A Belated Eid Greetings...

To all my muslim friends...

3R strikes again!

On May 27, 2012, Ramu Rame Ramo, a community of Bandung crafters consists of my self, Kawakib Craft, Raisy Tasthy, Pepoloco, Linda Sari and Anggraini Craft attending a high school Bazaar as a tenant. It was SMA 3's Inori Bazaar.

The Bazaar was a Japan themed bazaar. There were also band competition, dance cover competition, etc. But the most interesting competition for me was the Cosplay Contest.

According to Wikipedia, the meaning of Cosplay is: "Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure), a contraction (or portmanteau) of the English words "costume" and "play", is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, Japanese movies, or Japanese pop music bands. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume."

I found it interesting because these kids were serious about the costumes and they posed and acted accordingly to the characters. So serious that some costumes were made painstakingly and very detail, it so related with crafting. 

1st Day of Inacraft 2012: A Lovely Surprise :)

Yesterday was Inacraft 2012 first day, the most anticipated event by Indonesian crafters.
Too bad, I can't come and accompany my best friend, bu Pia of Idys wait our booth, because there are commissioned orders that I have to do and supervised myself.

Femina Magazine as one of the leading women's magazine in Indonesia, also participated in the event.
They will choose 23 products to receive their award, Femina Award, as the most unique, recommended products.

The Inacraft 2012 Femina award

I, of course, got interested. The booths which will received the award will be mentioned in their Inacraft shopping map, therefore hopefully will boost the sales. Then I submitted my newest product,Calyx Batik baby Bloomer Set to be nominated. They said, they will review it first.

The Calyx Batik Baby Bloomer Set

In the afternoon, bu Pia text me that the Femina Magazine people took one of the bloomer set to be nominated. I jumped for joy, to be nominated was already good enough for me .

In the evening, bu Pia send me this picture:

At first, I just saw at the two persons in the picture and wondering why bu Pia send me this picture, for I don't know who the lady standing next to her was. I looked again at the picture and it suddenly came to me, when I saw the thing held by by bu Pia. It was the award !!

Alhamdulillah, we won the award! Whoaa, a lovely surprise! I didn't really expect it because there are many candidates who have great products at the Inacraft. I feel so excited...after all this time, through many obstacles, finally I feel paid off !

Thank you to Femina Magazine, bu Pia of Idys, my cute baby model Bitha and all of my friends, for your support & du'a, huugs!

My friend, a talented crafter & craft books writer, Ira Dhyani Indira, stopped by our booth

The 23 products chosen by Femina Magazine. My bloomer is in the bottom row, third one from the left (or right...it's in the middle )

Inacraft will be held until April 29, you are welcome to visit our booth at the Inacraft, no. 43, Plenary Hall .

Perfect Giveaway this week :)

When sis Lia of Lia's Crafty Journey announced that the winner of her giveaway was me, I had never been happier. Not only because the giveaway were soo gorgeous (Alexander Henry's is among them!) but also included was a sweet note from her .

Can't say enough thanks to you sis Lia, these are perfect gift for a fabric freak like me, lol...

My, how many ideas I can get to work on these beauties... projects

!

Sew Loving it!

Last week my crafter friend mbak Dita of Cemprut who lives in Jakarta, came to Bandung to have a sock doll making workshop at Crayon's.

Of course I eagerly attended it, not only because she's one of my close friend on the net that I haven't meet in person, but also because I've never learn to make a sock doll before, I love to learn something new.

As I expected, at that workshop I met other crafters, I already knew some of them from the net but haven't got a chance to meet in person. I was so happy to find that the crafters are so friendly, down-to-earth and hilariously funny ! We laughed at our own jokes through the workshop session with our hands kept busy on the needles and threads.

The Cemprut's workshop at Crayon's Bandung

Unfortunately I had to go before the workshop's over. Nevertheless, I had fun and I especially loove to have & meet new friends (or old friends but "newly met") . I "sew" loving it!

Speaking of sewing, this month I've finished commissioned orders on "Love to Sew" bags. This time I designed it in form of pochettes. Not only "Love to Sew" actually, there is one pochette embellished with nothing but crewel and beads embroidery. They all have gone now to their new owners (thanks so much customers, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy making them ).

"Love to Sew" pochette in pink flowery canvas & brown faux leather

Another Craft Swap, Alhamdulillah :)

Me and mbak Samsiah of Shafaa Craft have been online friends for quite a long time, as I remember.

