Believing and Seeing

When I'm happy, the colours of the world are more vibrant. 

This is all the work of my brain. 

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Spotted this bus stop with neon pink outline. So freakin cool. I love it. Anyway, hi. Its wednesday and I usually dread wednesdays. But today was great. Things went well so I am super happy at the moment :D  Received a few very exciting emails, can't wait for these things to happen. Cant wait to work on exciting things. Can't wait to share them. Have a great week ahead y'all. Remember! When you're happy, the colours of the world are more vibrant. xx

Suzuki Family

Me + Noriko San

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Did an embroidery piece for Noriko San and her family. They're one super duper cool family. Cool parents, cool kids, cool family. Take care and see you soon in Osakaaaa~ 

LETS MAKE: Denim Bow French Barrette

These few days I've been thinking of getting a hair clip or a hair accessory that doesn't stand out too much and is versatile...like I can wear it with almost anything and it still goes kinda thing. So I thought since we're on the topic of Upcycling denim, why not make use of the left over denim scraps I have. And denim IS VERSATILE TOO RIGHT?  Im also very lazy, so on lazy days I like to be dressed in black because I don't really have to think much about whether this goes with this, yes no, yikes, ew. Black goes with black right? And a touch of denim would lighten and make the whole outfit look less...sombre...melancholic...ishhhhh.

yeahhhhhh. ok so...

LETS MAKE!!

\^_^/*

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Heres whats you need!

• Thick craft felt 
• French Barrette Clip (comes in different sizes) 
• UHU glue. (sorry mine looks so sunken, like the cheeks of an old lady) 
• Scrap denim fabric
• Needle + thread 

1) Cut a piece of rectangle craft felt for the base to be glued onto the french barrette clip.
2) Cut a piece of denim adding 1cm around all edges.
3) Fold them around the felt piece.

4) Glue them down. This is the base of the clip. Lets make the bow now! 

5) Cut another rectangular strip of denim fabric (doesn't need to be perfectly rectangular), and fold them up as shown above.
6) Handstitch the two ends together as shown.

7) Flip the sewn rectangle outwards and then press down in the middle from top the bottom to get bow shape.
8) Cut a thin strip of denim, this will be wrapped around the middle section to create the bow. (use a pin to hold them down)

9) Wrap tightly twice around the bow as shown.
10) Cut excess and then glue down.

11) Now we hazz the main bow, and the base.
12) Glue them together, press flat and wait for it to dry.

In the meantime while waiting for it to dry, I shall briefly mention about Maze Runner. It is an amazing show, keeps you on your toes all the time, I love it. Just didn't quite like the ending because I was like huh? huh ? whats this? whats that? Who Dat? wHo dAt? *i-g-g-y* ok. lets continue...

13) Now lets attach the french barrette onto the bow piece. Glue together, forever.
14) For extra security, sew the two ends down as shown above.

15) Press and hold down and wait for glue to dry again.

So while waiting for the glue to dry, I shall briefly talk about UHU glue. Guys, UHU glue is amazing. I love the smell of it, and also fact that it glues almost anything and everything together. Like, I have 100% CONFIDENCE in it. Another purpose for UHU glue is for violin practice. Sometimes after I practice for hours my fingers hurt really badly and they become really sore. So I apply uhu glue on the tip of my fingers till the glue hardens and then I apply another layer etc etc...so its like second skin, and then I continue practicing and it WORKS ALL THE FRIKIN TIME.

ok anyway.

Tahdah, denim french barrette complete.
Happy crafting~
Oh and just some additional ideas: you can try painting on your denim with acrylic before making them into a bow. ok bye.

Reservoir Thoughts

Then:

While I was wiping my tears from the floor, you were blaming the alcohol.

Now:

When I'm picking up my heart from the floor, you'll be blaming the alcohol. 

Go Green Wear Blue

Today I was invited to do a DIY Denim workshop at H&M for their media launch of their latest denim conscious range. It was really fun, getting hands dirty...painting, slashing, tearing, pasting, cutting. I love it when people come together and create stuff, and especially playing a part in saving the earth. Don't throw away your own jeans, instead... re-use them! Just add in a bit of diy magic and you can re-wear them again! I'LL SHOW YOU MINE SOON!! I really love my "new" up cycled jeans, can't wait to wear them. \^_^/

Have scraps of denim and want to get crafty?? Well, I'm gonna be doing a few up-cycling jeans DIY tutorials here over the next few days.  So watch this space!! :) 

Go Green Wear Blue (totally loving the different shades of blue on blue look btw)

They have serious awesome stuff, if you like denim, please go check out this range. Will be sold in stores from 2nd October. Think: denim overalls, denim cardigan, denim pull over, denim robe, denim omg everything. And everything is in a shade of very pretty indigo hue. Shop awayyyyyyy.

Fresh flowers so pretehhhh

Getting crafty! 

TIP: Painting dots on back pockets is a great way to Quirkify your old pair of jeans.

Abstract paint marks. 

