Internship Hiatus

I've been on a great deal of hiatuses this year, but I suppose that's a good thing, yes? Because that means real life has been eventful. Not working out the way I expected, maybe, but eventful nonetheless.
It may interest on or the other that I am interning at TBWA for 3 months (that's December to end of February next year). I've been here for two weeks now, and so far it's been a very learning experience, a sneak peak into the working world that was previously clandestine to me. I've met a lot of nice people, though I think my social awkwardness from years of being a recluse is now showing to be my Achille's heel. That being said, training from living frugally on campus has helped me to survive (lol).

Anyway, to all my other classmates who are now interning, good luck and stay healthy! Don't forget to drink lots of water and suck lots of mints, because the dry air in the office is akin to sandpaper to your poor throats. To everyone else, have a happy happy holiday season and see you soon!

Home Love

clockwise from top left: peacock bedhead peach, double carved timber bedhead, love chair mint

Have you ever experienced that heart-wrenching ache in your chest when you find something that is just so, so pretty? I know I have! And the rattan furniture from Family Love Tree gives me that one such feeling. Family Love Tree is an Aussie company that works with skilled craftsmen from Java, Indonesia to create wonderful pieces of furniture in the most gorgeous colours. They look just right for lounging in this tropical weather. Rattan furniture is fairly common in this part of the world, but I don't think I've quite seen anything this beautiful! Take a few minutes from your lunch break (or more, it's worth it!) to gasp and fall in love with all the pieces on their website. Have a happy Friday!

Sunny Smiles

It's been a long, long extended weekend. Being cooped up with nothing but a laptop and a mind like mine is depressingly suicidal. But, hey. At least I had chocolate! I bought this tin of chocolate from +M&S - it was part of their Best of British Summer. With was a wonderful wonderful surprise to prise open the lid and discover individual chocolate medallions wrapped in summer-themed foils: smiley suns, sandcastles and ice lollies! After the past few gloomy grey days, this little bit of sunshine certainly brightened up my day. And it's another happy thought that once I've finished all the yummy chocolate, I have a colourful tin to store things inside; I'm thinking of using it as a name card holder!

Hope the holiday has been put everyone else in a better mood! My consolation is that I have chocolate to keep me company, lol!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know it's probably a twee bit too early to send in Christmas wishes; after all it's still the beginning of November and you're probably busy as anything overseeing your elves and whatnot. But I just thought I'd get a headstart :P.

I think I maybe don't qualify to send in a wish (I have a vague feeling I'm on your 'NO GOLD, NO COALS, NO NOTHING FOR THIS CHILDREN!!' list), and also I may just be past my expiration date. But I still believe in you! I really do! . A.

I'd like to make a humble request for a real, live, happy furry Corgi please. With a bow on it's head between it's furry ears, like this:

Christmas Corgi by Chase Hoffman

You may be busy as anything come Christmas, but I'm sure with your magical awesomeness you will be able to conjure up a furry live ball of love and fling it my way (okay, don't fling it- it might get impaled in the the Christmas tree. Just place it gently down amongst the presents and address it to me). And make sure it arrives on Christmas! None of that Boxing Day nonsense, please (though earlier is not too bad too). It has to be Christmas so just in case it rains the way it did the past two Christmases, the Corgi's wonderful water-resistant coat will keep the raindrops at bay.

P.S: I'll make you milk and cookies. And peanut butter for the furry one. Please and thank you!

Zesty Sudsy Saturday~!

Earlier this year my parents embarked on an epic Europe trip. Through the goodwill and love only parents have for their children, they returned with a bar of lemon soap for me, bought when they stopped in a Munich shopping centre. And it is by far the largest bar of soap I have ever owned. Seriously, compared to a Body Shop soap bar that weighs in at only 99g, this one is a whopping 135g. It's almost like holding a block of butter that happens to sud up when it comes into contact with water...and smells lemony. I suppose it's maybe because Europeans are just generally larger compared to Asians, and thus need larger soaps?

