies...hantaran stuffs...


• Decorative Painting...I am so hoping I can do this...

Well..I have lots of books coz'that's where I am learning it from plus the wealth of information available on the internet.