Karenmadesingapore

… we’ll be back to despatch orders again from 17 June. In the meantime, our lovely stockists and .sg have our products ready and waiting for you.

Having recently been advised by a feng shui expert that images of auspicious flowers in her master bedroom would re-spark romance and clear the negative energy in her master bedroom, a friend asked if we had any any suitable images for her. Auspicious flowers, she was told, included roses, peonies, dahlias and gerberas. The colours were just as important - pink, red, orange, yellow created positive and happy vibes. Spiky plants, such as cactus, or flowers in white, were to be avoided at all costs as they were considered extremely bad luck.

We suggested a few options from our
new series: ‘To Abstraction: The Nature Collection’, and she loved them all!

Our photo prints are made to order so please DM us if there is us something specific you have in mind. We have many, many images(!) but if we don’t have what you’re looking for, we can go out and shoot it for you!

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Looking for stylish wall art to jazz up your home, that won’t also break the bank? Our new series:
‘To Abstraction: The Nature Collection’ could be exactly what you are looking for.

Hmmm, abstract photography? It’s always defied precise definition but, suffice it to say, in its purest/simplest understanding, is “a seemingly unreal appearance from real objects, or it may involve the use of color, light, shadow, texture, shape and/form to convey a feeling, sensation or impression”. It’s really just about seeing differently. That’s exactly what we’ve aimed to do in this series. With the restorative powers of nature well known to us all, we hope these photographs will revive soul and spirit weary after a long day of work, kid duties, and household chores.

I spent many a happy (and sticky and sweaty) day photographing the vast array of much loved tropical flowers and foliage found in Singapore’s lush garden city. But I hope the abstract genre may make you look again at them in a new light!
The best news of all? The photographs are all my own, taken in and around Singapore. Absolutely no stock photography or A1 generated images in this series.

The photo prints are made to order so please DM if there is us something specific you have in mind. We have an extensive library of images but if we don’t have what you’re looking for, we can go out and shoot it for you!

Can’t wait to hear what you think of our new abstract series!

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Remember when you first tried a rambutan, wondering what on earth it was, and if you were supposed to eat the hairy skin or not? When you savoured a plump juicy persimmon, loving the taste but finding it hard to describe its subtle depth? And oh, the soft sweet pulpy flesh of mangosteens were just divine, weren’t they?

But now you’re leaving Singapore, heading for home, and feeling bereft you because these tropical treasures will be hard to find in your local Waitrose or E.Leclerc.

Here’s the next best thing: our pretty tea towel in 100% cotton, featuring the most delicious Singapore fruit, will forever bring back memories of halcyon days and delectable treats.

If feedback from previous customers is anything to go by, your tea towel is bound to spark off some fun conversations with family and friends when you get home!

Visit our website today for your tea towel(s) :

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Love all things Peranakan? Here’s a range you’ll find irresistible then! Our Peranakan tea towel in 100% cotton, our acrylic VersaTILES Peranakan trivet (or placemat or decorative piece - that’s precisely why we’ve named them so!) and the cutest Peranakan notebook ever. Perfect for gifting to family and friends, as a souvenir of Singapore, or to a colleague leaving for home soon.

Visit our website today:
https://karenmadesingapore.com

Bright and early wrapping our new stylish batik-inspired toiletry bags for a nice sale! We call them toiletry bags but, truth be told, our customers have been using them to carry all kinds of belongings, even their iPads, given their roomy generous size.

PS. When you’re a small business and a solo entrepreneur, the dining table has to multi-function as the packing table, the photoshoot studio etc. (Cue here the long-suffering husband rolling his eyes…)

*Water, stain and mould-resistant. (They’re made from the same material as outdoor parasols, that’s why!) .
*Washable internal liner, so no need to worry about spills and leaks.
*Generously sized
*Gorgeous batik design
*31.5cm x 23.5cm (approx)

DM us for your batik toiletry bag today.

Good news! We’ve now got a small shipment of our best-selling Vanda Ms Joachim umbrellas back in stock. If you’re leaving Singapore soon and want a stylish keepsake to take home with you, DM us today to reserve your umbrella(s). We have a limited number available and the next shipment only comes in later in the year.

