2015 Round Up

I’m seeing a trend here. When new  year comes, I make a resolution to blog more regularly. Last year, it lasted until April before my blog took a back seat for the rest of the year. This year, hopefully I can stick to my resolution by putting it down in my journal. (that’s something I can blog about - my Bullet Journal discoveries)

OK, I’m going to do a quick round up for 2015.

January - A feature in February 2015 issue of Nur

March - Ticked this off my wishlist :)

March - The arrival of my niece, Nora Roselyn Rahman. Seen here in my knitted cocoon and beanie.

March - Another feature in March 2015 issue of Nur

April - A week’s workshop with the wonderful children of Learning Oasis

May - I was invited for a Technical Visit to Seoul by Perbadanan KotaBuku and had a day’s demonstration on Batu Seremban at Nami Island in conjunction with Nam Book Festival. I would say this is the highlight of my craft career for the year. 

May - My recording for Safiyya went on air a day after I got back from Seoul; Mother’s Day.

June - my 2nd ACG Annual Meeting. Alway a fun gathering

September - A quilted bag class with Tuji San from Brother Japan at Brother Malaysia Headquarters

September - A new craft; quilling with Namizam Muda of Miezcraft at Scrap n Crop 

October - my biggest  splurge investment to date. Brother V3 Embroidery machine

October - My first telekung class. 

October - The longest and most tiring bazaar to date; My handy creation bazaar organized by Brother Malaysia. I shared a booth with Mastura of WhimsicalnQuirky

October - Participated in a 4 day craft workshop for Festival Sastera Kanak-Kanak organized by Perbadanan KotaBuku together with WhimsicalnQuirky and SekociNorlie.

November - My column contribution for Anis; November 2015 Issue

November - Appeared in the craft segment for Assalamualaikum, morning talk show on TV Al-Hijrah. This is me with the program host.

December - A craft workshop with the children of PPZ’s staff.

Wow! What a year it has been. Many great moments. 

What’s in store for 2016? Many more great opportunities I hope and a new craft to learn? I have a leather craft class this weekend. I’ll blog about it after the class and tell you how it went; that is if anybody is interested.

As for now, two weeks into 2016, it’s still not too late to wish everybody a Happy New Year! May 2016 be a year of success and great achievements, إن شاء الله.

Little Red Market 5

My Little Critters debuting at LRM5

Wow! My first entry for 2013. Third month in the new year!!!! That's bad. 

Not that I don't miss my blogging. I've reached the maximum storage space for my pictures and what's a blog if I can't upload pictures. It'll be a bore, even for me.

Anyway, I've missed the first 2 months. Nothing worth recapping I supposed. I've been taking it easy with my sewing. No particular reason why. Just taking a break. I stepped into 2nd gear as we're approaching March where my first bazaar for the year was due to take place.

Little Red Market was in town again. It happened last Sunday, 3rd March 2013. I just love LRM. I've been with them from the quaint beginning of LRM2; and loving the energy, the community, the creativity, everything.

It's my 4th association with them, the 3rd time at White Box, Publika. This time around my location was in the centre, facing the 2nd entrance that leads to Black Box. We're placed into an island where I and 3 other vendors have our backs to each other. I like the set up. It was quite cosy. We get to have our small circle to chat in between chatting with the shoppers. 

There was a good mix of regulars and new faces. I didn't actually get the chance to go and check out all booths. These are pictures of my intermediate neighbours. I like the personalised growth chart. It's such a great idea. From what I see, they get quite a number of orders.

Another fun thing to me was that my kids were with me to watch mama in action. Babah had to run errands and the kids didn't want to be sent to their grandma's house. I love the fact that Melissa and Sally set up a kids' activities corner where my kids were kept busy. They made their own Harry Potter's glasses and bookmarks. The bottom picture shows Danial totally exhausted as they waited for me to pack up at closing time.

All in all it was a good day for me. I never realised how much I miss bazaars especially good ones like LRM. I've a few things left from the bazaar and I'll be listing them in an album on my fanpage in Facebook. I'll put a link here when it's up later.

Boy, it feels good to be able to blog again :)

2012 in retrospective part 1

As 2012 is coming to the end, I'm doing a review of what the year was for me. My first target for the year as far as my crafts were concerned was to do 12 bazaars this year; an average of one bazaar per month. It was really easier said than done. Being a procrastinator extraordinaire, having my booth well stocked up is a real challenge. 

