Hi! It's been a while. I thought I'd share a bit about what I've been up to. I've decided to move away from working with resin. After stopping in 2022, I would still ruminate every few months about returning to it, but I could not work out a way to work with it safely with a child under my care and no outdoor space. (In another essay I will write about resin safety as it's something I would like more people to be aware of.)
I did, during that time, have a crack at various other crafts, from punch needling to beading and weaving, but nothing really stuck. Perhaps I could try to work out why they didn't work, whether because I was still in the beginner stage or I could not see myself monetising off them, but I think it was mostly because my heart wasn't in them.
I do, however, appreciate the attempts I made. So here are some takeaways from these short-lived projects.
i) punch needling
This project forced me to slow down and remind myself that things made by hand took the time they did. I had a picture in my mind of how the finished rug would look and it seemed so tedious to stitch the entire thing from scratch, one prick at a time. I made a few small pieces and the end results didn't always look the way I thought it would at the beginning. I also figured it wouldn't make any monetary sense to spend this much time on something while pricing it in a range that people could afford, so the tools went back into the cupboard.
ii) botanical monoprinting
This project was totally up my alley and I was quite pleased with the results even though I knew I could also improve on my skills. It wasn't too difficult (to master it was another thing) and the materials weren't toxic, meaning I could work on it while my daughter played in the same room. I would definitely like to continue this project and refine my skills.
iii) cross stitch / tatreez
Most people have probably heard of cross stitch, and tatreez – meaning 'embroidery' in Arabic – is the name of the traditional Palestinian embroidery. Several months into the ge no cide, I felt deeply hopeless and was struggling to find something meaningful to contribute besides boycotting the products of companies on the BDS list. I discovered tatreez and having made a few cross stitch pieces back in my high school days, I decided to work on a piece in solidarity.
iv) beading
Girlhood, friendship bracelets, making things with our hands – the things that came to mind when I rediscovered beading. I've always had a box of assorted beads since childhood and a few friendship bracelets from friends and cousins. The process of making jewellery with beads was something I've always loved and I made a box of bracelets and necklaces obsessively for a few weeks. Photographing them was tough and I became a bit stuck and abandoned the project shortly after.
v) keychains
Keychains seem all the rage right now and from seeing trends rise and fall over the past few decades, I know it will crash out soon. I don't care much for plushies or the overhyped labubu keychains, but I came across some designs that sparked my imagination so I wanted to try it out. I made a few and gave some to friends, but similar to the beaded jewellery, they were hard to photograph and I put them aside for a while.
vi) weaving
My aunt gave me a bag of yarn that she didn't want anymore and I'd been wondering what I could make with them. When I saw an Instagram ad for a tiny weaving loom, I thought I could try it out with a DIY loom made out of an old frame and some string. It was fun but similar to punch needling, could be tedious at times. I did a quick research on artistic weavers and textile artists and really admire some of the pieces that they created. I think I abandoned this because it was hard to move on from the beginner stage without the right techniques or equipment and I also had my eyes set on another project by then.
vii) pressing flowers
I've been pressing flowers for a few years now, ever since I started pebbles + herbs. Even when I stopped working with resin, I would save flowers from bouquets I received and have amassed a small collection by now. Which is why I started making framed flower art. I think it combines my flair of working with flowers with a non-toxic material (photo frames, instead of resin) and I'm looking forward to see where this goes.
viii) postcards
I printed some postcards a while back but didn't manage to get them stocked in local stores. I've been ruminating on starting a monthly postcard project, where subscribers can sign up to receive a physical piece in the mail – I just need to work out the details from here.
So much has changed since I started pebbles + herbs and I know I'm not alone in feeling how different the world is – whether in my own home or globally. I'm not sure if people are still interested in the things I make, but if you are, hello and thank you :)
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