This week's eye sketch from the sketchbook

Hello friends! Just sharing this week's eye sketch from my sketchbook.

Here it was about an hour into the sketch.  Coloured pencil is a very SLOW medium but it really allows you to build up the layers and play with lots of colours.:)

Happy weekend friends!

Another CNY 2020 layout

Well friends, I may have gone a little overboard with the reds and golds on this particular CNY 2020 layout! *winks*

In case you were wondering, the lady in orange is my aunt and the two men are my cousins. The other lady is my cousin's Vietnamese wife. And the baby you've seen before...albeit through my drawing - my nephew S.

And of course, extended family has to pose with my signages too. *LOL* (These really get a lot of mileage...you should make some if you always have guests over.)

Apologies for the slight glare in the photos..the gold glitter is hard to photograph!

Yes, I added a googly eye to the cute rat for a little dimension.

What do you think?

Workspace Wednesday: My paper goals for 2020

Hello friends! It's February...you know,  the real start of the new year *winks*...and I want to tell you about my paper goals for 2020. Yeah, you know I'm serious about this when I include a photo of me in glasses for the optics (yeah...I'm corny like that...*LOL*).

And I literally mean my paper goals for 2020...like this humongous stack of patterned paper I intend to exhaust this year. Yep. That's all that's left of my patterned papers. No more hoarding or saving that special paper for that hasn't-happened-yet-and-might-never-happen event. I'll just use the b side.

Those that I have multiples of will be reserved for double-page spreads or for decorating paper bags.

Those that are thick and double-sided will be used for my planner pages.

The thinner ones I might use as photo mats.

But I also need to tackle this monstrosity that is known as....my paper scrap pile.

All of which resided in this single folder with multiple slots. ...that had seen slimmer days.*hehehe*
Anyway, I intend use these for mixed media collage which I want to get into in 2020.

Will I be able to tackle my paper goals for 2020???? *dramatic music plays in the background*

What are your paper goals for 2020?

A page from the recipe planner - Cheesecake

So the verdict is in. Cheesecake is a family fave, extended family included (minus the French cousin-in-law who is...wait for it...lactose-intolerant since he started living in Singapore!).

Yup. When you cut a cheesecake in my household, nobody ever says,  "Just gimme a small piece."  And you don't want to give anyone a small piece because they will just come back for seconds. *LOL*

The cheesecake was the reason why I only have this ONE AND ONLY photo of my CNY 2020 dessert table in its full glory (thanks to my cousin-n-law T who had the foresight to take a photo early) because somebody (let's not name names here...hehehe) took a slice mere seconds later.

Are we the YAM family or the YUM family??? *hahaha*

Anyway, this is my tried and tested recipe, adapted from The Kitchn's How to make perfect cheesecake. I just use less sugar and use Digestive biscuits for the crust instead of Graham crackers which are ridiculously expensive in Singapore.

Anyone who has ever made cheesecake would know that it is a relatively easy cake to bake. The killer is the waiting time. First you need to bake it in a water bath for an hour. Then you need to leave it in the oven to cool for an hour. After that, you need to let it cool to room temperature on a rack for another hour.  Finally it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

LOVE that my smaller letter stickers work great on the recipe pages...

The "It's my pleasure" text was cut from makeup packaging....I'm trying to reduce the stuff that goes into the recycle bin this year.

What about you? Do you like cheesecake?

Make Stuff Monday: a mish mash card

Happy Monday friends! I've been doing a massive sorting of my scrap paper pile and as usual, got distracted and made a card. *LOL*

I know. A little all over the place eh? I wanted to go the vintage route at first. But then I found the cute birdie (*winks* at Julie) and had to incorporate it somehow.

I tried to tie the whole thing together by using a white gel pen.

I was quite happy with the bits and bobs I got on this card though. The scrap pile is already looking a tad bit leaner...hahaha..as if!

I refrained myself from adding anything dimensional (even though the buttons were calling out to me..."Hey there! Use me!!!! I'm cute!) so that it's easy to store and postal-friendly. ;)

Happy week ahead friends!

Food Friday: Dessertporn from my phone

Nick's Seafood Restaurant, Sydney

It's Friday and the best way to wind down the week is with something sweet of course. Ready for another round of dessertporn from my phone??? (In case you missed the first round..;)

First up...a dessert I didn't even order. The supervisor at the restaurant asked for recommendations on places to eat and visit for his family vacation in Singapore. And then, this plate of deliciousness arrived...complimentary of course. It does pay to be nice. :)

This is a chocolate-coated crunch Tiramisu with salted caramel and hazelnut crunch filling served with a macaron and Snickers ice-cream.

