Where things get lovely

A gift of love - How to make a Scrapbook Cover

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000+08:00

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 tested the fit of the 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.
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! :-)

(Note: This post is taken from our Facebook page notes written in January 2011)

Puppet on a String

2012-01-16T22:04:00.000+08:00

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 2010

2011-12-12T17:27:00.000+08:00

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

2011-12-06T13:57:00.000+08:00

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!

2011-12-01T08:30:00.000+08:00

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?

2011-11-30T12:30:00.000+08:00

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!

2011-11-29T23:25:00.000+08:00

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!

2011-11-11T14:51:00.000+08:00

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

2010-11-15T17:36:00.000+08:00

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?

2010-11-11T00:24:00.002+08:00

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

2010-10-28T17:08:00.002+08:00

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!

2010-10-13T16:17:00.004+08:00

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

2010-10-07T17:09:00.003+08:00

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!

2010-09-27T17:38:00.002+08:00

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...

2010-09-19T01:22:00.009+08:00

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

2010-09-09T18:19:00.007+08:00

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

2010-09-01T17:26:00.002+08:00

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

2010-08-20T09:32:00.001+08:00

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

2010-08-18T12:25:00.003+08:00

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!

Halloween Jewelry ideas

2010-08-09T16:32:00.011+08:00

Halloween is around the corner, and I wish we celebrated it in Penang Island. Unfortunately, we do not. No trick-or-treating or decorating of homes and gardens with spooky stuff...drat it! :(

BUT our hotels, restaurants and malls do have Halloween themed parties and events. I know...it's not the same, but we celebrate so many other multi-cultural events throughout the year that we really should not complain. And eventhough Halloween is not a big do on our little island, we still have some fun with it *devilish grin*.

Decking out in costumes and pretending to be someone or something else is always exciting for the young, and the young-at-heart, and accessories play a big role. So here are some simple ideas for fun Halloween chokers.

What I used:

Tibetan spider beads

Split rings (0.4 - 0.5mm)

Suede thongs

Acrylic diamonds (4.5mm)

The first thing to do is to decide the colour scheme.

The 4.5mm acrylic diamond range from Summer-Ray comes in royal blue, clear, sapphire, pink, olive, purple and amber.

Just for the fun of it, I included a 6mm clear acrylic diamond to see how it would look. It filled out the spider bead nicely (the bottom right spider on the picture above).

Once you've decided on the colours, glue the acrylic diamonds onto the spider beads, attach the split rings and slip it on a suede thong (they can be found in a variety of colours too).

Tie the thong around your neck fittingly to form a choker or loosely for a necklace. (I like to let the thongs dangle down my back or a little on my shoulder. It adds to the look).

And if one colour or spider does not suffice, why not try something like this...

A Waka Waka inspired hair accessory

2010-08-04T20:42:00.010+08:00

I'm not usually a football fan, but the World Cup is a different matter all together. The excitement of the game, the camaraderie of supporting the same team, the squabbles over which team is better, the fun of watching live matches with family and friends, the thrill of knowing that all over the world fellow-supporters are watching the game as ardently as you are...the feeling of being linked to them.

Along with the World Cup comes the ever-motivating, heart-thumping theme songs to keep our blood pumping, our spirits soaring and the excitement building. The song this year tops my list for being the most fun to dance to...Shakira's Waka Waka. It's pretty difficult to keep still with this playing on the radio...

The beat and the dancing motivated me to create what I like to call a Waka Waka inspired hair accessory...almost like Shakira's. The first step was to figure out how to attach the accessory to the head. For this, I used some thin wire and bent it to form a soft hook.

Then I chose pink craft string and added feathers (I like feathers!), bunches of mulberry flowers, some spacer beads, a couple of stocking butterflies and two lampwork glass beads to the mix...

...attach it to the hook...

and Ta daaa! What do you think?

To put it on, tie a tiny pony tail and hook it on through the pony tail. It will not fall off even if you dance and jump around like Shakira...believe me...I tried :)

It makes a lively and unique accessory to wear to parties, nightclubs or simply to have a different look when out chilling with friends.

A shorter version can be made to place on the other side of the head, or for shorter hairstyles, and different variations can be added to the design by choosing different coloured beads, flowers, feathers or perhaps by adding shells and buttons.

How to tie a sliding knot

2010-07-23T20:39:00.002+08:00

In case you're wondering how I made the sliding knots for my choker, here's a simple step-by-step guide using a thicker cord for better viewing.

Step 1.

Cut the cord to your desired length and cross both ends of the cord.

Step 2.

Take the right end (End A) and tie a regular knot approximately 1 to 2
inches below the left end (End B).

Step 3.

Tie it loosely at first and check if it slides smoothly along End B.

