Where Things Get Lovely...

Scrapbook for the Teacher

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Tue, 29 May 2012 07:54:00 +0000

Kids grow up so fast!

My daughter and her friends ended their Nursery days last year in what turned out to be quite an emotional parting.

As a token of appreciation to the wonderful class teacher and class assistant of Nursery MK, a couple of mums gathered to put together scrapbook albums for the both of them.

First of all, we...

bought 12" x 12" scrapbook paper in a variety of colours and 2 scrapbook albums
bought cute, kiddy, puffy stickers and colourful alphabet stickers
invited every mum to ask their child what they liked most about their teachers or class
arranged for all the children to make hand prints (secretly during drop-off at school one morning)
printed two sets of photographs per child

Then we got some of these courtesy of Summer-Ray...

Next, we met at a mum's house one bright morning while the kids were in school, and began putting the album together. We had 68 pages and 2 album covers to complete before school was out!

We printed out the names and quotes in colourful ink onto some cardstock, then cut around the edges of the card stock with pattern scissors. Like a production line in a factory, we laid out the scrapbook paper on the floor, placed the designated photos, handprints, name- and quote-print outs on the paper, and one by one we cut, arranged and glued the layout of each individual page.

Here are some of the designs we came up with.
(The names of the teachers and children have been removed for privacy and security reasons).

The album covers

The album covers were decorated with alphabet stickers, mulberry flowers,
flat back jewels and sliced FIMO canes.

A close-up of the FIMO cane slices.

The first page(s)

The first page for Miss MK with a poem composed especially for her.

A close-up of the mulberry flowers with a swirl pattern above made from
knocking little holes through the paper

FIMO cane flowers.


The first page for Miss R, also with a poem composed specially for her.

Who knew green and purple would look so well together? ;-)

The rest of the pages...

Lavender and blue sets the theme of this page

A simple design with the focus on the first picture, the flowers and handprint.

A page with what looks like corner protectors.

Memories from Pirate Day and a Sharing Assembly.
(They love collecting sunshines for being good!)

A peeking handprint waving a greeting...
memories of Crazy Day when everyone came to school dressed bizzarely
to raise money for a good cause.

Another page which draws attention to the first picture.
The second picture was when they were learning about different modes of
transportation.

It's nice to have a teacher who is a friend.

They look forward to being the class leader.

The cutest Captain Hook!

His mom loved the dragonfly jewels. :-)


Some perforated cardboard was used in this layout.

Love how the kids are posing in front of the bus.

Instead of jewels, rhinestones or pearls, the mom who arranged
this page placed sliced FIMO canes at the center of the mulberry flowers.

Ribbons and ink were the theme for this page.

Cupcakes and sports day.

Yellow frilly ribbons frame the first photo to match her cap..

A green mulberry flower with two petals cut off and replaced with miniature
foam flowers.

I like the FIMO butterflies above the big butterfly sticker.

You can tell there's a lot of love in the class...

Another mulberry flower with petals cut away.
This time one green petal cut from another flower adds layers to the page.
The other petals of the purple flower were placed behind the top flower.

This brings cherry blossoms to mind.

We managed to finish the albums in time to fetch the kids from school.

The albums were presented to Miss MK and Miss R on the last day of school with quite a few tears from both Miss MK, Miss R.....and the mums. It was a good first year of school for our children and we were very thankful and glad that they had such loving and patient mentors.

How to make Washi Eggs - one last tip

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 16:01:00 +0000

I hope you found the Washi egg tutorial in How to make Washi Eggs helpful.

I have one last tip to share...

After the Washi Eggs have dried, apply some gold glitter glue to the eggs with gold trimmings and motifs on the paper. It will give the eggs an extra sheen.

Before glitter glue

After glitter glue

This can be done before or after the lacquer is applied. When the glitter glue has dried, apply the lacquer one more time to seal the glitter in. I like the outcome so much that I applied the gold glitter glue to all the eggs with gold trimmings...

And even silver glitter glue on the egg without any gold trimmings...

Silver glitter glue on a blue/white paper design

The extra glitter made the eggs look exquisitely expensive...and an excellent topic of conversation during visits from friends and relatives.

A wonderful, blessed Easter to all.

How to make Washi Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:48:00 +0000

Washi eggs are simple and fun to decorate!
They make great gift ideas for Easter, and a unique and enjoyable craft activity at parties.

Washi means Japanese paper, and Washi eggs are egg shells covered with the paper. I attended a Washi egg workshop recently, and here are some pictures and an easy-peasy tutorial on how to make your own Washi eggs.

Firstly, you will need an egg, a pin and a bowl.

Prick a 2-3mm hole at one end of the egg with the pin, taking care not to fracture the egg shell.

Turn the egg over and make a smaller hole at the other end.

Make holes at the top and bottom of the egg

Gently place your mouth over the smaller hole and blow the egg into the bowl.

Wash or wipe the egg shell clean, and leave it to dry. (Put the egg aside to cook later) :-)

Tip: Wiggle and jiggle the pin around a little once you have made the holes, this will puncture the yolk and make it easier to blow out.

Blow the egg out of the shell

Next, you will need a pair of sharp scissors, paper glue, a cup, a brush, a plastic sheet or tray to work on, and some Washi paper cut approximately into 4" (width) x 6" (length) pieces.

My little Washi egg work station

To measure the egg,

Wrap the paper lengthwise around the width of the egg.

Fold the paper where the ends meet, this is to mark where to cut later.

Measuring the width of the egg

Next, place one end of the paper, widthwise, from the bottom of the egg to the top (tip to tip).

Fold away the excess paper at the top of the egg,

Measuring the length of the egg

Cut the paper at the folded markings. (Do not throw the excess cut-outs away)

Tip: Washi paper expands a little when it is wet, so there is no need to overlap the paper over the egg, just let both ends meet nicely at the width. For the length of the egg, let the ends of the paper fit nicely from the very top to the bottom of the egg.

The paper, cut to fit the egg snugly

Then you will need to...

Fold the paper in half.

Open the paper and fold in both ends to the middle fold.

Folding the paper

Then fold the paper in half again, and hold it with your index and middle finger at the center of the folded paper.

The fingers mark the middle of the egg

Using a sharp pair of scissors, cut one side of the paper (taking care to stop at your fingers) into 4 strips.

Do the same to the other side (remember to stop at your fingers again).

Cut 4 strips to your fingers

Unfold the paper and cut the folds to match the rest of the strips.

