Honey and Milk Bread

I like cooking because it is an art too.
But it is a little more special, because you can eat your artwork :)

The previous banana bread requires no kneading (more like a cake),
but this time I really want to try kneading.
Rupanya tak sesusah yang dibayangkan :)
Tak sempat keluar peluh pun.

Never in my whole life,
I had ever imagine I can bake my own bread.
I surprised myself success at the first time.
So I guess making bread isn't that hard anyway,
we just need to give some time for the yeast to do their job.

With the rising concern in the halal status of food products in the market,
maybe we can try doing it our own.
Ditanggung halal!

Senang saja,
jom cuba resipi ini :)

*Recipe*

Mantanani Island

It was a two days work trip to Mantanani Island.

I'm back with nasty sunburns.

It was such a precious experience for me,
but I wish my job is more than just preparing meal, observing, passing stuffs and holding the camera.
We wished we can go for some snorkeling and swimming,
but all the time spent for work.

The place is so beautiful and peaceful.
Sometimes I feel like I was so far away from home, but actually it was only 37km from our house,
plus another 1 hour boat trip.
If given a chance, I would love to live there for 3 months.
Yeah, why not?
(but of course not alone, hehe).

Cookies...or Cakes?

Neither!

I am still not over yet with my excitement of having a new toy for the kitchen.
:)

Sometimes I found myself fallen asleep while drooling over the photos in the cooking magazine. Not only that they look delicious, but they are also inspirational.

I've been longing to bake some bread, and finally!
My first bread.

Sugarless Banana Bread ~ use dates to substitute sugar.

Pineapple Muffin.

Last but not least, a picture of stamp that I completed 3 days ago
(sedang berusaha menghabiskan sisa-sisa tempahan).

I met an old friend whom I haven't met for 10 years (except in Facebook), and he asked me how's my cake/cookie business doing? Hahahahaa...that's funny!...Really? Those stamps look like cookies and cakes?!

Lack of Confidence

I think I can almost hear myself whispering,
that I regret saying YES
for the book illustration job.

I only touched brushes (larger than size 0 and 2) few times in my life
(because I used to draw on ATC only).
I don't know where on earth the courage came from.

Because of the illustration job,
I invested in some new brushes and the biggest (and most expensive) ever watercolor paper,
I had so far.
Never worked with acrylic paint before,
so I bought a box of acrylic paint (because a friend suggested I should try acrylic),
and this is it.
This is where I force myself to get use to brush handling and
understand the acrylic paint character.
No time to practice before the real thing.

I only have 7 days to finish another 11 illustrations.
And oh boy! I am unsure about almost everything I've done so far.
Will the color pallet and drawing suit children's taste?

I hope this will only means,
Every first time is just as difficult as any other first time for anyone.
I hope everything going to be all
right.

Approved!

This is an old pending work,
the earlier CorelDraw file had gone with my corrupted external HD,
so I redo it in Photoshop.

My client has approved the one with magician hat!
Yeeeehaaaaw!

One sack of burden,
off my shoulder!

It Is but It Is Not

Today I was browsing the internet and found this image.

It looks familiar but not from the work of artist whom I have been following for almost 6 years.

Today the world had become small,
and distances won't feel that far anymore.
We can even feel like knowing somebody their whole life,
knew every member of their families, maybe every corner of their houses,
every single piece of their work,
eventhough we never even met them,
and they don't even know us!

My point is,
people can differentiate between inspirations and imitations.
Sometimes we see something and eventhough it reminds us to somebody or some other work we've seen before,
it's undeniably an original piece of work.

Sometimes,
All we see is just...copies!

Personalized Stamp Order No Longer Available

Yes, it's official.

I will still be carving,
but I will no longer accept orders for personalized handcarved stamps.

I've been considering and reconsidering it for quite some time,
it's a sad decision
but it's getting clearer that it's the best option now.

To all those who emailed me,
I want to thank you all.
Million of thanks to everybody,
I can never repay you.
Please forgive me for all the unreplied emails, delays and wrongdoings.

Everything that begins must have an end,
I pray to God that it is ending for something new,
and better.

I hope Mangosteenskin will continue having your support.
Off my hat and I'm taking my bow...

THANK YOU!!!!!

My Pastry Experiments

Only a few months left before I reach 30's.
And this is the first time I got the chance to own an oven.

To think back,
Sometimes I feel...(it's not sad but I don't know what it is)
30 years is quite a very long period (I don't know what have I done with that lot of time).

But ofcoz I feel so grateful whatever it is (we are always more fortunate than some people).

My pastry experiments; Lemon Meringue Cupcakes (made from Mom's homegrown lemons), mini cinnamon rolls (served with cream cheese frosting), pizza (I found one easy and sure-jadi dough recipe by Jamie Oliver~ and I'm still experimenting with different toppings, the list seems endless), and last but not least, moist chocolate cakes/cupcakes. For the time being I just use Nona Cake Mix for the batter because it is economical and quick :) HAHAHAHA. The only thing that is prepared from scratch was the chocolate ganache.

I still remember when we were young,
my dad got a pie dish as free gift for buying a tin of formula milk for my baby brother.
The dish was decorated with an illustrated lemon meringue pie recipe.
I always wonder how it would taste.
Thinking,
when I grow up, lemon meringue pie is one of the recipe I want to try.

