Spring 2012 Pantone Color Trend Picks #4

Sweet Lilac

Pink Floral Botanical Sachets - gardenmis // Katsura in Cherry Pink Fabric - Kalla
Roses, Roses, Paris Photo - GeorgiannaLane // Pale Pink Pom Pom Hair Fascinator - unusualfascinators

Cockatoo

Mint Teardrop Czech Glass Briolettes - MayaHoney // Teeny Fabric Bow Necklace - TheBowMakers
Mint Cocktail Dress - onor // Mint Green Teardrop Pendant Necklace - itsastitch

Around the World - Detroit, MI - DressGreen

Although I haven't tried their products before, but I had always admired DressGreen for their consistent branding. I've found them for over a year now, in my earlier days of discovering handmade soap, and up until now they had not change their branding, it stays consistent. The clean design using selected solid colors, as well as the clean, simple photography, makes them stand out from other soap sellers. The design does give the impression of eco-friendliness, and professionalism. Which in my book, is already a winner. :) Maybe I will try out their products eventually, one day in the future. (when I diminish my soap collection considerably haha)

Thailand

Thailand was amazing!! Although it was just a short trip and mostly a shopping trip, but it was quite enjoyable save for a few mishaps. Oh, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Tour was a pretty mind blowing experience too! I didn't take a lot of photos unfortunately because we didn't went to see the scenic views, but here are the ones I did take. :)

Saw this super cool retro looking radio in a vintage shop. LOVE this shop, but the things are so pricey omg.

I want to have another trip to Bangkok again some time in the future though. There are so many things and places that I had not visited yet, like the floating markets and the many palaces and temples. I also have not had a massage, and rode on a tuktuk yet! Or have authentic Thai tomyum, or mango sticky rice. So much to do! Perhaps a longer trip next time? Yeah, that sounds good. :)

Going to Thailand!

Thai Temple Sunset Photograph - erintrees

I'm flying to Bangkok, Thailand in 5 hours time to see Lady Gaga's Born This Way tour tomorrow night! Soooooo excited!! I'm soooo excited to go to Bangkok too because I've never been there although they are a neighboring country, haha. I'll take lots of photos and share with you all when I come back on Sunday! First time backpacking it too, I'm only carrying a backpack and a sling bag. Hopefully I don't shop too much now. Haha!

Weekly Word Picks - Moss

I had loads of fun with today's word! And it is...

MOSS

Apothecary Jar Terrarium Set - DoodleBirdie // Moss Textile Ring - MandyBesek
Vintage Moss Green Cocktail Dress - myfavoritevintage // Woodland Lichen Eco Resin Bangle - RosellaResin
Faeries of the Glen Moss Pendant Necklace - RenataandJonathan // Moss Nest Archival Print - amberalexander

For the complete treasury : Moss


This week's word was chosen by sacredwaterssoapco.

So what should next week's word be? Suggest by posting in the comments below!

For a list of words already suggested, please refer to this post.

Animals in Glasses

How about some cute animals in glasses to cheer you up this beautiful Sunday?

In Deep Thought Fine Art Photography - riotjane // Valentine Cat Print - cmqstudio
Norwich Terrier Teacher - susansphotoart // Mini Dachshund in Glasses - MemorableImagery
Bird Brained - Chickadee in Glasses - instantt // Sophisticated Dog Fine Art Print - MatmePhoto

Around the World - Detroit, MI - Sightly

Sightly is a shop that sells a variety of different products ranging from vintage deco, to vintage fashion, and to handmade wares. What I like most about the shop is the clean retro feel to it, even though they have a large variety of products, the shop still looks consistent. Although they have a fair collection of fabulous vintage decos, their chalkboard pieces are going to always be my favorite!

May'12 Giveaway Winners!

The winners for the giveaway is finally drawn, and who did random.org picked? Let's find out! :)

The winner for the white Chinese button necklace is...

CONGRATULATIONS TO CAMI!!

And the winner for the blue scaled pendant is...

