doodledesign

LOVE is...

2012-01-26T14:10:00.001+08:00

... as Love does.

Okey... I just came up with that one, really. Does it make any sense to you?

I would like to thank my sweet client, Ira who is blogging at ceriteracinta2002.blogspot.com and has reviewed a bit on DoodleDesign.

I really enjoyed making the cartoons for her Love Book called "Ceritera Cinta" and if you go to her blog, you could see that this was the third one she created about her stories and views on Love. All based on her own feelings dedicated to her loved one. Awwww...

Now, let me give you a peek on the one that I made for her through this animated window:

When I was first approached by Ira to draw the cartoons, I thought she might have compiled the "Love is..." from Kim Casali, one of my favorite cartoonists (late 1960s). But no... it was very coincidence as she has written this before she knew about Kim's famous works!

So, you see... that's how powerful LOVE is...;
you could create something really great when it truly comes from your heart :).

Keep blogging, Ira. I hope your all dreams will come true and all the best with your wedding plans and preparations.

Love is…

not asking how much her new dress cost.

Exchanging Art!

2012-01-24T16:09:00.001+08:00

About two weeks ago, I've decided to join in the Art Exchange at Kak Emila's Blog which required one to make and exchange an Original Hand Drawn/ Painted Postcard with her own. So HAPPY that I've received it safely last Friday :). What a lovely postcard... It's a very neat & clean work... simple, with the use of the monotone color.

In exchange, I'll post her the one I painted recently. Also using watercolor and ink as the medium. The lady riding the Dragon was supposed to be kak Emi... Hehehee.

This whole week, Malaysians- particularly of Chinese descendants will be in the mood of Celebrating the Lunar New Year. Another long 'break' after the looong school break at the end of last year. Kids, you have no idea how lucky you're, living in Malaysia :).

Here's a work from my nephew, Amin (7 yrs old)... wishing Happy Chinese New Year with a Dragon which seems to be struck by a lightning and some Angry Birds with different and quite weird activities around the House. He said he wants to sell this for RM25.80 (seriously!). Anyone interested, please get in touch with me. Heee..

Have Fun.

And owh... Forget NOT my GA#3 Challenge is still going on until end of January! Don't be shy... Come & JOIN in the fun :).

UPDATES on my GiveAway#3...

2012-01-19T14:56:00.000+08:00

Enjoy this video I took while the bird was building it's small yet amazing nest!

By the way, I feel sorry for taking my time to update my blog early this year due to some personal reasons.

The truth? hahahaaa...

Already then...

perhaps I should give you a peek to the GA Prizes!

As I mentioned before, we will have 5 lucky winners. They will receive...

2 Pelikan pens each!

1 Black&White Digital Caricature each too!

We still have time till the end of month... why don't you give a TRY just for the FUN of it?

ENTER the Challenge NOW!

Look who have taken up the GA Challenge so far- Thanks you guys :D ! Such a sport.

1. codex

2. Artventurekids

3. BlackPumpkin

4. Diana Evans

5. Ildiko

6. Fairuz Hamizah

7. KimiChee

P/S: Entry with no "thought bubble" will be disqualified... so don't forget about it, alrite?

Have fun!

DoodleDesign's GIVEAWAY#3 CHALLENGE of 2012!

2012-01-07T17:55:00.002+08:00

Well, well, well... what do you know? Can you believe this is my 250th post? Because I'm not much of a blogger, this is somewhat an achievement for me. Hehehee.

I guess it's TIME.

Time for another DoodleDesign GIVEAWAY!!! The 3rd one, to be exact.

I'm not good at making a sticky post. I'm just going to make this a FUN, Creative Giveaway with a little CHALLENGE!

But let me start with a little story....

While I was pregnant for the first time in the Year 2008, I noticed a little bird was building a nest right outside my younger sister's bedroom windows. And when I gave birth to a stillborn child, later in early 2009... I saw it started feeding its chick. Looking at them during my confinement days brought a little comfort to my sadness... until one day, for an unknown reason, I saw the baby bird dangling from the nest... dead. After a long while, none of us ever seen the little bird builds a nest again.

Surprisingly, towards the end of last year... and yes, at the time when I've already found out I was pregnant again, the little bird came again- to the very same spot!!! Was it the same bird or different? No one could tell for it looks exactly as the same one that came by before.

So this little bird which I always thought as a Hummingbird or burung kelicap... is actually known as the Brown/ Plain-throated Sunbird. Watching it building its nest is really like a mini National Geographic experience (a live one!). This time, I managed to capture the nest building progress as I came by the house from time to time. I've also taken a short video when it was busy coming and going to the nest. Perhaps, I could share that later in my next post.

For now, let's see some shots and please bear in mind that by the end of these pictures, you'll have the chance to enter my GIVEAWAY CHALLENGE! :)

DOODLEDESIGN GIVEAWAY#3 CHALLENGE:

Under this post's COMMENTS box, please give me:

I) Your Name:

II) Your Website and/ or E-mail:

III) Your creative idea for the blank "thought bubble"

(in Bahasa Malaysia/ English):

< OPEN TO ALL- Local & Abroad >

PRIZES???
A few nice, SURPRISE gifts for 5 WINNERS!!!
Will announce about the prizes a bit later, k?

DATELINE???
End of January 2012.

In the meantime, just give it a thought... hehehe.. this is really just for fun. No pressure.
Who knows, you could be LUCKY..?

Freebie_Wallpaper January 2012!

2012-01-05T18:20:00.004+08:00

Click on the image to Download and set as a Wallpaper on your screen :)

Hello there!

Yup. I'm still alive and kicking (...well, a lot of kicking mostly come from the little one in my tummy, actually).

Alhamdulillah... I'm well into almost 6 months of pregnancy now.
Phew! Moms out there- you know how it is... Changes are inevitable throughout your body. When your 'catwalk' turns into a 'waddle'... ahhh... it's going to be a bit of a downhill from here on. I guess, it's a good time as any to reflect what our Mother has gone through after all these years.

Anyhow, I'm so thankful to His Almighty. Not only for giving me the chance to see another light of the day, but also to keep on moving forward with my own life... and family.

I have mixed feelings entering the New Year. Perhaps it's normal... perhaps it's hormonal. I just want to keep on praying that my baby will be all right and have a healthy delivery in early May 2012.

Well, there's so much to do and to look forward to. Life has so much to offer as long as you're breathing.

My younger sister is getting married- also in May 2012... but towards the end. Most probably, I'll still be in confinement but hopefully, I'll be well enough to witness her ceremony with my little one :). InsyaAllah.

Oh yes! At the very end of 2011, I have created two B'day Cards- to my nephew, Shaqeel (4 years old) and his cousin, Myrra (10 years old). I would like to share them with you here before I forgot...

Why no colors? Because they're supposed to color these by themselves! Yayyy!! I know Myrra loves coloring. She really appreciated the Card. As for Shaqeel, he only cared about the awesome gifts he received from everyone. Huhuu...

As you can see earlier in this post, I've made a Wallpaper Doodle as a January freebie. I plan to this every month :)). InsyaAllah.

Another thing is... I'm in the mood to make a GIVEAWAY soon. Hmmm... but I'm thinking more about a COMPETITION of some sort. Stay tuned, alright?

Have a good day/ nite!

When 2 Hearts Become One...

2011-12-29T13:42:00.000+08:00

Congratulations for my loving client, Shahida's parents on their 26th Wedding Anniversary... I think, this will be a very nice surprise gift for them :).

In the meanwhile, another client of mine will have a Wedding, start a new life... in about one month from now. She has asked me to design her Wedding Card with a Flower Theme pen-sketch concept. I think it's a lovely idea :) and will make a beautiful reminder for everyone...

Congratulations, dear Maisilina who is also the lovely owner of blog lurvering.blogspot.com.

An Old Song on A Quiet Day...

2011-12-27T16:41:00.001+08:00

The holiday was unusually quiet around the neighborhood...

I guess, most city dwellers were celebrating their holidays somewhere else. Maybe they went back to their kampungs... maybe some traveled overseas- playing in the snow or surfing in the sea... perhaps a few were like me, just quietly spending time at home, counting down the hours to the New Year of 2012.

Whatever it was, most of us were already busy planning ahead or mulling over ideas of embarking yet another new year in our lives. But again, perhaps a few were like me, just taking life as it comes... a day at a time.

And at the time like this, I really am missing my Bee (away...outstation). Too bad you got sick when you're not at home :( Get well soon, dear... and be safe.

Here's one of your favorites which has touched my heart in every single ways ;).

Chris De Burgh - Old Fashioned People

Old-fashioned people, they never know why,

The world is changing day to day,

It moves so fast and leaves them in another time;

An old-fashioned dancer is dancing alone,

Dreaming of those music halls,

And with his lady waltzing away until the dawn,

And I thought I heard him say,

Please don't take my dreams away;

They carry me back again, show me that life again,

Carry me back to the places that I knew,

Carry me back again, show me that life again,

Carry me back to the places that I knew...

Old-fashioned lovers, they walk in the park,

Beside the river hand in hand,

And hurry home for tea before it gets dark,

Could be you and me one day,

Time will come when we will say,

Carry me back again, show me that life again,

Carry me back to the places that I knew,

Carry me back again, show me that life again,

Carry me back to the places that I knew;

Carry me back again, show me that life again,

Carry me back to the places that I knew...

Enjoy.

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

2011-12-24T23:53:00.000+08:00

When my Bee was away, I would spend time at my parents' house and did my works in my sister's bedroom. Yesterday, while busy doing my work, my nephews came flocking by and asking me this and that about what I was doing. To keep them occupied ( and stopped bothering me- ha!)... I gave each of them a drawing paper and paint for me something about the holiday spirit!

Here's what my 7 years old nephew, Amin came up with...

Amin has his own story on the painting. Something about Mr. Santa, his son and an elf brought some gifts into a house near a wishing well... and another elf waiting in the ride up there with a ladder. Yup. Something like that.

Now, let's see what his 5 years old brother, Hakim did...

Hmmm... well, Hakim said these characters of his are HAPPY because of the HOLIDAYS!!!

Way to go, Hakim! :D

Have fun, everyone.

A Precious Wedding Gift!

2011-12-19T11:35:00.001+08:00

My loving (...and regular) client, Kak Sheda has decided to give a Caricature to her youngest brother for his wedding day over the recent weekend :). Precious.

