The Breakfast Theory

2017, I've been wanting to try metal stamping but found that it was too expensive and I didn't have the budget for everything I needed. Christmas time came and I thought to put them on my wishlist, and my siblings chipped in to complete my list. So lucky to be the youngest ❤ So I finally bought everything though I found that my choice of font was too whimsical. The stamping set I really wanted was too expensive, almost double the price of the one I got. There was one set that was inexpensive, but was out of stock, so I thought okay, I'll get the hang of this first, make money off of it then buy another set. What I didn't consider though was the stamping blanks. The ones from the seller were too pricey since she orders from abroad, so when I was computing the selling price became too expensive that I just had to look for another supplier for the stamping blanks if I wanted to sell them at a reasonable price. I found one on Shopee and my first transaction w...

A couple of months back a client said she'd be sending over a string of pearls in silver thread for redesigning. She tried to explain that they were tangled but that was an understatement. What I received was a clump of pearls in silver string. I couldn't even tell if there was a clasp or not, where it began and ended, and what kind of necklace it was.. *sigh* my client friend never ceases to amaze me!  So I tried playing Dr.Quackquack and tried to untangle them but it seemed when one knot was free another one formed. And as if that's not hard enough, I found out the pearls were glued to the string! It was taking too much time and I was losing patience I had to set it aside to work on my other projects. Although from time to time I'd work on it, it still looked the same as when I first got it. I was feeling hopeless. Finally done with everything else and now having some free time, I decided to take this on and not accept orders until it's done. Two headaches after a...

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You may be wondering why I would give away this pattern for free when I can sell it. Well,  I'm really not so good with giving (and taking) written instructions. So to be fair, I only sell patterns that I can give accurate instructions on.  I rely mostly on pictures, I find them easier to follow. So hopefully the images I included helps too if my written instructions become too confusing. I had to use a dark background so the threads would show.  1.       Start with the basic netting technique. String in 147 pieces of seed beads. Pass the thread through the 6th bead from the last. 2.      String 5 beads then pass through the sixth bead from the previous row, repeat to the end. 3.      Leave 6 beads at the tail. String 8 beads then pass thread through fourth bead from previous row. Repeat until you have a total of 9 rows. 4.      String 8 beads then pass the thread through the 6th ...

Lately I've been obsessed with making earrings. I previously thought they weren't challenging enough but then I started getting inquiries about them and thought, why not give it a try. So to make it more challenging, instead of just wiring I decided to try beading techniques and boy was I wrong about holding back on those earrings!  What I was used to making. And sometimes wiring it. Beading or weaving headbands and necklaces are time consuming, usually taking 4-5 days to finish, and for someone with very low E.Q., the wait is often frustrating. But to do the techniques I love and finish the project in a day?  Well, I think I'll be making a lot of earrings now.  I made 3 pairs in 6-7 hours. The design possibilities are endless! Although it does take a lot of patience when the design I have in mind doesn't work. Like for this earring, I had an idea of the last layer(red coral beads) perfectly aligned. But it wouldn't stay flat, it kept crinkli...

Over the years I've been asked to repair and revamp broken accessories and jewelries by family and friends. One recurring problem are bracelets with elastic nylon.    But I've made it my personal policy not to use elastic nylons anymore.  Not since a bracelet I made snapped when I was out, and beads flew all over the place. It was embarrassing, but the first thing that came to mind were the ones I sold. Did they snap on my clients too?! I was mortified at the thought! See, anything stretchable loses their elasticity sooner or later, and they go brittle. And you just don't know when these things will snap, how can you anticipate something like that, right? So here are other ways to make bracelets without using those elastic/stretchable nylons. Charm bracelets: very feminine and easy to make. Lobster Claw Clasp: which I used for the charm bracelet from the previous picture. Tube Clasp: if you're making a multi-strand bracelet. Screw Clasp ...

Climate change is truly making itself felt this summer. The weather, in a day, goes from sweat and stroke inducing heat to cool-cold breeze and rainshowers. Honestly, I find going out frustrating these days because you don't know whether to dress for summer or cover up. I know how shallow you must think I am, but admit it, you find yourself staring in your closet and then looking out the window wondering what to wear at least once a week, if not every day! Well, these are the times I feel apathetic and end up in jeans and shirt and putting on a cardigan or light jacket and disappear in a sea of similarly dressed zombies. And as much as I love my shorts, I often find myself reaching for my jeans because, as a tropical fish, I do get cold easy and pants are the more practical choice. But for some reason, it makes me feel sloppy and dull. Although I'm not too sure about the saying "The clothes make the man", I believe that clothes say a lot about us a...

I did it. I succumbed to the dark side. I thought I was strong, but the bug was stronger and I caught it. I know as an accessories designer you'd think I'm all into fashion, and look books and runway looks and trends. But no. I like the clothes but definitely ignorant of who, what and where it's made. I think the fashion blogs with the cutesy fashion girl poses are ridiculous. The name dropping/brand consciousness even more. But then in wanting to find ways to advertise my pieces, I stumbled upon Polyvore. I highly discourage the use of this site as it. is. highly. addictive. It was like opening Pandora's box! It started innocently enough. I put together clothes, then paired them with my pieces. And then browsing through the other products, I saw other accessories I didn't have but looked good on my set so I used them. And then before I knew it, I was making sets that don't even have my accessories on them! And if that weren't enough, I now actually ...

I've been trying to experiment on other ways to do a headband, and I had an idea of having one without sewing the whole thing on either ribbon or garter. The main concern was, will it be sturdy enough? Ofcourse there is this constant fear of the nylon thread snapping and seed beads flying everywhere! *One very helpful and wise tip from the experts that I faithfully follow is: "Don't be lazy with the stitches. Pass through everything again." When I did the first column, I thought it was too limp and was worried of the structure. Attaching it to the second column was a nightmare in itself! They were staring to crinkle and I was ready to give up, but I had already invested too much time on this to quit. It was only after I finished it that it held the form I wanted. So, thank God for perseverance!  And as with any piece one puts alot of heart and work into, I was very proud of my headband. It may not look fancy but I had alot of trial and error ...

I started naming my pieces just recently and coming up with names didn't come easy for me. So, what I did was name them after people or any word that it reminds me of. But once in a while I name them after friends whom I either made the piece for or who was my inspiration when I was making it. So this is the story behind one of those names. The Ida Ring is quite special to me because it is my first ( and so far only) original ring design ( as far as I'm concerned). I was then trying my hand at wireworks, and I had all these cute murano round beads that I wanted to use. So I scoured the net for tutorials and was lucky to find some and went to work. Since they were prototypes, I gave them to my girl friends and asked them to give me feedbacks. One friend did. She said she liked her ring but she's not comfortable with it because she prefers something dual banded. So I looked again on the net and found one but the project needed half-round wires and wires ar...

The most frustrating thing when crafting is when you get stuck on a project because you just don't know how to make your design work. This happens to me more often than I would like to admit. So what I do when I get "designer's" block is work on something else to get my mind off the project for awhile.  When I was working with the Ida Ring, I was on a stump and after the second spool of wire was gone I just felt so drained I just couldn't work with it anymore. So I picked up some crystals and got the other wasted wires and just started making. I wasn't thinking of any particular design, I just wanted to see a finished product. Well, before I was done with that, I thought of a way to solve my earlier problem. So I set it aside in my pile of junk and got back to the ring and was able to finish it.  Now almost a year after, I was cleaning my work table and came across that unfinished 'piece', because I didn't even know what it was I was ...