Welcome to my studio...
in the exotic, beautiful country of Singapore!
A few tidbits about Singapore:
* Singapore is a city and a country. It is made up of one main island (slightly smaller than New York City) and 63 small islands (most are uninhabited).
* It is only 85 miles from the equator - this means every day is sunny and hot hot hot.... with temperatures around 85 degrees and humidity level around 85% every day, all day.
* Singapore is one of the safest, cleanest (you can be arrested for spitting, littering, or chewing gum!), and wealthiest countries in the world. But this also means it is one of the most expensive places to live.
* There are 4 official languages - English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil (Indian). Most everyone speaks English... except my hairdresser : 0
Okay - enough about Singapore, let's get to what you came for...a tour of my studio.
Please come in...
This tour is a modified tour, as not much has changed in my studio from last year {other than it is a mess!}, so please visit here for the detailed tour from 2012.
I thought it might be fun to share the many treasures I have collected over the past year-and-a-half from my travels through Asia. I love to make jewelry and collages from my found objects. If you click on the pink text, it will take you to a full post with lots more gems I found in each respective country.
Before I get too far into this post, I want to mention that I am having a giveaway!! Lots of goodies, handpicked for one winner, from my stash of treasures I have collected in Asia. Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite colors and what crafts you dabble in, i.e. collage, scrap-booking, painting, jewelry making, sewing, knitting, or all of the above. And leave an email or blog where I can contact you. Open to anyone in the world!! I know it takes awhile to get through all the fascinating, creative blogs, so I will give a few weeks for visitors to leave a comment and I will pick a winner on July 31st.
Contest is now closed, click here to see who won!
I am crazy about stamps! I have drawers full of them and I keep the smaller ones in an old typesetting drawer (hung on the wall) that I found in Belgium.
I display all my Asian-themed stamps in one section for inspiration.
Here are a few new additions to my stamp family...
My prized possession, a batik cap (pronounced chop) for stamping images on fabric. I bought it at a flea market in Jakarta, Indonesia. I have wanted one for years. It is made of copper and is a piece of art itself. Caps were created in the mid 1800's to speed up the printing process that was being done by hand with tjanting tools.
Hand-carved stamps from India. Yes, I needed all 16 of them
Stamps from Myanmar (Burma)
If you can't tell... I love bins and boxes.
Boxes for all my new beads...
I am in love with the vintage hand-made fabric scraps from Asia. Most of my collection is from the Hill Tribes. If you click on the link, you can see the full post and all of the beautiful fabrics I have collected from each place.
I plan to use the fabrics in collages and jewelry... that is if I can stand to cut them : )
Vietnamese Hill Tribes - trip two
India
I hope to have this one framed as I have it laid out. There are three separate pieces of fabric along with a traditional necklace.
We have not traveled to Afghanistan. I bought this in Bangkok.
My favorite book of the moment - Textiles of South-East Asia by Angela Thompson: I highly recommend if you are interested in Asian Fabrics/textiles.
My favorite cabinet for paper - I collaged the drawers...
And I always find lots of great paper while traveling
An old book from Vietnam...
Paper from India...
Washi paper from Japan, given to me by a friend who lived there. She is moving and was cleaning house. Lucky me!
Money envelopes from Singapore. These envelopes are commonly given out during the Chinese New Year, at weddings, and birthdays and are considered to be very auspicious gifts. Traditionally they are red, but with modern times you can get all colors and characters.
Joss Paper - oh I love joss paper. Did you know it is burned on holidays and special occasions to honor those who have passed? I am careful never to use it on cards I give to Chinese friends.
I can't forget buttons & lace!
Very unusual glass buttons from Myanmar...
Vintage from China...
Lace from India...
And misc objects I knew would be perfect for some project!
Are you wondering what I actually create with all these treasures??
Not much as I am too busy traveling and collecting!!
Jewelry...
Tags & cards...
Collages...
And I still love to create using my French and vintage ephemera, mixing in a little asian twist. My art friends are encouraging me to go larger so these were my practice attemps.
(10x 10)
(12 x 16)
I spend a lot of time altering photos in PSE using my own photos and images from my postcard collection.
I recently won Somerset Place - Stampington's Blog Up Up and Away Ephemera Challenge for this one!
When I visit a blog, I like to visit the intro page, check out where the blogger lives, and see photos of them. So I am sharing a photo of me, a self-portrait of me in my living room.
Thank you very much for visiting my studio. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win my giveaway. I also love comments so I can find and visit your creative space. I will be working my way though all of the beautiful blogs. It is so much fun to see how creative everyone is and how we all decorate our own space. And a BIG thanks to Karen Valentine @ My Desert Cottage for hosting this fun event again this year!