Kak Sheda loves it and I hope the sweet couple feel the same too!

Enjoy.

Vintage Attack is POSTPONING the Attack!!!

2011-12-18T01:10:00.000+08:00

Better late than never... so... here I am regrettably announcing that the Event is CANCELLED for now and being POSTPONED to a later date.

Well, Happy Sunday, anyway!

Vintage Attack!

2011-12-16T16:25:00.000+08:00

Hello!

Just a quick announcement on an upcoming event which has nothing much to do with me (hehe...) but the girls at KALERPALETTE are joining. Again, they've invited me to put my little vintage inspired bookmarks in their stall.

Owh! Another thing I wanted to show here is that I've given a little help to the organizer of the Event to design the gift mugs for their limited GIVEAWAYS!

Let's see what they say about the Event... and how to win the limited designed Mugs!!! :

VINTAGE ATTACK! is here bringing you the true taste and joy of Vintage..!

Many booths with irresistible Vintage item will be joining us in making this experience UNFORGETTABLE..!

It is held on Sunday, Away from traffic heading to KL, Great Venue, Easy to Park, Amazing Activities, and many more for all of you Vintage lovers out there..!! its FREE admission, and you can even win prizes on the activities..! =)

Among the activities are:

1)how low can you go
- Limbo ROCK!!

2)do the twist!!!
- The Twist was a dance inspired by rock and roll music. It became the first worldwide dance craze in the early 1960s.
be sure to practice your twist at home.Who knows u might just get LUCKY to win our LIMITED EDITION surprise gift.

3) dress to impress
- Impress us with ur best vintage look from head to toe and become our first winner of best dress competition:)

4)the most coolest booth (open to vendors only!!)
- decorate ur booth as creative as possible dear vendors and stand a chance to win our LIMITED EDITION surprise gift.

5) Polaroid photo booth

6)live performance.
- five groups of talented people will be performing live to bring u guys back into those days!! U'll gonna love them.

7)hola hoop.
- the person who can roll their hips longer WINS!!!!

Vendors who are interested are most welcomed..! =)
Any Inquiries about the event email us : vintagetroops@gmail.com

If you're looking for some fun, please contact them for more details :) and you may find page on FB: Vintage Attack.

Already then, have a very nice weekend, everyone.

For Little An-Nur Insyirah...

2011-12-11T14:24:00.001+08:00

Ibu & Papa (adopted parents of...) An-Nur Insyirah gave this wonderful gift for her 1st Birthday...

What a sweet, adorable little girl... :)

Ayu Jamal and her NEW Header!

2011-12-08T11:47:00.000+08:00

My sweet and lovely blogger friend, Ayu Jamal from ayujamal.com has requested for a new header for her blog. Two months ago, I created one for her e-shop.

When she wanted a new one with her original picture in it (instead of her caricature), I made something like this:

Then, she got back to me saying she needed something much simpler... without any products like her previous one. But, if I could slot in her dream pink Mini Car like the one featured in July post, she would really love it!

I looked at what she has provided me with- 2 lovely pictures of herself.. :

Hmmm... I was thinking... how to design just a simple header with white background, highlighting her name and incorporating the cute little car...?

I brainstorm with a few compositions... and lastly, I came up with this- which she absolutely approved :)

Now, if you look closely, the one sitting on the car has given me quite a challenge since I have to somehow 'create' her crossing legs because you can't see the rest of the legs in the original photo given (see pic above).

With the magic of Photoshop, I managed to make it. Heheheee... not that easy, I can you tell you that :)

Thank you Ayu.
I'm humbled by the way you appreciate my works and I've had so much fun making them for you.
May Allah bless you, your business and your family... always.

Trading Doodle '4' with Syafiqah!

2011-12-06T10:53:00.001+08:00

Owh! This is so lovely...

I just received a cute doodle from Syafiqah (who's a sweet 15 yrs ol' gal, btw...) from ceritahati Nur Syafiqah.

Thank you so much, dear.

I'm a feeling a bit down lately... but your doodle sure brings a cheerful rainbow for me today! Yayy!!!

As with the deal... now here's my Doodle for you, Syafiqah.

Hope it will bring a smile across your face as yours did to mine :).

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday 2 My Lovely Sis!

2011-12-05T12:21:00.000+08:00

What?

You're over 30 already... and have 3 kids?

I still remember you- always the cheeky one, loved to pose for the camera and played with Mom's lipsticks!
Now, you have two gals who acted just like you. Hahaaaa.... it's like watching a reruns... 'live' ones :D

No matter what, you'll always be in my heart, sis.

Sorry, I kind of made this Birthday Card/ Tag at the very last minute before your PARTY (delicious cake's', by the way). Hence, the lack of colors. huhuu...

And it was fun celebrating your day with MOM-in-law who has the same exact birthday with you!. Happy Birthday, Mak Saba!

A Belated Gift for a Special Boy!

2011-12-01T22:36:00.002+08:00

Well, his 1st Birthday fall on the 1st of November 2011- what a nice lookin' date!

Even though it's a bit late, Aunty Ayu has decided to order a Family Caricature for the special Boy as a gift. How wonderful :)

Size A3. Mix Media on Drawing Paper.

Well, thanks for the order, Aunty Ayu :).

I sure hope the family will enjoy it too!

Nice Date.

2011-11-20T20:29:00.000+08:00

No wonder I heard so many people choose to have their wedding today. The date is very nice, huh?

But I think, my wedding anniversary date next year will be even more be more beautiful... 121212!!! Yay!

Talking about anniversary, I have just finished two pieces of Couple Caricatures that are meant as belated gifts from a loving sister, Ella... to two of her older sisters' anniversary this year. Thanks for your order Ella dearie!

I'm pretty sure they'll treasure these gifts in their house of love.

Have a good one, everyone :)
Enjoy!

An Anniversary Wish!

2011-11-17T11:57:00.000+08:00

I would like to share here... a 'quick' digital sketch that I did to wish a Happy 19th Anniversary to a loving couple, using the pen tablet.

Have a good one, everybody.

My Funny Ol' Bee!

2011-11-15T00:14:00.002+08:00

"Happy Birthday, dearest Bee!"

Forty four years ago, my hubby was born into this world. He sure has tasted salt so much earlier than me. Ha!

How can you not tolerate and love a man who could laugh at himself and appreciate the simple things in life...?

For that, I made a fun, simple and special Birthday Card just for him :) ...

Pencil Colors & Ink on Art Card.

... in case you're wondering- that's a BAG hanging around his neck.
A new travelling bag he just bought for more of his adventures (...and misadventures!) into this wondrous world.

The Card reaaaally made his day even more Special. He loves it so much!

And that makes me very happy :).

IF: Silent

2011-11-12T15:31:00.002+08:00

There was a girl with a silent smile...

she has ears but cannot hear...

she has beautiful lips but cannot talk.

But she understands a smile...

that could melt a world of worry...

that could brighten the gloomy deep sea.

Hi...

I'm still playing around with my toy- wacom Bamboo. It's really fun to just draw freely with the pen tablet directly into Photoshop and do all the digital coloring. Saved me the time to scan and color :).

The artwork above was one of my many drawing practices using the Bamboo Fun. I love how I could almost get the pencil strokes just like it's on a piece of paper!

When I saw the Illustration Friday's theme this week. I thought of this particular sketch.

And I'm thinking of submitting it to Diana's Sweet Saturday too because the character is a sweet looking girl :).

There's something about her smile that speaks a thousand words... yet all you can hear is... silence.

Have a Nice weekend, everyone... wherever you are.

Yipes! Stripes!!!

2011-11-09T22:18:00.000+08:00

Once, there was a Mom who loves everything stripey....

Inspired by this week's theme at Illustration Friday :)

Enjoy.

Have a Blessed Aidil Adha...

2011-11-07T17:01:00.003+08:00

The weather was beautiful and just nice for us to celebrate Hari Raya AildilAdha, yesterday morning. I'm so happy to be given the chance to take a little part in the korban/'sacrifice' this year.

So, I went to the surau nearby to watch one of Aidil Adha's main highlights... done since centuries ago to commemorate the willingness of prophet Abraham (Nabi Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to God... before His Almighty replaced the sacrifice with a sheep instead.

By the end of the day, the generous people helping in the surau Nur Hidayah, USJ 9 also cooked a huge pot of delicious beef soup for the neighborhood to enjoy. Alhamdulillah... what a blessing to experience this even though we are living in the city.

I hope you had a good one too :).

"...copied from ZazaKz's FB status... from... Wardina Safiyyah OfficialPage:

Many years ago, our father Ibrahim (AS) made a choice. He loved his son. But He loved God more. The commandment came to sacrifice his son. But it wasn't his son that was slaughtered. It was his attachment. It was his attachment to anything that could compete with his love for God. And the beauty of such a sacrifice is this: Once you let go of your attachment, what you love is given back to you--now in a purer, better form. So let us ask ourselves in these beautiful days of sacrifice, which attachments do we need to slaughter? - Yasmin Mogahed "

Sweet & Happy Couple!

2011-11-03T09:34:00.001+08:00

I know...
it's been quite a while.
But I know from time to time, some people still drop by and leave their marks as "followers"... if not leaving some comments to cheer up my days... which I can't thank you enough.

Just need a lot of rest due to this pregnancy (Thanks to my baby :).
- almost 4 months now. Phew!

But I really, really want to thank this client of mine too- for patiently waiting for her order (it took me quite a while to do it ). May Allah bless.. BOTH of you... with happiness in life and beyond, June.

Take care.

Enjoy!

The Architects... of Love ;)

2011-10-21T13:15:00.000+08:00

I received an order from a talented and friendly girl who's currently pursuing her Master in Architecture and whose boyfriend is a blossomed architect already.

I have the feeling that this active girl is very very good at what she does :) She has two great websites showcasing her passions in Life... do check them out, I'm sure you'll enjoy what you see and read... :)

My Scrapbook of Life

My Perfumes & Art

A5 Watercolor & Ink on 250Ib Acid Free Watercolor Paper.

10cm (H) Black & White on Art Card to be kept in the Wallet or turned into a Book Mark!

Thank you Farah...

All the Best to you in Life and Beyond :)

Hot Air Balloon of Love :)

2011-10-19T07:54:00.002+08:00

My lovely client has asked me to make a painted 2nd Anniversary Card... that will feature her lovely self and hubby... with lots of love surrounding them.