My utmost gratitude to Azzah of SewFabby for letting me in this joyride with her. She's a proper bazaar hunter. She did more bazaars than I and a real working machine when it comes to stocking up her wares for the bazaar. I couldn't keep up with her. All in all, we're together in 5 of the 12 bazaars that I took part in this year. Thank you Azzah for being a good sport, a great bazaar partner and a real friend I can count on. I can never repay the kindness that you've shown to me. May you grow and prosper in the years to come, dear friend.

So what's in store for 2013... maybe less bazaar, one bazaar in 3 months, 4 bazaar for 2013. That would give me time to stock up and keep my online business in equilibrium. I must admit my online orders suffered as I have to decline taking orders so I can spend more time preparing my stock. I'll be focussing on my online shop. 

How was your 2012? 

My Birthday Giveaway! and IBU Charity Bazaar Shoutout

Salam Maal Hijrah! It's a new year according to the Hijrah Calendar which fell yesterday, Thursday, 15 November 2012; which was also my birthday. Yeay! Happy birthday to me! It's my 39th birthday. What a big number. It was a public holiday yesterday, in honour of my birthday, heheheh... A quiet affair at home. We had the Big Breakfast at Equine Park's McDonald's and later to Maycraft in Taipan, USJ to get some crochet yarn. You see, I ordered the Sharp Crochet Hook from Ebay and it came in the mail on Wednesday. I wanted to make some crocheted edging baby receiving blankets with some flannel that I ordered from Fabric.com.

So, that was pretty much my activity on my birthday. It was a wet Thursday. It rained practically throughout the day. Or was it? I was pre-occupied with the blankets.  So here they are, I've made 3 but ran out of yarn for the first one, thus it's not in the picture. These blankets will debut at IBU Bazaar this Sunday, 18 November 2012 at Publika. The introduction price is RM60.00 These are fully imported, high quality cotton flannel and the edging are made with high quality 100% cotton crochet thread. I made this simple shell edging with the variegated crochet thread and loving the effect. 

Since it's pretty much what I did on my birthday, I'm going to give ONE crocheted edging receiving blanket as my birthday giveaway. Here's what you have to do to qualify for the giveaway:

1. LIKE my fan page: www.facebook.com/madebyrozirahman  (if you haven't already)
2. SHARE this blog post on your Facebook wall
3. and leave a COMMENT at the bottom of this blog post

You can do #1 or #2 or do both but you must do #3 to stand a chance to win an exclusive handmade Crocheted Edging Receiving Blanket. (edit: The comments will be my way of tracking you) You can also state your preference whether you wish for a 'GIRL' or a 'BOY' blanket. 

This giveaway is open now and closes at 12.00 midnight, 30 November 2012. 

Moving on to the next agenda, my next Bazaar appearance will be on Sunday, 18 November 2012 at Publika. It's IBU Charity Bazaar. Here are some line up of the things that I'll be bringing to the bazaar apart from the receiving blankets:

No Sew Tutu

Blanket+Pillow combination=Blankow

Travel Changing Mats

So come and say "HELLO" to me and perhaps bring home a handmade Made by Rozi Rahman :)

UPDATED on 3 Dec 2012: The giveaway is closed. The winner will be announced in the next post

Bazaar #10: Little Red Market

It seems like a whole life time ago since I last opened a booth at a bazaar. That's me exaggerating. My last bazaar was before fasting month in July. I took a break throughout fasting month as my mother in-law was staying with us while the maid went back for a month break. Having a guest around didn't quite allow me to sew to my heart's content and my sewing room was reduced to a store room where the kids' toys and what have you were chucked there to make room for my MIL. She took the kids' room so the kids bunked with us. 

Alhamdulillah, the maid came back as promised to resume her tour of duty on Merdeka day. That day brings a special meaning of 'Merdeka' to me. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't hard to take care of my MIL. But it was tough emotionally for all of us especially when her memory is failing her. I'm just glad to put that episode behind me. 

I was quiet the whole of August too where I couldn't face clearing the tsunami-hit sewing room. I resorted to knitting, rag-rugging with the jumbo hooks and other stuff that doesn't require me to go and clear the room. I even lugged out the sewing machine and parked it on my dining table to sew baju raya for my kids and myself and even made a bigger mess.

I am so good at side-tracking aren't I? This is supposed to be about the upcoming Little Red Market.

I finally bucked up and cleared my room. Let me show you the before picture:

You can't even see the surface of my working table nor the surface of the floor! This is no exaggeration.

After a whole morning at it, things looked up and the room looks more workable:

I had to use the safety gate to keep Arwen out of the room or I'll never get anything done. The writing on the whiteboard were the list of things to make for Little Red Market last May!!!! 

