ring holders
An engagement tray designed to hold rings at the ceremony for #GPuthARingOnP
Images of the custom pieces created for this commission
I was thrilled when by best friend asked me to make a platter to hold the rings at her engagement ceremony! We've known each other for almost 16 years now and I wanted to make this into something that she and her husband could always cherish. So I decided to make several elements that could be used as trinket holders and keepsakes for a lifetime!
Images from the process - conceptualisation, cement casting and colour testing
She trusted me for having the perfect idea and gave me full creative freedom on the entire thing.
I started with rough sketches of the pieces I wanted to make for this composition, finalising on
- 2 variations of centrepieces (that could be used as keepsakes later),
- 4 trinket holders (2 backups, just to be safe for last minute surprises), and
- 2 tiny holders with more defined grooves to hold the rings upright.
For the shapes I drew inspiration from their custom logo they provided me with. The colour palette was a no brainer, I used her favourites - lavender, aqua and her forever choice baby pink! Yes, they were also the theme for this ceremony, I checked!
Image featuring a close up of the details
I chose cement casting as my method majorly and epoxy clay sculpting, to match my intention of long term durability of the objects while carrying a handmade touch. I used a bunch of readymade and handcrafted moulds to make the forms.
I wanted a soft matte look so a mix of wall and chalk paint did the trick beautifully. Initially, I added the colours into the cement mix but realised they didn't quite pop as much, so I followed up with 2 good coats of paint once the pieces were fully cured.
To add whimsy I incorporated a mix of soft pastel stones and mica flakes while casting the cement mix. I added flower embellishments in opaque pastels, layered on wire stems around the rims of the trinket dishes for an elevated look.
I wanted to feature their logo onto the centre pieces with subtlety, so I got a rubber stamp made and used light gold ink for stamping.
Images : brass and wooden trays for trials
For the base I sourced an oval wooden tray, added lace trims and pearls securing with a nylon ribbon. To balance the boldness of trinket holders I used rose petals. Instead of a uniform pink colour, I realised gradient pink and cream petals worked better.
Image of the tray in action on the day
The final look matched their theme in an instant and they absolutely loved it!
This has been one of my favourite projects, one that will always remain close to my heart! #GPuthARingOnP