So, I came up with the idea of them riding on a Hot Air Balloon... with some Love shape balloons flying and scattering in the background. Hmmm... that reminds me, isn't this week's theme at the Illustration Friday Blog is SCATTERED?

NOTE: The wordings inside of the Card- given by Client.

Anyway, I'm so glad she loved the idea and the result! :))

Thank you Selina... for giving me the chance to create another Card for you and for reminding me how beautiful a love can be.

A Caricature Book Mark for Nana's Friend

2011-10-17T10:56:00.000+08:00

Nana is my friend's daughter. She's sixteen years old.

She asked me to create one Birthday Book Mark Caricature for her good friend.

So here it is I'm sharing the creation with you :).

Watercolor & Ink on 300Ib Watercolor Paper.

Enjoy!

A Day to Remember...

2011-10-13T13:37:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday, I really had a HAPPY Birthday :).

Thank you for each and everyone who took time to wish me... especially @ my FB.

My Bee and I went to the CITTA Mall , Ara Damansara, for the first time and celebrated my day with a delicious lunch at Chili's. The friendly staff at Chili's presented me with a sweet little ice cream cake (after my Bee informed one of them about my B-Day... and it's Freeeee!) and they were thoughtful enough to take our pics with their instant camera too!

Both of us feel that CITTA Mall is very nice and has that 'airy' outdoor feeling that most Malls don't have. My Bee said the Mall was made for smokers like him because he could just smoke outdoor at anytime, anywhere. Hmmm :/. It has so many F&B outlets you can choose from and the parking space is quite spacious and the entry is still FREE as of right now :).

Later in the evening, my sister treated us at Tutti Frutti, Taipan USJ. Yummy yummy yummy!!! I LOVE it!

And then Mom told me to drop by her house because 'someone' from far came to the house... and would really like to meet me. So, my Bee and I went inside... and suddenly, everybody yelled, " SURPRIIISEEE! Happy Birthdaaaaay!".

Awwhhh... I was really a nice surprise :). Really. Thanks to all of you. Even though the cake was very small and everything was so simple... I just couldn't ask for more.

My Bee gave me something so precious. Something that I've planned to buy for a long time and saved my money for it. A graphic pen tablet...

WoW! Now I can draw straight into my computer! Thank you so much, Bee.

All I've been doing these past few days was playing and getting familiar with this new gadget. I'm literally having so much FUN! Of course, I would still be doing original artworks on paper but this is something additional to my digital skill that I'd like to acquire... which, in some circumstances could help save paper usage and time too.

Already I've tried to make a small little character and it almost looked like I was drawing on a piece of paper... except it took me a little longer to create it because I felt awkward holding a pen but my eyes had to stare at the screen. Not as easy to coordinate like I first thought. Only time and practice will give me chance to improve. But here's the result:

And then, Ayu Jamal at ayujamal.com, at the same time, would like to have a little character like this for herself. So, I changed the outfit to her request :)...

I was glad she loved it and felt more determined now to explore more with this new toy of mine :).

In the meanwhile, at my parents' house... the engagement event is just around the corner. My younger sis is getting a little anxious but excited. Most of the gifts to the Guy's side have been prepared. My Mom and Auntie did most of the craft work which I think looked simple, sweet and beautiful...

Well, I hope you will have a Nice weekend ahead.

Again, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank especially to my lovin' Bee, family and friends for your kind wishes and love to me.

Enjoy!

Featured in ScatNStyle :)

2011-10-07T11:37:00.000+08:00

Last month, I received a very curious e-mail...

" Hi there,

I found your site through Mary's art blog hop.

I love your doodles!

I am a Jazz singer and writer and extreme lover of art. I don't create it, but enjoy it! In fact, you can see one of my friend, Liliana Graham's paintings of me on my FB profile @ http://www.facebook.com/deborahprofile

I write an Art Column weekly and I wondered if I may interview you. We can do it via email (I'll send you questions to answer), but would love to also feature a couple pictures of your work!

My blog is a music / art blog @ http://www.scatnstyle.com

I have included a couple other links below, as well.

hugs,
Deborah E (aka Lady D)

Positive Thinking : http://www.positivepersistence.com
5 Hugs : http://www.5hugsaday.com
Artist : http://www.deborah.info
Music : http://www.ladyd.info "

Well, it was a very NICE surprise, of course :).

Right now, the INTERVIEW is over at her blog. Feel free to hop over there and take a look.

Thanks Lady D :). This indeed makes my October more special.

About Deborah E

Deborah E is a smooth and sultry summer night on Bourbon Street... Classy with a dash of sass... Proof that the jazz greats have not been sacrificed to processed pop.

My Special October!

2011-10-03T16:47:00.001+08:00

OCTOBER is a very special month for me because it's the month I was delivered to this world... many years ago ;).

But this year is truly MORE special because my younger sister (who is also... the owner of one HOT Vintage Blog named Kalerpalette) is getting engaged on her birthday which is a week after mine. And that's NOT the only reason. You see, in another week, I will be officially 3 months pregnant. Seems like Allah is giving me the second chance to be a Mother after losing my first son in 2009. InsyaAllah...

The last 3 to 4 weeks, I really haven't been well. I had some bleeding and needed to lie down most of the time. Thanks to Allah, the baby seems to be developing well when the Doctor last checked yesterday. Alhamdulillah...

Well, enough about me.
Everything is in His hands... and to Him I pray for what's Best for me :)

Owh.. by the way, I have a cute little girl pencil sketch to share with you here.

And.. remember the Mandala I was talking about that day? I'd like to update the sketches...

It was quite fun playing with lines, patterns and shapes, ... colors too! You can do all sorts of things in the circles. I especially like my Sun-Flower Mandala :).

Enjoy!

P/S: The mood for my sister's engagement day is filling the air of my parents' house. The women of the family are busy making preparations... OCTOBER is really the highlight of the year in 2011!! YaY!!! Way to go, OCTOBER!

BlingBuubies Nursing Apparel is for Moms!

2011-09-30T22:32:00.001+08:00

Duh. Who else need them? heheheheee..

Anyway, that's not the main purpose of my highlight for it.

Moms out there... especially who wear Baju Kurung... Jubah... and Blouse to go to work or shopping or visiting friends' houses, will find the attires very nice, pretty and practical. The owner, Kay has asked me to design a banner/ bunting sized 6ft x 2ft because she's expanding the shops around Klang Valley and in the North.

Check out the site for more info.

And here's the Bunting which Kay loves so much :)!

Thanks a lot, Kay. I wish you All the Best!!

Enjoy :)

AyuJamal's e-shop!

2011-09-26T11:33:00.000+08:00

A New Day, A New Look, for Ayu Jamal's E-Shop!

Thanks Ayu for your order and for appreciating my design :).
This loving mother of two is selling her Premium Beautiful like HOT cakes!
I pray your business will prosper and more successful... as time goes by... okey Ayu?
InsyaAllah...

Ayu has asked me to make a HEADER and a matching little BANNER for her e-shop.

Check her SHOP out, OK?

Enjoy!

Firefly...

2011-09-24T00:04:00.001+08:00

Someone sent me this song :).

Uriah Heep: Firefly

My love lives at
The end of a rainbow
One day I'm gonna
Fly there on a firefly
High above white angry water
With a love song in my heart

Someday, somehow
I know I'm gonna get there
I've been patient for so long
All my daydreams
Seem so much nearer now
And I beg you hear my song

Firefly
On your glowing wings I'll ride
Till I sit beside
This dream of mine
Firefly, high on a risin' tide
Only wanna touch
The things I've seen

Steppin' lightly from star to star
Cross a wilderness of blue
Wonderin' how much
In love with me you are
'Cause I'm so much in love with you

Firefly, can you take me
I ain't had no lovin' lately
Firefly bring me love

To my new horizon
The one that I've still
Got my eyes on, my my firefly
Firefly, firefly, firefly

In my dreams you come to me
The answer to my prayer
As I begin to feel
You warm my heart
I awake and you're not there

Now and then I see your eye
As the stars begin to shine
No rain to cool my passion
No, Not now
No, now you're mine.

Inspired, I painted something for him...

" Fireflies in Love"
Watercolor Pencil & Digital Editing

Hehehee...

Enjoy.

**Especially for my Bee.

Once Upon A Mandala...

2011-09-21T18:13:00.000+08:00

I would guess,many people are already familiar with the word "Mandala".

If you peek on Wiki, Mandala means "Circle" in Sanskrit, the classical Indian language.

Well, sometimes when I just want to get back into my drawing/ doodling mood (but have no idea what to draw or doodle)... I would draw some circles and just draw anything in it. Don't think, just let your hand draw anything at all... be loose... doodle and doodle within the circle... and see the result.

Sometimes, you'll get interesting images and patterns emerge in the circles.

Pardon my not too circle free hand mandala.. hihii

Mandalas are sometimes used for religion, spiritual or healing purpose too. Some people can see interpret what you're going through or your emotional state of being just by looking at what you draw in your Mandalas.

A beautiful, creative visual artist named Laura Hollick in her blog, used Mandala as her Creativity Cleansing. Take a look at some of her cool Mandalas:

The bottom line is... for me, it is simply to get some creative juices flowing. And when you see them in circles, they are more focused and fun to look at.

So, for the fun of it, just take a piece of paper and draw some circles and fill them with whatever you want when you have the chance.

I have one and still in progress... maybe I'll put some colors, later :)

Take care, everyone.

Enjoy.

Flowers and Stars... For Sisters out there.

2011-09-12T13:05:00.000+08:00

Song: Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka
Album: Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Singer: Lata Mangeshkar
Lyrics: Anand Bakshi
Music: RD Burman

Phoolon Ka, Taaron Ka, Sab Ka Kehna Hai
Flowers and stars, they all agree

Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai
My sister is one in thousands

Saari Umar Hamein Sang Rehna Hai
We will be together till the end of time

Yeh Na Jaana Duniya Ne, Tu Hai Kyun Udaas
The world could not figure out the reason behind your sadness

Teri Pyaari Aankhon Mein Pyaar Ki Hai Pyaas
Your lovely eyes reflect a longing for love

Aa Mere Paas Aa, Keh Jo Kehna Hai
Come close to me, tell me what you want to say

Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai
My sister is one in thousands

Saari Umar Hamein Sang Rehna Hai
We will be together till the end of time

Phoolon Ka, Taaron Ka, Sab Ka Kehna Hai
Flowers and stars, they all agree

Bholi Bhaali Japaani Gudiya Jaisi Tu
You are like an innocent little Japanese doll

Pyaari Pyaari Jaadu Ki Pudiya Jaisi Tu
You are like a sweet tidbit of magic

Daddy Mummy Ka, Sab Ka Kehna Hai
Daddy, Mummy, and everybody else, they all say

Ek Hazaaron Mein Teri Behna Hai
Your sister is one in thousands

Saari Umar Hamein Sang Rehna Hai
We will be together till the end of time

P/S: To my siblings (esp my 4 lovely sistersn+ 1 sis-in-law) and 'sisters' out there who have become my friends through this virtual world, this song is for you. Thank you for being you.

