Thursday, January 30, 2014

February Book Binding Workshop


February Workshop.
REGISTER NOW!

WHEN?
22 Feb 2014// Sat 
SLOT 1 (10am ~ 1.30pm) - Kettle stitch
SLOT 2 (2.30pm ~ 6.00pm) - Coptic stitch 
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23 Feb 2014// Sun 
SLOT 3 (10am ~ 1.30pm) - French stitch 
SLOT 4 (2.30pm ~ 6.00pm) - Long stitch 

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WHERE? 
EMI KAZ 
No 9-1, Jalan Dataran Wangsa 1
Dataran Wangsa Melawati, 53300 Kuala Lumpur
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INTERESTED TO JOIN? 
Each slot price RM100 which includes material kits, light refreshment & certificate. 
Tool will be available for loan. 
Each slot are limited to 10-15 students only. 
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You could book your seat NOW by email your detail to 
littlesyam@gmail.com

Name: 
Name on certificate: 
Date & Slot: 
Contact Number: 
Email: 

(Slot consider booked only upon payment of non-refundable RM50 deposit to 
Maybank account Samsiah Binti Jendol /act no: 164052355030 
or you could book from Emi Kaz too. 

Kindly notify us via email of the payment proof once deposit has been banked in. 

TQ//syam

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Original from an interview of Majalah Metro, Friday 29 November

1. Sejak bila menulis blog dan bagaimana ia bermula?
Mula menulis blog pada tahun 2006, bagi merekodkan perkara penting dan sekadar mencuba. Mungkin juga kerana tren menulis blog mula rancak diperkenalkan. Komitmen keatas kerja menyebabkan entri sangat sedikit pada masa itu.

2. Adakah ia sekadar suka-suka atau untuk perniagaan?
Saya mencuba untuk berniaga di bazar pada tahun yang sama, jadi blog turut dijadikan sebagai tempat mempromosi aktiviti dan penglibatan dalam bazaar. Boleh dikatakan saya penulis yang pasif dan saya lebih menumpukan kepada applikasi flickr yang mana gambar di paparkan tanpa perlu penulisan yang panjang.

3. Berapa blog yang Syam ada dan ia mengenai apa?
Saya menumpukan kepada satu blog sahaja iaitu little-syam.blogspot.com.

4. Siapa yang membaca blog dan berapa jumlah pengunjung?
Kebanyakan pembaca blog dari kalangan peminat kraf atau sesiapa yang mengikuti perkembangan aktiviti saya atau yang berminat mengikuti bengkel yang saya anjurkan. Purata pengunjung sebulan sekitar 5000 orang.

5. Blog penceritaan mengenai apa?
Saya menjadikan blog saya untuk menceritakan tentang proses yang saya lalui, bengkel yang telah saya jalankan, berkongsi gambar-gambar yang memberi inspirasi, tips dan tempat-tempat yang saya lawati. Saya berharap apa yang saya paparkan  turut memberi inspirasi kepada pengunjung.

6. Bagaimana penulisan adakah menggunakan bahasa pasar atau sebaliknya?
Saya menggunakan bahasa Inggeris, dengan bahasa yang kedengaran sedikit kasual.

7. Adakah Syam mengadakan kelas kraftangan. Jika ya boleh ceritakan bagaimana ia bermula?
Kelas kraftangan bermula secara serius  pada tahun 2010, apabila saya tekad berhenti kerja. Selain dari menambah pendapatan bengkel saya juga adalah tempat untuk saya berkongsi kemahiran dengan individu yang berminat.

8. Bila kelas diadakan dan dimana?
Kelas yang di anjurkan di lokasi yang berbeza setiap kali terpulang kepada jemputan. Selain dari bengkel yang saya anjurkan sendiri ada juga pihak korporat menjemput saya untuk menganjurkan kelas pembuatan kad hari lahir sebagai salah satu aktiviti dari jabatan sumber tenaga & manusia. Saya turut di jemput beberapa kali ke PETRONAS Galeri bagi Program Cuti Sekolah yang dianjurkan untuk kanak-kanak. Beberapa kolej tempatan turut mengundang saya untuk bengkel pembuatan buku.

9. Adakah peserta di kalangan mereka yang membaca blog?
Ada peserta yang mengikuti kelas setelah melihat info yang dipaparkan dari blog entri.

