Updates In My Undertakings + Christmas Special For My Readers

I have been really swamped with jewelry orders that I have gone on a long hiatus on my blog. Plus with a recent private fair at a financial institution which saw an opportunity for me to showcase my wares, kept me even busier on the jewelry front. Geez, I didn't even find time to share much about my maiden feature in a cook book! 

This is a snippet of the front and back cover of the cookbook which is already available for sale at local major bookstores, as well as in Malaysia. You may recognize some, if not all of the mom/recipe bloggers featured in this book! A compilation of 50 favorite home cooked recipes from the 10 of us!

A snippet of my little booth set up at the fair which I shared on my Instagram account.

As we count down to Christmas that is happening in 26 days, my hands are ever constantly busy with a heavier load at this time of year. Even my shoulders, back and eyes are facing some kind of hullabaloo which I am choosing to ignore until my work is fulfilled. And then maybe I will go for a nice massage! *wink*

Speaking of Christmas, have you already been shopping for gifts to your loved ones or perhaps, for an office gift exchange program? If you are still stuck with ideas, jewelry pieces could be your better choice for the ladies. 

Christmas Special, Specially For My Readers

Suede Collection

The above suede collection is now available at my Facebook page and will be gift packed nicely, ready for your Christmas gifting. 

The current special for this collection on my Facebook page is 'For every 2 nett priced pieces purchased, receive 50% for the 3rd item* (*the least priced item will enjoy the 50% discount)' 

BUT (I cannot stress enough of this important BUT) if you are reading this, and wish to get a gift from this collection, just PM me on Adeline's Loft facebook page, mention that you read this post to enjoy this special instead :

For every 2 nett priced pieces purchased, receive the 3rd item with my compliments.  

(*the least priced item will be the complimentary piece)

How is that for helping you with a budget and with the spirit of giving this Christmas? :)

The designs on sale are very VERY limited so it's only while stocks last. 

And by the way, if you don't find anything suitable and wish to customize a jewelry piece from me, do know that 9th December will be the last day that I am accepting orders in time for Christmas. Customization pieces for necklaces or bracelets will start from $26 onwards, depending on final choice of components and earrings from $16 onwards.

I look forward to your support on local handmade this Christmas.

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

Absolutely Me,

Crepe Paper Flower Craft

I have been an avid follower of Julie from Paper Play Design on instagram for quite a while. She is a very friendly, talented paper artist who makes super-duper-awesome-pretty paper flowers. Such are the instagrammers I follow that make my day even more beautiful and inspiring every time they post a photo. Check out her recent feed!

So gorgeous, isn't it?

Needless to say, she inspired me to try my hands on making paper flowers for myself since I am quite impossible with managing real plants at home. I felt it would be most ideal to "grow" paper flowers from scratch and gather myself a nice pot of mixed flowers for home decor. And better still that it's absolutely allergen free!

Here's my very first trial flower. 

Then I got a little bit more confident and painted the petals on my second stalk. The reason why I paint them instead of getting ready made colored crepe papers is because I prefer to make it look more natural. Moreover, I cannot afford to store so many colored crepe papers in my limited crafting space! So I figured the best is to get white and I can paint whatever color I want. A little tedious but it's all worth it in the end.

Subsequently, I made a tiny bunch of flowers to brighten up my father's niche and a bigger bunch of flowers that was meant for a gift. But I was too pai-seh (embarrassed) to gift it in the end because I didn't know how my friend would react to receiving paper flowers. I think it may be a little bit odd in our Asian culture.

What would you think if you received a bouquet like this?

I spent about 6 hours over a span of 3 days to get this bouquet of flowers made.

Just a few days ago, my daughter asked me to make a a flower wreath that she can paste on her room door. (I think its just the sweetest thing she has ever asked me to make for her!) So I obliged!

I am still "growing" my flowers whenever I find the time away from jewelry work to make them. I never would have realized that making flowers would be very therapeutic and inspiring for me. So when the time comes, I hope to show a very beautiful pot of flowers that will enhance my home decor. 

If you too, are keen to try out making paper flowers, you may like to check out several tutorials I have pinned on my pinterest feed. Give it a go... maybe?

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

Absolutely Me, 

Adeline 

Jewelry Crafting with Handmade Felt Beads

Last year, I started working with felt materials, incorporating them into my jewelry creations. I was very pleased with the end product of the several custom made pieces. Though it took so much more time to complete, it was certainly gratifying to see a vision in my head coming to life.