Especially to my bee whom I miss so much (gone outstation), thanks for introducing this favorite of yours (among others) which has become mine too, now.

I'm not feeling that well, lately... kind of -bedridden for a few weeks (following doctor's advice).. hence such hiatus. But don't worry, I'm still around and will be posting again... :).

Take care.

Enjoy.

Merdeka Boy!

2011-09-05T10:37:00.000+08:00

Ok... so I'm very behind... but it's better late than never- they say.

31st August was Malaysia's Merdeka Celebration and I was supposed to update with a B-day Card made for a boy born on that special day. But I postponed... aaah, so typical of me.

Isn't it great to have a public holiday on your birthday- for as long as you live? (well, as long as you live in Malaysia, that is... )

Apart from this Card, I also created 2 bookmarks for his sisters- meant as my little belated gifts for their b-days.

They loved it. I heard :).

Have a Blessed Aidilfitri, everyone...

2011-08-29T14:37:00.001+08:00

E- Raya Card 4 Ayu Jamal!

2011-08-28T07:42:00.000+08:00

Thanks for the order, Ayu :).

Take Care and Have a Wonderful Aildilfitri with your loving Family!

Caricature Some More...

2011-08-23T12:19:00.005+08:00

I haven't spend much time blogging these days... but I did a few caricatures along the way.

One Caricature was meant for the Charity Drive. Thanks to Ani and her lovely family :).

Frankly, the feedback for the Charity Drive is not very good. But it's OK... some people say, "It's better than nothing." Whatever happens, just count our blessings..., insyaAllah.

Next, an order from a loving wife for her hubby's birthday. Just a small, half A4 sized Caricature but big enough to show her love :)...

And then, a Caricature made as a Birthday Card from a truly Loving Mom...

A HUGE THANKS to Kak Shedah for ordering a birthday card for every birthday of her family members (so far- hihii). May Allah bless you always.

First 4 Charity!

2011-08-15T00:09:00.000+08:00

Alhamdulillah... CONGRATULATIONS to Liezza for being the first person to Order a Caricature & Donate to the SitiNoraini Nursing Home. Yay!

Thank you sooo much, Liezzie. Errr.. I mean, Angeliza Jolie. ;D

CARICATURE 4 CHARITY: Order & Donate

2011-08-10T17:29:00.002+08:00

Hi EVERYONE, for one month from now, Bazaar Et (FB)/ DoodleDesign is collaborating with an organization, to raise some fund for a Nursing Home.

Please take a little bit of your time to consider making a donation to the Elderly @ the Nursing Home of Siti Noraini.

It's the Best time to do so in light of Ramadhan and coming of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Plus, you'll have a nice Caricature for your keepsake or as a gift for your loved ones.

Want to create an amazing caricature for thrilling someone?

Want an awesome caricature for your business?

Simply want to see how you’d look as a Cartoon?

YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE !!! And what’s more – a portion of the proceeds will go to Siti Noraini Nursing Home – our Charity of the Month :)

Caricature Pricing (POSTAGE INCLUDED):

-----------------------------------------------

FULL COLOR on A4 Drawing Paper

RM 50 (1 figure/ person)

RM 60 ( 2 figures )

RM 70 ( more than 2 figures/ as paper permits)

BLACK&WHITE on A4 Drawing Paper

RM 40 (1 figure)

RM 50 (2 figures)

RM 60 ( more than 2 figures/ as paper permits)

All you need to do is send us a photo, or photos, of yourself or loved one, and tell us how you want it customized. We'll create a caricature -- a picture of beauty -- that you, your family, and your friends will cherish forever. Then, we will send your funny caricature via courier (posXpress @ pos laju) within 3-4 working days.

• Please SEND your picture(s) to doodledsgn@gmail.com or just TAG a photo for Bazaaret (FB)

• Mention that your order is for the Charity.

• Bank-in your payment to the Maybank Account of Nurhayati Md.Yusoff, 162366943833.

• Please give your email, address and phone number too- delivery purpose

A Million of Thanks for your kind attention, my dear readers.

Happy Occasions!

2011-08-10T16:03:00.001+08:00

I've just delivered a BIG Card for one of my favorite clients :). She ordered it for her sister.

The Sketch

It's an A4 sized Card, Watercolor Paper... made for her sister's Birthday which also happens to be on her Wedding Anniversary! Awesome.

One day, One Card with 2 Happy Occasions- who could ask for more?

A Book Mark for Haqeem

2011-08-09T14:15:00.001+08:00

Yeah! This is the book mark I made for my cheeky nephew, Rezky Hakim (hence the "RH" on the belt"). He has been asking for it... for quite a while (after I gave his brother, Amin one book mark- see previous post).

And maybe you can guess whose outfit he asked me to do.. ?

Trading Doodle 3_ from me ^^

2011-08-09T14:03:00.000+08:00

Here's my Doodle Trade especially for Ana.Anis Muslimah :).

Well... sometimes, I do feel sleepy during Tadarus in Ramadhan too. huhuu.

I did a 'quick doodle on a piece of paper with my drawing pen and colored in Photoshop.
I hope Ana.Anis will like it :)

Trading Doodle 3

2011-08-08T12:41:00.001+08:00

Yay! I just received a very sweet lookin' doodle from AnaAnis.Muslimah.

See?

I especially like the way she paid attention to details on the headscarf and jubah. Quite fashionable, huh?

She said she used excel to create the doodle.

Wow! I've never tried excel to do something like this. Cool!

Already, I'll be back with a doodle for her soon :). I see many Doodle Traders are producing digital doodles. I feel quite like an "ol' school"- because still doodling with my old sketching pen and then scan it into the computer. Haha. Hope you don't mind, eh? I'm still thinking of buying me a graphics tablet... hmmm.

Last time, I saw Bamboo Wacom sold at Sunway Pyramid. They have quite a few choices of the tablets. I got confused with the various choices there and decided to think more about it and find out which one is the best for me.

And then, someone suggested Wacom Intuos... Genius products... Aahh..

For someone who is not really a gadget savvy like me, all these are quite intimidating.

All I want is something practical, user friendly and not too expensive.

Still thinking about it.

Trading Doodle 1

2011-08-05T11:47:00.000+08:00

Yes! Finally received her precious cute doodle.

Please Click HERE to see more of her Dudels.

Please see my previous post for the one I traded with her.

When I was a kid, I love to draw girls with small faces and playing around with fashions too. hihii.
Thanks a lot, CC... this is too adorable :).

Love it, for sure!

Trading Doodle 2

2011-08-03T23:35:00.001+08:00

Yay!! Someone talented who wished to be known as Zaza has traded her doodle with me recently at my Facebook, BazaarET .

Thanks Zazaa :).

So, I have created a doodle for her in return :).

Well, I guess we were both feeling 'sleepy' lately. Haha.

Anyone else would like to Trade just 4 Fun?

From Hubby & Me..

2011-07-31T23:26:00.000+08:00

Hehe... My hubby and I look funny there. Just a 'quick' animation out of my black&white pen sketch this morning.

Buat semua kawan-kawan, ahli-ahli keluarga dan pembaca2 yang senyap... yang akan berpuasa pada bulan Ramadhan ini, ET doakan buat diri dan kamu agar akan berpuasa dengan ikhlas dan sabar. Semoga Allah menerima ibadah kita kepadaNya dan dipermudahkanNya.

Trading Doodle...

2011-07-30T14:11:00.002+08:00

I've seen her cute, funny- doodle works before... and when I went to her blog, DoodleLiciouss recently, I saw that she is trading doodles!

This is one of CC's many adorable Doodles! Aww..

What an idea :).

Trading Doodle is a FuN thing to do. You get to share and exchange with others who love to draw/ doodle too.

Hey, why not...? I think, everybody CAN doodle. Even if it doesn't turn out nice, who's to judge? If someone judge, who cares? Because when it comes from you, it's unique.... and it's YOU. Just appreciate it.

So here's one for you, CC. Hope you like it.

Would you like to Trade Doodle with me too?
Can't wait to receive a dudel from you, CC *wink*wink. hehehee.

Have fun, everyone.

Ramadhan is just around the corner. If I don't upblog soon, I'd like to wish everyone who'll be fasting, a Blessed and Great Ramadhan, insyaAllah.

Caricatures for a Wedding & a Birthday

2011-07-29T09:40:00.001+08:00

I'd like to update with a couple of recent orders of Caricatures. Thanks a lot for ordering because I'm happy to be a tiny part of your big Celebrations!

For an upcoming Wedding, it's a Black & White job:-

Then, a birthday is coming up this weekend for a lucky 18 yrs old Boy... I had to make 2 Cards for him- one from his adorable siblings and one from his loving parents :). Awww..

Both A5 sized Cards were done in Mix Media- black pen/ marker, color pencils, magic pens and plaka-lack paints for handicrafts.

Enjoy!

A Boy, A Book Mark... & A Wedding Card.

2011-07-26T00:40:00.003+08:00

My nephew, Amin was looking at my 'hanging' handmade bookmarks the other day (the ones for Kalerpalette's Vintage Bazaar- oh, look! some pictures from them, here- by the way.. ;)......

A few of the Book Marks were Sold. Will update on what's left here, later.

The gorgeous girls behind Kalerpalette with my "Vintage Dresses"!!

... and asked me to make one for him. Awww... I think it's nice for a kid of 7 years old to appreciate this kind of thing :). Well, not totally A surprise, though- as Amin really loves Art. He often watched his Artist dad, too.

Last 2 years, he drew my portrait. Still keep it on my fridge :-)

Exactly like me!