Our umbrella has:
*Certified UV protection SPF+50
* Reinforced fibreglass ribs that stand up to strong gusts. No more flipping up, or having to fight with your umbrella!
* Quick-dry, silky Teflon material - soggy messes in your bag are a thing of the past.
* Auto open and close feature - so you can get in and out of buildings and cars easily
* A photographic print, taken by us here in the Singapore Botanic Gardens - featuring Singapore’s very own national flower, Vanda Ms Joachim.

DM or visit our website today:
https://karenmadesingapore.com

Happy Vesak Day to all my Buddhist friends.

Despite being born and bred in Singapore, I am ashamed to say I’ve never known much about Vesak Day or why it’s a Public Holiday here. But this is what I found out today.

Since the late 1940s, the Buddhist community had petitioned the colonial government for Vesak to be recognized as a public holiday? The Singapore Buddhist Association submitted a petition to the Governor of Singapore in 1947. The petition was rejected on the grounds there was not enough practicing Buddhists to justify the increase in the number of statutory holidays in Singapore. Undeterred, a Vesak Holiday Committee was formed in 1949 to rally for the cause but, despite representatives of 51 Buddhist temples and associations congregating at the Victoria Memorial Hall to appeal, it was rejected again.

After the establishment of the Singapore Buddhist Federation in 1949, several more appeals followed, all with no success. Hopes were finally revived when partial self-government in Singapore was introduced and David Marshall was appointed as Singapore’s first Chief Minister in 1955. The Singapore Buddhist Federation rallied Buddhists of different traditions to submit a petition to Chief Minister Marshall. Finally, in 1955, the Council of Ministers declared Vesak as a public holiday in place of Whit Monday.*

Vesak Day in Singapore is a vibrant celebration of Gautama Buddha’s birth and enlightenment. In the “Bathing of the Buddha” ceremony, devotees pour sacred water on Buddha statues, symbolising self-purification and mind cleansing. Streets and temples such as the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery are brightly lit by thousands of lanterns, radiating a warm, peaceful glow. During the “Pradaksina” procession, Buddhists walk around the temple, signifying spiritual cleansing and paying respects to Buddha.

*Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday, also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit, is the holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a feast in the Christian calendar. In the Catholic Church, it is the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Beef rendang, nasi briyani, Hainanese chicken rice - are you are salivating already?

Where would our foodie city be without Singapore’s spice girls? In our acrylic Spices VersaTILES, we pay homage with pretty ribbons of Singapore’s all-time favourite, must-have spices. Oh! It was hard work trying to get all those spices to stay in neat rows but what a perfect gift it now makes - as a trivet, a placemat or decorative piece - for your foodie friends, as a hostess thank you, or for family and friends abroad just drooling for a taste of local favourites again. And if you’re leaving Singapore soon, what memento of Singapore’s foodie culture could be more apt? (Be warned: with colours so true, you’d be hard pressed to distinguish the real things!)

DM us to purchase your acrylic Spices VersaTILES today or visit our website:

https://karenmadesingapore.com

When I was a child, my father would banish my mum outside the house whenever she wanted to indulge in her favourite fruit, the smelly, custardy durian. After she had feasted on the strong-smelling fruit with a couple of the neighbours, my mum would bring one of the durian skins indoors, fill the compartment with water and rinse her mouth out. According to local custom, that was how you got rid of the smell. Despite being the ‘King of Fruit’, - and it is certainly revered here in Singapore - durians have had a bad time of it, being banned from public transport, taxis, hotel rooms and airplanes.

Good news! With our acrylic durian VersaTILES, you can travel anywhere and everywhere with them. And if you want to have them indoors, you’ll be supremely confident of not ever being banished away to enjoy them!

Perfect for your table to use a a placemat or trivet or to gift as a unique souvenir of Singapore. They look so real everybody will want to touch them! Get your VersaTILES today from our website:

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Always wanted to own a shophouse but gasped at the price? Well, you’ll be relieved to know there is a much more wallet-friendly option. We photographed some of the prettiest shophouses and printed them for you on a 100% cotton tea towel for your home, to take back as a keepsake of Singapore when you leave, or gift to family and friends. It’s machine washable, just hang it out to dry. Minimal maintenance, unlike old rotting shophouse roofs and dodgy plumbing!

