How I started
I have always been creative since I was young. I do not think anyone have ever considered me as artistic back then, because I could not draw or paint very well. I only liked building models, crafts, cutting and pasting, the sort of stuff that usually makes a big mess. I could even build models just by looking at the pictures without instructions. I sort of create a 3D image in my head and from there I can see where everything goes. It had served me well all these years, but by thinking in images, I struggled with words. I learned to sew when I was nine from my aunt. Sewing opened a lot of possibilities for me. I began making all sorts of things, from sock puppets and dolls to bags and tissue boxes
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I started making jewelry about 2 years ago (around July 2008). I consider myself a gemstone nut. One day, while browsing the internet for more gemstone, I found a tutorial on how to wire-wrap cabochons. While I do not have any gemstone cabochons, I thought it would be a good idea to use on my loose gemstone stash. So I went out and get myself 2 rolls of silver coloured economy copper wires and a pair of hardware store pliers. Yes, hardware store pliers! This kind:
Looking back, I realized it’s rather stupid to use that to make jewelleries, but it’s a good start. The good news is, I can bend and cut wires with the same pair of pliers! The bad new is, for the first few pieces I made, the wires are scratched pretty badly. This is the first jewellery I ever made:
I bought the charm bracelet a few years before that. I wire-wrapped some loose stones and attached them to the bracelet. I was really happy with the results and I even got compliments on the bracelet. I never stopped making jewelleries since then.
Contest
I entered a Swarovski design contest on June 2009. Never thought I could win it. 1st place!
This is my entry. I really outdid myself back then. It took me 3 weeks to make. I only finished it 2 days before the deadline.
This piece was inspired by 3 pieces of tarot cards and a memory of someone I held dear at that time. But he’s not in my life anymore. It is named “hope”, because I was really hoping to win. Lame… I know…
Truth be told, I do not really like using Swarovski much. They tend to be fragile and too shiny for my liking. Since I always work with wires, I broke quite a lot of them. I did not enter the contest because of the prize, it’s the recognition I want. My parents wanted me to quit making jewelleries because they said it’s a waste of time and money and no one will wear them. I just wanted to prove them wrong for once.
Challenges
I’ll be lying if I said I never have any challenges in making my jewelleries. Everyone will face it in everything they do. But no matter how frustrating it is, when you finally get what you wanted, you will appreciate it more.
What frustrates me most is perhaps my parents. Not that I don’t love them, but seriously, I’m jealous of anyone who their parents encouraged them to do what they love. I did not get into a design course after I finished school either. I had a hard time answering questions like “What the hell are you doing in Chemistry/Engineering when you’re supposed to be in etc, etc?” when someone noticed my talents.
One rather minor but quite debilitating problem for me is money. Jewellery-making is a very expensive hobby. Of course, it started out cheap, but once you start mastering a few techniques, you’ll want higher quality items. And that costs a bomb. At least to me, it is. I could not afford going to any jewellery-making classes either. Everything I made, every techniques I know are self-taught. I sometimes do use free tutorials, especially when I first started out.
An Atypical Rose
The name was inspired by a line in a song I really liked, “a rose by any other name”, and a dialog in a book, where one of the characters used a fake name, and when asked if that I her real name, she replied with “it’s a good name as any”. I was singing out loud to that song while driving alone in a traffic jam when it just popped in my head. And I fell in love.
All of my pieces have a story behind them, what inspires them and what they signify. I felt that it is unfair if I kept that to myself. Forgive me if you can’t stand reading long descriptions. If you don’t like reading the long descriptions, please do visit my gallery to see only the pictures. And if you want to share links, ask questions, share some thoughts or maybe collaborate on some projects, email me.