busy busy bee

Now that both Bev and myself are working, it's really hard to find time to make things. On top of that financial matters hasn't exactly been easy on us :( I guess this space will serve as our portfolio database for now.

All items that we have had previously are still available for commission with exception of the clay ones (as they take a lot of effort to make!!) and those with limited materials. Please feel free to e-mail in to inquire about the available clay charms if you're interested in them. So far I've got a few cakes and a couple of Mario mushrooms running around my workbox. As for rings, you'll have to write in with your finger's width so they can be custom made to your size :)

Thanks for all your support so far!

pearl brooches Twinkle & Always

Yipes, sorry for the lack of updates! Life has been keeping me very very busy with the number of active projects I'm working on.

I love pearls. I love how they bring clothes up to a brand new meaning of class. Remember Dazing by the Beach? There's a couple more of them now :)

Twinkle

Materials: faux Japanese pearls, steel, cat's eye bead

Always

Materials: Pearls, pearls, and love!

* please note that due to the fact that the heart shape pearl beads are pretty fragile, so they aren't recommended for bag accessories! They look really nice on a dress or as a belt accessory though ;)

~RM25~

crown of pearls

I have always been fascinated with fairytales and stories involving princesses. Who doesn't, right? So, a ring made in the shape of a crown is definitely a must have for me!

This was the second bead item I made and because I love white, I made it in white~! But then it ran away so I had another one made which is the one in the pictures. It looks lovely when the sun shines on it because of the pearls and silver-lined seed beads.

Different colours are available upon request, of course. I've made it in black and purple for two coursemates and another one on the way for dear Eleen, who'll probably skin me if I delay it any later.

Materials: Swarovski Pearls, Matsuno Seed Beads, Lots of Love
Price: RM12

Interested buyers should also include your finger measurements in order for me to make one that fits the finger of your choice best :)

Post-GACC 2009

We got back from GACC last Sunday evening... thanks to all who have come to visit us and bought from us! ^^ We hope that you like your items~!

The days after GACC were torturous for me, but not so much so for Beverly. I fell into a bad bout of flu (don't worry, it's not H1N1!), and was unable to move much until today. Everyone, please take care of yourself ;__; Fortunately, I am must better now. Beverly the super immune system woman came off unscathed.

cerise

I was at Isetan, and I saw lots of strawberries for sale! I love strawberries! And they had blackberries and blueberries for sale too. It brings me back to those days when I worked in a chocolate shop dipping all these berries! Aah, I remembered how I used to have cherry liquor dark chocolates to keep myself toasty in winter days too *^__^*

How does one actually create cherry earrings without massive wirework anyway? I somehow managed to find inspiration in my minute collection of Czech glass beads...

"do we look yummy?"

Materials: Czech glass beads

Most unfortunately, I got these beads when I was in England and am unable to find any local beading suppliers that import these lovely heart-shape leaf beads in this pretty shade of green :( So yes, one-of-a-kind!

~RM15~

Dazing by the beach

Ah, summer! Yacht, blue skies, the sea...

materials: dyed shell flower, Swarovski crystals, Japanese faux pearls

...Pearls and shell :) this is a nifty collection of clip-on pearl brooches that I will be releasing once in a while. The brooches are attached with lobster clasps on either end, and have myriads of uses, among them:

• Clip-on brooch (on clothes)
• Bag accessory
• Hair accessory (with a U pin)

And whatever your imagination lets you do! The pearls and crystal adds an elegant touch of colour, while the shell daisy teases sweetly.

~RM23~

Ps.: Feel free to enquire for any other available colours!

the Horn (of Plenty?)

One fine day, I started beading a horn... It turned out huge! Initially, it was made in hopes to turn it into a keychain but seeing how bulky it became I doubt anyone will be interested in it. So here's the horn just for show!

Materials: Seed Beads, Bugle beads, Bali Bead.

Size: 6.5 cm (l) x 3.5 (w)

On second thought.. I might just turn it into a keychain for my own use :3 There isn't much of a length difference compared to the guitar~ Still, do mail us if any of you are interested, so I can give you the price...

lady fairy

Hello there fairy queen! Tiers of a large bell-shaped skirt, and an intricate halo of flowers crowning her regal crystal head.

materials: acrylic beads, bali beads, Swarovski crystals, Matsuno beads

~RM26~

Clip-on earrings are available now too! ^^ lady fairy is only available in pink for now.

alto

Hi everyone~ This is Beverly, and it's my first post here! Due to my terrible lack of creativity, I have proceeded to name this piece.. Alto. It can be used as a handphone strap or a keychain, whichever you prefer. Different colours are available upon request!

