Goodbye rabbit, hello dragon. {cake pops}

To the Chinese all around the world, you should know that today is the last day of the Year of the Rabbit (okay maybe hare), and the Year of the Dragon is fast approaching!

{miniature bunny cake pops handsculpted by me}

Chinese New Year is one of my favourite festivals, as it is celebrated on a large scale in my family and country. Dragon lanterns of all sizes and shapes decorate shopping malls and red cloth bearing auspicious words adorn the walls. 

At my house, my mom has been bustling around buying and arranging flowers and hanging up cute little paper dragons holding cards which say 恭喜发财.

The towering bottles of new year cookies have been distributed to houses of relatives and friends a week ago, leaving a few bottles for our family to host visitors.

Right now, my parents are still wiping dust off the television, fan blades etc, and I've just cleared out my wardrobe. It's astonishing how much dust can gather in just one year.

大扫除 or spring-cleaning is a tradition that most Chinese families abide by, and since it is considered unlucky to throw rubbish out or hold a broom during the period of Chinese New Year, everyone tries to complete their cleaning before the first day of the new year.

 

 There are so many Chinese traditions around this festival, some ridiculous and some practical, but for custom's sake my family tries to abide by all of them.

In a while, we would be heading to my aunt's place for a steamboat reunion, and rounds of games and maybe some gambling. :)

Bambi started play-acting with these little bunnies once I handed them to her. Because of the metal in the cake-pop sticks I included, and the magnets in her hands, she could hold them really well. ♥

Ouch! I just hit my little toe on the rubbish bin and it is starting to swell up. Oh no, I hope you are having a less accident-prone day than me.

To all the Chinese around the world and everyone who's celebrating, happy Chinese New Year to you! May health and happiness be bestowed upon you. ♥ 

恭喜发财，万事如意！

The Straits Times Interview - best new year's present!

Wow what a week it has been.

Ever since the newspaper article was published, emails about workshops and commissions have been streaming in madly, much to my surprise (and delight!). 

I've never been much of a newspaper reader, so I must have forgotten about the reach of traditional media because I was definitely not expecting the attention I received.

Also a shout out to all my online and offline friends and family who congratulated me upon seeing my fat face in the papers, you guys are wonderful and made me feel really special on that day, it almost felt like my birthday! 

Now that I've cleared all the mails and sold out all the cookie rings (yes you read that right! haha, but they're still available for pre-order), I can't wait to get back on track with the sculpting, fulfilling old commissions and working on new ones.

It has been so long since I shared a photo of my works, so here's one taken of a part of the set-up that I put together for the newspaper photoshoot. 

On a little table, I had arranged my handsculpted miniature breads and birthday cupcakes, together with a wooden breadbox I painstakingly handmade but adore so much. ♥

If you look closely at the photo of me in the papers, you will see the little table as well.

For everyone who has been patiently waiting for workshop updates, please bear with me while I try and get everything sorted! I already have your emails on the list of interested workshop participants, and would be sending out more information to you once I have them.

Right now, I am sourcing for the best venue to conduct the workshops, I can't wait to sculpt with all of you as well! ♥

If you would like to be a participant at my miniature food workshops, please email me at buzz@aiclay.com and indicate your interest! ♥

Playing catch-up. (egg-muffin, hashbrown, cookie ring)

A piece of happy news to share!

I was approached by a local newspaper (The Straits Times) for an interview about AiClay and the craft behind it about a week ago. A few days later, they sent over a photographer for a photoshoot at my house. And today, the article (which also features other local crafters) would finally be published in the newspaper!

It is all terribly exciting for me, and since it is the wee hours of the morning over here, the newspaper men are probably doing their delivery rounds and soon I'll get to see my works (and my face lol) in print! ♥

So to everyone who's popping over here from the article, a warm welcome to you! ♥ 

Hopefully you'll like my works enough to come back a second time!

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I would also like to catch up on the backlog of photos I have from 2011, all the better to start this year afresh!

A miniature fast food breakfast set - hashbrown, egg-muffin and a drink, all on a tray.
All miniature packaging was also designed and handmade by me.

A closer look at the miniature hash-brown.

A giant chocolate chunk cookie ring - this is available in the store. Miniature cookie is handsculpted by me and is perched on an adjustable, surgical stainless steel ring. It would fit all ring sizes.

Join the ever-growing cookie monsters club! ♥

If you know a friend/mother/daughter/wife who is a true cookie monster at heart, this ring is definitely for them. I have made one for myself which I love to wear out, and it makes me smile everytime I look at it.

Enough backtracking of photos for now, till next time! ♥ Enjoy your weekend!

Christmas is so last year.

Christmas Day was actually only 2 weeks ago, but the turkeys and logcakes and fir trees feel amazingly far away already doesn't it!


So here are some photos to remind you of the loveliest festival.

Some miniature packaging I made for some miniature food I sent to Aya. ♥
Of course it had to be Christmas-themed! and yes, I draw those little hearts everywhere haha.

a little photo sequence on how to draw a gingerbread man.

a very belated Merry Christmas to all of you. ♥

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Oh, to everyone who participated in the New Year's free shipping promotion for AiMail subscribers, THANK YOU! ♥ It just ended on midnight yesterday, and I will be coming up with a promotion every month, so stay tuned. And subscribe if you haven't!