made by maude

on the beach

2008-12-02T13:46:00.003+08:00

Seaweed. Sweet, isn't it?

Finally, I got a stroll along the sand. As we walked we collected pieces of colourful rope washed up on the shore.

Surprisingly I wasn't cold, though it was a cool blustery day. Am I finally becoming acclimatised to this Victorian weather?

2008-11-28T11:55:00.005+08:00

One of the perks of being back in my home country is the ENDLESS op shopping to be had. There were no op shops in KL, at least that I could see. Thankfully I've landed in a small coastal city that is awash with treasure troves of used goodies. Mostly goodies. Often you come against someone's well worn pilled trackies. Or feather yarn. Sometimes Roxette tapes. Once in a while there's an old high school art class painting that makes you look twice, "Is that mine?"... Although I had ample opportunity, I picked up none of these things. I got a blooming good book called 'Flower Arranging in Colour' by Betty Massingham (image). A kilo of zippers. Some sweet sheets and pillow cases. A teeny yellow saucepan. And a nice chat with the woman behind the counter about the virtues of a good haberdashery collection.

2008-11-20T19:07:00.004+08:00

Oh gee, I've been back in Oz for a week almost, and this is only my first post. A little slack, huh? It's been family a-go-go here. Booze and food. Fish and chips on the beach on a cold windy day. Rediscovering old clothes. Patting the family dog. Shoe shopping with my mother. Drinking coffee with my dad. Cutting my sister's hair. Wearing two t-shirts, leggings and socks to bed. Asking if the heating can be put on in the morning. Cripes, it's cold!

I haven't made anything yet. These are images from some cards I collaged in KL. Oh, memories!

Tomorrow I'm off to visit old friends and new babies. Hurrah!

2008-11-13T15:10:00.002+08:00

So goodbye KL, so long Malaysia. It feels so strange to be leaving. We did live together after all. And you introduced me to some new friends, I can't help but feel a little sad. But then, holy cow, tomorrow morning when I touch down at Tullamarine...I'll probably be really tired. But happy!

Leaving you though, Thistler, is very hard to do, so you hurry home ok?

2008-11-12T07:00:00.000+08:00

Goodbye favourite local coffee shop. Goodbye sweet red bean pastry (will I ever see you again?)

Goodbye Bangsar. You look so nice at dusk, all blurry and glowing, the evening call to prayer ringing out.

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

2008-11-11T11:27:00.005+08:00

It's home time. It's been almost nine months. Early Friday morning I fly fly fly out of KL and eight or so hours later I'll touch down in Melbourne. Oh my. So, goodbye swimming pool. Goodbye neighborhood.

2008-11-06T14:19:00.000+08:00

Hello you, you like cherries right? Oh my yes. Did you know you can get yourself a sweet cherry brooch from the made by maude shop? But there are only three available! Quick, quickly run to maude’s shop and pick a cherry. They’re sweet and oh so very affordable ;)

No Coffee Blues

2008-11-05T14:04:00.002+08:00

Yesterday our little gas bottle ran out of gas, which put our stove out of action. So here I am, waiting for the gas man. No gas means no coffee this morning, which is harder than it sounds. Yeah, you may scoff. I would, if I had coffee this morning. But I didn't. So instead I've got one of those slight, dull, no coffee headaches, wishing the gas man would hurry up. Ok ok, it's not all self-indulgent. I played around with those little giraffe's a bit and resolved the balance issue. Hurrah! Now they're a happy little tribe of giraffe brooches.

giraffe dilemma

2008-10-31T13:51:00.004+08:00

A little while ago my neighbor went to China for six weeks and left me in charge of watering her plants. Those leafy friends survived and as a sweet thank you she bought me back some bits and pieces she thought I might like to use in my work, amongst them a bag of teeny painted wooden giraffes like this...

Oh no! I'm sorry Mr Giraffe, but your not totally my style. Yikes! What's a crafter to do? Well, they hung around for a while, I picked them up and put them back down, pondered their possibilities. I started painting over them, but without much success. Then in a stroke of freaking genius Thistler suggested covering them with paper. Flip!! Why didn't I think of this? I've covered so many things in paper already. Old tins, dodgy diary covers, cardboard boxes...

So I covered 'em, and covered 'em good. I used paper from a pack of offcuts we got here a few months ago. I was going to turn them into brooches, but they don't sit so well when pinned (a bit unbalanced) so now I'm thinking fridge magnets...

2008-10-28T13:02:00.006+08:00

On Sunday Thistler and I were at the train station when we stumbled across this, the futurmobil.

'Heck', we thought, 'what is this thing? Should we ride it? Where will it take us?' Well, we were feeling adventurous that day so we stepped in, and soon found ourselves here...

On a gondola! 'Hoorah!' We exclaimed. So there we were, floating on a lake in the city of Putrjaya, which turned out to be not so far from KL after all. From the gondola we spied a few things, this huge pink domed mosque among them,

and this bridge.

After our gondola ride we strolled for a while until we came upon the Botanic Gardens (every decent city MUST have a botanic gardens, right?). By now we were pretty hot and thirsty. Luckily there was a vending machine in the gardens!

(this is not a vending machine)
There were also monkeys in the palms

and the mosquitoes made themselves known.

After a while the sun began to set, and the call to prayer went out. We wandered back to the Prime Minister's house, and tried to get him to take us back into KL...

He told us to take the train. The futuremobil is one way.

A Few Small Things

2008-10-21T12:29:00.003+08:00

Last week I bought some fabric and gouache. Since then I've made myself a grey skirt (totally anticipating my return to Victoria!) and have painted a few little colour studies. Oh boy, the return to painting is difficult. I seem to have forgotten all the rules. Try, try again huh?

2008-10-20T12:12:00.007+08:00

Yesterday we went to FRIM. Oh la la, what is FRIM? Forum of Really Intelligent Mice? Oh no no. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, of course! It's a big park (with lots of buildings actually) where Malaysians practice a bit of Forest Research. Mmmm. It's on the outskirts of KL, but still in the Klang Valley. We were going for the canopy walk - a high bridge walk through the rain forest, so we packed a picnic and met our friends at the train station.

Our friends recommended NOT catching the train to FRIM, as the line was unreliable and overcrowded, so we caught a cab. Ooh, the place was rather not what we expected. It was like a little, spread out village with houses, schools and a few cafes. The rain forest was sort off around the edges of this. Down at the information center we were informed that the Canopy Walk was under construction. Oh no!
'But you know,' we were further informed, 'there is sooo much more to do lah.' (Some Malaysians like to add 'lah' onto the end of some sentences, sort of like 'yeah'.)

'You can go to the fish pond where, if you clap your hands, a huge fish will jump out of the water! It can jump so high, it could eat a baby monkey out of a tree, ok!!' (Some Malaysians like to add 'ok' onto the end of some sentences. Sometimes they add 'ok lah!' ;) Well we went to the pond and we clapped and clapped, all four of us together, but the fish wouldn't play. So we went to see some bamboo that we were told was the oldest bamboo in the world!! :0

Soon we wandered down to the picnic area only to discover it had been taken over by an inter-school event, where a large noisy game of musical chairs was in progress. We found a quieter spot by a waterfall and ate, battling over sized ants all the while.

Later we took a stroll through the edge of the rain forest, following the FRIM guide, which detailed the uses of different trees. Did you know that the Campnosperma auriculata is used for match boxes and sticks, packing cases, shoe soles, and disposable chopsticks? You didn't, did you?

Hurrah!

2008-10-13T17:33:00.002+08:00

Thank you so much to cuteable who have featured this little fellow on their blog today. Great start to the week!

2008-10-13T11:16:00.003+08:00

Quiet quiet weekend here. Some wandering, some eating. Here are some pics...

2008-10-07T17:02:00.002+08:00

Spent a couple hours today with another Aussie ex-pat who was kind enough to introduce me to a quilting shop in KL full full full of cottons. Hurrah! Here's a few fabrics I picked up. Oh heck, it was exciting.

Deep Sea Adventure

2008-10-03T14:51:00.002+08:00

Hola! Had a little fun with some vinyl and fabric scraps that I bought over (over the sea, on the plane) with me this week. Decided to go with a nautical theme, as I'm missing sea side fun. Haul anchor kids, and pin it to yer shirt. I've made some jellyfish, a whale and even a ship's wheel. Photos of those are coming, once I clean the camera out...

weekend photos

2008-09-29T12:42:00.003+08:00

Took a walk in a city park this weekend and stumbled across THE best playground EVER. Here are some friends we made.

2008-09-24T11:29:00.001+08:00

Cat brooches recently made for a friend. Never ever made a cat brooch before!

Gifts I'm working on for a newly arrived little friend ;)

2008-09-23T11:10:00.003+08:00

Took a little walk this morning. The sky was very blue and clear and our shady street almost felt cool. Now the clouds are gathering once again and you can bet it's hot!

2008-09-22T12:59:00.002+08:00

Who knew a monsoon drain could be so pretty?

zoo what?

2008-09-19T12:15:00.006+08:00

Had a trip to the zoo last weekend. It was as most trips to the zoo are - long and exhausting. Still, we had a fairly jolly time. Ice-cream, fairy floss. Animals galore. The usual suspects. The following are a few pics of some very impressive folk. Our camera ran out of battery half way through, so unfortunately I can't bring you any images of the female orangutan banging her head against the enclosure door. Like I said, it was a fairly jolly time...

