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).

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!

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 :)

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?

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.

Unplanned

I think we are lucky,
if we can still throw away things
that didn't go as planned,
and the action will not ruin anything
or anybody in our lives.

Ok now I feel a bit guilty,
I think the card deserves a chance
to be completed before being judged.

A Perfect Birthday

A poem and digital card by a talented crafter, Mizam, using my old drawing of Mangosteen Fairy. Oww...this is beyond sweetness!

Because you know what,
yesterday was my birthday.

I received nothing materialistic,
and expect none of these either,
because all I wish from God is
to have all the precious people in my life,
especially my Numero Uno.
I don't even expect to receive
so many wishes especially in Facebook.

My online acquaintances,
ex-customers, artist friends, teachers, lecturer,
relatives and long-silenced old friends,
suddenly re-appear to wish me all the good wishes.

Knowing that everybody
is still within my reach,
anytime I need them.
That is the greatest gift of all,
nothing can beat a gift from God.
Alhamdulillah.

Can you imagine,
all those pleasant surprises?

I'm taking this chance,
to wish everybody happiness and health,
love and success.

and

Here's a big bunch of THANK YOU,
hugs and kisses,
for you.

Current Status

My camera is not available at the moment, but i think my handphone is doing the job just great.

I will include the above ATC in my Butterfly set for the next swap.
If you're interested to join the swap, please read here.

Those who are not familiar with ATC might wonder,
how big an ATC can be?
Well,
the above photo shows the actual size of it.
remember it's strictly 2.5 x 3.5 inch.

I am currently working on
a video for our previous swap.
but it's taking so much time,
everytime I want to edit the text, the window always crash.
I have all the photos ready,
so if anyone care enough to lend a helping hand,
I would be most delighted,
you can put the credit to yourself at the end of the video.
I'm planning to upload it to youtube,
so anyone can get back to that little online exhibition,
anytime.

trying to complete commissioned jobs.
trying to recover some lost documents due to computer problem early this year.
i need to chase the deadline,
Ooops, the deadline is chasing me actually.

I'm also in the middle of considering one very important thing,
I am still undecided
but I must say, it's the core of the existence of this blog.

Urm, that's all I can tell,
at the moment.

I'd like to wish all my chinese friends,
GONG XI FA CAI,
I'm planning to draw something for you on CNY actually,
but time does not permit.

And to everybody else,
I hope your CNY holiday had been great!

Unwell

Feeling unwell.

Wait.

It's not me.

It's my feelings.

Nicotine Patch

I bought nicotine patch
for my husband.

I want him to quit smoking.

I told him,
it's RM74 for 7 pieces for 7 days
so 1 piece per day.

He said,
That expensive, kalau saya tak berhenti merokok juga...
JAGA.

Eh?
Bukan itu sepatutnya line sayakah?

Lelaki memang pandai kan,
sebelum kena warning dia warning dulu.

Working on It

1. Laptop (resolved)
   
2. Car (resolved)
   
3. Modem (kinda resolved)
4. Husband's health (change my way of cooking)
   
5. SOHO phone (replace with an old one)
6. Overflowing tank (sometimes ok sometimes not?)
7. Sewing machine (still not okay)
8. Printer (major failure)
9. ATC (participant withdraw)
   
10. Ulcer (resolved)
    
11. External hardisk (All data is gone with the wind) - no back up huhu
    

Sentimental

I just came back from KK.
Today I took "sardine" bus from Telipok to KK
and from Wawasan Plaza, took CityBus to Post Office.
Walked in fast pace, to-and-fro twice from DBKK to CIMB.
My husband waited for me under the pedestrian bridge,
and we went to lunch together (by motorbike).
Oh it's so reminding me to old days.

Met Pakya, one of my junior in university.
He still look physically the same.
Everyone's getting older Pakya, what happened to you?

I'm done renewing trading licence
and change our business address to our rumah kedai,
and posted one stamp to its owner.
Yeah it feels so good, THREE JOBS DOWN!!! Hehehe.
Tonight I will continue,
trying to dismantle the printer.
Maybe something stucked in between the rollers.
Jangan jadi tikus membaiki labu, sudahlah.

Huhu...sedihnya dengar lagu ini Lily...
it makes me think of all memories yang sedih-sedih.

Dugaan

I don't believe bad luck.
I believe
it's a test from God.

My bestfriend said, it might be Murphy's Law;
Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

It started right after I published my final post in 2010.

