Just bead it!

It all started with a bag that Cynthia, as a young mother and wife, loved and bought at first sight in Rustan’s way back in the late ’60s. It was imported from Italy, dainty, round and fully made of clear, white beads. Unfortunately, as time passed the bag that she so loved was inadvertently lost and to this day has not been found. She never again came across anything that closely resembled that.

Years later with both her daughters fully grown up, Cynthia has found time to touch base with her creative side. Apart from cooking and baking, which she does so well, she toyed with the idea of trying to replicate the bag that she lost. And by a rub of serendipity she happened to know someone who could supply her with beads in a variety of colors. And so the inspired process began.

For days – even weeks – on end she experimented with beads, silver and gold thread. When she figured out the bag’s basic structure she moved on to an interplay of color and design. Many a time she would be halfway through one piece, be unsatisfied, and with nary a second thought dismantle the whole thing – not stopping until she got every detail down pat, just as she imagined it to be. What amazes me is that she did not join any class to learn techniques or designs; her skill is something that she developed and honed on her own.

The first time I saw her creation we were in, of all places, a hospital visiting someone. To while the time away, she brought with her all her materials. The colors looked so pretty it was impossible not to be attracted to them. Another reason I was so taken with the bags was that back when I was still in college, I saw in an antique chest in my Lola Carmen’s house a carnation pink-beaded bag that was so pretty in an old-fashioned sort of way. It was one of those bags that looked like the ones our grandma would use to nice parties in the ’40s, back when dressing up really meant the works. Sadly, the thread that held the pink beads together had already snapped and there was absolutely no way I could redeem it. Being a rat pack, I settled for just keeping all the loose beads and I still have them in a drawer in my old room in Cebu.

Incidentally that day, Cynthia was using a bag that she had already finished. It reminded me so much of my lola’s bag that right then and there, I asked her to make some for me. If I remember correctly, the first one I ordered was a shade of blue, that being my favorite color. Then I had several more made in shades of purple and pink. Some of her bags are solid in color, others have dainty flower designs, others have flowers accented with tiny faux pearls. Just recently, she came up with bolder colors in stripes and the original rectangular shape has morphed into either bigger, longer, or more elongated ones – whatever your preference is.

The problem with this bag, in my experience at least, is that I never have it long enough to actually say I own it. More than just a few times I end up giving it away to a friend or relative I see at a function who falls in love with it at first sight. Strangers have also come up to me to ask where I got them. They do make very pretty gifts. And more importantly, you can specify the colors you want to suit you or the person you want to give it to. They come in most colors except black. You see, the beads are dyed and somehow the black one has a tendency to run and fade – staining the lining, your clothing or your hands.

I always keep a couple of extras at home because I like giving them to other friends when we travel abroad. They absolutely love it and they jump on it because something like that would definitely cost much, much more at leading department stores there. In fact, they sell so well in the States that someone steadily gets a supply from her and just sells it from her house to friends. And the supply never lasts long enough to make the rounds – they’re sold long before the jet lag is over.

Just recently, I asked her to make a miniature version so Juliana and I could have matching bags. She made a white one for us with candy-colored stripes of pink, yellow, and blue – perfect for summer. She even made us belts to match! The belts look nice with jeans. (If you’re interested, call Cynthia can be reached at 0916-311-5900.)

As I mentioned earlier, she also bakes and her pastries are wonderful. Favorites in our home are her oatmeal cookies (no-fuss cookies that really comfort and remind you of home), biscotti (good with coffee), and apple cranberry strudle. Oh, and if you like baklava you should try her version. It‘s yummy as yummy can get and not too sweet. The best thing about it is that her pastries are guaranteed fresh because they are made to order only.