Editting Overlapped Designs in Silhouette Studio for Cameo/Portrait

I’m a bit late with publishing this post because it took me forever to publish it to Youtube. So, without further ado, here’s the video.

I had an enquiry on how to cut overlapped design sometime back by one of my course participants so I made this video to explain better. The narration in the video is a mix of English and Malay so fellow Malaysians won’t find it strange. 

I am pressed for time so I might go back to the video later and add subtitles if I ever get the time.

So, I hope this video would help the newbies with Silhouette Studio to design and work better with the software.

A few announcements:

1. My telekung class will be on tomorrow, 31 March 2018 at LamanSeni Zilakasim. Details about it here.
2. I have been invited to take part in Jomoiling’s Live Your Passion Rally on 7 April 2018 at Lake Gardens. I will be bringing my NaturallyRozi’s products for sale on that day. Stay tune for more news.
3. April’s Intensive Silhouette Training (read about it here)will be on Sunday, 15 April 2018 at The Craftsical. If you’re interested to join the class, please contact drop me a line in my contact form on my estore here.

OK, that’s all folks!

Kutu Cameo3 Batch 5 and Kutu Heat Press

My first kutu group started last March 2017 and ended December 2017. Since then, I’ve launched the second group which is due to complete in May 2018 and Group 3 and 4 is running simultaneously since January 2018 and expected to complete by October 2018. Suffice to say I have ample experience in handling kutu groups with 4 kutu group in the past 1 year.

The rule is simple. 10 people form a group and collectively pay RM160 a month for 10 months and every month, one of the member in the group will receive a Cameo3 unit and gets to attend my Silhouette training (read about it here). There would be no problem if 

1. everybody COOPERATES
2. everybody PAYS their dues ON TIME EVERY MONTH

My selection to determines who gets the machine every month is via first come first served basis. That is, I follow the sequence of registration from my online form. Payment deadline is before or on the 10th of every month. 

Registration for Group 5 is still open and I’m hoping to start the group in April. So, if you’re interested to take part, click here and fill up the registration form and I will contact you via WhatsApp and add you in Kutu Cameo3 Batch 5 group.

In addition to my Cameo3 Kutu group, I’m launching another kutu group; Kutu Heat Press. The heat press is a highly recommended piece of machinery for those who wants to press Heat Transfer Vinyl to make custom T’shirts. You can also press HTV onto tote bags, pouches, etc. And it’s getting to be a favorite amongst crafters or bagineers where they use it to press the interfacing with Heat Press. It definitely speeds up the ironing process. Here’s some HTV projects done by some of my training participants:

Custom bandana by Jenny Phong

DIY Cameo dust cover by @jahitbynadia

Handsome men with custom t’shirts made by Rosnah Mani

Personalised backpack by Siti Ayu Liyana

Simple Drawstring Pouch by @nizana18

Back to the story; Registration for Kutu Heat Press is open. I’m looking for 6 paxs only with a monthly commitment of RM200. Kick off date for this group is also April 2018 so if you want to join, click here to register.

For any enquiries, feel free to drop me a line here. (This will take you to my WhatApp number)

Kelas Telekung at Laman Seni ZilaKasim

Just a quick announcement. I’m organising a Telekung Class at Laman Seni Zilakasim on Saturday, 31 March 2018. It’s been a while since I last conduct a Telekung Class and in view of the coming Ramadhan, I felt it’s high time I organise one. 

This class is meant for Advanced Beginner to Intermediate level. Meaning, you should have solid basics in machine sewing. It’s not a beginner’s class. The fees includes a Telekung Kit:

• 2.5m white material for telekung
• 4.5m white lace for embellishment
• Paper template
• notes

Lunch is also provided during the class.

Past students who wish to come for a refresher class, the class is open for you at a much cheaper fees ie RM50 to cover for the studio rental and lunch. However you have to bring your own materials. Whatsapp me if you wish to come for a refesher class.

Having said that, here’s a checklist of the things you need to bring to class:

• Sewing machine. If you want to rent one, the fee is RM20. Please let me know so I can book the sewing machine for you and it is subject to availability. So, first come first served.
• Sewing tools eg. measuring tape, marking tools, scissors, white thread, etc.

To register, you can go to to my Estore. I’ve added this class in the Workshop subcategory. You can click here to register.

