Workshops!

I am a crafter.  I love everything about crafts... I collect papers and scissors and some basic art materials. I can sew; I’ve even sewn my own school uniform way back in college and so as my brother's uniform. when my friends decided to get bags with same design and I was struggling with budget that time, I offered to make the bags. My friends paid for the materials, and I made the bags for all of us… such cute bags that we carry with us. When I finished college and started working i used to accept jeans repairs from my officemates. I also made skirts and blouses. It was a big help since I was helping Marlon in college. Then I met Ms. Shirley. I introduced her into the world of paper crafting. We made lots of paper flowers, made some designs and sold into our office… and I must say I earned a lot; I even had my hair relaxed out from the paper flower earnings.  Then she introduced me into beading… I love love love beads! Nanay and I bought some beads to practice with and in less than a month we were able to sell our creations to our friends. Nanay is such a good jewelry designer… she makes customized bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings out of beads, chains and other metal findings. But after few years of beading, we got bored. Beads are limited, which would mean limited designs… I had to find a way… we need to make some improvement with our designs.. I wished I can make my own beads…. Then I stumbled upon Beadlady’s website. I saw the pics of her polymer clay creations, and i fell in love with them! below are the pics of Angeli Sobrepena's creations.

Nice and yummy right? I learned that she conducts workshops! It costs P1,700 for 4 hours… quite pricey, and I wasn't sure if i would learn from it since I didn’t have any idea about this polymer clay thing. I enrolled. (bahala na si batman ika nga).

It was my first paid workshop (kuripot ako). Feed back? It was such a great experience! Angeli is a teacher! and she made me want to learn more! (Below are my workshop projects)

i was sooo happy with my new beads! gosh ! i can make my own beads now! i love flowers, and i am happy with how my pink rose came out! i tried making small roses for my cake, but it was hard... and after more practice, here are my after workshop creations.. :)

Did i improve a lot? oh yes.. :) though not as good as Angeli's yet. i am sooo happy.. by the way, the finished jewelries (with fresh water pearls) were made by my Nanay. i made the clays though :)

there are more room for improvement... im craving for more ideas, more techniques to learn i know.

And then i stumbled upon Rockybeads page. Again, i fell in love- with her creations, specially her customized lockets. Rocky Villegas Antonio is such a great artist. her designs are super nice, unique and one of a kind!  below are some shots of her works.

ahhhhh... couldnt help it... i need to learn those techniques! I needto meet the artist behind those projects! i wished she conducts workshops as well..... i waited few months, and when she opened her home for workshoppers, i enrolled right away!  it was quite pricey but i knew i will learn a lot! whats nice with Rocky's workshop, is that you'll choose what topics and projects you want to learn. Its a one-on -one workshop! a very detailed and hands- on . below are my workshop projects where i learned how to make swirls, image transfer and  stamping techniques. i also learned how to make other flowers aside from roses.. :)

i was sooo elated after the workshop... i learned a lot. every questions were answered, i met a great artist.. and gained a new friend! 

Inspired by her creations, i was able to make my own designs and improved my own jewelry pieces... below are my after worshop projects.

oh yes, i improved a lot! whats great with Rocky's workshop is that shes just a text away! if i have questions, i just text her and she answers. she shares tips and tricks generously.. shes such a great artist and a great teacher!

but learning doesnt stop there... i need to learn more... claying must not end with creating flowers, cakes, stamping and image transfer... i need to know how to make my own beads! as in beads! you know those kinda round thing that you can coil with wires and produce bracelets and earring out of them! not just an added accent to the jewelry piece, but a jewelry itself!

then here comes Jennifer Cuz of Purple Luggage. She is tagged as the cane queen of the Philippines :) she makes nice canes and makes nice beads... i love her canes... though there are lots of polymer clay cane tutorials in the internet, i still consider enrolling in her caning workshops.  whats good with workshops is that you can ask questions and get answers right away! again it was pricey.. but i didnt thought much about it, bec i know ill be able to improve my works and sell some stuff!! :)

here are Jen's works.. soo inviting!

worth a Workshop right? imagine if you put these canes in beads.. exciting ist it?  P2,700. i enrolled!

