Best Gift for Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Near Year

A big surprise and the best gift for Chinese New Year for me, when I woke up this morning and I found that I sold 10 watercolor paintings this morning.

Really exciting!!!

I will go away for a while to celebrate Chinese New Year with some of my relatives from China. It will be a very busy and crowd new year for us! Luckily, I am feeling much better these days with Chinese acupuncture, meditation, yoga, lots of exercises. The best thing is that I got my usual energy level back.

Wish to have more paintings in new year and everyone has a great Chinese New Year holiday!

Spring and House Original Acrylic Painting

I have been busy with my young daughter going to primary one for the last days. Now everything settled down and I have the mood to do painting again.

Home Sweet Home Glass Pendant

I made this petite glass pendant as a Christmas gift for myself. After going through a really rough year, I thank God that I am getting more and more to my usual self, although I am still coping with the problem brought by the failed sinus lift surgery.

It is only for my family that I survived. This glass pendant is specially made to keep my family and my home in my heart.

Lotus Pond Cork Based Placemats

Thanks God that I am much better recently. I went to a Polyclinic (a government subsided clinic) just to try to have a blood test because one of my specialists wanted to have a look of my blood information. I was so sick of going to see doctors in the past months and I just thought why not going to the Polyclinic near my home.

Thank God, I met an extreme professional and nice doctor and it turned out he was the head of the clinic. After listening to my problem he asked me to have a psychology visit in the clinic.  I went for the visit and it turned out to be a miracle to my problem.

The pretty nice psychologist listened to me and taught me a way to relax and it helps me tremendously. When I was relaxed and shift my attention away from my left throat and ear area, the stress, pressure and pain was very much reduced. She asked me to do three times a day, whenever I feel the pressure and pain is unbearable I will do the relaxation exercise. After finishing the exercise, I feel much better.

I am so glad that I have a way to manage the problem and hope I will slowly get better. My left throat and ear area, the mussels and the nerves are very much damaged by the persistent irritation from the bone graft for the past 8 months. Now, I need time to let them rest and heal gradually.

Hummingbird Antique Bronze Necklace

Thank you for people who are concerned, I am getting better these days. Although I cannot travel, having more creations, I am able to play with my daughter, process orders and venture into an online course to keep me busy without thinking too much of my discomfort.

I get used to my problem now and accept it. I guess I need time for it to heal and I will be patient.

Red Flowers I

Just give a bit updates on my health situation. I feel much better now. But my doctors put me on observation, meaning things can turn bad. If everything is getting better within two months, I think I can say I will be fully recovered. Just keep my finger crossed.

The Details

Drawing Peony Ink and Watercolor

Haze doesn't seem to get any better. But I feel much better from yesterday that I can start to enjoy drawing and painting again. I hope things will be stable soon the haze and my health problem.

Outdoor activities are all canceled. We only go out for grocery shopping. The good thing is that we spend so much time together as family these days under tight encapsulated home.

Smoke!!! Unbearable Smoke!

Dangerous smoke filled up Singapore for the last few days. The PSI reading reach to 371 today. The smoke coming from the burning of plantation land in Sumatra invaded Singapore because of the dry season. Beautiful Singapore is so much ruined!

Every door and window is tightly closed. Child is forbidden to go out. Painting and a lot of paintings today with my daughter. This is the only way we can forget about the misery outside. 

Fairy With Magic Wand to Clear the Sky

I am still fighting with the ear problem. Taking so much medicine making me very sick and tired. Looking out of the haze filled window, I wonder when can all these be ended!  When!

My Dental Implant Ordeal

I am very sorry that I am absent from the blog for such a long time. I have being dealing with a failed dental bone implant in the last two month physically and emotionally.

The Lotus

I lost one of my teeth during my pregnancy when I ate something a bit hard and it cracked the teeth. I have being wearing removable denture since. As I heard more and more stories about dental implant and it makes me feel that it is a fairly safe procedure to go for it, I decided to try the dental implant last month.