10. Gambar dalam blog sangat menarik adakah hasil kreativiti sendiri?
Saya berminat dalam bidang fotografi, dan ianya banyak membantu dalam menghasilkan gambar yang menarik. Pada pendapat saya setiap gambar mampu mencerita dan meluah kan maksud tanpa memerlukan penulisan yang meleret-leret.

11. Adakah anda mengambil kelas kraftangan atau belajar sendiri?
Saya telah membuat kerja-kerja kraf dari zaman persekolahan lagi sehinggalah melanjutkan pelajaran keperingkat ijazah di New Zealand dalam bidang Grafik Berkomputer. Kursus yang ditawarkan menggunakan komputer untuk kerja-kerja rekaan tetapi saya sering mengabungkan elemen kraf disetiap rekaan. Saya sempat mengambil  kursus jangka pendek dalam seni tembikar pada cuti musim panas, mengikuti kelas illustrasi, pembuatan kertas dan kelas membuat buku secara manual. Walaupun setelah bekerja disetiap kelapangan yang ada, saya masih meneruskan aktiviti membuat buku dan kraf  dan menjualnya kepada kedai dan individu yang berminat. Saya juga suka mencuba dan belajar sendiri seperti kemahiran menjahit dan percetakan silkscreen.

12. Daripada mana idea mendapat kreativiti menghasilkan produk kraf? 
Sebagai pembuat kraf saya suka melihat penghasilan kraf melalui pengamatan semasa melancong, budaya orang lain, blog-blog dari pereka lain, alam semula jadi dan itulah inspirasi utama saya. Secara peribadinya saya lebih suka mencipta produk kraf  yang lain dari yang lain. Mempelopori kemahiran dan mengabungkan pelbagai elemen untuk mencipta sesuatu yang unik dari mengikut saja apa yang orang lain buat dan suka. Apabila saya berhenti bekerja, saya bertekad untuk membuktikan bukan kepada sesiapa tetapi kepada diri sendiri yang saya mampu berdiri diatas kaki sendiri dengan bekerja dari rumah. Bekerja makan gaji bukan lagi keutamaan tetapi melakukan sesuatu mengikut minat dan naluri.

13. Apakah kepuasan yang diperolehi daripada blog anda?
Saya tidak meletakkan apa-apa sasaran, tetapi melihat balik perjalanan yang saya lalui dan setiap progres yang direkodkan didalam blog menjadikan saya lebih bersemangat dan sentiasa menjadi lebih baik dari masa-masa yang lepas.

14. Pekerjaan anda atau full time blogger? 
Keutamaan saya adalah kerja-kerja yang saya hasilkan, blog adalah tempat untuk saya mencatatkan perjalanan karier saya sebagai pembuat kraf, saya tidak mensasarkan yang saya perlu membuat entri setiap masa.

15. Blog yang menjadi inspirasi anda dan keistimewaannya? 
Tidak ada secara spesifik tetapi saya lebih tertarik terhadap blog-blog yang memberi inspirasi dan tenaga positif. Anehnya kita tidak mengenal antara satu sama lain tetapi luahan rasa, gambar mampu memberi motovasi, terutamanya mereka yang menempuh perjalanan yang hampir serupa.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Busy Day:)

Try to be as productive as I can, but the truth was I am sometimes had my lazy day too. Bed seems so inviting and I can just day dreaming and doing nothing.

When I do have custom order I do look closer to deadline. That's my total adrenaline rush, but looking at number of things I produced, I can consider myself as someone quite productive even though there are much better way to do stuff, but I rather to do what I can and not force myself too much.

I received the phone call one day after I came back requesting an assistant to create a proposal document.
Client had passed me nice wall paper to be used for cover.
Miss Dish 
Mr Spoon
I've been working with Jokee from time to time basis whenever she need help with goodies for her birthday party she managed.

Gegurl
This eco notebook to be sent to Penang on 22 January.
I am making another trip again with the rest of gang:) Excited!
Keychain to be sent too:)
Passport holder I managed to finish. One sold, one reserved, so only going to bring three to Penang:)
The detailing of Passport Holder
Silkscreen for book cover
One from 8 series of postcard I managed to do


LAPAN @ China House, Penang

What a crazy schedule I had. I am only have one day rest before heading up to Penang to set up our LAPAN shop, a mini duplication of Pop Up Store I used to collaborate with the Oh&Ah, Lina & Gigi Gee. We had secured the arrangement since last year and only 19 Dec was the final date agreed to set up, one day after I came back from New Zealand, phewww



My BFF Lina had brought my stuff earlier to Ipoh, the plan was to catch the ETS train to Ipoh, met Lina there and drive up to Penang and meet with the rest of the gang in China House. I love the train ride, and the weather seems so nice.




