Tuesday, August 11, 2009

CRYSTAL SPIRAL BRACELET

#CRBR72 =EMERALD SPIRALS SGD$50

I 'm so glad this morning to take photos of my 1st Crystal Spiral Bracelet I had finally finished last night. A Spiral pattern I saw from a book titled :

"A Beading Journey with Sheilah Cleary "

I had found this last piece of book accidentally in a bookstore at Funan The IT Mall on Tuesday last week while browsing on the magazine stand. I guess it was just meant for me to bring home !

This book with soft cover has inspiring Beautiful projects in it and I was so excited to make my 1st Spiral Bracelet with the basic steps on how to start the spiral stitch taken from the book while the rest I have to manage on my own. The designs looked quite complex but once you had started the pattern , you'll just keep repeating the same and the same method and array of beads over & over again until you reach the desired lenght of your bracelet. It was really easy in the end in fact !


I did a bit of Peyote Stitches & Ladder stitches in the ends where I connected the rings and the S- hook classp. While making Ladders, it is important that I had kept a good hold of the ladder as I progress. This kept gaps to a minimum. If I still have large gaps after finishing the ladder, and since I had used Delica Seed beads with good sized holes , I threaded back through all the rungs. This had straightened out the ladder a little.

I had added a beaded drop charm on one of the ends to give some extra weight to provide more ease when trying to close the bracelet. I had used Gold Plated over 925 sterling Silver S-Hook Clasp from Bali to hold the ends securely in place.



Bracelet measures approximately about 8" in lenght and 1.5cms wide.

Materials Used :

  • 180 pcs = 4mm Swarovski Bicone Crystal Beads
  • size 11 Toho Seed Beads ( in 2 different colors )
  • size 8 Transparent Gold Seed Beads
  • size 15 Mettallic Gray Delica Seed beads
  • 2 cms S-Hook Gold Plated Bali Silver Clasp
  • size D Nymo beading thread
  • size 12 Beading Needle

" It Stands out as a one-of-a-kind creation, with beads that vary in size being used to achieve the deep spiral grooves. Its unique construction makes it an ideal way to get away from the everyday " - By Gail Seidner

Right Angle Weave Bracelet



RIGHT ANGLE WEAVE BRACELET

#GSBB466 = PEARLS & CRYSTALS SGD$50

I had finished this Button Pearls with Swarovski Crystals Accented Bracelet last week but got no time to upload it immediately. Created by doing the Right Angle Weave Stitch below :


Right Angle Weave is a stitch made up of units with 4 sides. The thread passes through the beads at right angles – never going straight to the next “box”. This causes the stitch to flow in a clockwise and then counter-clockwise motion. It makes it easy to know where you are going because you are always making a turn before adding any beads.


The Crystal beads & Seed Beads used have bigger holes than the Pearls so I decided to use my newly bought 1-G Beading Filament made in Germany which was really quite handy , strong & smooth plus a size 12 needle which can easily pass thru the small holes a few times without problem .

Bracelet measures about 7 inches long and 2 cms wide .

#GSBB466 = PEARLS & CRYSTALS $50

All materials used :


22 pcs 8mm Side Drilled Button Pearls
42 pcs 5mm Round Swarovski Crystal Beads
10 pcs 3mm Swarovski Bicone Crystals
2 way Gold Plated Box Clasp
Size 8 / Size 11 Toho Seed Beads
1-G Beading Filament ( or Nymo Thread )
Size 12 Beading Needle


Excellent Beading Project for Beginners / Intermediate

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Happy 44th Birthday Singapore !


Congratulations Singapore !!!






SINGAPORE: Singapore celebrated its 44th birthday with a massive party by the bay - the National Day Parade (NDP) at the Marina Bay Floating Platform with an explosion of fireworks.
The parade ( involving more than 6,000 participants performing in a colourful three-hour revue, ranging from lion dances to simulated terrorist attacks repelled by the city-state's armed forces ) , which marks the day when Singapore gained independence from Malaysia in 1965, was highlighted by a mass pledge-taking ceremony at its end.
Over 27,000 people watched the NDP ( National Day Parade ) from the parade stands while thousands more caught the show around the bay area, on television and online.






