Plastic Seconds: March 2014

Monday

Cheeky Handmades Fab Sewing Workshop!

It has been a long held desire of mine to learn to use my sewing machine as I obviously want to become more and more able to create more things by myself from upcycled fabric, or alter and mend clothes from charity shops or make some of my own clothes! I believe we are heading towards an era when it will be a very good idea for all of us to be proficient in sewing; increasingly making our own clothes is also one of the best ways to be fabulous in an affordable, creative and caring-for-this-earth-and-this-world way. A couple of years ago I met at a marketing workshop the amazing Jennie Caminada of Cheeky Handmades and since then I had the intention to learn with her. About a month ago this intention finally manifested and I attended one of her sewing workshops, during which I learned both to use my lovely sewing machine and make a cushion cover! We also did this in a 'new economy' kind of way, in that I created for her a special Plastic Seconds one-off collection in exchange for the teaching I received, which was beautiful! Below are some pics of the pieces I made for her and the super funky and friendly workshop space in Jennie's house. I really enjoyed the atmosphere in this space, but Jennie is passionate about sewing and delivers great classes and she is now trying to raise funds to create a larger beautiful studio / teaching space in her garden. This studio will help Jennie make more classes available to more people, but she also intends to turn it into a local community space by allowing other local businesses and teachers to use it when she is not using it. You can read more about the project in this Cheeky Handmades newsletter. Here is her Indigogo fundraising page if you would like to share or help this super cool potential workshop space come alive!

Check out Jennie's super cute colourful sewing machines!

My first cuhion cover! SO happy with it!

Jennie wearing one of the bespoke Plastic Seconds necklaces I created for her

Plastic Seconds 'Shamaness' shoot illustrated for Cent Magazine

I recently collaborated with the lovely photographer Nyla Sammons and make-up artist Babs Forman to create an experimental fashion shoot to which I gave the title 'Shamaness'. I have been meaning for sometime now to start exploring more the territory of styling and photography and there will be more work of this nature to show in the near future :-) I styled this shoot with Plastic Seconds jewellery and one-off props and backgrounds I created. I focused on the theme of an imaginary female Shamaness wanting to emphasise the need for the awakening of the feminine in our world. Having read quite a bit on Shamanism recently, I am feeling excited about the ways in which this ancient wisdom can be used in our contemporary lives to enrich them and to improve our relationship with ourselves and our planet. I was subsequently asked by Cent Magazine to create illustrations with my illustrating alter ego Slowly The Eggs to accompany this shoot - the result followed the magazine's JUXTAPOSED theme for November and you can see it published here!

'Shamaness'
Illustrated by Slowly The Eggs
Photography: Nyla Sammons Photography
Styling/Set Design/Props: Maria Papadimitriou designer of Plastic Seconds
Jewellery: Plastic Seconds
Make Up: Babs Forman Hair & Make Up Artist
Model: Hannah Pressman