I did the implant surgery called sinus lift to add bone graft between the sinus membrane and the jaw bone as the doctor told me that there is not enough bone for the implant. It was a really horrible surgery. The doctor drilled the teeth bone beside my nose and make a small opening to the sinus membrane to put some dried freeze bone called allograft under my sinus. My cheek was swollen and blood coming out of my nose after few days of the surgery. I felt so tired all day and couldn't work on computer for even more than 5 minutes. The wound healed finally, but the worst came after it. I developed sever sinusitis in the surgery side of the nose and my ear was blocked and pain and constantly had clear fluid from the nose. I knew infection is the worst enemy of the surgery, but I didn't expect even worse was the sinusitis. I have headache, nausea,  blocked nose, ear and extreme tired. My doctors thought it was infection and gave me so much antibiotics that are more than I have ever taken in my entire life. Finally, I believed that my body was rejecting the graft and was telling me to get the graft out of it no matter how much the cost.

The dental surgeon and ENT doctor wanted me to try oral steroid, anti-histamine medicine those medicine that I have never touched before to get things under control, but I really heard my body was telling me otherwise. I finally got the surgeon to do another surgery to clear the graft.

After almost a week after the second surgery, I am slowly getting my energy back and today I am able to write the experience.

Although I heard so many wonderful stories about implant, I dreaded to do it for a long time because normally I don't like to go to see dentist. After I saw so many people going through very rough cosmetic surgery including whole face and teeth, I told myself that I only have one teeth to repair, it should be easy. Finally I summon all my courage to go for it. But now I am so scared to do any rough dental work.

But I am so grateful to God that I am recovery and will be back to my usual self soon. I look at my denture and wonder why I hate it so much before. It looks perfect to me now and will wear it for the rest of my life. 

I have never feel so strongly the importance to have good health. This is the one good thing coming out of the ordeal. I think it may save me a lot of health problem in future.

Wild Poppies and Bird Antique Silver Necklace and Art Exhibition

I am sorry that I haven't wrote the blog for a long time. I have taken days off for a small illness. I feel much better these few days and processed some orders including the above necklace.

Luckily I feel better enough to participate the art exhibition in Queenstown Community Center on 21st April.

Location for Queenstown Community Center

I will be exhibition some of my canvas prints, small prints, necklaces, glass pendants and laptop skins. If you are free, please join us on the Sunday.

A Weekend and A Glimpse into Singapore Life

Recently, I suddenly received a letter from one of my high school classmates from China that we haven't communicated for almost a decade. He told me that there is a reunion in the high school and asked if I would like to join. The interesting thing is that he also asked me if I feel bored or not in such a small country Singapore.

Sketching in a Cafe

Many people think that small is boring. He is not alone. When I travel overseas and my friends often asked me the same question. I also heard from some people in Singapore who come from China complaining about nothing to do and nowhere to go.

Botanical Garden Outdoor Concert

To me, a place is boring or not, is not about it's size, is more about the people we stay with and the environment the country provides and also what you are looking for.

Yoga in the Park

When I was young and single, I would follow someone who I love to anywhere even to a dessert. Place is not important. When I have family with children, a place that is good to bring up a child is the one important factor to consider. Singapore is a place that provides me companionship of loved ones and good environment for my children.

Night Walk along Marina Bay

If you have loved ones or friends with you, even taking a simple walk along beautiful Keppel Bay or Garden at the Bay is a luxury enjoyment to me.

Punggol Park Outing

I like trendy fashion and good food, but I am not asking for super expensive and brand goods and luxury life style. I enjoy my small world and occupy my time with things that I love to do. This is the biggest happiness to me.

In the Park with our Helper

One great thing in Singapore is that I have a live in maid to help me taking care of tedious house chores and maintain a sparkling clean house so that I can concentrate on what I like to do such as taking care of my daughter, art and maintaining an active life.

Hiking in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

There are so many interest groups for walking, hiking, cycling, travel, art, food, volunteering, etc. There are so many exciting events and concerts. One special thing in Singapore is that there are many cheap courses available in Community Center provided by the government such as dancing, computer and cooking. You can always learn and make friends there.

Just share what we did in the last weekend and to me Singapore is everything fun and interesting, but boring.

Yoga Session in the Japanese Pavilion

I was part of a regular yoga exercise group. One last weekend morning, we went to the beautiful Japanese Garden to do yoga.

