Borough Market

Staying home the whole time gets a bit boring sometimes, so yesterday despite the horribly cold weather, Cherri and I went out to explore London like tourists!


First of all we hopped to Borough Market, which was packed with happy and hungry people. Going around the market more than three times, we had lots of free nibbles - cheese, salami, parma ham, olives, bread, mushroom pate, parma ham and cheese again. We also tried some oysters too! After that, we got on a bus and slowly headed towards the North.  Don't know how and why, we landed on Newington Green and randomly got into a Turkish restaurant and had more food and drinks ...


Being out and hanging out with a good friend totally refresh my mind! I shall have a good productive week next week!

Kalo Make Patterns !

I love colors, animals and most of all, repeat patterns. I have always wondered how patterns are created, the level of details and the intertwining effects! Finally, I discover how they are created! (Thanks Tor for her post!) Surprisingly, it is amazingly simple. I tried it out myself today! Believe me or not, everyone can do it! All you need are:
+ a pen
+ a piece of paper
+ a pair of scissors (or cutter)
+ some tapes
+ a scanner and a computer (or just a printer!)
+ (optional) a few colour pencils / markers 
I know there are probably a lot of online tutorials out there teaching you how to create repeat patterns. But I am going to demonstrate to you how easy it is by using my own personal example just because I am tooooooo excited about it!


STEP ONE: Do some drawings on a plain paper (of any size), make sure the drawing does not touch the edges (this is important!)

STEP TWO: Cut the drawing into half horizontally (use a photocopy version if you want to keep the original artwork!) 

STEP THREE: take the top piece of paper and put it under the bottom paper, then flip them both to the back. Now use the tapes to tape the drawing back together! Line them up as perfect as possible.

STEP FOUR: Cut the drawing into half again, this time, cut vertically!

STEP FIVE: Take the right piece of paper and move it to the left. Like before, flip them both to the back. Use tape to tape them together, line them up even more perfect than you just did!

STEP SIX: You should now have a piece of paper with a white space in the middle and your original drawings placed on the four corners. Then, pick up the pen again and fill in the white space with more fun drawings!

STEP SEVEN (Optional) : Colour in your final drawing using colour pencils / markers or colour it digitally. This step of colouring is optional, you can still create cool patterns in black and white!

LAST STEP AND HAPPY STEP: If you are a digital person, you can scan your image and repeat them on photoshop. If you prefer a complete handmade experience, you can photocopy your final drawing (the number of copies depends on how big you want your pattern to be!). The images should line up perfectly on any edges! 


 Work Done! Here is Kalo Make Pattern final piece! Horray!


(Due to digital editing, the colour does not reflect how I like it here...)

My Handmade Greeting Cards

Last Sunday, Johanna kindly took me to her local gym in Raynes Park and introduced me to a gift shop's shopkeeper (yes a shop inside the gym - David Lloyd). I spent some good time speaking with the gentleman and showing him my handmade cards. And he offered me to sell them at his shop! Thanks ever so much Agent Johanna! What I learnt from this experience is that you never know where your potential stockists can be...


So today, I spent the whole morning packing up my handmade cards...

Kalo's Cooking Skills... Acceptable!

Many of you may know that I am never a food person. I don't have any major preference for restaurants (definitely not KFC or kebab tho!), I only cook simple meals and the same thing over and over again, basically anything that satisfy my tummy will do. However, ever since I started working from home, or should I say since the first of day of January 2011, I began to cook a lot more and I am definitely falling in love with it! Cooking is actually...rather fun! 


I am cooking Chinese a lot at the moment because I have this great book 'Chinese Food Made Easy'. The recipes are really easy to follow; unlike Jamie Oliver's recipes, you don't have to buy a lot of ingredients and the key point is the outcome (food) taste good! Of course, my dishes still taste different and not as good as what my mum and aunties cook back home but hey! it is a start for me! (I used to ONLY make stir-fry with one flavor, Ho sin sauce!!!) 


This time, I made a Sweet and Sour Pork coated with roasted peanuts!
I have also attached a photo of the recipe below in case anyone wants to try it out yourself!

Double click to enlarge for recipe

Kalo's version!

Valentine's Card Designs

Hey ho. another three designs for Valentine's cards! I am still working on another 3 to make it a set of 10. 


These cards are based on some animal designs I handcut with colourful papers awhile back. I then edited them with Photoshop to create more interesting compositions.
It is a great idea to use old materials when you run out of creative juice! 
I think they are rather sweet and cute. I hope you will like them too, they are available on my website and my Folksy shop

Oval Weekend

This Saturday, Daniel and I met up with Tom in the South. Had some lovely breakfast, saw an exhibition about the gay scene in Vauxhall, then walked up to his Camberwell flat for tea and flapjacks. What a relaxing Saturday. 

In the same afternoon, Daniel and Tom also created 'The Beard''s submission advert while I was bumming around and doodled. According to them, it is not a magazine, it is not an article, it is 'something to be photocopied and handed out.' More to follow...

               
                                                  My scribble of Tom's Impression!

My new read - 'The Handmade Marketplace'

I have a new book I want to share with all artists and crafters out there!
It is 'The Handmade Marketplace', which I received today! Thanks Dan!
I only read a few pages but am already in love with it. 

I know this book will cure my rubbish feelings!
Being a crafter and starting off an art business is not easy! 
Somedays I am filled with ideas and energy and somedays I feel a bit discouraged! 
But hey! Never forget your beginner's spirit! What's better? 'To do what you love' OR 'To love what you do'! 

Bespoke Wedding Invite Design for M+M

Here is a wedding card design I did for good buddies - Miyako and Mathias last year.
I found the image hiding in an old file today, thought I would post it!

The idea behind is to combine:
Miyako with her Japanese and Dutch backgrounds (she was brought up in Utrecht) AND her passion in photography
WITH ...
Mathias with his German background AND his passion in golf
AS ...
Dutch-born Miffies (???)

LOOKING AT ...
Dutch-born Mondrian's famous painting

WITH A TWIST ... 
the final artwork is handcut mounted on board! 

Kalamakeup Logo Font

Today, I spent the whole morning trying to create my twin Kalam's logo font...
She loves the idea of using ribbon to write her brand. It is rather tricky but I think I somehow manage? What do you think? Can you read it? 


Click here to see my amazing sister's make up work...

+ K a l o M a k e A r t + brand new website!

After several nights of hard work, KMA's brand new website is born!

It is better, faster and smarter! Plus you can do a bit of shopping and buy some KMA handmade cards too! Spread the word, spread the love! Please visit it at www.kalomakeart.co.uk 
(*** MY MOST UP TO DATED WEBSITE IS www.kalomakeart.com)

Owl in Love

Another design for Valentine's card... 6 more to go! 
If you like them, you can buy them from my folksy shop

Kalo Make Love

Today, I had been busy... sitting at my desk the whole day trying to get a few Valentine's cards designs ready (while skyping sister...). Yes, Valentine's Day! Need an early start to prepare for the market!

I was also researching various printer suppliers in the UK for nearly 3 hours! I learnt a lot of new industrial terms, felt like a self study class. This Christmas I got a lovely practical book - 'Creating your Own Greeting Card Business' It contains lots of useful and interesting information. All card makers / sellers must read!

Ok..Here are a few designs... (Try to imagine there is a fold in the middle, reflecting the front and the back of the card)

Fun Times with Sis in Hong Kong November 2010

A dutch artist created this piece at De Tour in Hong Kong, where children and adults could participate in painting the numbered boxes with the matching numbered paint to create a typical Dutch indoor setting. What a brilliant idea! The kids and the twins had so much fun...