Cutting the folds to complete the fringe of strips

At this point, you should have a fringe of strips at both sides of the paper.

A fringe of strips at both sides

Cut the ends of the strips to make little peaks...

Cutting the peaks

...that look like picket fences.

Picket fences

Check the fit of the paper around the egg....aaah..perfect fit! (Trim away any excess if it does not fit).


Checking the fit

Mix a big dollop of paper glue in a cup with a little bit of water. The texture of the glue should be fluid enough to drip from the brush in nice big drops.

Place the paper onto the plastic tray and brush glue all over the inner side of the paper, taking care to cover every bit of paper from the middle to the tips.

Covering the paper with glue

Covered completely from tip to tip

Place the egg at one end of the paper and carefully roll the paper around the egg.

Slowly press and smooth down the strips onto the egg one at a time with your fingers.

Press down the strips onto the egg

Do the same for both ends of the egg, smoothing out any bubbles or creases.

If you're not happy with the layout, peel off the strips and lay it down again the way you like.

Feel free to apply more glue anytime during the process. Just dip your finger in the glue mixture and apply generously.

Smoothing out the creases

Almost done

When you are satisfied, leave the egg to dry and start on your next egg.

Do not worry too much if the paper does not look as seamless as you would like, it will look better when the glue is dry.

Here are some eggs left to dry while we worked on other eggs during the workshop.

~ A little side-tracking ~

What to do when you find you cut a bit too much off the paper and it does not fully cover the egg? Worry not...the egg can be saved with surprisingly stunning outcomes.

If it is a tiny gap, push the strips into place a little harder, Washi paper is stretchable when wet and more often than not you will be able to cover that tiny gap with some adjustments.

If it is a huge gap that cannot be covered no matter how you push the strips, fret not.

A gap in the paper

Peel open the strips

Peel away the strips

Search through the excess paper that was cut earlier and look for the part that is the same pattern as the gap in the egg.

Cut the paper to fit the gap. If the gap covers a wide area of the egg, cut a square and snip tiny triangles around the edges, like so...

Shaping to fit the gap

Apply glue and place the cut-out square on the egg at the area of the gap.

Press the strips back down over the cut-out square and smooth the creases away.

How to make a Washi egg bauble.

Cut off both ends of a toothpick. You should have a 2-2.5cm stick.

Cut the ends of a toothpick

Using some thick thread, wool or cord string; tie a knot around the toothpick.

Tie a knot around the toothpick

Slip the toothpick through the hole in the egg shell.

Slip the toothpick into the egg shell

When the egg is lifted up by the string, the toothpick will remain in the egg shell.

Decorate the egg with Washi paper.

Ready to be decorated

~ Back on track ~

I managed to decorate six eggs during the 2.5 hour workshop, which was held in a Japanese restaurant just before lunch. :-)

These are the eggs I made.

My Washi eggs

Let the eggs dry overnight.

Hot tip: When the eggs are dry, use a teaspoon to smooth away any remaining creases.

Smoothing creases away with a spoon

Next, apply varnish or lacquer on the eggs. This covers any imperfections and gives the eggs a lovely sheen and polished look.

Tip: It is better to apply several light coats of varnish or lacquer over a period of time than a large amount at one go. So apply a light coat, let it dry and apply another coat, and so on.

Last of all, arrange your eggs in a bowl, egg cups, a nest, a basket, around a vase of flowers or anywhere else you desire (hang them on your favourite potted plant or tree if you made egg baubles).

One last tip before I end: Keep the unused strips of paper, these can be used to make a Washi egg in a collage of paper designs.

Have fun making your own Washi eggs! :-)

An Easter Egg Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 04:18:00 +0000

My daughter loves the Cadbury Mini Eggs from our previous blog entry Easter egg parade. Seeing how she delighted in picking her favourite coloured egg and popping it into her mouth, I thought it would be fun to make a nest for the tiny eggs. This is a project we did together. What we used:

Different coloured crepe paper
A balloon
PVA glue or liquid starch
Mulberry paper flowers
Pearl flower beads
Acrylic flower jewels

Cut the crepe paper into strips. Paper mache the whole balloon with lots of PVA glue and crepe paper. (This is tons of fun for a 4-year old....messy but fun).

When the whole balloon is covered with crepe paper leave it to dry overnight.

Once it's dried, cut a small hole in the balloon. To do this, poke a small slit through the dried paper, pop the balloon, then use a sharp paper scissors to cut the hole and take the balloon out. The hole should be big enough for a little hand to slip through comfortably.

Fill a little more than a quarter of the balloon with yellow crepe paper or paper napkins, but before you do, cut short strips into the paper to form a frilly lining (similar to the nest lining in the Easter egg parade blog).

Glue pearl flower beads and acrylic flower jewels to the center of the mulberry paper flowers. Have fun creating your own colour coordination!

Arrange and glue the flowers round half of the hole. We decided to cover the top and right hand corner.

The final step is to lay....I mean arrange....the tiny eggs in the nest. ;-)

And your fun and flowery Easter egg nest is ready!

The flowers make it look pretty...

...and the best part is that it's not just another pretty face...the kids would just love fetching the eggs out of this nest. How can I be sure of that? I caught some tiny fingers in the act...

Have a happy and blessed Easter! :-)

Easter Egg Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:04:00 +0000

Easter Sunday is approaching and it's time to bring out the eggs! If you're not one for decorating hard boiled eggs or delicate egg shells, why not get some polystyrene (styrofoam) eggs, which can be found in most craft stores.

Paint the eggs with acrylic paint.

I had different sized eggs and chose soft, pastel colours for each one of them.

Glue on some glossy pearl flat back rhinestones with P.V.A (Polyvinyl acetate) glue as most other adhesives tend to eat into polystyrene.

PVA glue does not dry as fast as other adhesives therefore the bigger and heavier flat back rhinestones may slide down the egg. So, while waiting for the glue to dry, prop up the egg so the flat back rhinestones are on the top. This may seem a little time consuming but if you know what design you want for all the eggs, you can begin on another egg while waiting for the one before to dry. The best thing about PVA glue is that it dries clear so worry not about the gunky white stuff you see.

Keeping to my pastel theme, I added some 3mm and 4mm glossy pearl flat back rhinestones to my designs.

And there you have it! Homemade Fabergé Easter eggs!

They may not be priceless heirlooms...but they are affordable and they come with a meaningful message, for on the other side of the eggs, flat back round pearls form the words...

