After almost 30 years of craft making, artisan Cheryl Sawh has become quite the expert in her field. Though her handiwork extends to jewelry, pen holders, belts among other things, Cheryl is most known for her creative handbags and purses.
After the birth of her first son, Cheryl, who is fondly called ‘Sherry’ chose to be a stay-at-home mom. She spent a lot of time browsing home magazines, always eyeing all the creative pieces until she saw something she loved so much, she decided to make it. “My first try was covering a photo frame with no directions to follow. So I got the necessary materials and I got down to work looking at the picture as my guide. I did it and it was just as lovely as in the magazine. I realised that my hands are gifted,” recalled Sherry. That was the first of many artistic pieces to follow.
That led to her collecting twigs, dried flowers and silk to or basically anything along the roadside that looked like it could be recycled, to begin making florals. Her floral creations were a bit hit with friends and family who placed orders.
This could not have worked out any better for the stay-at-home mom who realized that she need not leave the house to get her business going. It was perfect in fact, Sherry said as she recalled setting up a table in the corner of her house with all her beautiful florals and other crafts. Her friends told their friends and so on and before she knew it, she had built her own clientele.
Business was so great that word reached the then president of the Arts and Crafts Association, Austin Chung. The two met and Sherry subsequently joined the association. “It was a great move because I was blessed to own one of the craft shops situated outside of the General Post Office (GPO),” said the craftswoman. For the artist, this was by no means a coincidence, as there was only one remaining craft shop which she truly believed was waiting for her. Her business is called Crafty Expressions.
After her business kicked off, Sherry realized that making florals was a seasonal thing and that she needed to provide other pieces if she were to remain afloat.
A visit to Crafty Expressions outside the GPO today would reveal a neatly decked out array of items. Aside from those mentioned prior, Sherry also has at her shop, fridge magnets, key rings, wreaths, dream catchers, jewelry boxes, wallets, slippers, calabash bowls, and colourful headdresses made from macaw feathers. She also sells other art pieces created by local artists.
When The Scene stopped by her shop, Sherry was making a belt from anaconda skin. The skin had holes punched along the sides through which she weaved leather. It was a piece that had been ordered.
According to the artisan, when she first opened her shop, all of her bags were made by other local artists, but she thought if she could learn to make a picture frame and florals, she could certainly make her own handbags, which is what she specializes in today. She further explained that the majority of the bags she sold were of similar designs and she wanted to have available more one-of-a-kind pieces. Today Sherry’s bags are certainly distinct in design. Despite being the most challenging thing to learn, it turned out to be her favourite to create. “No more fancy nails,” she joked, adding that it was a small sacrifice for where she is in life today.
Making bags, though it began solely for business, became a hobby for the artist, a thrill of a job, she explained, which takes care of her livelihood. “I always advise to do what you love because you never get tired of doing it, even in the difficult times,” enthused Sherry.
Many of her pieces are souvenir items which attract foreigners hoping to take a piece of Guyana back with them. Her pieces can be found all around Guyana and beyond in different countries of the world. The peak time for business is during the Christmas season and in the summer when locals are travelling abroad.
With foreigners contributing to a large part of the market, the pandemic has resulted in a bad year for the craft industry. Nonetheless, with the Christmas season approaching, Sherry is caught up with orders. Without any distractions, Sherry can make one of her bags in a day. However, being a grandmother who babysits her granddaughter at the shop among her other duties, she makes three to four bags a week, depending on the design. Once she made five clutch purses in a day.
Although the work of artisans is not as valued in Guyana as it should be, the passion for what she does cannot be deterred by the way the average Guyanese perceives its value.
Sherry guarantees that work produced by her is not only one-of-a-kind but also work of quality that is durable for many years to come.
Crafty Expressions can be found in the Hibiscus Craft Plaza outside of GPO or reached at 675-2551.
