Joey's Myopia Poster and Wynners Coming to S'pore in July

My 2nd child, Joey who is in Primary 3 this year, came back from school on Friday with the assignment to do a poster on the topic of myopia. Well, she came up with the drafts and we then worked the poster using QuicKutz die cuts mainly.

Joey's 1st Draft

Joey's 2nd Draft

The final poster, done mainly using QuicKutz die cuts, including the latest border die.

And, today is the first day of ticket sales for the Wynners 33 Anniversary World Tour 2008 to be held in the S'pore Indoor Stadium on 19 Jul. Just bought 2 Category 1 tickets - the 5th row from the stage! I'm so excited, but it's still a long wait to D-day.

A bit about the Wynners - it is a Hong Kong pop band formed in the 1970s. The five-piece is made up of Alan Tam (vocals), Kenny Bee (vocals), Bennett Pang (guitar), Danny Yip (bass guitar) and Anthony Chan (drums). In 1978, members of the group went separate ways to develop their solo careers. Alan Tam and Kenny Bee become two of the most popular stars in Hong Kong in the 1980s. Never formally disbanded, the Wynners have reunited on stage every five years to sold-out crowds. I believe the 33rd anniversary concerts are first held in Hong Kong in Feb 2007 and also in Malaysia in end-Dec 2007.

An Exciting Week!

This post has nothing to do with craft, but it was an exciting week, and I could not not talk about it. First, it was our company's ISO Appreciation Lunch on Thursday at Tung Lok Signatures in Vivocity. We had a scrumptious lunch, and one of the dishes was the House Specialities - Poached Crispy Rice with Fresh Crab Meat in Rich Broth, very special dish, and tasty to me. Ok, I love good food, but well, it was the 1st time they had so much budget for the appreciation lunch.

Then it was the cruise organised by the CCM Function of the company on Friday - harbour cruise on the Chinese junk, an authentic replica of an Imperial Cheng Ho Vessel from China. The journey began at the Marina South Pier. Well, the dinner was average, but we had a good view of the fireworks display by Sentosa "Songs of the Sea" for free - the pyrotechnics effects and water jets and the bursts of fire works.

And came the most exciting night yesterday at the Sam Hui Live Concert 2008 in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Samuel Hui Koon-kit, usually known as Sam Hui, is a well known star in the Cantopop and movie industry in Hong Kong from the 1960s to 1990s. He is also acknowledged for popularising Cantopop, by incorporating the then unknown idiosyncrasies of Western popular music into the Cantopop genre. His music appealed to the masses particularly the working class with its simple lyrics and light-hearted nature which was popular in Hong Kong music in the late 1970s. He penned most of the compositions and personally wrote most of the humorous lyrics that generally encompassed current issues in Hong Kong. Well, I'm a Cantonese, I love Cantopop and I listen to his songs, among other Hong Kong singers, in my teens in the 80s and I still think the songs then are best. Attended the concert with my mother, both of us think it was a more entertaining show than the Jacky Cheung World Tour 2007 Encore on 5 Jan 08. That's the 1st live concert I attended, yesterday was the third, and now I'm hooked.

Above: Jacky Cheung in concert on 5 Jan 2008

Above & below: Fei Yu Qing in concert on 12 Jan 2008

25 Motif Challenge Motif No.3/25 - Tulip

For the past week, I was searching for inspiration for a floral bookmark for Vicki for the March Round Robin. I wore a dress with floral prints on this particular day, when suddenly, the prints on the dress struck me. I picked out 2 prints, 1 of which is a tulip, and worked on them. And so here's the Motif No. 3/25 for the challenge - a tulip tatted with Flora 20:

I think this tulip can be used as a bookmark, but it will need stiffening if it is to be used as one. But no, this is not going to the bookmark for Vicki, I am almost done doing another pattern for her. Watch out in the next post!

Coincidentally, Diana's TIAS project is finally revealed as a tulip too. I have printed out the TIAS instructions earlier and wanted to work on it, but just haven't got started.

Round Robin Heart Received From Meme and More Hearts Tatted Earlier

Meme's Round Robin post came earlier, but I could only collect it from the Post Office yesterday. Meme had decorated the envelope, the girl in the PO even asked about it! Meme had tatted a big heart and a small heart. Thanks, Meme, they are sweet!

These 2 hearts which I just blocked, I have tatted them earlier in-between when I was working on the heart for Jennifer last month.

Nancy's Clover Heart worked in Flora 20

Martha's Simple Flower Heart, tatted in Olympus 40

Tatting Meet Up and Motif No. 2/25

Finally got to meet Aileen and Julie in person. Invited them over to my mother's house for a simple meal on 14 Mar evening. After dinner, we spent our time going through my tatting albums and shuttles and Aileen's tatted works. Julie is more into crocheting amigurumi than tatting, a pity she did not bring her amis to show, but we had our feast on the ami photos on her camera. We didn't do any tatting, just chatting away, though Julie brought her tatting project on hand to ask for assistance. Looking forward to seeing your tatted bag, Julie!

Front row from left: Julie, Kristine, Ellen & Joey.

Back row: Aileen

And here's Motif No. 2/25 that I came up with - Vanda Miss Joaquim, tatted with Flora 20 threads:

This hybrid was first discovered in the garden of Miss Agnes Joaquim in 1893. The Vanda Miss Joaquim was proclaimed the national flower of Singapore on 15 Apr 1981. It was selected from 40 other contenders, including some 30 orchids, particularly because of its hardy and resilient qualities and its ability to bloom throughout the year, the characteristics to reflect Singapore's quest for progress and excellence in all aspects of life.

I originally intended to tat this for Vicki's Mar bookmark as part of the International Round Robin. But then, I thought it doesn't look quite like a bookmark. Hopefully I can come up with something else for Vicki within the next 2 weeks.

25 Motif Challenge and Motif No. 1/25

I have been hoping to join Sharon's 25 Motif Challenge all these while, but as I did not set up the blog and I could not make up my mind what to tat for the challenge, I put it off till now. Finally, my own blog, and the inspiration to design my own patterns. So, I decide to give it a shot. I am targeting to design and tat 25 items. Motif No. 1/25 is the 2nd piece of my Heart Destiny. I modified the stitch count slightly, but I think I still prefer the original piece sent to Jennifer for the International Round Robin.

Latest Buy and A New Tatted Heart

I enjoyed most crafts even as a child, and have tried quite a lot over the years. Love tatting the most. I learnt tatting from Sheila Dutton in 1999, and also picked up a bit of bobbin lace later.

I have accumulated a small collection of shuttles and a pretty decent stash of tatting books and threads. I have photos of most of my shuttles in my Flickr album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8463498@N02/sets/72157600602387671/ and threads: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8463498@N02/sets/72157600602580216/
Here is my latest buy from Sherry Pence - a ceramic shuttle and 10 skeins of her hand-dyed threads.

I have been pretty active in tatting exchanges in the last few years. These are the exchanges I have participated in : http://www.flickr.com/photos/8463498@N02/sets/72157600602578394/

And now, I have just joined Sharon Briggs' International Round Robin. Those in my group are Jennifer (USA), Victoria (Canada), Hanna (Sweden), Meme (Chile) and myself (Singapore) - a truly international group, all of us are from different places. I have designed and sent a heart to Jennifer for Feb 08. I got the inspiration from a piece of jewellery, and tatted it in Flora 20 mainly. My 2nd child, Joey, named it "Heart Destiny".