CONGRATULATIONS TO AGNES OF I-AM-AMAZED

I will be in contact shortly, so expect an email from me soon!
Once again, thank you to everyone for your participation! Let's hope for a bigger and more successful giveaway next month shall we? :)

Around the World - Detroit, MI - Brown Dog Welding

It seems like there are quite a few manly shops in Detroit, and Brown Dog Welding's manliness is definitely proven without question. Josh Welton, the owner of the shop, creatively utilized scrap metal and other hardware to create fantastic one of a kind metal sculptures. He makes all types of sculptures from choppers and hogs to dogs and humanoid robots. However, my favorite is definitely the hot rods! I mean, just look at the details on that thing! And it's likeness to the real thing. It just blows one's mind away. If you can't afford one of these manly sculptures for the man in your life, maybe you could check out his belt buckles and keychains instead. They're not bad too. :)

Weekly Word Picks - Mocha

Since we did Vanilla last week, someone suggested we do this word this week. And it is...

MOCHA

Coffee Love Kitchen Art - RaceyTay // Smokey Quartz Earrings - Polestar
Stainless Steel Coffee Scoop - Beadz2Pleaz // Elgin Marbles Driver Eyeglasses - BibbysRocket
Mint Mocha Cold Process Soap - RootsSoapCo // Brown Snakeskin Imitation Leather Shoes - MagpiesShop

For the complete treasury : Mocha Lover


This week's word was chosen by Priscilla from Gardenmis.

So what should next week's word be? Suggest by posting in the comments below!

For a list of words already suggested, please refer to this post.

The First Challenge

Keep Calm and Carry On 8x10 Poster - petekdesign

So, the first official weekday without a day job, and this is what I did!

8.30am - Wake up, feed the cat and eat breakfast.

9.30am - Getting ready to start work. Got comfortable in front of my laptop and turns it on, only to found that my mouse is refusing to start properly. So decided to restart the machine, just in case... you know, that fixes it!

9.45am - Laptop refuses to load Windows, stuck at bios screen for the last 15 minutes.

9.46am - Cue panic/freaking out!!!

9.50am - Laptop managed to load Windows after the umpteenth time of force restart. But found out soon enough that all my USB ports are malfunctioning. This means something is wrong with the motherboard. (that is what my friends told me anyway)

10.00am - Begins to check online stuff, sales, emails, Facebook games. (haha) Decided that I should settle my PC problems ASAP today.

11.00am - Drove out to the nearest service center.

11.20am - Reached service center, to found out that they no longer service ASUS products. The kind man behind the counter told me that I need to go to the biggest digital mall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur (which is about 1 hour drive from home, factoring in traffic) for the next nearest service center. I have no choice, so I left to drive into the city.

12.20pm - Reached the mall, found the service center and got a queue number. Decided to walk around and check out computer prices while I'm there, and there was a long queue at the service center.

1.10pm - Handed my laptop over to the guy behind the counter, he agrees that it sounds like a motherboard problem, but cannot give me a quote (not even an estimation) for the repairs. I'll have to wait for their emails for the repair quote. Estimate will take 1-2 weeks before I can get my laptop back.

Now... my laptop is my only computer, without it, it will be very extremely inconvenient for me to run my online biz. So at this moment, I am seriously considering getting a new desktop in the mall, since I'm already there anyway and I seldom get to go there. I have been considering it for the past 2 months as well because my laptop is already over 3 years old. So here begins my journey on finding the right desktop!

2.30pm - After inquiring prices, specs and opinions in over 5 shops, I finally found one that I like. I like the sales guy too because he showed appreciation to my trusty laptop. :) I'll have to wait for 1.5 hours for them to put it together though, so I paid the deposit and decided to go hunt for food.

2.50pm - Reached a fairly well known food court a few blocks away on foot, and had delicious pork ribs curry noodles.

3.30pm - Finished my meal and decided to venture into the Isetan market just next to the food court, they have a large variety of interesting import goods. Brought parmesan cheese and some dark chocolate bars, yumyum!

4.00pm - Time to head back!

4.20pm - Got back to the mall, collected my new computer but realized that I have lost my parking ticket, oh no!! I ended up paying a fine for it. (5x times the price of the parking!!)

