Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 13: Bantam Ballad Custom Dreamcatcher

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When a chirpy young girl sent me a bubbly email and had so many nice things to say about my humble little store here at Starlight Dreamer, I was like,


Now I'm a sucker for flattery and snapped up her custom order with super enthusiasm (as I do with all orders, promise!). She had seen my previous custom project for Loverboy and now wanted a custom dreamcatcher pendant as a treat for herself.


She specifically said that she loved candy colors, and she loved the suggestion of utilizing a rainbow sour tape candy color palette.

Macarons at La Belle Miette, Melbourne

"Basically I really like sweet and candy colours. Like colours of macaroons, just seeing them make soooo happy!"

She claims to have a "weird obsession with birds" and chose a swallow pewter charm. Which made her dreamcatcher look quite a bit like the earlier Technicolor Sunburst dreamcatcher earring at this point! I suggested she take a peek at it and she loved it, but wanted to tweak the feathers as the "polka dots" on the guinea pearl feathers were not quite her style.

She wanted the feathers to be fluffy, and mentioned that she had a (7-year-old!) pet rooster, "the cutest thing ever", to match her affinity for the feathered critters. And bam, just like that, the perfect decision to use cruelty-free-guaranteed rooster feathers (imported from the States!) was made.

To the charming young lady in question, thank you dear! Hope you love your dreamcatcher, and that you enjoyed having such a big part in making it yourself! You were an absolute doll to work with and it was lovely to meet you! Now you can feel like you have your sweet rooster with you everywhere you go! ;)

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Tags: buy, dreamcatcher, Malaysia, feathers, dreamcatcher necklace, dreamcatcher car accessories, handmade, dreamcatcher earring

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 12: Hey Sugar Custom Dreamcatcher


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So let me tell you a story. 

A very sweet boyfriend contacted me wanting to get something special for his girl's birthday. He didn't have a clue what dreamcatchers were exactly, but they were pretty, and girls seemed to like them quite a bit. He wanted something unique for his girlfriend on her special day, and dreamcatchers seemed interesting.

When I asked him to tell me a little about her, he was so shy! After some coaxing though, he described her favorite colors as "pink and purple... she likes happy colors".

He requested no feathers, but chose a pewter snowflake charm as an embellishment. When prodded for the reason why he chose a snowflake, he shared that he took her for shaved ice on their first date. "She likes sweet stuff," he says. "And did you know that every snowflake is unique? Each one is special. Just like... her."

Isn't that the cutest thing ever! I just had to help this guy out. 

Her dreamcatcher features bright bubblegum colors in a sunburst pattern to match her equally sweet, cheerful personality. The snowflake charm he chose for her is hand-sewn to the hoop in her favorite color.

As for the guy who put so much thought into her birthday gift, it was fun working with you! Hope your girl loves her dreamcatcher made especially for her - by you!

I was given permission to share their adorable tale, on the condition their names are withheld. Like I said, he's pretty shy. ;)

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Tags: buy, dreamcatcher, Malaysia, feathers, dreamcatcher necklace, dreamcatcher car accessories, handmade, dreamcatcher earring

Blogshop Reblog: Ep. 11: Chelicera Dreamcatcher Earring


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RM22.00
Hoop Diameter: 5cm
Wrapping: Faux leather; Black
Feathers: Natural Pearl, Dyed Red; Single tail
Weaving: Dewdrop beaded spiderweb; Silver seed beads
Orientation: Suitable for either ear
Sold singly.


Chelicera is the science-y name for a spider's fangs. 

Having watched the new Spiderman reboot starring Andrew Garfield, I was inspired to take on a more nerdy name for this piece. :B 

I walked into the cinema feeling skeptical: "Has Hollywood run out of ideas so bad that they have to resort to remakes?" But exited pleasantly surprised that the new Spiderman was a lot more charismatic than Tobey Maguire's. So give it a go!

But this isn't a movie review, so back to the Chelicera earring! The original dreamcatcher legends mention that the dreamcatcher's appearance pays homage to a spider's web, but we'll save the details of that story for another day. 

The weaves that I had seen so far were mesmerizing and intricate, but did not really resemble true spiderwebs. Then I saw this piece from dreamcatcher.com and realized weaving a spiderweb dreamcatcher was not impossible.

Lots of tangled cord and a couple of tantrums later, I finally found a spiderweb dreamcatcher weave I was happy with.

Natural science isn't my strongest point; I know about only two species of spider in total by name: the Black Widow, and the Tarantula. Tarantulas, in my eyes, were large and hairy and not altogether very appealing, but Black Widows have a sexy superhero ambassador of sorts in the form of The Avengers' Natasha Romanoff. 

Chelicera's colors are inspired by the infamous femme fatale spider, sporting black wrapping and weave, with just a touch of red in the single feather tail, for its muse's signature red hourglass mark on her underbelly. Wear it on days you're feeling just a little dangerous. 

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Tags: buy, dreamcatcher, Malaysia, feathers, dreamcatcher necklace, dreamcatcher car accessories, handmade, dreamcatcher earring, spiderweb dreamcatcher

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 10: Technicolor Sunburst Dreamcatcher Earring


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RM22.00
Hoop Diameter: 5cm
Wrapping: Faux leather; Blue
Feathers: Natural Pearl; Single tail
Weaving: Fully beaded sunburst; Rainbow palette seed beads
Charms: Swallow bird [x1]; Pewter; Attached to weave 
(Want a different charm? Contact us) 
Orientation: Suitable for either ear
Sold singly.


