Not good at selling? Try teaching.

Teaching what you are good at crafting is a good way to show off your talents. Some creations look very simple to the eyes but once you try to recreate the design, you may find that it is not as easy as it looks. So, when you start teaching, you may come across students who prefer to buy your creations, over making their own, even when they already know the basics.

So, where can you start your class? If you have an odd student now and then, consider teaching from your home. If you need a classroom to teach a group of students, look around your neighbourhood to see if there are societies or associations that have vacant halls available for rent. Some of these establishments subsidise part of the fees for members to encourage higher participation in activities they organise. So, that could mean more students for you.

If you live near my neighbourhood of Kajang or Cheras, check out the facility of Bandar Sungai Long Buddhist Society, as they do rent out their halls on adhoc basis. If you time your lessons to start when their library is opened, you can leave your elder children to enjoy the books there while you teach.

Recently, I attended a cooking class organised by a company selling cookware. They held it at a shop selling wares and ingredients for baking. So, if you are a good cook, you may want to ask shops you regularly buy your ingredients from to see if there is such an option for you.

Do you know anyone in the civil service? Some government agencies organise pre-retirement training programme for their staff. There are some that organise training for the underprivileged or single parents. Following are some I know of:

INTAN Bukit Kiara
Jalan Bukit Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel : 603 – 2084 7777
Fax : 603 – 2093 9490
E-mail : maklumbalas@intanbk.intan.my

Kemas
Community Development Division (KEMAS)
Ministry of Rural Development,
Tingkat 5, Blok E,
Komplek Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn,
50606 Kuala Lumpur
60-3-2066744
60-3-2069308

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
Wisma Putra
No 1, Jalan Wisma Putra
Precint 2
62602 Putrajaya
Tel: 603-8887 4000
Tel: 603-8887 4570 (after working hours)
Fax: 603-8889 1717 / 603-8889 2816

Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWK)
Aras 1-6, Blok E,
Kompleks Pejabat Kerajaan Bukit Perdana,
Jalan Dato' Onn
50515 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA.
Tel: 03-2693 0095
Faks: 03-2693 4982
E-mail: info@kpwkm.gov.my

If you are good at sewing and living in Kuantan, write to Hamimah of Women's Institute of Pahang (WIP) Needlework Centre
Lot 14, Taman Mahkota Putra,
Bandar Indera Mahkota,
Kuantan, Pahang
Tel: 09-573 3241

Think you are the brave type to try this out? Federal prison inmates need vocational trainers.

If you see potential in teaching at these government agencies, you may have to register your company to be eligible to apply. myGovernment Portal is the best site to visit for information about setting up your company.

What? You think it is better to sell over teaching after all? No worry, I have covered that in my earlier posting.

Want to kiss in public? Take out the tissue paper.

How do you encourage your children while they are still very young not to mis-use paper? "Don't throw" and "Can recycle", are often heard commands from me. I also encouraged them to scribble on the blank side of junk mails or newsletters instead of the message pad I have by the phone.

When we eat out, we share a tissue paper to wipe our mouths. The magic words I use is, "Kiss, Mummy", as I passed the tissue paper I have just used around and they will gladly obliged. When they were younger, they use to fight over who get to do it first.

There are rules in this exercise that they have to adhere to. No blowing your nose into the tissue until all lips have been wiped.

Mean or what? I don't care as daddy can get away with kissing mummy in public, by means of a used tissue paper.

The free tutorials here. Do they work?

My write up about Cindy and her crochet cassette tape bags has inspired one of my neighbours, Mrs Chin, to create her own. As she does not know how to read the instruction on Cindy's website, I have offered to help her out.

I took out my "Crochet & Needle Work - 880 Patterns" book that I have with me since 1976 and asked her to select a design she likes. While working with the cassette tapes, she realised that it is not easy to manipulate them over the size 4 hook as she was crocheting two pieces of tapes together. So, I passed her some of my left over wool to work into the design so that she does not have to use as much of the tape.

I helped her with the finishing and this is the result of our efforts.



I have taken up a stall at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, on 22 May and Mrs Chin has decided to sell her creation there. This is the bracelet I have created with the rest of the wool to go with the bag.



Attached it to this bag when you wear it and you will not have to worry about being snatched.



If you like what you see, pop by to catch us in the act. The event to launch a book related to home-based business starts at 9.30am.

My Codd Bottle. The only one in Malaysia?

