I feel the urge to create coming back, beyond the card I illustrated for my cousin's wedding (which she used as part of her wedding presentation!) and the Tearing Wax Candle Holders I made. This is a welcome move as I had a dry spell for an entire year apart from a few random sketches where my pen surreptitiously moved inside my notebook pages. I got reminded of the long pair of gloves I studded sometime back in Singapore in preparation for Cambridge life (yeah right, more like I was being vain), and a set of photographs that showcased them. .
The emphasis being on the accessories here-- a faux fur collar and long black leather gloves. It's so hard to find huge dangerous-looking studs back in Singapore. Of course there was Ebay UK and US, but delivery charges were a bit insane for a tiny packet, I decided to practice extreme delay of gratification. I was so happy to find a children's Stud Your T-Shirt With Mickey Mouse set in a 7-11 store whilst waiting for my friend to pick me up from the bus interchange. Of course, I wasn't planning on having a silver Mickey silhouette on my tee, but I love buying crafting materials knowing I will use them someday* . And so when I found these gloves from m)phosis on major discount, I knew I was going to get Stud Happy with them.
Back to The Look-- bold eyes did the trick here, together with juicy coral lips (see first picture of this post for a better idea).
*Imagine when you decide to make necklaces in the middle of the night you have to source online and wait for delivery till they come?
Studding is done both at the base and then it radiates upwards from the base of your thumb towards your index finger to simulate a ring. Jewelry and accessories-- purrfect for greedy souls like myself.
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Finally, I arrived in the UK. Ebay delivery fees were £2 instead of £20. So I ordered myself a large packet of mixed studs. But I had no urge to create anything in Cambridge. Actually I had little urge for many things there. So the studs sat in my Craft Boxes, together with the millions of things that needed repairs involving hot glue guns, wires and pliers. Last night I remembered how I used to create stuff whilst watching the telly. You see, I stopped watching tv back in 2007 or 2008, apart from the occasional drama when I was sitting with my family whilst having dinner. They always say that family dinners with the tv is bad for your family as it reduces the dynamics, but in my family, everybody talks, laughs, discusses and gets distracted, telly time involves a lot of interaction. Okay, why am I talking about that now. It was scary that so much time gets eaten up with television. Say, you start at 7pm and then you end at midnight. And then you watch all the US drama serials freshly broadcasted on the internet for another few hours (I've never had cable before-- people think I'm poor for that lol), you have no more time left. Plus I also started working very very hard.
Quite possibly because yesterday was Epiphany, I had my own epiphany that our Stargate Atlantis marathons** were . . tv! And that I had ordered new soft leather gloves. . and that I had so many things I wanted to create. . and that I had finished up loads of work earlier before Christmas just so I could craft. Then The Bad Unjust Apocalyptic News hit. Then there was the holiday season. Then. . The Epiphany.
**I am going to become Fashion Blog That Mentions Stargate The Most.
So I crept into my storage cupboards and pulled out my tools. And assembled together likely designs. Finally I decided to Be Greedy. Et voila, asymmetrical gloves! Complete with a 'ring' on the right side. Because you should Be Greedy.
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And whilst we are at it, I also created this ruffled collar|necklace back in Singapore. Made of ruched black fabric, a silver chain across its center hooks it into place. I just realised it's perfect with the many turtlenecks one can wear this winter season. The photography is terrible, but it's the middle of the night and the light upstairs leaves much to be desired. .
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Instead of sleeping last night after doing up my gloves, I starred at my many necklaces hanging in my bedroom. Many of which, were sort of nice but not really my type. Sometimes snapped up during massive sales because I loved certain elements, at other times out of impulse. But as my style evolves, loads of them no longer cut it for me. Together with bits of broken jewelry in my craft boxes, ribbons, lace and other materials classified under 'Will Come In Useful Some Day', I laid many pieces on the floor, hung some up on hangers, and started to play around.
This was a ring that I hardly wear anymore, but love the design still. And therefore decided to incorporate it, together with a lace bow and a vintage brooch from my mother's box. I remember that box since my childhood-- a small rectangular wooden box from India with beautiful carvings and shiny bits on top. In it contained some beautiful brooches, of which she gave me a few. Whenever I think of The Mother Vs. Yours Truly, I think of her as stylish, polished and classy and myself as chameleonic, sometimes a bit cheap in terms of taste (i.e. high-street ripoffs) and then I hang my head down in shame like Tom Dooley. Whilst striving to improve myself, of which I do believe (and not in a delusional sense) that considerable advancement has been attained.
Definitely loving this creation of mine :)
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Technically, this is not a creation, but rather some inspiration that struck me like a bolt of lightning. These two necklaces would be awesome layered together.
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And my final piece of the past 24 hours-- an asymmetrical layered necklace. The curved silver bits came from a multiple tiered piece that was a little too delicate for my liking, so I decided to make it a little chunkier. As I assembled together chain links, pearls, silver cords and the large black mirrored gem (of which I modified the border from gold to silver), I started grinning to myself. This piece evokes the ornaments and embellishments that early humans in ancient settlements would wear to demarcate the social class they belonged to-- markers of differentiation that are deep within one's primal origins. Also, that today's symbols for vanity in accessorising has got much deeper roots. And hence I christened it Upper Echelons.
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Hope you've enjoyed this post. . Thank you for the New Year wishes . . and I definitely hope to meet at least some of you this year! xxx
