Showing posts with label Time to Flourish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Time to Flourish. Show all posts

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

My Farewell Entry for Graphic 45

Alas! Finally... Today on 31st May 2016 is my very last DT entry for Graphic 45. As of today, it's also my very last officially day to leave Graphic 45 as their DT member. My 2 years with them is finally (and sadly) come to an end. Though I may be able to reapply into their team again in the future, I don't actually see that happening any time soon. I wish I could if I ever had the opportunity and chance to do so. If this ever permits, I hope to see myself being on the team again.

I was pretty inactive this year and hardly have time to create new projects, including updating my blog (my blog is still snowing despite summer is here! Alright giving you guys some coolness here! LOL!). Part of it due to the various unsettling draggy situations in my life (for those who frequent my blog probably know what's happening). Another part of it is due to my health; my back started to give me serious problems early this year due to long hours of sitting for extended period of time. I craft, blog and work on my desk seated and I can stay seated for hours without walking around. As a scoliosis sufferer, sitting for too long for extended period of time is seriously a bad thing as the spine takes more than 180% of your weight while you are sitting. Though my curve was pretty mild, just by sitting for hours for the past 2 years had indeed progressed my curve further and I started to develop secondary curvature. It reached to a point that I need to get myself to work physically in an environment that I need to move myself around to release some of my back tension, which somewhere this early February I started to work as a part-time service crew in a F&B cafe serving coffee and sandwiches. Eventually I was on SpineCor bracing to correct and prevent any further progression. However, it will only work best when I'm moving around with the brace on, not sitting and lying down. Be'cos of this, I've to allocate at least 7hr daily to work in the cafe with the brace on for a period of 12-18 months. It's tiring and physically draining but as I noticed a slight improvement on my curvature, I know it's worth the effort. 

My marriage, my dad, my health etc are various issues which have been impeding me from creating consistently. As much as I would love to have all the time devoted in creating, I'm unable to given the fact (especially) my health is at risk which I seriously need to make a choice. I can't possibly create effectively with so many things going on even I've tons of ideas at the back of mind, awaiting to be produced. I wish for another me who can manage all these aspects of my life so that I can continue to create and inspire wholeheartedly. Very unfortunately, I'm a mere human with very limited ability. This is the real facade of life and I just have to juggle it well and learn how to manage them. 

So away from all these, here I'm sharing some of my favourite projects I've done for Graphic 45 while I was with them for the past 2 years on today's entry. Can't bear to leave and I wish I could stay longer...



PDF tutorials of these suitcases can be purchased in my Etsy store.


This piece can be purchased in my Etsy store here.

And here are some of my past projects that I'd love to showcase today however there're just simply too many to share so I decided to share a couple of them here on my blog instead.  







This piece can be purchased at my store here.




And here are all my obsessions with crates begins. Simply can't get enough of them that I had indeed created 3 projects out of it using the Home Sweet Home paper collection; another favourite collection of mine. One of them is a special tutorial I did for Graphic 45 which was recently being shared in their blog that I didn't manage to share it on my blog. But nevertheless, I still would love to share it here!




A PDF tutorial can be downloaded here.





Lastly, one of the previous Enchanted Forest garden project that I didn't manage to share on my blog as well as one new bathroom art project using Voyage Beneath the Sea paper collection that didn't get a chance to be shared on Graphic 45 blog. I should have included it as part of today's farewell's entry but it was too late to get it included. 











I wish I could have more time to elaborate more the above last 2 projects; how I get inspired and get them done out but it's getting a little too late right now and I need to rest my back. I still have outstanding projects to be completed and yet to be shared. Stay tuned and I hope after my crafting journey with Graphic 45, with more flexibility in terms of time I hope I should be able to produce more creative and quality works in the future.

I do read the comments over at the blog as well and I can't help to feel grateful for all the compliments and kind works g45ers have left for me. It's all these little encouragements that made my day and I wish I could have a daily dose of it to keep me going. As for now, I think it's inevitable to feel a little sad...


Tuesday, 21 April 2015

A Flourish Layout...

I had this very beautiful Phalaenopsis orchid which I bought her back about 2 years back, and I had watched her bloomed beautifully during spring... As it was my very first orchid, I decided to capture the blooming process... 

For today Graphic 45 blog post, I'm sharing this Flourish layout using Time to Flourish paper collection using one of the pictures I had taken... Used the shabby chic drawer pull here as the pot for my orchid, as if I'm still growing her...





Sunday, 22 March 2015

Graphic 45 Design Team Audition 2015



Yes it's the Graphic 45 Design Team Call; one of the most exciting event ever!!! I was very glad to make it into this wonderful team for 2014/15 and I should say my experience with Graphic 45 was truly a heaven one... I love my fellow teammies, the amazing people behind Graphic 45 and truly enjoy the cohesiveness and support we had together as a team... It made me feel like a family... As much I'd like to wish we could never part, I know I'll miss my current team dearly... 

