WIP

I'm a bit lazy to use my camera lately,
so I just use my handphone, because it's quicker.

Good enough. The handphone's camera can take photos this close up.

In the mood to share my current work progress. Aahhh...my handmade stamps...

Maafkan Saya

I am in the middle of this and that at the moment.
We are trying to ensure that our rumah kedai is ready by end of this month,
and getting prepared to move out from our current rented apartment.
Our company had been operating temporarily from this small home since 2 years ago,
and I am also a bit tired of not having proper space for business matters.
Everything is mixed up.
Imagine having just a small desk, placed next to the television (where I put my computer),
and all files been kept in boxes at the back room.
The back room had been used as the same place to keep extra clothes, to hang laundries, to place the refrigerator and also where I do all wood works~ to make stamp mountings.
Doing my office work and stamp carving on dining table and sometimes on the floor.
Sometimes I just feel so unhealthy,
tapi berkat kesabaran, alhamdulillah akhirnya Allah berikan sebuah rumah kedai.
So after this, we'll be living upstairs and our office cum shop will be on the ground floor.

I'm still trying to keep up with stamp orders at the same time,
but please forgive me, I know I have missed few deadlines.
I am sorry, I know I have promised to get back to you, somehow I am unable to do so.
Sometimes I manage to get the design ready,
but I don't have time to do the carvings and mountings.
The moment I have time to carve, your wedding (for wedding stamp) is already just around the corner.

After we are settled with the moving,
I need to go down to KL, to work out things about getting supplies for our shop
(and also because I miss the other half of my family there).
Thank God, my hubby is arranging these for me so all I have to do is just be there.
No, it's not art shop or stamp shop~ it's a shop selling Personal Protective Equipment,
eg; Helmet, safety boot, reflective vest, coverall, body harness, climbing equipment etc.
Yeah those sort of things.
I don't know yet how it will affect my stamp carvings, but I'm sure it gonna be affected alot,
perhaps at the beginning.
Up till this moment, I still don't have any assistant,
baik untuk kerja pejabat, mahupun kerja rumah.
Please forgive me,
it's neither my intentions to ignore emails or orders.

Those who have paid me but haven't received their stamp yet,
and those who has confirmed their orders untuk digunakan dalam jangkamasa terdekat,
contact me please?

Another Sketch in Photoshop

The real Aida lebih cantik :)
Bila tengok macam ni baru nampak perbezaan dan di mana silap lukisan ku ini.

Another quick practice session.
Though it may not look much like the actual person,
but I learn a lot in the process.

My goal is not to achieve a realistic result,
so after tracing is done I don't refer much to the actual details.
Just enjoying what I love most; coloring.

Actually I received a request for blog header from Aida Narina some while ago,
but I told her I wasn't equipped with proper software (and skills actually).
Though what she wanted is just a simple, cute illustration like

this one.
But this one is made in CorelPainter.
I don't have CorelPainter anymore.

I don't know if she still want to proceed with the blog header
and I don't know why,
I always tend to challenge and distract myself,
even when time is not a luxury.

Sorry Aida,
for using your photo without permission.

Itching Hands

I haven't been able to touch my tablet and photoshop for a week.
And today I learnt new things via a quick trial and error.
I traced and colored Putri's photo completely in PS.
It was a quick job, but the idea has been lingering in my mind for so long,
my hands were just itching for a real try-out.

Thinking...

1. I have unpublished stamp photos, but I'm a bit undecided to post them in this blog. I'm scared of sudden attack of incoming inquiries. Unreplied email, hurts. I know.

2. A bit under pressure. I have many delayed stamp orders and unreplied emails. I should reply with a design to propose but I still don't have time to work on the designs yet. How. How.

3. Butterfly ATC Swap; I might need to postpone the closing date.

4. I need to organize all craft materials, tools, filings and boxes in the back room, as we'll be moving to a new place soon. The room looks like it has undergone a series of blizzard. Hm, where should I start?

Makan Bertalam

You think a fancy, candle-lit dinner is the only way to be romantic? Try makan bertalam! You can also switch off the light and lit some candles or lampu pelita, duduk bersimpuh atas tikar dan makan dengan tangan. Boleh juga suap-menyuap jika suka... kan?

