Jewel Parlour

Year Of The Dragon

2012-01-27T11:41:00.005+08:00

We have just celebrated Chinese New Year this week - it is now officially the Year Of The Dragon! Some of my family's celebration highlights:

Our annual pilgrimage to Chinatown! Look at that dragon!

Huat ar!

Everything's in red!

Including some humans!

Back to school - For more celebrations!

Lion Dance

Dragon Dance - a special treat for this year :)

And for those who might have missed this - my little girl brought her violin along during the new year visitations, playing chinese new year favourites for a little more ang pow money. And thanks to the support of wonderful and generous relatives, she managed to increase her takings, a great teaching point for her about "有劳而获" (hard work reaps rewards)! Here is the video of her playing at my mum's: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150498578533062&set=vb.582928061&type=2&theater

Here's wishing everyone a blessed, prosperous and wonderful Year Of The Dragon!

Wrapped In A Cocoon Of Love

2012-01-11T09:56:00.009+08:00

With Valentine's just round the corner,
are you looking for the perfect gift?

These little cocoons are handmade with love
using Swarovski crystals in the 12 birthstone colours-
garnet red, amethyst purple, aquamarine blue,
crystal clear, emerald green, pearl white,
ruby red, peridot green, sapphire blue,
tourmaline pink, citrine yellow, zircon blue,
and wrapped in a cocoon of hand crocheted anti tarnish silver wire.
Comes ready-to-wear in a silverplated chain of 17".

A cocoon of love and warmth,
you can also personalise it
with a hand-stamped initial tag of your choice.
A meaningful and personal gift for your loved one!

This range will be launched in my Etsy Shop next week,
but pre-orders start now!
E-mail jewelparlour@yahoo.com.sg
for the colour and tag of your choice.

(NB: Every piece is made by hand upon order,
please allow 3-5 working days
for your cocoon to be custom made.)

The First Week

2012-01-09T09:48:00.007+08:00

How has your first week of 2012 been?

For my family and I, the past week was an activity packed week. My daughter entered into mainstream education on the third day of the year, and started on her Primary School journey. A little step for Isabelle, a great milestone for all of us.

Just the night before school started, I was lamenting of how I missed pre-school. Because pre-school was non compulsory, I was pretty much "in control". If she wasn't feeling well, I could let her stay home without the need of producing an MC. If we wanted to go for a holiday during school term, I'd just have to let the school know without worry of the work that she would have to miss. But all such "privileges" are off now. Instead, I feel a strong current sweeping me off my feet, pushing me into the rat race, joining the whirlpool of pressure and stress that is characteristic of the education system of our country.

I spent the 1st three days of school volunteering at my daughter's new primary school, helping to chaperone a Primary One class (not my daughter's class). It was a physically tiring but rewarding time. I got to "orientate" and familiarize myself with the new school together with a bunch of excited and wide-eyed kids. And got a few peeks at my little one from time to time to make sure that she was settling in comfortably. She seemed to be adjusting well, excited to go to school every morning and even volunteered to perform a violin piece during the "talent show" on the third day of school. For those who have not seen that on my facebook, you can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150461849568062&set=vb.582928061&type=2&theater

My little one also celebrated her 7th birthday last week. Because it was a school day, we couldn't hold a proper party, but we have brought her (and her best friend) to the Universal Studios on the last week of Dec as an advance celebration, and on the actual day we treated her to a sumptous meal at her favourite Japanese restaurant Fukuichi (yes, my little one likes to eat good food).

So that wraps up a busy busy first week. Now on the first day of the second week, I am, for the first time in a long while, enjoying some alone "me time" while my daughter is at school and hub is at work. A few more hours to chill before madness begins (after she comes home), maybe I'll pick up my almost-dusty tools and make something new. See you soon!

The Last Few Hours

2011-12-31T23:33:00.004+08:00

In half an hour's time, we will be crossing over to a brand new year, 2012. This is supposed to be the time when we review the past year and make new resolutions, isn't it? But I've never been one good at keeping any resolutions, so maybe I'll just make myself a wish list, so that I'll feel happier when my wishes comes true, and feel less of a failure if they don't. So here goes:
1. Get myself a new iPad. 3 hopefully? Get cracking won't ya, Apple?
2. Get myself a new iphone. I'm still holding out on the 4S because I'm still holding on to hopes of a 5.
3. Help my little one settle comfortably into Primary One without getting eaten up by the competitive education system. But who am I kidding? I'm already one helluva typical Singaporean "kiasu" parent. Maybe migration is a better solution?
(Note: if you are not from Singapore, "kiasu" means afraid to lose. Most singaporean parents cannot stand the idea of having their child lose out, and it's a mighty fierce battle, believe me)
4. Plan big plans for Jewel Parlour. I've always dreamt of big plans but kept them at that - in a dreamy state. This year I wish to bring out enough energy to draw them out from the clouds, and a battle plan has been drawn with the help of my hubby, who has also promised to kick my ass into action. So do look out for new products, newsletters, and maybe a promotion or two.
5. Pull That Gem Shop out of "vacation mode". That will give me a much better reason (to hubby at least) for gem shopping.
Right, five wishes should be enough for me. I'm not a greedy person. So, a happy new year to me, and a happy new year to you, may all our wishes come true!

The One-Oh Anniversary

2011-11-22T12:24:00.012+08:00

17 November. The day we said "I do".

That was in 2001.

Now a decade has passed. Some many things have changed.
But thankfully, our love has not.

So last week, on 17 November 2011,
we decided to renew our vows,
and say "I do" again
in the same church auditorium as a decade ago,
to celebrate our love
and to remember and renew our promise to each other.

Besides our pastors and their families,
we had no other guests
because we wanted to keep it simple and private,
just God, and us
and a few witnesses.

Our little princess, who never had the chance to be a flower girl before,
accepted her role with glee and delight.

The simple ceremony

Exchanging (new) rings

Sealed with a kiss!

Our little entourage

And of course, my hubby, who loves to surprise me,
"endowed" me with this lovely gift -
a 2-carat sapphire ring.
From Galanos
My 10 year anniversary present. Yay!

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails"
1 Cor 13: 7-8 (part), NLT

May we continue on more decades together
by the love and grace of our Lord.
Amen!

All About Birds

2011-11-09T19:04:00.008+08:00

Last Thursday I went with my daughter on her last outing with her kindergarten. Together with her class and teachers, we went to the Jurong Bird Park. I haven't been there since I was 7, and all I could remember about it was the bad smell. However they have cleaned up and improved their act (in true blue singaporean style of course). I was pleasantly surprised to see the park very nicely revamped and refurbished to resemble the zoo, the only difference now being the kind of inhabitants they have. The bird show was quite awesome, and the most enjoyable part was the Panorail ride. I think that is the only monorail left in Singapore, but unfortunately, this is going to be the last year it will be in operation. What a waste! Anyway, here are some nice memories of the day:

A group shot right at the start - we are the first at the park, early bird catches the worm, right?

The park warden Ms Amber teaching the children about the Bottle Tree.

We had the privilege of visiting the "secret" place, where the children got to meet this little 2 yr old lory that was born and bred at the park. And they were taught how to make a yummy honey snack for the lory birds too.

And then it's feeding time!

Strangely the children became a tourist attraction suddenly - many Indian tourists wanted to take pictures with them because they thought the kids look so cute. Haha!

King penguins at the Penguin Coast. Apparently it was bed or nap time for them. Notice the apparently headless one on the left!

The coy lovebird.

My favourite - Flamingoes!

A parting shot with best friends!

And still on the topic of birds, I've got a newly made necklace - also featuring a pair of birds, and I think these are parrots.

I think they are not young lovers, but long time life partners. Heard (from a customer) that parrots only choose one mate to be with their whole life, in fact, I learnt at the Bird Park that many species of birds are like that, including the hornbill and lovebirds. Isn't that the sweetest? Awwww.......

Treasury - Blueberry Love

2011-10-26T21:13:00.006+08:00

My hubby and my girl love blueberries. They love them in all forms - fresh, dried, as a flavouring, as a drink. Their love affair started after our little girl came back home last year with a vision test report from school showing how marginally close she was to wearing spectacles for myopia. About the same time, my hub chanced on an informative radio broadcast about how the fruit is good for improving or protecting eyesight, so decided to buy some dried blueberries from the supermarket (not cheap!) and let our girl have it as a snack as often as possible. This year my girl came home with an improved vision test. Well it could be due to other factors, but my hub is quite certain that the blueberries play a huge part, and because both of them love it, we now always have something blueberry in my fridge.