5 crafty things you can do with your kids during the school break

So the school break is here. I dare say, it’s not something WAHMs look forward too. Having the kids around the house more often than not just screws up your routine, your plans and what have you; or is it just me? When my kids are younger, I tend to block out any craft activities or work. I can never get anything done.You spend more time in the kitchen fixing food; the kids are alway hungry. You just fed them breakfast, and they’re already asking for snacks, you know, that sort of things. 

I for one tries my best not to resort to tv and electronic gadgets to fill my kids time. So, I thought I put together some of the crafty things you can get your kids to do and do these activities with them for some family bonding time.

#1 Batu Seremban

Good old fashion hand eye coordination game. Teach them how to make their own batu seremban with scrap fabrics, some coarse sand or rice, thread and needle. Nowadays, kids play with 5 batu seremban. You don’t have to stop at a set. Make extra sets so they can give it to their friends as birthday presents or a just because present. Or they can sell them and learn commerce.

#2 Rock Painting

I personally love rock painting as much as my kids do. I get a sack of medium size flat rocks, wash them and they are ready to be painted. Use acrylic paint and unleash the creativity. I used to get smaller rocks so I can get my kids to make cute stuff like these cute strawberries and I use them as pattern weights. The kids can also give them to their teachers as paperweights. Teacher’s day is in May so it’s a good time to get started on some DIY gifts. 

#3 Perler or Hama Beads

You can get a medium sized tub of perler beads from Ikea along with the base and set your kids to make their own stuff which you can turn into a keychain like the picture below. You can look up in the internet and find patterns which the kids can follow. When my son is 10, I let him use my mini iron to heat and fused the perler beads together. For younger children, you might need to help them with fusing the perler beads.

#4 Leathercraft

You don’t need to get vegetan leather. Scrap leather or faux leather would do the same trick. I have metal stamps so my kids use them to make leather keychains for their teachers and it’s hand-stitched.

#5 Air Dry Clay

You can get them from any online crafts shops. They are reasonably priced. And they are fun to play with. I made these cute kittycats many years ago and finished them as bag charms. My daughter loves them. I like the fact that I don’t have to bake them in an oven.

OK, that’s 5 crafty things you can do with your kids. From the pictures, it is hard to deny that I had a good time myself playing with things I never get to play with when i was a kid. Try it. It’s fun to let the kid in you out and play with your own kids once in a while. Leave a comment if you have other ideas for kids crafts during the school break.

Opening A Company Current Account For Your Business (for Malaysian Mompreneurs/WAHMs)

Prelude:

I decided to start an estore last month. A typical sanguine approach to the whole setup; I jumped right into it and hope I would be able to swim without sinking to the bottom. I’ve been crafting since a few years after I got my son (2008). I’ve started online business through this blog, facebook, instagram and whatsapp since 2010. Business seems like a big word. Well, it kept me busy through the years, I even had some down time post bazaar year (2012) and hardly take any orders at that point. I made a come back in 2014, doing more workshops and craft classes around Klang Valley and by the twist of fate, I embark on my Silhouette Sales and Training journey last year which got me into the creation of the Estore. I just wanted to streamline the process of channeling orders so I can track them better. I still get orders via other social media platform which I still entertain but gradually, I hope I can get my customers to go to the Estore and perform their transactions there.

Anyway, back to the story. Once the Estore is up, I realised that I wanted a more convenient way to expedite payment. The current method I’ve been using is the direct transfer method. I’d send my customers my bank accounts and the amount due and they do the transfer. It is all done MANUALLY! I wanted a more hassle free way. When I signed up with EasyStore, they offered a free registration with the payment gateway ie. IPay88 and eGHL. Once I got the email with the documentation to be completed, one of the requirements is to provide 3 months COMPANY CURRENT ACCOUNT statements. I don’t have that. So I need to open one or I can’t apply for the payment gateway for my Estore and I’m back to the dark ages of doing things the hard way.

Why do you need to have a company current account?

If you’ve taken time to read my prelude, you know that I need one to apply for a payment gateway system. Other than that;

• To standardize your business transactions. Never mix business with pleasure. Your business transactions should go into your business account; not your personal account. 
• Proper Book-keeping system. When your business grows bigger eventually, you need to have this in place. I wasn’t ambitious. I thought it was a hobby and it’s a bonus to actually earn from your hobby. It took me 8 years to realise that this can be a serious thing. This can generate income substantial enough for my household. So, even if you don’t see the income coming in now, just go ahead and open a company account anyway. Be prepared for success.