I have received the Codd's bottle that I won from in a competition at Karl's blog. It came with a message from Karl to keep up my good work with the blog. Thank you, Karl.

Here is a picture, taken by my little boy, of me holding on to my "collector's item" bottle and the "very smile inducing" message.



Looking at the strange bottle meant for "The Dee Mineral Water Co Ltd", it makes me wonder if I am the only one in Malaysia owning one. The glass is very thick and the bottle shape, about 1/3 down its opening, is pinched towards the centre at both sides. There is a glass ball sitting on the slit of its upper half and a rubber spacer at its bottom. Here is a clearer picture of it.



You want to know how I won it? Read about it at this link:

I won! I won! Talking about nature.

Fashion show, a way to save the environment?

What has fashion show got to do with the environment? Ever since I started this blog about recycling for a living, I have attracted many like minded people.

I received this picture of a mini skirt and top knitted from colored and black previously-used shopping bags.



I was so impressed by it that I did a search on the sender and this is the secret that I have discovered. There is such a following as the Haute Trash and Shaun Muscolo is one of the designers who produce fashion wear out of trash. Before you pinch your nose and say "Yeeak!", take a look at photos by Mr. Tommy Gleason to see what they are wearing at their fashion runway shows. Another photographer of such events I have discovered is Chris Coffin.

If you have been inspired to try your hands at this, there is an opportunity for you to showcase your creations. Just fill in this Fashion and Environment Exhibition from. Yes, I have signed in for this too.

Need more suggestions to start?

How about creating t-shirt with natural dye? I have some examples of such dye on my blog for painting eggs.

And if you live by a river, you may want to put the mud you have been complaining about to good use. Let Kimberly Michelle Jones, an Africana Graduate Student tells you how. You may not have all the ingredient or time needed but if you play around with what you have in your environment, you maybe able to create your very own mud dye recipe from each states in Malaysia. Example, for the solution of tea that comes from the Bogalon tree, try the Chinese tea that produces the darkest solution. When I used a henna hair dye recipe, lemon was added so that the natural colour stays. Maybe that can be added. You may also want to check out your competition first at African and Silk Fabrics.

You can also create clothes, bags and accessories using leftover fabric. What do you mean that's too tacky? Look at what shop owner, Rina Matsui, has created at Flowerdrum in Malaysia.

You can also read how similar minded beings from Earth are doing it at Treehugger.

Stained plastic bags? Very handy material.

If you have tried Malaysian cuisine or read our food recipes, you will know that dish washing must be a very time consuming activity. If you do not think so, take a look at our curry dishes. That's when the cooking utensils right up to the cutleries will be dripping with oil.

That is the best time to make use of those stained plastic bags you are going to throw away anyway. Just wipe the access oil off the surface of the pots and pans with the plastic bags and throw them into the dustbin. This way, the oil will not form residue in the drainage pipes to clog your drains. When you start washing, you do not need a lot of detergent = less pollution, so you do not need a lot of water to wash off = save $.

Dressing Barbie as cheaply as I can

How do mothers reject their daughters' request for Barbie Dolls? I would really like to know that.

I have to admit that I find Barbie adorable too but it can be very costly if your little girl keeps asking for more cos its her birthday and this Barbie is totally different. It's a Mermaidia. OK, so you allow her to choose one of the movie characters, then the 12 Dancing Princesses came into the picture!

OK, that's it! Mommy will have to work on creating her own Barbie costumes for her little girl.

"Will this do, girl?"



"How about this?"



"What! You want a hair piece too? OK, here you go".



No, it did not take me days to create them and they cost me nothing. I just look out for plastic bags in nice designs and let my imagination go wilder than the movie makers, if possible.

This is how the piece will look like before it's worn by Barbie.



Cut another strip of plastic out wide enough for belting Barbie up. Got the picture? Easy, right?

You have handmade some. Now what?

So, you have been to my blog and you have been inspired to create using your collection of abandoned material. Now what? Sell them!

Stop! Don't hand in that resignation letter yet. First you have to show off your creations to your relatives, friends and neighbours to see how they react to your artistic venture. Start by giving them out as gifts to friends who have invited you to their functions or sell it at cost price to your siblings and ask them to help you to promote them.

What! You cannot decide how much you should priced them? OK, I have to admit, I have a problem pricing my work too when I first started and it took one of my students to make me realised that I should value what I have created.

My student can't help you there but no fear, here are some willing teachers.

