gift moment

It's Christmas time

home decorations and buying presents are a huge part of getting ready for it 

for me, going handmade with gifts becomes holiday tradition 

I have been obsessive with diy lotion bar lately

it's made of natural ingredients and quite nourishing

so it is Perfect for my gals
no need to buy any jar or tin for storage - just try to reduce waste when celebrating holidays

and my favorite part of making lotion bar is that I could pick cute-as-can-be molds 

transportation theme for this year 

which one appeals to you

lighting up

a good friend of mine has bought me a beeswax candle sheet from Taiwan

I am keen to try it out as I haven't any hands-on experience before

with honeycomb texture, the sheet is such a touching pleasure

and I am so surprised how easy it is to make candle

- just by rolling the wax around the wick

a great gift when Christmas is just around the corner

now I am all set to have a candlelight dinner at home

ongoing series

apparently I have a penchant for different shapes
to me, triangle is quite dynamic among shapes
the angles indicate action and direction
and irregular triangle is particularly playful

all natural

there are a few things I can't live without

body lotion is definitely at the top of the list

in order to keep fabrics clean, I constantly wash my hands when working

that leaves my skin dry and sensitive

especially at this time of year, the humidity level starts to plunge 

sort of fed up with buying tons of plastic bottles for skincare products

to be eco friendly while pampering my hands

I have decided to make my own body lotion

it is super easy to make with just a few ingredients

and extremely moisturizing as well

at the end of the day, a smile of self-satisfaction on my face

you should try it sometime

out with floral prints

this is the clutch bag 

which I've designed to pair up with my little black dress in a wedding banquet

some of my friends would shake their head when they see it

I get a little perplexed 

I wonder why I am expected to content myself with

clean lines and monochrome palette 

stay with only one style 

once in a while, I admire something sweetly feminine and glamorous

there's nothing wrong with embracing a moment of thought 

and reflecting it in my design 

DIY brooch with rubber stamp

I came across a great collection of rubber stamps from 

a scrapbooking store on the last trip to the US

since then I have become a huge fan of stamping
question on my mind:

the craft isn't just for making card and wrapping gift

it can be fashionable as well 

- its intricate design can turn into pretty cool brooches 

supplies

 super glue
glue stick

scissors

ink pad

bar pin 

rubber stamps

paper board or card stock

paper of your choice

step 1

tap the rubber stamp to the ink pad
after make sure that the stamp is evenly coated with ink,
gently press it to paper

step 2
once the image is perfectly stamped,
carefully cut around the shape

step 3
for card stock, cut out same size shape
then adhere it to the image with glue stick

step 4

attach bar pin to the back of the card stock using super glue
leave it to dry off

Ta Da,  there you have a brooch
as you can see, it is quite simple to make
have fun!

available at Kubrick apm

admittedly, I'm thrilled to have Cotton Car's collection at Kubrick
it is one of those stores which care about cultural experience

I'd like to have something different every time
in this collection, small items become my primary focus
wallet, zippered pouch, cosmetic bag, iPhone case and iPad case

think about how often you change those items?
once a week? once a month? or even longer?
however, hardly stick with one handbag in a week

we tend to be loyal to these individual organizers
they not only make our lives
easier, simpler when switching up looks
but also reflect who we are

fill in the blank

I like black, white, blue

but sometimes I'm in the mood for other colors

when I came across this indigo fabric,

I couldn't pass up the chance to hand paint it with red

it kind of reminds me of the coloring projects in my childhood

fun and inspirational

on simple ensemble

indigo-dyed fabric can be quite versatile

just waiting for us to explore more

its floral print is my thing, subtle yet beautiful

I have been eager to design something other than handbags with it

here's the new item

madras and garden variety make up the brooch

mix and match with other fabrics as well

it could turn a crisp white shirt around

Fringe Club moment

I work in collaboration with SOIL to participate in the mini exhibition “Creative Ventures into Publishing, Crafts, Design and Coffee Farms” at HK Fringe Club

four new tote bags with Chinese indigo fabric are featured for the occasion

they are all born out of my deep appreciation for traditional eco-friendly dye

as you can see on the photos below, I turn my attention to appliqué this time

collage pieces come from indigo patterns blended with other textile prints

images of nature and garden appear on the composition

the bag with octagon-shaped print demonstrates the idea of 

taking fabric pattern into account when designing handbags

 this fabric astonishes me since I found out that its patterns were hand painted

it is my way to show respect for the fabric

also, I’m dipping my toes on 3-D forms built into a vivid color/pattern mix

because sculptural design always captures my heart

frankly, I am pleased with the end result

Thank You to my incredible photographer, Chee Haur!

DIY Jumping Jack

I made those DIY toys for charitable project HAPPY MAKERS
the result really conjures up the kid in me

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to All the fathers and father figures as well

a continuation

as for pouch, I still concentrate on zipper paired up with metal frame

an updated version

but being prone to examine pattern clash

in particular, I think of stripes contrasted with other prints

as you can see, circle shape shows up again

the idea of double side as well

um....just can't deny the urge to throw them in the design

side by side

it is summertime

also update time for my tote bag 

here’s an alternative to the central circle pocket 

I put the pocket along the side

design wise, it creates different focus and look for the composition

plus, it can transform into new bag shape

at the moment, it is a square 

to add more fun, jazz it up with color contrast

for me, somehow it’s like a huge stamp on envelope

P.S.  after all, there are no set rules, 

I would try any new ideas popped into my mind

those laid-back days

some of you might have known that I flew out to the states earlier

more specifically, San Francisco and New York

having one month off is a real luxury these days, especially for Hong Kong people

I consider myself very lucky

humm…I thought I would have very packed days on vacation

rather than squeezing in time to visit outlet stores for shopping 

and museums for inspiration,  

or check out must-see spots in cities 

fully enjoying the sweet weather in April is my thing 

-I heard it had been raining and grey clouds in HK

dreamy sunset was a classic when strolling by the sea

going back to my college for photo shooting time – admittedly, I got quite nostalgic about it

Driving to nature and beautiful scenery since we were that close  

trying out local vegan restaurants in town– Café Gratitude is my favourite choice

and catching up with my family and old friends, 

so glad to see their smiling faces again

oh, I almost forgot to mention mini golf 

the kind of things make me happy 

I had a brilliant time

it really keeps my mind in shape

string mode again

I have devoted more time to strings

partly because of being thousands of miles away from my sewing machine

on getaway, enjoying California sunshine

but what got me ultra excited is

you can make a lot of innovative projects with them

bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, headbands, belts, camera straps.......

all right, any will do

whip-up fever

 

I have been meaning to try some new medium

on my to-do list

making bracelet with strings is one of them

all I need is some multi colored embroidery floss

it is pretty much like a warm up exercise for me

because I can't resist to make many more of them

 

 

 



start wrapping

I will be traveling very soon
a versatile handbag at the top of my agenda
it has to be light and decent-sized
 something comfortable yet chic enough
with which  I can go to a nice restaurant
without feeling awkward

 as the result,  I make myself a navy blue wrap bag
with vintage inspired print
it looks like a half vest when slinging over the shoulder

zipper pocket on tote bag

I found myself making different pocket designs on tote bags
given that there are many misc items to bring when going out
I need to get organized
pockets have a practical purpose
they keep my stuff easily at hand

this time I play around with zipper

eye for fish scale pattern

I got a thing for fish scale pattern

partly because I am a pisces

with multiple layers, it is quite vibrant and playful

I start with bag bottom first

be expect more experiments 

Valentine's Day

Happy V-day to everyone

have a great time with loved one

year of the snake