Hi there, My name is Cheryl but I go by the name of Chez. I have been creating dreamcatcher art since 2014 and my Madeit store is called Chez Creatrix Art.
I got the idea to create dreamcatchers using strangler vine while we were away camping. I love making good use of something that is not really good for trees. I love trees and I love being in nature so much!
I am a semi-retired Yoga Instructor and am very grateful to be able to display and sell my art via a few yoga studios in Brisbane. My dreamcatcher art is spiritual by nature and so it is received very well by this community.
I have been selling my art on Madeit for just over a year now. I chose Madeit because it is Australia based. I prefer to sell locally because I often use feathers and some delicate or awkward shapes and sizes are difficult to transport overseas. I prefer to shop locally myself.
I am a Solo Artist who works from home. My husband and I live alone and are both semi-retired and loving the freedom to create when we want. We both love being in nature and take off camping in our camper van whenever we can.
I have collected much material from Mother Nature, including vines, sticks, and anything else I find intriguing. I also use recycled jewellery and other bits and bobs in my art. My work studio is our back veranda, which is lovely and inspiring as it overlooks our garden and I can watch the bird life come and go as I work.
When it comes to weaving the web in dreamcatchers, I mostly use natural twine. I add beads and crystals and feathers as well as yarn of all kinds. I find the weaving very meditative and relaxing. I love listening to music when I create.
I receive my inspiration from nature. As a Yogini, I am quite a spiritual person and so I am moved to create from my own intuition. I often tune into astrology and whatever is happening in the cosmos. When I create commission pieces, I ask the client their birth dates and will tune into their astrology as a guide.
Inspired by nature and all the vines hanging down out of the trees, I just started weaving with the vine as if I had done it all my life! It felt so natural. I learned how to weave the web via youtube which was quite easy really. I have always enjoyed hand sewing and this is very similar.
I also create Smudge Fans and Talking Sticks out of sticks that I find on my walks. I just love the beauty of working with natural materials.
There is so much love and meaning placed in handmade items. To know that someone has created something from their own hands and hearts makes that item extra special. And most often hand made items are much more environmentally friendly and ethically sourced.
Handmade is made by people who choose to make, not those who feel they have to, and this creates a much more positive, healing energy for all. For me, weaving and creating is meditation and so gratifying.
I always ask inwardly when taking materials from nature and I only ever take what is needed. I rarely get a "No" from Mother Nature. I think she appreciates that I make such good use of her materials, and the spiritual nature of my work is used to promote healing.
Each art piece comes with a tag that lists the materials used and a little story/message about the piece too. I imbue reiki energy into my art to create peace and harmony. This is why I call it healing art.