Our best selling tea towel is going fast so get yours today from our website:

https://karenmadesingapore.com

or visit our lovely stockist in Tanglin Mall

It appears that our love affair with Singapore’s iconic shophouses shows no signs of abating…

Did you know:
1. Sales of shophouses in Singapore rose 52.2% to $169.1 million in the first quarter of 2024 from the previous quarter

2. Overall average unit price on land was
$5,566 per sq ft

3. District 8, which consists of Little India, Farrer Park and Serangoon Road, stood out with the highest number of sales. Seven shophouses changed hands, amounting to a total transaction value of $51.6 million

Leaving Singapore soon and looking for a keepsake to take with you? Our acrylic Dragon VersaTILES may be just the ticket. Stylish and unique, these tiles can be used as placemats, trivets, or a decorative piece. What better way to remind yourself of the festive traditions of Chinese New Year you celebrated here in Singapore and the local beliefs in all things auspicious and fortune bringing! They’d make a intriguing story to share with your family and friends back home too.

Hurry and get your VersaTILES today from our website:

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Looking for a thoughtful gift that brings back happy memories to someone who’s lived here all their life, or for someone’s who’s lived in Singapore for a while and will be leaving soon for their next adventure? Our coffee table souvenir book on Singapore with its sumptuous colour photographs will hit the spot. We know because the book’s almost sold out again!

Hurry and get your copy today from our website:

https://karenmadesingapore.com

A little tropical lushness in the still cold and drizzly heart of the UK! Loved seeing our cushion cover sent by our happy customer.
We ship worldwide.
Visit our website today:
https://karenmadesingapore.com

All ready to be delivered for Mother’s Day this Sunday - our stretch canvas print of the lotus pond by the artscience museum. Our canvas has a warranty for 75 years. The gallery wrap around the sides means no ugly frames show. A perfect gift for their flower-loving mum, they said, with the added bonus that it can be taken with them when they leave Singapore in July. How’s that for a thoughtful gift and stylish souvenir all rolled into one?

DM us if you have something specific in mind or visit our website today:
https://karenmadesingapore.com

GOLD! Super thrilled to have received the official certificate and decals yesterday, and today, let me say once again a deep, heartfelt THANK YOU to:

* my family, friends, customers old and new, some of whom I’ve met and some I’ve yet to meet but whom voted for Karenmade all the same. You’re the best cheerleaders a girl could ever have!

* my suppliers and partners. How you patiently cope with my endless “Is it ready yet?” “Why is that colour?”, “But I wanted it like this…” I’ll never know. That you care so much about Karenmade is priceless to me.

* my fellow vendors for your generosity in sharing your advice and experience (and suppliers!) and continually egging me on too. You know that as often as I have been inspired by your talent and creativity, yet at other times, I’ve been in despair that I’d match up to your brilliant work. Still, you’ve not let me wallow in those dark thoughts for too long and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Rich is a girl with friends like you!

Exasperated with that perennial problem of trying to squish everything into your toiletries bag ? And finding all your make-up brushes bent of shape?
Well, no more!

A super stylish mum deserves a pretty and practical toiletries bag that can hold all her necessary lotions, potion, and make-up essentials comfortably. With our generously sized new batik-inspired toiletry bag, there’ll be no more of that squashing and squeezing everything in. (And that means no more mangling of the make-up brushes either!) Perfect for her trips to the pool, the beach, on vacay…

*Water, stain and mould-resistant. (They’re made from the same material as outdoor parasols, that’s why!) .
*Washable internal liner, so no need to worry about spills and leaks.
*Generously sized
*Gorgeous batik design
*31.5cm x 23.5cm (approx)

DM us for your batik toiletry bag today today.

Mum loves batik, you say? Then our batik-inspired acrylic VersaTILES couldn’t be more perfect for her this Mother’s Day. Our stylish VersaTILES are based on our own photographs and printed onto acrylic. With colours so true, she’d believe she was actually eating off a batik mat! Mum can use them as placemats, trivets or even as a decorative piece on a side table, if she decides to.