Materials: Matsuno seed beads, wire
Length: Guitar 6.2cm (11.5cm including strap)

~Price: RM25~

PS: This is not named due to my Macross Frontier addiction (in denial) but an Alto guitar does exist!

LunaP earrings ~interlude~

I'm a Sailormoon fan, and proud of it!

Materials: polymer clay, wire, pearls

miniature ~interlude~

Rawr~ We're made of clay and we're here to stay!

summer daisies

The month of July... is the best time to go to the beach! So part of the 2009 summer collection includes an array of summer-themed accessories. Teamed with the theme of "Simplicity", KiRA brings you a simple pair of dyed shell daisies!

Just a simple pair of earrings to match that sun dress~

Materials: dyed shell flowers

~RM8~

Available colours: Milk brown, pearl black, orange, and rose red

**Only one pair of each colour is available.**

Please note: because these are carved and cut from real shells, the shells will have uneven cracked surfaces as well as varying thickness. Don't worry though, it doesn't make these any more fragile than our other works! We assure you that these pretty shells are actually quite sturdy, and the natural formations look lovely :)

puffy whites ~interlude~

Remember the very long hiatus about the very long project that I was working on? It's finally done! This lariat took me 3 weeks to complete, and it induces a lot of strain to my eyes. It is, incidentally, my first real beading project as well!

I used Swarovski crystals, Matsuno glass beads, and Japanese faux pearls... the effect is quite an astounding one. I wonder where I will wear it to?

This lariat's slightly less than 1 metre long. Ah~ I will never forget the time it took to just make one of those puffy white flowers! *tears*

heart it!

I once saw some people use pearl-beaded 2 dimension hearts in their works, and I have been so very very entranced by it! However it doesn't look like they made it themselves and their pearls seem to hang and support each other (super glue!?). I couldn't seem to find it for sale as a charm, so maybe that isn't the case as well. Whatever it was, I was determined to have it for myself!

Finally, after lots of failed experiments I have managed to create my own version of 2d pearl-beaded hearts~! They are 100% KiRA handmade, and I absolutely heart them! :) You'll definitely be seeing more of them in my other works.

Materials: high quality Japanese faux pearls, Matsuno seed beads, Swarovski crystal

~RM10 for one strap~

Available in white, cream, and pink pearls.

butterfly trails ~in the midnight~

This ruby night ensemble was made by the request of a friend. I hope you like it!

busy busy busy

I've been so very busy the past month! Work sucks out the life of anyone. Anyway, I'll just drop off a picture of an earring I've made. Hopefully I'll have more time to make stuff next month :)

Ocean drops

Summer is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, Malaysian summer is coming. Anyone else feeling the heatwave?

little petals

I mentioned that I've been attempting to bead lately, so I had to go scour for my materials. I've got the string and wire, but I lack seed beads! And what's more, I need hairpins, wire hair combs (it's so hard to find it in Malaysia!), etc. :( not easy, and I hadn't even started.

Thankfully, I managed to start on a project anyway :D

A five-petaled flower hair-pin!

This is the prototype version. It wasn't sturdy enough for me though, so I improvised the pattern and came up with the same little flower hairpin with better "bending" power! Because this is made by wire, the petals can be bent to give it a slightly "lotus" shape or be flattened :)

Materials: Matsuno Glass Beads, faux acrylic pearl, black hairpin

made to order

~RM10 each~

Colours: crystal blue, rose pink, crystal

Distant Worlds

Oops, was too absorbed with my trip to Singapore last weekend. I went to watch Final Fantasy ~Distant Worlds~ concert!! ♥ It was superb, and some songs were so beautiful it nearly made me cry. Encore was awesome, and the best bit was Nobuo Uematsu-sensei was there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I GOT HIS AUTOGRAPH, along with Arnie Roth's! :)

Was beading some flower hairpins for an order after I got back... Beading can be such a spellbinding past-time. Thanks Bev for introducing it to me!

monotone

These days I feel like making really simple but effective designs. I was looking through all the things I made, and I noticed that they're all really fancy and eye-catching. Not that it's bad, but there were some days when I feel like not having my earrings as the eye-catcher, but instead as a compliment to the clothes I wear.

Meet the first of the series, made of black and white Czech glass beads!

Materials: Czech glass beads

~RM8~

bird garden ~interlude~

Since I saw a lampwork bead of a birdhouse, I've always wanted to make a bird-themed bracelet for myself. I set to work on my clay and sculpted out a bird house. After that, I made some clay roses, along with a little bird to match the theme.

