HANDMADE CRAFTS BY KAY FANLO

Polymer Clay is the latest craze in the arts and crafts medium. It is a craft compound that can be molded and shaped into a variety of products. This material is enjoyable to work with and is ideal for a variety of craft projects because of its fine texture and bright colors. What makes polymer clay even more special is its versatility, making it one of the most creative and profitable crafts. A small amount of initial investment can already give you a range of business possibilities as you can use polymer clay to make sculptures, beads, pendants, buttons, Christmas ornaments and more.

 

Take it from mompreneur Kay Mendoza-Fanlo. Her handmade success circles around the pretty bits and pieces she creates out of polymer clay. Her love for arts and crafts paved way for her to turn a simple hobby into a business, making custom-made products such as jewelry, decorative ornaments, party favors, giveaways and cake toppers.

Any kind of craft requires practice to become truly astute. In the Kay’s case, her practice began long before she even entered school.

 

“I have been in love with arts and crafts since I was a child,” shares Kay. “I grew up surrounded with relatives who are into different art mediums. My mom is a dressmaker and my dad is an expert in anything handmade. I grew up without any new toys to play with, so I resorted to tinkering with little wonders that were available at hand --- buttons, beads, spare fabric and strings. This, in a way, taught me to be creative and resourceful.  It kept my mind and hands busy. My mom would even take me with her when she sources out fabric, ribbons, laces, buttons and beads. When I was in high school, she would ask me to put beads on the wedding gowns she sewed and pay me P500 for each work done.  I was in college when I started earning money by selling hand-made accessories like butterfly, dragonfly and spider necklaces. Some of those were also displayed for consignment at a souvenir shop in Eden Nature Park. I continued making accessories until after I graduated from the university and landed my first job.”

 

 

“When my husband and I went to Bohol for a vacation, I took the opportunity to sell my accessories to some souvenir shops in the area, like the Bohol Bee Farm Resort. I told my husband that I would like to take a long break before looking for another job. I was curious about pottery and dreamed of making my own pots. Unfortunately, I was not able to find some of the materials I needed. And then, I bumped into polymer clays.  I discovered that with this material I could make I wanted using polymer clay. When my husband's job required us to move back to Davao, I took the bold move to completely let go of the corporate world to become a full time mom and concentrate on my craft."

 

 

"At first, my interest in clay was just a hobby, but eventually friends expressed their interest in buying the little trinkets I made. Soon, my clientele grew and that was when I decided to create my own brand, Bits to Pieces. Since then, orders just keep coming in.”

 

 

 

“My daughter is my number 1 critic. I can see that she also has the same passion for arts and crafts like I did when I was young. She always lends me a hand. It’s great that she understands my business and knows that whatever we have at home comes from hard-earned money.”

 

 

 

“Whatever your reason, starting a craft business and making it successful can demand a lot of time and effort on your part. This venture of mine turned out to be the most rewarding investment. I love what I do. It’s my passion. It feels like I'm not working at all. Not only do I get to earn from something that I love doing, I also get to enjoy quality time with my kids.”

 

 

To view more of Kay’s crafts and products, please log on to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bitstopieces. You may also contact her for orders at mobile no. 0917-310-3047.

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Story published on my newspaper column, Metro Mom.
A1, INdulge, Edge Davao, Vol. 6 Issue 214, 15 January 2014.