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Learning silversmithing and leather crafting at Soul Flower
The hominess of the recently opened Studio 925 in Maginhawa street, Teacher’s Village in Quezon City is made possible by the adorable and quirky items that surround it: a batch of gold-painted dinosaurs on the tools table, a picture of Totoro on the bathroom wall, a friend’s photos on the wall, a champagne bottle that the owners opened on the night the studio opened.
This place was built by Soul Flower, a small company set up by friends Janina Arias and Pat Peralta.
Both Janina and Pat would most probably cringe if I say that this is success story. The studio has been around for just a few months, after all. But with the passion and dedication that I’ve seen through the years—from a small stall to their very own studio—I’m certain that they’re very well on their way to it. This is their story.
From stall to studio
Soul Flower started out consigning handmade accessories to an antique jewelry shop and as a humble stall in a Taguig mall in 2010. This is when they started participating in bazaars, and selling their handmade creations on the now-defunct Multiply.
The business steadily grew, with the pair creating more unique designs as they went along. Janina even went to Kuala Lumpur and studied silversmithing there for a month. Now, they have started on their biggest venture yet: Studio 925, a space that offers classes and workshops.
Janina and Pat are no strangers to the trade, as their families are in the same line of business.
Janina grew up in a family of jewelry designers and antique jewelry historians. Her great-great-grandfather was one of the fist goldsmiths in Talisay, Batangas, making her the sixth generation jewelry maker in the family. Her uncle Ramon Villegas wrote Kayamanan: The Philippine Jewelry Tradition—the first and only published book on traditional Philippine jewelry design.
Pat, on the other hand, grew up in her mother’s pawnshop. “One of the first things I learned as a child was how to test and valuate gold,” she said.
Workshops at Studio 928
The studio is an 18-square meter room that serves as Soul Flower’s space for leather crafting, silversmithing, and jewelry-making classes.
“We have a small corner for Soul Flower items, but we focus on selling our items on our website and bazaars,” Janina said.
“Silversmithing is bending, forming and shaping silver to create anything you can imagine. It requires the skilled use of hand tools with help from some equipment. We use different types of hammers, hence the word 'smith,' which means 'to strike',” Janina explained.
A silversmithing class in Studio 925 is an intensive, one-on-one session. First, you learn about the basics (equipment, tools, technique), and then you are gradually taught more advanced techniques. In every session, the student will take home the jewelry that they made. The third and final silversmithing level will produce three items: two hammered rings and a twisted silver wire with a stone in a bezel setting.
When asked why they decided to go with a one-on-one session, Janina said: “I just want to give my full attention. That way, I can also easily track their progress.”
The studio’s clientele ranges from teens to men/women in their 30s. They’ve also been recently getting some romantic motives: a couple wanted to make their own engagement rings, while a guy decided to make a ring for his girlfriend.
Their leather crafting class, on the other hand, takes participants where they can actually get their materials. The participant will learn to make three leather cuffs and a hand-stitched pouch, as well as take a trip to Marikina where they will learn about tools and leather.
“Leather crafting is basically using hand tools to turn leather into objects such as bags, wallets, belts, and sometimes even art,” Pat said.
Small businesses in Manila
There is really no better time to see small companies really get out there and showcase their work. The big local bazaars are still around, but the small, well-curated weekend markets continue to thrive, too.
Now, with Studio 925 in full swing and Christmas just around the corner, these two friends make sure that they have their tasks in place: Pat facilitates the leather crafting workshops, while Janina teaches silversmithing. For the shop, which can be found online and occasionally in weekend markets, Pat handles production and Janina takes care of design.
For this duo, it’s obvious that is not just about selling. It’s about devotion to what you do, and learning how to do it properly. They, and the other creative people who they’ve welcomed in their studio, continue to explore and spread creativity, one workshop at a time. — BM, GMA News