And all this time, we haven't meet each other in person, of course because I lived in Bandar Lampung (that time), she's in Jakarta. Now I live in Bandung which relatively closer to Jakarta, took 2 hours drive, but still haven't got a chance to meet, lol...

Though we only keep in touch online, I just knew (from her blog & comments) that she's such a sweet person that I can trust. That's why I really hoping we can work together when I asked her to share a booth at Bazaar Arafah.

I was right, she's so easy to cooperate with, trusted and super kind. When she said she has an eye for Calyx cupcake hijab, but unfortunately it was sold, I instantly said that I would make another one for her as my thanks for her good cooperation in the bazaar.

Surprise, surprise, when I asked her to kindly send me back the items that haven't sold on that bazaar, she included a pretty brooch, beautifully crafted by her self, alhamdulillah !

Shafaa Craft's pretty cabochon brooch

To mbak Iah, I the brooch, a lot!

So sorry for not sending the swap sooner, because I ran out of material (my supplier just came back from Eid holiday, she just opens today).

Pink Calyx Cupcake hijab with matching pin

I hope she likes it, just as much as I like her brooch...I just hope we can meet each other off line soon and work together as a team again, amiin

Over Due

Yeah, this is an over due post but I just think I need to share it

So, it's been almost a month now, we're living as Bandung citizens...back to my hometown, after so many years (I think since 1993).

Adapting to the new climate (it's much, much colder here than Bandar Lampung), I got 3 days of cold, but I'm fine now.

Since we moved, I've been busy surveying junior high schools for my son. He done some assessment tests in some schools and waited and prayed for whatever Allah think is the best for us. Alhamdulillah, now he's accepted in an Islamic based junior high and will start his study next week.

At the moment we're renting 2 rooms in an old house. In that house, there is other family, a young couple with 2 toddlers.

The front of the house

Our house mates

To be honest, I enjoyed our space in Bandar Lampung more. Yes, the one we're living in now is more spacious, but there are problems that forcing me to look for other place to live (that's why I still haven't settled yet, still unpacked, out of the thought that I will move again very soon). Electricity is one thing. I'd like to buy a fridge (sahur is on my mind), but I don't think the electricity in this house allow it. Until this moment, I still haven't found the right place...still looking for it...

Anyway, we're happy to be in Bandung, although there are friends we missed in Bandar Lampung. We took some last pictures of us in the hotel we used to live in, in Bandar Lampung, together with my buddy, ibu Pia. For 2 weeks hubby stayed with us, helped our relocation. We're so happy, though after two weeks, hubby had to fly back to Langkawi, Malaysia, to continue his work there.

Calyx (ribbon embroidery) for Idys

Ibu Pia and I are bff, we help, support each other all the time.
Her residence is not really far from mine, so it's just natural if we see each other almost every day.
She's the owner of Idys and we just love to talk about craft and our children all day, lol.

For the Inacraft 2011, she asked me to design some simple ribbon embroideries to be done by the Sukaraja women for Idys and of course I'm happy to do it.

I didn't manage to take pictures of all of the creations, but below are some of them:

- Various tissue box covers


- Mukena

The Sukaraja Club

As written in my previous blog, the less fortunate women of Sukaraja, Lampung, had been participating in one of Rumah Zakat programmes, which is a free workshop, intended to empower them.

But Rumah Zakat didn't stop there. They talked to ibu Pia of Idys and I on how to generate extra income for the Sukaraja women. What a coincidence! Ibu Pia and I had a "human resources crisis", we need extra hands to assist us on our productions for Inacraft 2011 and it's easier for us to work together with the Sukaraja women because we trained them our self, we can "shape" their quality of work to meet our standards. We provided materials, designs, commissions, etc and they were given freedom to choose any part of work they'd like to take. So we discussed it further with Rumah Zakat and the women of Sukaraja and they agreed to collaborate with us.

From more than 24 women who attended our free workshop, only few of them who are willing and happy to join us in our productions. Others are simply too busy with their daily life, they have babies, etc. So let me introduce you to the talented women of Sukaraja and some of their creations, achieved after intense trainings with us these several weeks:

Free Workshop with Rumah Zakat

First of all, I'd like to thanks my best friend, bu Pia of Idys, who came up with the idea and introduced me to Rumah Zakat people.

So, it's been my dream to share what I know about craft with less fortunate people, with the hope that it can helps generating extra income for them.

When bu Pia came up with the idea of working together with Rumah Zakat, I immediately agreed.
Our plans are to give the dhuafas free workshop of ribbon embroidery, basic accessories making techniques and fabric application technique.

