Long Awaited Stuff after Hiatus

Hi there!

First of all, many many apologies for the long hiatus. Many things have happened in the last 2 months or so, and the events forced me to put some brakes in my life and really reflect on some things. It's been quite tough and not to mention, unpredictable. All in all, it was one emotional roller-coaster, but I am very grateful and privileged to have a bunch of great friends to accompany me through it all.

While I never made it a point to include these emotions into my accessories, I think they come across quite subconsciously and in this collection, you will see a mix between the usual kitsch, dreamy feel and the more sombre, smack-in-your-face kind of feel as well.

Things are looking up once again, and I am glad to be back to what I like to do. I am picking myself up again and moving on. Hopefully, this is the beginning of what is to come.... A whole bunch of wonderful charms which came in a while ago. Hope you like them.

Available from tomorrow at The Haji. :)

Earrings Galore (they are all asymmetrical):

1. Merry Go Round - reminds me of Corrine May's song. Life is like a merry go round. Love the charms - detailed carousels are such darlings.

2. Rock Away - very dream like and happy. Again, rocking horse charms are so cute.


3. Wear My Masks - reminds me of how all humans tend to wear masks. One happy and one sad. It's what makes us who we are I suppose.

4. Madhatter's Party - can't wait to catch Alice in Wonderland in the cinema. These charms are gorgeously encased in glass domes and are asymmetrical.



5. Death Becomes Me - wonderfully solid skull charms that are so morbid, yet so funky.

6. Gun and Roses - reminds me of the mafia stories that we always see on TV. I love the mix of blood red and guns.



and then versatile and kitsch Necklaces (most are double-strands):

1. Black Beauty - I love the big cameo charm, half-hearted about selling this and am so tempted to keep for myself. The flower is also intricately engraved.

2. Masquerade - another mask-based piece, but this one is dreamier and I think it's great for Xmas parties.

3. Princess in Paris - ok, I admit it. I am obsessed with Paris. This time, the Eiffel charm is paired with a specially imported charm that shows the map of France. and to top it off, a tag of "Princess" to make it known to all.

4. Alice's Drink in Wonderland 2 - my favourite in this collection. Sweet and wonderfully special, with a special glass bottle charm, complete with aged note.

5. Cuff the Beauty - Another one of my favourites. Reminds me of James Bond girls. Tough, don't-mess-with-me attitude, yet so beautiful. This is the only one that is single-strand (cos of the chains already there).

6. Miss Foxy - there is only one word to describe this - foxy. Young, flirtatious and irresistible.

That's all for now. I will keep going and hopefully update again soon. Enjoy these! :)

More Kitsch Necklaces

On a roll literally - good for the mind, good for the soul. I just love doing this, hopefully, you people out there will love it too....

Introducing 3 new kitsch necklaces!

1. Alice's Fragile Heart (N023, $49) - adding on to the Alice in Wonderland collection, this one is so sweet adn tender that you probably won't bear to be rough with it. Comes with Alice in Wonderland charm in aged brass and a brass heart (very nice and intricate) and a bunch of sweet yummy beads.

. 2. Me and Greedy me - Chocolate Paradise (N024, $49). A special French chocolat paristienne glass charm, plus a whole bunch of goodies, strawberry shortcakes and a fork-and-spoon charm set. You can tell what I am craving at the moment.

3. Love on Wings (N025, $49) - I really like this one, the brass horizontal wings charm is so unique! This one is a statement piece, but it's certainly not over the top and is very wearable! There's an angel charm, a LOVE charm (in brass) and a red heart crystal, plus glass beads.

Hang in there for more! :)

Little Trinkets and Nuggets of Joy

It's been a roller coaster of a week, but thank goodness it's the weekend and I am feeling much better. After all that has happened, I realized that one of the most important things in life is the appreciation of little things, what I call little nuggets of joy. I am going to relish in what I love doing for a while, accessories and jewellery making, lomo-ing, even parts of my work.

I am very grateful for friends who have shown tremendous support [you know who you are ;)] and it's time to just take a breather and find my own way again.

So here' a bit of cheering up! 3 new earrings and 2 bauble rings - inspired by all nice things, roses, fields, jewels, birds, chocolate, raspberry and jaffa flavoured snacks.

Enjoy! :)

Necklaces Galore - Versatile and Kitsch!

