Spoon Necklace - sealed stamp

Sorry for MIA forever... Or maybe you're used to my absence? (it happen.. many times already.. and I am deeply sorry for my absencessss..)

I have never work full time before. It's crazy that my colleaguess who start work from 930 and ends at 2300... and show up at 930 sharp the next day.. How on earth could you do that? To stuck in that office for over 12 hours? Luckily I am still a newbies in the offices, not much work. But I was grantee by my supervisor that my workload will be increased by 60% next month. God bless me..

Ok, that is my reason for absences.. I am figuring out how to manage my time to blog/ craft / write letter/ make envies.. It's getting better. I am here finally, at Tuesday's night.

See that cute little thing up there? Yup, my latest craft, spoon necklace.

I love the stamp from England. Hong Kong was a British Colony until 1997. I kind of miss the colonial era. This 97 cents stamp from England touch my heart. I cut it from the envelope, stick it in the spoon. Seal it with Epoxy resin. Now, the memory is alive, stay with me, forever.

Simple to make your own!

1.Saw the spoon handle in half.

2.Bend it backward with force.
(I asked my dad to do the first two steps. Thank You Dad! )

3. decorate your spoon.
(Tips, Cover your pic/stamp/drawing with mod podge or PVA glue. So that it won't bleed when you pour in Epoxy resin.)

4. Pour in the mix of Epoxy resin. Patiently wait for 24 hours. Yup, it take a day. It's worth it!
(Tips, you can wait for one or two hours and put in some beads / buttons. So that the beads won't sink in the bottom. It give the spoon a little texture. )

5. Voila, Wear with pride!

Make my own Journal

Have I ever told you that my family name in Chinese, Ng, means FIVE? If I directly translate my last name into English, I will be addressed as "Ms. Five".
It's cool, isn't it? So I put this salutation on the cover of my newly made journal, do you like it?

This is a very easy to make journal, paper, glue, and card stock (or photo). Thank for the video tutorial here, make my night funnier.

If you look closely to the crown, he is holding a banner with Chinese writing on it. 香港 means Hong Kong. The banner was a matchbox cover. Before encountering this matchbox, I had no idea that Hong Kong had a history of making matches!

Friend of mine, a rich one, subscribe to Nat Geo for three years and never read any of them. She, gave all here precious Nat Geo Mag to me. Ok, No, I don't think I will read them all. Nat Geo actually is a great source for collage! The image is InCreDiBle~! I like Hamming Bird, A Lot!

Original From..
Crown found here.
Match Box found here.
Hamming bird from Nat Geo Mag

Great Find today: Delightful Jazz just for you~!

Have a funny happy week~!

I could draw?

What do you think? Do you think I could draw judging from these two inchies? Swap-bot had a inchies for beginner swap. Anything that welcomed either Beginner or Newbies always draw my attention and tempted to join. These inchies above are all for this swap.

My friend who knew me since I was 6, we went to primary and secondary school together, asked do you remember that you hated Art class when you was in primary school? Why are you picking all that art and craft stuff lately?

I have no idea why I picked art and craft up, despite the fact that I am still suck at it. At least I have fun. And, hey no one is judging, right?

Exactly! When I was in school, teachers was judging. Maybe this is the reason why I hated Art class. My works are not here for you to grade, it's for me to have fun. It's the process that I enjoy. But after all, I need an excuse to pick up drawing, so I enter swap.


OK, I know, this is too much pick going on. An ATC for Newbies from swap-bot which I signed up. This is my second ATC. Now, you have more evident to tell me, do you think I can draw? Or I am still suck? Would you smile when you get this ATC from your mail box? Tell me the truth. But, no matter what you told me, I will keep on making. Hahaha. (Ok, I am just trying to make conversation here. )

Feeling great again

The last post show how resented and unhappy I was. But now, the happy me is coming back.
This poem, I came across the next day I fell, comfort my soul.



The swap must go on, right? It's always something that make my day, even a little postcard from postcrossing. =)
I write to Jennifer, an amazing eco-friendly penpal who I know from Going Postal, with a gift made from recycled materials. Nothing can compare to what she sent me, environmentally friendly vintage sticker! Amazing and pretty. So I made her this in return,



Hoping that she will like it.

Thanks Faiza for letting me know about this Great Swap. I am so excited to send out stuff to cheers people's day up!




If you want something special to turn up in your mail box, You have to join this New friend Swap!

As always, my little angel is my source of happiness.


So I made him some personal ad for I LOVE MY DOG swap. Haha, thanks swap-bot never make me get bored.



Cheers, Cheers, Cheers, from Vicky.