Step 4.

If you are satisfied, tie a double knot with the loose end of End A.
You may want to tie the knots loosely at first for easy adjustments later.

Step 5.

Take End B and tie a regular knot around End A,
and repeat step 4 with the loose end of End B.

Step 6.

Try sliding both knots up and down the cord.
Now would also be a good time to try it on for size to see if you like the
fit.

If it does not fit the way you want it to, untie the knots and repeat the process.
If you are happy with the fit, tighten the knots securely. And hey presto! You're done!

Have fun making necklaces, chokers, bracelets and anklets using this simple but effective technique :)

Making a choker from scratch

2010-07-23T16:43:00.003+08:00

After the fun of breathing life into used accessories, it was time to attempt making something new from scratch. I had a reunion with some girlfriends from school coming up and decided it would be lovely to have a piece of jewelry that they could comment about.

Browsing through the Summer-Ray catalogue, I immediately fell in love with the pretty butterfly buttons. But what jewelry could I make with sewing buttons? I reckoned since I was going out with the friends of my youth, a choker would be just the thing.

This is what I did...

1. Using black craft string, I cut a good length of the string, leaving an ample amount for mistakes.

2. Then I tied a knot at the back of the button hole, making sure it was

smack in the middle of the string.

3. Next, I tied two knots on each side of the first knot.

4. Then I slipped in some Tibetan spacer beads, choosing two different-sized floral patterns, and butterflies.

5. I added white butterfly buttons to the choker, holding them securely in place by tying two knots on each end of the button hole. Then using my trusted tube of E6000 craft glue, I fixed the butterfly buttons firmly to the knots.

6. I ended my design with more spacer beads and tied a knot at the end to keep them from sliding around.

7. The next bit was tricky, I had to measure the string to fit snugly around my neck, while ensuring it was long enough to slip over my head. After some trial-and-error, I had the rough measurements down and tied sliding knots, placing a tiny spacer bead at each knot.

8. I placed the choker on to see if it would fit well...and taa daaa!
A perfect fit!

Satisfied, I took it off to burn the end bits of the string with a lighter, and I was set to go out with my new homemade choker.

My star spangled belt

2010-07-14T15:12:00.002+08:00

Flushed with the success of reviving my grandmother's old bead bag, I decided it was time I started on something else. I wanted it to be something I could use every day and as I began to look around the room for the best possible item, my eyes fell upon my well-worn Levi's scout belt.

Apart from casual outings, this belt has been a faithful and useful follower on many a backpacking trip. It was time to repay it for years of service ;)

Now, how should I do it?
Somehow, like the old bead bag, putting the bling on it did not appeal to me. Call me sentimental, but I wanted the belt to represent the feeling I get whenever I'm about to embark on a trip to a new country. I closed my eyes to better remember the feeling. Then it hit me. The heavenly feeling of being alive with a new adventure ahead, the dreamy sight of millions of twinkling lights from the city you're about to land in, the magic of exploring a new place...culture...season...
No doubt about it, I was going to decorate my belt with stars...

In the beginning, I tried on some coconut shell buttons, like so.

But it wasn't enough. The belt deserved more. A little more sparkle and shine perhaps without over bedazzling it.

This was when I thought of adding some shiny beads.

I chose brown and white beaded pearl stars to suit the earthy colour of the belt. The next decision was the design.

I played around with the arrangement, using the different coloured beads. Sometimes opting for more of one colour to go between or around the coconut shell buttons. Sometimes totally excluding a particular colour.

Several variations later, it dawned on me that I did not want the design to be so ordered and rigid. After all, I never followed a strict regime during my travels. It was more fun, flexible, free and easy.
That would have to be how the belt was decorated as well.

Thus, instead of lining the stars in a particular pattern, I elected to place them in tiny irregular groups along the belt. I tried out how it would look, and not only was it pleasing to the eye, it suited the soul of the theme.

However, I still wanted it to look nice and unfrivolous, so I followed calculated intervals, taking care to measure where the buckle would attach when I put the belt on. I left a bigger gap there, in case I lost or (shudder) gained weight.

Satisfied with the design, I completed sewing on the coconut shell star buttons and used the E6000 glue to stick on the beaded pearl stars. And my belt was completed.

I was ecstatic! It felt like I had bought a brand new belt. Not wasting another minute, I put it on and the gap for the buckle was perfect. I've been wearing it ever since...with my jeans..cargo pants..shorts..skirts, and received some nice compliments from family and friends.

I'm looking forward to my next holiday. We haven't decided yet where it would be...but if you happen to see a girl with a brown star spangled scout belt in your part of the world...that would be me :)

The revival of an old bead bag

2010-07-09T10:42:00.002+08:00

I was rummaging through my wardrobe the other day and came across an old bead bag that Mum had given me to play dress-up when I was a kid. It belonged to Mama, my grandmother, before being handed down to Mum.