:)

In Makan bertalam, the food is served on one big tray and can be shared with few people. You don't need to use fork and spoon, just use your fingers. Try it with your spouse, or children, I highly recommend it :)

Just a simple cooking; ayam goreng, labu masak lemak, ulam dan sambal belacan. I learnt the sambal belacan recipe from internet :) This is the first time I found daun selom being sold at the local tamu near our house~ it's not common in Sabah.

Rasa lucu setiap kali tengok gambar candid ni...hehehe. Cute betul tengok Putri ketawakan Bapak dah gosok dagu tu.

We sent our employees for some Telekom tower painting job in Labuan last week so I took the chance to wander around the small town and found these old enamel wares in one very old shop. The cups and tall coffee pot with bird print are not in excellent condition, the lid and edges are a bit rustic but, I love it because it's vintage and most of all, I love the artsy, stenciled decorations :)

And the trays, I bought it simply because they bring nostalgic feelings. We use to have these kinds of tray when I was little. And also because I think it would be perfect for a makan bertalam try-out. Tapi yang funny kan, dulang tu melengkung so bila letak kuah, semua kuah lari ke tepi. Hahahaha.

Transparent Logo Watermark

It is something that I wanted to learn since long time ago,

Wanna know what it is?

Fancy watermarks!
Before this I only watermark my photos using the Text tools in Photoscape.

Last night, while editing photos (resizing & adjusting brightness) for our company profile,
Almost miraculously,
I manage to figure out how to do it!
YeaaaaahoooOOOOO!!!!

I select some of my shots to share with you here...
Looking back at those photos really make me smile.
In the later couple of years I wasn't much into photography anymore,
because I focus more time on stamp carvings,
(because I plan to collect money from stamp carving to buy a DSLR one day).

All of these photos are in their original composition,
no cropping is made.

I'm so happy with my new discovery!
Now I know how to create a transparent watermark using logo.
Combining it with Photoscape Batch Editor,
we can place watermark on our photos even quickier.
To some it may be nothing, like eleh kacang, but it means BIG to me,
and it means bigger because I struggled, learning it from scratch.

:)
Alhamdulillah.

For a Friend

Just to name
one of "other things" that I love is,
Papercutting.

But above image is not papercut,
it's just a test-print of something I drew in Photoshop.

A close friend happened to visit me that day,
so this idea came spontaneously.
I took my calligraphy marker and wrote
"Friendship Forever" (with noticeable mistakes :P),
took out my wedding photo from a frame,
and replaced it with this print.

I accidently cut myself with the sharp edged glass in the process,
and you can see some blood stain at the bottom.

I tried to rub the stain with eraser, :P
but it's unremoveable,
so I just seal it and present it to my friend.

Then I told her,
"It's okay if you don't want because it has blood stain on it, I cut myself with the glass",
then she replied,
"I should cut myself too and mix our blood, before you seal it".

Hahahaha...thank you my friend.
You're a sister indeed.

Here's another work,
printed as greeting card.

It's Rigger, my cat, and me.

No, I'm not pregnant, it's just some sort of a reminder for us,
being 29 and owner of bulging tummies.
Hahahaha.

Happy Birthday Lily!
Hopefully we'll be slimmer in our 30's.

Learning Photoshop

Handsketch

Tracing in Photoshop

Working out with the design - customer requested 1920's theme.

Added with some antique filter in Photoscape.
I still have a long way to go before I can translate the idea that I have in mind into something visual,
up to a stage where it is good enough for printing on large canvas or commisions.

Handsketched, scanned and contrast increased in Photoscape.

Redrawn in Photoshop

I'm so happy with the improvements!

I have tried using Photoshop and Illustrator in 2009
but I gave up because it is so difficult.
It's taking too much of my time.

I just reinstall Photoshop in my computer a couple of weeks ago,
and try again.
This time, to my suprise,
I'm doing it quite smoothly,
like I know what to click
when I want to perform certain action etc.

Alhamdulillah.

I believe when the time comes,
everything will happen naturally.
When Allah gives us the sense of Ting! in our brain,
suddenly we just happen to know what to do.

Like when me and hubby just get married,
I was trying hard to cook tasty meal for him,
but even the dishes that I know quite well,
turns out a failure.
After a while, with lots of practice and recipes reading,
suddenly my cooking skills got better,
like I said,
it happened naturally.

:)