Welcome to Knotty Bicsie!: July 2008

Meet Knotty Fan - Sarina & Keiflie

Mummy Sarina LOVES our Knotty Baby Booties sooo... much, she keeps coming back for more! Lucky Little Prince Keiflie, at only 4months old, is already a proud owner of 4pairs of our limited edition Knotty Baby Booties!

Here's what Mummy Sarina says about our Knotty Bicsie Baby Booties...

"The first time I set eyes on the unique booties, I went crazy coz there were many beautiful ones especially for baby girls!!! That's the reason why I bought the Mary Jane despite the pearl button!! (Told myself: well the colour is bold...so ok for boys what!! hehehe).
Anyway, many complimented them and asked where I got them. When I told my frens and relatives that I got them from internet, they thought I got it from overseas!!! However, I proudly told them, it's a local brand and has forwarded your site to them.:))
Thanks Betsy for making my baby look nice, cute and different!! Will be in touch soon for my customised orderssss." - Sarina, 30th July 2008

Long Awaited KBCC Friendship Swap!

Finally it was time to do our KBCC Friendship Swap! Everyone was eager to give & also receive their handmade gifts to & from their respective partners. & o boy, we were all sooo.... thrilled by the amazing work of Art & Craft created by each & every KBCC member! I must say I was REALLY VERY IMPRESSED by the high standards of work created! The gifts were all so wonderful, Jullie & I were so jealous & regretted not being part of the swap this time! :(

Before the swap began, we had a little "visit back into memory lane" & had a good time talking about the joyous moments at previous KBCC sessions. Time flies.... KBCC is already 5 months old! Really grateful to all the support given by our enthusiastic KBCC members. I'm now secretly looking forward to celebrating KBCC's 1st Birthday with everyone! :P

Now, it's showtime! Check out our incredible handmade gifts!

*Warning! Following content may make you drool &/or hiss with jealousy! ^@^

Our Origami Guru, Kelvin, made a special Magic Cube (sorry, forgot the proper term :P), which can be transformed into a bouquet of ROSE for lucky Deborah....

Ee Wei made a really PRETTY journal from scratch for Ariana! Including the binding, cover, backing, paper, everything from scratch! We were sooo... fascinated, especially by her handmade paper. Now by popular demand, Ee Wei will be teaching all of us how to make our own handmade paper journal at our next KBCC!!! Yay!!! Sign up for our next KBCC (bicsie@bigfoot.com) on 30th August (Sat), 2-5pm @Pauseability now! Limited seats only! :)

What a coincidence. Great minds think alike. Ariana made a crystal angel hp charm for Shireen, while Shireen made one for her partner, Valerie, too! So we had 2 happy angels at KBCC last Saturday!

Our Peranakan Master, Richard, made the most beautiful mini beaded clogs for Moses. These beauties were hand-painted & beaded by this amazing uncle! Even the tangs-studio-look-alike box is intricately handmade by Richard! Everyone was sooo.... envious by then, we were all screaming out our birthdays to everyone!

Our origami enthusiast, Rita, made these cute little sail boats in a magic box for Kelvin. How appropriate!

MCC Laura (don't ask what MCC stands for, it's our little secret code only for KBCC. Join KBCC to find out lo! hehe...) took up "Crochet Craze - Amigurumi" with me, especially to make this adorable owl for Richard. This little guy made everyone smile :)

Mastermind behind Pauseability, Moses, made his signature handmade journal for Adrian. He even made a little drawstring bag for the journal. I'm sure Adrian will love it!

Edward made a beautiful Merry-go-Round fro Ee Wei. This magical toy is just so EeWei! We could see EeWei's beautiful eyes lit up with excitement when she saw what Edward whipped out from a box! How nice... Well, as usual, Edward prefers to hide behind the camera lens. Edward, thanx for taking all these unforgettable shots @KBCC!

Finally, even though Adrian & Jasmine were not able to make it to KBCC last Saturday, they made special arrangements to make sure their partners will not go home disappointed & empty-handed. How sweet & thoughtful :)

So Rita got her handmade card & shark (special request by Rita) from Jasmine,

& Laura got her BIG flower brooch hand-knitted by Adrian. Everyone agreed that the brooch is sooo... Laura!

Well, well, so glad everyone went home happy & satisfied. Everyone agreed that it was fun & therapeutic while making their special gifts. The fact that it was for someone specific, made it even more meaningful & exciting. Crafting is indeed a modern way of life for everyone!