From Chip bag to Notebook

Really, if I can make it, so can you. It's not rocket science. Just some chip bags, few pieces of note paper, and a cardstock, then you can make your own chip bag notebook too. I can't include the instruction here, because I follow the instruction from this book: Rebound.

I have to say, it's not difficult. It's just time consuming. Since I am totally suck at sewing, and I am too lazy to pull out the dusty sewing machine, I spent seven hours working on this tiny little notebook. If I pull out that sewing machine and ask my mom to sew it for me, it would have took me only three hours. I guess. But hey, if my mom is doing all the sewing for me, where's the FUN, right?




Working with repurposing materials is one of my interest. Turning waste to something people would say, "Wow, Chip bags? You gotta be kidding me." make me feel great.

Hand sewing every part of the notebook. Almost drive me crazy. Next time, the sewing machine can't hide anymore! And No, I won't ask my mom for help. (May be after mother's day.. things go differently.. )




Just make something! And make yourself say WOW!

Playing with water colour

I don't even remember what was the last time I pick up a brush and paint. Thanks for the coordinator in swap bot who is holding water color ATC, this give me an excuse to buy a whole set of water colour supplies and wondering what I should draw.

Then, I found Lettedset, telling me that I don't have to be a painter to mess with water colour. So I spent two hours giving birth to my 11 giraffe silhouettes.

From Water color

From Water color

I look at them and I say to myself, I am not that suck at art at all.. The simplest way to make myself feel satisfied and happy.

You should paint too!

In love with mailing

From Mailing

Did I tell you I joined the LWA? While I am waiting for my membership card and badge and penpal, I discover something awesome. It's call the pen pal project. I left a message and someone reply me and want to be my pen pal! How awesome!

So I wrote Amanda (my pen-pal-to-be) a letter after I've got her address. Can you see the smiley face on the envelope? Yup, that is my first letter to her!

I always like writing letter. I tried to invite friends and write letter to each other. Hong Kong is a very small place and everyone is using the modern tech that always stop us from writing. So, writing to someone far away is a much better idea. I like checking the mailbox and be surprised!

From Mailing

Guess who I am writing this postcard to? Some one far away and I don't even know the one's name. It's a postcard to Tanzania. I found this heart unity project at postcrossing. Spreading love and cheer in just one postcard, what a simple yet amazing idea?

From Mailing

Yup, postcrossing. I sent out six postcard to people I barely know. It's fun and I am waiting for the postcard sent by someone I don't even know. Five to the State and one to Germany. The postcards may look a little bit un-ordinary. I picked them up at G.O.D. A place sell Hong Kong style stuff. I think it's much fun to have something unusual. You are bored by the razzle dazzle cliche picture of Hong Kong, right?

From Mailing

Have you discover something unusual from my mail / postcard / notepad? Beside working with magazine and magazine and magazine, I found something funny to work with! Security Envelope! You know those billing mail always use a security envelope. Those envelopes actually have a pretty pattern! I discover one is using numbers as pattern. So I cut out 12345... from the envelope and made a postcard for the heart unity project kid. Hopefully, they can find the numerals on the postcard. Kids like game, right? :p
ideas and tutorials on how to work with security envelopes: http://www.girlontherocks.com/knit/blog/tag/security-envelope/

No kidding, I really love writing and mailing. If you do too, leave me a msg or email me and we can start penpaling!

Did I tell you I made my own Journal?

From My First Handmade Journal

Am I being too annoying that telling everyone I have just made my Journal ? Did I tell you I made one?



It's never too late to have a 2010 schedule in the beginning of March, right? It's an exciting project. A book I am going to use for a year is totally handmade by me. I didn't even attend any class or pay anyone to teach me to do so. Just key in "how to bind / make a book" in google and many nice people are offering tutorials to teach you how to make your own notebook. Love is all around and angels are everywhere.

I kind of like vintage stuff. So I make the Journal look old too. I use yellow paper for the pages. Black leather with a brown ribbon as a book mark.

I made the rubber stamp specially for the first page. You can see, the frame which inside is written Ms. Five's 2010. Handwritten the day and week which almost drive me crazy and cost me two hours. But I think It's wroth it! Don't you think?

There are two blank pages between months. So that I can put anything I like in between months to cheers me up or reminding me happiness is within me.

I love it! Friends of mine who touch and see the real thing said it is nicely done. Yup, I know they are being too Kind, as always. Ha. Told ya, Love is all around.

