DIY Bookbinding

Hey everyone! (:
Lots to catch up, but I guess I'll do it over a few posts.

I bound my very first book! And I'm totally excited about it!

It isn't anything fancy. I was just watching lectures on my computer and I realized I didn't have any decent notebook. And buying one would be too mainstream. I'm just kidding! :P

But yeah, I always have plenty of A4 papers and obviously lots of yarns and also craft papers.
And I remembered coming across this awesome book-binding tutorial.
It is soo easy. Sure, folding the papers in half is a bit painstaking when you're binding 60-pages book but I guess you can always do it while watching TV or something.
I didn't end up using chipboard or fabric like the tutorial did. I just used thick patterned papers.
You can sort of see the edges are a bit worn-out, since I've been using it for a few weeks now.
I guess I could use even thicker covers if I want it to be super-durable. But this one suits me just fine.

Oh and that awesome pen! (:
I think I'm actually more excited about it than the book.

I've been meaning to share it with you. For months, actually.
Mitch got it for me as a surprise and he got it engraved with a sentiment "Forever Our Story" and our anniversary.
I think it is such thoughtful gift since I write diary a lot and the sentiment is just perfect.
Engraved pen would be a great gift for anyone who writes poetry or journals, and the best part is you can make it very personal. (:
And I was kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner.

Hope you are having a great Monday. Mine was great, since school was short, which is always pretty awesome.

Till next time! (:

Gift from Mitch by Stasia Illustration

My sweet fiancé, Mitch got me a beautiful and cutest drawing by Stasia Illustration on Etsy.
I got it in a mail 2 days ago and oh gosh, Stasia packed it in such a cute way!
I didn't even want to tear the envelope and open it...It was packed so neatly and stamped with personalized stamps of her drawings. Just look at that! Adorable!

After admiring the cuteness of the packaging, I opened it eventually, and gosh, I found an adorable painting inside!

Mitch knows what I like! :D We both LOVE reading and books, so this drawing is perfect.

Just like Stasia said in her LISTING, "Reading in bed, the happiest place in the world." True that! (:

The drawing name is "Bedtime Story", and you have to check out the rest of her shop too! (:

I love her style of drawing: it's really cute and clean, but not over-the-top "kawaii".

And right now, I'm so tempted to buy these postcards by her! 

Stasia creates her prints-in-house on her wonderful large-format Epson printer.

The print was so professional and perfect to the smallest details. You can tell I'm a very happy customer. ;) And thanks Mitch for such a sweet and thoughtful gift.

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Here are links to Stasia's shop and her other pages:

Etsy    Facebook   Blog  

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I hope you're having a nice weekend! (:

Hugs.

It is like...Magic!

The last week of September was 'magical' for me...
Mitch visited me for awhile during his school holiday.
Since we've been big fans of Harry Potter, naturally, we went to Harry Potter Exhibition at the Marina Bay Sand.

It was on 25th of September. We were enjoying all the nice props from Harry Potter films and having a blast!
I thought this day couldn't be more perfect than that! I was so wrong, of course.
Oh yes...I have already talked about it over 10 times since my close friends and family want me to tell them in every details..Most of my friends kept asking until I have given them a lengthy account of it..

Anyway, so we were just really enjoying the exhibition and Mitch said we should go to less crowded rooms. We found an empty room and well, he was all sweeeet and loving and of course, he's always been like that, so I didn't see it coming...and next thing I know he was kneeling down in front of me with the most beautiful ring I've ever seen..asking me to marry him! I didn't hear much of what he said after that, since my heart was racing and I was over the moon! Of course, I said YES! It was so magical, ah yes, we keep saying that whenever we recall that day. Magical...quite literally! It was in a nice dim room, surrounded by all the costumes, wands and props from Harry Potter films. It couldn't have been more perfect than that! (:

We are planning to take our engagement photos in Australia in December, but still trying to find a photographer. I can't waitt!

