Back In Cebu! There's Crochet, Of Course!

Halloooooo, Cebu!

This "font string" was made with a chain and slip stitches on both sides of the chain to make it thick

I was in Cebu with friends this past weekend to celebrate the marriage of our friends, Charles and Grace.

Their reception was held in an islet in Maribago Bluewater Resort. We were transported by this big raft to get to this place. The venue was a reflection of this couple's quirky and creative personalities. The tables were adorned by painted flowers and salt rocks! Don't even ask how we figured out if these were indeed salt rocks - it was a toss up between salt or allum ("tawas" in Tagalog). See the neon lights by the shore forming CBGB? That's the couple's initials! I love it! It's like fate! CBGB was this rad music club in New York City that featured a lot of punk institutions like the Ramones and Patti Smith when they were still starting. It fits the couple's good taste in music :p

We "took advantage" of this time in Cebu to get some break. It was my first time to stay in Mactan.

Of course, what would a vacation be without crochet?!?

Even in the airport, I had crochet in mind! The picture on the left shows my relief when my aluminum Hamanaka crochet hook got through the final security check for our flight to Cebu. The one on the right is me crocheting while waiting for our flight back to Manila. I am working on a chevron afghan right now. I'm super excited to show the finished product soon!

Before leaving Cebu, I visited ANTHILL Fabric Gallery. ANTHILL is a creative social enterprise and a lifestyle store. They showcase indigenous fabrics from all over the Philippines and Asia. There's also something brewing between Gantsilyo Guru and ANTHILL :) Watch out for this!

Check out my other crochet adventures in Moalboal (Cebu) and Bohol.

They Got Hitched With A Crocheted Bouquet & Boutonnieres!

I don't even need to describe how wonderful these pictures are! The groom is Adrian and the bride is Rose. I am blessed to be part of their special day through the work I do. This project for me is one for the books.

I would like to thank Adrian and Rose and Paul Vincent Photography for allowing me to post these beautiful pictures.

The bride, Rose.

So far, I've thought of three advantages to having a crocheted bouquet. It doesn't wilt, therefore it will always look like that, and as the bride you will have that as a keepsake to remind you of that special day. You can apply your own scent to it. And it will never give you any allergic reaction. Oh, there's a fourth! It can be a good accent to your home! Won't it look lovely on a vase?!?

The groom, Adrian. And his posse. Adrian is wearing his crocheted boutonniere here. Of course, his is different from the male entourage.

The male entourage and their crocheted boutonnieres. Check out the boutonnieres up close here.

Rose on her way down the aisle. She is wearing a Veluz creation.

The bouquet's so pretty Adrian wanted to hold it (just kidding). Love the lighting background!

Cheers, Rose and Adrian!!! 

See the bouquet up close here.

Photo Credits:

Paul Vincent Photography

Website: http://paulvincentphoto.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/paulvincentphotographyphilippines

Crocheted Bouquet Is Here!!!

A lovely bride just held this while walking down the aisle this afternoon.

I was asked more or less 2 months before the wedding day to take on this challenge. I think it was a brave move for the couple to have their boutonnieres and bridal bouquet crocheted. I even think it's the first time a bride will be holding a full crocheted bouquet in the Philippines :p I'm glad they liked it. Good thing about this bouquet is, it won't wither!

The idea of crocheting a bridal bouquet was unfathomable for me. I mean, it's not just some crocheted bouquet. It's the bride's. It's that bouquet she will be holding when everyone's attention is focused on her while walking down the aisle.

I was asked to use coral-toned colors - in line with the wedding's theme. I also added pops of other colors to make it more "alive." I didn't shy away from crocheting different kinds of flowers. I think the variety added character to the bouquet.

Did you know that the biggest challenge in making this bouquet is not the crocheting? It's actually the assembly. I'm not a florist or floral designer (if there is such a term) so I had no idea how bouquets are put together. I didn't know how some of those bridal bouquets achieved that seemingly round shape. But I took the challenge one at a time. I did research and consulted experienced florists. In the end, it all worked out. The holder of the bouquet is even crocheted. Can you see it?

I couldn't make it to the wedding, unfortunately. I'm really looking forward to the official wedding pictures!

Now I'm wondering what my next crochet challenge will be :p I think by now I can say, I'm up for anything!

See my work in progress for the bouquet here.

To Crochet A Bridal Bouquet: Check!

I just turned over the bridal bouquet and boutonnieres for a lovely couple's wedding. Just like my previous wedding projects, I will only get to reveal the finished product (the bouquet) after the wedding on the 1st week of May. Here's what I can show you though :)

Turning over a project can be bittersweet. While you are able to put a smile on your client's face, you are also letting go. I am always thankful I am given opportunities like this one to work with and for people who appreciate what I can do and have faith in what I can deliver. It's been a year of firsts for me in crochet. I am looking forward to many more. 

Check out the bouquet when I was still starting to make it here.

Official Crocheted Arrhae Pouch Pictures!

It always looks better when the official wedding photographer is the one taking the pictures :) These pictures were shared to me by the bride and being shown here with permission from her. The pouch on the right is the one I crocheted. Photography by Jaja Samaniego and pillows by Handmade Goodness.

Photography by Jaja Samaniego and pillows by Handmade Goodness

I love the color contrast between the brown pillow and the crocheted arrhae pouch. Looks so organic!

Photography by Jaja Samaniego and pillows by Handmade Goodness

Get a closer look of the crocheted pouch here.

Boutonnieres Galore!!!

Just finished crocheting these boutonnieres for the entire male entourage of a coming wedding! See the leaves I featured in my previous post?!