 

These are the few pieces I had created, working with felt based material.

 Recently, I began to dabble with felt again. But this time, I made the felt beads from scratch. Using the wet felting method. If you are interested, here is one of the many tutorials I have come across and picked up tips from.

These are some of the plain felt beads I had made.

And these are some of the creations I've made recently, using my own handmade felt beads.

A bag charm I made for myself, with purple felt ball and mixed media components.

A customized order that came through when I showcased my completed felt beads. With matching swarovski crystals.

This pair is currently for sale HERE

Remember seeing the plain felt beads at the top part of this post? Well, I decided that plain is just too boring so I got down to sew some simple designs on it! Sewing on these beads took a lot of my time so you can say this is a very labor intensive jewelry. I spent at least 30-45 minutes on each one. Here's my end product.

And what did I do with these beads? I made a piece of jewelry art. Something that I've always challenged myself to do and showcase that the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating!

Wired together with folded leaf shape blue felt fabric cuttings, white riverstone beads sewn on each "leaf" for added weight. Strung together with black lava textured stones and held by suede strand.

A close up of the necklace.

I am truly filled with satisfaction upon the completion of this piece which I had worked on the past few days, piecing the ideas in my head together and making sure the design would work. I have not priced this piece of art yet and I am not so sure if I will be selling it or keep it as part of my personal collection. (Latest update : it's sold!!) Perhaps you may like to customized something to your preference? Just drop me an email!

It would certainly help me, to know what you think of such designs? Would you be game to wear something artistic like this? Would you like to see more of such unique piece of jewelry at Adeline's Loft? Your thoughts are much appreciated!

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I am an independent jewelry crafter at Adeline's Loft and have been doing so from home since 2005 - something that I have been pursuing on the side while taking care of the family. Do drop by my facebook page and give me a 'like' to show your support for handmade craft! Thank you!

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Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

Getting The Right Earrings For Your Face Shape

Earrings, one of the most popular choice of accessories for women because earrings help shape faces and is the closest accessory to wear that attracts attention to your face. Enhancing your facial features goes a long way and no matter how small a pair of earrings is, it does play a big part in accentuating your overall look.

Wearing earrings is also not about keeping up with the latest trends. Imagine having to wear a really glamorous pair of jewelry that is in vogue but doesn't compliment your style - that would probably be quite... disastrous. Therefore, it is important to match the earrings, with your outfits or occasions.

What's the right earrings for my face shape?

There are many earrings available in stores to suit every face shape. I have come across a few clients who tell me that there are certain earring designs I should avoid making for them because of their body frame. Factually, it should be the face shape that should determine the kind of earrings that suit you rather than your body frame. "Clothes maketh the man", not your face shapes.

With some knowledge I've learn along the way, here's a compilation to help you get the right earrings for your face shape, which will be useful to take note on your next shopping trip! But first of all, have you determined your face shape?

Image extracted HERE. You may also read the article in the link about determining your face shapes.

  Round Face    Avoid hoop styles. Go for long, clean-cut oblong designs which draw the eye downwards and help make your face look longer and narrower.    Sample of earrings styles.

 

 Oval Face

You are truly blessed because you have the ideal face shape. Any style is good to try at your whims and fancies!

   Try mismatched earrings for a playful look!  

 

Heart-shaped face

  Look for bold designs and shapes that are wide at the bottom and end several inches below your lobes.

Square-shaped face
Avoid rectangle or harsh-angle styles. Hoop and teardrop designs are a better bet as they help balance out the angular shape of your face.  

  Oblong shaped face (rectangular or long shaped) 
For elongated face, it is appropriate to wear short styled earrings or 3 dimensional stud earrings. You can wear round, square-shaped or triangular earrings, but do make sure that the triangle is with its wide side down. Avoid wearing flat or long dangling earrings.  

 

Tip!  

When wearing statement or over sized dangly earrings, keep your outfit simple so that the earrings can help accentuate the beauty of your face and not vie for attention with your clothes. When in doubt, the safest pair of earrings to wear are medium sized stud ones - like a pair of man-made diamond earrings, solid metal or pearls. Nothing too loud but enough to make a subtle statement.

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 If you wish to custom a bespoke pair of earrings, do connect with me at my facebook page. 

Keen to know more about what I do? Check out my 

Jewelry Resources page where I share more about my craft.

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Till the next post, have a blessed week!


Note : The above earrings styles are not available for sale. All photos belong to me.