雜誌紙翻生

自小住在婆婆家，每到星期日是閱讀日。開飯前，啊姨舅父公公婆婆一家十幾人，大家邊看著電視邊睇雜誌，同時講講名明富豪政府的是非。飯後又繼續討論，大概這就是我們的溝通方式吧，總比，返學返成點啊，更易打開話匣子。

那一堆的雜誌的生命，大概只維持到一晚左右，無論星期一定星期四出，通通都集中到星期天，大家在那天才看，看過了，就要送給堆田區。為了救回部份生命，最初將名牌廣告變信封，但奈何沒有太多信要寄，有一大堆雜誌信封就堆在那裡。

後來讓我找到織紙的方法，我先是織了很多杯墊送人，然後突然有人告訴我，杯墊實在是最不受歡迎禮物，但織的這份算OK。上了一課之後，再留心找一下，雜誌還可有何用。結果發現同樣織法可以織紙籃子，就織了兩個，但因為十分費時，三個鐘先織得出一個，就沒有恒心再織下去。

結果，今天忽發奇想，同樣的方法其實可以織書簽，在織好書簽的夾心上塗點白膠漿，黏住絲帶，就不怕書簽沉沒在書頁中。我猜這份禮物應較受歡迎吧。



織杯墊方法：http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/06/recycled-magazine-coasters.html
織紙籃子方法：http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/02/flashback_woven_map_basket.html

做給自己的生日禮物

生日的晚上，送給自己的禮物。

最重要都係自己鍚自己:-)

我幸運，因為我有喜歡瘋狂儲鈕扣的呀媽；
我幸福，因為有喜歡買裝修工具的老豆；
我幸好，還有喜歡愛汽水的妹。

才促成我只花費數元港紙，就完成五隻手鐲。

看得出來，手鐲是用甚麼材料做的嗎？提示：與我妹有關。

答案：可口可樂膠樽。
只要將膠樽橫向剪至你喜歡的寬度，成圈，再直向再剪開，調整至你喜歡的大細，將多餘的膠剪走，再用膠紙黏好（我用的是鄒紋膠紙），就基本上成形。我將整個手鐲都包上了膠紙，因為剪開膠樽都很鋒利，以免受偒，還是包住剪口較安全。

我媽很喜歡織冷衫之類的東西，家中就存放了一大堆的冷線。我就是用那些剩餘物資，包了整個手鐲。自發現神奇膠水E6000之後，沒有甚麼東西是不能黏的。我就黏上之前做手工剩下的菊花裝飾，當然還有母親大人數十年儲落的衫鈕，做成了這個所費無幾的Bangle Bracelet了。有些鈕扣背後有個圈好讓穿線的，此時，老爸的兩大把金屬較剪就派上用場，先用膠紙貼好背部，再大刀一剪，就將那「阻定」的圈給剪走，平滑的背部，加上E6000，就成了手鐲的靈魂。

我承認，這不完全是我突然之間諗到出黎的，靈感來自SoSheSews。可惜店主只賣Bangle Bracelet，不提供作法(tutorials). 我就自己做自己的版本。看起來還不錯吧。

Happy Birthday to January!

Isn't she adorable? Focus on the hair clip, the PINK Flower hair clip. I made it! I made it! I made it!
That is a little PreSent for my little cousin. She and I both birthday are in January~!



Isn't this cake suicido? instensify dark chocolate mouse and super sweet white chocolate flower for those has crazy sweet tooth. Not just me and my cousin birthday are in Jan. And also, my dad, my aunt's husband and my cousin's father. One cake serve all. Worth it, isn't it?

不織布襟花

又來手多，看到別人教的襟花好像很易做，就照跟著做了一個。哈，還不錯吧…當然，別人做的比我漂亮很多啦。縫紉從來都不是我的強項，這襟花要將不織布對摺縫起來，我縫得很求其，為求不爆就好呵呢吉帝了。

下次見到我，我就會不停問：「係咪好靚呢…我整架！」你一定要答「好靚喎！」，否則你因住黎…嘩哈哈！　

細細細細筆記本

今學期還剩一科考試就告別痛苦。剛交完最後那份紙，半夜食個丁麵獎勵自己，還是不滿足。快樂源自手多多，結果做了兩本細　細　細　細　筆記本。

本來聖誕老人印章無咁快出場，但見個位幾啱（0岩）就印了上去，這個印章雕得不錯吧…哈

當然別人做的比這兩本更漂亮，既是心血來潮，又想符合環保原則，這兩本用的都是廢紙，看得出來嗎？（你咁孤寒，係人都估到啦……）


皆因工展會，兩老掃了不少貨回家，其中一樣是添寶鳳凰卷，外盒正是今次細細細細筆記本的外皮。第一次是做右手邊那個，實驗性質封面向內無遮無掩，外面蓋個聖誕老人做封面。第二個包了上次做手作剩下來的畫紙，貼了個上次手多多勁剪的剪紙圖案，就成了外皮。

