upgrade

Its funny how one easily looks at things differently after a long break from the usual routine.

During my hiatus, i took a long hard look at my wallets and felt like a major upgrade was necessary. I have to admit i had been avoiding this brain-racking and rather-frustrating process because i wanted to stay in my "comfort zone". Wouldn't it be nice to keep doing things the way you're used to?

But no, my mind didn't let me and it went restless for weeks after weeks.
Going back and forth to the studio looking for i-dont-know-what, endless browsing for inspirations, all these took place before i bumped into the answers to my problem which were found under my very own working table.


1. CARDBOARD

I finally decided to seriously befriend this material after making the Hardcover Folders. But this time for the reworked edition of accordion-style wallets. I love their hard surface and durability and it's nice to see that they feel nice to the hands too. (Thanks to Isur for the design inspiration!).

To make a difference from the previous non-cardboard wallets pictures, i also made this DIY lighbox (tutorial) that i use to take pictures of the Cardboard series. 

What do you think of the result?

my DIY lightbox

cardboard accordion wallet

see the collection here

 2. FUSIBLE WOVEN INTERFACING

Another humble material that works surprisingly wonderful with the wallpapers. It gives me a non-tear able quality and fluidity for the paper, although i still can't sew and turn it inside out (bummer).

I have tested it making the Big Wristlet along with some waxed string (to replace the nylon filament cord which is a NIGHTMARE to do by myself). Even though it still needs some fixing, i'm already liking its look.

new big wristlet

definitely need to fix the edges!

And that's a glimpse of my creative process lately. Thank you if you're still reading this!

Handmade Gift Ideas: Deer Wall Mount

I can sense this blog is driving more towards home decors lately, but i can't help it since i spend most of my time being in one. These one-off projects have been a great creative escape from the usual things i make for paperpleased and truth to be told, it's kinda addictive decorating your home with something you make yourself.

I find myself constantly adding and moving things around in my house. Always looking for that one more spot to add a new DIY. After all, one produces beautiful work by surrounding oneself in beautiful things, no? 

And so...i've been looking for something to fill the blank spot above-the-tv on my back wall. At first i wanted a taxidermy, but since i couldn't find a local seller here i let that one go pretty quickly. My second thought was a painted-in-one-color cuckoo clock. Again, finding none that suits my ridiculous super tight budget, i finally decided to make my own that combines the look of taxidermy and a functional clock.

Meet my wallpapered Deer Wall Mount...

wallpapered deer wall mount

This one is measured 50cm x 42cm (including shield).
I spent two days making it using foam (had to leave the glue overnight), cardboard and 3 sheets of wallpaper. It's very light and you only need to stick it using 3M poster strips and some blue tacks. Hence, no drilling required!

PS: I've added pictures of the wallpapers in gorgeous patterns & colors that you can choose from shall you want to order one for yourself (here). Do add me on facebook. 

Have a great day!

Handmade Gift Ideas: 3D Paper Fonts

I've been making these 3D Paper Fonts for the past few weeks and i can't seem to get enough of them. 

One of the most popular decor ideas is to put them on walls, windows, fridges, above cabinets, etc, or hang as mobiles and buntings (in your studio or nursery, perhaps?). They also make great table centerpieces for weddings and dinner parties.

My first try at them resulted in a "small" mistake of a front-to-back letter 'L" (see: "LOVE"). Some letters, especially the ones with curves, require extra patience in cutting and putting them together. "B", "G", and "0" proved to be more time-consuming than the rest of the letters i've made so far. I wonder how long "S" would take me *yikes*

I love the fact that they're much lighter than wood, customizable in various patterns&colors, and not to mention the endless possibilities of showing your wit with them. Hurrah!

my first try

for my mom, which she displays on her bedhead

for my nephew's room

for my niece's room

wall art present for my other basketball-crazy nephew

bedhead makeover

There is usually one room in the house that always gets left-out when you're busy decorating the others, right? 

For me, it's the guest room.

Located downstairs and adjacent to my dining room, my small guest room had been left out in my experiment with DIYs due to its gloomy color scheme of dark brown and grey. It was in need of some color love. 

Not wanting to do anything major (e.g. repainting the wall) or anything that requires a lot of labour, i remember my dad's collection of unused haveel chip samples that were literally just stacked under his desk. Unused.

To keep the same color scheme going within the room, however, i selected the wood-grain ones which are commonly used to give furniture that authentic "made-of-wood" look. I arranged them and sticked them one-by-one on the bedhead with a trusty double-sided tape.

Maybe i should have used a more appropriate adhesive, but i didn't really wanna ruin the original haveel that had been pasted on the bedhead, and the fact that i was too impatient/lazy/stingy to purchase a new adhesive *lol 

before...

After 45 minutes, i can imagine seeing this bedhead on Anthropologie webstore *heehee

Now, i've got the wall to play with in the future for now. Any ideas?

"hello, sunshine"

With the coming of Eid-Fitr holiday and having no assistant still, i decided to take a long break during this month of August. Being fidgety however, I decided to use the time to do some decorating around the house. First one to tackle: Nail and String Wall Art.

picture taken from jenloveskev

It was love-at-first-sight project, although it was not as easy as it looks...

Since i was doing it in on a rather big wall (2.8 x 1.8m), i had to get the correct size of the letters by printing and arranging them one by one in order to get both words straight and evenly spaced from side to side.

I also called someone to help me doing the nails because i couldn't do it myself. No matter how straight my banging was, the nails end-up dented, and with this size of wording, i needed A LOT of nails and hand power.

arranging the letters

After a few tiring hours and a sore neck (of looking up for hours), i'm super proud with what i see...

see the little nails?

i put shiny "caps"  to make it pop

my own nail and string wall art

I dont know if you can see it, but i put shiny "caps" on the word "sunshine". They look really nice reflecting the light from the window at night. 

Safe to say, i cured my phobia of nailing walls after this project!