Japanese Garden

The Japanese Garden is huge and beautiful. It is connected to Chinese Garden. I haven't been there for many years and almost forgot there is such a beautiful place in Singapore. The outing reminds me that I should come to visit it more often.

With a Chinese Ghost

In the Saturday evening, Ancient Civilization Museum had a Halloween night. We took the chance to visit the museum as well as enjoy the Halloween party and performance.

Monster Dance

My daughter had a good fun with her friends in the park on Sunday. I love to bring her to outdoor activities whenever there is time.

Playing in the Park

 The November weather is nice in Singapore with more raining days. It is quite cool.

Nutcracker on Ice

My daughter is learning ballet and she is very familiar with the Nutcracker story. I thought it was a good idea to bring her to the Nutcracker on Ice by Imperial Ice Stars since it had performance on the weekend in Marina Bay Sand (MBS). It turned out to be a really joyful event on Sunday night. She knew exactly what's going on and what will happen next and enjoy the show very much.

After that we had a wonderful dinner in Ding Tai Fung in MBS and that marked the end of a eventful weekend for us.

Walking along Pongal the Water town

I would say, if  you are willing to try, there are always interesting thing you can do and interesting people you can meet. Even, you choose to be alone,  you can always go shopping to feel the pulse of one of the most modern and cosmopolitan countries in Asia, read in the library and day dream in your home.

In Singapore a word you hear often is "upgrading". People upgrade their home from small to big and government constantly upgrades our neighborhood. You always find there are surprises here and there about new things, new facilities in the park and new gardens in the community. You know that this is a country that you want to be part of it.

If there is something boring about Singapore, I would say it is the weather. There is no season, only summer and rainy seasons. But leave some time to feel bored is also fun, isn't it?

Some Important Announcements

Cotton Rose Large Canvas Print

If you notice that I have not been updating this blog frequently, one of the main reasons is that for the past few weeks, I have been preparing a big trip to America and Canada. I will spend a few weeks there. All of our stores will be closed from now till further announcements are made. If you need to buy anything from us, you will be prepared to wait for couple of  weeks for it to be delivered.

Another important announcement is that we stopped selling Laptop skins temporary. We have some issues with supply of skin printing materials. We are not very happy with the quality of recent new batch of printing materials and would like to stop selling decals at the moment. We will resume once we get satisfactory materials for printing

I am Back

 Order the Laptop Skins

I just want to say sorry that I am absent for a very long time. I was going through a very tough time during past few months.

Basically, I have a house and was rented to a local family. They told me that their family business suddenly wined up and they ended up without paying rental for a very long time. The worst thing was initially they didn't want to talk about it and I had no idea what was really going on. Meanwhile, I was terrified by my neighbors' calls when they sometime got violent among themselves and broke things in my house. If you didn't know well about the situation and your imagination was going wild and I was very stressed.

Luckily they moved out few days ago and my life is back to normal gradually. I hope I can be productive soon. 

Dawanda Creating Love a Dawanda Community Film Project

Dawanda recently created this project that everyone of us can participate if you are able to get a frame out of it.

I got a frame and it is no. 629. I have a lot of fun to participate in the project.

The film is cool, isn't it? Hope you enjoy!

Magnolia Bird Most Popular Large Laminated Print and A Small Break

Order the Large Laminated Print (LLP)

The Magnolia Bird is the most popular Large Laminated (LLP) Print so far. Due to lamination, the surface is a bit glare that the details are not shown very well in this photo. I like the red with a bit of blue and green colors among it.

Order the Print

The second most popular is the Gardner print. The girl is lovely.

All the prints are printed on vinyl sheet that the customers will mount them on a form-board. I think the vinyl sheet is a good choice. They create very modern look.

I will take a small break next week to visit my friends and relatives. The summer is over and my home is quiet down after visitors left. But we miss them and it is our turn to visit them now. I am so excited to have the break.

All the new orders will be processed after 15/09/2010.

Beautiful Prints , Full of Inspiration

 Beautiful Plant Leave Prints

I was busy with taking care of my daughter and my sister's daughter these days. They are 3 and 4 years old and need a lot of attention. My niece is here for school vocation.