Some more new stuff! Another batch of necklaces from those wonderful charms from overseas. I got into this whole mood of making 2-piece necklaces, they are more versatile, as you can wear them on their own, or paired together like they are featured here. If you have more than 1 set, you can even mix and match and layer them! :D

1. Princess Carriage in Paris (N020, $49)
This one is my absolute favourite in a long time, simply because the carriage charm looks so pretty. It's very solid, all 3-D and very intricate in details. One of a kind (I only have one piece of this so far). Paired with the Eiffel Tower charm, this is gorgeous and so chic.

2. Eiffel Tower's Dreams (N021, $49)
This charm is limited edition, released in commeration of Eiffel Tower's anniversary apparently. Also one of a kind. I have matched it with a gold key charm, pale blue and mother-of-pearl beads. The pearl beads are gorgeous when you see them up close - they have beautiful swirls in them and look just classy.


3. Frida's Charms (N022, $49)
Ok, don't ask me how I got that name, it just popped into my head somehow - I am calling this girl Frida. She is kitsch right? She's got skull earrings - one can never be too vain or have too many accessories! Haha! Also, one of a kind so far!

Brains are bursting with more ideas and I should have some new stuff again soon! Hopefully, it will be a good month for Ulterior Motifs! :)

Excitement - New look and new stuff!

First thing first -I am so excited! Ulteriot Motifs has got a new look and a bigger space at The Haji. Still here, but more space and hence more stuff for you to choose from. Here's a peek at the new space - it's much easier to browse now and I think overall, it looks better and more stylish!

Thanks to Suffian and Juliah, who were so helpful in helping to conceptualize and making it happen. You can expect more stuff coming soon! I really like this new look now! Come check it out when you can!

And of course, sorry about being a little slow with the new stuff - I have been so busy at work, but I will work on more soon, but here's the first batch from those wonderful charms:

1. Around the world in 80 days (2-pc necklace, N016, $49)- super inspired by travelogues. On this necklace, you will find great charms, specially bought overseas. There is a Egyptian Mummy headstone, a yatch, a plane, a pair of "American lips" and a cute postcard charm, complete with engraved stamp and the words "I Love You" - simply adorable. Those blue, red and white charm beads are also one of a kind.

Then there is

2. Black, Gold and a touch of Red (necklace N018, $49) - this is the stylish one. I just wanted to make a statement necklace, I made a similar one for myself, liked it so much that I had to keep it and made a similar one to share the joy. Made using one-of-a-kind vintage buttons and simple touches and classy beads.

Next,

3. Alice's Drink in Wonderland (2-pc necklace, N017, $49) - This charm is one of my favourites, cos it looks so vintage with the aged brass - I intentionally did not polish it and left it like that. The charms shows Alice, reaching out for her drink and it comes with a little glass bottle on the second piece of necklace, decorated with crystals. Versatile - you can wea one or both necklaces at the same time.

4. Pink Gems in Ice (necklace, $49), this one is gems based, great for the classy look without looking too funky. I love those translucent stones - reminds me so much of ice age!

Last but not least,

5. Black Bird Fly (earrings E044, $29) - 2 birds soaring. Simple yet assymetrical - perhaps my sense of escapism is acting up again. :D

That's it so far, but keep your eyes peeled. This is the beginning of more exciting things to come - I will have more updates soon! :D

New Charms

Sorry that I have not been updating with new designs. Last week was madness of a week and I had to go on a work trip (half work half play of course).

In any case, I just got a new batch of charms - they are wonderfully cute and vintage looking. I will try to spin some magic on them by this weekend, so come back for more! :)

R.I.P Twinky

Some super sad news. I found out yesterday that our cutie resident has passed away due to an accident. :(

R.I.P Twinky - you will be missed.

Dreamy Stuff and Nostalgia

Hi there!

I realized it's been a week since I posted - sorry about it. :P It doesn't mean that I have stopped making stuff, just haven't gotten down to photo-taking and processing the things.

I think I have been hit by the nostalgia bug. I think it's part of the air in Haji Lane and the Kampung Glam area and it's difficult not to breathe in the air down memory lane. For those who haven't gone exploring here, you must come by to just soak up the wonderful nostalgia - good food, good walks, stuff to see, vintage clothes to buy. Not good on the wallet, but good for the soul. And I love these kueh tutus. Peanut fillings. Good then, good now. Yum.

