Hanna Melin

Fly Away With Me print by Hanna Melin. Sweet & simple with a painterly feel, just the way I like it.

 

Quill & Fox

This card is one I would so frame after giving it to my husband. Read the designer's profile here via Storque.

 

Paper To Petal

 

This book marries my love for crafting & flowers, and I can not wait to get my hands on it! It will be released in August & you can preorder it on Amazon (which is what I just did). I'm seriously drooling over these pictures....

 

Abigail Brown

I've blogged about Abigail Brown a couple of times (here & here) & I'll keep on blogging till the whole world knows about her amazing handmade birds. I hope someday I will be able to purchase a peacock for myself (£500 pounds! Sob sob)

 

A Little Cat Lovin'

I'm sure Hassan, my very spoiled & much loved cat, would appreciate a teepee of his own. Via Free People.

 

As the cat of a self-proclaimed craft maven, I'm also pretty sure he'll be miffed to get a hand-knitted, catnip stuffed mouse. Via Mungo & Maud.

 

Hassan is such a sweetheart (he's great with everyone, other cats & dogs, kids & adults alike) so what better way to dress a gentleman cat than with a bowtie? Via Silly Buddy.

 

Beth Emily

Ethereal art like Beth Emily's gets me every time. I sometimes wish I had my own little gallery so that I can feature & sell art prints like this.

 

Surprise Message Box

 

Aren't these just darling? Custom & handmade by Pamela Loops based in Paris, I think they make the perfect gift for someone who loves all things cute & unusual.

Via Happiness Is.

 

Want: Bouquet Art Print

 

Majorly crushing on this art print of Oana Befort's original watercolour illustration simply titled Bouquet.

 

Want: Fjallraven Kanken Backpack

With all the adventure travelling we do, Bobby & I usually carry backpacks while on the move as they're really handy to tote essentials & to stow away. I have an ancient EastPak that I've had since my boarding school days & although it's still going pretty strong, I think it's time I get a replacement. I've been shopping around for a simple & classic backpack that's hardy, water resistant & not crazy pricey (hello, USD795 Anya Hindmarch Maxi Zip Backpack). Enter Fjallraven Kanken. Simply known as the Kanken, it's been around since 1978 & it's incredibly popular in its home country of Sweden not to mention in countries like the US & UK. I love the squarish shape & the top handles but most of all, I love all the colours they come in! I'm having a very, very hard time choosing one but I'm leaning towards gender neutral coloured ones like Frost Green. Warm Yellow or the combination of Navy & Bright Red. Which would you choose?

And the picture below was the clincher for me…

 

Another Cambridge Satchel

This little 11" rose gold baby from Cambridge Sacthel is being made for me as I type this. On a whim yesterday I checked out CS's website & found that the bag I was lusting after since last November was half-off so without further thought, I added it to my cart, checked out & bang, I'm the proud owner of yet another CS! My red 15" Batchel (it's the classic satchel with a top handle) is my go to work bag (seen here & here) but I wanted something smaller for casual days out & I think this rose gold version will just be that touch of fancy that will elevate any old outfit I lazily pull together. I'll share pictures when it gets here k? I'M SO EXCITED! 

Hello 2013

I'm not one to make resolutions, much less stick to them but this year I thought I'd do just that & prove myself wrong. Some of my many resolutions is to declutter my house, stop buying unnecessary craft supplies & trinkets (which has created all the clutter to begin with), to be more careful with the people I let into my life & to keep a daily journal instead of my current haphazard version. How about you dreamers? 

P/S: To help you welcome the new year, how about some awesome motivational art or the calendar above from locally based Neue Graphic? They're offering a 15% discount till this Friday with the code NOW2013 so grab some posters while you still can! Here are a few more of my favourites below…

 

 
 

Team Etsy Malaysia's Market!

Come one, come all! On the 15th of December, Team Etsy Malaysia is hosting a Handmade Love Market at Hello Deer, just in time for some Christmas shopping. Here are the list of Etsy sellers all offering unique, handmade goodies…

Mimpi Murni - succulent arrangements (& something new I'm working on with a buddy!)
I Heart Badges - button badges
Notbook Notbuk - notebooks & journals
Sew Fabby - gadget sleeves, bags & baby stuff
Bisou Bonbon & Bisou Rose - bath & body products
F64 - prints, films, cameras & darkroom services
Nukilan - stationery, tiles & mugs
Beadcraftz - jewellery, soaps & more
Guiirin - tags, postcards & accessories
totoro2008 - sewn pouches, dolls & bags
Mettaville - journals, magnets & jewelry
MaykeMe - ceramic figurines
Nottypooch - recycled banner gadget sleeves, marshmallows & baked goods
Snazzy & Such - pouches, bags & kids clothing
Okinokiyo - sun hats
Love And Craft - supplies, accessories & bags
KatrinaGumal & EmiKaz - jewelry
The Lollipop House - jewelry & bags
huhubag - bags

Remember now, it's on Saturday, the 15th of December from 11am - 7pm so don't miss out! There will be a lucky draw as well with over a dozen prizes to be given away, so watch this space.

P/S: If you make cool things & you're an Etsy seller (or would like to be), come be part of Team Etsy Malaysia. Here's how: http://www.etsy.com/teams/5026/etsymalaysia

Check out the following links for more info on the market:
EtsyMalaysia Site
EtsyMalaysia Facebook
EtsyMalaysia Twitter

Moleskine & Lamy Love

Along with my Macbook & iPhone, my day to day life just wouldn't be complete without my Moleskine & Lamy pen. I've been using a Moleskine since 2007 & my Lamy rollerball pen is new to me as it was a recent gift from my husband. I've always loved notebooks & pens and I have a nice little collection of both from years of trawling the stationery stores & handmade markets, but my Moleskine & Lamy trumps them all. Honestly, the minute I cashed my first big pay check, I ran to the nearest store that carried Moleskines & now that the mister has introduced me to the world of high quality pens, I will never look back.