La Verticale, Hanoi

Well yes, this was the dessert trio that was served as part of the degustation menu. It looks extremely indulgent and decadent but it was actually quite a delightful way to end a great meal - French Vietnamese fusion-style.

Vietnam House, Saigon

This is the dessert that I would eat every time I visit Ho Chi Minh City. Coffee flan with tropical fruit and coffee ganache. Oh-so-yummy.

Cantaloupe, Kuala Lumpur

A very refreshing Chinese-inspired way to end a lovely meal - dry longan granita, candied orange, red dates, white fungus and goji berries jelly.

Intermezzo, The Westin Sydney

This was sooooooo good. Dark chocolate tart with honeyed figs, fresh berries, white chocolate crumble, black cherry sorbet.

There you have it. Round 2 of dessertporn from my phone. I love a good plated dessert - a mix of texture and crunch, a little freshness and a plethora of flavours.

Happy weekend friends!

This week's quick decorated paper bag

I'm always happy to decorate a paper bag because it usually means that

1. I get to cut into two sheets of patterned paper (one each for front and back) from my huge pile of patterned paper stash that is taking forever to dwindle down to a more manageable pile. *winks*

2. I get to flex my creativity and try a different way of decorating a paper bag. You know I don't enjoy mass production of anything handmade...so if you get something handmade from me, it's guaranteed to be a one-of-a-kind piece for sure...with the usual cover-up of mistakes. Still couture craft though. *LOL*

3. I get to add to my emergency stash of decorated paper bags for last-minute gifts. Just add some coloured wrapping tissue + your gift and watch the delight on the recipient's face. At least that's what I tell myself...hehehe.

4. The stash of paper bags to be decorated gets a teensy bit smaller. Could be a figment of my imagination though. I've stopped taking paper bags from stores a long time ago but apparently they breed if neglected for too long...hahaha.

Anyway, this fussy-cut lady from a Graphics 45 patterned paper (from aeons ago) finally gets her moment of glory as the focal point on my decorated paper bag.

Also delved into my doiley and lace trim stash...

And since the initial bag handle holes had been covered up by the doiley, I decided to use a remnant black ribbon as the bag handle and finished with a vintage button.

What do you think?

A little CNY fun...*winks*

Hello friends! Now that CNY 2020 is officially over and I have taken down my CNY decor to use as scrapbooking embellishments, I can share some fun CNY family moments with you. ;)

Like the one where my sister and cousin obliged me with the rolled eyes pose.

Or my uncle with his patchwork ripped jeans that he loves.

This year I bought fewer Chinese Zodiac animal specific decor but more general CNY decor that I can reuse every year in a bid to be more eco-conscious. Which was great because I took way fewer photos this year. (You know, for a scrapbooker. Still a lot for a normal person....because a scrapbooker needs options! *LOL*)

And yes, every year the relatives come over to peruse the layouts from the previous year to see if they made it into my scrapbook albums. ;)

This week's page from the sketchbook

This year I want to be more adventurous in my mark-making. Making my drawings a composite of several references and adding my own interpretation of the piece based on my limited experience and what I "see".

The start of every drawing is always rough. The "ugly" stage lingers for quite a while as you fumble to get the angles/perspectives correct. It's tempting to want to physically measure to try to get it "right" but the whole point of practice is to learn how to just draw what you see and not what you think you know.  

My fave part of every drawing/painting is when I start to add in the highlights. That's when things start to come alive for me. And I have a tendency to go at it with wild abandon....like a kid. *winks*

Just sharing this week's page from the sketchbook. :)

Make Stuff Monday - a decorated tin box

Hello friends! This week's Make Stuff Monday is an upcycled decorated tin box. :)

I started with this Japanese cookie tin that I got from my cousin at Christmas.

I covered the top and sides with patterned paper then went a little overboard with embellishments as usual. I was envisioning a flattish design that made the box somewhat stackable on a shelf...clearly that envisioning was a total waste of time since my project almost always never turns out as initially "planned". *LOL*

Well, I did make a little dent in the floral embellishment stash so I think it's all good...*winks*

Happy week ahead friends!