More Customized Orders This Month

These 2 Knotty Eles are especially for YingChern. 2 others are for Yumin & LiSha. Not only have these gals been wonderful Funky Knitters, they have been a great help @Hougang Central Hub Singapore Arts Street too! They are coming over for lunch next Tuesday, I'm gonna make pasta for them. Yay! I'm sure it'll be fun!

This Coral Lee is for Yumin.

Sundae is for LiSha.

This is a customized bag for EeLing. It is actually a bigger version of my Evening Bag Moulein Rouge. Just mailed it out to her yesterday. She should get it by today, or latest by tomorrow la. :) Sure hope she likes it as much as I do :)

Our VERY SPECIAL GUEST Today!

Check out our very special guest at Knotty Bicsie Crafting Studio today - Princess Sarah! Our Little Princess was in her sweet dreamland as Mummy Florence & Aunty Jennifer were wriggling their fingers at their 1st crochet project. Guess what? Princess Sarah woke up & gave us a BIG SMILE just when our lesson ended! Cya at our studio again soon... :)

Meet Crochet Craze - Han

"Hi Betsy, I LOVE my new hp pouch!! Thank you for your patience & guidance. You're a wonderful teacher..Class was enjoyable & relaxing in your cosy studio. Will be looking forward to learning more projects from you.

p/s: Crochet can be addictive." - Han, 21st July 2008

Customized Baby-&-Mum Set

Ling See loves our customization so much, she keeps asking for more! ;P This one's for a cat-loving Mum. Think the elegant cat looks pretty on this fuzzy bag? ;)

Ling See, thank you for loving Knotty Bicsie so much!

Origami Party @Pauseability by Rita

We had a very fun afternoon at Pauseability. Look at the TALL stack of boxes Edward & I went home with! Haha...!

Meet Funky Knitter - Ohan

Meet our record-holder - Ohan! Our "kai xin guo", Ohan, not only made everyone @Knotty Bicsie Crafting Studio laugh A LOT, she broke the record of completing her very 1st knitted project (scarf) in just 11days! Wow! Congrats, Ohan!

"I had a great time learning knitting with Ms Toh (Betsy). Initially it was a lil complicated, but after her careful guidance, I got the hang of it in just one lesson. It was actually pretty easy & I had loads of fun in her warm & cosy studio!

Ms Toh (Betsy) is a wonderful teacher with great amt of patience, & picking up knitting skills frm her is just as easy as abc. I had a great sense of satisfaction upon completing my scarf & it is definitely worth every ounce of my sweat & time! Now I have developed an interest in knitting & I will be coming back for more!"

- Ohan, 20th July 2008

Customized Order from Nor

Pretty little flower to go with this purplish little MaryJane.

Meet Funky Knitter - Li Sha

"Knitting proved to be easier and much much more fun than i thought with Betsy! The beautifully decorated studio and soft background music created the perfect relaxed atmosphere for knitting. Betsy further contributed to the comfortable mood by chit chatting with us! Knitting itself is also really relaxing and therapeutic. It not only calms you down but also trains your patience and perserverance (especially if you are knitting a looooong scarf). I can't believe how addicted to knitting I became! So a word of warning to wannabe knitters: Be careful. Once you start, you can't stop! hee. :)" - Li Sha, 6th July 2008

Meet Funky Knitter - Amy

"Learning knitting from Betsy was truly enjoyable! Having such a warm, friendly, approachable and encouraging teacher makes overcoming the initial intimidating learning curve a less frustrating experience. And once i got the hang of knitting, subsequent sessions for project completion were equally a joy to attend, as knitting while chatting with Betsy or basking in the company of other funky knitters students really breaks the stereotype of knitting as being monotonous and granny-like!! lol. In fact, the time it took to complete my scarf seems shorter than it is, and it certainly makes my holidays so much more fulfilling :)
A big THANK YOU to Betsy for helping me adequately grasp the foundations of this addictive craft, giving me confidence to try out other individual projects for more practice! (i'm almost done with the back of my sweather yay! :p) And when i'm ready to learn how to tackle more complicated patterns and projects, i'll definitely be back for more! XD
Watch this space! hahahh... :)" - Amy, 12th July 2008

2 Special Customized Orders

This very lovely Mother-&-BabyGirl Set is specially customized for Ling See's friend, whose baby Amber is expected to see the world on 1st August. I couldn't stop admiring the set after I completed it! Wish I could see baby Amber & Mummy's happy face when they receive their gift! Ling See, you think U can take a picture of them with their pressie & email to me please? Thank you!