*20x20 cm
*heat resistant to (approx) 120C. But we suggest avoiding putting baking trays and casserole dishes straight out of the oven on them.


DM us for your VersaTILES today.

Overheard at the Azalea Display:

“Oh my goodness, those colours kinda hit you right in the face, don’t they?”
“Love those cheerful colours”
“Way too loud for my garden”
“Wonder if they’ll grow where we live?” …

Love them or loathe them, it’s safe to say nobody walked past them without talking about them!

Overheard at the Azalea Display:

“Oh my goodness, those colours kinda hit you right in the face, don’t they?”
“Love those cheerful colours”
“Way too loud for my garden”
“Wonder if they’ll grow where we live?” …

Love them or loathe them, it’s safe to say nobody walked past them without talking about them!

What to do when you long to be outdoors but it’s just too hot? We have a simple solution: bring the outdoors indoors…

We know just how dire the excessive heat is these days. That’s why we’re pleased to bring you some of our very own photographs of restful green spaces right here in Singapore. Printed on fine art paper, they’re perfect for your home, for a housewarming present, or to gift to a nature lover.

DM us today to customize your prints to suit your space.

JUST IN! Whether you’re looking for a stylish gift for Mum this Mother’s Day or planning a weekend break…

…you’ll love our gorgeous new batik-inspired toiletry bag. With a double lining for added strength and generously sized, they’ll keep all your potions and lotions in one place. And the washable internal liner means no stress should an accident with the shampoo or hair gel bottle happen (is it just me or does that happen to you too?)

DM us for your fabulous toiletry bag today! It’ll be on our website shortly.

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Just as I was unwrapping one of our new acrylic photo montages yesterday that had literally only been delivered minutes ago, a customer arrived to collect her order of lacquer boxes, saw this piece and decided it’d be a perfect souvenir of Singapore for her friend who would be leaving the country soon. Here’s to its new home in the UK then!

If you’d like an acrylic photo montage like this, just DM us today. We can customize sizes to suit your space.

https://karenmadesingapore.com

Beyond thrilled to be prepping a nice little order of our ‘Asian Traditions’ coasters now for one of our government ministries, to be delivered this afternoon.

https://karenmadesingapore.com

The ole Monday blues getting to you again?

Well, these blues ain’t so bad, are they? And before you know it, it’ll be Tuesday! Wishing you a good new week ahead.

Restocked! Your favourite batik-inspired acrylic VersaTILES are now here again.
Apologies to all of you who’ve been waiting for them - who knew they’d fly of the shelves like that? As always, we are immensely grateful for your support.

They’ll be on our website and at our stockists .sg and early next week.
Or DM us if you simply can’t wait!

*20x20 cm
*heat resistant to (approx) 120C. But avoid putting baking trays and casserole dishes straight out of the oven on them.

Looking for a gift for Mum this Mother’s Day? (Sunday 12 May). We can guarantee she’ll love any one of these!

DM us or visit our website today:
https://karenmadesingapore.com

This orchid with its soft purple flowers, is ‘Dendrobium Mother Teresa,’ named in honour of a woman who embodied so much of what the world is desperately in need of today - love, kindness and compassion. As the onslaught of ugliness, hate and relentless brutality continues, wreaked by people with a deficit of morality, humanity and common decency, let us all do one kind thing today for the person next to us to ensure we’re not overwhelmed by the darkness.

Here’s to a brand new week, my friends!

The days ahead are predicted to be blisteringly hot and the humidity energy-zapping, so I hope you find a little oasis of cool to refresh and reinvigorate you. My go-to place is the Bamboo Grove in the Learning Forest. Delicate bamboo leaves swishing softly overhead in the gentlest of breezes is pure balm for frayed and overheated nerves. And on the days that I can’t get there. I have the next best thing at home - a fine art photo print.

(PS That’s not me in the image, but a girl can dream!)

If you’d like a custom sized print to suit your space, talk to us today. You know we’ll be only too happy to help stay cool too.