Country Cottage Arts

Tuesday, 31  May 2011


One of the activities that I conduct with the Special Children/Students who come to the GOLD centre is craft making.  Since the students have varying degrees of understanding, communication and motor skills, craft making is one of the practical ways in which  they can be made to understand and follow up on simple instructions. 

I chose to do paper bag craft making with them  recently as it was quite simple, easy and useful .  I actually learnt how to make paper bags by observing the sales staff  at the ISETAN gift wrapping service counter  while waiting for them to wrap  my purchases during the Christmas Sale period.  They had run out of gift boxes and one of the staff was busy folding their logo printed gift wrapping paper into neat paper bags. Mighty impressed by what I saw and having an attitude of always wanting to try,  I went home and tried making one myself.   That was 2 years go..........................................

I now have no problem packing my gift items in these self made and recycled paper  bags using newspapers or inexpensive manila cards.

I also thought them how to make open boxes using A4 size hard card/construction paper. The pictures below show my students having a good time making paper bags and boxes............................

Friday, 27  May 2011


My class at the 3C Complex on the 2nd  and  4th Saturdays of each month is going on smoothly.  More students/ladies are becoming aware of the Decorative classes being conducted.  Only drawback is, the 3C management sometimes postpones the classes whenever they have any activities for the public.  so, please ring  the Subang Jaya Town Council (03- 56378754 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            03- 56378754      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) to confirm the  dates  or call/email me for details.


Some of the students with their paintings......







The picture below is of my students at my home.  This is Azeaina,  a lawyer by profession and who is now practising in Johore...............( Azeaina attends classes whenever she comes to KL now )









With her finished work............................. and a big smile, of course ..................








On the right of Kak Nor is Shaliza with her hydrangeas........................





Kak Nor with her finished sunflowers.....................................





That's Shalina on the left  with a very sweet smile and  and Kak Nor  on the right......




And finally a  stress buster to beat the stress,............... I give here the perfect remedy folks...................................... ( courtesy of my friend,  Ms Vasantha Maru )

HEALTH MESSAGE: 1. If walking/cycling is good for your health, the postman would be immortal. 2. A whale swims all day, only eats fish, drinks water and is fat.  3. A rabbit runs and hops and only lives 15 years.    4. A tortoise doesn't run, does nothing ..yet lives for 450 years.  AND                                 YOU TELL ME TO EXERCISE!

Happy reading and painting



Lakshmi

Ps: I don't how one of  the pic got slotted on the heading when I had put in proper sequence  and I'm too sleepy now  to rectify it ......................

Monday,  23 May 2011



I received this video by email and although this CNN award  was telecast sometime ago , I was not privy to it then.  I don't know how I missed it but am glad that I had the chance to view it  now. 

You won't be disappointed when you view it too, please do ........................................... and when Demi Moore gave the award to Anuradha Koirala, I had goosepimples  all over, tears were trickling down my cheeks  unashamedly  and all I could do was say a prayer for her, the children  and  all of us . 

To realise that such vile things are happening in today's  world is simply beyond logic ,  to say the least,  or maybe,  I'm in denial , living in my own safe cocoon .......................................

Well, Anuradha is a really brave soul and people like her are a truly Godsend to mankind .  Just goes to show that  there's still hope yet for mankind and GOD  has not abandoned us after all.

Happy reading


Lakshmi

Friday, 20 May 2011



I have been kept quite busy with my various classes, volunteer work and baking and so I did not have time to update my students' paintings. Adding to it was my computer crashdown and so that further stalled my updates. 

So while my computer was sent for fixing, I had some time to read the dailies and what I read didn't make me feel any better ...........................

First on the list was the ugly clippets of lewd video shots  published in some of the  so called 'national dailies' . Seriously, have the dailies come that low that they can print these in the public media and get away with it inspite of the mind-boggling number of laws we have in Malaysia ?  I remember reading an article by a well known Malaysian  journalist that our country is now  well known the world over for sex related crimes  more than anything else..........from the highest politician to the lowest ones................  all one has to do is to google  the word and  out pops secular/Islamic Malayisa  in all her glory !    rrggghhh !  What a disgrace ..... what an  ignominy ! .  Our school students need not look any further when learning  Science and likewise,  the Malaysian Education Department  need not bother on debating the merits and demerits  of  how to teach Reproductive Science in schools . The politicians are doing it free of charge and the tabloids have detailed notes practically everyday for their (students) reading pleasure.