Actually, bittersweet is a more apt description of my Zoo experience. I love seeing these creatures up close, but when I see them doing tricks for food, I want to cry. "Goodness," I think "do they treat you like this at home?"

ETSY

2008-09-17T10:24:00.000+08:00

Yes yes, it's true. I DO have an Etsy shop. It's awfully quiet over there, perhaps because I haven't gone in for a lot of self-promotion. I quietly popped an 'etsy mini' in my side bar and mentioned the shop a while ago, but haven't yelled it from rooftops yet. It's a bit intimidating, peddling your wares. Still, it must be done so I'm holding my breath and jumping in...

Bird Brooch - available in my shoppe.

Horse Brooch, also available in my shoppe.

Oh look! Bird brooch, available...yeah, you guessed it.

You think I'd be a bit more forward, that I would have made more noise about the shop. This is the made by maude blog after all.
What happened maude? Stage fright?
Yeah *whimper* ...

2008-09-11T14:04:00.000+08:00

Buckle up, you're in for a long post. It's a late one also. We visited the Batu Caves on the weekend, and I'm only NOW posting about it because I forgot to take the camera along so used my phone camera, and it has taken me this long to send the images from my phone to the laptop. Ok?

The entrance to the Batu Caves, a Hindu temple here in KL. It's dedicated to the god Murugan. Here he is, gold and glorious.

This is the elaborately decorated archway to the 272 steps that lead to the Batu Caves. It is very very beautiful. My images don't do it justice but they are my souvenirs so...

Three friends begin the climb...

as many monkeys dart around, food in mouths. Those monkeys will happily leap up and snatch any food you have straight from your hands. It looks quite frightning, so we left our peanuts at home.

A temple inside the caves.

Looking outside from within, a souviner shop to the right.

The descent.

Deities decorate the other side of the entrance archway.

In true KL style there was plenty of rubbish scattered along the sides of the cave :( We only visited the main 'cathedral cave', but it was pretty special. There's some history on the Batu Caves here at reliable (!) wikipedia. There is the yearly Hindu Thaipusum festival in KL where devotees make a pilgrimage to Batu Caves. Some carry jugs or containers filled with offerings, others attach offerings to their bodies by piercing or hooking their skin, often dragging the offerings behind them... Obviously the Batu Caves are a deeply important to Hindus, and the day we were there there were many (gentler) forms of devotion taking place.

Be still, deer.

2008-09-05T16:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday a friend and I took a trip to the Deer Park here in KL. It's in the same area as the Butterfly Park Thistler and I visited some time ago. It was my friend's birthday, and we had already had nice lunch together with our husbands (!) in Mid Valley (Oh mega mall, where would we be without you?). We bought drawing supplies along to the deer park and settled down to an afternoon of sketching. The rain settled in also, and you can see how the deer (and two stags) congregated under the shelter. Oh, they really were so sweet! Standing there, staring back at us. Very very still most of the time then of course, at the inopportune moment, a little shuffling and the drawing is ruined. Never mind, it was so lovely to sit there and watch them as it rained, thundered and lightninged around us and I slowly re-acquainted myself with drawing.

2008-09-01T21:54:00.000+08:00

This weekend Malaysia celebrated Merdeka, or independence (from British rule). There were many many flags adorning houses, buildings and cars. A car covered in small flags is quite a sight, each one flapping gleefully in the breeze. There were lots of thing happening in KL (many sales, of course) and on Saturday Thistler and I headed down to the Annexe Gallery in Central Market for the Art for Grabs market they hold there every so often. The gallery was also putting on a programme of films and lectures about Malaysian identity (and constructions of) that looked pretty good, but our love of craft won out over intellectual curiosity...
Lots of handmade goodies to see, here are a few we bought home for ourselves.

This little critter is a handmade softie constructed from a glove. Rather in keeping with my own sock kitty. Below is a set of hand cut perspex brooches. The black fruit is a durian - a beguiling fruit that stinks to high heavens but is heavenly to taste, apparently. Never eaten it, but have certainly smelt it at the markets. That and the umbrella are perfect Malaysian souvenirs!

We totally made it up to our intellect this afternoon though. We were hanging out in the city when, surprise surprise, it started raining. We thought we'd pop in to see a film. 'Don't Mess With The Zohan'. Yes, it is as bad as you think it may be. At one point Zohan says he's from Australia (hiding his true identity) and another character says 'Oh, it must be nice there now that Apartheid is over.' We must've been the only Aussies in the cinema, cause no none else chuckled. Now I've told you the 'funniest' part, you don't need to see it.

Rainy Days

2008-08-21T10:28:00.000+08:00

It's been raining all morning. Really raining. Tropical rain. I wonder how long it will last and how many parts of the city have flooded already. No matter, I'm enjoying it. It's a complete distraction.

I wish I smoked so I could stand in the open doorway, arms folded, sucking that cigarette and looking sardonically to the sky. Or reflective, like I was contemplating something REALLY big. "Yeah," I'd think, "it sure is raining."

These pictures go no way to showing you how much water is falling from the sky. But you get an idea of the colour scheme.

sock

2008-08-19T17:18:00.001+08:00

This is the latest edition to our household. He is fashioned from a pair of socks. Look at him. He seems a little nonchalant to me. Thanks to The Orange Tree for sending me this and many other patterns! Orange Tree, do you know the name of the book this pattern came from?

2008-08-19T17:06:00.000+08:00

We have been getting lost in the city (again), eating banana leaf meals at 'lost' locations, dining with Russians, cleaning our drains and spying piano players in fancy malls.

Mr David is Selling His House

2008-08-16T11:17:00.000+08:00

This banner was hard to miss as we walked up the highway to the shops. It wasn't there the next day. I wonder if Mister David managed to sell his house. With 5 bedrooms and 7 toilets I bet it was snapped up quick smart.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

2008-08-15T14:54:00.000+08:00

"Here. Here I am dummy. In this shop window, playing at being a mannequin. Modeling this sweet outfit."
I walk past this shop window at least once a week. The very first time I did, I stopped and stared. This here dummy is a dead ringer for my little (!) brother. I kid you not. The face, the height, the hair!! It's uncanny, I swear.

Lauren Williams Handmade

2008-08-11T17:55:00.000+08:00

Look what was waiting in the letterbox for me this morning! Lauren Williams and I did a little swap, and I scored two beautiful brooches and a ring. Thanks Lauren! You can see more of her work on her blog and on her etsy shop.

2008-08-11T16:44:00.000+08:00

Well, we had jaunt to Singapore this weekend. Oh! It was lovely. We caught the double decker bus from KL, which was a vast improvement on our last train journey to Singapore. Actually, it was awfully luxurious. Meal included, complementary tea, coffee and water. Pillow and blanket. We stayed overnight in a cheap-o hotel, and wandered the streets, eating and looking. We remembered how nice footpaths are and spent much time at the Singapore Art Museum and National Gallery. There was even a visit to Spotlight(!). Here are some shots to show you how darn bright and colorful Singapore was.

Fun With Cut and Paste

2008-08-07T15:46:00.001+08:00

Four collages I've made this week. Fun fun fun. All the paper is recycled too!

A Tardy Weekend Post

2008-08-05T16:50:00.000+08:00

Saturday was 'let's go somewhere new day', so we trooped off to Central Market. It's in the city center and a tourist trap for sure, a bustling indoor market selling primarily Malaysian arts and crafts. Still, it was nice to spend a few hours fingering batiked cloth and woven shawls. There were also lots of badly designed t-shirts featuring KL landmarks. Our favourite spot was the antiques and collectibles area, where we found a box of ephemera - old used envelopes sent from Chinese migrants working in Malaysia back home. Or so the stall holder told us. We'll have to go back when we have spare cash and sharper bartering skills. Attached to Central Market is the Annexe, where all manner of 'fine art' is housed. No, it was pretty cool. There was a street full of portrait artist, each with a small studio where you could watch them work. The quality was pretty darn good, and we chuckled over the idea of commissioning a family portrait. (Like the one of the Kennedy family hanging over their mantle in Neighbours.) The real reason we made the trip to Central Market though was for the Annexe Gallery, a great contemporary art gallery. We saw a wonderfully tactile show called 'Please Touch' by Simon Keogh. So we did, and it was good fun!

After lunch we wandered out onto the street and eventually stumbled across China Town. I was quite excited about this, but it turned out to be full of knock off designer goods and sweaty people sneaking up to us and coyly opening a vinyl wallet saying 'DVD for you? DVD?'. Not very exciting. Still, not much compares to soaking up the energy of a city and you know what, we didn't buy anything remotely tourist-y. Except for a bottle of water...

Can you believe we didn't take any photos in either Central Market or China Town? All the above images are from the streets in between these two places.

Hey Nephew

2008-08-01T16:59:00.000+08:00

Big shout out to my nephew (who likes to be referred to as X) whose parcel I've just received in the mail. It came covered in sweet little dog stickers and included great little gifts of chalk, Malaysian money and a nifty little rock. Thank you Mr X, you made my day!
xox k

2008-07-30T18:23:00.000+08:00

Right. I'm doing this for the first time. Participating in a 'meme'. Lauren from lauren williams handmade has tagged me. It goes like this...

The rules are:

1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

Here are six random things about me.