So, anyway... because he asked, I made one hanging Book Mark for him:-

He loved it, of course. But now, his other brother, Haqeem also wanted one for himself. Hmmm... Guess he has to wait a bit because I'm in the middle of finishing some paintings for upcoming group exhibitions in August and September. Watch out for updates about it in my ArtBlog, soon :).

I'm just glad over the fact that I've printed and sent the 600 pcs of Wedding Cards to my neighbor's daughter. It was Custom Designed... according to what she (and her parents) wanted (and on budget too!). Quite simple and nice, English feel... with a cute touch of a little flower ribbons in front of the Card (which were patiently planted one by one on the Card with my Mom's and sisters' help- Thank God!)

Already, that's all for now..

Enjoy.

Life's Like That :)

2011-07-21T14:08:00.000+08:00

Just a silly cartoon sketch I made recently after I came across this anonymous 'quote' from somewhere.. hehe.

Wherever you are, be safe, my friends :).

Well, at least take some precautions.

We can only but plan.

And by the way, don't forget there'll be a Vintage Bazaar coming up this Saturday in Jalan Maarof, Bangsar. A limited collection of my hand made/ painted Bookmarks will be up for grabs at Kalerpalette's Booth over there :).

If you don't have much plan, why don't you drop by?

Have fun.

My Little Mermaid..

2011-07-18T03:33:00.001+08:00

She recently turned 5!

My sweet little '1st' niece, Marissa...

Owh! I also designed the little sticker for her goodies :)

This year, I had the chance to create a little cute birthday card for her..

... which needed a hand drawn caricature (with mermaid's body), a bit of golden craft-wire, watercolor, pen, Pelikan plaka-lack special colors, heavy textured watercolor paper, a used beaded gold string, scissors and urmm.. a remote control to change the TV channel to accompany my quite evening that day.

Suddenly, it was done! hehe..

And that was what the craft-wire bit for :) ... just giving it a unique touch!

There you are... A Birthday Card which can be used as A Bookmark, someday :)

One HaPpY recipient with her own little mermaid!

Yay!

What a beautiful birthday party...

only suited for a little Princess like you, dear Marissa.

with LoTs of LoVe,

your 1st auntie & uncle.

A Vintage Market & Some things for Raya.

2011-07-14T14:05:00.001+08:00

I know.. I know..
It has been a while since I last upblog-ed. ('upblog' is the term used when I tell my bee that I'm updating my blog.. hehe :)

What have I been up to?
Well, just a few things here and there... doing this and that.
Sometimes, when my hands are busy making things, I feel quite lazy to upblog. While the hands were working, the head was busy thinking and planning about things to do next. By the end of the day/ night, the whole body felt tired and just needed some rest.. and a good massage (*hint *hint ).

Ok now, firstly... let me update about another July EVENT coming up next weekend. I was excited to be invited by the fabulous Artsy gals at Kalerpalette to contribute some little things for them!

One of Kalerpalette's latest vintage Collection.

What Event did I hear you ask? This POSTER will tell you all about it...

As you might have known, I don't have any actual vintage stuff to sell but... but... I do have VINTAGE Dresses BOOKMARKS :) ! Tra la laaa....la laa...

Hey, look who's peeking? It's Birdy Gaga! teeheehee.

These are just a few pieces of many more to come.. (I hope). They are fun to make but take a lot of time too- the hangers... the dress patterns... pheww!

So, then there's another thing that I'm doing... which is designing and printing Custom Made Raya Cards plus Duit Raya Envelopes. Yes, some people still use them, in case you forget :). Let me show the one recently approved by a corporate client:

You know, even the songket on the Card was an original songket I took from my Dad's wardrobe (hehe.. thanks Abah!) and photographed by yours truly too.

I still think it's very nice to receive and send Raya Cards because they're tangible generous 'thoughts' which you can keep for years. But lately, of course, more people are sms-ing and maybe MMS-ing Raya Greetings- which is also good, as long as we don't forget who matters to us in festive times like this. That's why I also am offering to create a custom made greetings through MMS. A simple yet complicated animation of your own Caricature.

Let me show you a sample:

Yes, you can download this thing in your mobile and send MMS to your family & friends. It's like you buy only ONE Raya Card and can send to many people :) heheee...all for one, one for all, maa!

What do you think? If you're interested, please email me at doodledsgn@gmail.com.

Owh, did I tell you I made a badge to the lovely AyuJamal.. who then ordered one more for her BFF blogger, Puanbee- as a gift? Thanks U :).

By the way, Ayu made a very thoughtful post on me last week- really appreciate that, U. Awww...

Adios for now, my friends...
Gotta make more 'vintage' hangers. hehee.

Take care :)

Road Closures & A 'bersih' Cartoon.

2011-07-08T23:27:00.002+08:00

I received an email from my good o'l friend today about the road closures for Saturday, 9th July. We were supposed to have a get together at a mall (shopping, eating & catching up time- what else?)... but due to this BERSIH 'event', we've decided to postpone :(.

Road Closures on Saturday:

Lebuh Ampang
KLCC
Bank Negara
Dataran Merdeka
Sogo
Chow Kit
Menara Sultan Ismail
Masjid Negara
Jalan Raja Chulan
Jalan Ipoh
Sentul
Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Jalan P.Ramlee
Jalan Bandar
Subang Jaya ( Near Segi )
Sunway Pyramid and Subang Parade
The Federal Highway
LDP ( Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong )
The KL – Seremban Highway in Seri Kembangan

Senarai Roadblocks Polis start mlm ni sampai ahad -
Putrajaya to KL, towards Kajang toll from Bangi,
Jalan Enggang towards AU2 and AU3,
from Damansara toward Penchala,
after Bukit Jelutong/Shah Alam traffic into Kampung Subang,
Damansara toll to Kayu Ara,
Subang airport road,
Jalan Haji Sirat to Taman Sri Pekan, Klang,
front of Monash University, towards Cyberjaya,
Jalan Kampung Pandan into KL

Anyway, my little sister was asking me this evening on what BERSIH is all about.

Hmmm...

Being a very informative sister that I am, I asked her to sit beside me and said, " ... let's GOOGLE together!" ehehee.

A few images seen from the internet have given her some ideas too...

But my cartoon image might be one of those silly jokes in regard of this nationwide news. Well, just something to amuse myself now... kehkehkeh.

That's all folks!

Stay home, be safe. Do some crafts or drawings or something.

But that's just me.

Take care, everyone.

The Sweet 17 Gal...

2011-07-08T10:08:00.001+08:00

A loving mom has asked me to create a Birthday Card for her daughter's 17th B-day this coming weekend... with the sweet gal's Caricature on it!

I know that this gal loves anime and she's a pretty good artist herself :)... so, I draw her caricature with anime's outfit. Hehe...( well, more or less..)

Hope she'll like it ;P!

Happy Sweet 17 to Ayang... All the Best for your BIG test this year!

Have fun.

Up & Coming July Events!

2011-07-04T12:32:00.002+08:00

Firstly, I just made a flyer for my returning client, Bling Lustre (Thanks, Kay! :). Their event of MOM's DAY OUT has returned this year with more fun and exciting activities. Please see the flyer and site for details if you're interested, ok?

Secondly, starting this weekend, the Flora Fest will grace the Malaysian scene again and this year, with the theme, "Roses are Forever."

Theme: ROSES ARE FOREVER

Venue: Waterfront, Precinct 2, Putrajaya

Date: 9 – 17 July 2011

Time: 9am -10pm (Mon – Thurs) and 9am – midnight (Fri-Sun)

Addmission: FREE

Well, the reason I'm announcing it here is because... I just love going to the Bazaar at the Floria- there's so much to see, shop and eat, plus a few of my flower paintings will be exhibited at the Malaysia Watercolor Society's (MWS) Booth. You can go ahead and click my flower painting below to go to my Art Blog and read more about it:-

And owh.. another happening event which I'm not so sure if I'll be going (hehee)...SimplySiti Gala Night & Festival.

I'm just helping my little sis here who's one of the Event's Organizers- to announce that there are still a few more of the Carnival Booths opened for any Vendors or Crafts sellers maybe interested..? Please contact Anna Yusoff personally at hippototty@yahoo.com.

While I was browsing to one of my creative blogger's sites ( mimpimurni- to be exact- yes, she has a very lovely, inspirational blog- do check it out!), I saw an interesting Event which will be held in PJ:

When: 16th July 2011
Where: Padang Astaka, PJ
Time: 12pm-12am
Website: http://www.urbanscapes.com.my/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/urbanscapes
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/urbanscapes

Not sure what to say about this event as I've never been to one before. But who knows... if I don't have any other plan... owh wait!!... my niece's Birthday Party will be on the same day. That reminds me- must make a Cute Card for her :).

Hmm... what else huh?

Owh yess.. my lovely client, Ayu Jamal has a new header which was initially done for animation but because it couldn't run, now it's just a cool still header, nonetheless. So, I'd like to update it here too :)). Thanks, Ayu!

Well, look at how the time flies... in another month, Ramadhan will be here. Now, I'm off to create and propose a few Hari Raya Aildilfitri Card designs for my other client. I'm thinking of making a few Raya Wish animations too- for myself and for individuals who are interested to send personal MMS through their mobiles- yes, with your own Caricatures. I'll show some samples when I have the chance, ok?

Wish me Luck!... And I wish all the Best to you too :).

The Egg Flower & me..

2011-06-29T22:38:00.002+08:00

Egg Flowers a.k.a Bunga Telur... are normally given to those who attend a Malay wedding as gifts or souvenirs. Here are a couple of examples:

Why eggs?
Because they symbolized fertility and a new beginning for the newly weds. If you google the images for "Bunga Telur" online.. you'll be quite overwhelmed by how vary, creative and beautiful they can be. Most of them are elaborately handcrafted... with all kinds of materials and accessories. I really admire those who have the patience and creativity of doing this thing. Not that easy, I can tell you that.

If I can contribute on anything for this beautiful handcrafting process, it will be a TAG.

Yup. I mean, the THANK YOU tags that you hang together with the eggs onto the Flowers. And that was exactly an order I received last week. A customer needed 600pcs of Bunga Telur Thank You Tags for an upcoming wedding... and she would love to have my cartoon on it. And so I designed and printed the tags for her :). This morning she said the tags have arrived and she's really happy about it. Phew! I'm so glad to hear that.

