DIY ! pop-up!

Turning 30 could be terrifying for some. Some dread it... while others embrace it. So for my best friend's 30th birthday, i wanted to give her something that would remind her of the great things we've shared and went through to get us this far. And to remind us both that we're never too old for crayons.

I don't have step-by-step instructions. But if you want to figure out how to make your own pop-up book or card, then check out Oh Happy Day. As for mine, this is how it turned out:

The time we celebrated our 7th birthday together.

The time we made up our own Milo song and thought it was awesome.

The time we had our first ever big fight. I think we didn't speak for a week.

The time we had 10th grade biology together and we'd dance and sing to Janet.

The time she spent the whole night locked up in the hotel bathroom with her face in the bowl.

To Yannyboy from Azebra... to this day, i still hate that nickname.

DIY ! polaroid magnets

It was my best friend's birthday on December 10th. And it was her big three-oh. I wanted to get her something special. My first choice was a cute personalized engraved pendant from an american website. But unfortunately, they didn't deliver overseas. So, my second choice was to make a version of that pendant on my own. But... i just couldn't find a nice enough silver pendant. Then i moved on to my third choice which was a scrapbook. But with just a week till her birthday... i couldn't cut or draw fast enough.

Finally, it hit me. I was looking through all sorts of craft websites... when this caught my eye. Tiny Polaroid Magnets by Ambrosia Creative. Inspired from this project by How About Orange. So, i started project: polaroid magnets.

I didn't take step by step pictures. But both instructions provided by Ambrosia Creative and How About Orange are simple and easy to follow, however, i modified the instructions a bit. Instead of printing the pictures and laminating it, i directly printed the pictures onto photo sticker paper and wrapped it around pieces of mounting board. For full details, just visit the links above.

 

And this was how it came out:

camera roll ! my birthday weekend

my birthday is coming up... so i bought myself a little something to help me celebrate it. I'll find any excuse really to get me a new toy for my lomo addiction. And this one, came just in time for the long weekend ahead.

Meet the Fischers Fritze... from the La Sardina series.

A super wide angle sardine can camera, it comes complete with a Fritz the Blitz flash, colored flash filters and the La Sardina Book.

It was an awesome gift to unwrap to start of my birthday week.

Announcement ! Results of "Malaysia's Best Dress Man"

About a month back, i wrote a post about my friend submitting his entry to Esquire Malaysia's Best Dress Man competition.

Well, the results are out. And the winner is... who knows. But my friend came in 2nd!

You can visit the links if you want to see his entry profile and his other competition. Or you can go ahead and check out the conclusion. But in the end, he's still the best dress man to me.

camera roll ! a jonker walk

I need to get out of KL more often. Sitting by the river at this really quaint cafe really does make me appreciate my weekends more. And it was only a 2hour drive away. I brought out my lovelies, Kit Kat, Smena, Holga and even my DIY pinhole. 

It was my first time taking out my Smena 8m and it was fun. I thought the fully manual settings might be confusing or irritating. But it wasn’t. After awhile, when you get use to it, it’s actually quite simple. 

Some reviews said the shutter cock proved to be meddlesome cuz your finger might get in the way. But it wasn’t so much of a problem for me cuz I guess I have really small hands. And quite honestly, I just love cockling the shutter….somehow that sounds dirty. I just love pressing down the shutter cock…. Yea, that doesn’t sound any better but you know what I’m talking about. 

It took me awhile to get the hang of it, as you can see from the earlier blurred pictures. 

But thank god i managed to get in a few good pics.

It was the first time i've been to Jonker Street. Shameful since i've been to Melaka like a trillion times. But it was just like what everybody said. It was relaxed. Chilled. And unquestionably unique.

A place full of character, I was left totally inspired by its architecture - a lost art around my neck of the woods. The tile flooring, old wrought iron railing balconies and spiral stairways, walking along narrow streets that wind through a colourful maze of small traditional shop lots; Melaka and Jonker Street possesses a charm that is all its own. 

It was a great weekend. Just me, my cameras, efi and the streets of Jonker.

DIY ! an uninterrupted saturday

I love it when i have no plans or errands on a Saturday.

On this particular Saturday, i decided to work on a 'lil DIY project. The Dippold Pinhole Camera. 

Why spend over RM400 on an analogue camera when you can make one at home? And in one day. I came across MyType's blog and it looked pretty simple. So, i decided to give it a shot. First of all, i had to figure out what the heck is a pinhole camera? And how was it different from any other analogue camera. This was what i found out:

What is Pinhole Photography?

It's like any other kind of photography, but instead of using lens, a very small hole is used to project the image on the film. There's not much else to it really. And since there's no lens involved, pinhole cameras can be made out of several things...like a cereal box, matchbox, even paper. 

Alright then... shall we begin? 

First, you're gonna need the tutorial. So get it here.  Second, download the template here.

I've already tried taking some shots with it. However, it wasn't as cool as i thought it would be. I must've kept it away for too long 'cause the glue from the tape sort of melted and jammed the shutter lid. 

Plus, while I was making it, i didn't really think about the film guide. So, i wasn't sure how many turns i had to make to move to the next frame. To be safe, i gave it a considerable amount of space between the frames, wasting alot of film in the process. Also, last note. Do not use mounting board. It needs something thinner like art card.

I haven't developed the film...so, we'll see how it comes out later. 

camera roll ! meet my new friend smena

It finally came in the mail. And she's a beauty.

Let me get you guys more acquainted.

The word "Smena" (Cmeha) is roughly translated into "Young Generation" in English.

The first Smena model rolled out of assembly in 1952 and continued to be produced only until the late 1980s.

Made in the USSR and designed to provide inexpensive, accessible, and excellent photography tools to the hard-working young Soviets of the time, the Smena 8m was manfactured by the legendary LOMO production house of St. Petersburg.

The Smena is a true LOMO.

The shutter gives speeds from 1/15 s to 1/250 s with flash sync at all speeds, possibly the only remarkable feature of this camera. The very unaccurate viewfinder is a clear frame without lens. Focusing is unaided even though its considered an entry-level compact camera.


Along with your normal indications, the Smena settings can be adjusted with cute symbols.






Interesting fact: 
among many Smena enthusiasts, one of them included Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who assassinated John F. Kennedy. Following an FBI raid of his place, a Smena was found among his stuff. 

And this is the awesome Starblitz i ordered off of ebay to keep her company.

Ahh.... she's complete.