Owls Forever

If there is one animal that could get me all googly eyed and warm inside, it's an owl. There's something so wonderfully majestic and adorable at the same time that sends my heart a flutter every time I see an image of them. I'm sure you've noticed that I've drawn and painted owls in my art so many times before. I mean, I can't help it...can you blame me? :)

Well, to those of you who share the same love for this amazing animal, here are some "owlsomeness" I have stumbled upon... (please click each image to visit the link)

See how owls have inspired so many people to create these wonderful treasures? Just as I was inspired to create these two new owl sculptures, in collaboration with the local traditional craftsmen. A project that I started a few years back.

I had loads of fun working on these two! So beware, expect more dashing cute owls parading through here very soon. Meanwhile, these owls have made their way to my shop and eagerly waiting to find a new home.

I hope you've enjoyed this owl collection. Believe me, I had such a hard time selecting which ones to post because I had found so many! Well, just another good reason for me to write a sequel, wouldn't you say so? ;)

Hoot hoot!




PS:
If you're thirsty for more owl mania, check out these links:
The Owl Pages
My Owl Barn
Daily Owls
Oh, My Owls!
Owl Owl Owl

DIY Tutorial: Hand Painted Fairy Pendant Necklaces

Last Saturday, I was organizing my pile of boxes in the studio when I came across pieces of wooden boards that I purchased months ago. Like many of my art supplies, they were bought out of spontaneity, without much thoughts or ideas of what to do with them. Sometimes we're in real danger when we go to art supplies stores. Things just sing to us, like sirens at sea. Well, most likely to empty our wallet, rather than driving us to rocks. :)

After discovering these wooden treasures, I decided to create something new. Something cute and wearable. So I grabbed my tools and began to cut small pieces of wood, drilled two holes at the ends, then started to paint...

It's been a while since I last painted on canvas, let alone a piece of wood. And in this case, they were tiny pieces of wood, about 4 x 6 cm. So you can imagine how wobbly my hand was when I started out. I do recommend practicing on an unused piece before you begin on the real thing, just to get the hang of it. After I was done painting, I waited for about half a hour for the paint to settle and dry before applying a coat of glossy varnish.

For this project, I used acrylic paints, so it's not necessary to wait too long for them to dry because as you know, acrylics dry very fast. If you prefer to use oil paints, then it would be best to use a fast drying medium such as Liquin. Then after applying a thin layer of glossy varnish, I let them sit in the sun and left them until the next day. When you think it's dry, try touching it ever so slightly. If it doesn't feel tacky on your finger tip, then you're good to go.

But you know what I loved most about this project? I got to use oodles and oodles of trinkets that have been sitting in my studio, collecting dust. I used them in the past to embellish my mini paintings, but I think most people use these to create jewelry and other accessories. I absolutely loved trying out different ones to see which ones suit the wooden pendants best.

And so, after some tough decisions, here are the final look of my new wearable art...

I'm so glad with how they turned out and so, so glad I decided to create something different with my studio find. I guess sometimes you just need to be brave and let creativity lead the way. These pendant necklaces are now available in my shop. Meanwhile, I think I will think up more ideas of what to do with the rest of the wooden boards. ;)

See you soon,

Creative DIY Projects Round Up

So...are you feeling creative today? Maybe it's time to unleash those itchy fingers and get crackin' on one of these fabulous DIY projects I found on Craftgawker. Believe me, it was tough trying to pick just a few for this post because there were so many awesome ones to choose from! Each project comes with a great step-by-step tutorial, all you have to do is click on the link and plunge right in...

Vintage Inspired Chalky Paint Pumpkins by The Casual Craflete

DIY Vintage Button Bookmarks by The Anastasia Co.

Detachable Faux Fur Cuffs by ...love Maegan.com

Fall Pillows Printables by Tidbits

Nature-Printed Fabric Coaster by Indigo Stitches

DIY Leather and Canvas Dog Bed by Always Rooney

Have a great creative adventure and enjoy your day! :)

Hugs,

The "Buy Handmade" Phenomena

"Buy Handmade". I read that slogan for the first time about a few years ago when I first dipped my toe into this whirling pool of online community. Living in a country where most products available were mass produced in factories for minimized cost, my head just didn't quite grasp that concept at first. Of course, we have handmade stuff here in Indonesia. Mostly traditional crafts that attract tourists, yet seem too "old" for us locals. There was also a trend to buy imported branded goods, which at the end created quite a down point for the local businesses. So I wondered, how did "buying handmade"  fit nicely into the lives of people in other parts of the world?

When I first visited Etsy, I think the first thing I noticed (and loved!) was how these handmade goods seemed to show such high level of creativity of the makers. It's amazing how much personality is shown in each creation, not to mention the attention to details, and in many cases, affordable prices. But the one thing that really stood out was that these handmade goods were more than just crafts that would only end up in our display cabinets (as most cases found where I am!). These goods were replacements to ordinary mass produced things that we use in daily lives. Clothing, accessories, home decor, paper goods, and even fine art! To me personally, this was love at first sight. So what did I do? I heartily plunged in and joined this phenomenal way of life.

Now as I said before, at the time we didn't have that many daily handmade goods available for sale here. At least not ones that satisfied the cravings for tasteful, well designed things. So it was pretty fun going hunting for them. Shopping online was also an option and I spent plenty of hours at other sites such as Folksy and DaWanda, just feasting my eyes on all the awesomeness I could find. And they were plenty of hours well spent.

Nowadays, I'm happy to say that buying handmade has become quite a booming trend here in Indonesia. It's literally an ongoing festivity! There are now great vendors and workshops available throughout the country, making it very easy for craft lovers like me to make my lifestyle so much more fun and creative. Here are a few handmade goodies from Indonesian artisans... hunted and treasured! :)

My very special thanks to all the wonderful crafts-magicians above that have made this post fun for me to write. Please click on the images to visit their links!

And how about you? Do you buy handmade? Please share! :)