Découpage (day-koo-paazh) is a three-step process; glue, cut, and coat.

The paper or napkin is glued to an object, the edges are cut, and the surface is then coated with layers of varnish to lock it all in. Each step and detail requires careful attention to create the perfect piece.

If decoupage could tell a story, Made by Mariye would have you sitting in a soft breeze with music playing and not a care in the world.

The most patterns Made by Mariye uses for decoupaged items are Japanese traditional design called "Wagara" that has been used for Kimono and furnishing goods for centuries.

The Japanese have a profound appreciation of nature, and each motif taken from nature has symbolic meaning. For instance, bamboo, cherry blossom and chrysanthemum represent the four seasons.

It is interesting to learn where these came from and how they penetrated into our life then carried on to today. We can tell how much people back then been cherishing nature depends on the season, and they tried to put their thoughts into it. Even though each pattern has different meaning, every Wagara comes with a wish of good luck and happiness.

Now that you can learn the meaning behind each pattern in the description of decoupaged items, it is much more fun to pick an item from Made by Mariye for yourself or your loved one.

CHIYORIGAMI PAPER

Aside from paper that is generously donated by customers and friends, the Chiyogami paper used in Made by Mariye collections is hand-printed, carefully selected, and bought directly from in Japan.

Essentially, Chiyogami is created by applying decorative patterns to washi, which is a type of paper made of strong and durable long fibres from the barks of native Japanese plants and is particularly suitable for this printing method.

It takes three steps for making washi into the beautifully printed paper: drawing, sculpting, and printing. There are skilled craftswomen and men in each of these processes.

First, a Chiyogami artist draws an inverted design on one sheet for each colour to be printed. The drawn lines are then transferred to one woodblock per colour. Next, a sculptor carves woodblocks - if a printing design requires 30 colours, a sculptor makes 30 different woodblocks!
Lastly, printing is done with extra care by a skilled printer. The woodblock is placed on washi paper patiently and accurately. There is a huge variety of inks for this, and those ink colours are named after the four seasons of Japan.

These incredibly long and detailed processes make Chiyogami paper of the highest quality in the world, making hand-printed Chiyogami the perfect material for Made by Mariye to create long-lasting products made with love.

OTHER PAPERS USED FOR DECOUPAGE

Mariye loves pattern designs from anywhere in the world. Some of the papers are designed and printed in France with high quality inks on super thin papers.

Sometimes Mariye likes using design napkins in her decoupage process. Her favourite napkins are made in Germany.

Mariye finds the stud making process very rewarding, from the moulding stage to baking.

The tricky part of using polymer clay is that if dropped it tends to break more easily than other materials.
To prevent this from happening, our polymer clay studs are baked twice to increase their strength and durability.
Overtime, Mariye's experience has helped find the perfect baking time and temperature to produce strong studs. We still want to remind our customers that polymer clay jewellery will last a long time in the hands of those who take care of them.

1) Pull the top ring open with your fingers or a pair of pliers

2) Flip the wood discs around so that they show the reverse side

3) Close the ring back. Enjoy!
(Watch the video to see how we do it)

Sometimes the size and position of the metal ring (especially small rings) might make opening the ring a bit harder. In that case we recommend using pliers!
If you treat your purchase carefully, it will last you a long time. It’s good for your wallet and for our planet.

Please be reminded that we can’t accept any return or refund requests if the items get accidentally damaged after being opened (see our refund policy here).

For your specific earlobe type we recommend you look for our alternative stud options, such as bamboo studs or decoupaged wood studs because of their flat shape.

In general clay studs tend to have a slightly pointier shape on the back side (where the post is inserted) thus if inserted into a stretched earlobe the earring might tent to fall forward.

Please remember, Made by Mariye doesn’t accept any returns, refunds or exchanges for items that have already been worn (read our refund policy here).
If you need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

FYI, there is a saying in Japan that says "Large earlobes bring good fortune" 😊

Mariye lives and makes her creations in Perth. She has her own stall at local markets, where you can find good vibes, delicious food and locally made products.

Our stall updates are on Instagram and Facebook. Don’t forget to follow us!

Standard shipping is free for all orders over $110 in Australia. For orders under $110, we charge a flat fee of AU$11 for standard shipping fee or AU$15 for express shipping fee.

We currently only ship within Australia.

We aim to despatch your purchase within approximately 1-5 business days. During peak times this despatch time may increase.
Once the parcel leaves our studio, you can check the estimate delivery time with your tracking number from the link provided from us, which will be location dependent.
Extreme weather conditions may cause delays, we do not have control over delivery times once the item is in the hands of Australia Post.

We take great care to ensure our packaging has the smallest environmental impact possible.

Most of our packaging is made of recycled materials (the occasional piece of sticky tape may be used for protecting your item from extreme weather).

If you purchase is a gift, we will prepare gift wrapping with eco-friendly packages upon your request.

All product information is listed in the item description, so please choose your piece carefully.

If you have any questions regarding any of our products, please Contact Us prior to checking out and making payment. We are always here to help you.

Once you have placed an order with us, we will promptly start to make, pack and process your order, therefore once your order has been placed, we’re unable to amend or cancel your order, so please make sure your order is correct before the final checkout stage.

So sorry to hear it! In the rare event that your order has been damaged in transit, please email us.
Please keep all packaging and take photographs so we can assess your issue without delay.

Your order should arrive within the time frame of your chosen delivery method, which you can double check in your order confirmation email.
Sometimes this email can end up in the spam folder so please check if you have not received and it feels like you’ve been waiting a little too long. You will also receive a tracking link in this email so check this out for any delivery updates.

Please note that sometimes tracking can take a day or two to be updated by the carrier. If it looks like it's not moving, chances are it's on its way!

Once a shipment has been marked as “delivered” we are no longer responsible for the package, but we are happy to help in any way we can. If the package is marked as “delivered” but you have not yet received it, please try the following:
- Check with friends and family or neighbours to see if the package was left with them.
- Contact your local post office and lodge a “lost item” report.
- Contact us to let us know (please include your lost item report reference number)

We request that your report your lost or stolen package to Australia Post within seven days of the marked delivery date.

If the shipping address was a temporary location, we do not assume responsibility if the recipient is no longer at that address upon delivery within the projected shipping timeline.

Thank you for asking!
If you are interested in wholesale, please send your inquiry through our contact form providing your website and social media details.