I'm sure you want to see the ring?

Our Engagement Ring (:

It is so beautiful, isn't it? I wish I was wearing it right now, but, there's no way he could have guessed my ring size right, since I have tiniest finger..So we are getting it adjusted! :D

And of course, for once, I willingly paid the over-the-top price that they charged for photos at those kind of event. Mitch likes to think it is our (unofficial) engagement photo. :D Although..I wish my hair looked better than that!

Engaged at Hogwarts (:

My new obsession...

Hello hello (:
You know..I haven't been crocheting for the whole week!
I was obsessed with crocheting before then and I thought I'd better stop it cos it wasn't enjoyable anymore...
I can't afford to neglect my school work and I tend to do it when I get obsessed with something...in this case, it is crocheting..

Anyway, I thought I'll take a break from crocheting and may be read books during my free time.
Mitch has been bugging me to read Harry Potter for probably 1 year, may be more... I felt like, it is such a long series and I'll take forever to finish it. I'm not a fast reader and I'm not a book-worm like him (although that's one of the many things I love about him!) :P
I finally gave in and started reading a week ago and I'm on the 5th book now! *gasps!*
I was such a nice girl going to bed at before 11pm but now I've been staying up till about 2am, reading..thinking to myself, just one more chapter, just one more chapter....

I"m not complaining thou :D I'm totally in love with the Harry Potter books now and guess what? I just booked tickles for Harry Potter Exhibition at Marina Bay Sand! It seems like Mitch is more excited about going to the Exhibition than seeing me :P But I know that can't be true!

I finished my first crochet "project" in a long while this morning..If you can even call it a "project".
It was only a small coaster.
You can find the pattern for it HERE.
I used a really small hook of 0.95 mm and Milford Soft yarn in Christmas Green.
My coaster measures about 11cm (4 inches) in diameter. It is a perfect size for me.
Here are the photos.

I love having some crocheted things. They make great gifts!
Christmas is only a few months away too and about time I start crocheting some things for Christmas gifting too. I think I'll make 3 more of the coasters and it will make a great coaster set. (:

Thanks so much for dropping by!

Oh and, a very nice lady that I met on Facebook had just started her blog, and I promised to her I'll share her blog on mine. You can visit her blog, "Frogging Grammy" and say hi to her HERE.
She's great at crocheting and I'm eager to read more blog posts by her! (:

Till next time~! (:

Bags Bags Bags...

Bags by me (: That little card reads "KhinsBoutique @ Etsy"

Hello hello! :D
It's been a busy week for me....
I had been dead tired since Thursday morning and wanted to just skip all my classes..
But I know trying to catch up with the classes later is a lot harder and I pushed myself to be a good girl ;)

It's been a really productive week for me too!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I've got 2 custom orders and I was trying to finish them up quickly. I must say I'm pretty proud of what I have achieved.

Firstly...I managed to teach myself how to sew zips to a crochet bag. It took me about 3 tries to get it "right" (it looks right to be anyway). It was all worth it, since I can now crochet many pencil cases with zips!

Secondly...I learnt how to make a lining for my bags.
If you want links to lining tutorials, you can get them in my previous post.
I'm totally satisfied with my lining for the grey clutch.
I got the inspiration from this blog post.

Apart from all the crafty things, on a more personal note..
My love, Mitch is giving me a "surprise" visit in 2 weeks time! How exciting! :D
Well, he planned to visit me from Australia as a surprise during his 2 weeks holiday from school..
But, me, being a total kill-joy, teasingly told him a few days ago ''hey, why don't you come over here during your holidays since I will be having one week break from school too?"
And he was like "umm..OKAY!" and I was like "REALLY?!"
So, yep, I totally ruined the "surprise" element, but gosh, who cares, I'm totally excited and over the moon! (:

Anyway, I'm sure you want to see more photos of my bags! :D
Here they are..I took plenty just now to share with you all! (:

My very first crochet bag with a zip!