6.00pm - Reached home and I'm all beat, but am excited about putting my shiny new computer together and started clearing up space for it.

7.00pm - Am finally done setting the PC up! Phew~ that was tiring. Spent a little bit more time checking online stuff.

7.20pm - Refreshing shower and dinner!

9.00pm - Drives off to friend's house to pick up the bubble mailers that we ordered and just arrived.

10.00pm - Reached home and started to relax, make tea and type this post.

What a heck of a way to start my journey!!

Final Day At My Day Job

Back in late February, I tendered in my resignation letter to my employer, and last Friday was officially my last day at my day job! Finally, it feels kind of surreal that that phase of my life is over (for good!) and now begins the part I am giddy for - running my little handmade biz full time.

The last few days had been hectic, but full of anticipation at the same time. I had to tie loose ends and sort out the remainder of the work to be distributed to other designers and settle whatever that is needed to be settled at work. I had also been on a food hunt spree because after this I would be domesticated to endless homecook food haha.

How does it feel to be rid of my day job? Awesome. :) It's such a liberating feeling, knowing that I don't need to reach the office at 9.30am anymore, I don't need to deal with know-it-all clients, I don't need to do repetitive design work that I hate, I don't need to follow the company's illogical policies and go through many stages just to apply for a day off. Aaand I don't just have 4-5 hours per day to work on my handmade biz after work.

Of course, there are worries as well when one loses a steady income. But we'll just take a step at a time, and face the challenges as they come. I just need to work harder now!

Finally, something fun and nostalgic! This is how my desk looks like at my day job. :D

Notice my snack corner? Hahaha. And those are my faithful Skullcandy headphones, I've had them for at least 3 years and they still work like they are brand new.

And now, after I cleared everything.

Looks so barren now haha.

Around the World - Detroit, MI - Cyberoptix Tie Lab

More Etsy shops for men in Detroit? Why yes! With a title like Cyberoptix Tie Lab, it is obvious enough what they sell in their fairly huge shop. Tired of the regular ole pinstripe or plain colored ties? Or scared of the ties with horrid prints? You should definitely check this shop out for gorgeous hand printed ties. They have a huuuge assortment of graphics, from mustache to black widows, and brainwaves to kitten with lasers shooting out of it's eyes. Suitable for all types of men from the fashionable to the geeks. They also offer other hand printed men's accessories such as bow ties and scarves, as well as ties for little men. (aka kids) Like I mentioned in my previous post, father's day is coming soon!

May'12 Rejects Giveaway (Ended!)

It's time for a rejects giveaway again! I know I was supposed to do it monthly, (so guilty) but so many things had been keeping me so busy that I keep forgetting to take photos of the pieces. So to compensate, I will be giving away 1 piece that is not a reject this month!

To promote the new additions for the chinese button necklaces, I am giving away the original white chinese button necklace and a blue scales hand drawn pendant. (a reject)

I didn't coat the blue scales pendant enough and resin soaked through and stained/darken the bottom part of the paper. It's barely noticeable though!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE BLUE SCALES PENDANT IS FLAWED/IMPERFECT!!
Nothing is wrong with the chinese button necklace though.
You will get them as is. I will not entertain complains and I do not accept returns. ;)




--[ HOW TO ENTER ]--

1. MANDATORY - Visit my Etsy shop and tell me what is your favorite item by leaving a comment in this post! Please leave an e-mail address too so that I know how to contact you if you win. :)
2. Optional (x1) - Tell me which pendant you would like if you win in the comments. That way I can decide which pendant to give if you're picked! ;)
3. Optional (x1) - Like me on Facebook, and leave your name in my comments.
4. Optional (x1) - Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect.
5. Optional (x1) - Favorite my shop and add me to your circle. (must do both) Leave your Etsy username in the comments.
6. Optional (x1) - Twit about this giveaway on Twitter, then come back here and post the link in the comments. Remember to include my Twitter account in the update @skyejuicedesign.
7. Optional (x1) - Share this giveaway on your Facebook and tell me in the comments that you did, remember to tag @Skyejuice as well!
8. Optional (x1) - Blog about this giveaway on your blog. Please also remember to come back here and leave a link in the comments section.

