Paint, Canvas and Brushes

Who would have guessed that by doing scrapbooking, it will lead to mixed-medium art works?

I have always thought that scrapbooking is all about paper and glue and embellishments of all sorts but by now, scrapbooking involves much more techniques than just knowing the placement of the photographs, knowing the colour combination and patterned paper to use. Today, scrapbooking has been taken to another level by the introduction of other craft techniques and even techniques usually used in fine arts.

After attending the Creative Escape 2011, I have been wanting to apply what I have learn into another project, this time, on a primed canvas. Have been thinking about it for a while but am now just too tired to set to work. Just too tired. Perhaps will try out what I have in mind comes Friday or Saturday.

How has your day been? Hope it has been good.

Creative Escape 2011



One of the bigger name in the scrapbooking industry in Singapore - Laine's Papeterie and sister company - Papermarket, once again, organised the very fun-filled, informative and interesting class (nearly boot-camp style) with celebrity mixed-medium artist Donna Downey. This is Donna's third Creative Escape in Singapore and if I remembered correctly, this is her only Asian class to date. According to Donna, the scrapbookers in US, Canada and even in parts of Europe where she has previously taught, were amazed that scrapbooking is quite popular in Singapore. Donna also told us her students were impressed that she could teach the Asian students without an interpreter or translator. Well, fortunately or not, English is the main language spoken and written and its importance has even supersede our very own mother tongue of all races in Singapore!

This year's class began with appreciation of the finer acrylic paints. There are many types/brands of acrylic paints in the industry but the wonders of the more expensive and finer ones are so much easier to work with and the effects were much better on canvas without priming with gesso. In using slightly inferior acrylic paints, the use of good gesso is probably a MUST so that the paint will stay and look better on canvas.

The second class was built on what we had learnt from the first class and most of us became better with the second project we were working on and before anyone know it, everyone was helping everyone out with lesser aid from the sweet instructors-turn-helpers. And the final class was the one which everyone had been waiting for - Inspired Journal. This is Donna's signature class and while everyone taught it was going to be a tough class, this turned out to be the MOST DIFFICULT CLASS!!! Just kidding. Inspired Journal was the one class which allowed each and everyone in class to use the various techniques taught and then to be further explored in any way each and everyone wanted to.

Having attended last year's class, I will try to incorporate last year's techniques and this year's to see what I can do to my Journal. I shall post some pictures when I am done. Just give me about 6 more months. Not much mojo lately.

Have a good week ahead!

Is all about memories, I guess

Many of my friends are finding it difficult to understand why I am so infatuated with scrapbooking. To them,scrapbooking is just another expensive and impractical hobby, at least in Singapore. For some of my shopaholic friends, they find shopping for clothes a better excuse to splurge their money on as clothes are "more essential" than spending so much money on craft.

Well, I suppose the one thing which really attracts me scrapbooking, on top of the lovely, interesting array of products available for all paper crafters, scrapbooking is one hobby which complements my other hobbies perfectly. For a decent scrapbook layout, in addition to all the materials needed, photographs are another important "must have". I love photography and after graduating from Melbourne Uni 10 years ago, I have been looking for a perfect "journal" to document the memories of my undergraduate days. I saw my fellow American hostel mate having a very interesting "journal" and had been hunting high and low for one when I came back to Singapore in 2002. I did not realise that the journal which my American hostel mate was holding, was, in fact, a scrapbook album.

I enjoy reading and writing and now, blogging. Scrapbooking incorporates "journalling", and I find that this makes scrapbooking more meaningful because together with photographs, this will make the memories more vivid than ever.

And before I log off, here's a cheap alternative for fellow scrapbooking hobbyists in Singapore or anyone else out there who live in countries or cities where the Japanese Daiso is available. Daiso sells foundation/make-up sponges which are good for distressing. They are much cheaper and makes distressing easier, especially if you are new to scrapbooking or are unwilling to part some money for those foam applicator. These cheaper alternatives work just as good and are able to endure the Singapore's weather slightly better. Unless you want really clean fingers while working with your projects, try these cheaper alternatives.