Sieving through my past Graphic 45 projects from my last audition to being on the team till date, I've seen myself grown artistically, evolving into a different creative level; an experience that I'll truly treasure for sure... Though I'm still searching for an identity as a budding artist, I'm very grateful for this wonderful opportunity that have brought me this far... Here again, I'm trying out for another year, in hope I can have this opportunity again to share my works in a brand new different level...

And here is my entry, featuring some of my favourite projects...

Project #1 - Come Away with Me Stacked Suitcases

This was one of the biggest projects till date; building all these suitcases from scratch and took me almost a week to complete everything... Wasn't an easy job but due to my obsessions on stacked suitcases, I wanted it so much that I just went crazy to build this mini version...  

More details about this project can be found here... 



I guess I can never had enough suitcases, these little matchbox suitcases are just part of my addiction that I had to create a tutorial...


Project #2 - A Snowman's Baggage & Christmas Suitcase

In sequel to my matchbox suitcases, I did these suitcases for last Christmas... It's a sudden inspiration coming from Disney's movie Frozen and my niece, after hearing her singing the snowman song to my dad... 

More details about this project can be found here... 



Project #3 - Botanical Tea Violin Display Stand

I tend to keep things and when I found my violin, I felt old... Those were the days; bringing me memories... Each time I dug things, there'll be something that caught me and I'll always get inspired somehow... Nevertheless, making this stand for my violin was a result from digging old things... Spring cleaning don't sound that scary after all... It became one of my inspiration sources...

 More details about this project can be found here... 



Project #4 - A Christmas Kaleidoscope

This was one such recycling project that I put in extra effort to conduct some research in making functional kaleidoscope... I've seen quite a number of tutorials online but not all are able to attain favourable results... I tried and made several attempts before finally make this into a tutorial...

More details about this project can be found here... 



Project #5 - Come Away with Me Altered Postbox

I'm always a big fan of Nicola Battilana and love minis and little things... I altered this post box piggy bank and revamped into a vintage one with failing parcels and mini mailbags... Away from the traditional red postbox, I decided to make it blue to match the paper collection... 

More details about this project can be found here... 




Project #6 - Time to Celebrate Patina Box

This was one of my Graphic 45 newsletter assignments using the 5" x 5" mixed media box... I was tasked to alter the box with stenciling and stamping technique on the exterior of the box only, strictly no papers but only in the interior of the box... This challenging assignment had actually pushed me one step further, putting my creative brain cells into a new level.. And finally I came up with this Patina look which a tutorial is available...

More details about this project can be found here... 



Project #7 - Precious Memories Baby Boy Patina Keepsake Box

For this Winter CHA, I revisited my Patina tutorial and create a pastel blue version of Patina together with Precious Memories paper collection... This keepsake was especially made for a friend of mine who is currently residing in Chicago and just had a baby boy last December...

More details about this project can be found here... 



Project #8 - Typographic Grunge Altered Bookend

This wooden bookend was built by my youngest sister as part of her school project and has been kept in one of the drawers for more than 10 years... We managed to discover this one day when I was doing some spring cleaning at home... Again, another "digging" inspiration, I altered this bookend for her using a great amount of Graphic 45 staples and other metal embellishments I had in my stash...

More details about this project can be found here... 




Project #9 - A Thanksgiving Card

I made this card during the last Thanksgiving; my very virgin attempt on the Big Shot machine... Owning a Big Shot was never at the top of my mind despite I crafted a lot... It's because of the various dies given to us as part of our DT package, this indeed had changed my mind... 

I had penned down my maiden voyage with this virgin trial here...


Project #10 - Time to Celebrate Birthday Pop-Up Card

Never once in my life I attempted to make such a big card... This was my first attempt... Stands at A4 in size when close, this card will pop into a bouquet of flowers when open... This birthday card is especially handmade for a 98 year old granny...

More details about this project can be found here...



Though I managed to get into the DT last year, my Graphic 45 teaching opportunity at The Art Republic (AR) ended shortly... Very sadly, due to the rental hike they are unable to sustain the business and was forced to close shop... Here are the final 2 projects I had taught before AR close shop...

Project #11 - Botanical Tea Spring Duet Album

An album full of pockets and all pages are hand-bound together using modified saddle stitch which I put in an extra effort to explore and modify the stitches just for this album...

More details about this project can be found here...



Project #12 - Wanderlust Mixed Media Shadow Box

My very last class project for The Art Republic using Come Away with Me paper collection and 8" x 8" matchbox staple... This project was inspired by the 90s sitcom Friends' Central Perk fictitious coffee shop, just that there's no coffee served but more towards a travel shop...

More details about this project can be found here...




Thank you so much for viewing this entry of mine and I hope my projects have been an inspiration... I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Charee, Joanna, Aimee, Diane, Jeff and all people from the Graphic 45 family for providing me a great year in the DT... I hope to work with this amazing team again very soon...

Last but not the least, I hereby wish all applicants Good Luck for this audition... 

Thank You!!!