So that's the story and inspiration behind this treasury that I made last week, a list of blueberry-licious items from talented artists and crafters. I was surprised that there are so many blueberry themed items on Etsy, and here is my list of favourites:

Do mouse over the list for a clearer view and show it some love by clicking, commenting or spreading the word: Blueberry Love

Thanks! :)

Sleep Well, My Love

2011-09-30T21:26:00.001+08:00

My little girl has been having disturbed sleep for a few months now. We have visited the doctors, explored various possibilities for causes, tried almost everything in the book but the restless sleep lingers. So while praying that this is just a transient phase, I put together this sleep-themed treasury specially for her, and hope that it will put her in a nice sleepy mood. :)

Sleep Well, My Love

Things I Like - Shay Aaron

2011-09-22T13:43:00.000+08:00

I've admired this clay artist for a little while now, and every time I see his work, the only thing that goes through my mind is "wow, how did he do that?" Introducing Shay Aaron, a polymer clay miniature artist from Israel. He specializes in miniature food, and they look darn realistic! Some of his food are 1/12 scale dollhouse miniature collections, while most others are jewelry that's so fun and yummy to wear. Warning: browsing his shop may cause some drooling, and if you are already hungry, then it may set your stomach really growling! Here's some of my faves:

Deli Meat And Cheese Platter

Juicy Fig Ring

Now mouse over and pick your own favorites! - ShayAaron

Things I Like - Sienna Morris

2011-09-14T12:03:00.004+08:00

I stumbled upon this unique artist while loitering around Etsy's Treasury someday. Her drawings themselves are attractive to me already, but what is more astonishing is that at closer scrutiny, one can see that her drawings are composed by numbers! This is a special technique created by Sienna called "Numberism". In the words of the artist, "Each piece is hand drawn with only the numbers 1 - 12, marking the hours of the clock. There are no lines and no smudging. This series focuses on time and taking advantage of the moment, whatever it might be." Other pieces are done with numbers according to mathematical or scientific data. I think her work is totally unique and one of a kind, combining art with math and science literally. Totally cool!

Here are some of my favourite pieces from her Etsy shop:

C25H25

Do mouse over to her Etsy shop (http://siennamorris.etsy.com) or her website (www.SiennaMorris.com) for more of her unique art!

My Precious

2011-09-01T14:31:00.003+08:00

Before I discovered charms and started making those cute and delightful charm jewelry, I was really into sparkling little semi-precious gemstones and precious metal. I couldn't resist thoses faceted briolettes, delightful colors, and well buffed stones. In fact, I collected so many of them that I had to destash some in my supplies shop (That Gem Shop). Well, I've closed up That Gem Shop for a bit now, because number 1, I have a tad wee bit too much on my plate right now to be managing two shops, and number 2, I've decided to be a hoarder and keep all those lovely precious stones for my own use. Yes, I've come back to my first love again, and have revived gemstone cum precious metal concoctions in my repertoire, but I won't stop making charm jewelry either. I'm gonna be making both because I love them all, and have a jolly good time doing it!

Here's to show off some stone pieces that I've recently made and put up in my Etsy shop (under The Classics). Sort of a trailer, more to come, so keep a watch out! :)

First Treasury - Get Well Soon

2011-08-18T12:42:00.006+08:00

I was down with my first bout of flu in mid July. 40C fever, chills, aches, incessant vomiting (that was stopped only by injection at NUH's E&A Ward, by then my body lost so much fluid my fingers and legs were cramping) were really no fun. After the worst of it and all these symptoms left, the nagging cough lingered on, sparked off by an allergic asthmatic reaction in my airways. Not cool. And as I was still whacking away, my body came down with the 2nd bout of flu last Sunday. Woke up with the nastiest of sore throats, and I thought to myself, "Not again!"

Fast forward 4 days, today most of the pain in my throat, as well the fever has subsided, but my "good" friend The Cough is still here. And I'm sick of being sick. So to cheer up and wish myself well, as well as anyone out there who is suffering from flu or sickness in one way or another, here is my first treasury - Get Well Soon

For a clearer view, click here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/Mzc3OTN8NTkxNzY2Mjg5/get-well-soon

Do leave your comments and clicks! Thanks for looking!

Dear Alice

2011-08-10T23:36:00.005+08:00

Two Sundays ago I was surfing TV channels and caught a little of a re-run of Alice In Wonderland (the Johnny Depp version). There was one scene that caught my attention which I've not noticed when I watched the movie before. It was the one where Mad Hatter was making hats again, but it was for the horrible big headed Red Queen. But being able to throw himself back to his craft made him so happy that he forgot himself and his situation. When Alice reminded him that he was making hats "for her", he was suddenly awaken from his euphoria. Disgusted with himself, he swept everything onto the floor, and asked Alice in despair if he were mad, to which Alice replied that he is utterly bonkers, but the secret is that "all the best ones are"!

I love that statement. I've always been judged as being a little weird, too melancholic, too perfectionistic, anti-social, almost insane. But now suddenly my world makes sense, now I know why I've always been a little "off" - I'm simply one of the best! Hee hee! :)

Recently I've also made two necklaces inspired by the original Alice story - I'm Late I & II. From the first chapter of the book where White Rabbit is hurrying along because he is late. I love the charms, I hope you will too!

(P.S. You can find the necklaces in my Etsy shop!)

Things I Like - YellowBugBoutique

2011-08-04T00:06:00.006+08:00

Been a little while since I've done this feature, sorry folks, it's all due because of my laziness and procrastination, which brings me to today's feature artist(s):Introducing Yellow Bug Boutique on Etsy, which "specializes in fun geeky scientific stuff, like pillows, koozys, and holiday ornaments, and some way impressive art and decorator pillows." It's run by Cindy and Randy Green, whom I think are the two funniest people I've seen around Etsy. Take a look at their profile and you'll know what I mean! They claim "Chances are you'll get a giggle or an "ooooh" while you're here" (at their shop), and they are definitely not lying about that. Reading their listing descriptions had me in stitches the whole night! And the great pillows they have in their shop are worth all the "oooohs" and probably a whole lot of "aaaaahs" too! And so without further ado, let me make a (wish) list of my faves from their shop:

A great gift for that B*****, wait a minute, is that me?! :P

This one made me laugh so hard!

In this high-tech world, we all need Super Geek in our lives!

This is the greatest wedding gift!

Need a gift for yourself or to give away, or in need for some cheerful perk-me-up? Mouse on over to Yellow Bug Boutique right now!!

(All images courtesy of http://yellowbugboutique.etsy.com)

Purse Of Dreams

2011-07-27T12:15:00.008+08:00

Again I've neglected this poor little blog.....so sorry but I've spent nearly half of July being sick, and even now still coughing away........

Anyway, it's been a while since I've talked about my projects, so today I'm introducing a piece that I've made this month (before I fell ill that is) and which I've finally taken photos of yesterday!

This long necklace has a beautiful, ornate, artistic purse locket. Yep we've all seen the usual round and oval lockets, but this one is in a special purse shape. Outside the purse I've hung two metal stamped discs, which I've used to signify coins, one says "dream", and the other says "hope". The story? Well, being in this handmade business, everything is made by my own two hands, and so everything is very personal ("it's not personal, it's just business" really does not apply to the handmade movement I think, how can something you design and make not be personal right?) And every time someone appreciates and buys my work, it's a boost of confidence and an assurance that my work means something to someone else. I cannot describe the joy and encouragement that I feel with every sale, it's more than the joy of getting paid, it is a shot of hope of being nearer to my dream - of making this handmade craft my livelihood. So in this sense, every cent (or coin) that I get not only signifies wealth, but a sign of hope and fulfillment of my dream. In the same way, I hope the wearer of this purse will become prosperous, not only in wealth, but also be filled with hope for the fulfillment of your dreams!

The purse locket can be opened and you can fill it with messages, pictures or other lightweight trinkets, but it is not advisable to use it as a real purse for real coins or money, as I don't think it can take that much weight. And this is a limited edition piece, one piece only, no remakes!

To see this in my Etsy shop, click HERE

Vacation!

2011-06-09T16:40:00.008+08:00

Whoof whoof whoof! Blowing the dust off this blog - hello again! I didn't realise that I've left this blog untouched for more than a month! But well, May was a month of travelling with my family, and since being back I've been caught up in a flurry of activities (mainly pre-school stuff with my girl), and finally now I've found a little bit of time to catch up on my blogging!

So right after May's MAAD we went away for about 2 weeks, first to London, then to Hungary. We didn't choose these locations, merely followed along Hubby's work itinerary. I've been to London before, but this time I really fell in love with it. I won't bore you with the musicals, playgrounds, toy shops, museums that I've been to, so will just share about 2 places that I really love.

The first is Camden Lock Village. I had my best shopping day here - art photo prints, handmade trinkets, art objects, souvenirs, etc. We went on a weekday, so could shop around at a very leisurely pace (and less chance of running into pickpockets too). Stuff is not exactly cheap compared to back home (all thanks to the very strong pound), but if you like art and bazaars, then this is a must-go place!