I don't have much product but good enough to begin with:) I love the shop, much easier to manage…and the location was quite strategic too.


So if you drop by to George town, do visit us at:
 China House, 155, Beach Street, GeorgeTown, Penang.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Travel Part 1

Life been so busy lately. I don't even have time to pause and was working non stop since I came back from travel. By the way the travel was so awesome, can't ask for more, there are so much things to tell about and I took dozen of photos and really had a wonderful time.

The mixture of feelings, strolling down memory lane to the familiar place I used to be, and try to remember if everything was still exactly the same… My brain are loaded with happy memories and I am not sure why it took me 18 years to come back. Bit of regret but I am grateful the fact that I managed to squeeze time and I really made it this time. Coming back to New Zealand has been in my List To Do for many years and yeaaayyy I've ticked DONE:)

All been so smooth but it felt so surreal, as if it was only a short nice dream. I had pinched myself a few times during my travel.. just to ensure that I am not actually dreaming.

Now I am back to where I am with a new perspective, and I really wish and hope my next return won't took me this long.


DAY 1 - MELBOURNE

I flied with Emirate from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland, New Zealand. Simply because there are no hidden cost involve like any other airline and they are so generous in term of luggage weight which we are allowed me to carry 30kg max. Before reach Auckland the flight will transit in Melbourne for few hours. 

Me and Shasha felt it was such a waste to just transit for few hours and we decided that we should spend 4 days to experience Melbourne city before proceed to the next stop Auckland. And I heard the coffee was really good.

Landed at 2.05am in the morning we waited till 6.00am in the morning, sleep and do a bit of clean in the airport before proceed taking a SkyBus to city. There are only two ways to go to the city, either we took a  taxi or hop into SkyBus to the Southern Cross Train Station and then catch a train that bring us to the nearest station in town which was Flinders Street Station. We have plenty of time before hotel check-in.

Phewww I have started to feel the adventure that awaits us. Basically, I am more than okey being guided by a map and asking around for a direction because that was the real travel all about. Getting lost, bumped into exciting surprises, get to know local, 1001 possibilities. I had did my research and homework of overall view from internet before fly and kind of know what to expect.

People are so helpful and friendly.. and everything seems so smooth. So far so good:) We reached Flinders Street Station, one of the prominent landmark of Melbourne. Since it was still early we grabbed a coffee and sandwiches from one of the kiosk there, sitting down, just enjoy looking at people passing by rushing going to work. It going to be a lot of walking with luggage in hand need to be dragged along. And YES the coffee does taste really good. 

I had contacted my old friend Pei Rhu before hand, we used to work in Advertising Agency back then probably around 10 years ago. I am going to catch up with  her for lunch before check in to the hotel. She resides in Melbourne now, got married with Aussie and have two beautiful girls. I am trilled to meet her after such a long time. We scream and hug and feel so excited that we finally meet eyes to eyes. She brought us to one of her favourite cafe.. and YES the number of cafe are endless here, with a great selection of good food.

She walked us to our hotel, Tune Hotel Melbourne, 609 Swanston St. Basic, Malaysian based hotel recommended by my good friend Amanda. Quite comfortable hotel even a bit cold at night, quite basic that good enough for us to stay for the next four days. Going to meet Pei Rhu again on my last day and she will bring us to South Melbourne. We rest and settle down, unpack what we need to unpack. It was only a beginning of the journey:)



DAY 2 - MELBOURNE

Day began with nice coffee from cafe across the street. We gonna visit the galleries and walking around the city. The weather are so unpredictable, it can be raining, sunny, cold; 4 season in one day. It still not officially summer yet. We walked quite a lot and sometimes hop into the tram that pass through close to the hotel going up and down through the middle of city. You just need a smart card Myki, your ticket to travel on Melbourne's trains, trams and buses.

We went to visit National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) that encompasses the Australian art collection of Indigenous (Australian Aboriginal) art and artefacts, Australian colonial art, Australian Impressionist art, 20th century, modern and contemporary Australian art.