1. Yesterday evening as I walked to the supermarket to gather food for dinner a man on a motorbike yelled out to me, "Hello, nice dress!" I was too bemused to yell anything back. I wasn't wearing a dress.

2. I am going to commit the Malaysian word bodoh to memory. It means idiot.

3. In the town where I grew up there was a shop called 'Bali Bagus'. I used to spend a bit of time there, looking at the exotic housewares and batiked clothes. They had a novelty section. You know, rude novelty. There were also lots of framed prints of Bob Marley and traditional American Indians. It was the only place in town that sold incense. Malay (with dialect variations) is spoken throughout Indonesia. In Malay bagus means brilliant, cool, fantastic. Fantastic Bali! Naff shop!

4. I am home sick.

5. I am working on a series of paintings called 'I Dream of a Beautiful Home'.

6. I have an etsy shop. I set it up a little while ago. I should have told you I know, but I was waiting until I got more products on there. You can have a look, just don't laugh at the lack of variety, ok?

Hey Lauren, I know it's illegal, but I'm not gonna tag anyone. I uh, don't know enough bloggers...Is that sad? Maybe if your a blogger and wanna be tagged let me know, I'll tag you.

I can, however, introduce you to Frank and Iris. They're finger puppets, although here they're featured as pencil warmers. They're pretty versatile. You'll find them at my etsy shop soon.

edit: LilliEve has been tagged. I'm gonna tag you too Thistler.

2008-07-24T16:15:00.000+08:00

We go here...

(This is a street in Damansara Utama, a suburb of Petaling Jaya. PJ, a city in it's own right, is next door to KL.)

to get this...

(this is a 'cuppacake' from one of our favoured cafes, wondermilk)

2008-07-23T16:15:00.000+08:00

Mid Valley by Night. You don't get a sense of the size of this place from the images, but it's big. Heck, it's a suburb in it's own right. Thistler works in this district. It's basically two malls (one of them the MEGA MALL) joined together, with a few other buildings scattered around. You work here, you eat here, you shop here, you get your kicks here. Some people live here. You can even get a tattoo here. I'm yet to do that though...

Pinic At...

2008-07-13T19:26:00.000+08:00

Lake Titiwangsa! Try saying that with a straight face. We surprised Thistler's Russian workmate with a picnic at Lake Titiwangsa yesterday afternoon for his birthday. It was a lovely Sunday, potato salad and all. You can see from the photos below that fake wood made an appearance that afternoon. The fence posts around the lake were cement, fashioned to look like logs. We also had some chocolates that were made to look like tree stumps. You know, after the forest has been cleared. They're Japanese so we don't know what they're called. Lumberjack Sweets?

Down at Lake Titiwangsa they have something called "They Eye on Malaysia". You've probably heard of it. They have one in London. It's a glorified Ferris Wheel really. But a ride on the Ferris Wheel is always a treat, so we climbed on board. Here's what it looked like out of and in 'The Eye'.

Actually, the very first photo in the above collection has nothing to do with 'The Eye'. It's a small section of an outdoor netball court at the lake. Tiled too! We nearly had a round robin...

You can see the mountains behind the endless high rises. KL is situated in the Klang Valley. It was drizzling that afternoon and the habitual dark clouds of the valley were hanging out with the mountains.

As we were calling it an afternoon I spied this lovely scene across the road.

my neigbourhood

2008-07-11T11:36:00.000+08:00

This is the 'hood. It's nice and shady and cool. The photos show our street and the high rise in our compound, and palm trees, which I never tire of looking at. There's a highway one block away. There are three malls in our suburb. There are two more where Thistler works (his office building is attached to one). From my bedroom window I can see 'Bangsar Hill', which is littered with high rise condos and HUGE houses. The footpaths are often un-walkable or non-existent here, so everyday there are residents walking dogs or getting exercise around the compound. Swinging arms and sweaty foreheads, they look like they are enjoying themselves.

Drip Dry

2008-07-08T10:33:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Sam from AprilMay for the lovely blink designs tea towel. 'Tis awfully nice getting parcels in the post and even better when the contents are so good! Will I dry the dishes on it, or will I just hang it on the wall?

2008-07-07T12:00:00.000+08:00

There I am preparing for the masquerade ball tonight...No no, obviously not. I'm at the Butterfly Park in KL. We went there Sunday afternoon, and what a lovely afternoon it was. A real treat, though even more hot and humid than the city! I never ever go in for butterfly things, but boy, those little flying insects sure are beautiful as they go flitting by. We also saw a snake swallowing a live frog, some rabbits (bunnies + butterflies = happy tourists I guess), loads of scorpions, hairy spiders, rhino bugs, leaf insects and dead, orderly pinned and displayed butterflies and insects (all behind glass).
The butterfly park is situated in the Perdana Lake Gardens not a ten minute cab ride from our place. The Lake Gardens is also home to the Bird Park, the Orchid Garden, The Deer Park, the Hibiscus Garden, the ASEAN Scultpure Garden and the Malaysian National Monument. Whew!! Next time we'll take a packed lunch and see them all.

New Softies

2008-07-04T18:34:00.000+08:00

Here they are, my new softies. This is Rabbit. Golly, I like this fabric. Unfortunately I only had enough to make a rabbit, dog and bird. Oh well.

Here's Rabbit in two sizes. Big Rabbit is dressed in Falling Leaves fabric and Small Rabbit is dressed in Sunny Day fabric.

Now this is Cat. Cat is turning out to be more troublesome than Rabbit to make. This version of Cat has a straight tail that I just didn't like once I'd stuffed the fellow.

This version of cat has a curly tail, which is much better. However, somehow Cat ended up with a big head and, when hanging out with Bird, Dog and Rabbit, it looked silly. So Cat's head is going to be a bit smaller.

Here they are, sleeping on the job.

It's Been Raining All Day

2008-07-03T11:58:00.000+08:00

It has. It's so nice. Things have been a little slow here lately. Or, well ordinary. As in I don't have any ker-azy KL adventures to report. Thistler had a cold/flu thing, so our last few weekends have been spent at home, snuggling up under the air conditioning (?!). I've been expanding my softie family though and now have a rabbit and cat to add the made by maude gang. I'll show you later, ok? July has started off in a technology loving fashion. We've got an XBOX 360 and a camera now! Wow! So, no more phone camera shots. We have a boatload of games also but that's not really my department. Ahem, I only play the cute ones...
Anyway I know I've been absent ALL WEEK from this blog but I have been looking at other nice things. Here are two that made my heart beat a little bit faster...

cabin and cub made this beautiful mixed media collage, 'girl and bird'. Is it the pink gingham that got me? The cabin and cub etsy shop is full of more of these sweet, funny, beautifully designed pieces.

This is Raspberry Beret by truffle. Apart from making me hum the song, it reminds me of a piece of vintage cross stitch Thistler gave me the very first Christmas we had together. I sewed that piece onto a vest and it's one of my favourite tops. I can't wear it here cause it's too warm for woolly vests, but I could hang Raspberry Beret on my wall. Of course it helps that it's a blooming great piece!
Have you seen or experienced anything that has made your heart beat a little faster this week? Too much coffee, great art, labour pains, good cooking, paint fumes?

delicious escape

2008-06-24T16:54:00.000+08:00

I have spent the last half hour or so in wonderland. 'But Maude, you are an arty type', you say 'you are always in wonderland.' That may be so, but this time I was in a wonderland not of my making. I was in the wonderland that is delicious. magazine. I used to buy this mag as often as I could back in Oz, and salivate over the recipes. Often I'd be so inspired I would make something other than toast for tea. I haven't looked at a copy since before Christmas, so I was a bit excited when I spied the latest edition at the newsagents this afternoon. It has a picture of dripping, dreamy fondue on the cover and the insides are full of winter fare like roasted chestnuts, baked treats and slow cooked wonders. Considering I'm ovenless in KL most of the recipes are impractical, but a girl can dream can't she? Maybe I'll make some art about food...

Now this is a sneak peek at something I'm making for a little friend who is waiting to be born. In fact, there are two of these friends on the way (not twins but two friends having babies) so fear not little friend #2, I'll be making something for you too!

Back on the food theme, you know what else I really miss? Ready Steady Cook. Nothing like a bit of stitching while watching smart arse chefs on daytime telly.

Teksi!

2008-06-20T11:32:00.000+08:00

image from here

Have you ever have fun in a taxi? I have. Tsk tsk, don't be rude please. I mean the sort of good time you have when you have a happily unexpected conversation with someone. Most taxi drivers begin by asking me where I'm from. Australia garners mostly 'OH, Australia.' This means they don't really know anything about Australia. Sometimes they ask you which part, sometimes they have family there, occasionally they say "oh, down under!" Usually they ask what season it is. 'Winter", I say, 'It's cold now!' Then we both chuckle because a.) It's possible the driver has never experienced winter and b.) I'm sweating like crazy all over his upholstery, and boy, do I wish it was winter here! Lately I've been having conversations about Malaysia and it's mixed cultures, and how everyone just tries to live in peace and have a good time. This is usually mixed in with some of mine and some of the driver's personal story, and are wonderful encounters.