Hmm... next year, insyaAllah one of my sisters is set for a wedding. If I try very very hard, perhaps I could learn to handcraft some Bunga Telur for her wedding. But with millions of things to take care of before the day, maybe I'll offer to design and print some Thank You tags for her too. Hehee.

Animation Adventures!

2011-06-27T16:06:00.002+08:00

In recent years, I've done some animated gifs for a few clients including an established phone company which used the animations for mobiles- MMS. If anyone wants me to create animated badge or logo... God willing, I can do it too.

Although an animation requires quite a lot more efforts than a still graphic image, I enjoy doing it. It's fulfilling to see your creations moving here, there and everywhere!! Teehehee. Years ago, I used to work for the animation department in the Grand Brilliance, TV3 where the team was working for a series of "Hang Tuah- the New Adventures." Unfortunately, during the economic down turn in 1999, the department was closed down :(. After that, I worked for a private design company and made a few animations for the Jabatan Alam Sekitar (Department of Environment Malaysia) which used to have a mascot known as Mat Jas. I then left the company to join another Art & Design company. And that was how my animation adventures almost ended... until I opened this blog and played around with it again :).

Very recently, a client asked me if I could do an animated header. She has some cool ideas for it :) The thing is, I could do the animation but failed to realize that I don't really know how to upload it in the WordPress Header! Perhaps, some knowledge on some html codings would help.. Argh!!

I'm still searching for an answer on this matter. But so far, I found out that you can't install animation on the Wordpress Header. Really?

Well, if someone can teach or help me on this issue, it would be nice. I'm so curious to find a solution.

And that, my friends... is how an adventure is made up.
There'll be trials... and errors.
Some will see lights, some don't.

I wish you All the Best with your own Adventures :) !

2011-06-21T22:12:00.000+08:00

Well, this is a cool clip!

But the coolest thing about it is...- that's my little brother doing his acting bit! Wooohooo! You go Bro!
Ermm.. that's not his voice, though! haha.

Bye Bye Little Bird...

2011-06-21T22:00:00.001+08:00

Hmm.. It's been a while since I participated the Illustration Friday (IF) themed challenges. A bit busy lately with my paintings.

I have sketched this little gal like 2 weeks ago in my little sketch book. When I saw the challenge this week at IF entitled "Launch", I thought I could send this one. And then, I thought... hey, an animation to demonstrate the launch would be nice too. Just a simple one :).

So, here goes..

If you have the chance, visit my Art Blog to see a new posting too, alrite?

Enjoy!

Designing..

2011-06-18T00:42:00.002+08:00

Hi... just to update my design works a bit, here. It's more for my own record, actually :).

I have designed a couple of Logos for two companies. After some discussions, proposals, alterations and so on, I managed to make the clients happy with the result.

Thank God :).

Some people think doing graphic design works are quite easy. They fail to realize that there's a lot of thinking and energy... and sometimes, research that goes into each design works. Your design doesn't work if you don't know how to make a good composition... or if you don't really know your colors... or you don't get symbols and shapes that could be meaningful to your creation.

The aesthetic value of graphic designs is quite often been taken lightly by many. And putting a price to an idea is another thing. Some people can appreciate it, some just don't. You can find many copycats and cut & pasters (is there such a word?- whatever... you know what I mean, right?) around, nowadays. Internet makes a lot of great graphics designs available for grabs. And because they are in digital form, it's easier for people to steal from real designers and manipulate them in some ways.

However, internet also makes it easy for more people to actually learn graphic design and be great designers without having to take a course in any colleges. This can be learned from some blogs with free lessons and You Tubes, etc.

Oh, I don't really know why I'm blabbering about graphic design today. I think, I learned a lot about graphic designs more through experience over the years because during college, it was more on basics. It's a skill that required practice and you'll learn a lot by asking around... and through readings too. Some people have 'the eye' for design. How lucky :). For me, there's still so much to learn and I must keep improving my skill in this department. So, I'm really happy to have access to those generous blogs and You Tubes too. Nothing wrong with that, really. It's just bad when people steal from you :(.

Anyway, there's another thing I've designed and this time, it was for my parents :) Actually, they were attending and are going to attend so many weddings here and there. With every weddings, they will bring a gift for the newlyweds... and apart from wrapping papers of all patterns and colors, they've also been buying quite a lot of small wedding Cards to go with the gifts. So, I've decided to design one card and print a few dozens for them. Haha.

My Mom really loves it. Yay!!

Enjoy.

A Wedding is On The Way...!

2011-06-14T12:01:00.001+08:00

I've just sent a black & white Caricature to my gorgeous client and glad that she liked it. She said she's going to use the Caricature for her wedding give away ( printed on mugs). Wow... yet another lovely idea for wedding gifts, huh?

For Azilah, Congratulations and Best Wishes to you :)

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Amin!

2011-06-11T12:15:00.002+08:00

Well, today I'm going to my eldest nephew's birthday party. He is 7 years old this year.
How time flies... wow.

I bought him a little something and made a 'quick' birthday card that actually matched the wrapping paper! hehe.

So.. the school holiday is ending soon and my youngest sister, Sue came for a sleepover at my apartment last night. We woke up early this morning and jumped into the swimming pool. Just the two of us... before more and more neighbors' kids woke up and made some noisy splashes too! That was fun.

While I was making my Card last evening, Sue also wanted to create one too! She made one super cool birthday card for her favorite nephew.. with a 'string' attached!

That's one cool move, huh?

Looking proud with her hand made card :))

Amin must be overjoyed today! He just loves Birthday Parties... as much as we do too ;P.

Have a Grrrreat 7th Birthday & May Allah bless you always, Amin.
Love you.

Farewell Fellas!

2011-06-09T14:48:00.001+08:00

A client of mine who makes his living by scrutinizing rocks (err..some people say he's a geologist!).... is saying goodbye to his colleagues with a couple of parting gifts.

As my client is returning to his boat to venture yet to another uncharted part of the sea... I hope his colleagues will enjoy these special reminders of friendship they once had and will always have.

Enjoy!

My Sleeping Baby..

2011-05-30T00:18:00.001+08:00

Illustration Friday's theme of ASLEEP makes me think about my baby in Heaven...

The first.. and last time I saw him, he was like in a very deep sleep... so peaceful... and his lips were so red. I still miss him and will always be.

" Syyyy... He's fast asleep now....," whispered Little Bear softly to the others.

For this illustration, I have decided to combine my pen & ink sketch with a bit of pencil shades (on the baby)... and Photoshop the colors... just for the fun of it :).

Take care, everyone.

The Doomed 'King'.

2011-05-28T10:42:00.000+08:00

Mr.Wiki said and I quote, "Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk."

Well, I don't have much to say. Just a funny thought I had after eating some delicious Durian last week.

My dad hates the fruit. The smell is enough to send him out of the kitchen... and could make him dizzy too.

Enjoy!

Macho Macho Maaaaan... lalala..

2011-05-26T08:48:00.002+08:00

Kalerpalette finally claimed her winning gift of black&white caricature. Yeah, she's the one who won...

My April/ 2nd Giveaway Contest.

Yesterday was her Macho Man's Birthday! So this has become one of her 'special' gifts for him. Awwwww..

Have a Great Life, you guys!

Enjoy.

Oh wait!! Look who's here...?

So there :).

To My Bro & Sis with Growing Love..

2011-05-24T13:36:00.001+08:00

Each years passing by, I watch them grow. Each and everyone of my six younger brothers and sisters..

Now, I can't talk about children for I have no experience just yet. But as an eldest, sometimes I do feel almost like a parent. I saw and played with each and everyone of them since small. I took care of them when Mom was busy in the kitchen or doing other house chores. Of course, once in a while, I fought and yelled at them too.. teeheehee.. And then, when I was 13, I was sent off to boarding school, so I couldn't really keep my eyes on them anymore. I could only do that during semester breaks and holidays. Then one day, I went overseas to continue studies until 2 years after, I came back and found that there was quite a distance between me and them. They have quite grown up. While I was busy with my own life, they've carved their own too.

Of course, as parents you would hope all your children to be the best that they can be. But you can't hope for a tree to give the same taste and shapes of fruits to you. Not all fruits will end up falling on the same ground and give you another great tree. Each of us came from the same womb, yet each has different characters and with few similarities. Growing pains to our parents, at times. Eventually, everyone will follow his/ her own destiny... even though all of us might have the same interest at heart.

Today, I realized that my family is really growing old together. Two of my younger brother and sister are already married and have their own beautiful kids. Another sister is going to be engaged this year :). Another sister has finished her Diploma and continuing her study for a Degree soon. Another brother received his SPM result earlier this year and looking forward to study in a College or University soon... and lastly, the youngest sister is preparing for her UPSR this year. Phew. We have came a long way and yet sometimes, it feels like life has just begun... What I most thankful for is that all of my family members are still living quite close to each other and always find the opportunity to meet up at our parents' house despite of everything.

Some day, things will be different. Perhaps, one of us will move away or... maybe someone is going to study very far from home... or travel the world. That will be another phase of growing up process for life keeps changing.

This month of MAY, my youngest bro and sis were born 18 and 12 years ago. I made them something special... even though my gifts might be inexpensive, I sure hope they'll treasure the love that will keep on growing for them as long as I live :).

Love always,
Kak Long.

When it Rains..

2011-05-22T13:12:00.002+08:00

My heart and prayer go to the blessed souls of the orphans who died in the landslide yesterday in Kampung Gahal, Ulu Langat. Many believed the rainfall has caused the landslide. Until today, people are still searching for the bodies. Made me think how fragile this borrowed life is..

At the same time, Illustration Friday theme this time is SOAKED. How appropriate.

Everything in life comes in pairs- good & bad, yin & yang, positive & negative, pros & cons.... etc. That's how God has made things. Depending on the situations.. rain can be either way too.

While the news above made me feel sad, the word SOAKED made me recall a wet kitten in the rain. It's funny how a fluffy furry cat could be so very thin and tiny when it's wet.

I remember when I was small, I found a wet kitten in the rain. She was all dirty and thin. But guess what happened when she was all dried up? Yup, she was the biggest fur ball & cutest kitten ever :).

Watercolor & Ink + Photoshop

Take care, everyone...

I Sketch on Sunday too!

2011-05-15T12:45:00.002+08:00

Head over to Sunday Sketches at BlueChairDiary to see a mix of artful creations made by people... who just enjoying art as art is. Sophie's dad (the host) is hospitalized... Let's hope he'll get well soon.