Ok, right, back to the actual stuff. A whole bunch of stuff. On hindsight, this collection looks suspiciously girlish - not my usual style, but I supposed it's nice to be girly once in a while. Haha. Lots of red, pinks, golds in this collection (maybe it's the weather too).

Earrings:

1. Mermaid's treasures - rare mermaid charms (I'm out on these already), plus great swarovski starfish.

2. Never Too Many Dresses - a mantra every girl needs. Comes with red swarovski butterflies (sorry, not that clear against black background here)

3. Cuckoo Flyaway - how nice if the birds could come and go as they wished!

4. EPL Dream - ok, I am no soccer fan, but these charms are super cute. They are meant to be buttons on baby clothes, but hey, one can always steal them foraccessories-making purposes. :)

Oh, my favourite piece in this collection - absolutely opulent and sinful. Shopping Queen is a chain bracelet full of bling baubles and charm boots and a handbag to match. Very stylish and definitely makes a statement. Then there is Butterflies in Berry Fields - if you see carefully, there are gold butterfly charms in these baubles. Cute if you ask me.

And 2 statement necklaces. I Love Paris - love the charms here (the heart is imprinted on both sides) and Huanzhu Princess - the filigree and mandarin knots go well together. Just the stuff you need to make your outfit stylish.

Oh, and these cute ballet earrings are NOT FOR SALE. Sorry - special gift to my sister Shirley, who is a very gifted dancer. She wanted them in tones of white - so here it is. I think they are really sweet.

Ok, that's all for now - a very long-winded post. Hope you like this collection.

And again, visit Haji Lane if you haven't! :)

BTW, Ulterior Motifs is at No. 49 Haji Lane (The Haji). :)

Paris and Tim Tams

Hi there!

I am finally done with my super intensive course, physically at least - I will worry about the report-writing and the assessment later. :P

It's a huge relief and I got down to "work". With the publicity and news about Coco before Chanel, it was hard not to get inspired, so here's my first "Paris" piece (thank god, not "hilton"). I like the necklace alot - it's bubbly, romantic and style all at the same time.

Winter in Paris goes down as one of my proudest and favourite creations.

And then there is My Wishing Chairs (inspired by Enid Blyton's books which I read fervently as a kid) and Chocolate Raspberry (inspired by Tim Tams - yummy!). This time, the ring is adjustable (many of you asked!) :)


In the meantime, more wacky stuff coming up. I am also on a lookout for more spaces to make Ulterior Motifs available. :) No hurry though - it has to be a right fit.

It's been fun, fun and fun! Thanks to all who have been so supportive! :D

New Additions

A week has passed so quickly.

I have been on course for most part of this week and this course is by far the most demanding one for a long time. The assessment is a huge report and I have had to spend alot of time on it. Not done yet, but hope to get there soon.

Jewellery making became the super reprieve I looked forward to this week, although it meant that I was running around like a zombie from the lack of sleep. Bubble tea was my fuel, but I am pretty pleased and happy with what I came up with this week.

Introducing 2 statement bracelets - Safari Crystals and World Peace. Both have huge bling crystal beads, although they are not too over the top. I personally like World Peace - the brown, matte gold and pink combi is nice and I love the dove charm.

And of course, a whole bunch of sweet earrings. Maybe it's the underlying desire to be free, so lots of birds and themes of flight here. :P

Origami Sakura, Springtime Flight and Out of this World are at The Haji already, while Dreams of Japanese Carps and Flying Treasures will be in by next week. Email me if you want a reservation for these. :)

Ok, back to more experimentation. :D Hopefully will have some real wacky stuff by next week. Till then! :)

Bauble Rings Part 2

Hi there!

What a crowd it was at the Flea and Fun Raiser event! Haji Lane was packed and there was so much going on - I am sure you people who were there had fun! I couldn't resist the temptation and bought a vintage bag. My weakness is bags - I am such a bag hag. Oh well.

For those who haven't been to Haji Lane, you really have to go check it out, lots of new shops, lots of local designer stuff - the smell of creativity is in the air! :D

Bauble Rings Part 2 - I cannot get over this craze of bauble rings. Ok, I admit it, they are not all baubles anymore - if you look closely, Gol-Diva and Blue Lilies have flowers in them.