What do  you need to do to open one?

1. The pre-requisite: You need to register your business with SSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia or Companies Commission of Malaysia) 
2. Go to the nearest bank branch and obtain a form to open a company current account. It is a multiple pages form and take time to run through it with the bank officer to make sure you don’t miss out any details to fill in. I tell you, the mere look at the form alone makes me want to stab a knife to my heart. The paperwork is killing me! 
3. If you’re the patient one and want to safe a trip, then by all means, you can fill up the form at the bank and submit it on the spot provided you’ve all the supporting documents that they requested. I have a friend who did exactly that. I wasn’t patient enough to do that and prefer to torture myself slowly in the comfort of my home. 
4. The supporting documents for the application.
• IC copy
• SSM documents
• Company stamp
• Introducer-you can be your own introducer if you have a current account with Maybank.
  

  

  I made my own company stamp with Silhouette MINT

5. Once you’ve compiled the documentation, make your way to the bank for submission. According to the bank officer, it takes them 2-3 days to process the application. I didn’t have my hopes high because during my consultation with a friend who had gone through the process, she says it can be anywhere from 2 days to a month. So when I didn’t hear from the after 2 days, I kept my cool and gave them more time to process the application. My reminder went off last Wednesday where it’s exactly 2 weeks after my submission. I went on my stalker mode and start calling and following up on my application. Called the bank in the morning, the officer in charge said he’d call me back later. When I didn’t hear from him after an hour, I called back after lunch at 2 and the officer in charge is out for lunch. Finally at 5, the person in charge called back and said my application is approved and I can come to the branch to conclude my application.
6. Bring your IC and Company Stamp to the bank. You need to sign a few papers, have your thumb scanned, yada yada yada and they will eventually give you a letter with your bank account number. The bank officer will also help you register your Maybank2u account as in my case I opted not to get a chequebook. Everything is online anyway. To activate your account, you need to deposit or transfer RM1000 to your brand new company current account. I guess the officer sees that I’m savvy enough to handle the online transaction that he let me do it at home. There is a 24 hours cooling off period for you to transfer the amount into the bank account or it would be terminated. I’ve waited 2 weeks to open the account; God helps me if I’m foolish enough not to do the transfer ASAP.

So there you have it. I survived through that ordeal. I want to prepare you to what lies ahead when you embark on this journey so you’ll be better prepared than I was. I stumbled on this post to get a general idea of the process involved: http://akasiiik.blogspot.my/2016/08/cara-buka-akaun-perniagaan-enterprise.html. 

If there’s interest, I’d do a series of posts covering the whole setting up an estore process to securing the payment gateway system. Leave a comment if you want to read about this.

Till then, keep calm and thank goodness it’s Friday :)

Photography for Crafters; Portable Lightbox Review

I ordered this contraption ie. Portable Lightbox a couple of days ago and it came through the mail yesterday. I quickly put it to the test and thought I'd do a quick review on the product.

I ordered the 40cm x 40cm x 40cm size.

Plus points:

• It comes with a bag.
• It has led lights
• 2 backdrops in black and white
• Fully collapsible so it's space saving

Minus points:

• not so sturdy but it gets the job done. It's held together with magnets and they're not so strong.  You have to bend the flaps out so that it sits up better.

Below is my first shot with an iPhone6. No touch up. The lights gives a blue hue to the white background. That's OK. Good thing for me, I'm a sucker for photo-editing. It's made even easier though a mobile phone apps.

I use Snapseed to correct the white balance, adjust the lighting, ambience and add some saturation to the picture.

Next I opened it in PicLab to add the text and it's done!

Since we're already on the topic, I would also use Canva to edit my photos for my estore.

So the verdict; I'd give it a 3 out of 5. It is suitable for small items like a small purse, a wristlet, keychain and the likes. If your products are bigger, it is better to set up a small place for photoshoot or take your merchandise outside for an outdoor photoshoot.

I like it because it soften the dark shadows so I don't have to think about bouncing light with a reflector to reduce the dark sides. I used to be so obsessed in not having shadows on my product pictures but then I realised that it actually adds dimension to the photo. So, shadows are OK. just not too dark.