Sweet Happiness

2011-05-14T10:14:00.002+08:00

Watercolor & Ink + Photoshop, 2011

Some say that Happiness is a state of mind.

I hope you're feeling happy right now :).

Oh yes, I believe I haven't recorded in my blog the simple Mother's Day Card I made for my siblings to sign in before giving it to our Mom.

Inside: " untuk mak yang paling BEST di donia!"/ for the BEST mom in the world!

Like I said, it was a simple one... but she definitely loved it!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone :)

Look Who's Cookin'

2011-05-11T00:10:00.000+08:00

Owhh.. it's Emelly's dad :D.

Size A2, Watercolor, Ink & Pencil Color. May 2011.

Emelly is my one of my sweetest clients whom I did a "Couple Caricature" and a cool illustrated Story Board for her recent wedding.

She wanted a BIG caricature for her dad because he's opening a restaurant.. somewhere.. hmm.. I haven't had the chance to ask her just yet. Maybe I'll let you know after she tells me the details. But it's interesting to know that she'll use this caricature for some banners at the eating place.

I pray for her dad's success in his yummy endeavor. At her request, I had to draw a fish head curry, a bowl of mee soup, roasted chicken, banana leaf nasi lemak and yellow sticky rice with rendang. Sounds like real 'food' to me :) hehe.

Enjoy!

A Beginner..

2011-05-09T09:12:00.003+08:00

A beginner is not afraid to step forward with a stride..

A beginner is determined to breeze through life and be free..

A beginner is embracing life with arms open wide..

A beginner is somewhere there within you and me.

~ ET2011~

A little inspiration from Illustration Friday's theme: "Beginner".

As the beginner of many people's working week, Monday sucks! :(

Yeah.. I understand. You've had a nice restful weekend.. woke up late on lazy Sunday... spent time doing what you love doing most- maybe being a couch potato and watching reruns on TV or just spending time with your loved ones and just doing nothing.

But I hope each one of you ( me too!) will face it anyway with an open heart because each and every day of our short life is very precious.. it's a blessing whether you're in a good or bad situation.

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Unfortunately, it was the day a neighbor of mine lost her Mom. Yeah, that was sad. Need I say more..?

Mom, I love you so much.

To Bonda with Love..

2011-05-06T10:14:00.000+08:00

For this year's Mother's Day, a very friendly & sweet fellow blogger of mine.. ToyolKiut, wanted me to doodle a gift for her lucky Mom- on a MUG! So I quickly scribbled one up and managed to post it this Friday morning. Phew.. I sure hope her mom/ Bonda will receive it on time :)

Well, here's a 360 look at the mug:

Quite a simple one, really. And TK (ToyolKiut) was happy with it.. and it's all that matters :).

Hmm... now, what should I get for my Mom?

IF: Lesson

2011-05-04T10:30:00.003+08:00

Sometimes, one may wonder what lessons can be learned from life..

Original piece- watercolor, ink & coffee stain

Sometimes, we can learn lessons of life readily and as it is..

Sometimes, we can learn lessons of life through darkness and hardships..

But have we really learned some lessons by now..?

Digitally enhanced piece- plus a beautiful Quote..

Hi everyone..

Illustration Friday's theme this week is "Lesson". I think the theme is very inspirational :)

Actually, I have drawn and painted the above illustration last week. When I saw the IF theme this week.. and then looked at my illustration.. hmm.. I thought they could somehow tie in to each other.

The golden winged fairy was sitting on a high branch... overlooking a forest.. with a silent dead mountain in a distance.. She looked as if wondering.. or perhaps waiting for something... or someone...
The little yellow winged friend with a short horn.. was staring at her.. perhaps feeling sorry for its friend.. hanging out alone on the blue branch... should it go near her... or just let her be..?

Another Lesson: A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.

Family Caricature in Black&White

2011-05-02T17:39:00.000+08:00

A3 Sized Family Caricature :)

Just A Little Note.

2011-04-29T01:00:00.001+08:00

Come Rain or Shine... HE will always be in my heart.

P/S: My ArtBlog is updated. You're most welcome to drop by, read and leave any comments :) Thanks.

IF: Bicycle

2011-04-27T10:04:00.001+08:00

Hehee.. something I heard a long time ago and stuck in my head since.

Enjoy.

Royal Love is in the Air..

2011-04-26T08:53:00.001+08:00

Just a quick sketch one night.. while watching one after another.. documentaries about the Kings and Queens, about the Royal Couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton on ASTRO. Wow, they really make a big deal of this wedding, huh? Kate invited me for her wedding.. but I said.., "Aah.. too far, my dear. Enjoy the Wedding, ok? Send my warmest regards to William." (hmm... yeah..ok..perhaps that was just my imagination.. heh.

Sadly, all these only bring back memories of the late Lady Diana, Princess of Wales. When I was a kid, I always asked my dad to cut my hair like her. So, every time I cut my hair.. until now.. I'll think of her.

Gotta love her hair...

Anyway.. all of us.. all over the world.. are going to witness another historical fairytale wedding on the 29th April 2011. Let's wish that this lovely Royal Couple will live happily ever after.

But let's be realistic. Is there such a thing as fairytale ending..? Well.. we can only but hope for the best.. :), right?

Cathy the Caterpillar Card.

2011-04-24T19:33:00.001+08:00

A couple of days ago, I made a special Birthday Card for my friend's 3 years old daughter. I thought.. maybe I should share the steps to make it because it's simple and quite an interesting project to make when you're in crafting mood :)..

I call it Cathy the Caterpillar because it IS a caterpillar card! Small.. long.. and cute!

First, find a strip of paper. I had a strip of a watercolor paper left-over which was just great for this little project.

The lenght is up to you. We want to make an accordion out of it... so, if one square of accordion is 6cm x 6cm.. and the wordings you want on its body has 9 letters plus 1 for the head- then the calculation should be 6cm x 10= 60cm (as in my case, here).

Next, fold the strip in accordion folds..

Then, draw an almost half circle shape (or a straight line- the point is, not to make the caterpillar looks too squarish!) at each corner of the square and cut through the layers using a craft knife...

Now, you can write the wordings you've decided on the caterpillar's body.. and if you want to use watercolor, you can use Art Masking Fluid to write the letters ..

..and then mix some cheerful colors on the body!

When the colors are dried, you can peel off the mask to reveal the protected paper underneath.

Afterwards, you can decorate the face and the body! I just made some simple 'dots' because I didn't have so much time that day.

On the other side of the paper, you can write some wishes and what nots :)

TADAAA..!! Now Cathy is ready to meet her new keeper... with a gift!

The fun thing is.. this is not just a card. I mean, if the girl has her own room, she can stick Cathy up on her bedroom's door! Cool huh?

Well, instead of writing a 'name' on its body, you can also just paint some stripes and patterns.. these will look nice too! Just have some fun with Cathy with your own creative ways.

Enjoy!

Doodled a Header for AyuJamal

2011-04-22T15:07:00.000+08:00

I never thought I could offer a service for designing a Blog Headers or Badges and stuff before.. hihi.
But I guess, I can now.

If you've browsed much of my creations.. most of them are hand-drawn and painted. Yes, I am also a freelance Graphic Designer.. and have designed quite a lot of company logos.. corporate identities.. flyers.. brochures..etc.. over the years. However, I still treasure the pain of 'traditional' methods of pencil and paper. Ol'school as I may be.. I know many still appreciate it too :).

Ayu Jamal from AyuJamal.com has become my very first client to adorn my art&design works for her blog. She liked what I did for my header and so she contacted me for a more 'personal' outlook for her header.. of course, with her own caricature in it! After going back and forth with my design proposals.. she finally approved and already put 'em up at her site. Yay!

If you want a great looking body like AyuJamal here.. pewwiiittt!.. please go to her site and buy Premium Beautiful from her. (U.. I can get commission or not for this..?haha).

Enjoyyy.. the weekend is near.

P/S: The fonts for AYUJAMAL was hand-drawn too..

A Mug Spilled with Luv..

2011-04-21T08:53:00.003+08:00

A sweet client of mine, all the way from Perak...ordered a thoughtful b-day gift for her special one :)

First, I doodled the mug with black ink.. She wanted some coffee beans spilling out from a bag with little-little hearts and a piece of photo. In the photo, she wanted me to draw a cute girl.. huuuu..

So, after my black & white doodle was approved, I colored with Pelikan Plaka-Lack. This color was supposedly suitable for any kind of surfaces. But just to make sure the colors won't smudge, I lacquered the whole painting on the mug!

I'm hoping my client will receive it safe & sound... and with a big smile!

Pictures in Painted Frames..

2011-04-19T10:08:00.001+08:00

Aaahh.. another Monday of our lives is here yet again. What a blessing... :).

What I would like to share with you today is two Caricatures plus two Painted Frames.. which I made.

The first one I made for a dear friend for her belated birthday... A lovely girl she is.. Awww...
I decorated the frame with leaves and flower motifs to show her sweet and soft nature.. so.. keibuan. hihii..

Now, the second one I made for one cool customer.. whom I guess, is so in love with her special one ;). Her BF definitely won't forget her for this special birthday gift. teeeheehee..

Enjoy..

Let's come together and create the largest FB invite card so we can be acknowledged as the FB capital of the world! #DiGiFBforall

2011-04-19T09:27:00.000+08:00

Let's come together and create the largest FB invite card so we can be acknowledged as the FB capital of the world! #DiGiFBforall

"Name The Bird" Contest Winner!!

2011-04-18T16:53:00.000+08:00

Sorry if I keep everyone waiting..

A lil' bit busy during the weekend.. but anyway, here's my lil' birdie.. ready to announce her 'chosen' name:

OMG! She's already sporting Lady Gaga's Orbit Hat!!!

So, the Grand Prize is going to Kalerpalette!! Thank you for the Fun and Creative name for my lil' silly birdie. Please contact me to claim your Prize. hihii.. I think Birdy Gaga and I are going to have some fun with the given name (as shown in hat above).

To other contestants, I can't say thank you enough for your participation.. for taking the time to think about the name :). For each of you who has a blog/ blogs... I'd like to give an exclusive BUTTON made just for you ! So, I'll be sending a good soft-copy button ready for use via email. If you didn't give your email address, please get in touch with me, ok? If I can find you email, I'll send it personally to you. If you don't have a blog, just keep it as a sweet token from and you can use it anywhere you like!