I just LOVE how stylish these bauble rings look. They are not as big as statement necklaces, but they can really spice up any outfit. I am SO tempted to keep one in each colour for myself, just so I can match them to my different outfits everyday. :P

Introducing:

1. Cherry Berry

2. Gol-Diva

3. Green Jade

4. Blue Lilies

Each ring comes with a pair of matching earrings - only $29 each. I LOVE all of them! :D

I will try to think of more colour combis and new designs as well. I am going to experiment and see what else can go on there too. Hopefully you like them as much as I do! :D

Flea and Fun Raiser - Special Discounts!

Some late but good news!

I just came back from The Haji and confirmed this - Ulterior Motifs will be taking part in the Flea and Fun Raiser Event tomorrow! It's a flea event that will see the whole stretch of Haji Lane closed to traffic.

Bet that it would be totally cool and fun, not to mention great stuff along the whole stretch of road. This is going to be a great shopping outing.

So Ulterior Motifs will be offering a 10% discount on all items, just for tomorrow, 29th August as part of this event!

So see you tomorrow! :D

Mirror Charms and TGIF!!!

TGIF! Finally!

I am looking forward to the weekend very much. Been super busy with work this week and will probably have to work through the weekend as well. :(

But I must find time to work on new pieces - it's a great stress reliever. Nothing is more frustrating than having heaps of ideas in your head, but having no time to work on them.

I worked on these last night - I love the mirror charms, they are so pretty and cute. Both will be at The Haji by tomorrow! :D I spent alot of time on these, but it was a great break from work. Less sleep but a happier heart. :)

Hopefully will have updates again soon.

My Newest Obsession - Bauble Rings!

Hi there,

It's been a pretty fun weekend. I managed to keep myself off work and spend more time on making stuff, so it's been a good weekend. I look forward to them nowadays! It's really great!

I have been trying to learn this new thing called Tatting. Spent quite a bit of time experimenting it, and hopefully when I master it, I will be able to incorporate that into my jewellery pieces, that would be fun I guess, but it's hard work too. :P

In any case, I am having this obsession with bauble rings! They are made with beautifully toned acrylic beads (the colours are so special), swarovski crystals and glass beads. These rings look really pretty and yummy! I experimented with colours for a bit and I am keeping one for myself! :D I love it so much and it's received quite a bit of compliments. Loud, dressy, but still fun, yummy. Nice.

So here you go - oh and Twinky of course, who posed for this. :)

This one's mine for keeps. Haha!

And available at The Haji this Sat (29 August) would be:

Pink, Blue, Purple Gold and Green Apple Bauble Ring and Earrings Sets. Each is only $29 and comes with a free pair of matching earrings! They are so cute and it's SO tempting to keep them for myself!


I will be coming up with more cute colour combis but these are one-off (not duplicated)! Exclusivity is key word here. Even the pink one (I have a similar one for keeps) is slightly different.

And some new earrings too. I experimented with filigree a little more this week and this is what you get. All, except Oriental Chandelier are already available at The Haji. Oriental Chandelier will be in and available from this Sat, 29 August, along with the rest of the bauble rings and earrings set.

Till next week - more fun and yummy stuff coming up! :D

It's been a really productive weekend. I kinda love the weekends now, but I do feel guilty that I am not spending enough time with my loved one. I do need to spend more time making the relationship stronger as well - sorry my dear, if I have neglected you quite a bit these 2 weeks. I have seriously been on a roll. :P

I went into this wacky mood on Sunday and made a whole lot of earrings. None of them are symmetrical - perhaps indication of my mood and liking at this point. (even Oriental Flowers have a slight difference). I have always liked these wacky things, cos they are more unique, spells STYLE (in capital letters) and are totally exclusive.

Hopefully, you will like them too.

Will continue to be on a roll, if I can. Looking forward to the next weekend again! :)

This week has been a really tiring week at work. But I managed to find time to make more pieces - perhaps due to the stress at work, it's been actually fun and a good stress-reliever to work on new things! The ideas have been running around in my head for a while, so now it's time to make them happen.

I like Summer Showers so much that I made a sequel out of it. You can see that there is a bracelet here with matching earrings. This is probably the last of the lost - I haven't got those pink beads left. There are so beautiful and not the usual beads.... And debutting my first ever try to make a ring! I love this so much I was so tempted to keep it for myself! A real treat when bought as a add-on in my opinion.

The other one that was really cool to make was Forbidden Fruit - I just love those apple beads and strawberry charms. The strawberry charms are real charmers (pun intended) - they look gorgeous in real life - nicely coated and double-sided... I don't know why, but there is a feel of punk in this set.