Business of Crafts by Fiber-Images

If you are into jewellery making, check out these websites:

Business How-To's & Industry Trends a jewelry making managed by Tammy Powley.

How to Price your Wire Jewelry for Wholesale or Retail Business by Wire Sculpture. Also check out their list of "Jewelry Making Tips and Tricks".

Don't miss Eni Oken's postings on "Tools, Tips & Materials". You will be impressed by her "Bead Cost Calculator" which is in excel file format that you can download to work on. She also has a "Colour Schemes" software that you can also download so that you do not have to pull your hair out wondering what colours of beads and crystals you should buy or how to match what you have. No, I will not be getting any commission for recommending them because she is offering them free on her website. But I do gain something though. Free inspirations just looking at her creations.

You may also want to join some relevant forums to read some experiences fellow jewellers have gone through. There is a group from the Bead and Button community who share their tips about "Selling Jewellery Online".

Now that you have some tricks up your sleeves and have an idea on how to price your creations, look out for seminars being organised in your state. Example, Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM) will be conducting a seminar on "Recycling: A Business Opportunity for Women" on 12 and 13 June and they will be setting up stalls at their venue at this address:

INSTITUT KEFAHAMAN ISLAM MALAYSIA (IKIM)
2, Langgak Tunku, Off Jalan Duta,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-62046200
Fax : 03-62014189
Email : info@ikim.gov.my

How did I get my lead for this? I am a member of eHomemakers' network and have subscribed to their newsletter. I have participated in their activities and have registered my interest on their forum and in events that they have posted on their website.

So, what if you prefer to teach over selling? Then look out for my next posting on this subject.

Hair accessories? Before you buy more, use up your plastic bags.

If your daughter needs hair accessories to go with her costume for the school concert, consider designing and creating them for her.

They can be created by cutting the plastic bag into strips after cutting off its handles and bottom. Divide each strip, lengthwise, in half and half again. Tie it at the centre with another strip. Arrange it to form the shape of a flower. Do the same with the rest of the strips you have cut from the bag. Join the flowers together by tying the ends together.



A bigger plastic bag will be required to create this head piece. Cut off the handles and bottom. Divide the plastic bag into half and cut at the folded edge. Fold in half again and cut. Fold each cut strip, lengthwise, in half and keep folding till it form a narrow strip. Cut off the corners of folded edge of the strip to form a curved top so that they look like flower petals. Open up the strip and crunch the uncut edge to form a gather. Tie this end up with a rubber band. You can insert a hair clip through the rubber band or clip the piece on the hair using pins.



Following is a version using narrower strips of plastic bag with both ends uncut.



These are actually designs I picked up and adapted from my collection of books for making paper flower. I love exploring by using other materials. The instruction for making this crepe paper flower will give you a general idea of how you can cut your material to form flower petals.

For inspiration, designs and how you can make use of the flowers, take a look at Paper Source.

Balloon plastic stick and cup? Don't throw them till you read this.

During promotions, some shops at shopping complexes giveaway balloons to children. The balloon is usually given out with its neck tied and wound around a plastic cup shape receptacle attached to a stick.

I kept some cups and sticks wondering how else these can be used and this is what I have discovered; they are great for making jump rings that I need for my handmade jewellery.

The sticks are usually about 3/16 of an inch in diameter, so if you need one with a bigger diameter, go to a hardware store and see if you can find copper tubing in the diameter you want. Then look for a screw on hook that fits the diameter.



Roll one end of the wire around the cup so that it will not unravel as you twist the wire round the stick to create the jump rings.



Hold the cup in one hand as you roll the wire around the stick with the other. You can stop when you have the number of jump rings you need or twist till the end of the wire.



Unravel the wire from the cup. Remove the cup from the stick and push the rolled up wire out of it. Use a cutter and cut through the wire to create individual rings. Keep the excess for your next creation.

When you use the copper tubing, hold on to the screw as you twist the wire around the tube.



Here is what I have created with some seed beads and 29 pieces of jump rings.



Jump rings purchased at some stores can be a disappointment. They tend to rust if the metal used is of poor quality. Creating my own means that I will not run out of the sizes I need.

Some craft tools for creating handmade jewellery can be very expansive. So, if you are starting it out as a hobby and you are not too sure if it is something that you have a knack for, you may want to save the cost on buying tools by improvising.

For tools for creating polymer clay beads, trying playing with your children's playdoh kit for a start.