The self-taught ceramist

WHEN Yogini Prabhu discovered she was pregnant while working at the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Ministry of Housing, she decided to quit as a public servant and embark on her favourite pastime of making craft; a childhood dream.

She wanted to embrace motherhood as a stay-at-home mom, and she then had the time, unlike before, to let her creativity take control. It was then she mastered the art of polymer clay baking, and started to create unique pieces in the form of earrings, personalised décor and portraits.

Parbhu told the Pepperpot Magazine that while pregnant she had some time and she was browsing through Pinterest and saw some pieces made from polymer clay, and it piqued her interest enough to do some research.

The mother of one related that growing up, she always liked craft, and did a bit of sewing but was new to the world of ceramics using polymer clay, so she invested three months after buying some materials sourced from overseas to begin her new craft journey as a ceramist.

She explained that the baking aspect of making jewels, personalised décor and portraits had to be just right, and she got herself a toaster oven specially for that purpose.

Parbhu added that after extensive research of polymer clay, she began experimenting and made some handmade jewels, earrings and it turned out well. She was even surprised at the outcome. That motivated her even more to experiment with more intricate, time-consuming process.

Parbhu also invested time to hone her craft by looking at YouTube videos and tutorials before she even embarked on her business venture. She recalled her first try was some earrings, and it came out very well. Today, she still wears them, and the pair is one of her signature pieces and a reminder of what can be achieved if you put your all into it.

Parbhu always loved Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects at home, and made quite a bit of every little thing to brighten up her environment. She also began combining clay and canvas to make 3D personalised effects of wall décor.

She related that her craft journey has been challenging yet rewarding, because she is amazed at what she can achieve when she sees the final product of her polymer clay pieces.

Parbhu stated that all her materials are sourced overseas, and that adds up with shipping, but she believes that prices are still reasonable.

“I spend a lot of time with polymer clay and handmade earrings and whatever else as an experimental process to see what I can do, and after mastering the baking process, I realised there is so much I can do with polymer clay which is very durable,” she explained.

This year, she will be making a few personalised ornaments, since it was a sell-out last year at this time. The response for Prabhu’s polymer clay products has been excellent, and she has repeat customers who purchase her products.

Prabhu established her small business one-and-a-half years ago, and today it is growing. She still works from home but rents a shelf at Collage, which is located at 50 Section 1, Sheriff Street, Georgetown where her products are displayed and sold.

She would restock the shelf when needed, and drop off orders for pick-up and it has been going well so far rather than having a store at her own home.

Prabhu is from Wallers Delight, West Coast Demerara, and her brand is Handcrafted by Yogini, which are some unique, beautiful pieces that will last a lifetime with proper care, since her earrings are one-of-a-kind and gold-plated.