After all, Easter isn't just about eggs ;-)

Happy with the outcome, I decided to experiment to see how the eggs would look in a basket with some Cadbury mini eggs that I had in hand. I folded some paper to form an inner base for the basket.

Cut some crepe paper to form a 'nest'.

Put in the chocolate eggs and arranged the polystyrene eggs in the basket. Nice? Not yet...

I got some grosgrain ribbons and twirled it around the handle. There...much better! Now it really looks festive! And judging by the response from my 4 year old daughter when she saw it....fun and yummy too!

In case you're wondering why 'Love' is on the smallest egg...I figured you don't need to be the biggest when you're the greatest ;-)

Now all I need to do is head down to the shops to get more chocolate eggs to really fill up the basket.

Have a great time preparing for Easter!

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love - 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.

Pretty Glass Bottles

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Ever wondered what to do with the glass bottles and jars that seem to accummulate in your kitchen? Apart from sending them to the recycling bin, how about having some creative fun?

Wash and dry the bottles. Then have a go at painting them in any pattern and colour you fancy. I experimented with Pelikan Plaka paint on these bottles.

Paint the bottles any colour...

...or design you like

Don't just stop at paint, glue on flat back rhinestones for an extra touch of playful fun or simple elegance. I found it better to apply the glue on the bottle first. Carefully place a little dollop of glue on the bottle, then place the rhinestone on the spot of glue. Rhinestone gel pickers make it so much easier to pick and stick the flat back rhinestones according to desired patterns.

Glue on some flat back rhinestones...

Let your imagination run wild with the designs. Here is what I came up with.

...from plain to pretty glass bottles...

If you wish, a thin layer of varnish may be applied to the bottles, specially if the paint used is not water-resistant. Next put a tea light, or in my case, some water, oil and a floating wick....and let there be light.

Do remember to use heat-resistant glue for the flat back rhinestones. Adhesives like super glue*, multipurpose glue and the E6000 are all right. If you take a good look, you will notice that a rhinestone on the 3rd bottle in the picture above is missing. It fell off because I tried using hot-melt glue for that particular bottle. (I know...I know...Duh! Hot-melt glue does exactly that...melt when it's hot...but it was fun to experiment with it anyway) ;-)

So there you have it!

Spend a fun afternoon painting and decorating used bottles with the rest of the family. It's a lovely way to pass the time and a great way to let those creative juices flow. When you're done, you will have new and unique decorations that look lovely in the daytime and mesmerizing at night.

*Super glue tends to have a cloudy effect on flat back rhinestones. It makes the silver tint at the bottom of flat back rhinestones bubbly and cloudy when it dries after application, hence the emulsified look on the rhinestone when seen through from the top.

A gift of love - How to make a Scrapbook Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

We're back from a refreshing holiday, we survived Christmas, we danced through New Year's and now we have Thaipusam and Chinese New Year to look forward to (living in Penang is such fun!) ;-)

Then comes the next big international event that seems to have grown from humble beginnings to monstrous proportions. I am, of course, speaking of Valentine's Day....the day when roses, chocolates and all other lovey-dovey gifts are sold at exorbitant prices. Usually, I ignore Valentine's Day, but this year I thought 'Why not show the man who has been a big part in my life what he means to me...'

'Flowers? Boring.

Chocolates? Well...at least they're edible.

However, I wanted something meaningful...something with more substance and significance. Then an idea popped into my head...

I cut out two pieces of hard, thick cardboard.

Tried out different captions with some pink and blue paper clay alphabets, and a rhinestone studded heart.

Punctured some carefully measured holes on both pieces...

....and tried on some binder rings.

Glued on ribbons to the edges of the board.

Folded the ribbon over the edge and kept it in place with the help of paper clips, while the glue dried.

Completed the beribboned edges by folding the ends of the ribbon in towards the inner corners.

Beautified the corners with some resin embellishments.

Last of all, I stuck on the paper clay alphabets...spelling out my chosen title..., and the cardboards were ready to become the covers of...

...my very first homemade scrapbook.

The best thing about making a scrapbook with binder rings is the freedom to choose the size you want the book to be, and the ability to add or alter the sequence of the pages as you see fit. As the scrapbook grows, the binder rings can be replaced with bigger sized rings to accommodate the thickness.

Instead of giving that special someone the usual bouquet of flowers, soft toys or chocolates, why not give a touching and expressive memento? It doesn't matter if you've been together for years, months, weeks, days, or are just starting to get to know each other. Present your sweetheart a scrapbook of your own and if he or she is the one, imagine the fun of filling up the book with memories as you grow old together.

Now, all I need to do is fill up the scrapbook with pictures and the story of how my husband and I met, became the best of friends and fell in love.

Happy Valentine's day to lovers young, old and in-between! :-)

Puppet on a String

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:04:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city of Prague last month, and I must say, the old town was like a fairytale village. Apart from the awe-inspiring architecture, the tasty trdelnik, the fantastic Christmas markets and the entertaining Black Light Theatre shows, what I fell most in love with were the marionettes!

They came in all shapes and sizes, from modern day influenced to old-fashioned (and sometimes quaint) puppets from yesteryear. There were witches, ballerinas, dragons, devils, fairies, knights, fairy tale characters, and even Michael Jackson and Harry Potter!

Telling myself that I should bring a marionette back as a remembrance of Prague, I stopped for a look at every opportunity but I never saw anything that pulled at my heart strings....until I chanced upon a little shop tucked away among the streets and spied this little girl.

Marionette of a little girl

Her smiling face captivated me instantly....so I stepped into the shop for a better look and found girls and boys with different coloured hair, eyes and clothes!
Now how could I not get a pair?

The puppets on a string that had me on a string...

Aren't they adorable?!

Marionettes are puppets that are controlled from above by strategically placed strings attached to the limbs and head.

Picture courtesy of http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/wood-crafts4.htm

In the case of my little-boy and little-girl marionettes, the strings are attached to the knees and hands, while a firm strong wire controls the head and helps hold the puppet in place.

String attached to the hands

String attached to the knees

The head is attached to the body by a hook at the end of the wire. This can easily be removed if (as in my case) the puppets had to be packed safely to make the journey back to Penang.

The hook at the end of the metal wire that attaches the head to the body

The wire and strings are attached to controls above. If you look closely at the second picture below, you will see the signature of the artist who painted and made the marionettes.

The controls above the puppets


The signature of the creator

I love the attention to detail in the painted features. The eyebrows, eyelashes and the twinkle in the eyes are intricately drawn and coloured. The teeth and lips look pleasingly natural, as do the slight browning of the boy's cheeks and pinkish blush on the girl.