Last but not least, again we would to thank you for your kind participation.

Always on the lookout because DoodleDesign will have more contest or GIVE-Art-WAY later this year.

Enjoy!

A Sweet Bee..

2011-04-17T11:01:00.001+08:00

Chot is one charming bee.. :)

Something sweet for Diana's Sweet Saturday's.

Since I started my blog about 2 years ago, I got to know Diana's blog by chance and she visited my blog when nobody even knew DoodleDesign existed! I love visiting her blog to look at her unique style of illustration and her sweet adorable son, Cole. Thanks Diana for the inspiration.

If you have something sweet to share from your blog, just go and join Diana's Sweet Saturday linky party.

Have fun!

The End of My April Contest!

2011-04-16T16:10:00.000+08:00

Yes, the April Contest has already ended.. BUT God Willing, I'll have another GIVE-Art-WAY later this year.. :). Sometimes, I just make contest or giveaways for no apparent reason.. hhihii. So, bear with me.

I can't stop smiling as I'm looking at the creative and fun names submitted! My birdie is singing happily too!

This is just my quick update for weekend. I'm not announcing the Winner just yet.. My birdie is having a hard time choosing her own name because they are all so good! Ermm.. maybe tomorrow she'll make up her mind.

Stay tuned dear contestants.. in the meanwhile, have a great weekend, ya!

1) codex : JUMPY

2) Anak Cik Mendan: WINKY

Contest Ends Tomorrow @ 12 midnite!

2011-04-14T11:00:00.003+08:00

Updating as it almost over..

My little birdie would like to say something:

Wow! Really?
But NOT only the winner will get a limited edition of DoodleDesign's EcoBag... there's more!

Here's a closer look at the items plus a B&W free caricature (not in picture below) :D

Here's what we have so far... :)

1) codex : JUMPY

2) Anak Cik Mendan: WINKY

3) Reena: Azim- HONEY GUIDE
Azlan- TWEETER
4) Toyolkiut: BRID-BRID
5) Chilly~: CIP-CIP
6) Kalerpalette: BIRDY GAGA @ gaga
7) Liza A.: JUJI
8) ArtVentureKids: KUNTA KINTE
9) Aly: CICI
10) Cre8tiveQueen: MANGO
11) Kakaloika: CHIKEBOO @ chick2
12) Chici: FLIPPY
13) SomethingSweet: ROMEO / JULIET/ APRIL

Hehehe... I really enjoy looking at these names.. but at the end, it'll be up to my lil' birdie to choose her own name! teeheehee..

Well, there's still chance for anyone interested.. to ENTER this Fun Contest. You may comment under this updated post if you want to.

Another 1 more day to go...!!

Come & Join NOW :)

An Elf and A Coffee Stain..

2011-04-13T10:57:00.002+08:00

Last night, I made a cup of black coffee (brand: kopi Che' Nah) for my bee- the coffee addict.. and who has turned me into one too! Huhuu...

I was looking at the coffee leftovers and thought, " Hey, why not try and see how good coffee can be on my artwork ...?" (I remember my good old friend from ArtVentureKids' suggested it too!) I've tried the tea-stain technique last month, and it turned out quite gorgeous.

So, let me show you how coffee stain looks on the watercolor paper...

I liked the sepia colored effect it gave to the illustration.

When I saw how the color turned out.. I hesitated to go further and added other colors because I was afraid I might spoil the stain effect. Oh well, maybe I'll do that sometime later.. when I have the gut.

See the expression of the flying elf? It was as if she has bottled up her feelings about something...

Perhaps a fear... perhaps a disappointment.. perhaps a sadness deep inside.. Something you'll never know...

"Bottled" is the theme challenge for this week's Illustration Friday. So here's one for it.

Enjoy.

P/S: My CONTEST has 2 days left. See the Prizes up for grab and JOIN NOW! :)

The Fish that Walks

2011-04-12T10:16:00.002+08:00

Something bizarre or weird that has to do with nature always fascinates me because it makes me THINK.

Yes, it makes me think and wonder about the vastness of God's creations.. and how little do I know about the world I'm living in. No matter how much knowledge you could gather while you are living.. there'll always be something else you still don't know.

Have you ever seen a walking fish that has four legs? I saw it in the newspaper once.

Cute, huh?

I wonder..

.. if this fish might be the mermaid's version of a pet? hmm..

" Owhh... you're so adorable.. eeeee...."
"Mmmeooooowwww. "

The Tortoise & The Hare

2011-04-10T13:16:00.003+08:00

Just a whimsical idea I had one morning about one of Aesop's Fables, The Tortoise and The Hare. So I'm submitting this one to Whimsical Wednesday Challenge. Vote for me! he hehee..

-Yes, the tortoise did win yesterday. But unfortunately, he has lacunar amnesia.

I sketched and drew the characters in my sketchbook and digital colored in Photoshop. I'm not quite satisfied with the result though.

I've set my eyes on bamboo wacom (for quite some time now) and would love to purchase one so that I can practice more on digital coloring and stuff.. I'm sure many designers out there are using pen tablet like wacom products. I haven't done much survey just yet.. but this thing must be quite expensive so I'm saving some money for it too. Hope I could get some advice and tips before buying this gadget.

When the Duck & the Chicken Sing..

2011-04-06T12:34:00.000+08:00

.. together..????

Awful.
They make so much noise, really. I don't think they can even understand each other.

Malay has this saying, "..bercakap macam ayam bercakap dengan itik", simply put it means when two people who completely have different languages/ dialects tried to converse with one another.

That reminds me of my auntie's story ( I call her' Mak Long'), during my parents' wedding back in the 70's... My dad's family was in Penang and my Mom's came from Besut, Terengganu. My Mak Long said she couldn't understand at all what my Mom's relatives were saying.. because the dialects and the way they talked (very soft spoken compared to her side- Penangites- who most of the time, very outspoken and loud! Ha.). So she kept nodding and smiling all the time. If they laughed, she followed suit. Hehehe..

Here's one for Illustration Friday's- DUET:

The other thing I'd like to share here is a Gift Tag I made for a family friend's wedding last weekend. Just a simple 'Congratulations' card. Hope this 'duet' will lasts forever... :) God willing.

A Doctor in The House

2011-04-04T16:46:00.000+08:00

Autobiography. I love reading it and I'm still reading this one.. quite engrossed, actually. Can't help but drew this caricature because the cover picture of Dr.M was so beautifully taken. His face looks so happy & friendly that you feel like you know him personally :). Credit goes to photographer Tara Sosrowardoyo who happens to be Dr.M's son-in-law.

CE: Small

2011-04-03T11:53:00.000+08:00

" Whoa! I can't believe how small you are!!"

"Syyyyyyyyyyyyyhhh.."

The theme for CreativeEveryday- "small"... yet again brought me to the time when I fantasized about the world of fairies and the invisible magical world. The illustration above showed exactly how I would've reacted if I saw one of them. Any bigger than that (or uglier).. I would've fainted, I think.

Back in 1980s.. when I was in a primary school in Kuala Terengganu, there was a little rumors (which later turned to be one of the biggest 'news' throughout Malaysia) that went around the neighboring school- some kids saw 'little people'/ orang kenit who had their own little village under the big trees at the end of my school field. Yes, the kids aged between 7 to 10 years really saw these little people who seemed 'invisible' to the grown-ups' eyes. Some of them saw the little people entering the classroom and playing around while the teacher was teaching. Imagine how the teacher freaked out when the student told her, " Teacher, he's on your desk!." A few of the kids actually met the little village's Leader and found that the latter had his own aeroplane too! Cool, huh? That year, so many reporters came by the school and interviewed these kids for the newspapers, magazines and TV. Until one day, one of the kids said, the little people finally decided to leave the place because humans came and disturbed their place. So, just like that.. the story ended. Where on earth did they go?

I did wish to check out if it was true but my parents already warned me, "Don't even think about it!"- well, sort of. I wonder why those little people didn't come to my school, sometimes. Such a mystery. Many people think these kids made up the stories to gain attention or they were just their imagination. Hmm.. I don't know why would the kids do that. Sometimes, the only people you can trust are kids. They don't lie. They tell you what they see.. and that's that!

There's so much we don't know about this world.. no matter how far and how many countries you have been. God's creations are so vast & variety. There's no denying in that. When you know so much, there's still so much you don't know.

Ilmu Allah sangat luas..

Nothing is impossible :)

Oh, by the way, if you're interested.. come & join my Contest-Giveaway til 15th April! Just for the FUN of it..

Click HERE!

April Fun- My 2nd GIVE-Art-WAY!!

2011-04-01T09:37:00.005+08:00

This is NOT April Fool! It's April Fun! Woo hooooo!

First, have a look at this video:

Tee hee hee.. Do you think this is quite a silly contest? Well, I really thought this would be fun- to have a name for the birdie and for me to see how creative people can be with name giving :).
Are you interested to join the fun?? Nothing to lose, really :)..
Plus I'm in the mood to give something artful away as a token of appreciation to my readers. Yay!!!

Well, my bee went outstation and brought me home this cute birdie last week. I really love it! At a clap or any loud sound, it will sing its heart out! My nephews and nieces would love this. They have yet seen this cool bird! I hope they won't wish to see it flies, though.

So, my friends... what I need you to do is-

1) suggest a cool NAME for my Birdie :)

2) tell me why you suggest that name :), I'd love to hear what you have to say.

3) you may use the contest badge below to announce at your blog or FB.. but if you don't have either of them, just join in the fun. No problem!

4) Don't forget to leave your name & blog (if you have)/ email , OK?

Everyone can participate this contest- locally or abroad. If you win, my Gifts will find their way to your doorsteps soon!

(smaller png version)

Contest starts from today until 15th April 2011.

Yup. Only 2 weeks!

My Gifts?

Well, let me just say.. there'll be a bunch of MYSTERIOUS Artful stuff! Hua ha haaaa!
Ok ok ok.. I'll post about my Gifts sometime later, alrite?

Good Luck, everyone!

A Birthday Card for Haqeem!

2011-03-30T18:23:00.001+08:00

My nephew Haqeem has just turned 5 yesterday. I made him a cool B-Day Card :).

Haqeem loves Ben10 cartoon!

So, I caricatured him as Haqeem5. ha!

And then, I made a simple-springy pop-out card.

Enjoy being 5, Haqeem!!