我長期收集人家不要的單據，實際上未有好好善用，頂多當memo同老豆講今晚我想食魚。今次大派用場了。



家中兩老亦有飲紅茶的習慣，包裝紙掉了可惜啊…其實都設計得好靚丫。結果，我又收集起來，但同單據同一命運，無甚作為。結果…








包裝紙又成了筆記本內芯…不錯吧？

兩種紙的紙質其實都蠻好寫的，但單據剪尺寸時比較麻煩，因為大部份單據都摺過，而且質地又軟，很難剪齊。茶包那個，開起來，其實，還有點茶屑…哈哈哈。唔知放手袋會唔會除臭架呢？　

• Mr. Monkeysuit　很勁，有詳盡的pdf免費download，六個步驟就搞掂，過程不需十分鐘。

Stamping Exercise: My Name

From Silly stuff

慶幸曾成長在電腦未普及的年代，寫信寫紙仔比同學仔成了重要的溝通途徑（電話固然可以煲…但冚家都會知你同你同學的對話內容lor），那時候寫得一手靚字是會惹人妒忌，所以我小時很喜歡寫copybook，因為可練靚手字，寫信比隔離位個同學仔。

可是一般街外買到的copybook都很悶…A for Apple B for Boy，（慶幸2：小時讀的是簡單英語…否則要背a for astronaut的話，我會完全放棄學習英文 ），十多年後的今天，竟被我發現了它！鍵入你喜歡的字句，就可創造獨一無二的Copybook! 嘩…咁得意ge野，點解今日先出現？

度身訂造的Copybook 正好讓我作刻圖章的練習，雖然做得不太仔細，但係第三個都幾啱位丫…係咪咁講先？

呢期我都會用呢個做我的簽名…！

Buy less, make more. Homemade paper flower by using unwanted envelope

From homemade craft

郵差叔叔處理最多的一定是帳單郵件，沉悶的白色信封，窗口中透出死寂的白底黑字的電腦字體，郵差看兩看機械地印上郵戳，你冰冷地拆開又要科水的單…

你可曾留意，白色信封的內涵？為了保密，信封內頁經過精心設計，有時是黑的、有時是綠的密麻麻的花紋，以防「尊貴的客戶」資料外洩。我就用了信封內頁作花瓣，再賦予陳年鈕扣新生命，讓他們成為花蕊，花瓣加點顏色，就成了手多多之作的紙花。

也許點綴一下潮牌信封，貼在廣告中戒指的圈上竟然岩岩好。手作仔，其實無須花費太多。Buy Less and make yourself happy through crafting.

From homemade craft

This paper flower is made from the inner side of a boring plain write bill envelope. Though, the design of the inner side of envelopes are fascinating. They are either in Black or Green packed with beautiful pattern. So, Why wasting it? Cut it a circle and trim it a bit, then put a button on. Wa-la .. Paper flower is done.

It cost you less than a dollar I guess. (Glue and botton (from old shirt) could cost you a penny or more. :p )

Buy less. Make some craft. Cook some meal. Make myself happy.

大贈送：潮牌信封

買奶周只志在看黃偉文的專欄，書中所潮拜的潮牌窮家女如我，實在高攀不起。為了証明得不到的葡萄是不酸的，或者證明你用幾千銀連一千蚊紙都放不入的潮牌銀包實在是很無謂與無taste，又或者証明我不隨波逐流，我將潮牌廣告一一變成信封，寄給我愛的朋友。

我愛我的朋友，卻沒有愛人地址，如若你愛我，請以短訊傳個地址給我。
可選擇的潮牌包括：

1. Porter Girl Line (新出架)
2. Neighborhood X Coke Zero
3. Outerspace
4. Chapel (內頁是Juno弱水三千的廣告)
5. Vans "off the wall" X Milk
   
6. Indu Homme
   
7. Campbells' X bossini (查實我諗佢應該是扮潮牌, who cares?)

掹大口瞓覺的C9

是畫得很醜。近數月突然有興趣畫素描，隨身帶著畫冊，看見有趣的人就偷偷地畫下來。一直以來畫的人不是西鐵的乘客，就是咖啡店的顧客，只有這兩個地方才可讓我凝視他們又不被察覺，其實他們都很可愛哦，看看上圖的太太就知啦。