But honestly, they're not all that different from your average notebook & pen. Especially the Moleskine; black hard cover, lined paper, a black elastic to keep your notebook securely closed or as a page holder, a back pocket to keep bits & pieces and that's pretty much it! So what is it about a Moleskine? Besides the construction, which is good & almost indestructible, I can't really say but whenever I'm reminded that I'm writing into something that Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso & Ernest Hemingway once used, I get a little thrill. Yeah, I guess you can say I bought into the hype but I use up all of my Moleskines which is a heck of a lot more than any other notebook in my collection…. Some of which have only a few pages of scribble, then abandoned to languish at the bottom of my catchall drawer in the craft room or are too pretty to use so are left unused & eventually forgotten. Not my Moleskine though. Since I use every single page, I like to keep it as organised as possible so from time to time, I refer to this Monster Collection Of Moleskine Tips, Tricks & Hacks. In the earlier years I referred to this post on How To Keep A Moleskine PDA but I still think it's a great introductory read if you want to start keeping a Moleskine for organisational purposes. This of course applies to any notebook.

As for my Lamy pen, although it's something I just acquired, I am hooked, line & sinker. For the longest time I scoffed at the thought at spending more than a few Ringgit for a pen. I mean, if it's really pretty like some of Typo's I might make an exception, but for something that looks simple & utilitarian for more than RM10? No way! That is until my husband made me try the Lamy 'Tipo'. It's an entry level pen for Lamy but the heft & the smoothness of the ink won me over. It's a great everyday pen & I love whipping it out during meetings with clients… It makes me feel very grown up! I am now eyeing the 'Swift' thanks to reading this review at Notemaker. Hehehe.

Here's my current Moleskine which is a limited edition Le Petit Prince & my red Lamy 'Tipo' pen (my husband has a matching silver one). Have a great day folks!

Wishlist: Kaleido Trays

I have a secret collection: trays. Yup, trays. I don't know how it happened or when it started, but I now have about 20+ trays ranging in sizes & materials. I don't know what I'm going to do with all those trays & I haven't even used some of them but they sure look pretty lined up in my kitchen. So how about adding more to my collection? Yes, please. Especially these geometric metal trays at APlusR that you can combine into different combinations. So cool.

 

 

Olympic Prints

Here are my picks for awesome prints commemorating the London Olympics. Love them all & if I didn't already have a ton of prints waiting to be framed & hung, I would get myself a copy (my favorite is at the bottom) in a heartbeat. 

2012 London Olympics by Andrew Maunders & inspired by the 1948 London Olympic games poster. Get it here.
 

17 Days of Summer by Jordan Cheung. There are no official Olympics branding elements but you'd be pretty daft not to know. More of Jordan's work here.
 

East End Prints: London Olympics by Dieter Braun. This one is by far my favorite. You can get it here. 

Cambridge Satchel

This gorgeous 15" red Batchel (which is just a satchel with a top handle) is being made just for me as I type this & in approximately a month's time it will be in my loving arms. I've been coveting a Cambridge Satchel for ages & ages but I kept putting off making the purchase. Until recently that is... You see, my darling husband got me the new Macbook Pro for my birthday & I think my MacDreamy (yes, I've named him) deserves a nice bag for me to carry him around. Yes, that's my excuse & I'm sticking by it! ;)

What makes this bag so special for me? Firstly, if you purchase it directly from the maker, it's handmade to order using the finest English leather, which is stiff to begin with but will soften with wear & age.  You can also get it embossed with your initials as I did & with a design this classic plus the fine workmanship, it's sure to never go out of fashion & will last you forever with proper care. Truth be told, I'm also hoping I can one day pass it on to my future kids so that they'll have a little piece of me with them whenever they use it. I'm a sentimental fool, I know. Hehehe.

I'm also eyeing this silver 11" satchel pictured below by the way (so much for sentimentality!). Check out the Cambridge Satchel site for more fantastic designs & colors. You're sure to fall in love too.

Picture source of top photo here & bottom here

Art With Heart

In my humble opinion, the ladies of Gin & Jacqie are simply fabulous. Makers of bags that are functional yet stylish & fun, the ladies always seem to come up with some of the most interesting ideas & this latest venture goes to show that they are big hearted as well. 

A specially designed Gin & Jacqie bag was launched on 20 June 2012 in conjunction with World Refugee Day & especially in support of refugee children in Malaysia under a fundraising initiative called Art With Heart: A Refugee Art Project. Proceeds from the sales of these bags which feature the artwork of Mary, a 15-year old refugee, will go towards refugee education programmes in Malaysia under the UN Refugee Agency.

Mary's story is especially heart-wrenching: her family had to flee Myanmar due to human rights issues they faced in the country. Mary is an orphan, now living with her grandparents in Malaysia. She lost her mother a few short months ago, & her pain inspires her art. Her art work features bold splashes of vibrant colours with a red heart in the center. “I painted ‘love’,” said Mary. “When my mother passed away, I was so scared, but I know her love is always with me. That makes me happy.” 
Tell me that doesn't pull your heart strings? *Sniff*

Please help support this worthy cause by purchasing a bag at either www.ginjacqie.com or Cziplee (Bangsar) & priced at RM24. 100% of the profits from the sales of the bags will be channelled towards refugee education programmes run by UNHCR to benefit refugee children in Malaysia.For more information, visit the UNHCR’s website.