By: Meena Shayna Sarsaba

Stunned. Tased. Paralyzed. Just a few things I felt after exploring Ruby‘s resin creations, that I instantly copped 3.

I’m currently wearing one of her keychains as a necklace! Too pretty! It has to be on me!

Let’s ask the obvious: did you think of making weapons because you wanted to be ready for an apocalypse?

Ruby: It started when I bumped into a video of how to make a chibi keychain. I was on my recommended vids on YouTube so it’s really unintentional. 

Not sure what happened by I thought it was a good business to start, I watched more videos and found a jewelry-making-using-resin video. They were using flowers as a design, so it really caught my attention.

I was a little guilty about being a business-minded person and at that time I was really looking for something to sell as a sideline. So I went to Shopee right away and added everything I need to my cart.

What is your favorite feeling while you’re making art, or while you wait for your crafts to cool down?

I prefer to do my projects in my own comfort space which is my apartment [laughs]. As much as I want to have my pour sessions outside, I was not blessed with a house with a garden or a balcony where I can work in an open space (which is best for resin making because of chemicals and shiz).

And some of my flowers were from my travels and mountain hikes, I only pick a few though. And I pray and thank nature first before picking two or three.

I mostly use baby’s breath, crystal grass, daisies, lavender, caspian, and rose. I also loved the color of leadworts and can only get them when my dad picked me some from his work going home. 

What was your inspiration? When I first got this writing assignment I had no idea what your shop was about and then baaaam my world changed! I was instantly drawn to your work, especially the tiny self-defense resin! I love weapons & I love flowers! What a combo!

My heart.  I think it just naturally occurred to me, when I first saw the molds on Shopee I instantly knew what I wanted to do with them. I loooove flowers too!!! One of my dream jobs is to be a florist someday.

“Deadly” ninja weapons and flowers might not sound like a match at first but I’m sooo glad I pulled off every design I made so far and my clients loved them as well.

What kind of weapon you’d have during an apocalypse?

I would choose samurai, & BOW!!! I wanna be Katniss from Hunger Games. I really like weapons, it gives me such powerful vibes when i watch women on tv with badass roles.

Are you currently juggling running your shop, being a solo entrepreneur with school, or other work, tough life choices? What are your tools for staying afloat, usually?

It’s quite a struggle actually because I have a day job, five days a week from 9am-6pm, but I still manage to make some pieces in the middle of it because my work doesn’t demand a lot. To stay afloat, this may sound cliche but I just really try to remind myself every single time I have pour sessions is that I love what I’m doing, that I’m enjoying every little detail I put into my pieces, that it will look good once it’s dry, and I imagine my client’s big smiles when they receive a package from me.

And just by focusing on that, the blessings like the money come naturally and you just realize that “Oh am I really making this money/ amount already?”

I am protected, I am blessed. My universe always has my back.

You soooo pulled it off! I don’t usually know a lot of people especially feminine people who enjoy weapons but I think your craft lured them and is becoming a gateway! There are a lot of us now, so thank you!

Thank you! Also, I want to emphasize that the mold I use to make the keychains don’t create a sharp edge, which is why I sand them so it can really be useful in case of emergencies. But I hope that people use it with caution.

I’m really really glad you do what you do and didn’t hold yourself back from trying and putting this kind of art out there! By the way, what is your favourite mantra or words to live by, it can be your own words or a song lyric?

Lately, I use I am rich, I am protected, I am blessed. My universe always has my back.

Ruby may craft these unconventionally beautiful everyday-carry’s but underneath the gloss of sharpened sheath, and she may not believe it herself but, she’s a gentle soul with a pure & innovative vision who’ll go so far. So far as to firedancing while guarding her flower shop along patisseries in Paris!

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Meena Shayna Sarsaba graduated from the University of San Carlos and is now spending most of her days as an opalescent pink poisonous soft coral scape klepto dreaming inside an umbilical cord (yes, you read that right) and being an advocate for kindness since day one. She is officially Team Love Club’s fairy.