My laptop infected by virus.
After the first format, other problem emerged.
After the second format, my modem died.
My car broke down, still in workshop until today.
My husband is feeling not well,
his medical report shows he has very high cholesterol level.
The new wireless modem malfunctions.
The telephone is dead.
The water tank above the bathroom and toilet,
keep overflowing.
I want to alter my husband new trousers,
but the sewing machine not working, after I cut here and there.
I'm positive about settling down few pending jobs this week,
but my printer suddenly fail to print,
something wrong with the paper feeder roller.
One of the ATC sent to me had been returned to the sender,
because I fail to collect the parcel within 15 days.
There's a huge ulcer inside my right cheek,
I think now it affected my gland, the right side of my face, jaw, neck and shoulder is aching.
My external hardisk is undetectable, I stored many important data there,
including few 2010 account documents.

Alhamdulillah,
God is watching me closely.

Allah datangkan hujan,
sebab lepas tu ada pelangi kan?

Fish Magnet and Keyhain

I think they're inspiring.



Beautifully painted wooden magnet and keychain.

Site Visit

I went to a site visit this morning.
I was kinda happy to be at that place again because 5 years ago,
I was there almost everyday when it's still under construction.

When it's still empty, dusty, muddy, noisy, dirty
and full of hazards.

Flashing back how I've seen all the hardships to build the place,
especially how hard I've seen my husband and our ex-employees worked there,
when we sacrificed everything to make an honest living,
while some people refuse to pay for what we've done,
I am almost tearful.

Extending the Inspiration

I love to jot down quotes, here's a couple from yesterday's program;

"As an entrepreneur, we must never get tired and stop. As a woman it's difficult, sometimes "mummy", sometimes "darling" ~ but we must be strong.
- Dayang Khatijah Datu Bachtiyal, manager and founder of Khaleeda Food Products.



"Ibarat nelayan, tidak akan ada masalah selagi kita hanya melihat ikan yang banyak dan bukan ombak besar"
- One of the successful entrepreneur in Oil & Gas related business.

I enjoyed yesterday's program a lot, but trying hard not to Zzzz during the evening sessions.

:)

Anxious

My old drawings, about A4 size only.

Can't wait to start drawing
for the ATC Swap.
But first thing first.

A month will pass in a blink of an eye.
I'm anxious about the approaching year end.

Saya mahu tiru Nani Rostam!

I have always wanted a pair of glasses since school,
because I thought,
I'd look cool :)
so when I scored 6/6 for the eye test,
I felt (kind of) dissapointed.
Haha.
Yes, I've been that STUPID kid,
who purposely read in the dark.

Tapi sekarang saya sudah sedar,
mujurlah penglihatan saya masih okay
(Terima kasih Allah kerana masih melanjutkan nikmat percuma ini..)

Actually,
I was having difficulties carving the Machester United stamp recently,
my visions was (kind of) blurry, so
I rushed to the nearest optical store

The result

and days after that
while I was still worrying about the blurred-vision-thing,
and how it might affect my carvings,
I found this,

dan sekarang,
*sila baca tajuk entri ini semula.

Tuesday Thoughts

I have few designs in hand,
waiting to be carved into stamps.

:)

I can't believe I have been carving erasers for 3 years!
Learning from scratch, sacrificing my pocket money for materials and tools,
Learning how to design,
And learning to develope my own style of carving.

That time not many people know that we can make our own stamps from erasers
(I mean in Malaysia),
and most stamp carvers I found in the internet, are making stamps for decorations only,
I mean, no one made it into business stamp with logo and tiny details, telephone number, email and website address.

I had many scary attempts,
Eventhough stamp carving is still new,
but funny I have this ambition,
to be a professional eraser stamp carver.

I'M NOT KIDDING.

Actually, money is not the motivation for me to keep on carving,
Eventhough nobody order from me, I will still do it.
Because the passion is there.

Sometimes I feel a bit offended,
when people look at what I do as a way of making money,
and they are suggesting me to make a lot and a lot of it,
and sell it in consignment basis,
or make pamphlets, to promote my craft to attract more people.
If you noticed, I never even advertise in my blog
"How to Order Stamps",
(except lately when people start to drop inquiries in chatbox, comments, everywhere,
it makes me miserable trying to reply to everyone ~ so I had to display my email address in this blog),
because it's funny I take it so personal,
every stamp must be made from the heart,
I afraid if I'd be greedy
the passion is no longer there.

But you know in life,
Sometimes the road to success isn't parallel with the time for loved ones,
and sometimes when you stop and look back,
either it's you who have been left out, or it's them who have been left out of your life,
I don't want to miss a thing!

Recently,
I almost decide,
to stop taking custom orders and shut down this blog,
but then I think it all over again,
I still have a long way to go!
I'm still in the beginning.

Please don't get me wrong,
I'm not miserable at the moment,
just sharing some of thoughts.

My loved one,
eventhough my dream is big,
but I'm willing to trade my dream for your dream if that what it takes,
May our lives will always be
in the blessing of Allah,
and InsyaAllah, I will keep on carving
:p

Thank you to those who have always been supportive to Mangosteenskin!