So, do check out those sponges when you can.

Scrapbooking with Grannies

Last year this time, I was at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, enjoying a spectacular performance from my favourite Mandarin Rock band - Mayday. How time flies indeed.

And a year later ... ...

Well, did something meaningful today. My scrapbooking friend, who is also a scrapbooking instructor, was invited to teach scrapbooking to a group of elderly ladies. Gosh, imagine my excitement and abit of fear when Jenn asked me if I could help out. Excited - well, is all about sharing my hobby with more people for a good cause, Fear -  the elderly ladies sometimes only speak their own dialect, which could mean, I will have difficulty communicating with them. Besides my now very very broken Hainanese (I used to speak much better dialect when I was a kid as that's the dialect I spoke with both sets of my grands), I speak a haphazard collection of Hokkien and Cantonese vocaubulary!!! Horror, I know.

Thank goodness, the grannies all know bits of Chinese here and there and after getting all the more complicated parts completed for the grannies, it is interesting to find the grannies find joy in cutting some of the finer details with a less precise scissors. (Note: for safety reasons, the organizers have given the grannies those child-safe scissors for the grannies) They even requested that they wanted to cut the finer details themselves! Lovely! And it is also interesting to see the grannies helping each other out too!

So, on a very stuffy and scorching Sunday afternoon, I have a meaningful time spent doing meaningful stuff. Just that I am kind of dehydrated now. Drowning myself with water now.

Alright, hope to be involved in such interesting activities again, be it in the near future or far future.

Yes, as long as the dates do not clash with my concert days or "out of town" days, I will always be able to help out.

Now, facing a difficult Monday tomorrow.

Cheers!

Coming Soon

Wow! Just realise I haven't been updating for such a long long long time.

Is not that I have been having a very boring life - NO WAY! How could I be leading a boring lifestyle if I have made it out to Europe, caught numerous Mandopop concerts and Classical concerts?

Truth is, I have been very hooked on Facebook... ...

Alright, I will try to update soon.

Meantime, good night.

There's a Nodame and Chiaki in each of us

I got myself a pair of free movie tickets to catch "Nodame Cantabile - The Final Score" part 2. Prior to catching the movie, I had never read the manga, watched the anime, the drama series, the shinshun special series as well as part 1 of the movie. So, without any so-called "background reading or watching", I went to watch the finale with my friend and by the time the movie was over, we had become Nodame fans.

Watching the series and movies, I came to realise that there is a Nodame and Chiaki in each of us. For instance, when Nodame first entered the music conservatory, she had difficulty in getting used to the teaching system and was depressed. Having gone through such situations numerous time, be it in school, at work or anywhere else, it brought back many scary and sad memories.

Fortunately, with the help of her own  strong will, friends and fellow classmates, she was able to overcome the difficulties and excel in what she does best.

Hmmmm, it will be a long time for me to find my own strong will to overcome what I am going through.

Will update again soon, I promise.

决定放弃

2010年6月1日，2358

我决定了，
我决定放弃。
我决定完全放弃小熊，
因为，我不想在看完一场演唱会，尤其是跟“死党”一起High翻天后，还来不及慢慢地回味着演唱会带来的快乐，就得知小熊已经有要好的女朋友或要结婚的消息。

我承认，
我非常自私。
我已经不能忍受好心情再次被破坏，
再次，被某些人取笑。

反正最近也听说了
很多人都在替小熊找个门当户对的女生，
所以，在还没投入很多的喜欢时，
我，还是放弃吧。

感情，本来就不能强求。

不过，小熊，
既然，我们还在一起工作，我们还是保持同事之间的距离吧。

最后，希望以后关于任何感情上的坏消息，请在演唱会之前通知我，
这样，我可以借着演唱会，把一切的不快乐与任何的伤悲通通发泄掉。