Hehe, not yet a pie lah~
but I'm still feeling so content for these humble achievements :)

Happy!!!
... and chubbier :)

Home to Myself

Click photo to view graffiti replay.

I wake up and see
The light of the day
Shining on me
Make my own time
It's mine to spend
Think to myself
My own best friend
It's not so bad all alone
Comin' home to myself again
Now I understand
Whatever I feel is whoever I am
Watching my life and how its grown
Looking on back to friends I've known
Its not so bad all alone
Coming home to myself again
It's not so bad to get lost in my tears
And to laugh and to cry for the years gone by
Oh my, oh my,

Now somehow I know
I've come a long way
Got a long way to go
But something inside
Keeps making me strong
And in the bad times
I‘ll get along
'Cause it's not so bad all alone
Comin' home to myself again
I'm Comin' home

Graffiti Graffiti Graffiti

I'm using Graffiti apps in FB to practice

1. using my wacom tablet
2. creating a story in one single picture
3. brushing my skill of presenting ideas into something visual
4. cheering people (i hope it will make the graffiti receiver's day!)

I try to copy the html code from older graffiti and change the ID with new ones,
but the replay engine is not working for graffiti made later than 2010.
I learn from the Facebook Graffiti Knowledge Base that the apps developer had changed the replay engine (that's why the embed/sharing button is not available anymore).

If you want to view the replay
you can just click on the photo
and it will take you to the direct link of each specific graffiti.

Thanks for your time and I hope you will enjoy watching them :)

Selamat Hari Raya

Masjid Negeri Sabah.

Lukisan di atas ini sebenarnya dibuat menggunakan
aplikasi Graffiti di dalam Facebook.

Malangnya saya tak jumpa embed code.

Kepada kawan-kawan FB saya,
bolehlah klik gambar di atas
kalau ada masa terluang nak tengok REPLAY.

Kalau nak copy paste gambar tersebut
untuk buat ucapan di blog masing-masing pun boleh :)

Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan
SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI
Maaf Zahir & Batin!

Featured in NUR Ogos 2011

Hi everybody :)

Saya ingin mengucapkan Selamat Berpuasa
kepada semua muslimin dan muslimat.
Selain bulan yang penuh rahmat
(bonus round untuk mengutip markah ke syurga),
bulan puasa ini juga adalah bulan yang paling afdal untuk kita memperbaiki diri
dalam apa-apa aspek sekalipun.
Dalam pada ramai orang berlumba-lumba untuk menggandakan bisnes pada bulan ini,
saya pula bercadang hendak berehat (atau berhenti?) sepenuhnya dari membuat stamp.
Tapi, tak boleh jugak.
Masih ada stamp yang perlu disiapkan sebelum Aidilfitri menjelang.
Green light pun sudah kelihatan,
menandakan proses melukis ilustrasi buku harus dimulakan dengan segera
(target disiapkan bulan Ogos ini juga).
Ini adalah kali pertama saya terlibat dalam menghasilkan ilustrasi buku,
tanpa apa-apa pendedahan awal...memang terketar-ketar lah jugak.

Saya ingin mengucapkan
terima kasih yang tidak terhingga kepada
semua yang setia mengikuti perkembangan dan
memberi sokongan padu kepada
Mangosteenskin si Penoreh Getah.

Akhir-akhir ini sebenarnya saya bukan setakat slow down,
sejujurnya hampir-hampir berhenti menghasilkan stamp.
Namun begitu saya amat terharu kerana
kunjungan email-email yang bertanyakan tentang stamp
tidak pernah putus.
*terharu sungguh.

Segan sebenarnya hendak menghebahkan tentang featuring kali ini,
tapi sekiranya anda ingin mengenali kami (saya dan stamp) dengan lebih dekat (sedikit),
bolehlah mengklik gambar di atas.
Terima kasih kepada waratawan NUR~ Noraznina Ismail.

Entri kali ini saya sudahi dengan sekian terima kasih.
Dari jauh,
kupohon maaf.

What is Up

Dear readers,
I'm so sorry for neglecting this blog for quite some time.

Some drawing practice done last month. Soft pastel on paper.

I got hired to illustrate a children book
:)

I still feel like I'm dreaming.

We (me and 3 other friends) will need to propose our storyboards
and sample artwork for the book (each person got one book to illustrate),
but I still haven't manage to create something good enough for the sample yet.

Working on the forth attempt now.

Working hard, working hard.

I will tell you more about it later.

work in progress.

Pets' Love and Loyalty

I'm not really a cat person before, but after I was married and have our own pets (iguana, squirrel, civet and ofcoz cat), I got all the time to understand how loyal pets (not only cats) are. When I am alone in the kitchen (cooking, washing dishes etc), Rigger (the cat in the photos) is always nearby to keep me company. He follows me almost everywhere, even when I'm going to the shops downstairs, working with my laptop at the balcony or wait outside the bathroom until I finished my showers.

Ofcoz, pets can't buy us house, cars, jewellery etc...but they fill the empty spaces in our heart not even our humanly loved ones can fill.


Here's an old drawing in my sketch book. Dedicated to all pets in the world.

Sexy

Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I manage to be at Gaya Street as early as 6am, after sending hubby to the airport.

I was attracted to this plant, and agree with the seller that it looks like a person, but only when I reached home, when I was trying to snap some photos of it from different angles, I realized that... oh well, I'll let you think what you think it looks like :)

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.