Turn heads with this summery accessory! With a diving swallow set against a kaleidoscope sky, this earring invokes a carefree agenda, fun in the sun and a bag of Skittles. The single tail of super fluffy natural pearl feathers complete this brilliant eye-catcher.

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Tags: buy, dreamcatcher, Malaysia, feathers, dreamcatcher necklace, dreamcatcher car accessories, handmade, dreamcatcher earring, rainbow

Friday, July 13, 2012

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 9: Feather Ear Cuff


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 RM39.00
Cuff base: Silver-plated coiled wire; Adjustable
Feathers: 4-6 inch; grizzly brown [x6] 
4-6 inch; dyed light blue [x5]
5-inch peacock eye [x1]
Style: Shoulder duster
Which ear: Right/Left (please specify in order)
Sold singly


"Bondi" is an Aboriginal word meaning "the sound of waves crashing against the rocks". The blue-green feathers lying amongst the sand-toned ones conjure up images of this ear cuff's popular namesake beach in Australia.


This one is a personal favorite, made while feeling wistful thinking of treasured friends over in the Land Down Under. 


And while also hankering for an extra-long, shoulder-dusting, super fluffy feather ear cuff. ;)

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Special thanks to my friend (who is entirely made of awesome) for making time for this casual shoot over coffee and being so amazingly supportive!  ♥ 

Photo credits to Le Little Bro. 

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Each feather is sewn to the cuff base with sturdy nylon cord, which is then seared securely into place.

To maintain the shape of your feathers, only hold the cuff base when wearing and taking off the ear cuff. To wear, pinch both ends of the cuff. Loop the top part over your ear first. Hold it in place and adjust the flexible wire base until it secures comfortably against the back of your earlobe. To remove, simply pinch both ends and lift the cuff off your ear gently.

And voila! You're ready to take on the town and turn some heads!

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 8 - Feather Wing Ear Cuff


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 RM33.00
Cuff base: Silver-plated coiled wire; Adjustable
Feathers: 4-inch; Rainbow animal print [x9]
Style: Wing
Which ear: Right/Left (please specify in order)
Sold singly


This style of ear cuffs features the feathers arranged to resemble the wings of a bird, fanned out around your ear - very much like elaborate Valkyrie headgear (rather than the conventional ones that fall down to your shoulders).


First spotted this pink beauty at Topshop.com, but a few scouts around Topshop outlets in Malaysia only resulted in disappointment that the Malaysian outlets did not stock it, at least not the same time as it was available on the website. After some time the same item was discovered at Diva, but condition of their stocks on the shelf (perhaps molested one too many times by the curious window shopper?) foiled my purchase attempts once again.

After a period of yearning, I might have gotten over this obsession had I not seen this picture of gorgeous French blogger Betty looking absolutely lovely wearing her pair. 


It was then and there I put my foot down and I could stand it no longer! I would not allow the universe to bully me into not owning my very own feather wing ear cuff! So I got down to work and managed to source some fierce (albeit rainbow-hued) animal print feathers, and attached them to an adjustable base. Take that, universe.

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Special thanks to my friend (who is entirely made of awesome) for making time for this casual shoot over coffee and being so amazingly supportive!  ♥ 

Photo credits to Le Little Bro. 

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Each feather is sewn to the cuff base with sturdy nylon cord, which is then seared securely into place. The feathers are kept in place with a craft adhesive to hold their fanned-out shape.

To maintain the shape of your feathers, only hold the cuff base when wearing and taking off the ear cuff. To wear, pinch both ends of the cuff. Loop the top part over your ear first. Hold it in place and adjust the flexible wire base until it secures comfortably against the back of your earlobe. To remove, simply pinch both ends and lift the cuff off your ear gently.

And voila! You're ready to take on the town and turn some heads!

Blogshop Reblog Ep. 7 - Padme Dreamcatcher

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RM39.00
Hoop Diameter: 7cm
Wrapping: Faux leather; Purple
Feathers: 4-inch; Pastel pink floral print [x3]
3.5-inch; Pastel black sakura print [x2]
Weaving: Fully beaded; Metallic hot pink, silver, gold seed beads



For this reason, the lotus flower is associated with purity in many cultures in the East.  It is also the national flower of India and Vietnam. The eight-petaled lotus seen in mandalas (symbolic geometric patterns often used as an object of focus to aid meditation) means cosmic harmony.

पद्मे (padma) means "lotus" in Sanskrit or Tibetan.

This dreamcatcher is a personal one, named after a dear friend who is away pursuing her studies. Inspired by its diva namesake, the Padme dreamcatcher sports bold colors in its beaded weave, but subdued pastel shades in the printed feathers, representing a more vulnerable and feminine side. 

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This dreamcatcher can be a pendant for a long necklace, a rearview mirror mobile for your car, or hung up on your wall or window. Simply attach to a chain necklace, cord, or tie to a little suction cup, and you're ready to rock your dreamcatcher - any way you like!


Tags: buy, dreamcatcher, Malaysia, feathers, dreamcatcher necklace, dreamcatcher car accessories, handmade