Making Wire Wrapped Ring

There are many variations to wire wrapped rings and plenty of tutorials online, if you are in a search to learn the craft. The first time I experimented with this styled ring was probably more than 6 years ago and quite a few pieces of these wire wrapped rings were sold. There wasn't a strong desire to take a step further with wire wrapped rings because getting the ring size incorrectly measured and then incorrectly made was a huge inconvenience to both client and myself. So making rings has never been in my cards for many years now.

I got a little bit excited when a client asked me if it was possible to make a ring with a particular bead that she liked. So I took on the order because I wanted to relive the wire-wrapping experience again. And I'm so glad that I have not lost that touch!

The above photo shows the required components to make this ring. 

1) A ring mandrel - this particular wooden one I have is actually just a tool to measure a physical ring size. But I also use it to help me with wire-wrapping.

2) Wire - I use a 22 gauge wire for this ring, which is also the preferred gauge for most beading crafts. I learned through experience that it is important to use the correct gauge (width of the wire) and hardness for different kind of wiring projects. 

3) Choice beads.

I took some pictures to show the making process. Hopefully you can appreciate the time and workmanship that goes into making a wire-wrapped ring.

First of all, the selected beads are threaded into a wire and shown to my client, to give a rough idea of how the beads are arranged for the ring.

Then, with the given ring size, the wire is coiled around the mandrel a few times before the wrapping process to secure the size begins. As shown in the picture below. It can get a little tricky when the beads start to "run" about along the wire so it pays to keep a firm grip on the wire all the time.

This is the process of the coiling to cover the base of the ring. It helps to keep the ring in shape and also, gives comfort to the person wearing it.

And there you have it, a completed wire-wrapped ring.

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Keen to know more about what I do? Check out my 
Jewelry Resources page where I share about my craft.

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Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

Crafting for Chinese New Year 2015 + Instagram Giveaway

HAPPY 2015! 

I hope it has been a good start to the year for you as it has been for my jewelry crafting pursuit, so far. Orders had started streaming in during the first day when I officially started taking in custom orders for the year. My work book is starting to fill up and I can't help but feel a sense of wonderment and gratefulness toward how my love for creating jewelry has led me this far. I like being "creatively" busy!

The past 2 weeks, I've been quite up to my neck taking in orders for the Chinese New Year - mostly to make a matchy accessory for their cheong-sams. I've always admired women who can pull off pretty cheong-sams. Especially those that are modernized with contemporary colors and designs. So I'm really pleased to have made some creations catered to match with their dresses. If you are keen to see what I've created, you can view my completed creations on my facebook page which I update almost on a daily basis.

Now here's something that you may like to have and wear with your CNY outfit! I have a giveaway of 2 pairs of  "firecracker" earrings creation to 2 of my readers!

Each pair of earrings is worth S$17.00

I'm doing this giveaway differently from my previous ones done on my blog.

Here's how :

1) Make sure you are already signed up with Instagram on your smart phone and follow me : adeoon

(If you are a private user, I will not be able to view your tag, neither will it appear in #adeloftgiveaway album. Therefore, it will not qualify for the draw)

2) Repost the photo, tag me @adeoon and  #adeloftgiveaway so that I can put you in the draw.

3) A random draw will be conducted for two instagramers to win a pair of the above earrings, each!

 

Terms & Conditions :
* This giveaway is open only to residents in Singapore.
* Winners of previous giveaways done on my blog within the last 6 months will not qualify.
* No further alteration on the design will be entertained.
* The winner will announced and tagged on Instagram on 23 Jan 2015, after the draw has been made. If there is no response within 24 hours, I reserve the right to draw another winner.
* This giveaway ends on 22 Jan 2015.
* My decision on which colored earrings to giveaway to the winner is final.
* The earrings will be sent out by standard mail.

Here's wishing all readers who are celebrating the Lunar New Year - good health, good fortune and success!

  Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

The Popularity of European Charm Bracelets + Giveaway!

The European charm bracelets style seems to be an ever growing popular jewelry to wear on your wrists, even though it has been around for a long time. Famous brands, like the very familiar Pandora or Soufeel - are very high end pieces that many have fallen in love with and also probably one of the most precious gift that can ever be presented to a woman.

For anyone that is unfamiliar with this bracelet concept, it is basically a thick snake-chain like bracelet with a range of specialized beads to choose from, which you can slide or clip onto. The beads can either be left to slide freely on the bracelet or locked together with special designed stopper beads. In other words, it is a very customizable and versatile piece of bracelet to wear.