It tickles me that the soap is so big it can't fit in the soap dish, and just somehow balances precariously on. And when I accidentally dropped it I was surprised it did not crack the bathroom tiles XD. Despite its size the soap does not have an overpowering scent. Rather it is light and airy, so you leave the bathroom carrying just a whiff of lemon freshness about you :).

I think it's interesting how something so small could have such a big difference coming from the other side of the world. Just one of those little things that never cease to surprise. Happy Saturday, everyone!

Wallpaper Wednesdays: Preview!

Wallpaper Wednesdays will continue next week, but I am so hyped up I must share a little peek of it today! Over the week long break, I enrolled on a quick class on Skillshare to learn how to create print-ready patterns out of hand drawn sketches. The class was quick and easy to follow; more on that next week, with the lovely new wallpaper, of course! Happy Wednesday!

Seeing The Sights

Hello all! It's been exactly a month since I returned from Global Classroom- time sure flies. The past weeks had me going on full steam trying to catch up with the rest of them. The month of Global Classroom was certainly stressful, but it had its rewards :) . For one thing, my group won overall best out of the four teams. Secondly, though we (Esmond and I) didn't get to visit all the events we wanted to, we still managed to go to several events for London Design Week. And best of all, we met so many wonderful people during our trip; new friends that made us fall in love with London all the more. Not to mention all the wonderful places we visited and the gorgeous weather! 

During the month, I frequently thought some events organized by the university were a bit of a chore, especially when we need to play the 'waiting' game with all the students who just don't ever come on time. And then there was the whole headache of group work. Still, you win some you lose some. And I had members on the team that did their work exceptionally well and made the job a tad easier. 

I'v learnt a lot from the trip, not just from the Global Classroom activities, but from going places and meeting new people and experiencing new things. Also, it may interest you that I walked more in that 5 weeks than I have in (possibly) half a year. But it was part and parcel of the experience; if someone asked me to do it all over again I would. But maybe with a lighter backpack.

My hiatus is over, folks! More updates coming your way! :)

Temporary Hiatus

Hello everyone,

Just wanna drop a line (or two) here to let you know I will be on a temporary hiatus of one month. I may post on and off if I find the time to, but there will be no Wallpaper Wednesdays for awhile. It's the beginning of the semester and it may interest you that I am now in London for my uni's Global Classroom session (yes, it's that thing all over again). I've just spent my first night here, and already I've been blessed to meet great people, wonderful weather, and a smooth journey. Here's hoping that keep up till I return to sunny Malaysia!

Check back here often for updates. Have a great week everyone 8)

Childhood Treasure: What A Doll!

Collected some goodies from my old place the other day, and I'd like to share this with all of you. My mother especially requested I brought back a few of her childhood trinkets. Among them was a 1950s/60s tin doll called Annie!

I find it incredible how my mother could actually preserve the box Annie came in, moving from one house to another when she was a child. Annie's dress is somewhat faded and spotty, and her hair has been sprayed into an unruly helmet (hairspray courtesy of my grandmother *ahem ahem* the things you used to do, mother), but on the whole she is absolutely perfect.

The best thing about Annie is that she serves tea! Plop her yellow teacup on her serving tray and she whirrs to life, moving and turning independently. Even better? She actually works, after all these years.

Happy Saturday everybody! :)

Wallpaper Wednesdays: Juicy Ideas!

Note: This is a backdated post, simply for appearance's sake. After all, Wallpaper Wednesdays wouldn't exactly be Wallpaper Wednesdays if it was posted on Friday, eh?

Hello hello hello! Yes, I am very much aware of my sudden disappearance from this here blog. I have been busy celebrating my sudden newfound (temporary) freedom. So much so I missed two weeks of my promised Wallpaper Wednesdays! But no longer, folks! My celebrations have come to an end; I shall now use the remnants of my semester break doing exactly what this week's wallpaper proclaims: create lots of juicy ideas!

I originally intended to submit this pattern in a weekly spoonflower competition, but sadly I missed the deadline. I like the concept too much to let it go, though! So here it is for you and for me :D. Slap it onto your desktop or your mobile and get those creative juices flowing. Or print it onto some nice cardstock and snail mail it to a friend!

