My first Flickr Explore!

This photo wasn't due to be blogged for a few days, but I decided it would lose its significance if I didn't blog about this good news as soon as possible.

For those unfamiliar with Flickr, Flickr staff chooses 500 photos based on interestingness every day from the sea of photos uploaded worldwide. 

The main thing is, it definitely is an honour to have one of my photos explored! ♥

The photo that got Explored, on 29th Sept 2011. ♥

A really tiny pair of twin cherries, made in 1/12th scale.

A souffle and a tart.

As the miniature souffle called for a generous sprinkling of dessicated coconut on the top, I had great fun hand-shaving a whole bowl of them and dumping it all on the mousse.

It's really cute how a lot of miniature food techniques mimic the regular workings of a real life baking session. 

♥

And here we have the tart with a lot of raspberries and custard cream packed in it. I even cut a golden pastry board for it but I think you can't see it well in the picture.

It's Thursday, and I've been feeling really sick since yesterday. A dripping nose, aching body, sore throat. Not a pretty sight and definitely not comfortable. The one good thing was that the discomfort bothered me so much that I crawled out of bed a lot earlier than I usually do.

But this also translates to more waking hours of feeling sick. -__-

I shall stop whining, and bring you a piece of good news! Guess who finally has a name (and hair)!

Meet Bambi! The little one turned out to be a sweet girl. ♥

I didn't have the right clothes for her, so I just twisted the prettiest hair-tie I had around and put it on her.

Here she is sporting a royal purple look. :)

She seems anxious to go somewhere, to get new clothes maybe. Fret not, I already have commissioned some dresses for her from the talented Aya and Melissa.

I shall go off before I start whining about how sick I feel again. Hope all of you are feeling better than me, please take care of yourselves!

Strawberries and sundays.

On this bright Sunday, my little brother is leaving Singapore to participate in a military training in Australia for 3 weeks. See you back home in October, bro! ♥

Heard it's getting hotter in Aussie now, some strawberries and cream to cool off maybe?

 

Just imagine the slathering of cream on these red jewels. ♥ 

These are made in 1/3 scale, and measures about 1.5cm in length.

 

I am also proud to say I've been featured on Knotty Bicsie - a talented crocheting/knitting crafter based in Singapore. I've seen some photos of her works, and of her students' when they knit for their little babies, and it's all really adorable! ♥ Do head on over to show some love!

I hope you'll be spending this lovely Sunday with your loved ones, till later!

A one-time shipping charge. ♥

Today I'm working on many apple pendants for a customer. It is a wholesale order, I count anything above 20 in quantity to be wholesale. :) 

Random sales-talk:You will get 10% off for wholesale orders. ♥

For those following AiClay on facebook will know that I have some good news for my customers!

I have decided to absorb some of the shipping & handling charges and make it easier for all of you by charging a one-time S&H fee for a single shipping order.

This means that S&H fee is fixed for a single shipping order regardless of how many items you add on. ♥

========================================================================
For international orders:

Scale: 1/12 to 1/6 miniatures -SGD$6
Scale: 1/4 to 1/3 miniatures -SGD$8.5

For local (Singapore) orders:

Scale: 1/12 to 1/6 miniatures -SGD$5
Scale: 1/4 to 1/3 miniatures -SGD$7

This price is inclusive of registered mail charges, and of packaging (giftbox + bubble mailer).

=========================================================================

If you scroll to the bottom of the page you will also see the same information there. ♥

Back to working on the apples!

The little naked kid.

There is a new kid in the house! ♥

I've been showing off this little one on Flickr since I received him/her a few weeks back, but I decided (s)he needs an introduction on my blog. 

If you haven't realised, I haven't decided if (s)he is going to be a boy or girl yet. And s(he) has no name yet too. I welcome all gender/naming suggestions! ♥

Okay this is getting tiring, let's call the little one J for now.

Sorry for the upcoming nakedness! -blushes.

J is only 16cm tall, and has been employed to model the 1/12th miniature food. ♥

My latest photo of J - I tried to make a felt hat for J (using the glue&water method, anyone tried it?) but it was a terrible failure. But not to fret, it will be turned into an animal costume for Halloween!

Take a shot and guess what animal it will be? :)

Gold and chocolate.

Another rainy day, but it's interesting how rain changes one's mood.

Last Saturday, the rain made me feel sluggish and bored. Today, the light rain refreshed me and I listened out for the occasional splash as the cars below drove past rain puddles.

Rain's my friend today, but sadly it's stopping and clear skies have taken over.

Here's a 1/3 scale chocolate cake, part of the previous bakery order. 

*Gemma's carrying it, which explains why the raspberry looks bigger than it should. 

The little decorations on it - raspberry, white chocolate triangle, mint sprig, a gold flake.

Hope your weekend was fulfilling, and it's a brand new week again! I'm off to work on some miniature apple pendants. :)

Strawberry cake on a saturday morning.

It's Saturday here, the skies look grey. It's been raining so much here!

On a brighter note, I finished a miniature bakery order for my lovely customer! She is going to feed her 1/3 (SD-sized) dolls with them. 

I'll showcase the photos one at a time. :)

Gemma is hoping I'll leave the cake for her, but sorry dear! And she's too tiny for the cake, since she's 1/6 scale. The cake is around 2cm wide.

I will be conducting another workshop in a few hours! We'll be making miniature gingerbread men this time, I can't wait! :)

A mooncake is not like a cake?

That's why I was debating over where I should file these photos in my Flickr, in the Miniature Cakes group or the Miniature sweet pastries. I chose the latter in the end.

So! It's been 2 days past the actual date (12th September) but still, happy Mid-Autumn festival! 中秋节快乐!

 

Miniature traditional mooncakes, with lotus paste and salted egg yolk centre.

I made this batch of miniature mooncakes as a commission order, and they are already en route to the lovely customer. :) Commissions have been keeping me really busy these days, so please pardon my empty shops!

I must say that I'm rather proud of Chinese festivals and their traditional customs. There are a few stories behind Mid-Autumn Festival, and you can read them all here. But basically, there is a woman with a rabbit (Jade Rabbit) living on the moon and she is separated from her husband (Houyi, living on the sun). So every year, on the night of the Mid-autumn festival, they reunite thus the fullness of the moon.

Also, if you peer really closely at the moon, you can make out the shadow of the Jade Rabbit!

Personally though, I think the rabbit came about from companies hoping to commercialise the festival. Bunnies are cute and easier to market. :/

One important custom (to greedy ones like me!) during the festival, is to get your hands on every kind of mooncake out there and polish them off. 

Mooncake fairs would be seen in every shopping mall during the month of August and September, and it'll boast of snowskin mooncakes, traditional, hongkong-style, shanghai-style etc.

 

The miniature yellow and purple mooncakes here are snowskin mooncakes, in the flavours of durian and yam. The latter has a generous filling of bean paste and white chocolate truffle centre.

The mooncakes are made in 1/3 scale, measuring at around 3.3cm in diameter. :)

Sweet hairclips.

I received a request to remake my miniature gingerbread men onto hairclips, and it was a gift from a father to his two young daughters and wife.

It was very sweet when the father requested for hairclips that would be easy for his young girls to wear, and that he knew all of their favourite colours. 

I felt all warm and fuzzy inside when I sent off the package.

To the 3 lucky ladies, hope you enjoy wearing them! :)