Thank you very much for visiting bloomize in 2008 and making it a joy for me to leave my notes and scribbles here, knowing that you will be here too.

We will be leaving for a short vacation to Hong Kong + Macau in a few days (with 11 others from my side of the family!!) and I will resume posting on the second of week of January. Here’s wishing you and yours a Christ-centred Christmas, a happy new year and a safe holiday season!

In the meanwhile, do check out these Japanese websites with fabulous Flash designs.

[Image from Coloribus]

Just like to show you some Japanese websites with excellent Flash designs:
Honda Edix
Toshiba
Suzuki Palette
Dunlop
Kewpie
Elizabeth Arden
Earnest Architects

Enjoy!

I really enjoy making and dressing up these standing trees with my favorite mini dot stickers and an origami star. Though the origami tree is easy to make, it’s not too easy to show the crucial folding steps with photos which I will attempt to do here:

1. Use a square piece of paper.
2. Fold a triangle. Crease.

3. Half the triangle and crease.
4. Half it again and crease.

5. Open up.
6. Half it horizontally.

7. Lift up the triangle on the left side.
8. Press down the raised fold.

9. Flatten to make new triangle. Crease.
10. Repeat steps 7-8 on the right.

11. Open up. The white lines are the creases from steps 7-10.
12. Turn clockwise and fold it in half horizontally.

13. Repeat steps 7-10 to get the orange lines.
14. Turn the paper over.

15. Look out for A, B and the creases where the arrows are pointing.
16. Where the arrow is between “1″ and “2″, push the line inward.

17. So that “1″ and “2″ are behind “A”.
18. Likewise, push the line between “3″ and “4″ inward.

19. Do the same for “5″ and “6″.
20. Now there will be 3 triangular flaps behind “A”.

21. Repeat steps 15-19 for “B”.
22. The tree is almost taking shape.

23-24. Cut along dotted lines to create a trunk.

25-26. Spread out the flaps and let the tree stand. Cut slits to make branches.

Having bought several things from our local Takashimaya store, I’ve amassed a few of their beautiful white-blue Christmas paper bags and complementary wrapper sheets.

On Saturday as I was getting ready to cut enough wrapper to make a gift bag for a cuddly bear, I took a glance at the paper carriers which were standing vacant beside me and suddenly I knew I should do this to save me paper and still be perfect for wrapping the bear. I untied and pulled out both grey straps, raised up the inner folder, placed the teddy into the bag, folded down the flap, led one strap through the holes and tied a bow. Done.

I left some room for a handle to make it easy for the little girl who will be carrying this present home on Christmas eve.

Spied these purpose-driven purses on Kraso, a Japanese zakka catalogue. I hope you’ll spy something warm and nice this weekend!

A wreath is like…a notice board surrounded by announcements big and small.

It’s so refreshing to see safety pins play different beading roles. And they perform so well.