My grey clutch.

Close-up on stitches and button. The button is even more beautiful and shimmery in real life. (: 

Lined with grey fabric.

With the flap open.

That's all from my for today! I will probably be back to share with you the sling bags my sister made/has been making.

Have a greattt weekends! ((:

My Sis's Little Dress for Barbie

Umm, no, that's not the Barbie that I was referring to in the title. That's just me. :P
I'm just teasing..
I just came back from beach and had a great time with my family and just want to share with ya.

Anyway, putting all the silliness aside, here is the little dress that my sis made for her daughter's Barbie.

Isn't it just so neat? So pretty, I want one for myself.
You don't think she'd mind making a life size one for me, do you? :P
I think she would...ah well..

She did tell me how she made it, but I don't have a proper pattern and I don't think she wrote down the exact pattern too. She said, she just measured the Barbie and adjusted the stitches accordingly.
I, for one, do not have that kind of patience..

Anyway, just a quick update since I forgot to mention about it yesterday.
I made a pretty purple Mini Capelet for my niece yesterday.
You can find the pattern HERE.
I'll come back with photos for the Mini Capelet soon.

Wishing you a great start to your week!

Opps, I'm 21 :D

Hey everyone!
I turned 21 yesterday :D

I had a great day with the love of my life, Mitch.
It was my first birthday spent with him.
I skyped with my family back in Singapore and it was great fun! :D

Oh, and guess what?! Mitch found me a FOUR-LEAF CLOVER!
Oh my gosh! I have been looking for one for months. Whenever I go out for a walk, I would stare at the bushes, hoping to find my lucky charm. ;)
And he found it for me on my birthday - it was perfect.

Anyhow, I'll just share some highlights of my big day with photos and end this post. (:

Beautiful flowers from Mitch 

Glamorous shot of the day :P

My Very First Craft Fair

Hey everyone!
Last Saturday on the 7th, I participated in a Victor Harbor Craft Market.
The Craft Market is only once a month.

I always thought my first craft fair would be in Singapore. After all, I am more familiar with the places and people there.
But Mitch thought it was a great opportunity for me to go out there and get some sales and also receive some feedback. Now that it is all over, I am so grateful he pushed me into it. He helped me with everything, from buying supplies to setting up my booth, and also watched the stall with me for most of the time.

I was so nervous, of course...I felt like I did not have enough time to prepare..I came up with million and one reasons why I should not join the craft market. But I'm so glad I did. I sold two of my products, you can check them out HERE and HERE. I get so many positive feedback from customers and also from other crafters. It was such a great feeling. I made so many new friends too. Other crafters at the fair have been participating every month and they helped me out a lot and encouraged me. I feel so silly to be so scared and nervous about it all...

I wanted to take hundreds of photos, but it was my first time and I didn't quite want to stand out more than I should.

How about you? How was your first craft fair like? I'd love it if you share with me in the comment section. (:

Redesigning...well, EVERYTHING!

My title pretty much said it all...
Hey everyone! I redesigned my blog today and I am  LOVING it! (:

I have been designing my own blog for awhile just because it allows my blog to be unique and also and mainly because I love the designing process of it.

When I first started today, I had no idea what I wanted. But I knew I needed a makeover so bad.
I looked around a few blogs for inspiration. I was even thinking of getting a web designer to design my blog but I know it would be silly of me to spend a few hundreds on my blog and also, I had no idea what I wanted.

After looking around for awhile, I found this blog "My Life - My Loves" through a Pinterest board. And I immediately fell in love with it! I love the simplicity of it. The white background and simple yet beautiful header did the trick for me.

After I've found my inspiration, it only took me like an hour to pull it off.

The next and most important step for me is to find a colour combo. I knew I wanted to use the main photo from my Etsy listing.

