Jo loves gnomes, so Irene and I made some to add to the birthday girl’s collection. Whoever knew some paper clay, acrylic paint and high gloss lacquer could bring so much joy… Hail Jo-tler!
lamenting the rain for they can’t wait to get dry
drama moments while on green patrol
Kit thought the wings were gay so he requested for horns and a tail instead.
The Ramayana tells the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya who battles Ravana, the demon king of Lanka in order to rescue his kidnapped wife, Sita. Along the way, he is aided by Lord Hanuman, a vanara from the kingdom of Kishkinda, and many other cool characters like Jatayu the garuda-like eagle. It remains one of my favourite stories, having first read it as a ten year-old from among the pages of Childcraft’s Myths and Legends. And so it was that when I was looking at Tum’s colourful art pieces displayed on a sidewalk in Kanchanaburi one hot afternoon, the one piece that I had to bring home was the sole one that depicted a scene from the Sanskrit epic tale of adventure, morality and Hindu teachings.
I love how the vivid colours and intricate patterns combine to make the chariot look like it is ablaze. The whole piece was painstakingly carved from a piece of cow’s hide using just a hammer, a nail and a blade, and the colours painted with dye. This afternoon while spring cleaning my room, I chanced upon an unused frame belonging to the landlady which was an exact fit for Tum’s beautiful piece. Now it hangs nicely on my bedroom wall and delights me to no end.
Lish’s bridal shower favour box: A chinese noodle takeout box (available from arts and craft supplies stores in varying sizes) is used to contain the favours: a bottle of soap bubble liquid, bubble blower, nail polish, wooden paper clip and magnet, a mini vial of perfume, a packet of jelly beans and some gold-coloured filler material to prevent the items from moving around. A handmade wrist corsage (foam roses, artificial ivy leaves and double satin ribbons) for each chi mui to wear on the wedding day doubles up as the decor/wrapping for the box and is fixed in place with cellophane tape. Finally, to personalise the whole package: a nametag made from brown cardboard paper and labeled in white ink (plus fake stitches around the edges). Voila!
P/s: They looked especially cute when arranged together, like pots of flowers, and the metal handle of the takeout box makes for easy handling/carrying.
Japanese paper dolls, bridal shower invites and Jane Austen
Inspired by the lovely Korean drama series that Ah Tan and I are surreptitiously addicted to, we did some baking (God bless our most wonderful landlady for the Ariston oven)! Mexican wedding walnut cookies and vanilla muffins with peanut butter filling and chocolate chips… Hope they cheer our dear friend up!
“The body asks the heart, if I am in pain the doctor will cure me, but if you are in pain, who is going to cure you? The heart replies, only I can cure myself. Maybe that is why, each person have their own way of healing the pain in their hearts. Drink, sing, throw a tantrum, cry, laugh, talk to a friend, travel, run a marathon. The worst thing to do is to ignore the heart pain. My healing therapy is to wake up at dawn like this, bake a cake and make cookies. When my father passed away suddenly, and my once fiery love ended, when I felt put down, I will always bake at dawn in the kitchen and console myself with the wonderful smell. Is there any more beautiful therapy than this in the world?”
Kim Sam Soon in My Name is Kim Sam Soon
Supra the Polarmeerkatchan made a pair of nifty paper koi fishes for the lunar new year!
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