Yesterday as I walked toward the taxi rank in Bangsar the driver started flashing his lights. I thought maybe it was a secret code or a joke he had going with another driver. Or maybe he'd seen his friend over the road. Anyway, I got in and told him where I was going. He was about 60 and Indian Malay.
"Oh sweetheart, no problem, I can take you there sure" he said. I ignored the embellishments and smiled.
"I was flashing my lights at you but you didn't signal!" he cheekily exclaimed.
I laughed "I wondered what you were doing!"
"Oh darling, you should have hailed me and I would have driven up to where you were!"
"Ha ha, sorry. I wasn't sure you were doing that for me!"
"Ohh yes, I ALWAYS flash my lights when I see a beautiful lady!" He glances in the rear vision mirror at me and smirks, but in a friendly way.
"HA! Do you always get a good response?"
"Oh yes, I always get the lady's heart!"
I make some more chuckling noises and look out the window. Now he thinks maybe he's gone to far and that I'm frightened.
"Ohh sweetheart, don't worry," he coos, "Where you from?"
"Australia."
"Oh yes. Which part? Sydney?"
"No, Melbourne, down the bottom."
"Ohh, I have family in Sydney. They like it very much. I've been there."
"Really? Do you like Australia?"
"No." He glances in the mirror again.
It's my turn to smirk, in a friendly way. "Why not?!"
"Too cold!" We laugh and he is pleased with his joke.
"Why you here, you got family here?"
"My husband is working here" OK, I'm not married. My partner is working here, but it's easier to explain if I say husband (instead of 'boyfriend', which sounds high-schoolish to me, or 'partner').
"Oh, I didn't know! You look so young. If I knew I wouldn't have tried to... Ah, I was going to put in an application to be your husband!" More smirks, laughing eyes in the mirror. Oh this guy! By now I'm laughing, laughing. OK, shall I try and turn the tables on him?
"What about you, you married?"
He quiets down a bit. "Oh yes, I'm married". Ah ha! I think. But he is far more practiced at this kind of conversation that me. He changes the subject.
"I tell you, in this city, watch your handbag!"
"Oh yes, I know I know!"
He's looking at me in the rear view mirror again, grinning playfully. "I never steal from ladies, no no. Never steal their handbags. I steal their hearts, then everything they have is mine!" Killer shot, Mr Taxi Driver! You win, you have my heart...

This is a post about art and craft.

2008-06-19T17:45:00.000+08:00

Today was spent mostly being a consumer. Don't worry, it wasn't a worthless pursuit. I'll be starting a new art project about it soon. I'm thinking of calling it 'my life as a consumer'. It will be the companion piece to this body of work:

These are two more pieces from this series here. This project is a slowly developing thing, and is experimental at this stage. The two images here are called 'chair' and 'sofa'. Catchy titles huh? I never ever used the word 'sofa' until I worked at a sofa store a few years ago. I thought it was a terrible Americanism. Now I can't bring myself to say 'couch'...

Run misty, run! Guess I couldn't leave the horses to the blog banner. Here are the first in a new line of brooches. 'Horse Brooches'. Do you think I'm to literal with my titles? I haven't made any bird brooches for a while. Do you think the bird motif in craft has had it's day? I've heard cries of 'Enough with the birds designs!' around the traps, but ya gotta go with your instinct when you make stuff. If your crafty insides say 'bird', then make birds! My crafty insides say 'horse' right now, but I have been making a few of those bird softies lately.

Fruity Times

2008-06-16T17:06:00.000+08:00

The other night Thistler and I were walking home from dinner at a local eatery when we heard a strange 'rustle' and 'thump'. A coconut dropped from a tree to the street in front of us! We thought that was pretty darn special, and lucky because one of us could easily have had a nasty coconut encounter. Fruity times, absolutely. I bet every single person who travels to south east Asia tells you about the AMAZING fruit they ate there. Well, they are right to tell you, because it really is a culinary highlight. And now I am going to tell you. I've already written about dragon fruit here. We had red flesh dragon fruit the other day which was pretty incredible. That's the thing about tropical fruit. It looks AMAZING. It knocks your socks off when you see a dragon fruit or a rambutan for the first time, in real life. Rambutans are a lot like lychees, but bigger, their skin is redder and they're sweet with a smack of coconut.

rambutans image from here

Starfruit is by far the cutest of the fruits I've tried. When it's sliced you have star shaped pieces. AMAZING! It's pretty mild tasting, a little tart and crisp and wholly refreshing.

image from here

water apple image from here

This is water apple. Darn, it looks nice and is refreshing to eat. It has a crisp, but sort of soft texture. That makes sense, doesn't is? We've eaten mangoes, oranges, apples, bananas and mandarins to our hearts content but you already know what they look like. Maybe you are eating one now. Me? Oh, I'm eating a pastry. From the 'French' bakery. In KL. I had mango for breakfast, OK?! Anyway, the fruit that really takes the cake, in terms of new sweet flavour full experiences is mangostein. Whew, it's so sweet and juicy! It isn't as impressive looking as some fruits, but these little dudes really pack a punch. My favourite, by far.

mangostein image from here

Of course, you can probably get most of this stuff in Australia but betcha can't get 3kg for RM10 (that's about AUD$3 if you're not familiar with the exchange rate...) What fruit are eating now? Pears? Oranges? I had orange sliced and drizzled with cinnamon syrup, pistachios and mint when we had brunch in the city a while ago. I recreated it at home by drizzling honey and scattering cinnamon, almonds and mint on my orange. It's blooming nice with yogurt and makes a super easy dessert! Go on, try it. You'll be AMAZED!

Baked not Fried

2008-06-11T10:54:00.000+08:00

Finished brooches. I think I'll call them 'Potato Chip Series'. They are hand-cut (just like gourmet potato chips) from recycled and scrapped paper, layers hand-stitched and the whole chip is mod podged for protection. Don't eat them, just wear them. They are the result of my first couple of months in KL and I trashed a LOT of ideas to get to them. Why is it always the simple solutions that are hardest to come to?

2008-06-10T15:53:00.000+08:00

I'm still giving this blog a bit of a makeover (inspired in part by meet me at mikes great posts about doing right by your blog) so some things are a bit woozy at the the moment - like the link list. Here's some news for you though - an hour ago an ATM ate my bankcard!
xx maude
p.s. If you're crafty or a craft lover, bloggie or a blog lover you have to get over to meet me at mikes right now and join their tea party. It's so much darned fun!

Winner!

2008-06-09T14:24:00.000+08:00

I was going to post about our weekend and my fabric shopping woes but was just over at April May's blog and discovered I have won her Friday Giveaway! This makes me very excited!! I'll post something later. Maybe. For now I'm going to wash the dishes while I bask in the glory of having won something. Thanks Sam! xx maude

Make Over

2008-06-06T14:23:00.000+08:00

In keeping with yesterday's post on new clothes, I thought I'd give this blog some new clothes also. Or rather, dress it properly. It's suffered from not having a handmade banner since the beginning, and I finally rectified the problem. With a little help from Thistler of course. Everything is a bit lo-fi here. Well obviously we're hardly an analogue household, but we just don't have access to all our computer files, a digital camera, scanner or printer, which I find limiting for this sort of thing. So the banner turned out a bit wonky. But then, everything I make is a bit wonky...

Colour Me Striped

2008-06-05T09:21:00.000+08:00

There's nothing like a new outfit to make a lady feel nice. Yesterday was a Mega-Mall day, but it was ok, 'cause I came home with the booty. And it's been a while coming, because the pants situation in my wardrobe was getting dire. I finally found a pair of jeans that didn't have super pre-faded thighs, weird ruching at the knees or a skinny leg fit. That sort just don't work for me. I also purchased stripy tee with a bit of puffy sleeve action (my favourite sort of sleeve!). That brings my grand total of striped tops to eight, plus one pair of striped shoes. It's not intentional, I just gravitate toward the stripe. I don't have a pair of striped pants though...

New striped tee and newish striped shoes. The light stripe in the shoe is actually SILVER GLITTER. Yeah, they are special.

A while ago I let a shop lady dress me. Oh boy, what an experience. I was in the sort of shop you know you're not going to find anything in but you look anyway, with the vague hope of finding a 'fun' little t-shirt at a bargain price. Well, the shop assistant plied all kinds of long bat-winged, spangled and screen printed tops on me, paired them with a pair of aforementioned jeans and then, after assessing the assemblage, topped it off by removing her own belt and putting it around my hips. Mmm, white vinyl belt wrapped around a pair of generous hips. Nothing says STYLE more. I don't know why, but I let this charade carry on for 15 minutes. I wanted to see how I'd look if I dressed like someone completely different. So for a short while that afternoon I was a nasty, cigarette smoke smelling teenager. I wish I'd worn lots of eyeliner. I kept saying that I didn't like the bat wing experience, that I was really to short to get away with it. At these protests she would purse her lips a little and say 'But it's the style!". Oh right. How can you argue with that?
Just quickly, I am getting to grips with my new sewing machine. It's noisy, it sort of growls where others whir and the reverse action is a little clunky. I've made a couple of bird softies though, and think I'll be attempting some new purses today. And when I find the fabric, maybe another striped t-shirt...

2008-06-03T12:58:00.000+08:00

I just bought it home. Can you guess what it is? I bet you can. It's pretty obvious. It's not as pretty as my other machines, but it goes. And it has buttonhole stitch! Although no buttonhole foot...I'd better go and give it a whirl.

A Beautiful Loaf Story

2008-06-02T12:45:00.000+08:00

Is it really June 2ND? Cripes, how time flies. It's a drizzly day in KL, which is perfect for a day of pottering. A bit of housework, some crafty times, coffee and magazines.