Intricately painted faces

The legs are made of wood, and the arms are strings, while the body, head and hands seem to be made of a type of plastic compound.

Wooden legs and shoes

It would be nice to be able to make my own marionettes, and although it is not simple to make, it is not terribly difficult either...specially with directions and tips from some websites.

Picture courtesy of http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~wwwsfa/library_howto_marionettes.htm

Until the moment when I have sufficient time to try my hand at making my own marionettes, I'm ecstatically happy with these two little cheeky tykes from Prague.

Interesting fact:
Did you know that marionettes were named after the Virgin Mary?
Marionette means "little Mary" in French.
One of the first figures to be made into a marionette was the Virgin Mary, hence the name.
Find out more about marionettes here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marionette

Links on how to make marionettes:
http://www.stormthecastle.com/how-to-make-a/how-to-make-a-marionette.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_6932600_build-czech_style-marionettes.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_6617950_build-marionette-puppets.html

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:27:00 +0000

Phew! School is out today! What a week it's been. My daughter had her very first stage experience during her school Christmas concert. I cannot say for sure who was more excited...her or me. The dress code for her class was white and green, and let me tell you it is not easy to find a nice green and white dress. Pink, purple, red...no problemo. Green? Nada.

Luckily, I remembered she had a plain white dress, and I had an idea on what to do for the 'green' bit. It was green ombre ribbons to the rescue! I made a floaty ribbon ensemble using an oval ribbon slider and pinned it on the dress.

It was a hit. She loved it and kept playing with the dangly bits.

My next project is...to pack our bags! We're flying off for a holiday tomorrow morning. This is me signing off for 2010. I'll be back and blogging again in January 2011. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! :-)

(Note: This post is taken from our Facebook page notes written on 10 December 2010)

One for the kids

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:57:00 +0000

In my previous post, I mentioned that December is a month of many celebrations for us, one of these is my daughter's birthday. As the actual day is during the school holidays, we decided to have a little birthday bash at school during snack time.

It was fun to plan and prepare little 'lunch boxes' full of yummy treats for the kids...and even more fun to make these...

Cupcake dressing?

At first glance they may look like cupcakes, but they're actually made of coloured paper clay...and this is how they were made.

Using the palms of your hand, roll some clay into a ball. (Here I mixed red and white coloured clay).

Roll some paper clay into a ball

Flatten the ball with a smooth, flat object (I used my Mum's pyrex cover).

Flatten the clay evenly

Use a cookie cutter for consistent sizes and shapes.

Use a cookie cutter

Peel away the excess

A perfect circle

The best thing about coloured paper clay is the ability to mix the colours together. If you blend the two colours well, you will end up with a different shade altogether. You can also mix the colours in such a way that you end up with swirls...like so.

Swirls of yellow on blue

Make a hole near the top big enough to slip a ribbon through. This can be done with a clean drinking straw.

Make a hole using drinking straw

A nice clean hole for slipping ribbons through

Roll some coloured clay to form alphabets and press it into the base.

Glue on some flat back jewel embellishments. I chose dragonflies, butterflies, flowers, leaves, starfishes and teddy bears for this project.

Flat back star fish jewels for Ines

Flat back teddy bear and dragonfly for Brandon

Leave the clay to harden overnight. Then apply some clear varnish, and leave it to dry again.

Flat back flower jewels

Flat back flower butterflies

Flat back flower starfish and flower (and some clay waves)

And when the varnish is dry....slip on some lovely coloured grosgrain ribbons, tie a knot...and you have homemade giveaways that make great Christmas decorations, bedroom door signs and baggage name tags. Alternatively, brooch pins can be attached to the back of the clay before it hardens and you'll have a lovely name badge. Either way, the little ones loved their customized name tag/decorations...and so did the parents ;)

(Note: This post is taken from our Facebook page notes written in December 2010)

O Christmas Tree!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

Hurray! It's December! My favourite month of the year, with things to do, places to go, people to meet and an assortment of celebrations to enjoy. School will be out soon and we're looking forward to the hols. But first...we have Christmas assignments at school to prepare for.

My daughter's class had a Christmas party last Friday and all the kids had to come dressed in Christmas clothes, bring Christmas snacks to share with friends, and a Christmas decoration for the tree in their classroom. As I couldn't bake anything (I'm one of those delightful personages who has never baked anything edible before in her life), I decided to, at least, try my hand at making the Christmas decoration.

This time, I managed to find some light weight paper modeling clay at an arts and craft shop in town. The clay was different from the one I used in the post 'Frosty or Rudolph, anyone?', which turned out like porcelain and was quite heavy. Here's a short tale of my experiment with lighter paper clay...

1. Take a piece of red 6mm grosgrain ribbon and glue the ends together.
2. Fashion a triangle with the paper clay and cut the triangle in half.
3. Apply glue to the center of both triangle pieces and attach them together with the grosgrain ribbon in the middle.

Forming the top of the tree

Attaching the top of the tree to the ribbon

4. Mold and cut bigger triangles for the lower half of the tree.

5. Cut the top off the triangles.
6. Attach to the ribbon.

The lower branches

7. Smooth away the grooves between the triangles by molding in some flattened paper clay...just like applying putty to cracks.

Smooth away the grooves

8. Mold and attach the trunk, and a circle for the base.

The 'snowy' base

9. Leave to dry and harden, then paint the tree.

Paint the tree

10. Once paint is dry, glue on colourful flat back pearls of varying sizes, glimmery sequin snowflakes, shiny flat back pearl stars, and apply clear varnish on the whole tree for that extra sheen.

Decorate the tree with sequin snowflakes and flat back pearls

11. Let 3-year-old daughter carry the tree to school and proudly hang it on her classroom tree.

She wasn't the only child with a store-bought Christmas snack....but she was the only one with a homemade decoration :-)

(Note: This post is taken from our Facebook page notes written in December 2010)

Frosty or Rudolph, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Right-o!
Christmas is coming and I decided it was time to get down and dirty....with some paper clay!

I dropped by the art supply store in my neighbourhood to hunt for paper modeling clay.
The good news? They had it!
The bad news? All the instructions were in Japanese.
Ever the optimist, I bought it anyway, planning to visit the website and do a 'google translate'. Unfortunately, the instructions were not on the website.

Oh well...nothing like experimenting.

A couple of slippery, messy moments later, I figured out that I didn't have to use a lot of water. Just a tiny smidgen would do to help mould, shape and smoothen the clay. I began with Rudolf...

