ABS JANUARY CHALLENGE

ABS JANUARY CHALLENGE

Now that the holidays have come and gone, I’m slowly getting back on track. I thought that a better way to jump-start the New Year is to find an inspiration challenge and Art Bead Scene (ABS) will always be an awesome venue for that.

This month’s challenge artwork is a gorgeous 1940’s painting by Jessie Arms Botke: "Black Peacocks with Japanese Persimmons." 

I am awestruck by the details of the painting but I already know what to do at first glance. I've focused on the details on the delicate feathers of the peacock’s tail and have chosen the pleasing colors on it. I've challenged myself to make polymer clay cane petals that will resemble the peacock’s feather and played on some hues of pearl blues, pearl greens, ecru and gold. I then arranged the cane petals to create my focal flower art beads. I must admit that I’m an amateur caner but I was very delighted with I've made. 

Petal canes resembling the peacock's feathers

More focal flower beads from the  petal cane I've made...

Here’s the finished piece:

Since Botke is a fan of metal leafing technique in his works, I've incorporated some metal elements like filigrees, bronze leaf connector, and metal chains in the assemblage and added some hints of gold lining for the flower petals. The metallic spikes which represented the twigs of the persimmon tree have added some modern twist on the assemblage since spikes and studs have been a trend carried over from last year’s jewelry style and are still very “IN” for 2013. 

HELLO!

Hello! I’m Ghie.  I love to work with my hands. Crafting is something I do to express myself. As I start this blog, I couldn’t help but think of my Mom. My mom, hands down, is the craftiest person I know. When I was a kid, she would sew beautiful clothes I would wear for school programs and special occasions. She used to design carpets and curtains at home. With such an early influence from my mom, I started crafting as a little girl by making my own dolls and Barbie’s clothes out of scrap fabrics.  As far as I remember, I already did any and all kinds of crafts like cross stitch, paper tole, crochet, embroidery, beading, scrap booking, etc.  I even made everything decorative on my wedding day. Right now, I’m really loving polymer clay art and photography, but once in a while I would still dabble in embroidery and scrap booking (now digital scrap booking).

Crafting… some have a gift for it and I’m thankful I have. Aside from the creative outlet that crafting can give, I find a lot of value in something I made…

First, I get appreciated when I give something handmade to my friends and relatives. I feel proud when people compliment my work.

Second, I earn money by selling my crafts. It’s something I do as a hobby and turned into a lucrative business.  On May of 2010, I opened a humble trinket store I named, “Trinket Tales (hence, the name of this blog).” I sell handmade accessories made of polymer clay mixed with other raw materials like beads and metal findings.  

Third, I come to know new friends by conducting workshops and meet fellow crafters.

Fourth, crafting has allowed me to write.   I am a Chemist by profession and not a writer.  My sentences and phrases are made of atoms and molecules, thus, I struggle with words. So please forgive me for some grammatical errors. Trinket Tales is where I will embellish your world with my crafts and anything and everything about life that is worth sharing! =)