We had our very first dinner guests last night! Thistler made his signature dish - Spaghetti Bolognaise. Oh boy, we haven't had that for a long while. It was home style cooking at it's best! Our guests surprised us with a 'beaut mango cheese cake for dessert. I wish I had taken a photograph of it before we tucked in. You know when you walk past a cake shop and they have achingly cute/sweet/funny cakes on display? This was one of those. When I opened the box I kinda squealed with delight. It was from a place called 'Loaf Story' (i.e Love Story) - this bakery is really popular in KL. It came in a great box and even had it's own knife! What is it about packaging that makes things extra special?

Half eaten cheese cake. I've just eaten another slice...

On Saturday we bought a sewing machine. Hurrah!! A second hand straight shooter. Straight stitch, zig zag, buttonhole. Very very affordable. I'll be picking it up later in the week. I can't wait to get that machine sewing!

p.s Despite the date at the top of this post, it really is June 2ND here. Promise.

Newish Brooches

2008-05-29T12:35:00.000+08:00

Some new brooches, made a week or so ago. Some of them worked (above), some of them sorta worked, and some of 'em just didn't (below). They make a nice photo though.

Our Weekend Looked Something Like This

2008-05-26T18:53:00.001+08:00

Fresh and dry produce at the Bangsar Sunday Market, coffee and cupcake from guess where?

The past week or so I've been nutting out some ideas for my new art project. I have a concept I'm working on based around the idea of home. Here's a sneak peak at three images I've made so far.

The images are watercolour and thread. I can't remember having ever used watercolour before. It was all we had around the house so I cracked it open. I don't use it with any sort of finesse, but I am absolutely loving it. I've also created my own surface patterns, which is another new step for me! Previously I had used existing objects as stencils to create surface pattern. These images are called, for now, "Table", "Light Fitting" and "Bed".

A Few Things I Haven't Mentioned Yet

2008-05-26T10:24:00.000+08:00

* I completed my very first cross stitch project a few weeks ago. I bought one of those dinky little kits in a pansy motif. I never knew cross stitch could be so much fun! Maybe it was due to the 'stitch by numbers' aspect of it, but I found it engrossing and relaxing. I love methodical repetition when I make things (although I try to balance that with variety and spontaneity) , so cross stitch served that obsession.

* A while ago I made a lovely tofu salad thingy and, for the first time I can remember, Thistler happily chowed down on the tofu! That was until he fished a shell out of his mouth. I kid you not, he found a tiny shell in his piece of tofu! Oh boy, I wish we took a photo. We were shocked. What on earth?! After a bit of blustering we figured they must process tofu with seaweed in it on the same equipment at the tofu factory. At least it wasn't a hair, or a finger...

* I have never been in so many taxis all my life since coming to KL. Taxi drivers are as varied as any group of people you're likely to meet. Some are dandruff friendly, some are a little deaf or think I'm a little deaf and yell "left la?!" at intervals to check they're going the right way. Others are chatty and funny and ask us a lot of questions. We had such a driver once. He was lovely, dispensing advice about how to best handle other taxi drivers, places we should go in KL and the benefits of the Australian/Malaysian exchange rate. When we reached out destination he turned to us and said "Can I sing you a song before you go?". "Wow", I thought, "We are about to be serenaded by a taxi driver!"
"Sure!" we said. And he sang, "Tie me kangaroo down sport, tie me kangaroo down..."

2008-05-21T10:50:00.000+08:00

You know you live in a jolly neighbourhood when the garbage men yell out "Morning Miss, how are you?" as you walk past. It happened this morning as I came home from a trip to the local market. A chorus of garbage men greeting me. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The security guards were just as pleased to see me "Good morning Miss!" they chimed, and I almost forgot they were armed with truncheons. At the market almost every stall holder greeted me this way. When I went for coffee another chorus of "Morning Miss" sounded before I had closed the door behind me. I have never been called Miss so frequently! I wonder what it would take to be upgraded to Misses. Or Ma'am?

A few more who answer to 'Miss Maude'.

The man who runs the stall at the market where I bought my veggies this morning didn't call me Miss, but he was wryly amused when I refused a plastic bag and put my goods in my basket instead, "Sure you don't want a bag?" he asked, gently waving one around and smiling to himself. "No no, it's OK." "Oh-kay", he sighed, as if certain my vegetables will misbehave without the constraints of one. They didn't though, I got them home without mishap.
While at the market I tried what I thought would be a banana fritter but turned out to be Ewe Char Koay, a Chinese doughnut in two thinnish strips joined together. Mm, a doughy fried treat. I really should have saved it for my coffee as it needed a bit of dunking to soften up! The coffee shop was playing a soft, acoustic cover by a female singer of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer". Wow, so edgy!

Even my taxi ride home was an experience. The driver had Madonna pumping, and well, I enjoyed it! Ahh, Madonna. Sometimes just the thing in small quantities and in public places. Unless it's her cover of American Pie. Or any version of American Pie. I wonder if there's a Chinese pop song called "Ewe Char Koay"?

singapore oh singapore

2008-05-20T11:28:00.000+08:00

Whew! We spent about 19 hours on a train this weekend. We thought a quick (!) trip to Singapore was in order, so boarded a train from KL on Saturday night. We thought it would be fun to spend some time on a train, see some country side, chat about this and that, that sort of thing. What is wrong with us? What induced us? Well, visa renewal for one. And the idea that you can get on a train to visit another country (a concept unknown in Australia). Even though we took the overnight train we decided to book out seats in the seating section, and not the sleepers. We were trying to save a bit of money. Saving a bit of sleep would have been the better option... But it wasn't that bad, really.

View of National Museum in Singapore

We did have a wonderful time in Singapore! Singapore is an island off the bottom of Peninsular Malaysia and was just so different to KL!! Footpaths, they had footpaths! We spent our time in the Arts district which was AWESOME. Galleries and museums and fountains. We really didn't spend much time in Singapore but did see a bit from taxi windows. Yes, it is very very clean. And at customs you must declare chewing gum. It's as hot as KL, but with so much art around does it matter?
Sunday afternoon we got back on the train. It was shorter this time as it wasn't an overnight train (they slow the overnight train down for a full nights sleep). We got home late anyway. Monday was a public holiday so we headed into Bangsar for lunch at our favourite Indian eatery and a spot of food shopping. Bangsar is beginning to feel a little bit like home, which is lovely! But we shall definitely try and get back to Singapore and spend some serious time there.

Singapore Art Museum

+wondermilk

2008-05-17T14:32:00.000+08:00

This morning we sought out a cafe/gallery we'd been reading about in local publications called +wondermilk. It was in a part of town a 10 minute taxi ride away called Damansara Utuma. Oh boy, did we feel right at home!! +wondermilk is a lovely little cafe and gallery space showing art and accessories by local artists. They also produce a hugely popular range of cupcakes (called cuppacakes). While we were there we spied a camera crew and as we were finishing up our coffee (and a 'lovely lychee' cupcake) they asked us if we'd like to be in the film they were making about wondermilk. They were film students doing their degree through Curtain Uni. Fancy that! So, they asked us what we thought of +wondermilk and the cup cakes, etc. We felt a bit special being interviewed by local film students at such a funky little place! We had a chat and it was awfully lovely to talk to some artists again. Apparently +wondermilk is the only cafe of it's sort in KL, so I think we'll be making it a regular destination.

Photo looking in the front window. You can see the art and accessories for sale on the wall.

Thistler being interviewed, "Best coffee in KL for sure!"

It's a long weekend here in KL, Monday being a public holiday. Tonight we're taking the night train out of Malaysia down to Singapore, hanging out in the city for several hours then returning to KL Sunday afternoon. Whew, should be exciting! We don't know what to expect from Singapore (we don't even have a map of the country) except that it's very clean and it's illegal to chew gum there. I wonder if mints are OK?

In other news I got hold of a 'real' camera (i.e not my phone camera) and shall be posting some images of new brooches next week. I've been thinking about that old friend art also, so am hoping to ACTUALLY MAKE SOME real soon. xx maude

Hot in the City

2008-05-12T17:42:00.001+08:00

We had a bumper weekend! Saturday we headed into the city and started with brunch (I really dislike that word, but it's the most efficient way of describing the meal...) at this place:

OK, so it's a 'concept' cafe which is a tad off putting, but the coffee is good and so is the food. At least it's not a franchise! I do dig the menu design and the place itself is HUGE and decked out in a 'cool designer urban' style. Wallpaper, mid-century inspired furniture, that sort of thing, which I really don't mind. It's at the bottom of the Petronas Twin Towers, KL's answer to the NYC Twin Towers, when they were around.

There's a fountain next door, which is lovely. It spurts water you know.

It is obviously a big tourist attraction. There's a platform that runs between the two towers called the sky walk, but we haven't done it yet. And of course there's a mall. We checked out an exhibition by Jolly Koh there. He lectured at Adelaide TAFE once upon a time. Fancy that!

We left the mall and walked around in the heat for a while. Past the club strip (not strip club), where venues with names like 'The Beach Club' and 'The Rum Shack' reside. Hard to resist the temptation...
We were approached by a Buddhist Monk while on our stroll, all smiles and sweetness. Then he forced beads and tokens on us, and flipped through some photographs of a temple and got us to sign a form that said we wished for peace. Then asked for a donation. Trrrricky! All the other names on the form were from America, Australian and the like. They had all given amounts around the RM250 mark (about $80AUD). Cripes!! We 'donated' RM20, and were equally bemused and appalled at the forceful, overbearing nature of the monk. We were approached by four monks over the weekend, but we'd learnt our lesson.