Click here to visit the full tour of my studio from last's year's party.
If you are interested in reading about my adventures through Asia, please visit my travel blog @ TheXtraSuitcase.com.
And for those who hung on to the end - I am sharing a very scary photo...
What my art room looks like when there are no guests!! As hard as I try to keep it clean, it looks like this after I finish a project. I think part of my problem is I never sit at my desk, I always end up on the floor. I have been like this my entire life.
Urggg what a mess! But I am guessing there are many of you out there who show a tidy, clean studio for this event... and your normal MO is like me (at least I am hoping I am not the only one out there). The hubby sweats when he has to go in for something and I never let him in the room unsupervised : ).
Admit it... your studio can look like this too - right?
Cheers - Cathy : )
My present favorite colors are determined by my favorite fabric: Shweshwe, a Three Cats branded original fabric made in South Africa by DaGama Textiles (www.dagama.co.za). Tradionally printed in browns and indigo, we can also now get it in reds, orange, pink, violet and green (a wonderful mix of pattern and color).
I use it to do applique with simple blanket stitch, patchwork, and sewing tradional South African dresses. Apart from that I do dress design, teach sewing, I crochet, paint (canvasses, fabric, walls, furniture) and love interior decorating (curtains, cushions, loose covers, anything you can sew!)
Posted by: Gerda | 07/12/2013 at 10:54 AM
Cathy,
your studio is a dream!!!! I thought I was organized but you put me to shame. My studio (when it was new and before tons of stuff later) is in Cloth Paper Scissors Winter 2011 if you get that magazine. I got it online from Zinio. My favorite colors are orangy-reds and turquoise/aquas! I do art quilting/fiber art, fused glass, jewelry and am currently obsessed with collage since I am taking an ongoing collage class. In this class we mostly make our own papers with Gelli plate monoprinting, stamping, stencils, paint, etc. sooooo much fun. If you lived in Austin, TX we would be art buddies and I'd drag you to this class because you would LOVE it. Sona
Posted by: sona nast | 07/12/2013 at 11:11 AM
what a wonderful treasure-filled studio you've got. I didn't participate this year as nothing has changed in my studio and I haven't got any new treasures to display in it - maybe next year.
My favourite colours are those of the semi precious stone fluorite (greens and purple). I still make collages but am tending to create more and more digital stuff so I love old paper ephemera that I can scan for backgrounds, as well as old photos and postcards - love your postcards, by the way
Posted by: Carol aka traveller | 07/12/2013 at 01:06 PM
Yes, my studio is usually a mess too! I'm pretty sure it is impossible to be creative and tidy at the same time!
Your stamps are fascinating. Thank you for sharing them. And thank you for stopping by my studio this morning. It was lovely to have you. : )
~Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth Johnson | 07/12/2013 at 02:59 PM
What a cute studio! And you already know how I drool over all of your goodies you have in your stash! I'm not in the blog hop this year as my studio is still in a complete state of disrepair since my shift over from mixed media to my all things wooly, lol! Right now the only things I have left to work with in my studio aside from wool, is my acrylic paints, watercolors, jewelry making supplies which of course included lots and lots of beads, especially my favorite Swarovski crystals and rivolis! :D
Hugs and have a fabulous weekend my friend,
Beth P
Posted by: Beth P | 07/12/2013 at 04:42 PM
Your studio photos always make me wish I had artistic talent! :-)
Posted by: Allison | 07/12/2013 at 04:50 PM
Okay, we're friends so I can just say it - that last pictures looks like the most fun!!! 8+)
Great post. I liked the way you told where each unusual item is from. I adore that beaded lace trim. I have never seen anything like it and it was interesting to learn about the joss paper. I didn't even know that paper had a name. You are always educating me and that is one of my favorite things about your blog.
Well done!!
Posted by: Kathy | 07/12/2013 at 07:48 PM
Hi Cathy,
Amazing pictures, your studio looks fantastic...love the last image...my studio looks like that many a day!!!!! Love your blog.
Posted by: Carmel | 07/12/2013 at 11:21 PM
I love the very last photo!! It reminds me of my own space. Very jealous of all your travels and collections - what treasures you have. Thanks for sharing xx Michelle
Posted by: Michelle | 07/13/2013 at 04:08 AM
Hello Cathy!
lovely to meet you here in the blogosphere. May I just say your collection of stamps and beads is very impressive :) I checked out your studio tour from last year and I'm loving how big it is - plus the bright pops of pink everywhere!
In answer to your question: I bought my boxes in the Netherlands...I currently live in Germany. Your Asian themed items take me back to when I lived in Singapore/Hong Kong/Indonesia in the 80s :) Beautiful!
best,
Duni
Posted by: Duni | 07/13/2013 at 07:03 AM