Another place that I really like is Greenwich. A quaint and quiet little town, it has a small art market that has more handmade and vintage items than at Camden, but slightly pricier too. I also like the small little shops around the market, and here I found a games shop which has Junior Cluedo (finally found it!) and some other interesting games that both girlie and I enjoyed. So guess who's the happiest! :)

Our days at Hungary were not as well planned as London, and basically we did the usual touristy things too - went to the circus, theme park, Hungarian National Gallery at the Castle Hill District, Danube Boat Ride and a Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour. We had ghoulash again and again until we craved for good old Chinese soup. In Hungary pace of life seems slower compared to London, and art and history is everywhere, in the buildings, squares, bridges.

Parliament House

Fountain outside Hungarian National Gallery

My favorite painting at the Gallery called The Skylark. Where is the skylark? At the top right hand corner, a little small dot!

Handmade glasses at a souvenir shop

Our hotel with such artistic decor

Family Pastime

2011-04-27T12:58:00.004+08:00

Our favourite family pastime is eating. And since both Hubby and Girlie have fussy picky palates (which is why I'm not so motivated to cook), we hunt around not for expensive food, but for good yummilicious food. We recently discovered a little Japanese-Western fusion restaurant tucked away in a corner at Bugis Shopping Mall - Ma Maison. Food is reasonably priced, and very yummy. In this month alone we have already visited twice!

The restaurant has a homely, cosy, country cottage feel to it.
Lots of families and couples around!

These two are delighted and salivating as they waited for their food to be served.

Starters: French Bread and Cha Soba Salad. The salad is a must try.

Mains: Fillet Steak.

Mains: Sirloin Steak
I think the fillet is better than the sirloin, and just a couple of dollars more. And pardon the half eaten images, we were so hungry and greedy that we attacked the food before taking pics!

And the family special is: Daddy gets a free beer (or you can change it to a juice of soft drink), Mummy gets free ice-cream, and Child gets free toy. So we are all happy!

And just so you know, this is not a paid advertisement, we are in no way related to the restaurant and I get no commission nor discounts for writing this. Just to share. :)

And now for something unrelated to the above but still related to food - dinner by Hubby! (I've posted these pics on FB but I'm still going to show off here again anyway! :P)

Hubby has been learning how to make udon and chawanmushi from our friend Chef Shun (you can read about that on Hubby's blog "What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up"), and he has been practising on us before he make his debut at the next party with his drinking buds. Verdict: Chawanmushi has restaurant standard, udon needs a little more practice. But we ate them all up anyway! Yums!

Things I Like - Aftershowershop

2011-04-18T19:48:00.009+08:00

I've been a wee bit busy to blog, but definitely not too busy to spy and pick out some new handmade faves! And this issue I'm featuring a clothes maker - Aftershowershop, on etsy has some really awesome dresses that are so totally my style! Feminine, flowy, colourful but not too dressy! Here are a few of my top picks:

Do mouse over and pick your own favourites! http://aftershowershop.etsy.com

(All images courtesy of http://aftershowershop.etsy.com)

Go Green Day

2011-04-01T00:03:00.003+08:00

March 11 was my daughter's Go Green Day in her kindy. They were supposed to go to school on that day in a green outfit. Previous year we made her a hat and necklace made from recycled magazines, this year I wanted to make something more comfy and lasting for her (seriously the paper things didn't last half a day). And just so timely I had a bag of old clothes to donate to the Salvation Army. So I rummaged through them and after lots of mixing and matching, I found 2 pieces and decided to try out a little upcycling!

Before:A dress that was too small and tight

A old tee from my university (!) days

Combining them both (with some sewing help from the family because I'm hopeless with the sewing machine), we got:

A new dress that's new, comfy and much longer! Yay!
And girlie was proud to show it off in school of course.
Misson accomplished.

Mama & Baby

2011-03-15T12:50:00.005+08:00

I'm an owl fan, or rather, fanatic. I go crazy when I see owls. And this owl necklace that I've made just reminds me of my daughter and I taking a cosy pic together -

"Mama & Baby"

And I found and older picture of hubby and girlie in the same pose too.....well maybe the owl's a daddy, who knows!

Things I Like - Urastarhouse

2011-03-08T11:57:00.008+08:00

I stumbled upon this artist one day, and I'm so intrigued by her little wooden couples and families! Drawn, cut, sanded, burned, painted all by hand by Heather of Star House, these wooden pals make great gifts, home decor, and wedding cake toppers. Here are some of my favourites:

This one is so much like my little family. And we do often go riding on tandem bike like this (minus the pets though)!

Ahh, I have so many friends with this family combination!

This was us so many years ago......

A fox family! They are so adorable!

Sweet loving squirrels!

The people ones can be customised to look like you and your loved ones, so that it's truly uniquely yours! Visit http://urastarhouse.etsy.com/ and find out more!

(All images courtesy of http://urastarhouse.etsy.com)

Things I Like - Picobaby

2011-02-19T00:46:00.005+08:00

Ahhh, it's been a while since I've done this feature, and the first one for this year is a really unique and eco-friendly pendant maker. Picobaby is a shop well-stocked with little robot pendants, all handmade from disposed computer electronic components. The concept of Picobaby is to "turn wastes into lovely and exceptional pendants", and I think that mission has been perfectly achieved! Here are some of my favourites:

The Robot

The Little Prince

The Pharaoh

(P.S. He has a queen!)

The Professor

The Robotic Bears

Aren't they awesome! It's geekery and cuteness combined! To see more be sure to visit Picobaby on Etsy - http://picobaby.etsy.com/

(All images courtesy of http://picobaby.etsy.com)

CNY Celebrations

2011-02-07T13:10:00.008+08:00

Hubby (finally) put on his crafting hat and made this new year lantern from ang pows.

So proud of him!

Instead of the usual Chinese traditional costume, she decided on a Korean one this year.

An nyoung ha seh yo!

I had similar PJs when I was young. They are still in fashion!

This is at the end of reunion lunch with my mum.
But you get the idea of the amount of yummy food!

Lou Hei - a New Year dish for good luck. So far I've had it 3 times and counting!

So we had a very good past week celebrating Chinese New Year, feasting from house to house, partying with relatives, some of whom we only see once a year. And now it's now to put the past behind us, finish up the oranges, calculate the amount of weight we have to lose from all that eating, and get back to work...(argh!)....Happy New Year!

Pilgrimage to Chinatown

2011-01-24T21:59:00.005+08:00

Over the weekend, our family trooped down to Chinatown to make our annual pilgrimage to the Chinese New Year night market. It has been our ritual for the past 2 years - every year before CNY we must make this trip to the fabulous night market that are stocked with all kinds of goodies for this festive occasion - sweets, lanterns, decorations, flowers, cakes and biscuits, not that we actually go there to shop for any particular festive essential, but just to immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds that give us that warm fuzzy festive feeling. It's crowded, hot and noisy, but it's a really fun experience every year!

Carrots, coconut slices, lotus seeds and root preserved in sugar.

Each has its own auspicious meaning!

Lanterns, lanterns everywhere!

Preserved duck meat,

with chinese sausages in the background.

Little lions a-dancing

And a newly opened shop that features all kinds

of Tintin collectibles - very cool!

Origami With Girlie

2011-01-19T15:26:00.005+08:00

Last month just a few days before Christmas I was at my favourite bookstore and came across some origami books for children. (Origami is a Japanese folk art of paper folding). I decided to get one for my girl because I promised her quite a while ago that I was going to do some form of crafting with her (she loves art & craft), and I thought it would be a good bonding time too.

And we did have a great time. This paper doll was our first attempt, and she loved it so much and played with it till it's looking a tad crumpled now. (That is the origami book beside the doll.) And the we made Christmas tree, doggie and ice-cream which she gave away to some friends. Not only was she hooked, I was too! So the next time I passed by another bookstore, I bought a stack of origami paper:
So if you are looking for some activity to do with your pre-schooler, you might want to try this out! I think it's suitable for ages 3 or 4 onwards, and according to the book, it will help in their brain development too. But beware, it can be addictive!

My Princess

2011-01-06T00:50:00.004+08:00

My girl just celebrated her 6th birthday 2 days ago (4 Jan to be exact), and I was just looking through her pics from birth till now, and decided to do a little collage of her birthdays from zero to six. How fast she is growing.......

Bye Bye 2010

2011-01-03T22:50:00.003+08:00

Dec 2010 was the busiest month for the whole year. For Jewel Parlour, we finally experienced a little online Christmas rush after so many years, yay! (many thanks to our dear supporters of course!) On the home front, we had violin concerts and ballet performance with our little star, hubby went on a business trip to a far far away land called Slovakia, we went on a family holiday to nearby Bangkok, and finished the year with lots and lots of celebrations - hubby's birthday, Christmas, New Year - lots of parties, yummy food and glorious wine! And so the last month, as well as the year, zoomed by in a flash, and now we are into a new year, but my mind has not yet adjusted and I'm still in a holiday mood! Well, that will probably change in a few days when the little one starts school again. So bye bye 2010, hello 2011, hope it's a greater year!