Following that closely was the Master of all MCPs  and  MP,  Ibrahim Ali  who  said he's ready for a religious crusade against Malaysian Christians, accusing Christian leaders of plotting to install one of their own as prime minister.  If it wasn't so funny, I would have really " hantam ed " him for his sheer stupidity and arrogance  .  That man sure has nothing between his ears and he keeps reminding me of the adage - Wise man have something to say; Fools have to say something - how very appropriate for him !

Then Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Hollywood star and  ex California Governor had his marriage of 25 years  wrecked by him supposedly having a child  with his housekeeper ........................Hmmm, this is an international disease and goes quite viral the world over.  Similar tales of stupidity are a plenty in our shores too, wouldn't you say ?     The list goes on and it makes depressing reading, so  enough said.............................


Thank God, I have things to occupy myself with.  Imagine what I'd end up as,  if I continue to read the news, phew !


Now, for some pleasant news and updates, Mandy from Sarawak  came again for class and this time, brought her Aunt Abby along.......................

This picture, although not fully done yet,  was taken hurriedly as Mandy and her  Aunt Abby were rushing off for a family gathering.  The sunflowers painting instructions can be found in Ross Stallcup's books








Abby working on her duck paper towel holder





Abby with her finished painting.  She was all set to "show off "  her artwork to her family !








And lastly, this is sweet Shaliza, a dedicated teacher from SMK Kelana Jaya who found me via my blog, of course !.  Very meticulous , organised and  systematic in her work but so soft spoken . Good traits for a teacher, ya !  Happy Teachers' Day , Shaliza


That's all for now

Happy reading and painting




Lakshmi

 The muffins looked very appetising and yummy ,so I thought I'd honour it by putting it up first !


The month of May started off with my daughter's coming of age birthday.  We celebrated her 21st birthday on 1st May  at a Thai restaurant called Bangkok House at Section 19, Petaling Jaya.  It was recommended by one of my sisters-in-law.  The place looked great and the service was good but the food was not up to my mark, although others found it alright.  My daughter had requested  a tiramisu cake  for her birthday and  I wasn't quite sure how to do it as I had not attempted it before.  However, not wanting to disappoint her and being always  willing to try  , I took it upon myself to make one  by following the  recipe  which was written on the back of the tub of mascarpone cheese which I bought.

It turned out to be quite a big tiramisu - a full 9" x 9" x 3" cake tin brimming with mascarpone and cocoa powder and Italian sponge biscuits soaked in coffee and lots of  Bailey's Irish Cream ! I was quite worried by now and to  add to my trepidation, I had doubled the recipe, tweaked the measurements considerably and  had to take the whole cake tin to the restaurant to be kept in the chiller as the cake would only be cut after our lunch there.  I had no idea how it would turn out on a plate and being a very soft cake, I thought it would wooble out .  After a leisurely lunch , it was time for me to go to the restaurant kitchen  and bring out  the cake.  I said a silent prayer  while unmoulding the cake from the cake tin  and hoped nothing would fall  out (hey ! my pride as a baker was on the block ya !) The kitchen staff heaved a sigh of relief when it  finally came out  and having my pride restored by no small measure, I very proudly brought the cake to the table and lit 21 candles for my daughter.  After the customary cake cutting and toasting - it was  pink champagne this  time  - my one picky critic of a brother-in-law who calls a spade a spade, told me that it was one of the freshest and best  tiramisu  he'd had . Not bad for a first attempt, huh !






My daughter is seated on the right with the red suit.







That was 1st May.  By the end of the same week, I had also baked and given away 350 muffins and 5  chocolate cakes   to a youth organisation  which is  involved in social and charity programs for under-priviledged  children.  That was my contribution to their effort.  It was quite a tiring piece of work to bake them throughout the day and night  without any help and during the lowest  moments, I did get a bit discouraged when I saw the mess in my kitchen after a heavy baking session.   But all said and done,    when all the baking and  washing and cleaning work is finally over  and I'm having a moment to myself  at the break of dawn,  listening to  Astro's Golden Oldies with a hot cup of coffee and a freshly baked muffin in my hand , it doesn't  feel  that bad after all.



Life is about trying and hoping everything turns out okay and in the end, it sort of works out that way. If we keep trying................ that is.


( Would you believe it if I said that  washing dishes is one of my ' therapeutic thingamajigs " ?  Yes,   it really really is............ and I'm not making this up - to see all the dirty  dishes cleaned sparkling  white and bright does make me feel like the worst part of the job  is over and done with  and I'm free to do something else - sounds weird but true !)



And finally, this is the Mother's Day cake  that I baked and gave away too  to  the youth organisation for their celebrations -






 Will be back to my painting again, soon




Happy reading and painting ( and baking  !) in the meantime





Lakshmi