Pastels and polka dots

Painting dots on rolled up cuffs. *idea* 

Golden polka dots , Black/white gingham and studs. 

TIP: Less is more

One of my new up cycled jeans! Courtesy of H&M. 

This guy's totally feeling it. Patchwork and studs. Luvit. 

Happy man is happy. 

Posing with our studded scarves. So diva i can't even pull this off. 

And one picture with Trudy <3 ( with me looking SO tired from not getting enough sleep)

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SO...WHY do I not have enough sleep? 

Let me tell you why, just last saturday I woke up with a terrible eye remember? So ever since then I've been sleeping with my right arm tied to a 1.2l plastic water bottle filled with water. This is so that I wouldn't subconsciously rub my eye in the middle of the night. Yknow the feeling when you start rubbing your eye, you can't stop!! So i need to tie my hands down. I gotta admit, its not very comfortable, BUT IT WORKS..andddd i can't sleep well because the posture is just too weird.

but it has to do for now, because I can't wake up another day with another swollen eye. I shall take a photo of my tied wrists tonight. 

ANYWAY, Thanks for having me! It was so much fun :D 

Time to crash now. Time to tie my wrists now.

xx

Flowers

Stand tall.

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A flower doesn't think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms. 

Lady in the White Night Gown

Lady in the white night gown,

With ribbons as dark as squids ink.

With hair as pure as snow.

Why have you come and 

What do you want.

With eyes so hollow, 

can you see through my soul.

Can you see the bitterness,

the sadness and the fear? 

Is that what it is,

is that what drew you here.

Take it then, take it all from me.

Take the darkness and then leave me be.

Take the days with heart wrenching pain.

Take those, for I have nothing to gain.

Don't forget the ones with Them too.

Those are the one that give me the blues.

Cleanse me and make me pure.

Make me forget Them all. 

Eat away the darkness, isn't that why you're here.

Don't leave anything behind that would make me tear. 

Feast, Feast until Their faces become nothing but a blur, 

keep going, keep going...its working, I'm sure.

Now, do you laugh when I am free.

Where were you when I searched the sea.

Lady in the white night gown,

you mouth my name but I don't hear a sound.

Leave now but come back soon.

Don't disappear for a thousand years

while you go around wiping other tears.

I have now made my peace,

Thank you, for the pain has ceased. 

Look at me with your dark hollow eyes,

and say good-bye because soon the sun will rise. 

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Best Of You

night after night

after night after night 

after night, after night

and finally I'm done!! 

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This piece is for an exhibition for the Best Of You movement. Its basically a movement where people stop to recognise the small things in life that makes up the best of you in the midst of our hectic lives. Living in such a fast paced world makes it harder sometimes to just appreciate things or people that make us who we are or bring out the best in us. For me, the best of me would be my embroidery hobby. I love it so much because it brings me so much positivity and colour in my life. Embroidery time also serves as a time of reflection and a time to unwind. It keeps me sane, and tbh I look forward to coming back to my little working space to embroider. 

Someone shared her story, that when she sees people finish drinking the coffee that she made, it gives her such joy and she feels that it is the best of her. A dad gave up smoking for his daughter, she is the best of him. What or Who is the best of you? 

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All eyes.

Dreamt that Kim Jung Il took over the internet and published a whole encyclopaedia series on EVERYTHING and I was just standing in the audience listening to him speak and I was suddenly rudely awaken by my alarm clock. Hey but I'm wasn't done listening to KJI. He was talking about how his encyclopaedia has details never shared before by researchers around the world, that now he is sharing to the entire world about how caterpillars are the hope for the future generations. And I just stood there, mouth wide opened.

But anyhoos, I opened my eyes.

And realised that sth was wrong. I couldn't open one eye. It was sealed shut and swollen as hell. I FREAKED OUT. yadayada, (I'm fine now though). I have this sleep problem; I tend to scratch myself when I sleep or sometimes like overly rub my eyes until it becomes all mangled and gross. LIKE today. It was so gross. Like, when I went to the mirror to check it out, I could see my eye ball skin thingy wrinkled and shrivelled up at one side. It totally freaked the shit out of me. And when I went to my parents room to get help at 8am in the morning, I was literally like "holy shit, mommy please look at my eye whats wrong with it whats wrong with it. I'm scared mom, I'm scared" And she just took one look at me and continued doing her hair and make up like "oh don't worry about it, I had it worse that you last time. it'll go away." 

la femme est calme 

and then I went to my brother's room and he was like "dude, whats up with your eye you look like a china man" 

ils sont calme

I hope it goes away tomorrow morning. I'm tying my hands to sleep tonight. 

Stayed

Things that had a purpose to someone, now holds a different purpose to another.

Coffee, cake and a book. Best way to wait the rain out. 

Colors and zig zags stripes 

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Green man. 

Crossed the road and it started to pour. Subtle initially like 1...2...3. And then without warning, the whole sky caved. I ran into a cafe to wait the rain out. It was terrible, I was drenched... a car zoomed by splashing rain water all over me. I felt terrible. Either 1) continue to sulk about how shitty it is. 2) Smile and laugh about it. /Number 2.