Rudolph's head taking shape

Project Rudolf was on its way...

What I learned at this point?

1. To be thankful that I had placed a plastic covering on the table.

2. That taking pictures whilst your hands are covered with plaster is okay...only if you do not mind having powdered flakes all over your camera.

3. That it's true. One's nose always itches when one's hands are filthy.

4. That the clay can be smoothened with a wet finger.

Next came Frosty...

I added half a body and an arm. Then made a hole in the hat for easy hanging later.

Project Frosty was on its way too....or so I thought.

I left the clay to dry overnight...just to be safe.

Happily, I whipped out my paint and paint brush the next day, and started on Frosty's hat.

Sadly, that was when things began to go wrong.
Frosty lost his arm.
I had planned to stick on a coconut shell hand to his "stick" arm. But I guess I hadn't secured the arm to the body as well as I thought. With Rudolf, I used more water to mold the antlers and ears to the head. With Frosty, I kept picturing a branch sticking out of snow. Looking back, perhaps I should have attached a part of the arm to the back of Frosty's body.

Consoling myself with my ever brimming reservoir of optimism, I finished painting Frosty's hat....and that's when a second accident happened to Frosty...he lost his head (perhaps I should have moulded Humpty instead).

Lessons learned at this point?

1. Ensure you use sufficient water to mold the clay to each other.

2. One piece of dried paper clay will not stick to another piece of dried paper clay with the help of glue.

3. I found out later that you can use glue to help stick the pieces together while it's wet.

One consolation is that he didn't melt and I still had his head in one piece. I finished painting his hat, then tried on a buckle for the hat, black rhinestones for the mouth, black pearl beads for the eyes, and a peach pearl bead for the nose.

Next, I brushed on clear varnish and stuck on all the embellishments before it dried.

It was Rudolf's turn next. I painted him...

...tried on different embellishments....google eyes and red globe cut rhinestones, black pearl beads, black rhinestones and a red pearl bead...

Rudolph with google eyes and a globe cut rhinestone nose

Rudolph with flat back pearl eyes and a globe cut rhinestone nose

Rudolph with flat back rhinestone eyes and a flat back pearl nose

I liked the way he looked with black rhinestone eyes and a red flat back pearl for his shiny, red nose. I applied the varnish and stuck on the embellishments.

All I need to do now is to glue on a magnet to the back and Rudolf would be ready for Christmas.
Ho! Ho! Ho!

(Note: This post is taken from our Facebook page notes written in November 2010)

Wholesale Scrapbooking Supplies and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:25:00 +0000

Hello again everyone!

Guess what we've been up to since our last blog entry 18 days ago?
We have created four new product categories!

Baby Shower Decorations

The first category is Baby Shower Decorations. This showcases baby themed products in store, and more! Find items for decorating announcement cards, invitation cards, thank you cards, scrapbook pages, floral bouquets, presents, and even products for baby shower favours and jewelry charms.

Hair Accessory Supplies

The next is Hair Accessory Supplies. Here you will find ribbons galore, embellishments a-plenty, ribbon buckles, pearls, stocking butterflies and flat back rhinestones, to name a few. There are also head bands, alligator hair clips and spring loaded barrettes just waiting to be transformed into works of art.

Kids Room Decoration

Then we have Kids Room Decoration. Not only are there pretty and cute kiddy stuff to decorate childrens' rooms with, the items also make fantastic material for kids' arts and craft.

Wholesale Scrapbooking Supplies

Last but not least is Wholesale Scrapbooking Supplies! Find larger quantities of your favourites here, like flat back pearls, flat back rhinestones, flat back jewels and wooden embellishments. All sold in bulk at wholesale prices. More items will be included in this wholesale corner, and if you have any suggestions or particular product favourites, let us know! ;-)

In the meantime, we will be sharing some interesting note entries from our Facebook page that was written during the past year when we stopped posting in our blog.

We're back!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:51:00 +0000

And we're glad to be back!
After almost a year sabbatical for the Summer-Ray blog ~ Where Things Get Lovely ~, we're back in business! What have we been doing this past year?
Lots!

We have a Facebook page with constant updates on latest products.
We had a 2-week storewide sale to commemorate reaching 2000 fans on Facebook.
We have added many new product categories and sub-categories in Summer-Ray.com, which include:

Sheer Printed Organza Ribbons

Located in the main category Ribbons - Organza, these organza ribbons come in two widths, 23mm and 38mm, and look absolutely gorgeous on their own or with ribbon buckles.

Miniature Teddy Bears

These are so adorable they have a category all to themselves, Miniature Teddy Bears, ranging from 3.5cm to 8cm, they make cute baby shower decorations or wedding decorations.

Rhinestone Studded Metal Beads

Located in the main category Beads & Buttons, the Rhinestone Studded Metal Beads make

a nice addition to jewelry craft supplies.

Felt Pieces

Located in the main category Embellishments - Felt, these colourful felt pieces come in two sizes, 1mm and 3mm. Felt craft are usually child-friendly and make wonderful kids' room decorations.

Craft Eyes & Nose

This is another new main category by itself, Craft Eyes & Nose, great for making fun craft, especially when crafting with the kids.

Glossy Pearl Rhinestones

There are actually 3 new sub-categories of glossy pearl rhinestones. They are the 3mm Glossy Pearl Flat Back Rhinestones, the 6mm x 8mm Oval Glossy Pearl Flat Back Rhinestones and the 4mm Heart Glossy Pearl Rhinestones. These are all located in the main category Flat Back Rhinestones.

Stocking Butterfly with Glitter

Located in the main category Stocking Butterfly, they bring a breath of fairytale fantasy and romance on their wings. Butterflies are a big hit with little girls...not so little ones as well...and they make unique yet affordable wedding accessories too.

Miniature Flowers

A new main category, Miniature Flowers has three sub-categories, Miniature Foam Calla Lilies, Miniature Organza Calla Lilies and Miniature Satin Flowers. Pretty as can be, they make nice card making and scrap booking supplies.

Velvet Ribbons

These ribbons can be found in their own category, Ribbons - Velvet. Rich and plush, velvet ribbons bring royalty to mind, excellent for dress making and hair accessory supplies. Slip them through some rhinestone studded ribbon buckles for a glamorous look.

Pearl Bead Trims

Located in two main categories, Beads & Buttons and Wedding Accessories, pearl bead trims are good for decorating bouquets, center pieces, flower-girl hair accessories and fascinators.