Happy Birthday

2010-11-25T22:46:00.006+08:00

I turn another year older today. When I was a little girl birthday was always a big day for me. Not that I get to hold parties (although I did have one when I was 9 and another one when I turned 21), but because it was the only day the whole year that I can get away with a lot of privileges, like lots of TV, going out, no homework, and get to choose a present of my wish. And being a November baby means I get to enjoy my birthdays during school holidays, except for the O and A Levels. Well adult birthdays, as we all know, have no privileges, no off days (unless it was a public holiday). But it's still nice when people remember and send you good wishes. And for me there were a few memorable ones, like the one 10 years ago when hubby proposed, one in Hawaii on my honeymoon, one when I got hired by my last bank employer, another which Hubby planned a surprise for me to swim with pink dolphins at Sentosa, and one nasty one which I cried the whole day (nope not going to say why). Hubby is always nice and will take time off to spend with me on my birthday every year (and sometimes plan surprises too, which may turn out to be shocks at times, but still nice because of the thought and heart involved). And just for that I guess this day becomes special, and I'm grateful for that.

And here is our celebration spread at MOF @ Bugis - yummy shabu shabu. Happy Birthday to me! And Happy Thanksgiving too!

Things I Like - LennyMud

2010-10-22T19:22:00.004+08:00

LennyMud on Etsy is a shop full of colourful, happy looking pottery. I spent a bit of time browsing the pages of her shop again and again, because the colours and shapes of her handmade mugs, bowls and sculptures are so inviting and cheerful, they make me smile, and I'm definitely feeling uplifted now (and today has not been one of my best days, ya know?). Here are a few of my favourites, please visit her shop (http://lennymud.etsy.com) to see the rest of her collection, you will find that gift for your mom, your man or your best friend, something useful, practical and nice to look at - what more can you ask for? :)

Out Of Sight

2010-10-04T01:25:00.007+08:00

Have been out of action from the cyber world for the past week because my little one had a really nasty flu and stayed home to entire week, and besides taking her temperature religiously and sponging her for the first three days, and then making sure she took her rest and naps properly instead of rolling around restlessly for the next two days, I was doing several other things as well, such as 1)taking new pics for every item and more in my entire shop, (why did I choose this particular week to do I have no idea, it probably was a obsessive compulsive whim, but it was one of those things that I must do or I can't move on), 2) topping up inventory and doing other knick knack stuff like tagging, packing, etc, for the MAAD bazaar (which just ended few hours ago, thank you if you dropped by my booth). So that effectively left me hardly any time to even turn on my laptop, and most of the time I just performed cursory checks on my mailbox from the ipad when my hubby's done playing Fish Farm, Farmville, City Story and goodness knows what else. I wonder if anybody missed my ramblings on FB or Twitter, or my shop updates and my interesting finds postings. Optimistically I think so. For what they are worth I miss my own ramblings, so I'll start again after I get some sleep, send girlie back to school and get back my schedule!

And The Tooth Fairy Came.....

2010-09-25T23:03:00.003+08:00

We had a little visit from the Tooth Fairy yesterday - girlie lost her first baby tooth, at 5 years 8 months and 20 days old. We finally decided to bring her to the dentist to get it extracted instead of letting it drop out naturally, after she complained yet again that the wriggly tooth was causing her pain and discomfort. But the actual push factor for me was her new tooth that looked set to burst out crooked. Yes I am all about the vanity. Being her first visit to a dentist, naturally there was a lot of crying, whining, screaming, struggling and all that drama, and it took 20 mins just to get that little bugger out. But after the whole "ordeal" she was very proud of the new gap in her mouth, declaring that she was going to show off to her friends first thing on Monday. On the way home she admired her old tooth in the ziplock and declared, "I'm going to put this under my pillow tonight, so Papa remember to be the Tooth Fairy and put an ang pow under it for me ok?" (ang pow being a red packet with a money gift) Yep, she knows the Tooth Fairy is just fairy tale, but that doesn't stop her from wanting the cash! Hah!

Things I Like - The Midnight Orange

2010-09-15T14:36:00.007+08:00

The Midnight Orange on Etsy is a collection of polymer clay sculptures by D. Antonia Truesdale. I love them because each one of them evoke such deep emotions in me. Sculptures about angels, relationships, womanhood, loss, darkness, etc. Suddenly it seems like I found someone who understands how I feel and has portrayed those feelings in sculpture, feelings that I couldn't voice out because anything less positive is taboo. I'm gonna list pics of the sculptures that I love most from her shop with the titles, for a better insight as well as the story behind why she does the sculptures, please visit her shop - http://themidnightorange.etsy.com/

"If Light Could Penetrate This Darkness I Would See That My World Is Beautiful"

"I'm Going To Watch You Fly With Butterfly Wings"

"Some Days Are Harder Than Others"

"Carried Away"

"Edward & Bella In the Meadow"

Blog Vanity

2010-08-28T01:33:00.003+08:00

I have been a vainpot today, a blog vainpot that is, having spent most of my day adding widgets and buttons to my blog. Noticed anything different? Now indulge me a little because I feel like I've gone for a new haircut or makeover and must flaunt a bit - I've added new pocket shop from craft cult on the sidebar, added pages in tabs above, joined networked blogs and added twitter and Facebook buttons so that friends can help spread the word around more easily and quickly. What's next? I think I'm going to add more blogs to my reading list and more links later on. This is fun! :)

My Girl's Chinese Painting

2010-08-17T02:42:00.005+08:00

Chinese Painting
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

Last Friday was Project Open House at my girlie's Kindy. It's the show-off day for both kids and teachers to the parents of what they have learnt and done for the topic of their choice over the last term. My girlie's class was studying all about Water. They learnt about the water cycle (yes now my girlie can say evaporation, condesation, precipitation, collection and explain those quite impressively), went on a field trip to Science Centre to have a water play session, used water to make pancakes, jelly and soup, made toys and displays featuring water, and finally used water mixed with Chinese ink to produce a painting, which I've displayed here. At first glance I thought those stick like things in the middle are dragonflies, but girlie proudly announced that they are supposed to be goldfish ("can't you see, mama?"), and of course there was a dolphin at the left hand corner and flower since those are her fav things. Oh well, she may not be a prodigy but I'm still a proud mother. :)

Things I Like - Nora Karen

2010-08-13T02:00:00.004+08:00

Hello there! Been a while since my last post cause my girl has not been feeling well, sorry about that. But look what we've got today!

Shoes!!! Do you love shoes? I know I do, there is never enough of them! So look at these handpainted shoes by Nora Karen (http://norakaren.etsy.com/). Nora specialises in peacock themes, which are a great hit with brides and weddings, but I guess one can be a proud peacock even if not a bride! The set above is really my favourite, I can imagine walking them to a dinner party with a plain black dress! Alright, another item on my wish list! Here's more for you to ogle at:

I also love the pair on the 2nd row, 3rd column, and the flats on Row 3, 3rd column - and so my list just keeps getting longer! Roll over norakaren for a look, you'll love it!

(Pics lifted from http://norakaren.etsy.com)

Things I Like - Sunset Girl

2010-07-20T00:34:00.003+08:00

I was feeling a tad blue the past few days (those darn hormones are at it again) but this awesome shop brought a smile back to my face. And from the picture above I'm sure you've instantly guessed why, coz I don't think anybody can resist going "awww" at these cute colourful sock monkeys all smiling so sweetly, so of course you have to smile back right! These are the excellent handiwork of Dawn aka Sunset Girl. All of the monkeys are made from brand new socks and every seam double stitched for strength. A great gift idea for children and the young at heart (like me!). Mouse over to the shop at http://sunsetgirl.etsy.com and take your pick!

(Pic lifted directly from http://sunsetgirl.etsy.com)

Things I Like - Katie M. Berggren

2010-07-08T12:19:00.004+08:00

On a certain day when I was upset with my girl and felt like a failure as a mother, I chanced upon Katie M. Berggren's paintings on Etsy. All her paintings are themed around motherhood, and portrayed the love between a mother and her children. My favourites are The Bathers (seen here above on the bottom right), Conversations and Connection. These paintings are like the daily things I do with my little girl, and remind me of my love relationship with her. As I look at these paintings those bad feelings disappeared and instead renewed a new strength to do better at this parenting thing. For all the mother and parents or parents to be out here, I hope these paintings speak to you too. Go over to Katie's etsy shop for a look - http://kmberggren.etsy.com

Drying Out.....