By the way, you could try scanning the QR code with your smartyphones to get the wallpaper without having to go through the download-synch-with-mobile-device hassle. If it doesn't work, you can still download it via the link, same as always :D.

1600x1200

800x600

iPhone 5

Nokia Lumia

Hope the creative juices are flowing for everyone! Happy (belated) Wednesday!

Wallpaper Wednesday: Cirrus

Hello everyone! My posts of June are so rare it feels as if the first Wallpaper Wednesday was only just yesterday. But here we go again with another pretty wallpaper, brought to you by yours truly :D.

Are any of you familiar with Bonobo? Not the primate pan paniscus, but Bonobo the musician. His recently released album entitled North Borders had a track in it named Cirrus. It was from there that I was inspired to create this pretty pattern. Bonobo's Cirrus was light and easy to listen to, absolutely perfect to cool down a hot afternoon. It reminded me of a tropical rainfall, and that was what I tried to capture through this pattern. I'm not sure about you, but the colour pattern just works for me. What do you think? Would a more sunset pink  be better? Or something more fluffy sky blue?

You can listen to Cirrus over here, on Bonobo's official Youtube. You won't regret, trust me :).

Click here to download the wallpaper size of your choice! You may have noticed that I've prepared a wallpaper for iPhone 5 now. Hope it floats your boat!

1600x1200

800x600

iPhone 5

Nokia Lumia

Oh, and did you know, pan paniscus is also otherwise known as the pygmy chimpanzee. You learn something new everyday, eh?

Happy Wednesday!

Rush Hour

Hello everybody!

It's a busy busy week, and will probably be busy for the next two weeks. Yes, it's that time of the year again: the mad rush of end-of-semester! :D. It's all about wrapping things up and tying the last knots now. Yet again E3 is happening during the peak of stress levels; I only got to watch the Microsoft Briefing; and a few videos from the Ubisoft conference off Youtube. I haven't a side for the consoles, but the games lined up look interesting. What do you think? Is Assassin's Creed Black Flag anything to shout about? I found the E3 cinematic trailer a real disappointment, compared to the glory of AC3. Watchdogs looks interesting, and so are a few other titles. 

arrr, tis a pirate's life for me
via ubisoft

When I watched the trailer and they were announcing the 'greatest pirates that ever lived' I couldn't help but wonder...where's Jack Sparrow?

via tumblr

Another surprise is EA's announcement of Mirror's Edge 2, a prequel to the original story. I just played the game earlier this year, and I enjoyed it very much. One good thing about playing games way pst their release date is that you don't have to wait as long as the hardcore gamers for the next game! ;D. I hope they do away with the vector- cartoon cutscenes; although it was interesting, I didn't think it suited the flow and concept of the game. And hopefully EA has outgrown abrupt endings- that last one really ticked me off :P.

via the awesomer

I have a project or two planned up for the semester holidays, so probably no chance of playing any new games. I realize I need to seriously buck up and build an outstanding portfolio now. There are also so many things I want to do in terms of making some spare cash for later this year, so hopefully all that can come to being. The semester was fun while it lasted, but I think I'm just about ready to take a break and focus on something more personal, before the next semester comes about.

This may be the last post I push up for the month, but stay tuned to some random updates! And check back next Wednesday when Wallpaper Wednesday comes back with something new for your devices :D. TGIF everybody!

Wallpaper Wednesday: Summer Popsicles!

Hello again, folks! I'm back with happy news. I've been dabbling in pattern making (it's fun, try it sometime!) and really, I can't explain the happy feeling I get when I come up with something that looks pretty, over and over! It's a bit of a hit-and-miss thing right now, as I'm just trying out whatever I fancy, but I'm still loving the results.

I've also just recently discovered the magical paint/pencil/blob paint tool in Adobe Illustrator, which is mad because I've been using AI for many a semester and I've only found the tool now. I guess we all learn something new everyday :D. The best part of the tool is that I can now use my tablet a lot more, and still produce happy vector lines with a more personal touch. Yay!