Miniature Dolls

Located in a category of their own, just one look at these Miniature Dolls and visions of fun hair accessories, head gear and bags for little girls come to mind.

Prism Cut Rhinestones

Located in the main category Flat Back Rhinestones, there are actually 2 new sub-categories of prism cut rhinestones, the Prism Cut Heart Flat Back Rhinestones and Prism Cut Butterfly Flat Back Rhinestones. Like their name suggests, these rhinestones are cut with prism-like qualities, catching and reflecting light beautifully.

Wooden Embellishments

Located in the main category Embellishments - Wooden. Here, you will find wedding themed, baby shower themed, Christmas themed wooden embellishments and little wooden pegs too! Excellent as scrapbooking supplies for all the three meaningful events.

Printed Grosgrain Ribbons - 9mm

Located in the main category Ribbons - Grosgrain and under the sub-category Printed Grosgrain Ribbons, the 9mm printed grosgrain ribbons complement all the other grosgrain ribbons in store...and there are plenty! There are solid coloured ribbons and printed grosgrain ribbons in a vast variety of designs.

Rhinestone Nail Art

Located in the main category Nail Art, these tiny flat back nail art rhinestones are a mere 1.5mm to 3mm in diameter, depending on the respective shape. Dainty and exquisite, they make a glamorous addition to nail art supplies.

Headbands - 7mm and 12mm

Our headbands come in two sizes, 7mm and 12mm wide. A definite must-have for making homemade hair accessories. They are located in the main category Headbands.

Stitch Edge Grosgrain Ribbons

Located in the main category Ribbons - Grosgrain, the Stitch Edge Grosgrain Ribbons, like all the other grosgrain ribbons in store, are machine washable and colourfast.

Icy rhinestones

There are three sub-categories of icy rhinestones, 8mm Icy Round Flat Back Rhinestones, 10mm Icy Heart Flat Back Rhinestones and 13mm x 10mm Icy Teddy Bear Flat Back Rhinestones. Located in the main category Flat Back Rhinestones, icy rhinestones look like they are fused together with tiny ice cubes, making them unique and exciting embellishments.

Wrist Strap & Ribbon Sliders

The new Wrist Strap & Ribbon Sliders main category has new sub-categories as well. There are Rhinestone Studded Alphabet Sliders, Roman Alphabet Sliders, Rhinestone Studded Number Sliders, Half-Studded Number Sliders and Other Rhinestone Studded Sliders. The alphabet and number sliders can also be found in their own main categories, i.e. Alphabets and Numbers. Ribbon sliders are also called ribbon buckles.

Doll buttons

These are so pretty and adorable, they sold out fast! We're hoping to restock them soon. They were located under Beads & Buttons of course, in their own little sub-category Doll Buttons.

Fabric Embellishment

A new main category of embellishments, Embellishments - Fabric. Here, you will find butterflies, feet, baby prams, baby bibs, teddy bears and pacifiers. Another nice set for baby shower decorations, card making and scrap booking supplies.

25mm Grosgrain Ribbons

Joining the 6mm, 9mm and 16mm solid coloured grosgrain ribbons, are 25mm Grosgrain Ribbons. Big and beautiful for making beautiful big bows. Located in Ribbons - Grosgrain.

Glass Hot Fix Rhinestones

Remember the hot fix rhinestones and hot fix rhinestuds we have in store? Well they're joined by Glass Hot Fix Rhinestones! And these are machine cut, 12 faceted rhinestones, which allows the highest light reflectivity. All located under Hot Fix.

Flat Back Rhinestones

Then there's the rest of the new flat back rhinestones in store, 6mm Flat Back Rhinestones, 8mm Flat Back Rhinestones, 8mm Globe Cut Flat Back Rhinestones and 6mm x 8mm Oval Flat Back Rhinestones. Bringing the count of rhinestone categories to 44 under the main category Flat Back Rhinestones!

Tiny Metal Balls

Another new miniature main category, Miniature Decorative Balls. Here you will find the new sub-category Tiny Metal Balls, showcased in the picture above, and colourful Pearl Spheres.

Last but not least, is the exciting and colourful new main category, Mixed Colour Sets! A mixture of different products, the Mixed Colour Sets category houses products that are in popular demand in a mixture of colours and designs! Like the 4mm Glossy Pearl Flat Back Rhinestones - Mixed Colour in Storage Box shown below...

Mixed Colour Sets

As you can see, we have been extremely busy this pass year, and I haven't even mentioned all the new colours and designs that have been added to our other product categories.... ;-)

Fairfarren

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 09:36:00 +0000

Greetings and salutations everyone!

Thank you so much for visiting the Summer-Ray blog. I'm sad to say that this will be my last post entry........here :-(

That's because we have a new blog address! :-)

For future crafty schemes, romantic wedding notions and whacky suggestions....visit https://www.facebook.com/WhereThingsGetLovely

Keep those dreams alive and make it happen, folks! It's impossible only if you believe it is ;-)

Fancy a classy napkin holder?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:24:00 +0000

Having a spiffy Christmas bash? Preparing a romantic dinner? Or a wedding perhaps?

Since Christmas is around the corner, here are some fancy schmancy ideas for decorating the dinner table...

Fold and roll a napkin..

Place an autumn motif ribbon under the napkin, and an elegant rhinestone studded ribbon slider on the top like so..

Slip one side of the ribbon through the slider...

Do the same for the other side...

Pull both ends till the ribbon fits snugly (but not too tight) around the napkin...

Take one end of the ribbon and pull it through the slider again, leaving a loop...

Do the same for the other side...

Tip: Fold the ribbon into a sharp point for easy pushing and pulling ;)

And you're done!

For a little variety around the table, slip both the ribbon ends through the slider, then instead of making a bow, loop the ends around the napkin. Here I used a ribbon with a Christmas hollies print and a different slider...

Sprinkle on some snowflakes to spice up the setting...

And for the final touch, why not spell out a greeting using these gorgeous Alphabet sliders and interlace it among a deep red, organza ribbon?

Time to bring out the Sauvignon Blanc and have a wonderful party!

Fairy magic

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:08:00 +0000

The school Halloween party is this Friday, and though I tried convincing my daughter to be a cat for my witch,...she wants to be a fairy. So during the school hols last week, we set out on a hunt-for-a-fairy-costume mission.