Instant mood lift. 

Had a cake and hot latte and a book. I always carry a book with me. It is essential. If its not a book to read, then it has to be a book to write or draw in. Anyway while eating and happily enjoying my cake, my phone died. How do I know the time?? I have to be somewhere at 6.  But I don't know what the time is now. I then came to a realisation that without my handy dandy iPhone, I am lost. I don't know how to get to a certain place, I don't know what time it is, and gosh, NO music to listen to. It made me feel so vulnerable. But it also forced me to interact with people to ask for the time, to ask for directions, to share an umbrella with and have a nice little umbrella chat. Human interaction feels nice for a change instead of keying something into google maps and following the blue cursor. Interacting with my phone too much. 

I don't know, could just be me. Stuck in my own shell for too long. Time to come out. 

But no,

I like it here. 

Sept Books Review

This month I'm feeling extremely thriller/crime.

I mean, I think I've always been into crime and thriller, but there are some months were I dive into rom com like an overly bored middle school girl *screams sophie kinsella* And months when Im feeling like I want to be disturbed and plunge into gothic horror/literature. And there are also months when I pick up the good old Murakami. 

Idk, sometimes I read about Scientology, Philosophy, How to Decorate your Home, Pets, Hitler etc etc etc... I mean...since I'm trying to get this blog up and going again, I thought it'll be a great idea to keep track of the books I've read and do a short review on my thoughts on it. Yknow the feeling when you find a really good book and you just want share it with someone to read it too so that you can discuss about it. I really LOVE that kinda discussion!! Like ... "omg why this. why that. why does this person die. She should die. Omg didn't see that coming, omg she's so crazy. omg I'm crazy. "  

So anyway, here goes: (also will try not to include any spoilers) 

My thoughts and ramblings on: 

1) The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared- Jonas Jonasson 

I love Allan. He's so quirky in such a nonchalant way that sees him through all sorts of situations, some of which are EXTREMELY hilarious. The books is split into two with alternating chapters between Old Allan and Young Allan. Chapters with Young Allen involves a lot of history. Think: Stalin, Mao, Einstein, Churchill, Kim Jung Il. 

I really enjoyed this although I got lost at some chapters because there are just too many names and characters and it doesn't help that they are russian names that are so long. This book takes you through a wonderful journey of knowledge and adventure and laughter with lots of super random elements all strung together perfectly. There was one part I actually laughed out loud on the train. Its about Stalin and his moustache. I hope you get to read that part and laugh out loud too.  At the end of the book, I felt like I actually can't bear to part with Allan.

Overall 5/10

2) Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn 

I read this entire book in one day. I couldn't put it down. But I did a very silly thing, I read the last few pages because I couldn't take the suspense. ARGH, AND HOW I MANAGED TO SPOIL IT. So if you ever pick this one up, please don't do that. Just read it through, resist the urge to flip to the end just to find out what happened. All I can say is, even till the last bit...I feel like I can identify with Amy.  "omg I'm crazy" 

oh, and theres a movie on this coming out. yay. \^_^/

Overall 8/10

3) Perfect People- Peter James

This book is about designer babies, genetics and ethics/religion. Enjoyed it fairly. Basically, couple who had a kid but the kid died from a rare genetic disorder because both parents are carriers of a rouge gene. So they went to find a geneticist to completely remove the possibility of their next child having to meet with such a fate. But when faced with such an opportunity, they basically "tailored" and created their child to be perfect. Intelligent, tall, healthy, can survive on little sleep etc etc etc...and so you journey with them to see how the kids grew up to be and the external dangers they face. Think : Sci Fi Creepy Thriller, Not amazing and happy children who saves the day. 

Overall 6/10

ok thats all. let me know what you think if you've read any of these, or drop me a comment to recommend me some books to read please. Need new books now. 

xx

Souls.

life/ death

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Come, take my hand. 

Don't just stand behind me. Watching as the hands go tick tick tock.

Remind me, who you are now.

And have you travelled far? 

Stay, don't go.

Heres your side of the bed.

Come, hold me to sleep. 

Ellie

embroidery process

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This is Ellie. She's part of the Sad Girls Club series that I will be exhibiting in Japan soon in October. 

I can't wait for that. Sadly I would not be going over to Japan because of other work commitments back home. :(
I think of E of the time. By embroidering her, her memories and thoughts are embedded in the weaves of the fabric. Stitch by stitch, forever alive, forever here.

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Ellie's sad. Ellie's angry. Ellie leaves home.

Ellie never comes back. Ellie cries. Ellie cries. Ellie cries.

Ellie make it stop. Ellie stop. Ellie goes.

Ellie come back. Ellie knows. Ellie's hard to take care of.

 Ellie says ok I'll try. Ellie fails. Ellie falls. Ellie cries. 

Ellie's crushed. Ellie's thinking bad. Ellie's not looking. Ellie crosses.

Ellie's safe. Ellie cries. Ellie cries. Ellie cries.