Day 25's Giveaway is a Handmade 'Spice Coloured Orchids' Headband
from Sharlene at Spiral.
Sharlene's description of the giveaway item:
a trio of mother of pearl florettes are perched on this headband, making you look like you are wearing a garland of spice colored orchids. Russian glass crystals in red provide accent and the right amount of sparkle. the mother of pearl nuggets are dyed a rich brown and gold and a thin dark brown cord is wrapped around the entire headband base. the headband base is made of lightweight and flexible metal.
headband measures about 5 inches at it's widest point and 2.5 inches at the most narrow point. since the headband base is flexible, it can open up to 6 inches at the narrowest point when stretched.
perfect for a casual outfit or even to wear to the beach with a colorful summer dress.
"This is what my little shop is about -- slowing down, breathing deep, taking time to look at the pretty little things, establishing relationships that go beyond the usual busyness of business."
Sharlene is from the Philippines and creates beautifully original jewelry and woven tote bags. I just love the combination of colours and different beads and also the use of a variety of metals in wires and chains!
Sharlene let me ask her a few questions about her art practice and other things:
1. How does your art practice fit in with your life?
If I could have it my way, it would be my life. As it is, I manage to incorporate it into my day. I cannot imagine not doing something creative -- even as a child I had dabbled in art in its different form and as a young adult had tried my hand at theater, music and now painting and drawing and of course, designing and making jewelry. Art forms a large part of me and I cannot imagine being without it. I make sure that I incorporate an aspect of it daily -- even for just a few minutes.
2. Where does everything come together?
OH BOY - you should see my "studio". It is visible only after dinnertime since I use our huge dining table. I don't have a dedicated room for my work YET -- but I am hoping to have a spare room fixed up to house all my supplies soon. As it is, my art supplies are in a large, large suitcase which I roll from room to room and my children were thoughtful enough to surprise me with a set of storage drawers to keep my jewelry supplies in. It can be a pain to have to take out materials and put them back again when I'm done "playing" but that part I have used as an initial step to creating -- like a switch on and off to signal my psyche that it's time to have fun.
3. Do you have any goals for your Artfire Shop/Art Practice?
I put up the store on a lark -- my jewelry was taking up a lot of space and while I was successful at selling them at craft fairs, my day job prevented me from participating in as many as I would like. I actually "forgot" about my Artfire shop for a bit and then a few months ago, decided I would give it a try. My goal for the shop is for it to be representative of fine artisans in Asia -- something like an antidote to the notion that all things that come from anywhere near China is a knock-off or is mass produced. I'd like to be able to help spread the word on the talented people in my region -- and there are a lot. Of course, it would be hypocritical of me to say that I don't want the shop to do good -- I'd like to see it churning out sales regularly, allowing me to earn a decent income from it and finally giving me the chance to quit my day job and concentrate on work that involves design and art. I would also like to be able to teach or facilitate workshops teaching art techniques and jewelry making. It would be wonderful to see someone who thought she wasn't creative realize that she actually is -- in her own way.
4. What would be your super-power if you could have one?
Hmmm - super powers! I've always wanted to be like that guy on the movie "Jumper". You know -- he goes from place to place in the blink of an eye. Just thinks he's there and he is. I love to see new places and travel and learn about different cultures so this would be it for me. Imagine being able to "jump" to the Louvre just because I thought it would be nice!
5. Recommend a book and movie.
There is a book that is my all-time favorite and I keep a hardbound copy of it on my bookshelf and carry a paperback copy in my purse. LOL. It's "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola-Estes. I don't really watch a lot of movies but if there is one that has remained in my memory, though I only saw it once, was that movie "Finding Neverland" starring Johnny Depp (okay, so maybe this is one of the reasons why this movie's so memorable for me!) and Kate Winslet. Anything Peter Pan related makes me cry.
6. Tell us about where you live.
I am from Manila, in the Philippines! I actually live in Quezon City, in a house that's belonged to my family since the late '60s. The neighborhood I live in is close to everything and yet it has that really homey feel -- we all know our neighbors, people rarely move away and my children are now friends with the kids of children I used to play with when I was their age. The Philippines is a country that is known for its great beaches, waterfalls, and warm fun loving people. We also have a lot of talented artists who are making waves with their art abroad -- which to me is sad because they have to go elsewhere to be noticed. While I would love to travel the world, it is here where my heart rests. It can be dusty, traffic is bad on most days, summers are unbearably hot but it is also where the people I love most are so I cannot imagine living anywhere else.
This giveaway is open worldwide -
anyone can enter so long as they are legally entitled to do so.
Mandatory Entry:
Check out the Spiral shop and choose your favourite item(s) and list them below.
Additional, optional entries:
1. Follow Being Tazim (email, RSS OR Google Friend Connect)
2. Follow Sharlene's My Spiral Notebook blog
3. Follow me on Twitter @beingtazim
This giveaway ends on July 4th at midnight PST.
I will email the winner and their name will be posted on the main giveaways page.
The rest of the giveaways are listed on this page: 30 Days of Giveaways