Logo of the 44th National Day Parade held today August 9, 2009.

Friday, August 07, 2009

91.3 Radio Station Tour


Have you ever visited any Radio Station in your area ?


Yesterday , Thursday 6th of August was a big exciting day for my 2 kids Tacha / Tristan & a friend Julia ( Tacha's Schoolmate ). Why ? we were invited by a nice happy and kind person we met in the Ladies of Harley BBQ event at East Coast park a few months ago. This person happened to be Mr. Rod Monteiro , one of our favorite DJs from 91.3 FM here in Singapore. He and with the help of his colleagues ( Mohd Aidil & Adam ) gave us the chance to visit and make a tour of the famous Radio Station in Singapore -



It was Located in 1000 Toa payoh North which was surrounded by HDB . We arrived before our time of appointment but the friendly Adam looked after us with a smile and brought us all the way up to their canteen to wait for Mr. Rod Monteiro .


Rod came shortly after with a big smile on his face and took us to their studio. He gave us a brief summary of their organzation from their highest boss , technical staffs, Djs and so much more. We personally met Jamie who was actually recording his voice for some cartoon stuffs & DJ "JJ" who was so kind to accommodate us and even joined our picture taking !


DJ "JJ" and us in his studio ! Cool !


DJ "JJ" on Air so we were quiet in one corner !


DJ Rod showing us the line of songs and music going ro play soon ... awesome !


DJ Rod Monteiro with us !


Geee ... kids & I were so happy indeed ! What a great experience to see how they manage their music & voice comments while on air and facing at least 4 computers infront of them . All these at the same time .. Wow really spectacular !



Rod even led us to their Technical room where all their main power equipments were located. So surprised that only 1 person manning the technical room takes care of all the trouble if something happens . With all the wires and stuffs I'd seen there , it must have been a very hard job.


One thing I really gained from the Radio Station tour is the fact that we had personally met the real people behind the voices we hear everyday in our car ( you're right, our car radio is set to 91.3 FM every single moment ! No kidding ! ) When hubby tries other stations, kids and I start screaming " 91.3 please !" With 3 against 1 , of course hubby puts 91.3 back on ...


Meeting these people and hearing them talk infront of me and the children gave all of us a great feeling. We're very grateful for the opportunity they had given us to meet them face to face . Thanks so much again guys and more power to you !

By the way, they also have these marvelous freebies up for grabs everytime . So guys , tune in to the best music of the best radio station in town now for more fun and surprises !


91.3 FM Radio Station

The One that really ROCKS !!!

Sea Of Litter ...



I'm not surprised that this can happen in the Philippines ! After all , we used to have the so called Smokey Mountain before. So this so called sea of litter is not impossible to occur at all ...


It is a shame and this situation must remind each & every Filipino that What we give is what we get !

This is an ultimate warning really . An awakening that even Mother Nature comes back to us in a rage to give us a taste of our own medicine !



Roxas Boulevard turns into 'a sea of litter'
Philstar.com - Friday, August 7


Roxas Boulevard turns into 'a sea of litter'
MANILA, Philippines - Due to heavy rains and strong winds brought by typhoon “Kiko,” Roxas Boulevard turned into “a sea of litter,” a Manila City government official said yesterday.
City public services department chief Carlos Baltazar said wind, rain and high tide combined to cause the waters of Manila Bay to rise beyond the seawall and deposit garbage onto the sidewalk and the road itself.

“The stretch of Roxas Boulevard, particularly that of from Padre Faura to the United States embassy, virtually became a sea of litter, making it nearly impassable for motorists,” Baltazar said.


He said Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered him to mobilize a team to clear the area of trash. According to Baltazar, the mounds of garbage were too much for the sweepers to handle and he had to utilize a payloader to clear the streets.
Baltazar said discarded slippers comprised a significant portion of the collected garbage, which mostly came from Cavite and Parañaque.
Meanwhile, traffic slowed to crawl from the Manila City Hall up to the Welcome Rotonda yesterday as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) laid hot asphalt in the Lagusnilad passage.


DPWH workers and equipment occupied almost the entire span of the Lagusnilad, leaving only one lane for vehicles to pass through. Commuters complained that a trip from España Boulevard to the Manila City Hall took at least an hour.
They questioned why the DPWH did asphalting work in broad daylight during a heavy downpour, when it can be done at night.