Please leave separate comments for all! 1 comment = 1 entry.

If you did a few of the things above and only left 1 comment, it will be count as 1 entry.

--[ ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ]--

1. The giveaway will run from now until May 17th, 2012 - 11:59pm PST.
2. The giveaway is open to everyone worldwide.
3. The winner will be picked randomly using Random.org generator.
4. I will contact the winner when it is chosen. The winner have 48 hours to claim their prize, or else a new winner will be chosen. If you did not or forgot to leave an e-mail in your comments, please be sure check back after 10th to see if you win or not, and shoot me an e-mail at kyonpichi@gmail.com within 48 hours as well. SO REMEMBER TO LEAVE ME AN E-MAIL ADDRESS SO I COULD CONTACT YOU!!

And that's it, good luck folks!

Around the World - Detroit, MI - Brightwall

Morning Delight Detroit Skyline - AlannaPfeffer

After going all over the African continent and upwards to a few more countries up north, it's time to head back to a US city once more. And as I glance at the list of major cities in the USA, Detroit jumps out to me somehow, so let's go with that. :) I don't think I've done a city in the mid-northern part of USA yet.

So let's explore Detroit and see what handmade goodness this fabulous city have to offer!

If you've been gushing at vintage luggage bags on Etsy as much as I have, you'd probably stumbled upon Brightwall before. It's such a simple concept, screenprinting graphic onto vintage clothing and items, but it works so well. The simplicity of it kept the original item's charm, and made more exciting by a modern graphic design, sometimes even enhancing the original clothing or item, maybe that's why it works. Aside from the upcycled editions, there are the classic vintage men's wear in his shop as well, unaltered in their original form if you are more the old fashion type. His shop almost mainly caters to men, which can be rare on Etsy I know. Father's day is coming soon next month, so maybe it's not too early to start planning for it.

You should check out his sister shop Brightwall Vintage as well that sells home goods and decor.

New Chinese Oriental Button Necklaces

I've had the white chinese button necklace for a while now, and finally decided to add a few new additions to the series. :)

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Weekly Word Picks - Vanilla

Since no one suggested a word this week, I decided to pick one myself. And the first word that came to mind was...

VANILLA

Edible Vanilla Candy Buttons - andiespecialtysweets // Keishi Pearls Sterling Silver Earrings - daimblond
Winter White Floral Photography - JessaMaePhoto // Cream Butterfly Cutouts - Gardenmis
French Vanilla Vintage 1960s Fur Hat - PoppyCockVintage // Crochet Slippers in Vanilla - WhiteNoiseMaker

For the complete treasury : French Vanilla

This week's word was chosen by your's truly from Skyejuice. ;)

So what should next week's word be? Suggest by posting in the comments below!

For a list of words already suggested, please refer to this post.

Five Words

Found them over the weekend, and man, what beautiful typography! In the creator's words. The premise is simple. Bring a situation or message to life in merely five words, daily. 

Indeed, it is not the end. :) For more simple and beautiful typography, head on over to their site Five Words.

Inspiring words and inspiring typography, this just makes me miss making the typography posters for my 30 Days of List. But alas, that will have to wait until my other priorities are fulfilled. I wish I have more time!

Around the World - Russia - Wooden Hut

Having a grandfather who was a furniture maker, and a father that was experienced with woodwork as well, I have a special appreciation for anything wood. So it was a delight to me to have found WoodenHut. I like how simple yet intriguing his jewelry pieces are. I especially like how he used slices of wood as pendants. It makes me realize that gemstones are not the only gems from the earth after all, there are other gems that can be found above the surface of the earth. :)

New Toggles

I should have updated this ages ago, haha. But I finally have the new toggles I ordered! There were a lot of ups and downs while I have them made, and part of the toggle's design is mine as well, but finally they are done.

They are a lot daintier and slightly smaller than the original round toggles I use, which I think makes the bracelet more delicate and feminine looking.

Picture of the toggle when worn.

From now on all new bracelet orders will be made with the new toggle. :) If you would prefer the old round one, I do have some left so I could accommodate your request as well.