2010-07-01T12:39:00.004+08:00

The June school holidays were a crazy time, hence I hardly had time to update here. But now school has started, and I'm back to my normal schedule yippee! Just to show what I've been up to and what's coming up - new glass and new cuff links! As you can see, they are still hanging out to dry, but stay tuned for the reveal! :)

Things I Like - Auka Jewelry

2010-06-13T22:07:00.003+08:00

Do you like miniatures? How about wearing them as jewelry? I found this super interesting "tiny little worlds" Auka jewelry. Auka uses resin, sand, grass, plastic and polymer clay to create little figurines in various scenes, such as people swimming/sunbathing, ducks in a pond, family holidaying, etc and these little scenes become wearble pieces of art as rings, brooches, pendants, etc. Now how special is that!! The pieces above are from the Sold Items page, and fret not, if you like them, you can always ask for another piece customised just for you. So roll over now and admire these adorable little creations! http://auka.etsy.com

Things I Like - Merimask Designs

2010-06-04T18:56:00.004+08:00

Anyone attending a masquerade party? You will definitely need one of these artisan leather masks handmade by Andrea Masse-Tognetti. She is a celebrity leather artist - she has done work for Cirque du Soleil and her masks are available in several galleries in the States, she has also made the masks for Toyko's Muscle Musical Magicarade, plus she has appeared on The Martha Stewart Show in Oct last year (http://www.marthastewart.com/article/leather-unicorn-mask). What a glorious resume! Each of these masks, as Andrea puts it, are "made from 100% high-grade leather, & no two items are alike. Each is a signed, dated (in some cases, numbered) piece. Everything, unless otherwise specified, is designed to be wearable art, & is constructed with durability in mind." Looking at her shop, I feel like I'm in an art gallery. My favourite one is the White Tiger (top RH corner). Roll over to her shop for a closer look - http://merimask.etsy.com/

A Hippo Couple Made To Order

2010-05-31T13:43:00.005+08:00

Hello everyone! I have not been blogging much because I've just returned from a 1-1/2 week trip to Europe. Anyway, just wanted to share a piece of work I did just before I went away. This hippo couple was commissioned by Daniel and Stella when they came by my stall at MAAD in early May. They wanted a pair of grey coloured hippos for their wedding in end May, and had specifically asked for a groom hippo in a black suit, and a bride hippo that was not dressed in white, but in a purple dress with a ruffle skirt and a black sash at the waist similar to the bride's evening gown. I got some generous pattern help from my crafty friend Ivy (of Iv Belongings http://www.ivbelongings.com) with the suit - we actually made a tux with coat tails for a bit more dramatic effect. As for the bride, I transformed the usual ballet dress into a bustier dress with a line of sparkling beads at the bust and hem for a bit of glam and a sassy black sash as requested by the bride. And here they are, happy and smiling, looking all ready for their first married dance! Congratulations Daniel and Stella!!!

A Wedding Gift

2010-05-13T20:28:00.005+08:00

A friend got married last month, and I felt prompted to make her a wire crochet love nest necklace as an additional gift, as a symbol of her starting a new nest and a new life. This was the work in progress:

As I was making it I just felt the joy that God has for this pair of newly-weds, and His pleasure of a new nest being set up in His Tree. A verse comes to mind:

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Mark 10:6-9

Coincidentally (or not), the new couple has also used this verse in their montage presentation at the wedding. Although I did not get to speak to them to convey my well-wishes as I had to leave halfway, I hope my gift filled in the gaps. Congratulations Qiaoyun and Meng Yaw! :)

Treasury - Sunshine Bright

2010-05-08T00:21:00.003+08:00

The color of happiness is splashed out right here - and my Treeling glass pendant is in it too! Thanks to Elfie Morgan from http://paintingfromtheheart.etsy.com/. Show some love to this list with your clicks! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4be42456d83e8eef32f2be43/sunshine-bright#4be4340cd83e8eefcbfabf43

Featured On Cuteable

2010-05-05T14:44:00.003+08:00

How cool can this be!! It's like a dream-come-true, coz I've always liked Cuteable.com, and have always been hoping that I'd be featured someday, and now my Chirpy Birds earrings were featured in last Friday's Flickr Friday. I'm over the moon, and by the way, those earrings are sold, so that's double yay! woo hoo! :))

Treasury - Happy Hippos

2010-05-05T11:11:00.004+08:00

Well this morning has been full of good news to brighten up my day - I just found out that my pink ballet hippo from my crochet shop The Dancing Hippo has been featured in the cute treasury of Happy Hippos! Thank you Angela of nicecraftworks! Do show the treasury some love with your clicks: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bdff48d87808eef7005bfea/happy-hippos

Featured on BonTonGirls

2010-05-05T10:50:00.004+08:00

Ally of BonTonGirls has a new post in hew blog on jewelry with colorful flowers, and our Azure tensha earrings and Sigal necklaces were featured! Yippee doo dah! What a great way to start a day! Thanks Ally! Do visit her blog at http://www.bontongirls.com

Revealed!

2010-04-30T19:16:00.002+08:00

Remember those little square glass tiles drying themselves out? This is what they look like, the big reveal ta-da! A collection of cool trees, almost like they come straight out of the Twilight series, which is why I'm so attracted to them I suppose. Hope you like them too!

P.S. Bringing them with me to MAAD this weekend! If you are local and going....see ya then!

In The Making.....

2010-04-24T03:07:00.002+08:00

These little glass tiles are hanging out, or rather laying out, to dry....wanna see what they look like up front literally? Stay tuned then.....*wink wink* :)

Things I Like - Joy Elizabeth Ceramics

2010-04-18T00:39:00.004+08:00

Featured on Friday Apr 16's Etsy Finds: Raw Talent, Joy Elizabeth's happy birdie plates jumped out at me, and when I visited her online shop, I was so cheered by the many colors, AND birds! I love birds, and these are some the the cutest handpainted ones! These are the artwork of Joy, who is an art teacher in the day and a potter at night, and these plates are "handbuilt from red earthernware clay and decorated with creamy slips and glazes. " Besides birds, some of her plates carry drawings of pears and flowers. And besides plates, her shop also carries adorable little sculptures of birds and pears which make perfect charming and cheerful home decors. Do visit http://joyelizabethceramics.etsy.com and check out her art!

(Image lifted from http://joyelizabethceramics.etsy.com)

Things I Like - Em & Sprout

2010-04-09T17:39:00.002+08:00

A real delightful find I've got this week - look at these adorable shoes!!! I've got a terrible soft spot for cute stuff and these just make me squeal in happiness! These are made by Lindsay of Em & Sprout, and yes these are NOT kiddy shoes, they are for the ADULT girl who is fun and funky and loves to dress down on weekends in good taste cuteness. The shop is named after Lindsay's two cats (the loves of her life) and is full of charming things - besides shoes, there are also tees, bags and accessories. There are simply too many to show and I've decided to display my favorites - the mary jane shoes. I love the bunny, the penguin, the little red riding hood and of course the chihuahua. Do check out http://emandsprout.etsy.com and see for yourself the rest of the cuteness there!

Image lifted from http://emandsprout.etsy.com

Things I Like - A Spoonful Of Chocolate Hope

2010-03-26T17:28:00.003+08:00

I must say, not only this shop has a unique name, it has very special products, most of all bags made from book covers! Yes these bags you see here are "book handbags", made with recycled hard covers of books. Only the covers are used, the pages which are fully intact and still readable, are donated away to a refugee centre in Arizona, but if it's a book you will like to keep, you can certainly re-bind the book with a new cover that matches the inside of your book handbag. Besides book handbags, there are book passport holders, chocolate spoons (guess there's where the shop gets its name?) and shelves. I love this shop, and I'm sure you will too, check it out! - http://spoonfulofchocolate.etsy.com/

(Image lifted from http://spoonfulofchocolate.etsy.com/)

Things I Like - TotusMel

2010-03-17T19:40:00.003+08:00

I must confess I am in awe of those who can tat, because I've tried my hands on the craft once and I gave up without even finishing the project! Well tatting may not be my thing, but admiring is - so when I saw TotusMel on Etsy, I can't help but go "wow!" Look at those gorgeous masks, necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets, hair things and ornate lace for the feet! All made with the nimble two hands and needle of Pamela Quevedo, the woman behind Totus Mel Tats. Her tats are simply wearable art - sexy and hip. So are you hip enough for it? Roll over to her shop and take a look! http://totusmel.etsy.com/

(Image lifted from http://totusmel.etsy.com)

Fantasy Island - Treasury by Scrapaholicmom

2010-03-01T17:45:00.005+08:00

A whimsical treasury called "Fantasy Island" by Scrapaholicmom (http://scrapaholicmom.etsy.com/) and we are proud that our Flower Fairy long necklace is included! We are at the 1st row, 3rd column. Click here to take a closer look at the treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=89174
Expires Thurs Mar 4

Things I Like - Elm Studios

2010-02-28T02:12:00.006+08:00

These are personalised bowls, wall hangings, dish for every kind of gift-giving ocassion. Handmade by Erin Lynne Meissner, these little clay ornaments are all individually made to order and can be personalised. Makes that gift so much special because you can include names, dates, messages, etc. What a refreshing gift idea! These can be found at http://elmstudiosonline.etsy.com/ - go check them out!