即使我畫得很醜，自娛一下也快樂，她的朝天鼻掹大口瞓覺，我自己畫完都好想大笑，但C9仍在睡，有禮貌的我當然辛苦地忍笑。這種偷窺，實在有種令人上癮的快感。（係咪有啲變態呢…？）

自製無毒止汗劑

受了傷的小肥狗都話正，至少帶他出街的奴才冇臭汗。

{國語}其實最初在別人博客見到自製酒精加水止汗劑的配方時，我是拒絕的，因為我覺得會沒有效果。
好啦唔玩勒…
之後發現自製乳霜狀止汗劑的配方，就覺得可以一試，因為配方中有蘇打粉，具清潔作用，加上乳本果酒和可可脂，滋潤肌膚，看起來不錯，就試試吧。

科學呢樣野日新月異的實際情況係，今日就推翻尋日的報告，不同公司資助的研究報告又有有利該公司的結果。例如有報告話護膚品化妝品止汗劑用的para-hydroxybenzoic acids or parabens，有機會引致癌症或腫瘤（止汗劑或會引致乳癌），但又有報告話呢啲未必會引致癌症，總之你有你講我有我講。我等平民係無辜消費者，又唔識驗自己用的產品，他日証明市面上的止汗劑的成份真的會引癌，就一切太遲。因此，我決定自製止汗劑，愛自己身體！

原材料我還剩下很多，如若你也想試試，我可以多做數瓶送你。:) leave me a comment la la la

試用報告：
我加的精油係之前在台灣阿原肥皂買皂時送的清方精油，今天帶小狗出街前用了，每次同佢出去都令我極大汗，雖然無rexxxa廣告咁勁一滴汗都無（我未用過），但比沒有用小汗，亦有淡淡的精油味，實在不錯。


1/4 品脫的容器大概這樣大，我是將舊玻璃瓶子消毒，盛載止汗劑。





配方：
3茶匙　精製乳木果油　refined Shea butter
3茶匙　蘇打粉
2茶匙　粟粉
2茶匙　可可脂
半茶匙　維他命E油
小小　　你喜歡的精油

用具：
玻璃寬口瓶
一隻筷子或stirrer
1/4品脫的容品脫器

做法：
1.除精油和維他命E油外，將所有材料加入玻璃寬口瓶 ，隔水加熱，直至材料全部融合，期間用筷子攪拌。
2. 加入精油、維他命E油，攪拌均勻。
3.倒入容器，蓋好，放入雪櫃，凝固後便可用。

備註：
容器請先以酒精消毒。

我在這裡發現以上配方【in English】，有興趣可以試試。
這裡又有數個不同的配方，連漱口水都可以自製。

天麗可以買到精製乳木果和可可脂。

香皂雕花101

正經事不做，躲在家中雕番規。上圖是第二次雕的，初學者，算係見得人啦。歷時半個鐘都唔洗，照著香皂雕花這本書書中一步步雕就搞掂。


左邊醜怪的是第一次雕，右邊就是第二次雕的，雕完第一個唔夠一分鐘就雕第二個lu，進步神速。




如若你得閒，雕花一點也不難。如果你屋企咁啱有��刀（cutter）或雕刻刀，一舊唔太舊的番梘，就可以隨心所欲地雕了。我認我是特登去買番梘的，走遍超級市場與藥房，結果在十蚊店找到最便宜貨，十蚊三舊的「植物石鹼」番規，夠軟身容易雕，還有點點的蘆薈香，入門佳品。（它說自己是100﹪natural，一睇成份表，一堆唔識的化學品，天然你個死人頭。）若然你家中真的無雕刻刀，十蚊店連雕刻刀都有，仲要十雞兩把，抵到爛！

仲唔動手玩？（你估個個都好似你咁不務正業架咩…唉）

唔雕都睇下大師級作品丫，件件好似真花真甜點一樣，http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~blue_cs/index.htm

Homemade cake-soap

雖然在社區中心的實習不怎順利，總是返工等收工，老細不是顏色面就是連人影也不見，整個實習長長兩個月，跟我說話的時間十分鐘也沒有。

還好認識了一群快樂的準社工，我這等間人就動手做蛋糕手工皂，給大家留為紀念。這次只是小女子第二次動手造皂，做好的第三天就送了出去，皂還是有點軟，實在擔心是否成皂，所以禮物附上小單張寫著「極度建議留為紀念」。

就當我自戀，當我花了兩天造皂，看到這個景象，我有點沾沾自喜有點high，即使未知手工皂是否可用…哈哈。



搞事之作，杞子作裝飾的手工皂…