So because I am happy with the results of my recent playing at patterns and my discovery of the paint tool in AI, I've decided to make a regular segment here on my blog (a first!). I think it's a good way to encourage me to not slack off blogging, even during my busier moments. Wallpaper Wednesday will start off bi-weekly (ever first and last Wednesday of the month), where I will post up device-ready wallpapers for YOU! 8). You can now have burst of happiness every mid-week or so ;).

popsicle

This fun and cheerful pattern is exactly what you need for your device! Perfect for the incredibly hot weather these past few days. Have it on your desktop, your mobile phone, or even print it out on paper and tape it to your wall, or wrap up summer gifts for friends! The possibilities are endless 8D.

1600x1200

800x600

1136x640 (iPhone 5)

800x480 (Nokia Lumia)

If you like it enough to share, please do so! But do link back here and give credit where it's due, eh? ;).

Do you have a particular resolution you'd like to have? Let me know and I can whip it up nice and easy :D. Have a happy happy Wednesday!

Greeting Cards by Dear Hancock...

dear hancock

Absolutely gorgeous greeting cards by Dear Hancock. I am so in love with their style! And there are heaps of designs, it's so so hard to choose a favourite. Is it possible to love them all? ;).

Adorable Animals Ad!

If you're having a rough start to the week, watch this advertisement from New York Lottery Sweet Million. I have no affiliation to the lottery, neither do I agree to rudely waking adorable Corgis, but this is just cute!

Don't you just want to hop into your jim-jams and cuddle up with the adorable animals?

It's a new month, with new things to do and new things to look forward to! Happy Toosday everybody!

Quest for A Rest

If you're in a need for a Sunday work break, why not play this short game: The Quest For The Rest?

amanita design

Many of you are probably familiar with Amanita's full length puzzle game Machinarium, and Botanicula as well. The Quest for The Rest is a mini point-and-click game they created for a rock-pop band, the Polyphonic Spree. Their music is featured in-game as well. I love the woodsy forest scene from the screenshot; it looks so fairytale like and pretty.

Rest well, and work hard everybody! Happy Sunday! :)

Tootsy-May

In a fit of boredom I played around in Illustrator and finally got the grips of creating a proper seamless pattern :D. It's wonky and 'hand-made', but hey, it's fun and pretty for a summer desktop wallpaper! Oddly enough, I was inspired by my own set of fine gnashers and my weeny, pointy tooth. Dear Nayla affectionately named said pointy tooth Vampy, and the name stuck. 

Feel free to download and use them as you wish! It's my first time making wallpapers so hopefully the sizes are alright. I enjoy dabbling in pattern-making; be prepared to see more (complicated) pattern attempts in the future! Happy Sunday! 8) 

800x600 

1600x1200 

iPhone 4S 

Lumia 

(because I have a Lumia, that's why! :D)

Today's the day to...

"Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment" 

 -Buddha

Happy Wesak Day everybody! I don't think it's too far from the truth to wish Buddha a Happy Birthday, seeing as Wesak is a commemoration of His birth, enlightenment, and death. However one wishes to call the day, let us all take a moment or two to reflect and make a prayer for inner peace and a calm mind for all our undertakings :).

In last year's Wesak post, I made a somewhat crude comment that Lord Buddha is somewhat akin to a lovingly naggy mother (here it is again, sorry Buddha), but I still think the relation stands true. And on this day again, I am reminded of things that hold most importance to me. Heaven knows we all need reminders now and again. What is important is that we take heed of these reminders, and not push them away and think 'I'll do something about it later'. 

I received one such reminder the other day (not from Buddha though, but maybe divine intervention helped a bit), and as hard as the feelings came to me, I am glad for it. I am glad I could feel the stab of guilt, knowing that I am not doing much to propel myself forward to work for my future. Because with that feeling of utter uselessness I am motivated to work harder and not take things -too- easily. I was reminded that it's not all just fun and games, at this point of life it's also about pushing oneself; taking and making opportunities to go ahead from the rest, and not just go with the flow. I hope I can continue to hold on to these feelings of mine, as they are the very reason why I am determined to move forward.