WS was held last saturday, March 26 @ The Beadlady, owned by Angeli Sobrepena... kinda feeling like home in there.. and with my classmates around, it was a bunch of fun and laughters! you know, comparing our works, sharing clay experiences, tips and tricks and gaining new friends! in other words.. i had fun fun fun!

excited to see my workshop projects? here... :)

rose cane... i need a lot of practice in here

leaf cane... the clay was super soft.. i didnt like the output. i wish i brought my Kato clays instead.

my final project.. locket embelished with canes we made.

well that was saturday... and the next day, i was practicing with my canes the whole day... my projects arent good yet, but i know, soon ill be able to make my own canes and will make lots of improvement in my works...  my after workshop projects are not that bad though.. :)

my improved new leaf cane

petal cane

my embelished locket

butterfly wing

its just a day after the workshop.. so dont expect too much from me... :)

ill post pics of my new canes soon! -

Updated pics: my after WS projects:

i enroll only with the best teachers... worth every penny!

anyway, here are my fave projects. my personal collection.. not for sale!

 they are just 1.5" tall.. sooo cute... i plan to make whole set of snow white and seven dwarfs...

wish me luck!

(Artist's photos are grabbed from Beadlady, Rockybeads and Purple Luggage)

my little Lody & my Unsoy

Let me call her little Lody (my nick name).  She reminds me a lot of my childhood... i used to have a shirt something like hers when i was in elementary, it was a pamana from my cousin, Ate Bhec. I remember it clearly- it was white with strawberry prints- with red collar and black buttons (just like the collar of my lil girl). the shirt was kinda old, my cousin already used it and she gave it to me.. i wore the shirt in school everyday.. as in everyday! (nanay had to wash it everyday too). i even thought it was my school uniform back then.. and because of frequent washing, my white shirt with strawberry prints became blue before the school year ends (nanay used perla blue)  hehe!

I had fun making this last friday when i got home from office. since i work with clays on weekends only, i always look forward to it.  it excites me. and the excitement shows in my eyebags.. lol! sleepless weekend nights...

here are some views of my unfinished Little Lody, i was just too excited to take pics.

 

the finished item shows a better hair accessory.. i already added more yellow clay to the bud... will post pic once i finished everything.

My hair is wavy... i plan to have it curled when it gets a bit longer just like hers... half straight - curly ends.. :)

and ahhhh forget the turtle! i scan-read CF's book (down under) and i made the turtle the way i remember whats in the book.  hes cute isnt he? :)

the flower in her dress is still bad. I added it when the yellow dress was already attached to the body. lesson learned-  next time, any add- ons  will have to be attached to the dress, before attaching it to the body ( as a sewer, i should know this better.. lol! - you cannot embroider something that is being worn.. )

I was about to finish her swing and everything on saturday, but had to attend a much much important event.

Julius, my brother- my scholar, Graduation Day. Marlon & i helped him finished college. We made a deal. he has to finish it in 4 years, without summer class! and he did it! i am sooo proud of him...

He looks a lot like Julius Babao in this pic... I am a proud Ate indeed! He was sooo happy and it was contagious... i was infected by his happiness.. (the pic shows) he made me a camera woman that day. he wanted to have pictures taken with everyone he knows in the school... and oh.. lots and lots of girls! heheehh well what can you expect? he took up BSED.  when i say A TEACHER, what image comes first into your mind?  a female right? that explains why there are lots of girls in there! lol! cant post the girls here.. there are too many pictures.. :)

nanay - the graduate- tatay- me-  i know! everybody wear glasses.. heheh now dont ask me why i wear glasses!  :) 

I finished my college in 1997, but i was not able to attend our graduation day. i was an octoberian (is there such a word like this?) and our graduation was held march the year after. I was already working back then and was busy earning money for Marlon's school... so no graduation rite for me... just glad to wear Julius cap though... hehehe felt like i attended my own graduation day.. :)

look how happy he was! considering that it was already 8:30 and we were all hungry.

the lady behind the camera who took above's pic. Kim, Julius GF. the graduate had to pose with the 3 most important girls in his life.. :)

To Julius, Ate is sooo proud of you! one step done... the next step is passing the LET exam and get a job! Love you!! Mwaah!

im not a writer..  please bear with my grammar :)

Decoupaged Journal

Yesterday, i was looking for a new sketch book/journal that i can always bring with me wherever i go. I couldn't find one that has a hard cover., so i just bought an office note pad and made hard cover from illustration board- then decoupaged it with old magazine pages . i love love love Mod podge! it is easy to apply, easy to clean and dries clear and glossy.  Elmers Glue, is another option just thin it with few drops of water (@ 3 :1 ratio), i prefer mod podge though. Dries fast and gentle on papers...

Anyways, here are the few shots of my decoupaged journal. :) obviously, i love beads!

glossy isn't it?

 When opened

Back

why not make one? hard bound journal is super expensive... this is cheap and you can make your own design...

enjoy!