After a good 45 minutes in the heat we headed for another mall. A bigger, fancier mall than the one before. Surprising then that we had a pretty bad meal there. Still, how could we not eat at a place that looked like this:

Then we headed out into the heat again and walked down to Kompleks Kraf, or Craft Complex if you need the English translation. It's mighty complex that houses many samples of traditional Malaysian craft - batik, wood carving, basket weaving. There's a retail space, exhibition space and, the most inspiring aspect, an artists village!! There are lots of small shacks scattered around the grounds where craft persons and artist work. Sweet sweet sweet. How I long for a shack/studio of my own! We didn't dedicate enough time to see it all, so shall have to go back. The images below are of one of the display rooms filled with hand crafted lamp shades. The images are poor quality but the effect, in real life, was beautiful.

Where Are All The Sewing Machines?

2008-05-06T16:05:00.000+08:00

I've just come back from searching for a sewing machine. We searched last night too, at the Mega Mall, scouring the department stores. The one shop that had them wouldn't sell it to us! It was the only one on the shelf, I think it was the demo model. Cripes!! Earlier that day Thistler had asked at an electronic store if they sold sewing machines and the friendly assistant said "Showing Machines? Yee-ees, over here..." and took him to the TVs. Step right up and see the wonderful showing machines, sixpence a view, wonders await! Today I went into Bangsar and asked at the fabric store, but they didn't know where to buy a sewing machine. I'm pretty sure this fabric store offers a tailoring service... Oh well. I'm about to do a comprehensive web search. Maybe I can buy online. For now I guess I'll stick to paper products and refine those hand stitching skills.

I wish...

Have You Seen This?

2008-05-05T16:33:00.000+08:00

It's not madebymaude or craft related. It's personal really (being the flickr site of some folk I know who happen to be EuroTripping). But by golly there are some beautiful images on this flickr site. Here's a few:

the big rock cafe

seagulls

return

dial m

bright white light

Daily Life in KL

2008-05-05T12:23:00.000+08:00

Gosh, I'm a bit slack with this blog. Sorry! Here are some images of my first month in KL (yep, it's been a month!). We had a bout of consumerism last Thursday that included me spending ALL DAY in a mall and a trip to IKEA that night. Crikey. Next time I shall visit a park.

Below are some pics I took while in the biggest department store I have ever been in. It's a bit like K-Mart, except for one quirk...they sell pets. Live animals. In between audio-visual and furniture. Thistler and I were shocked. So we did what any bystander does and whipped out our camera phones. Here you can see a little hedgehog curled up (this is the first time I've seen one in the flesh - the slice doesn't count) and four little bunnies cooped up in a cage, under fluorescent lights, in a noisy, bright, grass free shop. They were also selling tens of baby tortoises, hermit crabs, guinea pigs and a scorpion. A scorpion! Anyone could have let him loose in that store.

lonely hedgehog and rabbits

Here are some more things I've made recently. (clockwise from top left)

1. A handful of brooches made a few days after my first attempt.

2. Some containers for cotton buds and chopsticks. So basic - recycled tins and yogurt containers covered in paper. Works a treat, try it!

3. More containers - I made these the first week I was here. We had an abundance of water bottles and not much else so I cut them to different heights and covered them in fabric. I used a light weight fabric on one and the light plays through it nicely.

4. Brooches from the same batch. I'm working with paper at the moment and am incorporating as much recycled material as I can into my work. This series is loosely inspired by our visit to the Cameron Highlands last month.

Daily life in KL. Inside and outside our apartment.

Daily life in KL part 2 - eating habits. (clockwise from top left)

1. At a local fancy-pants restaurant.

2. Home cooked meal - stuffed and fried brinjal (a cousin of the eggplant).

3. The remains of a meal at our local Indian eatery.

4. The dragon fruit we ate the other night. It's such a beautiful looking fruit, but a tad bland to taste. Like a really really really mild kiwi fruit. A little bit melon-y. We ate it as is, just scooped the flesh out in spoon fulls. The next night I got a bit crazy and mashed the dragon fruit up with a bit of honey, poured it over ice and added plenty of lime juice and mint. If we had a blender I would have whizzed the fruit, honey and ice together. And maybe added soda water, or used lemonade for fizz and sweetness. Still, it made for a good and refreshing drink/dessert!

This feels like quite a while ago now. These are images from our trip to the beautiful Cameron Highlands, about 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive out of KL. These pictures are of the tea plantations there. We enjoyed tea and scones at one of these plantations. Well, the tea was much too strong and the scones were stale, but it was a lovely place!

P.S. The quality of these images is pretty crummy. Sorry. Phone cameras, you know?

Never Leave Home Without Your Sewing Machine

2008-04-29T16:10:00.000+08:00

It's been a while. What have I been doing? Well, making some things, going some places, getting a bit bored and wondering what I'm doing living in a foreign country without my sewing machine. Yes, I had a few bad days last week. We were short of money (oh boy, there's a new experience...), I had very limited supplies and it was (it's always) too hot to take a pleasant walk outside. So I hung around the apartment and got rather grumpy and lonely. Oh well. I'm almost over it. I even took some photos of housewares and brooches I've made recently to show you but I can't get my mobile to talk to the computer so I'll show you this instead...

This is 'warm poppies set' by foundling. They come as brooches or attached to hairpins and I think they're lovely. They're made from found silk(ish) blouses and beads. Foundling has a website, a blog and an etsy shop. That's dedication to your craft!

I've also been thinking about my younger sister and her beau who leave very very early tomorrow morning for their very exciting EuroTrip. Hurrah! They've worked so hard for this trip which surely makes it all the sweeter. Don't you wish you were going with them?

2008-04-22T15:11:00.000+08:00

You know when you make something and you think 'Oh boy, this is good!', then you take another peek a little while later and you think 'Oh for goodness sake, why did I make that?', so you spend half a day trying to improve it but you're watching Arrested Development (one of my favourite TV series) while you do and don't really make any progress brooch-wise because your too busy laughing at Buster cut sick about his mum? Well, this is one of those times. I made these brooches yesterday. Looking at them now I think they're OK, but I know that by tonight I'll be in a quandary over them again.

I think if I just keep working at them they'll begin to resolve. It's difficult, not having access to all my usual materials. But then, that's a poor excuse, isn't it? I went for a walk down our street just before the afternoon thunderstorm set in and took a few photos. Hopefully they'll be the source of inspiration!

Things I Have Recently Made

2008-04-20T21:54:00.001+08:00

OK, so the images aren't fantastic, but at least it's documentation. Proof that I'm doing more than swimming and asking myself 'which mall shall I go to today?'. Actually, we have to tighten out belts here so I think I'll be making more things this week. And 'teksi' rides can be expensive. I'm a little shy about working out the public transport system on my own. Maybe I'll make my own commuter 'softie' and feel more empowered.

The following softies I made from patterns that came out of, funnily enough, "Softies". I posted about that book last week. I make my own softies (you can see some at made by maude) but this is the first time I've ever followed a real, proper pattern to make them. It may well be the first time I've followed a pattern to make anything since high school!

'Dorian the Dog' - original pattern by Chika Mori. I used different colours to those used in the book, but I learnt how to blanket stitch, daisy chain and make a french knot! Oh la la. Dorian is tiny, about 5 x 8 cm, and I think he's pretty sweet.

This chappy here is 'Snow Bunny' - original pattern by Tamar Mogendorff. My bunny is very different to the one in the book. I've used completely different fabrics and didn't follow the instructions to the tee. I really didn't think I liked where this one was going when I first assembled the body, but after I embroidered the face it got some personality and the whole softie came alive!

This is a particularly shoddy photo. The whale looks far more interesting in real life. This is called 'The Lookout' - original pattern by Michelle Valigura. It's called 'The Lookout' because the original softie has a bird perched on top. The bird used foam and feathers and a googly eye. The whale originally has a googly eye also, but I embroidered one for her instead. I can't quite reconcile the fabric and plastic mix. I'd feel strange popping a bead on something textile based I'd made. A button though, no drama. I wonder why that is? I think I'll make the birdie and see how I feel after that. I am impressed by the whales gloomy disposition though!

In case you're new to links in text, you can click on the artists names above and visit their websites. They're all wonderful and inspiring. Highly recommended!

We Have the Technology

2008-04-19T22:36:00.000+08:00

We have, or rather Thistler has worked out how we can send images from my new phone to the laptop. Goodie! First up the salads I made the other night before unceremoniously smashing my face against a glass door. On the left beetroot, feta, mint and lemon. On the right zucchini, garlic and mint. I bought a big bunch of mint that day. That's not canned beetroot, by the way.

This is where we live. I'm at the pool nearly every day with my trusty towel and well equipped bag (You know, equipped with phone, book, lip balm, pen and paper. Poolside fare.) Our apartment is on level 3, and that's it there, the one with the blinds closed on the balcony.