The crocheted bridal bouquet will be revealed after the wedding! I'm super excited to share it but I have to hold myself back from doing so because the bride deserves to see it first :)

I also made a special boutonniere for the groom. Just like the bride's bouquet, it will be revealed after the wedding :)

Sometimes, Crochet Is Not Enough

Even if you think you used the right crochet hook with the type of thread that you have or even if you are confident enough with your crocheting skills, sometimes they just end up like these. These are crocheted leaves for boutonnieres for the male entourage of a wedding of a client (same client for the crocheted flower bouquet I am working on). The curling would have been ok if I was going for the "fallen leaves" kind of look. I want them sturdy and flat enough to be worn.

Thank you, secret substance.

Well, it's no secret really...it's just starch :)

Cannot wait to show you the finished boutonnieres soon!

Wish Granted! Finally Making A Crocheted Bouquet!

I've had so many firsts in my crochet career these past few months. Just these last few weeks though, I had crochet firsts in weddings: a crocheted bride & groom cake topper and a crocheted arrhae pouch.

Last December, I debuted my first sample crocheted bouquet. I've been wanting to make a full-blown and legit one for a bride.

Jut this month, I got commissioned to crochet one! I am super excited for this project. I like how my crocheting skills are being challenged by each client. I am grateful for the opportunity to show how great this craft is. I am grateful as well for the trust being given to me to make projects that become part of one's special day.

Here are my initial pieces for the bouquet. I'm feeling really good about the outcome. This is probably only 15% of the entire bouquet. I am itching to finish this already. It's a lot of hard work but it will be worth it :)

One good thing about having a crocheted bouquet is that it won't wither! You can even add your own scent to it because it's made of fiber. I also got commissioned to crochet boutonnieres for the male entourage and for the groom. This wedding will be a crochet showcase!

Of course, I can only reveal the completed one after the wedding on the 1st week of May. I cannot wait!

The Big Reveal 2: Crocheted Arrhae Pouch

Last weekend, my good friends Pao and Chat got married. When I found out about their engagement before, I told Chat to think about what I can crochet for their wedding. I declined when she asked me to crochet her wedding dress :p Just kidding, she didn't ask me to do that (even if she did, I would still refuse to crochet one - it's too hardcore).

She asked me to crochet an arrhae pouch. What a brilliant idea!

And here it is!

This is a vintage pattern. Unfortunately, I cannot name the exact source of the pattern because I was only shown the picture :) I've seen this design in a vintage magazine once.

I will be posting pics of this pouch during the wedding once I get them :) I want to thank my mom for making the lining and sewing it to the pouch.

I can't wait to see the official photos! This was placed on a burlap pillow. I love how the burlap provided a good contrast to the white pouch. It looked so organic and eco-chic! :)

It's On A Cake!

Here's proof that they look even more amazing on a cake (clap clap clap)!

I wanted to cry when I saw it on the cake! It's like seeing your own baby after giving birth (although I wouldn't really know exactly how that feels).

I was so relieved to see that the size of my dolls and wooden base fit the cake. I was given the dimensions but it was only during the reception that I saw the cake. Glorious! It was fitting to have a "grand" cake topper because the cake was simple. Suffice to say, the cake topper was the "main attraction."

I was so giddy I forgot to take a pic of the newlyweds, Gino and Tin, with the cake....and with me! Tsk. Another documentation fail! But the pic above is my closest pic with them and the cake (yep, they're the ones on the screen behind the cake). They're a lovely and stylish couple!

The theme of their wedding is travel. Check out the awesome reception.

The proud crocheter and her creation. Parting is such sweet sorrow! I will miss these dolls!

Wow, I didn't realize I had messy hair. Oh well :p

If you are interested to have your own customized wedding cake topper, let me know! Just message me at my Facebook Page or send me an email at gantsilyoguru@gmail.com.

Go to this link to see how these dolls looked like when I was working on them.

The Big Reveal 1: Amigurumi Cake Topper

So here it is, the Amigurumi cake topper I made for a lovely couple for their wedding day.

I customized the cake topper to resemble the bride and groom's attire. Even the bride's hair color and style is patterned after the bride's :) There are also details like the addition of studs to the gown.

The pieces of luggage symbolize the theme of the wedding: travel! The couple will go on a European honeymoon!

Watch out for the next big reveal of this crocheted cake topper on the actual cake and in the reception! The wedding just took place yesterday :) It looked even more amazing!

Gantsilyo Guru Weddings

I cannot wait to show everyone my latest creations for weddings! One is an Amigurumi version of the bride and groom as a cake topper. The other is an arrhae pouch. I did them for two different couples to be wed within the next two weeks. Since I can only reveal them after the weddings, here are my teasers.

Here's the arrhae pouch.

Here's the other half of the cake topper.

Check out my work in progress for this cake topper last January here.

Wedding Project 1: Cake Topper (WIP)

WIP means "Work In Progress," by the way :p

This year (so far), I am fortunate to have my crochet be part of 2 weddings. Both of them will be in March, but both of them are 2 different crochet projects. One is a crocheted pouch for the arrhae and the other is a crocheted cake topper.

The latter is not just any crocheted cake topper. It is an amigurumi version of the (soon-to-be) married couple! This is highly customized: from the hair to the gown and suit and tie. It'll be (I hope) like a mini-me of the couple on their wedding day!

This is a picture of my WIP last week. It's a cacophony of strings and body parts. From this pic, you kind of doubt if it will look like people :p

This is my WIP a day after I took the pic above. See the difference? Ain't it making sense now?!?

And yes, I gave my bride some dignity by giving her underwear :p The bride even has knees (even if it will eventually be covered by the long gown)! As of this afternoon, I'm already done crocheting the bride's dress and styling the hair on her head. The hair took me almost a day to style. I was following a specific style (imagine me looking at a picture of Maja Salvador, say, every 5 minutes). 

The cake topper will be around 8 inches tall. Watch out for the big reveal next month!