This pair of new friends found their home at Mei Hwa's. Piggy was pretty easy, but MooMoo was a real challenge! All the effort & hard work was definitely worthwhile. Don't u think they are simply adorable??? Personally, I especially like the way MooMoo turns out. I'm so proud of myself! heehee... :P

Meet More Funky Knitters

Last weekend at MAAD my products took a "background" position since I was running Funky Knit Workshop. Nevertheless, my Magic Mushroom was selling like hotcakes! I made 12pcs & now I'm only left with 2! Time to make more! yippee..! Knotty Fans, thank you for loving my Magic Mushrooms! ;)

Funky Knit @MAAD over the weekend was a hit! There were so many new Funky Knitters, I hardly even got time for lunch! Looking at all the beautiful mobile phone pouches made by these 1st-time knitters, all the hard work was really worthwhile. Moreover, we all had fun!

Here's what some of the Funky Knitters have to say about their virgin knitting experience...

"I think the funky knitter is quite a useful introduction for those who had never tried knitting before. It teaches the fundamental needed to pick up this form of crafting but without being too technical. Its also rather affordable at $10 and we get to bring home a self-knitting handphone pouch, together with the knowledge to make more pouches. Overall, an interesting workshop and worth recommendation." - Ho Man, 20th July 2008

"Dear Betsy... i luv my new hp pouch. was apprehensive & afraid that knitting was difficult to pick up but your introductory lesson & patient coaching with tips along the way made the 2 hour session much fun ! i can't wait to knit myself a scarf for my trip to japan end sept. and if i ever get good enough, knit some more for my friends as xmas gifts ! i will check out your website soon & embark on my next project. i am glad i bought the pom pom set coz now i can make myself a pom pom bag for lunch :)" - Corine, 10th July 2008

"Dear Betsy, I enjoyed my very 1st knitting class with your heartfelt teaching to complete this pc of project. Thank you for your patience and guidiance to the end..... Believe I will set myself to the next knitting class journey soon." - Kate, 10th July 2008

"Dear Betsy, You were a great teacher! I had alot of fun, and I love the pouch! Would love to learn more from you if i've the chance." - Jilline, 8th July 2008

"Hi Betsy, Firstly, thank you so much for passing some knowledge of doing a therapeutic hobby to me. And guess what, i'm definitely addicted to knitting!! haha.. im looking forward to do more knitting projects especially bags and sweater. Your session was really helpful. You gave me full attention and help till i get the right way of knitting. And most importantly, you let me understand every details of the knitting process rather than just jumping in to knit and complete the project. That is the most important factor. And i thank you for that. It will let me understand more about the knitting process. In short, you did a very good job teaching me. And of course i will see you again. Thank you again. meanwhile take care." - Nur, 8th July 2008

"Dear Betsy, thank you for... your time and patience on Sat. I had tremendous fun working with you and look forward to picking up knitting proper some time soon. I'll definitely arrange it with you once I work out the details with sis. Have a great day!" - Jackie, 9th July 2008

"Hi Betsy. It was a very interesting experience, my first time at knitting. You were very patient with beginners like us and I was really glad that at the end of the course, I was able to complete the handphone pouch and be able to bring something home. Definitely considering to sign up and embark on other projects. Thanks!" - Zhenzhu, 9th July 2008

Today, yet another new Funky Knitter joins the club. Ohan, my super adorable Art Student from last year, decided to pick up knitting before she leaves America for studies. Her crazy, chirpy personality made Amy & I laughed sooo... much! I'm sure we'll have more whacky times together, since she's got a scarf to complete! ;D

Friendship

Despite the help, support & TLC given by my doting family, starting & running Knotty Bicsie can be quite demanding & lonely at times. Whenever we are at bazaars & fairs, we always need fellow vendors' help & support too. I must say I'm very lucky to have met many amazing like-minders through Knotty Bicsie. Here are 2 such beautiful people, Ayako (Something Magickal) & Cindy (Purple Lush).

Ayako's abstract painting has this somewhat sweet & cute, yet mystical lure to them, just like the artist herself. My favourite is her intuitive drawing, which has become an annual ritual for me to help me put things into perspective. Thanx, Ayako!

Cindy's handcrafted silver is dainty & beautiful, just like the designer herself. She's made a special letter "B" pendant with lemon quartz especially for me. Isn't it pretty? Thanx, Cindy!