(Image lifted from http://elmstudiosonline.etsy.com)

Things I Like - SoSheSews

2010-02-16T18:46:00.004+08:00

Clothing, wallets, coin pouches, purses, coffee sleeves, hair clippies - all sewn from recycled/repurposed/upcycled materials!! These are all carefully handstitched together by Brook Helfen of SoSheSews. For all you eco-friendly fans out there, this is one crafter not to be missed! I especially love the cute owl and wolf coin purses (a few examples are above), and she has some really cute clothing too. Most of all I love what she says about her craft: "I am really interested in re-use, particularly in the garment industry and see it as an opportunity not only to save resources and avoid contributing to inhumane industries, but also to promote one-on-one trade where the buyer deals and interacts directly with the craftsman." (lifted from Profile at http://soshesews.etsy.com/) Now that's a vision! So support upcycling! Support handmade! Go check out her wonderful shop now!

(Image lifted from http://soshesews.etsy.com/)

Things I Like - MissNatch

2010-02-09T12:45:00.002+08:00

I "bumped" into MissNatch on twitter, and so attracted by her avatar, I checked out her Etsy shop. Aren't these figurines sooo cute! These are the nifty handiwork of Nathalia from The Netherlands. My favourites are "You are my Shepherd" (bottom left) and "White Birds in Love" (1st column, 2nd row). These figurines would make great keepsake gifts, and I suppose you can customise your figurine too! And for couples tying the knot, you must check out "White Wedding" (bottom right) - these are great for cake toppers or for your own keeping. Do check out this cute little shop!

(Image lifted from http://missnatch.etsy.com/)

Things I Like - Yalipaz

2010-02-05T12:23:00.003+08:00

These are definitely so chic! These are handmade and embroidered felt brooches by Yali Paz-Gilboa of Yalipaz (http://yalipaz.etsy.com/) So colorful and pretty, these girlie brooches will light up any plain top or bag. There's Michela, Alma, Sophie, Anna and flapper girl brooches - my favourite style is Anna! What's yours? Mouse over and take a look!

(Image lifted from http://yalipaz.etsy.com)

Mystical Trees - Necklaces & Earrings

2010-02-03T11:52:00.004+08:00

Mystical Trees - Necklaces & Earrings
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

To me, these little trees look like one of those out of the forest of Avatar, too bad they can't come in neon colors, though the brass ones has sort of a golden glow to it.....Anyway, if you love trees like I do, they are a must add to collection items. In my shop now. click the links below to get to them:

1) Necklace in Silver
2) Earrings in Silver
3) Necklace in Brass
4) Earrings in Brass

Swallows

2010-01-26T12:11:00.010+08:00

Swallows
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

I love them in all the colors - don't you? Majestic swallow bird charms with freshwater pearl drops below them. These are short necklaces and their chains are all different. Check them out:

Silver Color: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39314737

Antique Brass Color: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39189646

Gold Color: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39040041

Leafy Collection - New Additions

2010-01-21T11:27:00.009+08:00

More fabulous additions to the leafy collection!

1) Maple (1st row, 1st 2 pairs from the left) : Gorgeous maple leaf charms with freshwater pearls. In silver and gold colors.

2) Leaves In The Wind (1st and 2nd rows, 1st pairs from the right): Perfect leaves that will sashay nicely in the wind and beneath your earlobes! Gold color with garnet, or silver color with amethyst.

3) Leaf In The Wind (2nd row, 1st 2 necklaces from the left): Need I say more? Perfect complements to the earrings, or vice versa. In gold with a little pink flower and garnet, or silver color with a little clear flower and amethyst.

4) Three Leaves (3rd ros, 1st 2 necklace from the left): With a single freshwater pearl each, these petite little leaf charms make fabulous focals on your neck. In gold and silver colors.

5) Leaf Up (3rd row, 1st necklace from the right): A leaf hanging above a dark magenta glass briolette focal. Sweet and elegant and a mood lifter. Only in gold.

I love leaves - hope you do now! These are all in the "Charmed Blings" collection in my shop. To get to the item listings, just click on the links. See ya in my shop!

Sweet - Treasury by aureliaLT

2010-01-10T01:57:00.005+08:00

This is a colourful and cheerful treausry by aureliaLT, and full of sweet little things indeed! Honoured to be featured here too, can you spot us on the 3rd row, 3rd column from the left? That's our Four Seasons - Summer necklace! Yay! Thanks Aurelia!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T01:07:00.005+08:00

Hello hello hello! It's a brand new 2010! How have the holidays been for you? I've had a good break, enjoyed my vacation to Taiwan thoroughly in December, and lazed through the rest of the year. But holidays are over now, and it's back to creative production! So stay tuned for lovely goodies to pamper yourself with, see ya! :)

A New Leafy Collection

2009-12-03T16:45:00.003+08:00

Those familiar with my work would know that I usually feature flowers in my pieces, but these leaves are so attractive that they have become the centre of attention.

1) Berries And Leaf (Top) - The matte goldplated leaf has gorgeous detailing and is realistically curved with a backbone stem. Adorned with handwrapped garnet "berries" and a floral toggle.

2) Rustling Leaves (Bottom Left) - Textured filigree leaves that will rustle softly on your ears as the wind blows. Adorned with blue glass flowers.

3) The Leaf (Bottom Right) - A very fine, wafer thin large sized filigree leaf that's so pretty. Reminds me of a fallaway leaf floating atop a gentle river, glistening with shiny water droplets, and continuing an endless journey with its little floral companion.

See this new collection at my shop now!

Enchanted Garden - New Series

2009-11-24T12:45:00.003+08:00

These are the latest 7/8" square glass tile pendant necklaces added to our Enchanted Garden Series. I started with 12 pieces, and have already sold quite a few, currently there are only 6 pieces left in my shop. These make really affordable (only S$13 a piece) and adorable gifts for your friends, sisters, collegues and yourself! So hop over and grab them now before they are gone! To see them in my shop, just click on the link above.

Femme Fatale - Treasury by mireilles

2009-11-23T00:15:00.005+08:00

This is a gorgeous treasury made by Mireille of mireilles.etsy.com called Femme Fatale, and our necklace of the same name is featured (1st row in the middle). Thanks Mireille! See the list here: www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=95740
expires Tues Nov 24

Some More Fluttering

2009-11-19T15:45:00.005+08:00

As I have mentioned, next to flowers I love butterflies best, and we have some new ones in our shop! From top left in clockwise direction:

1) Rainbow Flutter - A wafer thin red iridescent butterfly is the focus of this piece. Simply gorgoeus!

2) Blue Flutter - A delicate piece with a blue rhinestone studded butterfly charm focal, with polymer clay rose and swarovski crystals

3) Butterflies - Green enamel butterflies, a little swish-swish for your ears.

4) Pink Flutter - Sister of Blue Flutter in sweet pink.

See them all in my Etsy shop now!

Things I Like - SydneyAngel

2009-11-17T10:59:00.005+08:00

During one of the days using the "Pounce" feature on Etsy I chanced upon an awesome shop from Down Under - SydneyAngel. The shop has the cutest iPhone/iPod/iTouch/Blackberry cases, handmade from colorful felt. An awesome find for you i-gadget/blackberry fans out there! As you can see in the pic above, there are cute adorable cases in animal characters that the girls will go ga-ga over, and others in gameboy form that our macho boys will love (a superb gift idea for the boys, ladies!). Go check out them out at http://sydneyangel.etsy.com/

Happy shopping!

(Image lifted from http://sydneyangel.etsy.com/)

Store Update - Sweet Damsel

2009-11-11T00:24:00.005+08:00

If you have not been to our Etsy shop lately, it's probably a good time to do so. With Christmas just a month away and tons of parties to attend, we've got some lovely feminine newbies that will dress you up for your function and wow your audience.

1. Sigal (top) - Sigal is a hebrew name for violet or treasure, which is just so apt for our sweet precious piece here featuring a gorgeous flourite teardrop pendant.

2. Taisia (bottom left) - Named after the legendary Princess Taisie of Rathlin Island who was the most beautiful woman in the world. And supposedly with the most gorgeous BLUE eyes, which coincides with our main color theme in this piece.

3. Alyssa (bottom right) - This is a remake with some slight difference in the bead mix. The first piece was sold off at a bazaar before it could make it's way to our shop, so a remake is a must!

These aren't enough to tempt you? Then check these out:

1. Jaeda (top) - Asymmetrical piece with a pale green rose on filigree and freshwater pearls. Eye catching subtlety.

2. Rowana (bottom left) - A sweet yet sexy combination of red and black.

3. Rhoda (bottom right) - A remake in a cheery peachy color that will brighten up your attire.

For more details on the materials and measurements, just click on their titles and you will be taken directly the item listing. Don't wait, or the party will be over. It's time to dress up and boogie! See ya at my shop!