Self motivation is a lot easier than it sounds, and though a lot of us think ourselves as 'self-motivators', there are times in our lives when we lose our drive. That's when you need someone or something to come along and smack you across the face and say 'hey, hey, wake up. Don't forget about working for your dreams.'

I hope this post can help some of you that are feeling a bit down and unmotivated, the way I was! Don't feel lazy, don't procrastinate. Make something happen- today! TGIF everybody! :)

Porcelain Flowers

zara

Loving this bomber jacket from Zara's spring/summer collection. It looks like a china vase, and the colours are so delicate and light. A bunch of flowers that won't wilt in this horrible heat even if you wear it all day long! Awfully expensive though, don't see myself getting my hands on this anytime soon. Hehe.

What's your favorite Internet find? Found anything you're currently head over heels in love with? 

Birthday Corgi

Photo credit to Esmond

I painted this little fella for Esmond's 21st birthday card! Isn't he cute? I'm so happy with how he turned out; it feels almost as if I gave birth to him myself :D. I bought a set of cheap watercolour pans last month and so far I am enjoying painting more than I have since I was a child. I never liked messing around squeezing tubes and mixing colours because it's so cumbersome. It's so much easier and hassle-free with pans! Unfortunately they aren't too popular round here so I don't think I can get my hands on a more decent set anytime soon. 

The little Corgi's name is Gherkin by the way. He is a fictional pet-to-be, if all goes well in the future! If you haven't seen pictures of Corgis, Google them now and your day will be perceptibly brighter! :D

Flowers and Whales

A long long time ago, I drew a whale floating through a field of flowers... subconsciously I repeated this theme when I was doodle-painting today. I was thinking about a Jacqueline Wilson book I'd read, The Longest Whale Song. It's about a mother who falls into a coma after giving birth to her son, and her daughter struggles to get along with her stepdad. Of course, I've no experience whatsoever in the step-parent department (neither the comatose mother's, either), but I can relate to that feeling of helplessness and sorrow when your whole life turns upside down, when the woman you thought was superwoman suddenly shows you just how human she really is.

Anyway, it's been a long while since that day, and I dedicate this wee doodle to my dear mother, and to all mothers out there! Some of us may not have them close, but we will have them always in our hearts, and hopefully a bit of them will show through us, and in our children (if any). Happy Mother's Day momma! May you live long and healthy for many more mother's days to come!

Let's Go To The Zoo!

 Early this year (during the long long semester break), I took a trip to the Melaka zoo with Esmond! The zoo just recently underwent a change of management (it was privatised after having being a government body), but honestly a lot of work still needs to be done. It was a quiet weekday when we went, and coincidentally the Chief Minister was there as well, due to a rather serious case that happened the day before. 

The zoo is the second largest in Malaysia, after the National Zoo. I found it a bit disappointing, though, because there were far more deer species than any other animal on exhibit. We didn't even see the flamingoes or the tigers D8. We did see a few large iguanas roaming the grounds freely, though. Large enough lizards to make us run screaming when they came too close. Haha. 

Here are some snapshots I took of the other animals! Photostyler is great for jazzing up the otherwise afternoon-sun-harsh-shadows.

Happy Monday! :)

Urban Abyss

 Last Thursday I had the chance to view a solo exhibition held by an ex-lecturer of mine, Mr Chee Meng! He appears to be an enigmatic, lost-in-his-own-world kinda lecturer on-campus, but do a Google search on him and he's actually one of the many successful traditional artists in Malaysia, with plenty of incredible artwork and experience woven into a belt :D. Urban Abyss is his second solo exhibition, featuring a combination of techniques and materials to produce large, layered artworks.

Many of us ex (and current) students came by to support him. The place was crowded with big smiles and familiar faces. It was almost like a get-together party!

Bunch of us ex-foundation students with the master artist! The only photo we managed to get with him that night!