It took me awhile to find the colours that go with pink. I was spending time on ColourLovers, going through all the palettes that include pale pink. And then, it hit me. DUH! I've always loved how black pops in designs. Black goes with every colour and it is so easy to read on pale/white background. So, I followed my instinct and ta-da..whipped up my blog header in a flash. (:

I also did the cover photo for my Facebook Page and banner for my Etsy Shop, using the same photo and my "colour combo".

I am so happy with what I've achieved today, so I had to share with you!
It normally took me about a week to create a blog design that I love, so yep, it was quite an achievement for me. (:

Leave a link in the comment section if you designed your own blog too! I'd love to see all the beautiful blogs.

Hugs.

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

Photo Credit

It is such a simple concept that we tend to forget so easily.
"Rome wasn't built in a day."Since I started selling on Etsy, I have been reading discussion posts between the sellers.
A lot of them are just frustrated how come they aren't getting any views for their products, let alone making any sale.

I used to wonder too. How come I am not getting as many views and hearts?
Surely, there are sellers with hundreds or even thousands of admirers/fans for their shop.

And then it hit me. You can't just put about 10 items and expect people to discover you somehow and make a sale. As dumb as it sounds, that was want I used to do. And I get so discouraged when I am not getting a single view, let alone making sales. Well, I did make a few sales, all right. But I am really certain, they are just lucky ones. They must just really like that particular item and they do not intend to coming back, since I did not much to offer to them anyway.

Since I finished my first year of study in May, I have been working my butt off for the shop. At first, I thought, what am I doing wrong?! I am not getting any view... I watched every single video that applies to me on Etsy Online Lab. Most of the times, they are just like a broken record.
1) Great photos, preferably taken against white background.
2) Enticing descriptions.
3) Make it sounds personal, since people are coming to Etsy to make that personal connection. (Boy, don't I hear that way too many times.)
and etc...

But, of course, it don't stop me from watching the videos. I love the Etsy admins and they do remind me of the important things about running a shop, over and over again. I love watching the Online Lab videos especially when I am crocheting alone, since the admins and guests are so entertaining.

That being said, I realise that, sometimes, you are not doing anything wrong at all. I am not saying you are doing everything so perfectly. Of course not. You always have room for improvement. Sometimes, you are already on the right track.

But, most importantly, things just take TIME. "Rome wasn't built in a day." You can't just work your butt off for a month and get discouraged, because you aren't seeing the results. You have to be consistent. Work on it everyday, bit by bit. Do not expect to see the results so soon.

I used to get like 10 views for my shop everyday. I feel like such a loser. (:
But you know what, things are looking better now. I get hundreds of views these days, and I realize that if I had given up, I wouldn't have even made it here. I did consider giving up so many times.

If you have just started your Etsy shop, my advice to you is, work towards your goal steadily. Unless you already have an experience of running a shop, things will happen slow for you. But you will get there and boy, when you get there, it will be all worth it. I am still waiting for that day too. I am hanging on as long as it takes. I hope you do too.

Oh, and HERE is my new favorite song.
Duh, what else do you expect?
I think Mitch is pretty sick of hearing that song so many times, poor thing. (:

A Day at the Park

It was last Wednesday.
Adelaide finally got some sunshine and we decided to go to Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
I love autumn - I think it is the most beautiful season.
This is probably my first autumn in a long time, since Singapore does not have season.
The garden was so beautiful with autumn leaves everywhere.
We had way too much fun taking pics and just walking around the park.

I took some photos of the sceneries. Here you go. (:

Autumn <3

There were so many bees in that beautiful bush..ekk!

Water lily - so beautiful.

Love the lights in this pic. Sweet Mitch had to take so many shots to get it 'perfect'.

And this gotta be my favorite photo of the day! (:

And I ended up with way too many leaves on my dress and leggings. :P

Hope this post makes you wanna go out there and enjoy the nature and sunshine! (:
Go for a walk or a run! It'll be fun.
Have a lovely day! Weekend is coming too (:

xoxo