Store Update - New Charmed Blings

2009-10-21T01:37:00.006+08:00

Some of my friends commented that I seem to have dropped off the radar, well the truth is I have been a really busy little bee crafting my heart out. It's true - just check out my Etsy shop and see the new stuff I've been adding. And let me introduce a few pieces here, belonging the the category of Charmed Blings, beginning from top left going clockwise:

1. Shopping Queen - The handbag is the most important accessory for the girl who loves to shop (me!), and hopefully of course the bag will always be full of $$$! The bag charm is hanging on a crown shaped toggle. Do visit my shop for a closer look.

2. Femme Fatale - This is a 3rd remake, I really love this theme! This piece also earned a feature spot in FallenPeach's blog (thank you!)

3. My Lovely Deer - This one is a long necklace. I had the deer in black and dusty pink, the black has been sold already, I've no doubt it will soon be this cute one's turn too!

4. The Queen - Another Her Majesty themed piece. The swarovski crystal brio sparkles like royalty

Do check out other new Charmed Blings in my Etsy shop! See you there!

Chocolate.Delight - Treasury by moonangelnay

2009-10-20T22:40:00.003+08:00

We are delighted and honored to have our necklace Alyssa (2nd row, far right) featured in this awesome treasury done by moonangelnay on Etsy. Yay! Thanks so much moonangelnay! And looking at this list, I can't help but feel a choco craving coming on......It's so simply yummilicious!

See it here: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=88792
Expiring on Thurs Oct 22

Enchanted Garden - New Series

2009-09-23T11:55:00.004+08:00

Enchanted Garden - New Series
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

A new series of glass tiles under the "Enchanted Garden" collection. Lovely birds and trees. My favourites are the birds on a wire and the trees. You can find these now in my Etsy shop under the "Enchanted Garden section HERE.

Things I Like - Etsy Front Page

2009-09-19T18:23:00.004+08:00

I chanced upon these 2 treasuries that were on Etsy's Front Page yesterday and today - and they happen to have the same BLUE color theme (one of my fav fav colors!) Now isn't that cool! So I've decided to put them together - and what an awesome looking catalog they make eh! So if you are interested to shop by colors, go to http://www.etsy.com/, look at your LH column under "Explore" and the first item under that allows you to shop by color. Have fun!

Tangled Meshes - New Additions

2009-09-18T17:44:00.002+08:00

I have just listed a bunch of new Tangled Meshes necklaces and rings in my shop. And here above are some newer designs and colors - the Watching Over Ring and Hatching Pendant Necklace now come in stylish black gunmetal wire too! And matched with matte goldplated birds and white swarovski pearls. Way cool! And I've tried making Hatching in mini sizes for ears too. And last but not least, Oyster is now in silver! These designs come in brass and silver colors too, do check them out this section of my shop HERE. See you at my shop!

Hello Again!

2009-09-04T00:27:00.004+08:00

Hi dear folks, sorry to have kept you waiting for new news about us.....well I've been lazy (yep I must admit) in updating the blog, but I've been creating (yay!), so there's actually quite a bit of new stuff in my Etsy shop. If you have not been there lately, do mouse over for a look by clicking HERE. Anyway I've got so many new things that I want to show you since my last update, so let's see where shall I start hmm.....so ok let's bring out my glass tiles. I have 2 series currently - one in Jewel Parlour called Enchanted Garden, handmade with my favourite Japanese washi paper. Here's a peek:

You can find more in Jewel Parlour under the section called "Enchanted Garden".

And then I have a more fun and cute series in my kawaii shop The Dancing Hippo. Here's a peek too:

This coming weekend (5 & 6 Sep) will be the monthly MAAD once again. I'll be there, and if you can, do drop by and say hi! Hope to see you! (And do check back here again for new updates purleez!) Ciao!

Things I Like - The House Of Mouse

2009-07-20T00:21:00.004+08:00

Are these little mice cute of what?!! I find them sooo adorable! These are handmade little character mice done by Anna of The House of Mouse (http://thehouseofmouse.etsy.com). In her House, she has mice of every kind imaginable - mice with professions (cellist, artist, lawyer, etc), mice dressed as Star Wars/Harry Potter characters, mice who represent famous peeps (Beatles, Barrack Obama, Charles Darwin to name a few). And she takes custom orders too! Do mouse over for a lookie, I'm sure those little cuties will put a smile on your face!

(Image lifted from http://thehouseofmouse.etsy.com)

Splashes of Colour!

2009-07-01T12:20:00.005+08:00

I love love love colour! So when I saw these delightful polymer clay beads, I simple couldn't resist! A splash of purple, a dash of pink, a blot of blue, a spot of yellow - these will light up you day and dress up you mood! These can be found in the "Sweet Damsel" section in my shop. Do roll over for a look now!

All About Fluttering

2009-06-21T21:43:00.004+08:00

Next to flowers I love butterflies best, and recently I think I went a little crazy, let my heart went a fluttering - and ta-da! butterfly themed creations! I especially love the black wafer thin metal butterfly charms (on the right top and bottom), they are just so special! And the bracelet (on the left in the 2nd row) is a charmer at MAAD, I've sold quite a few pieces already - it really looks much better put on - I love the way customers' faces just light up when they try it on and they go "oooh"! Now that's satisfaction to the creator :)

Do roll over to my shop for a closer look at more pics. Catch these beautiful flutter at our Charmed Blings section. Catch you there! :)

40 OFF SALE

2009-06-09T00:53:00.005+08:00

Alright, once again we are streamlining our shop, and so we have put up a bunch of delightful items on a whooping 40% discount! A fabulous wonderful sale! They are all one piece items and no remakes! Grab your pretty bargain today! While stocks last. Here is the link to the SALE section: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=37793&section_id=6186002

Everything's Coming Up ROSES

2009-05-28T11:17:00.003+08:00

Everything's Coming Up ROSES
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

We were picked by Tracy of SamanthasTreasures (www.samanthastreasures.etsy.com) to be in her Treasury. Yay! That's us in the middle on the last row. And counting back, this is the 11th treasury that we are in, including one that made it to the Front Page (way back in Aug 10 2007). We've always been a tad shy to make such announcements before, but now we are ditching all coyness and modesty and broadcasting shamelessly aloud! Coz we are proud! woo hoo! Thanks again Tracy!

Tensha

2009-05-26T12:59:00.006+08:00

There was a time when I was madly in love with tensha beads, and recently my old love was revived when I saw some new versions of tensha - UV tensha beads! These necklaces are made from UV tensha - the background of the tensha pendants turn a nice shade of purple under direct sunlight or UV light. The transformation is almost instantaneous, and once you go back indoors, the colour changes back to normal. Cool!

And because my old love was revived, I decided to remake some of my tensha dangles. Love their sparkle! Call this a "retro" phase, Jewel Parlour style. I made 5 pairs actually, but one is already sold. And one per pair only, strictly no remakes, not in a long long time at least! :)

These are now on sale in my Etsy shop under the category Sweet Damsel. Because they are really sweet! Mouse over for a look!

Long Charm Necklaces

2009-05-20T12:57:00.004+08:00

I'm in a long mood recently, and made quite of few of them long and charmed bling blings. Have a look see in my etsy shop, under the Charmed Blings section.

Tangled Meshes - Wire Crochet Jewelry

2009-05-09T01:07:00.006+08:00

Jewel Parlour has a new section called Tangled Meshes! These are wire crochet jewelry handcrocheted by me. These were actually "launched" at MAAD 2 months ago, and they have been quite well received so far, and now they are being listed in my Etsy shop. There are bird nests, oysters and peapod pendants and similar rings. My favourite ones are those with the birds actually, after all, bird nests should have some birds right? :P But be warned, these birds are limited editions, coz I'm running out of them, and so are the supply shops! So go for some bird watching at my new shop section here: Tangled Meshes on Jewel Parlour

Catch you there!

Things I Like - Photography by Lash Tan

2009-05-07T20:21:00.007+08:00

the last dragon
Originally uploaded by hsalnat

This picture is the first one that caught my eye at Lash Tan's booth at MAAD last week. I had a similar playground below my house once when I was a kid, and it was my "secret" pirate ship. I was surprised that there was still one such playground around. Sure brought back some nice memories.

And that led me to scrutinize more closely the rest of Lash's work. I must say he is a very observant man, able to capture scenes and scenarios that most of us take for granted, or simply ignore, and to use those scenes to tell little stories.

I have not been able to browse through all of the 3000 plus photos in his flickr album, but I like what I've seen in the first 20 pages so far, so I'm leaving you a screen capture of one of the pages to whet your appetite:

Catch Lash's photography on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/speed-timer/

(All pictures here are reproduced from Lash's Flickr album)

Four Seasons - In A Glance

2009-05-07T13:07:00.002+08:00

Four Seasons - In A Glance
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

So this is my rendition of the four seasons of nature, in jewelry form. I got these pretty lampwork glass beads when I was in Tokyo last year, they were handmade by the glass artists there in the studio above their little shop. I knotted them with faux leather straps into necklaces.

So what's your favourite season?