We found a lovely pink fairy outfit in a children's dress shop, fairy slippers on half price (yippee!) in a toy shop and a set of fairy wings, wand and hair band complete with feelers in a girly paraphernalia shop. Happy with our merchandise, I laid it out on the bed and decided to add a bit more panache to the get-up, after all, it wouldn't do to find an identical twin at the party ;)

The dress was simple and delicately lovely so I decided not to 'touch' it (well not this year anyway). My eyes turned to the fairy wand...

Now, why should we settle for a tiny butterfly when there were gorgeous beauties to be had like this white stocking butterfly.

I glued on extra rhinestones to the back of the wings and feelers...

...and attached the butterfly to the back of the wand...

...leaving the little butterfly at the front to be framed by the elegant wings of the bigger butterfly.

With that done, my eyes fell on the hair band. Somehow, I couldn't recall seeing feelers on Tinkerbell or any of her kin, hence, the next creation.

Taking some pink satin ribbon, I began sewing on organza butterflies...

...alternating between pink and red.

Then I sewed the ribbon around some thin wire measured to fit my daughter's head.

One could actually sew the ribbon together first and slip in the wire later, but I didn't fancy pushing wire through a long, slim hole. Paper clips helped keep the rest of the ribbon in place while I sewed around the wire.

After some minutes of full concentration (needles seem to like my fingers), I smiled happily at the pretty hair wreath in my hands.

Isn't this much better than feelers? :)

I tried the hair wreath on my little fairy...

...and realised it was also perfect for a Hawaiian luau or as a Flower Girl hair wreath at weddings. The main thing though is that my little fairy is happy as happy can be...and that's always magical.

Halloween spiders!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:17:00 +0000

My daughter's school is having a Halloween Party this month and the PTC needed help with decorations. I volunteered this morning and we made ghosts and....spiders! I don't know about you but I find spiders scarier than ghosts...they're hairy, they creep, they crawl, they run on wild spindly legs and the humongous ones seem to reach down into your soul when they stare at you with their glassy eyes...creepy...thrilling creepy!

And now...thanks to the brilliant mothers of the PTC...I know how to make my very own SPIDER! We used coloured paper for the eyes of the school spiders but I had a different plan...

Humming the 'Spiderman song' I started on my egg carton - yes folks, you heard that right - egg carton. We used cartons made from molded pulp this morning, but plastics ones will do fine...and since they were the only ones I could find after scouring the kitchen...

Three egg molds make the perfect spider, so cut the carton accordingly

The center mold will be the spider's body, while the two side molds will form the legs. Cut two fang like pincers on the center mold, and four legs each on the side molds.

Paint it black.

Stick on google eyes for a friendly looking spider...specially if you do not want to frighten your 3-year-old too much.

But for a scarier looking spider, glue on flat back pearl beads. (Milky white ones remind me of Aragog the Acramantula in Harry Potter).

Can you feel him staring into your soul yet...? :)

Of hair clips and hair bands

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 09:09:00 +0000

This has been the longest time I've taken in-between blog entries, I must apologise. With latest products to research and new software to familiarise with, I've been on a full-swing mode. Then there is family life...and it's laden with school and birthday parties...speaking of which, having a 3-year-old daughter to play dress-up with is such fun! (Even more so when she voices her own opinions on what she wants to wear).

Hair accessories play a big part for little girls...and for not-so-little ones as well... ;-)
Here's a sample of what can be done to give that extra pizzazz to otherwise drab accessories.

Change this plain, white hair clip...

...to something that would delight any little girl...

Not bad for my first attempt to decorate with incy-wincy rhinestones... *wink*

And it was easily done! All you need are flat back rhinestones, resin bunnies, craft glue and a trusty rhinestone picker gel.

The first step is to settle on the desired colours and pattern. Once you have a rough idea of what you want, apply a small amount of glue on a part of the hairclip. Then place a rhinestone picker gel at the tip of a pencil - or a thin skewer stick if you have one - and begin arranging the rhinestones on the clip.

Glueing on the miniscule rhinestones is so much easier with the rhinestone picker gel. I tried doing it with pincers....arrgh! I would have given up if not for the picker gel. Once I was done with the rhinestones, I just glued on the glittery pink bunny resins.

The next project was this dull, yellow hair band...

I chose a great, big, orange stocking butterfly that was sure to be the envy of all the other 3-year-old girls..heehee. Then threw in a couple of acrylic leaves to the mix...and would you look at that! *proud grin*

Another fancy dress birthday party invite received? No problemo...bring it on! :-)

It's bracelet time!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:38:00 +0000

With so many different types of beads available, how could I resist?

Bracelets are a cinch to make with these starter bracelets that come with strategically placed bumps to hold threaded beads in place.

One of the best things about putting together your own bracelet is that you can choose the colours and designs to suit your outfit. So let's say you have a dinner to attend and plan to put on a lilac coloured dress, why not colour coordinate your bracelet to match. The first bracelet shown here is made with lampwork glass beads, lampwork faceted glass beads and a couple of center-threaded spacer beads thrown in.

Center-threaded beads are used to keep the other beads in place, and to add variance to the design. Shown here is one of the bumps on the starter bracelet that locks the bead in place.

A bump is located at the end of the bracelet as well, for the similar purpose of keeping the rest of the beads from slipping off the bracelet entirely. After the bump is a tiny knob that fits perfectly into the clasp for donning the bracelet.

Bracelets may also be made to follow fun themes. The next bracelet is made with lampwork glass beads, tibetan spacer beads, center-threaded spacer beads and tibetan charm pendants.

Using split rings, I attached the tibetan charm pendants (that I felt symbolizes Halloween) to center-threaded beads that came affixed with links. Then I chose orangey-brown coloured lampwork glass beads that reminded me of Autumn. Next, I glued on a purple acrylic diamond to the spider charm pendant and added some tibetan spacer beads to the mix to make a stylishly fun Halloween charm bracelet.

Since the two middle bumps were used to keep the beads in place, the end bumps may be left bare. The picture below shows how a center-threaded bead stays in place after being twisted onto the bump.

The last bracelet was made with elegance in mind, and comprises of tibetan spacer beads, rhinestone studded center-threaded beads, rhinestone studded silver plated beads and blue lampwork glass beads. This time only the end bumps were used, and in this design with heart-shaped rhinestone studded center-threaded beads.

So, let your creative juices flow and create your very own bracelets. They are easy and fun to make, delightful to wear, and easier on the wallet. ;-)

New additions...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 17:22:00 +0000

We have been busy adding new products to the Summer-Ray store since August and here is a quick summary of some very lovely items.