Oh and more birds - yet another asymmetrical earrings, which have been really popular - hope you like this new one, called Freedom in the Sky. I love those blue beads!



Oh, and something I have been really eagerly waiting for: namecards! These are gorgeous! Thanks for Hartini from The Haji, who designed and printed them for me. They have a really unque wood-looking background. Doesn't it look like the signboard? Simply awesome - I can't wait to give them out!

And of course, how can I not have a picture of our permanent fixture at The Haji? Twinky was sleepy and not very responsive today though...

Hopefully I will make more stuff next week and I do hope more people will come by to see and buy these cuties! (the jewellery i mean, not Twinky - unfortunately he is not for sale) :D

New collection!

Hi there,

It's been a rather great long weekend over National Day - I had plenty of ideas floating in my head so I managed to put some of them into this collection, which in my opinion, is really quite pretty. I would say that this collection is cute and pretty, a theme and feeling that I am currently running on. It takes quite some effort to make these, but I think it's worth it. I really love them.

Before showing the pieces, just some updates - the signboard for Ulterior Motifs is up, at The Haji! Yaay! Thanks to Hartini who is the designer, the logo had a great revamp and looks great. Am looking forward to the namecards now...

Oh, and there's Twinky, who was real lazy when I was at the shop on Sat. He looks cute even when lazy.... it's a cat's life I must say....

Ok, and now coming to the pieces, these 2 sets are my favourite - Summer Shower, which is very sweet and pretty, but a little punky as well. Love those stones and the pinkish beads - those were from a while ago and are absolutely out of stock now. Then there's Ice Queen - I love those icicle-looking glass pieces, really unique. Both come with matching earrings (at special prices!)

Ok, I like these earrings too. 2 birds and a secret is a great shoulder dusty - quite sexy but cute at the same time. Have a cake and eat it is my first try with "food" charms - these are real adorable and yummy looking. Chirp chirp is quite quirky with the square frame and lil' bird charm. Oh and Bambi in Berry Woods is one of the most difficult pieces I have made - but totally worth it. Those glass beads are reflective and gorgeous, not to mention those berry-coloured beads as well.

These pieces are already at The Haji, while Summer Shower and Ice Queen are new and fresh from the oven, and ought to be in by Wed night! :D

Can't wait for the weekend to roll around again, so that I can make more! :D

Ulterior Motifs - At 49 Haji Lane

As promised, some pictures of the space! It's not big, but it's a nice cozy corner. Just nice for 2 shelves. I lined the shelves with fur to give it a more luxurious look.

Oh and thanks to Angie, who came by all the way to the shop to give me support, she also became my first customer! Now she owns Floating Leaf (I hope you like it Angie!).

When the final poster with the shop name and logo is up, i will post pictures again. I hope more people will come by to take a look at the jewellery and buy some! :)

Launch - The Complete Collection

D Day! It's 1st August today so.... here's the complete collection that will be launched at The Haji later this evening!

There were some changes to the design of the display at The Haji, so once we confirm it today, I will post pictures. This is very exciting and I cannot wait to make more new pieces.

Hope you like these in the meantime! :D

Sneak Preview #2

As promised, here is sneak preview #2. Everything you see here is handmade and one-of-a-kind, all at The Haji from tomorrow onwards. Official launch is from 1st August though! 2 days away! :D

The space is still getting set up, I have 2 nice wooden shelves and as soon as they are done, I will take photos to show everyone, I promise! I am getting very excited now and I want to make more!

Oh, and this is Twinky, a permanent resident at The Haji. Isn't he the most adorable thing ever? I just love his cheeky look, not to mention how nicely groomed and furry he is. If you come by to The Haji (you must!), give him a nice belly rub! He loves it. I wished he was mine. :P

And here's the sneak preview: more necklaces and earrings too! Check out the cute charms on them! :)

Preview of the Relaunch of Ulterior Motifs

Come 1st August, Ulterior Motifs will be relaunched!

New look, new designs, new venue, new everything!

And I am super excited! Ulterior Motifs has taken a break for too long and my hands are itching and my head bursting with ideas and inspiration. So it's good to be back!

Now Ulterior Motifs will be available exclusively @ The Haji!

It's a super cool stretch of road, with many local designer gems to hunt down, so do come by! The Haji is at #49 Haji Lane!

And now, for a quick sneak preview of what's coming.More coming up in the next few days! I hope you like them!