A selection of goods bought from our local supermarket 'Cold Storage'. Their motto is 'The Fresh Food People'. I wonder if they're another Safeway/Woolworths brand?
You can tell I pretty much bought these for their packaging. The little boxes are soy milk ('miko' brand) - which was thinner and sweeter than my usual brand in Oz. The shiny packet is 'caramel corn' - chocolate covered corny sweet treats. They had the same texture as twisties. Not very nice, really. But the packaging was irresistible. The other packet is a rice/corn cracker snacky thing that has overtones of carrot. It did, really. I'm hoarding this packaging. I expect it will re-appear in a new form sometime in the future.

I Walked Into a Door

2008-04-18T09:55:00.000+08:00

Really, I did. There's a sliding glass door that leads onto our balcony, where we had dinner last night. As I picked up our plates and turned to take them inside 'SMACK, YELP, CRASH'. Yeah. I walked right into the freaking door, recoiled, fell to my bottom dropping bowls and cutlery in the process. I let out a yelp/grunt (this seems to be my primeval response to a sudden shock) as there was the almighty sound of crockery smashing.

It seemed really really loud. Oops. Sorry neighbours! Of course the security guards came wandering by (we live in an apartment complex with grounds, we face the front entrance) to investigate this domestic dilemma. By this time I was back inside, stunned and nursing a little bump on my head and swollen top lip. Thistler went down to explain. I was so embarrassed and a bit annoyed - it was quite a nice meal! I'd made beetroot salad, so there' s a suss reddish smear on the floor now.

my fall was not nearly so perky, sassy or well executed...

p.s. This incident occurs after the waiter at our local resturant sent Thistler's glass stein of beer (it's a German themed resturant, ok?) flying, smashing on the ground and giving Thistler a good dousing in the process. That was Wednesday night. We're going out for dinner tonight. I hope there's no broken glass...

More Bangsar for Your Buck

2008-04-16T14:30:00.000+08:00

I've just come back from an exploring adventure in downtown Bangsar. I grabbed a ride with Thistler in his morning 'taksi' to work. Nothing opens till 10 in KL, so I did a bit of wandering in the sticky heat. Through the obligatory mall, past the 'Village Grocer' (masquerading as a supermarket) and over the road. Main roads here are tricky to cross - the drivers are far more unpredictable than say, the Sydney Rd variety. No one really uses indicators, so it's not uncommon to see cars weaving in and out of traffic lanes willy nilly. Wits about you indeed.
After successfully navigating the road I wandered down a street and stumbled upon a fresh produce market, exactly the sort of thing I was hoping to find! Hurrah! A variety of fruit and veg, flowers, meat...What? Yes yes, chicken carcasses, cuts of beef, whole fishies. On display. In the heat. Not even ten o'clock in the morning yet and I was sweating! Anyways, I was a bit overwhelmed by the produce and failed to procure anything. That's been happening a lot lately. I walk into a supermarket and am at a loss as to where to start. Wits abandoned roadside perhaps?
Sorry I don't have any photographs yet, I haven't quite worked out how to upload images from my phone. You can, however, check out Thistler's comprehensive photo essay of what we did on the weekend. His lovely bosses took us for a drive in the Cameron Highlands, about one hour out of KL. It was beautiful. Lots of tea plantations. And skinny, windy roads. We were nearly sideswiped by a bus! Crikey, it was a hairy ride but worth it!

OK, before you get totally bored...

This is similar to my lunch. Mmmm mm, banana leaf meal. Mine was veg and very filling! Traditionally you use your fingers but they gave me cutlery so I used my spoon (this was my first banana leaf meal). The waiter came over to see how it was and I asked him if I should use my fingers and he said no, not really. I think next time I will though!
Check back real soon for photographs. I am keen as mustard to upload some pictures of events, places and things I've made. In the meantime have a look at AprilMay's blog for this beautiful pair of earrings (they make me wanna pierce my ears) and curbly.com for this AWESOME book recycling project. I know a few lasses who would find this tutorial inspirational!

note: I had trouble linking this tutorial. I think the site was super busy. You can find the tutorial on the front page, just scroll down a little and it's to the right under 'What's Hot', called 'How to Make a Handbag out of a Recycled Book'.

Oh Hello!

2008-04-11T11:38:00.001+08:00

This is Bangsar, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur. We live here, somewhere. So here I am, after a week or so of incommunicado! So sorry about that but it was difficult to get near a computer with the Internet. And now we have the Internet on in our apartment, so these updates should be regular as clockwork once again!
Kuala Lumpur is lush and steamy. The first thing I noticed was the abundance of trees. I could see their outlines in the predawn as the plane taxied in Sunday morning. There was a bit of an airport fiasco, Thistler and I not actually seeing each other for about 45 minutes. Ahem. Not quite the reunion I had imagined. Tired, grumpy and fending off over enthusiastic 'Taksi' drivers is no way to meet your beloved after a significant absence. Never mind, we managed to get a giggle out of it eventually. So far I have explored a mall or two (a mega mall, mind you) and our local burb. And the swimming pool. We are going for a country drive this weekend, up into the highlands! I've also been making things, but have no pictures yet unfortunately. I can show you this though...

'Softies, Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals' by Therese Laskey and Leah Kramer. My sister in law gave it to me before I left. What a clever and thoughtful lady she is! Can you believe it's my very first contemporary craft book? Not a very good record for a contemporary crafter. It's a lovely book and I've already made two softies from it. I'm trying to be good and follow the instructions to the tee, but I can't help skipping some and embellishing others. Oh, I know that's what it's all about, but I wanted to try and challenge myself by actually FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS instead of skipping ahead and troubleshooting later. Still, they are LOADS of fun to make. What a thoughtful sister in law I have!
Thank you for your comments. Yes, we are making a bit of a nest here. We're not allowed to hang anything on, nail into or stick anything the walls here so it'll be a challenge to get around that one!

Thistler and Me. Soon.

2008-04-02T15:37:00.001+08:00

It's just that kind of day, isn't it? Howling wind, branches and debris flying around, rain splattering on your washing. Snuggle up folks. Take a hot water bottle to bed. Sigh.

The Final Batch

2008-04-01T13:46:00.001+08:00

Well, for now. I think. Unless I get the urge to chain myself to the sewing machine and crank a few more out before I leave on Sunday, at 1.15 am. Crazy time to fly, huh? Taking this flight means I maximise goodbyes and hellos with nearest and dearests. The big hello being reserved for Thistler. Everyone else, to my distress, is a goodbye. Oh well, onward and upward chum. Speaking of Thistler, have you seen our new apartment yet? Have a look here. I had no idea it would be so swanky!
OK, back to the purses. They are the last I'll be making for a month, at least. I have really rediscovered a pure joy in making these babies the last few weeks. I'm gonna miss em! Although considering I am already sweaty with excitement at the thought of having a studio again, they may reappear sooner than I think.
In other news X and I had a sweet morning together, and topped it off by making these funny fruit faces. Then we ate our eyes, noses, ears and lips.

Lights Out!

2008-03-30T12:50:00.000+08:00

Yep, lights out! We did, last night between 8 - 9 pm for Earth Hour. We had a wonderful feast by candlelight - kick arse falafel, pasta, HUGE grilled veggie salad and turkish bread! OMG! Suffice to say we did not need dessert. After dinner nephew X wanted to blow the candles out, which we did, and so were in complete darkness. Then the screams (of delight) started and some of us ran around the house pretending to be robbers. Then someone got the torch out and there was an impromptu shadow puppet show. Then, and this is where we got REALLY carried away, we traced our silhouettes on the inside of the back door. And this is what it looks now:

The image is bit dark and the tracing is a bit wobbly, but it was a lot of fun! You can see X's strange rating system on the left. None of us quite understand this system except for X. I think you have to have a thorough background in Yu-Gi-Oh swap cards and the like... If only every day could be full of such spirit and spontaneity!

2008-03-29T10:47:00.000+08:00

above: knitted brooches and bird watching badges for Local and Global

I'm in the process of making my last order of stock for March. And the last order I'll be sending from within Australia! What a strange feeling. I'm feeling good about it all, actually. I can't wait to touch down in KL and see what's in store for me! Thistler moves into our apartment on Monday and with any luck we'll be buying crockery together by the end of the week.

I've been packing and unpacking my suitcase all week. Some things I'm taking with me for certain are these:

The little birdie is by my good pal The Orange Tree. You can check out her etsy shop here. The map of Australia is a pin cushion given to me by another good pal for my birthday last year. I'm gonna miss these two gals a lot, so I'll be giving their creations a pat every time I feel homesick. The two towels beneath are my favourites and the only two I'm taking with me!

purses and purses

2008-03-27T18:07:00.000+08:00

OK, here they are. Purses I made yesterday and shall post tomorrow, off to AprilMay. If you're around Scotchmer St Fitzroy Nth the first weekend in April you might pick one up! (wink)

above: 'orange blossom' vinyl purse

above: 'cowgirl day' vinyl purse

above: 'marshmallow dream' vinyl purse

Each of these babies features six card pockets, a zippered coin pocket and two long pockets for notes and receipts. They are so much fun to make, and are the very item made by maude is built on!

Raining Dogs + Mice

2008-03-26T20:41:00.001+08:00

It rained and it rained and it rained. All night and all day. I had washing 'drying' on the line and kept waking up during the night, panicked, thinking the washing would disintegrate in all that rain. Oh rational mind, where were you?
So, I fully intended to pop some pictures of the purses I made today on this blog. As soon as I logged in I knew it wasn't going to happen. Apologies, but it would be too time intensive this late at night. Have a look at this instead.

