Scarlett - Fake Plastic Love

Scarlett, better known online under her business name Fake Plastic Love makes her big and whimsical pieces from her home studio in Hong Kong.

Side by side photos. Left fingers holding a piece of round purple waxed carved as a moon with a hare sitting inside. Right fingers holding a closet made from green wax you can see detailing in red wax on the side and back through the wax

Hi I'm Scarlett!

And I make the majority of my jewellery through wax carving! I design, carve, set stones, and polish all my pieces.

Close up of hands working at the bench. Left hand is holding a piece of green wax shaped like a torso and legs, right a wax heating pen is adding details

My studio is at home and my brother built my bench for me. I love that it’s deeper than a regular bench so I can put a lot of drawers on it to hold tools, wax and other things.

Close up photo of a bench top with all kinds of wax and tools out

What do you like about wax carving?

I like that it’s very forgiving. For someone used to working with metals directly, I was shocked how often I don’t need to start a project over. Simply use the heating pen to fix the wax and I can continue working.

How does it suit your style?

I love making miniatures. Before I started wax carving, I made them through metal folding and soldering techniques. Wax carving allows me to make objects more three-dimensional.

Side by side photos of a similar piece 3 years apart. Left a make up vanity made from sheet and wire brass. Make up added on top of the vanity from colurful polymer clay. Right a similar vanity in brass made through wax carving. The piece is more substantial and has drawers added

How did you arrive at your style, which I would describe as big, fun and whimsical

I’ve collected miniatures, tea sets and dollhouse furniture, since I was a child. My parents definitely bought me a lot of those. Now I turned my childhood passion into wearables! My bubbly cheerful side goes into my jewellery. In real life I’m rather cynical, I think if you look at my work closely you can sense it. On a daily basis, I just spend some time at the gym and a ton of time watching murder series and documentaries.

I started making jewellery with clay and beads, but I didn't think those mediums suited me well. Eventually, I used metal and during COVID I started learning metalsmithing. It was a very different time. As a teen I experienced SARS in Hong Kong, I thought COVID would last just 2-3 months but it was way longer. A lot of my pieces reflect the quarantine lifestyle like my “Dinner for one” earring.

Close up of a single earring in brass. An arch shaped frame with a table and one chair on the bottom. A lamp hangs above the table with 2 white faceted beads

In the beginning people told me that I should make what the customers want. What is trendy and popular like hoops and minimalistic earrings. It just didn't sit right with me. I was like ‘why do I have to make what everyone else is making?’ So I just make jewellery that I would wear. My personal jewellery style has always been pretty colourful and dramatic. And realistically speaking, without unlimited money to invest in marketing, I couldn’t see myself competing against other trendy fashion brands.

I add moving elements to my jewellery because why not? It’s just more fun! I make a lot of earrings because I basically only wear earrings. It’s hard for me to create something that I don’t wear myself. I try to wear rings now, so maybe I’ll make more of those in the future.

My pieces are on the heavy side. I plan earrings to be under 25g, which isn’t for everyone. I always list the weight and people can decide themselves, or choose the pendant option. If I make something for the first time, it takes forever to test it out, it could be days or weeks. Then I get faster the more I make the same piece. Although I don’t really count the time, I would like to think I‘m getting faster.

What was a breakthrough moment?

My biggest breakthrough was definitely making a hinge using wax. I used the technique for the first time when I made my tiny houses, and later on when I made the miniature closet.

Close up of hands holding a piece of green wax shaped like a house. Inside is hollow with a chair in the center and the hinge on the left side

I want to improve my carving skills. I’m very slow and it’s still a learning process. It's almost one year exactly since I started learning, so I guess it just takes some time. Although I like to make my jewellery by hand, I would very much love to learn 3D rendering. I think eventually it will help me when I’m doing something that requires accuracy.

What do you do when things don’t go to plan?

Things don’t go as planned all the time. I just go with the flow to be honest. Like my “With The Stars As Witness collection” I had the idea in my head for a long time, but it just didn't happen. So I ended up making other pieces first.

Do you have any wax carving tips and advice?

I use my soldering iron all the time, I can’t imagine not using one for melting wax.

Close up of a benchpeg with a black soldering iron on top

I changed the solder iron tips to copper ones. I much prefer when the tips aren’t plated. It’s easier to clean and I bend some of the tips so it’s easier to work in tiny spaces. It’s a very cheap one as well. I personally don’t understand when people spend a couple hundreds on a wax pen, when technically, as long as it is hot enough, it works.

Side by side photos. Left close up of a bench beg with a soldering iron. Right close up of hand holding 2 different soldering iron tips, one thin and one wide

A lot of my carving tools are not for wax carving specifically. They’re made for carving wood or Chinese stone stamps. I also use ceramic burrs that are made for nails!

Side by side photos. Left close up of hand holding ceramic burrs used for nails. Right close up of hand holding 3 carving tools with different blades used for wood carving

And I like using playdough to hold my waxes when I need to join two parts together.

Close up of bench with a piece of yellow playdough holding up a piece of purple wax

What’s the piece you’re most proud of?

I like that I made a hinge and love that I managed to make a drawer!

Close up of hand holding a make up vanity out of green wax. 3 drawers on the side are closed and the one in the middle is slightly open. A few make up brushes are on the top, small detaisl with red wax

Dream piece you want to make?

There are many ideas! I would like to make more miniature furniture. Also a ball joint doll at some point.

Any last advice to other wax carvers out there?

Keep checking the thickness of the piece you’re working on and use big burrs for big parts!

Follow Fake Plastic Love on Instagram to see what she’s making. I dare you not to be amazed and delighted when you see her big and fun pieces!