You can find these in my shop now, under the section Sweet Damsel. Each cost S$36. Click HERE to see.

Featured on LuvHandmade!

2009-05-04T22:15:00.004+08:00

Yay! One of our owl pendants from The Dancing Hippo was featured on http://www.luvhandmade.com/! That's us on the first item in the last row! Woo Hoo! Many thanks to the team at LuvHandmade!

P.S. This pendant was happily sold at MAAD last weekend. But fret not, more kawaii glass tiles are coming your way. Stay tuned to The Dancing Hippo (and Jewel Parlour)!

Loving It On Twitter!

2009-05-01T11:05:00.004+08:00

Jewel Parlour has just joined the world wide world of tweeting, and we are loving it! It's so addictive and fun! Love following around and being followed, and sharing little thoughts and happenings. If you are on Twitter too, do add us! Tweet Tweet! http://www.twitter.com/jewelparlour

Great Charms

2009-04-25T19:27:00.004+08:00

Like these charming blings? These are the new arrivals in Jewel Parlour, most of them being charm bracelets. What's so special about them is instead of hanging out the charms on a chain, I have them all hanging from pretty and uniquely shaped toggle clasps making a cluster of charms. A nice focal point for the wrist I would say. And toggle clasps are easy to put on by yourself too. Each of these charms have a theme. Do view them in the new catergory of Charmed Blings in my shop!

New Categories

2009-04-25T19:18:00.006+08:00

If you have been to my shop lately, you might have noticed that there are some new changes to the categories. Instead of plain "necklaces, bracelets, etc" I have rearrangd my whole shop by styles: -

Simply Elegance - Stylish graceful gemstone concoctions
Sweet Damsel - Sweet feminine fusions
Charmed Blings - For charm lovers
Artful Polymer Clay and Kirei Glass - OOAK Pendants

And yes, more glass tiles are coming to Jewel Parlour, although they won't be the "cute" animal kind (those are now in The Dancing Hippo, as mentioned in the previous post). Hope this categorisation will enhance your viewing and shopping pleasure, and help you identify the style of jewelry that you like! Additionally, I have also changed ALL the pics in my shop, and I'm so proud of my shop's new look now! So hop over and take a look! Happy browsing!

Those cute glass tiles

2009-04-25T19:13:00.003+08:00

are now being sold in The Dancing Hippo instead of Jewel Parlour. Coz they fit better with the general cuteness in The Dancing Hippo. So if you are looking for them, mouse over to http://thedancinghippo.etsy.com/

And just in case you are new or wondering, Jewel Parlour and The Dancing Hippo are both crafted and managed by the same person - me! :)

Glass Tiles

2009-03-13T15:48:00.003+08:00

Glass Tiles
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

These cute little glass tile pendant necklaces were "softly launched" since Dec's MAAD, and they have been quite well received! Fun to make too, and I just love those cute little images - what a kawaii perk me up! Available now in my Etsy shop, in 2 sizes - square and scrabble. Click here to see: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=37793&section_id=5962741

Be Charmed

2009-03-02T12:31:00.004+08:00

I love charms, I cannot resist them! They are adorable, fun, cute and to me, they can tell a story! Check out my shop for the new collection of charmed goodies - http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=37793&section_id=5969212

Things I Like - Lauren Alexander

2009-01-28T15:35:00.005+08:00

Yay the "Things I Like" write-ups are going to be revived! First up here is a wonderful artist called Lauren Alexander. I "pounced" upon her art on one of my browsing days on Etsy, and though I am a layman when it comes to fine art, her style is one that I like! I was first attracted by her array of wonderful colors (I am always a sucker for colorful things) and then by her adorable owls. Here I've displayed my favorite owl pictures among her many - the one at the bottom left is called "The Aloof Icon" which is my fav of favs, coz it looks a little like me! The one above it is called "Wonderful Winter Land" and the one on the right is called "All Together Now". These are 8.5"x11" prints, which I think will make good V-Day gifts! Frame them up and they will not only brighten up your home or office but will remind you of your love all year round......beats wilting flowers yah? And speaking of V-Day gifts I think the lovebirds in the middle and top row called "Lean On Me" is also a good one too, personally I like it because it reminds me of how I always rely on my hubby! :P

If a print or painting is not your idea of a gift, then how about a pendant? Lauren has her some of her paintings in pendant form - that's what I call wearable ART! She has them in stickers and greeting cards too, you can see them all in her Great Gifts section here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=41796&section_id=5678220 and don't worry if you can't find your favourite painting in this section - I am sure she can custom make it for you!

Lauren has a lot of owl and bird-themed paintings and prints in her shop, but if you are not a fan of pretty feathered mammals, fret not - she also does adoroable paintings of cats, dogs, bears and elephants, as you can see above. As for their titles - I'm not telling you! You can find out at http://laurenalexander.etsy.com/

(Pics downloaded from etsy.com and reproduced with permission from owner)

Two By Two......

2009-01-20T12:08:00.004+08:00

Valentine's is just round the corner, and if you are thinking of a couple gift, why not a pair of couple dolls! One for him and one for her.......place it on your table, hang it on your bag or in your car, and be reminded of your special and significant other constantly!

You can view more of the couples in my crochet shop The Dancing Hippo here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6253237&section_id=5875172

See ya lovers!

School Of Hard Knocks

2009-01-10T17:17:00.003+08:00

School Of Hard Knocks
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

Woo hoo! We are almost half way through the first month of the new year! Hope that all of us had a good start! Just wanted to share something crafty that my hubby and I did today - we went to attend a session at the School of Hard Knocks at Royal Selangor (yes that pewter shop) and made ourselves little pewter bowls. We were provided with thin pewter sheets, and we engraved our names and then knocked them (and ourselves) silly with hammers, using wooden block molds provided. Then after scrapping off the sharp edges and giving them a scrub for some shine - voila! Here is our handiwork - not bad right! I think hubby did better than me, in fact he had to help me several times to shape my bowl properly. His is the one with our girl's name, and naturally she was very happy with her new bowl! :)

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T03:57:00.006+08:00

So another year whizzed past.....and a new year is coming. To all my friends and patrons, thank you for your support the past year, in fact, thank you for your support since Jewel Parlour started, which has kept me going all this while. Hope all of you will have a happy Christmas, and a joyous new year!

I have my goals and ideas almost all penned down, and I hope that I can achieve them one by one in the coming year. And yes one of my resolutions is not to be lazy in blogging.......So do keep watching this space for updates, recommendations, and visit my Etsy shop often for new products! :)

God Bless!

Amigurumi Pendant Necklaces

2008-12-04T18:39:00.002+08:00

Aren't these cute? I have heard so many people say, now what do I do with a stuffed toy? Now I tell you - wear them! These amigurumi crocheted cuties are palm sized and meant to be worn as pendants. They are light, cute, adorable and meant to attract attention. Comes with a metre long cord knotted at the ends, so you can wear them (recommended) or you can retie the knots or cut them to you preferred length. And if you don't want to wear them - then hang them on your bag as a charm! These are now available in my crochet shop - http://thedancinghippo.etsy.com

Warning: Wearing them makes you a trendsetter. And may bring you lots of "oh so cute!!!" exclamations.

Polymer Clay Image Pendants - Chinese Paintings

2008-12-02T12:25:00.004+08:00

Polymer Clay Image Pendants - Chinese Paintings
Originally uploaded by jewelparlour

These Chinese paintings are from vintage collector matchbox labels. I transferred these images onto polymer clay, set them in raw brass frames and glaze. The glazing causes some parts of the raw brass to age naturally, which adds on to the vintage look and feel of these pendants. I am slowly listing them in my Etsy shop, but if anyone catches your eye, just drop me a message at jewelparlour@yahoo.com.sg. Wear a piece of art today!

These Lovely Vines

2008-11-21T01:01:00.002+08:00

During my trip to Tokyo in June I picked up some lovely rhinestone studded, flower-motifed, sparkling and twinkling connectors, which reminds me of twirling vines. I paired them with swarovski crystals and glass briolettes and ta-da! - presenting the lovely vines series - 3 pairs of pretty danglies and a princess-like necklace. Just the right amount of sparkle for work and play. Mouse over to my online shop http://jewelparlour.etsy.com/ for a look-see!

Who's Dancing?

2008-11-13T23:00:00.000+08:00

The Dancing Hippo of course! Here's a peek of some adorable cuties:

Mouse over to http://thedancinghippo.etsy.com for some cheering up by more cute adorable dolls!

Chasing Butterflies

2008-11-13T22:32:00.001+08:00

It's a tad wet and grey now to be actually chasing butterflies in the garden, but no worries - here's a series of cheerful earrings that will help your imagination soar - and definitely a mood lifter too! These are japanese natural shell beads painted with flowers and butterflies and accented with sterling silver, and note the bottom 2 pairs - they are reversible! Do mouse over to my shop to see how - http://jewelparlour.etsy.com/