Mr Chee Meng's artwork reminds me of Chinese nest boxes, or Matryoshka dolls because of its many many layers. One full image is overlayed by another, and yet another, until the completed work looks like a simple, one-layered painting with a fancy background. But upon closer inspection there is an entirely new world underneath the top white. Watching the process videos, I saw things I didn't notice at all when I first looked at the paintings.

Sequential Forces

He used acrylics on MDF, along with CNC laser cutting to create even more dimension. Another thing I found impressive was the shadows he added to the flat visuals, giving the illusion of depth. At first glance one would not be able to tell what was laser-cut and what was simply painted on!

The Blue Melody

Some close ups of the cuts:

My favourite piece was The Candy Machines, because the colours were so bright and cheerful! 

The Candy Machines

Mr Chee Meng's Urban Abyss exhibition will be held till the 5th of May at Wei-Ling Contemporary Gallery at the Gardens Mall, KL. You can clicky clicky here for more information on the exhibition, the other artworks, and view the step-by-step process! 

Happy Sunday everyone! What will you create today? :D

Midnight Star

 Star light, star bright,

The first star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight.

Lovely roundup of a constellation-themed works! It's inspiring me to make something navy-silver somehow!

via apartment therapy 

via margotbird

via svpply

via designsponge

via findmetreasure

Put A Ring On It!

I seem to have developed a fascination to rings overnight, hehe. I can never quite find the urge to deck myself in accessories though. Time has evolved me to not even wear a watch anymore (ironic as it sounds). Even if I wanted to wear rings and such, I can never find the 'perfect' one, as all the shops sell the same mostly-poorly-made trendy rings. I've compiled a selection of my favourite online finds, though! I hope I would be able to get at least one (or two, or all of them!) one day 8).

via pinterest

I love the concept of a Claddagh ring. A traditional Irish design, the Claddagh ring is a symbol of love, loyalty and friendship. The traditional design consists of a pair of hands (friendship) holding a heart (love) surmounted by a crown (loyalty). This particular ring has been broken up into three, making it an interesting stacking ring! I like how they all look great on their own, but when put together forms a perfect ring.

via etsy

 Fun, handmade, coral and turquoise! (Almost all) my favourite things put together in one ring :D.

via wired

This gorgeous ring was custom made as an engagement ring! It was modeled after the groom's favourite Leica 50mm lens. Unique and perfect for a shutterbug husband-to-be! 

via urban aviary

This ring was my favourite ever find. It's unusual for me to look at a ring and think: "homg I want that". But this one made my day! Oxidized sterling silver with London Blue topaz. It's so simple, clean, and I love the dark coloured band, compared to the usual bright flash of shiny silver or gold. 

I think I'm gradually falling into a lapse of minimalism. My Golden (Drowned in Colour, more like) Age of crazy, rainbow drawings seem to have given way to more limited colour palettes and simple thinking. I'm still trying to find my 'style', but have I already established one? I sometimes get the urge to want to try one style, and another the very next day. It's all very confusing, but maybe I'll be able to find a balance eventually. Even if I don't, it's not quite such a bad thing, is it?

May our inspiration bells ring upon us forevermore! Happy Sunday everybody :).

Painting With Pantones!

Had a lazy browse through the inturnetz and came across lots of lovely Pantone inspirations! I love the blocks of colour; they are always so vibrant and refreshing. Here are some of the more interesting finds!

via stocklogos

These Pantone Underpant and Underpantytones are just hilarious! I wish they made a really bright turquoise for the ladies, though!

via wordsandeggs

via pantonehotel

What can scream Pantone louder than a whole hotel designed to embody it? Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Belgium boasts of a facade drowned in the trademark colours of the Pantone colour chart. I love that orange hallway! 

via griottes

I previously raved over Emilie Guelpa's food art direction, and I am ever ready to do it again! In this project she created Pantone colour chips out of colour-coordinated fruits and edibles. Beautifully styled and photographed! More pictures of the series here at anthology.

via louellacourt

I am head over heels in love with this pastel turquoise messenger bag! The beachy sea colour is perfect breeze for the summer heat!

It's Friday now! Time to get creative over the weekend! Will you be using Pantone to colour up your Saturday and Sunday? :D.