This is going to be my 3rd appearance at Little Red Market. My association with Little Red Market started in February this year where I joined them for the first time for their 2nd LRM in a residence in Jalan Beka, Bukit Damansara. I went there without any expectation as I was curious on how are they going to pull crowd in to a private residence. But the reception completely blew my mind. I was busy from the word 'GO'. 

In May, they moved to White Box, Publika and I followed them. Bigger venue, more vendors, bigger crowd. Loving it more.

This time around, I need to put on my thinking cap and start making new things for the bazaar. I came out with my chalk mats and banners which was a runaway success, baby bibs and binkie clips sold well too. 

So for the 4th Little Red Market and the last for the year (according to the banner), I made new items: Wet bags with PUL lining, Tunisian Crochet Ipad cosy, and my very own Blankow, a Blanket and pillow combination.

There's more... want to see what else I have? Follow me on my fanpage on Facebook and make a date with me at the Little Red Market on Sunday, 14 October 2012 at WhiteBox, Publika.

Bazaar # 9: Supplies Surprise! 6 Bazaar

A quick shout out for my next bazaar appearance. It’s a supplies bazaar this time. I’ll be de-stashing my designer cotton at RM33 per meter!!!!! Only during the bazaar. These are some of the stash from Micheal Miller’s Sanctuary collection.

I also have 2 yards of chalk cloth available at RM75.00 per yard (36” x 47”). I’ve made chalk mats and chalk cloth party banners with these. (see here)

Jumbo ric-racs at RM2.50 per meter and a meter bundle of 8 colours @ RM18.00 only. 

I’ve got hold of some Fabric Mod Podge too. Only 5 bottles available at RM30.00 for 8oz bottle.

I have the Classic Mod Podge too (yellow label) but only the 4oz one at RM15.00.

I’ll be rummaging my things tonight to see what else I can bring to the bazaar. They say "one crafter’s junk is another’s treasure”... I wonder what other treasures I’ll be taking home with me from the bazaar... Cringe to think how am I ever going to fit all my stuff in my over-stuffed sewing room...

Shout Out: Bazaar #8 - Fuyoh Art Bazaar 4

If you’ve been following my updates on my bazaar appearance, you’d be wondering where’s bazaar #7. I kinda missed out on that. It was last month at Subang Parade (3 June 2012). Nothing much to report. Business was a bit slow that day. Had to do a solo act as my partner couldn’t make it. Survived the long hours, yada, yada, yada.  Lets move on to my shout out, shall we?

This Sunday, 24 June 2012, I’ll be at Publika for Fuyoh Art Bazaar #4. The theme is traditional so I’ll be coming in my traditional costume. Nothing fancy, baju kurung for me :) unless I decide to be adventurous and comes in a sari? who knows? *wink*

Don’t miss my booth. It’ll be at #66, my lucky number this round :)

What’s new? My last four pieces of Ipad cosies knitted in Colourscape Chunky by Kaffe Fasset. I like the mouthful description, don’t you? They’re my last four as I’ve run out of my Colourscape Chunky stash, after almost 2 years keeping them in my knitting yarn stash. I’m glad they’ve received a good response as Ipad cosies after I first premier them at Markets@JayaOne (Read about it here). 

I’ve also have a fresh shipment of Jumbo Ric-Racs which just arrived after 1 month! They’ll be retailing at RM2.50 per meter and a 8 meter bundle at RM18.00 (a discount of 10%). They’re made of polyester and suitable as embellishment on dresses (low heat iron possible) as well as for scrapbooking, or other crafts. I have 8 colours. Come and see how yummy they are :)

It measures approximately 5/8” from peak to peak:

Compare between the jumbo ric-rac and the normal ric-rac commonly found:

Anything else? I’m trying to perform miracles and R&D new chalk cloth party banner.... Nothing is cut, my sewing machine is cold... What am I doing here?!!!!!!  See you tomorrow folks!!!!

Addition (as at 3.30pm, Saturday 23 June 2012)

Instead of doing another entry, I’m just adding on the new stuff I’m going to bring to FAB:

Reusable Chalk Cloth Party Banner ver.2.0

Fresh from the sewing machine.

They measure approximately 7” width and 10” height.

I’ll be selling them loosely ie per pieces:

1-4 pieces = RM10.00 each piece
5 pieces onwards = RM8.00 each piece

It comes with the cotton rope (12” for every banner piece).

So come and visit my booth and string up your own party banner!