This week's quick decorated box (a short tutorial)

This was one of those boxes that took longer to photograph than the time taken to actually decorate it. *LOL*

I started with this sturdy corporate gift box (yes, the box got me more excited than the thermal flask inside*winks*). I measured and cut some ornate and foiled patterned paper.

Then I ran the patterned paper through my trusty Xyron Creative Station for an even layer of adhesive and glued the pieces to the box.

Now at this point the box already looked 100 times better than its plain beginnings but of course, I had to "bling" it up a little, right?

I went in with some pearl trim for the top of the box...

And some purple tassel trim for the edges of the box which I decided not to cover with patterned paper...for a pop of colour contrast.

What do you think?

Happy weekend friends!

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A page from the recipe planner: Choc chip cookies

Well you know that the Gangster Gang (aka nephews + niece) would queue up for my cookies so it has to be in my recipe planner! *winks*

Nephew #1 has declared that his fave bake good is choc chip cookie.

He particularly loves those made with protein powder. I have to add cocoa powder because the protein powder is sweetened. The texture is denser and more cake-like.

I really love experimenting with different flours, softened butter versus melted butter and how much healthy stuff (chia seeds, flax seeds, nuts) I can throw into the mix.

And yes, I've watched lots of videos on the best choc chip cookies...I think I might attempt Tasty's 2 day cookie.Yep, apparently you need to rest the dough for 48 hours to really marinate the flavours!

Do you love choc chip cookies?

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Mixed Media Monday: Another painted eye on canvas

Hello friends! This past weekend, I challenged myself to complete an eye painting in one afternoon.

Usually I'll take my time...work on some layers one day, make adjustments another day...

This time, I had to work faster....working on another part of the painting while one part was drying...

I think it turned out quite okay for a "rushed" piece of work....

I used one of my eye sketches from my #the100dayproject as reference.

Happy week ahead friends!:)

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Mid-Autumn Festival 2019

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This day is traditionally thought to be auspicious for weddings as the moon goddess is believed to extend conjugal bliss to couples. This year, it falls on Friday the 13th so I'm thinking this year is an iffy year. *LOL*

Anyway, the significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival revolves around the gathering of family and friends . It is said that the moon is the brightest and roundest on this day (go away haze, we want to see the moon!). A full moon symbolizes prosperity and reunion for the whole family. Children typically carry lit lanterns around the neighbourhood as part of the celebrations.

And as with all family gatherings, food is involved and it is aptly called a mooncake. :)

Typical mooncakes are round pastries with a rich thick filling made from red bean or lotus seed paste encased in a thin crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. They are usually served in small wedges with tea. 

Traditional mooncakes are baked but there are also different variations of mooncakes that are not baked and can thus "accommodate" a wide variety of other fillings like ice-cream....

Look at those cute pigs!!!

And chocolate....!!!

Actually, I was more interested in the wooden box. Hahaha!

It is an extremely profitable business with a box of 4 mooncakes going for as high as S$100/US$70 depending on the brand and the type of filling. Pictured: TWG tea with 2 mooncakes at S$70/US$50.

This is when all the credit cards you own come into play in order to achieve maximum savings because certain bank cards offer a higher discount rate.

It gets a little gimmicky too...check out these Hello Kitty mooncakes in a fancy jewellery box.

Clearly, the price is in the packaging. Look aways crafters!

I'm always on the lookout for ones I can decorate of course. *winks*

I went to the largest local Mid-Autumn Festival Fair at Takashimaya Ngee Ann City Singapore to check out this year's offerings. If you have always wanted to try a mooncake, you can probably find it at a Chinatown or an Asian Supermarket. My fave is a traditional baked mooncake with nuts and meat - a mix of savoury sweetness....like salted caramel. Yum.

I'm off to go admire the full moon, savour some mooncakes and drink my bottle of Riesling (Chinese tea keeps me up at night!). Happy weekend friends!:)


P/s: Check out 12 ways to decorate a mooncake box.

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Another quick DIY chicken wire frame project (a tutorial)

Back in February, I shared a quick DIY chicken wire frame. Here is another one.:)

I started with this ornate plastic frame from Daiso. I had grandeur thoughts of spray-painting it gold but since it's haze season again (due to our neighbour Indonesia clearing their plantation lands by burning and affecting our air quality), I went in with my fave chalkboard paint (no primer required!) and an old makeup sponge.

I really like the sponged-effect of the paint on the frame. It looks quite shabby chic. :)

And of course, I had to add some pearl trim to pretty her up right? *winks*

I finished off by glueing the chicken wire to the back of the frame.

What do you think?

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Adding to the Christmas stash 2019

I've been having lots of fun using my Christmas pocket mail stash as the starting off point for my recent batch of Christmas cards.

I challenged myself to fit as many little bits and bobs while keeping things pretty postal-friendly....

And somewhat cohesive....:)

How are your Christmas cards for 2019 coming along?

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A page from my recipe planner - buttery scones

I am always on the lookout for a good scone. Slightly crisp on the outside, moist and buttery on the inside...perfect with some jam and a cup of tea. :)

It isn't terribly hard to make but it's a little finicky considering my local temperature hovers around 32C/90F on average. The perfect scone needs very little mixing and for the ingredients to be cold. And my hands mixing them to be cold too.

So I make a big batch and store them in the freezer so that I can slowly savour the fruits of my labour. *winks*

I kept the layout pretty simple...with a fun play with the paper letters on the photo.

Some fussy-cut palm trees from packaging...:)

I incorporated this cute tag from happy mail I received...so this page from my recipe planner came together really quickly. :)

Happy week ahead friends!

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Friday's Eco Tip: Repurposing old makeup supplies for art usage

Well friends, you know I have been on a makeup craze for a while now...and have inadvertently amassed a stash of used makeup supplies. Since I paid quite a pretty penny for some of these supplies, I like to extend my "investment" by repurposing them for art.

Makeup sponges are pretty expensive considering how often you have to replace them (once every 3 months) so I use them to dab on colorants or spread paint.

I have never ever finished an entire tube of mascara in the stipulated 3 months so I never buy them. Somehow though, they are often included in gifts with purchases. *winks* I wash out the wands to use for creating fun textures or paint splatters on my mixed media pieces.

Likewise, I have never finished a liquid liner by its 3 month mark either. So I just use them as non-permanent ink pens on my projects. The fine brush tips are very easy to control and write with. :)

Lastly I like to keep all my eyeliner/lip pencil caps...they make great pencil extenders and pencil covers to keep pencil points sharp.

Happy weekend friends!:)

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This week's quick Christmas card from the pocket letter stash

Hello friends! Welcome to this week's quick Christmas card from pocket letter stash! Yep, your girl is getting her Christmas cards done really really early this year...because she's meeting some people in person way before Christmas this year and wants to save on postage (like a bird...cheep cheap!*LOL*).

I went with the usual concoction, adding some of my own stash, tucked in here and there...

Added a chipboard sentiment and some bling.

Are you working on your Christmas projects?

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