But come on, let's face the fact and not put blames on other people's shoulders for what had happened. In reality, only thing each and everyone need to have is self discipline . That's all ... period !

Wednesday, August 05, 2009


I have a nice Original Special Edition Skagen watch studded with Crystal Clear and Light Rose Color Crystals matched with Pink leather strap given by dear husband 3 years ago.
Its Rectangular shiny stainless steel case is connected by genuine Pink leather embossed straps in this fashionable timepiece. The dial is white Mother-of-Pearl with indicators and the sides encrusted with CRYSTALLIZED - Swarovski Elements.
I haven't used it for almost 1 1/2 years now coz I don't really like leather straps for a watch . I always prefer those with metal bracelets either in Silver or Gold color. Also, he had given me another Skagen watch lately matching his watch and made with stainless steel strap which I prefer more . Thus, I wear the 2nd Skagen watch almost everyday.

I was actually looking for a silver bracelet to clean but I found my Pink SKAGEN watch instead and saw the damage on the strap. The Leather of the said strap is still good underneath but the upper lining was already peeling off , See ?


So I decided to remove the strap and replace it . Problem is, the strap needs to be ordered only from Skagen coz it's not the normal straps you can buy from watch shops. It was connected to the dial with 4 very tiny screws . So it was a special design and a trademark of Skagen watches. Oh dear, I had already cut the straps with scissors and there's no such way I can put it back . So, I need to think of how to replace the famous strap myself. My brains started tilting from side to side ... Few seconds after, comes a marvelous idea. A Strap with beads , Why not ? I'd never done it before in any kind of watch , be it mine or not. So this is going to be a good challenge for me today.
Immediately I took my boxes of Swarovski Crystals , TOHO seed beads , 925 Sterling Silver Findings and designed a solution to the watch strap which is now into pieces right infront of me . I decided to use Swarovski Bicone Crystals same color as the ones embedded on the dial for a perfect match and added some Toho Japanese Seed Beeds , Miyuki Delica Seed beads & 4 pcs of 925 SS Closed Jumprings that will securely attach the straps to the Dial and the tiny screws.
Patiently, I was beading the whole afternoon coz I'm very excited to see the final result of this project .





( 1 )
Watch Dial after the strap was removed






( 2 )
Preparing all the Materials To be used

( 3 )
Putting the Design on 1st side of the Watch Dial

( 4 )
Now doing the other half of the strap




Now in the Finishing touches where I surrounded the flower designs with Peyote & Herringbone stitches to make the strap more stiff / firm and making sure the size would be exactly the same width & lenght like the previous strap.

I was able to finally finish the whole strap ( after it took me at least 4 hours ) just by dinner time . Well, What can you say about this now ?


I'm very happy I can now wear it again but of course with much more added Bling !
YEESSS!!!!

Saturday, August 01, 2009




* * * AUGUST'S SPECIAL TREAT * * *


Know what ? I had just revised the look & listed more items into my ebay store ...
Please come & check it out !


- FREE FIRST CLASS MAIL SHIPPING -

( Worldwide with No Minimum Purchase Required )



Valid on All Combined Purchases of Any Finished Jewellery Items Only !!!
- Promo ends on August 31, 2009 -

Where Beyond ELEGANCE is the Style !

#CD226 = SEA FANTASY 925 SS Crystal Beaded Earrings
Price : SGD$30.00

( Now also Available in my ebay store )

This pair of sparkling earrings were made with Celestial Crystal Light Blue Color faceted Rondelle Beads , Vintage Clear AB Swarovski Faceted Beads with 925 Sterling Silver Earring Hooks , Bali-Silver Bead Caps & Findings .
Measures approx. 5.5 - 6 cms including hooks.
A Unique Sparkling Vintage design perfect for any day!


Discounts Available for Multiple items Purchased !


Earrings inspired by the clear blue sparkling water of AMANPULO in Philippines ( Pictured below ) where we had spent our October holiday 2 years ago ... kids would love to come back soon !


Don't forget to check some necklaces on sale too !