Walking through rainy day I am glad to be under the roof enjoying the art collection here. They had on going exhibition that involves more than 175 individual and group presentations, as well as a suite of special projects which extend from the visual arts to architecture and design, dance and choreography, performance art and sound.

The exhibition was carried from NGV across to The Ian Potter Centre, another major gallery that normally dedicated exclusively to Australian art. It was such a very eye opener and stimulating experience by looking at each of exciting piece from different era. The way they interpret art, different approach was something that I could learn and inspire about.




DAY 3 - MELBOURNE
Today we are planning to go to Queen Victoria Market for brunch. It was located quite close to our hotel about 10 minutes walk. Also known affectionately as ‘Vic Market’ or ‘Queen Vic’, the Queen Victoria Market has been the heart and soul of Melbourne for more than a century. A historic landmark spread over two city blocks, it’s a vibrant and bustling inner-city Market where you can shop for everything from Australian fruit and vegetables, and local and imported gourmet foods, to cosmetics, clothing and souvenirs.

I love their Gourmet Food section especially. With choices of nice homemade bread, cake and delicacies…It was not hard at all for me to adjust to the taste of food while travel. There are so much selection of delicious vegetarian food to choose here. I am okey with not having an Asian food, meat or rice as long as halal.


Had my online registration for a package of Walk for Art before travel. So excited to meet Bernie that will guide us walk through and discover and explore art activities in different level. It was more to behind the scene tour which will take us to street art; art in artist-run initiative spaces, artist studio all hidden in Melbourne unnamed buildings and lane-ways.

While waiting for the time; at 2.00pm to meet, we had hop in the free ride of City Circle tram service that operates within Melbourne's central business district. The service operates in a circular route passing major tourist attractions, as well as linking with other tram, train and bus routes in and around Melbourne.

We dropped by at South Yarra. South Yarra is one of Melbourne's oldest and most affluent inner-city suburbs, bordered by the Yarra River and Richmond to the north, Prahran to the south and Toorak to the east.

Shopping, fashion, dining and entertainment are the main features of South Yarra's extensive commercial precinct. Busy Chapel Street is lined with exclusive retail outlets, cafes, clubs, the popular Jam Factory entertainment complex, the Como Centre and Vogue Shopping Plaza. Commercial Road, which divides South Yarra from Prahran, is home to more retail shops, the Pran Central Shopping Centre and the iconic Prahran Market with its large selection of gourmet foods and fresh produce. Toorak Road is home to restaurants and many stylish fashion retailers featuring the best of local and imported goods.

We met Bernie at Bar Ampere, 16 Russell Place Melbourne off Little Collins in the block of Swanston and Russell Street. Together with another 2 tourist from New Zealand. The guides brought us to Melbourne’s hidden art treasures.  I had witnessed the hidden installation art at back alley that does not visible from the main road. We discovered interesting street art, installation and boutique galleries in hidden laneways and arcades.

These are what mysterious about Melbourne, all the gems that you need to explore and discover by finding it at the back alley. There are so many layers of surprises that make your day seems too short.  Such a very crazy experience, perhaps 4 days are too short to cover everything.


DAY 4 - MELBOURNE
I lost count the number of coffee and do not forget the incredible taste of chai latte too. Gonna meet Pei Rhu today in South Melbourne. We took a train and meet her there.

Oh dear! South Melbourne are another interesting place to visit. There are so many designer & crafter shops in South Melbourne, every shop are so individual from one to another in term of style. These are pretty much close to what I want to see. It was so inspiring to see on how simple things can appear so nice and presentable.

Such a very calm area, we just walk and stop for eat and walk again to discover many beautiful boutique craft shop. It was so amazing with a nice beautiful weather on our last day.

It was sad to say good bye to Pei Rhu and Melbourne. It just like a jigsaw puzzle and I started to understand and see the clear picture of what this unique city could offer and I should come again… should should should come again, because there are still many to explore. I personally found Melbourne, a very charming city, not that I had travel much to different part of Australia to compare with except Perth. But I love the way it surprise me and there are so much inspiration around it.


DAY 5 - MELBOURNE
Get the taxi to Southern Cross Train Station and then catch the SkyBus to airport at 5.10am. We met the same SkyCity bus driver, he greet us with huge warm smile and wave us good bye. I am so excited to experience the next adventure at Kiwi land. Leaving behind Melbourne with lots of sweet memories… till we meet again:)