Intricate, wee roses in several colours. Perfect for scrapbooking, jewelry making and delicate craft projects...

FIMO Flowers

A vast assortment of spacer beads in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs. They make beautiful jewelry pieces...

Tibetan Spacer Beads

Elegant felt circles in ivory, white and pink. Use them for craftwork, scrapbook embellishments, romantic coasters...

Felt Circles

Charming pendants that look great on their own or with spacer beads. Create a homemade gift for loved ones...

Tibetan Charm Pendants

Sea shell beads that are not only natural but pretty as well. Great for making jewelry or chinkling door curtains..

Sea Shell Beads

Classic lampwork beads available in a delicious array of patterns, designs and colours. They come smooth, studded or faceted, need I say more...? :)

Lampwork Glass Beads

Summer seashell bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:19:00 +0000

Summer is almost over in the Northern hemisphere,...a couple of months away for the Southern hemisphere...and if you live somewhere between the two, like in Penang, it's practically summer all year round. Yes, it looks like no matter how the earth turns, Summer is being experienced somewhere on our beautiful planet.

To celebrate the sunny, fun-filled season, why not put together a bracelet made of seashells. It's simple to make, pleasing to the eye and it does wonders to the spirit to have a bit of sun and sea on (the) hand. :-)

All you need are some strong, stretchy string and seashell beads.

String the beads together in a pattern of your choice...

Since the string is stretchable, make the bracelet short enough to sit comfortably on the wrist without slipping off.

To make it nice and strong, loop the string through all the shells one more time.

As you go along stringing the shells the second time, keep pulling the string together until all shells are snugly fitted in a loop. Once the circuit is completed, tie both ends of the string together.

Hey, presto! You now have a delightfully cheerful piece of jewelry.

You can buy this Seashell Bracelet for only USD12.99 inclusive of registered airmail postage worldwide.

A wedding invitation card

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:26:00 +0000

One of the biggest tasks for any wedding is managing the invitation list. When my husband and I tied the knot 5 years ago, we had to invite what felt like the whole island. We wanted a cosy wedding while our parents wanted to invite relatives and friends we had never met before. To reach a compromise, we had a wedding luncheon after the church ceremony for everyone on the long invitation list, followed by a cosy dinner with close friends and family.

That settled the invitation list, next came the invitation cards. We designed the main invites for church and lunch, and gave them to a vendor for printing. As for the dinner invitations, since it was for a smaller amount, we made our own 3x6 inch cards to slip between the main invitation cards.

If you're having a cosy do for your big day, or if you have enough time and ample friends to help, making your own cards may be a great idea. It helps with the budget, adds to the wedding preparation fun and the memories to journal. Here's a simple but elegant design for starters.
I would like to call it Two Hearts in Love...

1) Get a picture or outline of a heart.
2) Trace the outline with a pencil on a piece of rough paper and draw in little circles.
3) Using a hammer and hole punching tool, make 2mm holes over the circles.
4) When satisfied with the design and spacing, trace the holes in the interior of the card.

5) Repeat step 3 and make holes on the card.
6) Fold the card inside out and trace alternate holes on the front portion.
7) Using the hammer and hole punching tool, make 4mm holes.

8) Glue on 3.5mm ivory pearl solid beads to the 2mm holes, alternating the beads to match the 4mm holes at the front. This will allow the beads to peep through at the front of the card.

9) Glue on beaded pearl hearts. Blue to represent the groom, white to represent the bride and the inner design is done.

This is how the back of the card looks.

The sample shown here is without wordings printed on it. Naturally, the printing would have to be done before any glueing of beads are performed ;)

The card size I chose for this design is 4x7.5 inch. To make a card of this size, cut out a 8x7.5 inch card stock, and use a bone folder or something similar to fold the card.

Have a wonderful wedding.

Website update

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 01:32:00 +0000

Hello everyone! Those of you who frequently visit the Summer-Ray website will notice that we have re-arranged the product categories for easier viewing and convenient searching. The list is now in alphabetical order, starting with...well,...Alphabets! And ending with Wedding Accessories.

It's now easier to find what you're looking for, may it be beads, buttons, buckles, embellishments, feathers, rhinestones, ribbons, skeleton leaves, etc. It's all decked out on the left under Product Categories.

If you haven't yet visited the Summer-Ray website...what are you waiting for? :-)

Have a great weekend folks and happy browsing, shopping and crafting!

A picture says a thousand words

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle B) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 04:25:00 +0000

We have wonderful news to share!

A new member has recently joined the Summer-Ray family. Little Yuu Hyiim the baby girl of Seck Hoe and Pei Kuan. To celebrate her birth, I made a brave attempt at making a picture frame to showcase that cute-as-a-button face.

Since we were commemorating the miracle of life, I thought it would be best to make the frame as fun and lively as possible. Taking some hardboard, I measured out the size of the frame (8 x 8.5 inches), cut out the base and the front, and drew in the position of a 4R sized photograph.

Two strips of baby footprint ribbons were glued on next.

A couple of careful measurements later, it was time to cut out the pieces to showcase the ribbons and photograph.

Satisfied with the fit, I glued the front and base together with E-6000 adhesive.

For the fun element of the theme, I stuck on Kawaii Resin teddy bears, 10mm grosgrain ribbons and a dainty pair of little girls' shoes from the range of baby shower favours. Pink, round, pearl beads were used to fill in the loops above the shoes.

The finished product may either be given hardboard legs to lean on (this can be glued on to the back), or mounted in a wooden frame.

Not being able to help myself, I kept staring at the picture frame. Did it come out all right? Apprehension began to set in. Then Seck Hoe gave me the photograph of little Yuu Hyiim...

...she was the finishing touch that no amount of money could buy. :)

Tips (and what I learned while making the frame) :-

1. When measuring the layout of the design, remember to measure it out as mirror images, especially when the design has different gaps and designs on the corners and edges.

2. The front inner frame should be slightly smaller than the size of the photograph. For example, a 4R sized photo should have a frame measuring around 2-3 mm smaller than the 4" x 6" (or 102 x 152mm) 4R photo.

3. When cutting the boards, it is best to do it on spare tiles or flat-glass that are no longer in use. This will help keep the boards from moving because of the pressure applied while cutting, and it will ensure a smoother cutting edge.

4. A sharp blade and metal ruler works better than a blunt blade and plastic ruler.

5. When gluing the front and base together, remember to leave a gap on one side that is wide enough to slip the photograph through.

6. Last but not least, be careful when cutting.

Happy experimenting!