At Adeline's Loft, it has always been my personal intention to keep handmade jewelry affordable. I don't know if you would agree, but sometimes, it is truly not the monetary value of a jewelry that matters, but the significance that it is customized from the heart to be gifted to a loved one or for yourself.

I discovered putting together European charm bracelets and introduced it to my shop a few months ago. Since then, there has been a favourable response and continued request for this styled bracelet. So much so, I have dubbed them as the new "friendship bands".

Some of the bracelets that were customized.

There is currently only a small range of beads that I can offer to my customers. However, I will be looking into importing more gorgeous beads to cater to the year end festive period. So do remember to 'like' my Facebook page and be updated with new (but limited beads) within the next 2 months.

The materials contained in this European charm bracelets would generally consist of a mix of white gold plating (bracelet), Tibetan silver (similar to pewter) and silver plating (generally with nickel base). The price of a bracelet ranges from S$32 onwards, depending on the final selection of beads.

How does ordering this bracelet at my shop go about? Usually, a main focal is chosen by my customers, that is the colored crystal ball, followed by my recommendation of accompanying beads.

~ GIVEAWAY ~

I would like to bless a reader with this specially selected, stunning blue tone theme charm bracelet! 

The highlight of this piece is probably the very dainty light blue swarovski crystal butterfly on a very vintage looking bail. The standard bracelet length for the bracelet is 17cm with an extra inch of extension chain. This bracelet would be worth S$48 in my shop. To enter yourself for a chance to win this bracelet, please fill the necessary details in the Rafflecopter widget below.The more steps you undertake, the more chances you have to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions :

* This giveaway is open only to female readers residing in Singapore.
* Winners of previous giveaways done on my blog within the last 6 months will not qualify.
* No further request on the bracelet design will be entertained.
* It is mandatory to leave a comment with a valid email address, so that I can contact you if you win.
* The winner will be contacted via email after the draw has been made. If there is no response within 24 hours, I will draw another winner.
* This giveaway ends on 1 Sept 2014.
* The bracelet will be sent out by standard mail.

All the best!

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

A Derby Hat and A Fascinator

I love to DIY as many things as I possibly can. I love to enhance essentials that may be bought in a very basic form or use my imagination and resources to create something from scratch, whenever possible. Basically, I just love to work with my hands (and make full use of the creative side of my brain). 

Recently, my DIY skill was put to the test when a close friend confided that she has to dress up for an event and for a specific derby theme. If you don't know yet, I love going beyond my boundaries when it comes to creating. Looking for a derby hat online was probably the easiest way out. The thing was, having it shipped in would take forever. By the time it arrives, the event would have been long over.

So, it was decided that I could come up with a fascinator since we all had no clue where to find those big hats in Singapore. Even if we were to find it, we figured it would probably be pretty costly. Very fortunately for me (or for my friend!), while I was out on my quest to get suitable materials to make the fascinator, I chanced upon this big plain hat! Oh, if only you can imagine the glee I had on my face and in my heart at that moment! I was reeling with excitement with the vision I had on the end product.

I found this plain hat at Bugis Village for only S$14.90.

When I got home, all I could think of was feathers, feathers, feathers. "But no birds on my hat! Lest they poop!", she said.

You see, I bought a whole lot of it at People's Park Complex, where a lot of my favourite craft stores are located in a single building. I had a vision to make it a classy hat and the feathers came into mind.

A big flower on the hat was also requested and I remembered that I've some unused artificial ones. These 2 flower combination came together and were perfect for the hat. The flowers, alongside a strand of big white acrylic pearls to go around the hat, made it exceptionally classy and elegant. And yes. I didn't forget em' feathers! The addition of the purple feathers gave the overall style an oomph.

If you can't tell just yet. I am pretty pleased with the outcome.

So, what do I do with the exaggerated "ton" of feathers I bought? I decided to make her a fascinator anyway so that she may have a choice of what to use at the day of her event.

Viola! The feathers put together with glue and secured with a felt base. Enhanced with a faux peacock style feather piece, which is actually an iron on piece. The metal hair clip was sewn on.

I'm very happy that I've unlocked another creativity level and that I managed to deliver an expectation. I hope that my friend will have a blast dressing up for the event.