I think I need to add a disclaimer here. All opinions are my own. I am not an expert in the field of photography but I do have keen interest in them. I started my photography journey because I admire the photos in other craft blogs. They look so fresh, crisp, bright. I started with grainy photos from my mobile phone, to a cheap compact, then to a micro four thirds camera and now mostly with iPhone. I find that mobile phones nowadays produce exceptionally good photos; well good enough for social media posts and it's convenient to edit the photos with photo editing apps compared to photoshop.

So, there you have it; my take on the portable lightbox. Maybe in not so distant future, I'd cover a bit more on photography for crafters, say outdoor photography? yay or nay? Let me know, OK.

Intensive Silhouette Training

I had another Intensive Silhouette Training session today (Sunday, 11 March 2018). From the pictures, the usual enquiries that I get is “Do you only teach how to make custom t’shirt and sticker vinyl?” Isn’t much of “INTENSIVE” there is it? I’ve been conducting the training for over a year now and it does get a bit tiring when you get the same question. Perhaps it’s high time for me to go into greater length in explaining what the course entails.

Training session on 11 February 2018 at The Craftsical

When I put together the training material, I had the basics in mind. For a newbie with zero experience with any of the Silhouette machine be it a Cameo or a Portrait; it will put you on a fast track to mastering your machine without the hesitation and waste of trial and error. I’ve gone through watching tutorials and reading SilhouetteSchool blogs and trying to find local materials to diy stuff. I’ve done my trial and errors in my first year of owning a Portrait which is back in 2015. I have been hands on with both Portrait and Cameo to know what they can do and I’ve tried some hacks to try and save corners here and there. In short, you can take  your time and go through the process like I do or you can sign up for my class and skip all the mistakes that I’ve made and be on your way to have a beautiful relationship with your machine. Either way, the choice is yours.

I didn’t get a Portrait or a Cameo for the reason to become an instructor to begin with. I’m a crafter at heart and I’m a gadget freak. I love my Portrait the minute I had my hands on it. I learned what I can and took my time on the learning curve. Over the years, I’ve shared my crafts made with my Portrait and some of my friends and IG followers knew I own a Silhouette machine. I made more friends when they DM me asking for helps in trouble shooting their machines, or finding the right settings to cut some materials. I’m always happy to help a fellow crafter. Last year, Zila Kasim, a friend bought her Cameo and asked me to teach her. I was happy to show what Cameo can do. After the session, Zila suggested that I go into Cameo sales and training and she gave me some tips on how to get it started. Long story short, she became my mentor and I started my Cameo business and training. It’s been over a year that I’ve run training sessions on a monthly basis and do private training on site when my customers couldn’t come for group class. 

Anyway, what do I teach in my class? Well, I cover:

• Registration with Silhouette America and claim USD25 complimentary 1 month subscription. 
• Setting cloud account for Silhouette Studio.
• Introduction on the Silhouette Studio software
• Get free designs from Silhouette Design Store and saving it into cloud account
• Basic cut on cardstock
• sketch and cut function, using the dual carriage on Cameo3 and pen holder (additional accessory)
• cutting sticker vinyl to personalise the cameo/portrait-how to transfer the design with transfer tape
• Trace function; tracing design from other sources and converting it into a design for Cameo/Portrait to cut.
• Cutting HTV for a custom t’shirt
• Print and cut; understanding the importance of registration marks
• Cutting custom sticker

With that, I include:

• A t’shirt
• A 12”x 20” PU HTV 
• A cardstock
• 12”x12” sticker vinyl in assorted colours
• Printable heat transfer paper for light material (A4)
• Printable heat transfer paper for dark material (A4)
• Glossy sticker paper (A4)
• Matte sticker paper (A4)
• A list of local suppliers 

The next question I assume is how much does all these cost? 

I think it should be in the region of RM500 to RM600 but my fees are only RM300 and a further rebate of RM100 if you purchase your Silhouette Machine from me and I throw in a set of toolkit which is valued at RM84! If that is not a good deal than I don’t know what is! For one thing, the USD25 is most of the time goes unclaimed and for my participants, I’m actually giving free money worth RM100 for you to buy designs on the Design Store. I even include lunch during training. 