Rumah Zakat itself is a non profit organization, who helps distribute zakat, donations to the dhuafa. Not only that, they also provide scholarship, organized workshop and help the dhuafa build small businesses.

First meeting

Alhamdulillah, another good feedback!

Yesterday, I saw a familiar words in my inbox, that was "Primula Clutch", posted by a very dear friend of mine, mbak Nana.

For those who don't know, Primula is my other "baby" besides Calyx. Primula specialized in making party clutch bags and targeted for young adult and above, while Calyx is targeted for teens and young at hearts.

So, back to the mbak Nana's posting...I was so touched, happy and honored to read the blog . It was a good feedback of the Primula she bought some times ago.



Thank so much, mbak Na, you made my day!
PS: mbak Nana designs and makes beautiful moslem dresses. Check out her site here

Birds of the same feathers

No sooner, my land lady, mbak Febry, found out what I do.
She's a dentist, but who have thought that she has a thing for craft too?

We talked about craft a lot and she saw some of my works and projects.
She said, there's a craft competition among staffs in her office (she works for Public Health Service/Puskesmas) and she's working on some felt project.

One day, she came to my place, clutching something in her hands.
It's a felt tissue box cover, for the competition, made by herself, masha Allah...it's cute!

Keep it up, mbak Febry ! I pray that you'll win, insha Allah!
Turned out that we are birds of the same feathers after all

Good bye hotel, hello new place!

So, it's been near a month now, we are staying at the new place.
We rent a newly built, clean, 2 bed rooms space, with one sitting room, one bath room, small kitchen and a spacious shared yard. It's enough for me & my son to lived in until my son graduated from primary school, then we'll be (sigh...packing's on my mind!) move again to Bandung, West Java, my hometown.

The new place is so close to my son's school, that he walks every day to and from school.
The land owners are young, newly married couple, they're so friendly and nice.
There are some eateries, convenience store and laundry, all within 3 minutes walking distance...5 minutes walk to the mall .

The shared yard, seen from our front door. The building on the left is the land owner's house.

A little hut with a pond of timid fishes built beneath it, in a corner of the yard.

Alhamdulillah, things begin to settled down a bit (though there are still some hateful boxes, waiting to be unpacked, sigh). I enjoy the house chores, (things that I didn't really do when we were at the hotel, because they have service, lol) it's like playing house, lol... so much so that I almost forgot about my craft, lol...
Now that I'm getting use to the new routine, I'm working on a new batch of kids hijab...

Nothing better than a good feedback :)

Early this morning, I was pleasantly surprised by my good friend Cindy's post.
I am so flattered and happy that the flowers she ordered for her daughter were well received and that her daughter excited to use these flowers I made, for her headbands and barettes, alhamdulillah!
Can't wait to see her creations!
Thanks so much Cindy, you're the best!

By the way, Cindy sells great stuffs too and she's a super nice seller...check out her site, coolshirts2cheap.

Yaay, gifts...alhamdulillah!

This post is actually over due, but I only got a chance to write it down today.
A couple of weeks ago, I received two packages, one was from my lovely aunt Jia of Fauzia's art & craft and the other was from my very dear of mine, mbak Dita of Handmade Nest. Alhamdulillah!

Jia sent me a beautiful, intricate necklace with pendant which also can be wore as a brooch (double functions...my kind of things!). She sent it for an exchange of the pochette I sent her for her birthday, though I really don't expect anything from her. It's made of wire works and stone, I suspected it was quite time consuming to make. Beautiful! Love it so much, thanks Jia, muach2!

I won the giveaway!

Double-triple yaaay!

Thanks to sis Ning of Babalisme, I received the gift two days ago, but just have a chance to post it today because of my packing-for-relocating business ;)

My son and I enjoyed it so much, we looove it...especially me, I have never received giveaway from Blogger before and this one is so cool!

Loove the personal "stamp"...so cute!

The content...goody-goody!

The back of the package...loove the circus theme!

Relocating...relocating...

Sigh...nothing I hate more than relocating...
It's not about adapting to the new place and so on, what I hate is packing and unpacking!
We're such a hoarder, so many things to packed, threw away or sell...
my son's a bit reluctant because he's a young man now, he feels quite attach to his friends here.

So, yes, we are relocating. Hubby got a job abroad while I might be still in Bandar Lampung for a few months, until my son finish his primary school, but we definitely won't be staying at the hotel anymore as the end of this month. My apology to my customers, I'd probably won't make any new creations during that time, except just a couple of orders I had agreed earlier.

Mind you, the picture below is not mine, but I think that's what mine will looked like, lol