*** At Adeline's Loft, it's not always only about customizing a jewelry. Exploring different kinds of accessories or gift ideas, is also part of my customization service. Do send me a query if you have something you would like to customize and we can discuss your desired creation together. Send me an email : oon.adeline[a]gmail.com or visit my Facebook page and drop me a message from there. ***

Till the next post, have a wonderful day.

Children's Lifestyle Accessories @ Adeline's Loft

Many may not be aware, barely 6 months after I ventured into handmade jewelries, I was offered an opportunity to produce girls' accessories for a now defunct local children's boutique, Tien, that was targeted for girls age 4 to 14 year olds. That was back in  2005 and 2006. The main boutique was located at Forum and a subsidiary space was rented at the children's level in Tangs. I had meetings to go to every month to discuss what the boss/designer wanted for her new collections. It was not easy to meet expectations.

Of course, little did I know how tiring and monotonous it was to be mass producing with my single pair of hands. All I was focused on was the given opportunity to show what I can do and the pure exhilaration I was reeling from seeing my handmade creations being showcased in the stores. And these were some of what I made.

Imagine having to make 20-30 pcs per design... even the skin on my fingers were not spared.

After about 6 months later, I decided to stop taking on these work, which took a toll on motherhood. My children were young and I wasn't able to cope with the demand. It was very tough to earn my keeps after the hours I had invested in making the pieces even till late into the night. So I re-focused on why I started out my jewelry making venture in the first place. To enjoy making my own designs and at a pace that I can cope.

One of the positive things that I've learned from this work stint, are the ways I could do to improve the lifespan of children's jewelry and studied on the materials suitable for girls with different ages. 

Here is a guide of how I recommend jewelry creations for girls' age between 3-12 years.

A few samples of my work, some with matching pieces for mums!

Recommended beads

Acrylic, crystals, glass or ceramic beads (it's not heavy it sounds and not glass breakable kind of material.)
You can read up more about bead materials here

Recommended materials
Fabric cord or suede for necklaces.
Suede or rubberized cords for bracelets. 

These materials are especially used for the younger ones, as I consider silver plating/rhodium materials to be sensitive to their young skin. I've taken care to ask how old a child is, before embarking on a suitable design. In this instance, colored fabric cords are used as I do not wish the girls to have allergy outbreaks from wearing my creations.

However, for the older girls (say a gauge of 10 years old and above), there are more options to play around with. By now, there should be an indication somehow if they have sensitive skin and may or may not take to silver plating or brass materials well. So funkier designs, with more choices of beads can be varied in a creation.

Prices
Individual item price range from S$14 onwards - depending on choice of beads and design.
Matching mum and bub necklace set is from S$45 onwards.
Matching mum and bub bracelet set is from S$40 onwards.

Lead Time

Depending on schedule, orders may take 5-14 working days before completion.

Do support and give a 'like' on my Facebook page for updates and inspiration. Queries are best attended to if you send me a private message from my page. Or drop me an email oon.adeline@gmail.com. 

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Looking Back At My Jewelry Making Journey This Year + 2 Giveaways!

It has been an eventful year so far for my little online jewelry shop - having to experience my hobby taking to new heights. It is something I have never experienced throughout my 8 years' journey with jewelry making. I had prayed to see an increase in jewelry orders, in the beginning of the year - not too much that I can't handle but good enough for me to pay some bills on my own. And He has blessed me with a steady flow of orders which I've never experienced before!

But of course, I have my friends and customers to be thankful for. You have been supportive of what I do, despite being possibly aware of many other crafters around. Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me the opportunity to do something for you and your loved ones. Whether it was a bulk order or just a simple pair of earrings, to be able to create something you like is my ultimate satisfaction.

A collage showcasing some of the many memorable creations I've done this year. Do you spot any that you own?

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It is with my most humble gratitude that I am hosting a giveaway!
2 very lucky readers will each win either one of these exclusive bracelets and I hope this happens to be in your Christmas wish list... somehow!

 I've made these 2 white gold plated chain bracelets, adorned with antiqued silver beads in the likes of pandora style. One comes in white enamel heart and the other in black. Each bracelet is worth S$28.

This giveaway has ended.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  This giveaway is open only to residents in Singapore.
>>>>>>>  Email address must be provided when you leave a comment so that I can contact you. Otherwise, your entry will be considered void. <<<<<<<
And here is the result!   Congratulations! You will be contacted via email.  

  *The Accidental Mom Blogger reserves the right to decide which one of the bracelets the winners will receive.*     Till the next post, have a blessed week!