It took about 2 weeks for the coating to set properly, then I set my tools on it last week.

...wait a minute, that didn't look like a little bird! In fact, it's HUGE! That's because I accidentally incorporated the little bird into a different part of the set. Oops. I had to find a quick replacement for my bracelet's little bird, and it just happened to be that leftover oversized piyo-chan. Well, I'll make a new one as soon as I've got time :)

So where's the little bird?

There it is, right in the middle! I've attached it onto a necklace, so it makes a tiny pendant!

materials: clay, pearls, glass beads, sterling silver charms and findings

Mother's day ~interlude~

I was sick for the past few days; down with a flu, had a bad headache... It was horrible. So now there'll be a series of updates for all that I did over the weekend!

Let's start with the card I made for mum on Mother's day :3



Yup, I love my lace and beads! ♥ I gave mum a pair of earrings made of pearl and crystals as well. Didn't take a picture of them though. Oh well.

candy twins

When I made these, I thought they look so much like Japanese boys! You know, with the kimono (the three beads for sleeves and the bottom half of their wear), and the black hats (albeit much taller) they wear in the Heian era. It just reminded me of the men in the e-maki of my Genji no Monogatari books.

But a friend took one look and said "Ooh, candies!"

Materials: glass beads

~RM18~

What's your take on them?

bashful blossoms

I recently got myself some wire... I'm experimenting what I can do with it!

Materials: glass beads, acrylic beads
~RM12~

springtime flowers ~pink~

The pink (finally!) variant for Springtime Flowers! Why finally? Well I couldn't find any pink glass beads so this has been a long delayed colour variant. Unlike the previous flowers though, these pink flowers are made of acrylic, and they look slightly larger. The colours are really sweet!

Materials: acrylic beads, Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals

~RM17~
Reserved

KiRA flutters ~interlude~

When I make my designs I usually make just one of them so I can use the same materials for a different design. Most of them were taken away from me almost immediately, or they were just meant for someone else. That also means that I get to keep next to none of all the stuff I made.

So when I made these pair of pretties, I made it with the intention of keeping them. They're mine, and still mine ;) One of my happiest works yet, because the butterflies and stars tinkle as I walk, and the crystals twinkle through my hair.

Remake possibilities: in pink, blue and yellow. Sorry, but these AB butterflies will be mine and mine only! >w<

~RM28~

Eternal Hearts ~Mystically Black variant~

Someone wanted Eternal Hearts with black pearls, so I got some Mystic Black Swarovski pearls and pull out what's left of my Swarovski black hearts...

I really like how the black pearls further accent the jet black crystals, and the crystal hearts brings them together so nicely... Like the name of the pearls, the piece has been transformed to look mystically black compared to its more innocent origins.

It's like the Eternal Hearts grew up *feels a mummy sob coming up* ;__;

Umbrella~ ella~ ella~ eh~ eh~

The weather is cheesing me a lot lately. It's either hot, too hot, or just looks like it's about to rain. Now if only these umbrellas can grow big when I need them... ;)

Materials: Glass beads, pewter bead cap

~RM10~

dimensional clutters

Long long time ago... -- okay, not that long time ago. It was Summer last year actually -- I bought some faceted plastic beads, because I wasn't exposed to the amazing whoaness of Swarovski beads yet (haha). Back then I thought they were pretty, until one day I bought some Swarovski crystals back and compared them side by side.

And since then , I've never turned back.

Because of that, my plastic beads - pretty as they are - were neglected. So my challenge was to actually design something that would put more emphasis on them as a whole. These plastic beads are good quality plastic beads; the faceted surface reflects well, though obviously not as well as crystals! So what happens if they were placed in a cluster?

Materials: Czech glass beads, faceted plastic beads

~RM12~

They feel like such a colourful bunch of grapes to me! *laughs*

swinging daisies

These carefree pearl daisies swing just under your ears, adorned with colourful crystals on the top!

Materials: Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals

~SOLD~

the package is in!

My order from the UK came in~!!! First off are the much-awaited high-quality faux Japanese pearls. They're really really pretty, and look similar to Swarovski pearls in terms of sheen and coating!

Unfortunately, they come in very limited colours (pink and white) and sizes. I ordered cream as well, but the colour is... an interesting hue of light gold o__O Might have to return them :( Due to this, I would still be patronising Swarovski pearls for all other colours and sizes.