Cute little doggy. Getting a bit long in the tooth, many of which she had removed recently. Poor thing. Oh gosh, I can hear a mouse scooting around the kitchen. I'm going to bed.

Was That a Bunny?

2008-03-25T16:50:00.000+08:00

We just had Easter, right? It pretty much flew by me without so much as a chocolate egg. Well, I got two little eggs and had a hot cross bun or three, but essentially it was a non-event for me. I'm feeling a little empty about it all. Maybe it's my Catholic upbringing back to haunt me? How do you celebrate something that has fundamentally changed in meaning for you? Find another meaning for it? Perhaps I should take those ideas of change and new life and focus on them this time of year, instead of grappling with ideas of resurrection and the whole Christian version of Easter. You know, plant a tree. Bake something. Pay homage to the change of season. That's a way I could celebrate happily, acknowledging change, regrowth and new life. Yeah!

candlestick banksia seedling and rabbit

Anyway, on a less naval gazing note, here's what I made today.

More purses! I only spent half a day on these, so I'll be making more this week. They're also for aprilmay's All in a Months Work open studio event the 4th, 5th & 6th of April. Unfortunately I won't get to see it, but I bet it's going to be grand! The image above is the inside of 'Sunny Day'. Can you believe I've mysteriously deleted the picture I took of the outside of this one? You'll have to wait til tomorrow to see it now.

This one is called 'Soft Forest'. I adore this fabric. Again it's something my younger sisters keen eye picked out. She bought it years ago and passed it onto me when the sewing project she purchased it for went awry. Lucky me! Look at that dappled light seeping in through those autumnal trees. Seasonal, hmm? Guess I have unwittingly paid homage to those ideas I mentioned before...

Necklaces Galore

2008-03-21T08:37:00.001+08:00

Here's a few shots of my bead + button and beaded fabric necklaces I've been working on for the past few days. I'll be sending some of these to aprilmay for her April installment of 'all in a months work'. I've been making the beaded fabric necklaces for a couple of years, but the button and bead necklaces are just two days old!

My Day So Far

2008-03-19T13:39:00.001+08:00

Has consisted of two main events. My lovely sunny-side up egg for breakfast

and the arrival of this

Hurrah!!!!

Funny Little Puzzle Box

2008-03-18T16:54:00.000+08:00

I did a spot of op-shopping today and picked up this funny little puzzle box. I've seen them around before, but not with these illustrations. I guess they're illustrating nursery rhymes or fairy tales, but I can't quite figure it out!

the box and it's contents

OK, so this is Little Red Riding Hood. The Wolf is hilarious! I especially like the detail in the bed end.

But what is this? Which fairy tale is this meant to be? 'After a hearty feast and much wine the three drunkards play blind mans bluff'? It's an awfully strange illustration.

Hmm, yes it's Puss in Boots all right, but in Cat Kingdom? Such a strange, lovely, whimsical picture.

And this? Farm animals counting out their booty. And there's a farmer running away with a cheeky look on his face. What's he up too? I should mention that the box contains 12 cubes, each side of the cubes make up these four images. Perhaps some research is in order to find out where these funny illustrations originated.

The Comforters

2008-03-17T16:05:00.000+08:00

I have just finished reading 'The Comforters' by Muriel Spark for the third, maybe fourth time. I've lost track of how many times I've read it. Why why why read a novel three or four times? Sigh. I am a sucker. 'The Comforters' encompasses so many literary elements I hold dear. A house set in seaside England, a touch of London bohemian and of course a litany of eccentric characters. And by golly it's funny. So funny. Witty. Caustic. Critical. But gleefully so, and thus endearing. You can read more about Muriel Spark here. I think she may have been a little 'cool' if you knew her personally, but from a distance she's a Lady I Really Like.
.

Don't you think she looks a little like Susan Kennedy on the back cover shot?
P.S. I'm really sorry about the text being underlined today, I have no idea how it got here or how to turn it off

me-card!

2008-03-16T14:37:00.000+08:00

Have you seen this website? You can do all sort o fun and crazy things. Mostly, you put your face on different characters, animals, movie stars and the like. Like I did here.
The website is still being updated, but it's lots of fun!! The top image my profile picture for www.me-card.com. Be careful, you may spend hours here!

Today I Have Been Making...

2008-03-14T13:21:00.000+08:00

This!

I made this purse to take with me when I go to Malaysia.The lining is one of my most favourite fabrics. My younger sister bought it back with her from a trip to Tasmania, and I've loved it ever since. I've dubbed the purse "Garden Delight". It's lush and tropical, like Malaysia! Well, parts of Malaysia. I imagine.

I also finished off this top...

I traced it from another hand made tee by Brunswick designer BG (yes, pilfering I know). It's a basic T shape - no need to sew on sleeves. It gives the shoulders a nice soft look. You can't see it too clearly but I rouched the back a little, to bring it in and give it some detail. It's been so long since I've successfully made a piece of clothing, so I'm pretty stoked with the end result!!
p.s. thanks to X for helping me with this post.

Make Yourself a Three Course Meal

2008-03-13T09:44:00.001+08:00

Look at these savouries. Look at these sweets. They are from a series of recipe cards published in 1967. I picked them up a couple of years ago. I used to have another set from the 1970's, but can you believe I threw them out! I just wasn't as taken with the colour schemes as I am with these. A couple from this set have also flown the nest, they were made into recycled notebooks and sold to discerning punters. Peanut Butter Soup, Ham in Aspic. Are you game to try? Still, I think I'd like to give the paradise pears a whirl...

thistle love

2008-03-12T16:08:00.001+08:00

sometimes, you just miss seeing thistles around, ya know?

salty tangy tart

2008-03-11T19:39:00.000+08:00

I'm talking about my dinner, right. It was Halloumi and Zucchini Salad. Boy oh boy, it was everything I could ask for. Salty pan-fried halloumi and oily pan-fried zucchini cut through with lemon zest and juice on a crispy crispy cos lettuce bed. A bit of red onion for bite ('wafer fin, right?' as Jamie Oliver is fond of repeating). I dressed it with a bit more olive oil, white wine vinegar, pepper and fresh oregano. It didn't really need the dressing as the zucchini was pretty oily and I served lemon wedges with it. But still, it was a delight!

Before I made din dins I was busy finishing these off. Hair clips. To match the brooches. What is it about making these? They seem to take me FOR-EVAH. I love them because I get excited about fabrics I can use for them, then I hate them because somewhere in the making I become bogged down with them. They become tedious. Then they're finished and they are my little darlings again.

There they are, a tangy dressing for your hair!

Ladies I Like

2008-03-09T14:21:00.001+08:00

In honour of International Women's Day (March 8th) I thought I'd list a few of my favourite ladies.

Ani DiFranco. Ah yes, she saw me through many a troubled teenage night. Uplifting, funny, insightful and angry (well, not anymore). If I'm feeling out of sorts I can pop on an album, ANY of her many, and feel ok again. Ahhhh.

Neko Case. American singer/songwriter. Some call her
'country noir'. I call her sublime. She
also sings with The New Pornographers, a fine outfit. Her latest album "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" makes me swoon every time. As does the artwork on the cover, created by the Julie Morstad.
Plus she's a redhead.

PJ Harvey. Is there a sexier, edgier, lovelier performer than she? This stunning photo was taken by my sister when she saw her live in Melbourne last month. Lucky Duck, that's a show i missed. I've had the privilege of watching peej strut her stuff once before, and it truly is a sight to behold. Check out the gown she's wearing. The word 'grow' is embroidered on it (on the left side). With hair, so it looks. She is a lady after me own heart!

And finally, here's one for the memories. Yes yes, it's Belinda Carlise. Runaway Horses and all. Why? Well, Belinda is to my Tweens what Ani is to my Teens. If I happen to be in a supermarket and Heaven is a Place on Earth comes through the p.a, I get a little shiver of pleasure. She is by far the best for singing in the shower. Warble away Belinda, warble away!

I must say, I never tried to emulate her look though. Sexy and tousled. But classy. Always classy.

Cripes, that seemed to take a long time to put together! There are many more ladies I like, of course and I'll endeavour to bring you more through the week. Next time we'll do authors. Barbara Cartland here we come!

Things I Have Recently Made

2008-03-08T15:33:00.000+08:00

These are some cushions I made for friends who got married recently. It was a self indulgent gift really as I got to implement an idea I'd been toying with for a while (a sort of patchwork). I used some of my favourite vintage, recycled and new fabrics, and loved the process of making them.

the 'patchwork' front, that's dappled sunlight light not dodgy fabric...

the initialed back, awwww

Although they're made in my usual 'make it up as ya go along' way, I was fairly tickled pink with the end result. The initials are the married couples, obviously. Mmmm, text in textiles.

Achievemnt Friday is Here

2008-03-07T17:35:00.000+08:00

Allright! It IS achievement Friday! Why? 'Cause here is post number two. This is one of my favourite paintings done by my young nephew (who is sometimes known as X).

It's called 'Dogs'. Blue is X's favourite colour. xox maude

Achievement Thursday

2008-03-07T07:38:00.000+08:00

That should also be Achievement Friday, as I'm posting for the VERY FIRST TIME! But I like Achievement Thursday better because I made 32 brooches yesterday afternoon!

I haven't made a circle brooch that I really like for quite a while, so I was pretty chuffed when I saw them all tumbled together, looking pretty. Stick around, I may even pop a few more images up.
xo maude