My daughter is a bit sick yesterday and I send her to see her doctor at KK Women and Children's Hospital. I found the above pair of beautiful prints in one of the clinics. They look like using plant leaves to make the monotype prints. It is really nice.

I also found so many useful print learning materials in YouTube. Once you have the basic idea, it is easy to understand the demos in the YouTube. I like Linda Germain's gelatin prints very much. She also has many demos put up in YouTube. There are so much you can learn from there.

 Order the Glass Pendant

Finally I would like to share the Dreaming Poppy glass pendant made from the print with the same name.

House Renovation Experiences and Blue Bird Glass Pendant

Many things happened in the past few weeks. Good news is that my house renovation work is almost finished. I got the house fresh painted, installed new lighting fixtures, new aircons and made over for the kitchen. The bad news is my baby daughter was hospitalized for a few days for pneumonia, but the good news is that she is fully recovered now. Just being very busy these days.

I would like to share some experience of how to manage renovation work and also to make a closure for the work.

I engaged several contractors to do the renovation. I found now days the good contractors are very busy with their work and they take long time to come to attend your needs. They told me that Singapore suddenly has increased so much population from 3 million 10 years ago to almost 5 million now. Too many people need to  renovate their house. If you engage someone that you haven't work with, you better be very careful to monitor their work even as small as a job to install wall light. The contractor who did the installation work for me didn't apply silicon gel on my outdoor wall light to seal the gap between the base of light and wall. I called him and ask him to do that, he charged me again. When he went to do the work, he only sealed top half of the base of the light and wall, not the whole. I was careful this time and stood beside him to see how he did the job. I asked him why he only sealed half, he told me that the water will not go inside the bottom half because of the oval shape of the base. It is just a small wall light. It is not a big job to seal the whole base and he try not to do it properly.

Blue Bird Elegant Glass Pendant

Order the Pendant

I found the following forum Renotalk is very helpful if you need to understand how certain things work. Before you embark on doing anything, you better equip yourself with certain knowledge as how things should be done properly, the critical part of the job and roughly the cost. For example, to install an aircon, you need to know how to choose the size of pipe and the importance of insulation thickness. The workmanship during installation is very important for the longevity of the aircon. Thus you need to engage a high quality professional contractor not just the cheap one. I don't have any idea about these issues before I read the posts in the forum.

Hope this is helpful for anyone who starts to some renovation.

Glass Pendant Best Sellers and House Renovation

Order the Pendant

Order the Pendant

Order the Pendant

Order the Pendant

 Order the Pendant

The above are some of the best sellers of the glass pendants. I like the lotus and romantic love birds very much.

I'll be busy on working on some house renovation these days. Mostly I will not have time to post new work on the blog. If you are interest, I may share my renovation work with you.

Renovation is a complicated process. I just started doing some work and get myself familiar with these terms such as A & A, rebuild, ID (interior design), PE (professional civil engineer) and architecture.Lots of work for me to do.

Shopping Trip, Nafa Course Enrollment and Spring Flower Garden Art Glass Pendant

This time I remembered very well that beginning of May is the time for the printmaking course enrollment in Nafa (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts). Last time when I remembered to register for the course, it is way passed the enrollment date and the seats were all taken. It looks that it is a very popular course. This time, I marked on my dairy to go for the registration in the first day when it opens for the July batch enrollment. This is one of the items in my new year resolution that I want to learn printmaking as a new skill in art.

Nafa is in the downtown area. I left my baby with my helper at home and went alone there. It has been very long that I didn't go shopping and walk in the shopping malls alone. With a baby at home, you never feel easy when you are outside. Now she is  much bigger, I feel a bit better to stay outside for a while.

I bought myself a pair of shoes and a floral dress. They look so pretty.

The printmaking course will start on July. I am very excited about the course as I am very attracted to the form of art created by hand prints. I want to see how it can be combined with the art that I am creating now to form something interesting and new. I'll show you when I have something learned and created.

The followings are some interesting illustration work grabbed from the street. You know Singapore has wonderful graph design work. You can see from the examples here:

Finally I would like to share the new design Spring elegant rectangle glass pendant:

Order the Pendant

Featured in Nanzinc Magazine

I am so happy that I am featured in the Nanzinc Magazine together with Lis Chong of Simple Arts Planet  today.