Along with that order are my coveted Czech glass beads. I've always loved Czech glass beads, but it's really hard to find them in Malaysia! So yes, I imported them from the UK. Shipping was a killer, and let's not forget the exchange rate. The price of these beads could actually rival the price of Swarovski D: what have I gotten myself into?! *cries*

They're just too pretty to resist...!

starry heart

You can tell that I'm liking the recent beading pattern I did when I'm using it in several designs! ♥ I know many people don't see the vitrail colour with pearls, but I just love the stark contrast of colours! And it goes well with black handphones ;D

(yes, I'm a proud owner of a black handphone that's dressed up in girly accessories! My handphone has never been so embarassed about it...)

Materials: Swarovski crystal, Swarovski pearls

~SOLD~

blue layers ~interlude~

I bought blue and emerald green crystals some time ago and I've never - NEVER - touched it since. So I told myself, "You have to use those crystals" and made it a point to do so. That was my challenge of the day, and a challenge it turned out to be indeed.

I was chatting to a friend who's currently in US who asked me to make her a bracelet some time ago... and somehow talking to her just made me feel that I should try an earring in the style of the bracelet I made her! Hmm, how do I achieve this?



It looks nice, but since this is my first time making something in this manner, I thought I should adopt this piece. When I put it on, I think to myself "So far so good, not too bad. Probably needs a bit more weight though."

And throughout the day, I had accidentally snagged my finger onto it no less than 5 times when I tried to brush my hair off my shoulders. Not funny. At some point I thought my earlobe was going to get longer with the constant pulling! (I'm sensitive about that)

So this is going under the chopping board :( The first time I've ever deemed one of my KiRAs to be sent under the chopping board! It hurts my heart so.

I can't bring myself to do it just yet.

Material: Swarovski crystals, Swarovski pearls

Record to date

To date I've made 26 designs, with 3 colour variations; total of 29 pieces not including the clay charms I made in my free time (which isn't very many, but I like to count them as well!).

I started Project K.i.R.A. on March 18th, and as of April 20th - okay, I cheated... I didn't make anything during the weekend because I was busy meeting friends! - So as of April 18th, I have actually made 29 accessories and about 6 clay charms! Yay me!

Nearly 1 a day if I just look at accessories ;) and I've met my target of 1 in 2 days! *laughs* I'll put a rest on the challenge first... I'm feeling my brains milked dry from all the designing somehow. Besides, I still have quite a number of stuff I haven't uploaded yet, so I shall concentrate on that first.

Classical

More pewter goodness! Pewter has such an antique-silver look, doesn't it? Okay, not really, but they do look classy when paired with pearls. And this piece, created to pair the Chandelier, brings images of silverware; one that has been forgotten in time, with a dangling flower desperately clutching to its yet untarnished colour.

Materials: pewter beads, Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals

Length: 16cm - 21cm (adjustable)

Classical only: ~RM30~

Set with Chandelier: ~RM40~

sakura ~pink~

Too cute to resist making them in pink! ;) See blue version.

~RM13~

Other colours available: light violet, light topaz, red.

Daffodil Love

Spring is the season of new beginning, flowers, and love. Daffodils, butterflies, and a new found love describes it all!

Let me share my inspiration:

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
and twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
in such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
what wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
- William Wordsworth (1804)

Materials: glass flower bead, Cat's-eye bead

~RM13~

different moons

If April Showers and May Flowers are for updo, different moons look best with your hair down (my preference are for long in dark shades ^_~).

An elegant array of pearls set on thin threads that fade into your hair colour, the effect of the pearls and crystals stand out from the cascading tresses like suspended moons and stars, with crimp beads twinkling modestly in angles.

Materials: Swarovski pearls, Swarovski crystals

~RM20~

born to be wild

This is one of the fiddlest pair of earrings I've ever worked with! I thought working with threads were messy, but noooo! This proves to be a different class of its own. The end result, however, made it all worth it.

Vitrail is such a lovely shade! Such a shame it doesn't photograph very well. I've never been so captivated by it until a friend wore a necklace with a pendant of this colour. It's a pretty shade of emerald green with underlying shades of black and yellow highlights, perfect for bringing out all that funky wild side, or dipping an elegant touch to that evening gown ;)

Materials: Swarovski crystals

~SOLD~

Ps. I've just recently got Twitter! How exciting!

chandelier

It came as a surprise when I picked up some metal plate a couple of weeks ago, when I was shopping for some materials... and it came as a bigger surprise when I picked up some pewter findings early this week!

I must say though, they look lovely when paired with pearls! I feel a growing fondness for these metal and pewter stuff... :)

Materials: Pewter beads, Swarovski crystals, Swarovski pearls

Chandelier only: ~RM17~
Set with Classical: ~RM40~