They're 50% OFF The Regular Price

Check below :

#ASN7 = MOP Donut Necklace

Regular price SGD$35 Now Only SGD$17.50

#ASN1 = MOP BUTTERFLY Necklace

Regular price SGD$25 Now Only SGD$12.50

Thursday, July 30, 2009

What I Had Created In Belgium




There is no way to stop me from beading ...


Being on Holiday doesn't mean I'm staying away from my beads for a while ! Of Course not. I brought with me a box of my beading armaments so I can do something and bead when I'm stucked in the house during bad weather days. True enough there are some bad days preventing me to go outside but advantageous for my sneaky hands and mind.


I was able to finish my Mother in law's Lariat Necklace in 2 days after my arrival in Belgium. It was a belated Happy Birthday present for her and She was very happy with it . She wore it proudly when we went to a Fine Dining Restaurant in Morsel for lunch one day. That famous lunch started at 1pm and ended up at 5pm. It was surely the longest lunch I had ever had in my entire life ! I had even seen the staff changing into the night shift.

Below is what I got for my main course too ... hellooo ... This isn't happening, You must be joking , Is that all ? I think I need a magnifying glass to enlarge the size of my fish compared to the size of my hot plate ... No wonder I don't like fine dining sometimes. Quantity is so small ... That's all and that's it ... period !!! GRRRRRR I'm still Hungry !

Anyway, Somewhere on the second week of my stay in Belgium I also had created a new necklace with Seed Beads using Combinations of Peyote Stitch & Twisted herringbone stitch for the 1st time.


The Necklace really came out so beautiful !

Even without the use of any metal embellishments or metal clasps at all . I had mixed the Toho seed beads with Swarovski Crystals & Fresh water pearls .

Although I came home to Singapore with the un-finished matching bracelet for it, then I must say that I've got something to do again & finish now that I'm back in my well missed My-SECRET-Corner Bead Room ...



So Sweet White Rose Flower Decoration on our dining table during our lunch in Morsel.

Back To Singapore ... At Last !





A super big yupppeee !

I'm now back In Singapore ! I arrived with my family on board Lufthansa Airlines yesterday afternoon with luggages much heavier than what we had when we left Singapore almost 4 weeks ago . I really wondered why and how come they're so full when I didn't do much shopping in Belgium despite of citywide sales of up to 70% off. Only 2 things I got for myself are : a small huggable stuff toy from Intertoys for Euro 6.99 instead of Euro 17.99 which I named " Toochie Patootsie " and a party tight fitting dress with tiger prints on it for just Euro 13.00 instead of Euro 79.oo ... what a great bargain !



See how cute Toochie is ? She was very soft to the touch and very useful in the plane giving support to my neck while I sleep in the plane yesterday ...

Holiday in Belgium was 50 / 50. Meaning half good and half bad. Just couldn't get all positive things without the mess... Oh well, at least this time, weather wasn't so bad.


The Church Tower in Grote Markt near the City hall of Aalst on one very sunny afternoon Nice blue sky with Cotton candy like super white clouds which is not a common sight when you're in Belgium .


I was able to have few good real hot sunny days to dry my laundry even I hanged the clothes inside the house ( you never know when the rain comes ) , clean away the spiderwebs in /out & around the house and visit some nice places too like the Theme Park called " WALLIBI " where I saw one of the most terrifying ride called " SAWBUZZ " which flips when you reah the top of the round. Actually I hate the rides coz I feel sick afterwards so You can bet that I didn't dare get into it ... what a chicken am I ..ha-ha ! But at least I took a good picture while Tacha & Hubby were in it ! See ? OMG !!!

And oh ... I've got real nice pictures of flowers in most of the places I'd been. Kids are complaining I had more pics of flowers than them ... oeps ! Sorry guys, mommy needs some entertaining too you know. It makes me happy to see and photograph the nice flowers I find so I have the camera most of the time to take shots.

Photo of a flower bud being checked by a curious fly in the flower garden of Mr. Albert De Raedt . He was the uncle of Koen ( my brother in law ) who has at least 1000 species of flower bearing plants in his wonderful back yard. Some of which he had planted about 28 years ago when he bought the land for his home and garden.

Flowers by the side street while walking around in Oud -Hevelee looking for a good & decent restaurant to eat dinner.

 
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