So, if you already own a Cameo and still finding your way with using it; or you’re thinking of getting one but hesitate if you can’t manage it, drop me a line or sign up for my training session. I posts my class schedule on my instagram and in my estore. I’ve seen how my participants have turn their machines into money making machines in no time. I’ve had feedbacks that some of them have covered their investment in the Cameo within one and a half months! But if that’s not your concern, that’s OK, you can just be like me and enjoy making stuff with your Cameo/Portrait. When you know how to use your machine, you are only limited by your creativity.

New Packaging and Promotion for Detox Deodorant

I started with 15g detox deodorant sometime early this year and Alhamdulillah, it is well received. A bit about my detox deodorant; I took the recipe from pinterest and modified it to call it my own. Due to our tropical weather, the original recipe makes the deodorant soft in room temperature. I tweaked the recipe a few times to get it to be more solid. 

The main ingredients are coconut oil, beeswax, bentonite clay, baking soda, corn starch, vitamin E, grapefruit and peppermint essential oils.

Bentonite Clay has many benefits:

1. It absorbs odors

1. It absorbs toxins from the skin by creating a leaching effect around the under arm lymph nodes (where a lot of toxins are stored).

1. It extracts heavy metals from the skin.

1. It is calming and soothing to the skin (so no more under arm chaffing).

Bentonite Clay is a sedimentary volcanic ash that swells when it comes in contact with water.  “Once it becomes hydrated, the electrical and molecular components of the clay rapidly change and produce an ‘electrical charge’.”1 It is this negative electrical charge that will bond to the positive charge of toxins, absorbing them into the clay as it releases its nutrients.

Extracted from http://simplelifemom.com

Baking soda neutralizes and absorbs bad odour and corn starch absorbs moisture.

When I first made the deodorant, I had my son in mind. He loves peppermint so I incorporated peppermint and grapefruit essential oils in the deodorant to get that fresh scent. I use Young Living Essential Oils. 

They are available in my estore. To kick off the new packaging, I’m running a promotion where for every 2 x 50g detox deodorant purchased, you get a FREE 15g detox deodorant. This promotion is limited to the first 10 customers only so hurry and get yours today!

PM LIVE, Astro Ria TV appearance on 23 February 2018

 I received a call from Wani, assistant producer for PM Live, Astro Ria on Thursday, 22 February 2018 inviting me to be one of the panel to discuss about Traditional Costume Jewellery. Apparently, she got my contact details from my wirecraft sifu, Mastura Mustafa. I didn’t give an immediate answer as I told her I’d like to bounce off some issues with my sifu. Had a quick chat with Mas on how I can contribute to the topic they want to discuss on the programme. I started wirecraft back in 2014 and have been doing it eversince and started to conduct basic wirecraft classes recently but I don’t think I’m anywhere near being the expert in the field. Mas reassured me that I can just give my input as a crafter and with her full consent and confidence, I accepted the invitation to come to the show.

It was aired on Friday, 23 February 2018. My kids were on a special day off after their school’s sports day the day before. I have to be at Astro by 11am. Got my husband to drive me there. Wani greeted me at the reception area. By now, I’m quite familiar with Astro as I’ve been there a few times before to shoot for Brother’s sewing machine promotion on GoShop. Anyway, I was taken to the make up room for touch up before the show. I had butterflies not because I was nervous about going on air. I think I’m ok in front of the camera. I was more nervous thinking of what questions the hosts would ask and if I draw a blank not being able to answer their questions. Anyway, I was starstruck when Kak Ogy came into the make up room for touch up too. Azura in person! I grew up watching her in movies and now we’re in the same room together! I didn’t waste the golden opportunity to get a selfie with her. 

I am blessed because my crafter buddies took pictures of me on tv and shared them on social media. Otherwise, I won’t have any pictures of myself. Here’s one taken by f.a.r_blankets. Thank you dear

All in all, the show went on smoothly. The other 3 panelists were Salikin Sidek, a fashion designer, Puan Shalini from Paulini; and Kumar from an online shop who promotes Indian costume jewellery. I had a lot of fun.

And who can resist another group shot with Kak Ogy? This picture is courtesy of Tuan Salikin Sidek. Thank you sir for letting me share the picture.

Chalked up one tv appearance for 2018. Not too bad if I may say so myself. Thank you Mas for the nudge and the confidence you have in me. I needed it.