Finding it brought back fond memories of the childhood fun my siblings and I had of decking ourselves out, and preening and parading in front of the mirror. A couple minutes of happy reminiscence later I was hit by a brilliant idea! Why not bring back the glory days of the old bead bag with some embellishments?

And this is what I did.

It was obvious that I could not ‘bling’ it with rhinestones as that would diminish its vintage charm. So I decided to go natural with some lovely coconut shell buttons and buckles. My first step was to use organza ribbons to accentuate the beads.

Next, I slipped in heart-shaped coconut shell buckles onto the front, leaving the back buckle-free.

I was having such a good time! There were many possibilities to choose from. Should I end the encircling ribbons with a bow and more buttons or buckles? Should I add different shaped coconut shell buttons to the design? Should I dish out the bag with more frills and furbelows?

Resolving to keep it as simple and tasteful as possible, I sewed on light purple and maroon mulberry flowers and a small heart-shaped coconut shell button on a bow. Then I left the ribbon ends to cascade down the side and, voila!

Now the old beaded bag has been transformed and finds itself in demand again. It’s been to a summer wedding with my cousin, for a dinner date with my best friend and I’ve caught Mum giving it some furtive glances too. I suspect it will be following her for tombola night at the club very soon.

What a success my save-the-old-bead-bag project turned out to be! I look forward to embarking on another one soon...

...and somewhere in heaven, I know Mama is smiling to see her old bead bag revisiting its glory days. ;)

A taste of what we have

2010-07-08T11:58:00.002+08:00

For my first blog entry, I would like to share with you some of the lovely items Summer-Ray has in store.

Let's start with rhinestones.

Bling enthusiasts will find rhinestones of numerous shapes, sizes and colours here. It's bling heaven! But before I go on, let's learn more about these gorgeous studs.

Fun facts about rhinestones:

~gems made from paste, glass or quartz in simulation of sparkling diamonds.
~originally a rock crystal found in or near the Rhine River.
~came from the French phrase caillou du Rhin meaning pebble of the Rhine.
~liberally used on the costumes of country & western singers and Las Vegas dancers.
~famously adorned by Elvis Presley and Liberace.

As you can see rhinestones go back a long way and have its roots planted in the glitz and glamour of showbiz. It's even in the song title of Glen Campbell's top hit, 'Rhinestone Cowboy'. Thankfully, rhinestones are no longer limited to the rich and famous. Now everyone can have the alluring twinkle of rhinestones on almost anything they own.

Here's a picture of some of the rhinestones we have...

Next, it's ribbons galore! You wouldn't believe the number of different ribbons there are. I never knew so many existed. There's grosgrain, organza, appliqued,....but I'm jumping the gun. Let's have a look at some fun facts first.

Fun facts about ribbons:
~initially called ribbands
~a band of fabric finished at the edges and used for trimming, tying, etc.
~one of the world's oldest decorative or adorning materials
~have been used to personalize clothing and household goods
~grew to be a sign of luxury and extravagance during the Middle Ages
~stormed the fashion world in the seventeenth century and used profusely by men and women
~became a popular cargo for smugglers during the early nineteenth century
~identified with certain orders of merit
~symbols of support for various social causes

Ribbons have come a long, long way. Not only are they fashionable, they are also used for identification and hold very strong, personal...even patriotic meanings. Napoleon Bonaparte once said "A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon". Thankfully, once again, fighting...and smuggling...are no longer required.

My last item featured today is the Fimo. What on earth is a fimo you may ask?

Fun facts about Fimo:

~a brand of polymer clay made by Eberhard Faber

~is shaped and moulded before being baked in an oven to harden

~once baked, it can be cut, drilled, painted, sanded, and sliced thin.

~initially a plastic modeling compound brought to the attention of German dollmaker Kathe Kruse in the late 1930s

~was not suitable for her doll factory use so she gave it to her daughter who was known in the family as "Fifi".

~FIfi's MOdeling compound was later sold to Eberhard Faber
~FIMO modeling clay is now a Staedtler branded product

And that is the charming origin of the Fimo modeling clay. At Summer-Ray we present you with ready designed Fimo canes, Fimo flowers and tiny 3D Fimo clay for nail art. They come coloured and shaped, in a variety of adorable designs, and are ideal for scrapbooking, cardmaking and decorating. Fimo canes may be cut into the appropriate slices desired.

And that is just a little taste of what we have.

There're lots more from where that came from. Visit us at Summer-Ray or at our eBay store.

Until then, happy craft working!