Breath of fresh air

Recycling is a trend. Unfortunately trend is starting to turn against itself, as recycling and enviroment friendly are terms easily and light heartedly used in any marketing and advertising. I tried to make Real Finds in Etsy as well as from web, and 80% I managed to come across was something from the grey zone- something which possibly was recycled, but most likely not, word has just been tagged in to create traffic. Other option I found in my travels was recycled odd items- purely recycled but with no usage purpose, something to purchase to be ecofriendly (but how ecofriendly one can be just by purchasing something with no use or need?) My personal red flag also is too expensive upcycled items- why would I want to pay more for a recycled button ring (plastic button attached to a kinder egg ring) than for a truly handmade silver ring?

Thankfully I found some true crafters! There are still some clever ideas around and clever crafters to make them. This week I chose some of my favorites, have a look and be surprised what can be done!

 

 Bird cage by Paperleaves

This is a blank pop-up greeting card made from recycled and repurposed paper. A tiny red bird sits on its perch in an open cage.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperleaves

Rug like my grandma used to make- by Emmeli Works


Do your fitted sheets wear out faster than your top sheets? Mine do. The good news is that I am left with high thread count sheets that have past their prime for my bed, but still have a lot of love to give. I add all the used fabric I can find that matches (in addition to sheets, this rug contains some shirts, pants and even a poly/cotton shower curtain) then I render that fabric into strips and knot them together using the toothbrush method. A beautiful, soft and durable rug is created!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/EmmeliWorks 

Recycled rice sack by Panbeh


Recycled basmati rice sack shopping bag . Burlap outer shell and red cotton inside. Great for shopping and going out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/panbeh 

Piano Key Belt Buckle Recycled Licence Plates -


These little baby piano keys are cut from license plates so you can walk, dance, or drive to your own music!
I've designed these buckles with bits of vintage, retired, and found-alongside-the-road vehicle license plates, mostly from the state of Michigan [although Ohio has worked its way in here and there]. These plates have traveled places, and now they will again! 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintageinretrospect

 

Lady Liberty -Hand painted upcycled decoupage decorf art canister

The eco-friendly recycled materials used in this item are: a tin can, magazine clippings, recycled paper, and yogi tea tags. This lovely, symbolic piece displays a silver 1890 coin with Lady Liberty upon it and then an illustration of Lady Liberty in her flowing white dress nurturing an injured dove (symbolizing peace); pink tulips and exotic flowers surround the dove. Lady Liberty's hand is also depicted pulling a white rope which represents the strength of liberty; as well as her delicate smile of hope.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ecofriendlyfreckles

We've have arrived back to my home land, back to Finland. They've had a record breaking winter, there is so much snow everywhere. Everyone else seems to be fed up with it, expect my son and my dog (dog hasn't come across with snow before, and now there's enough for him to get drowned in it!).


We're happy and tired of course, and missing my hubby terribly. I'm all excited though, as I now have full access to beautiful yarns and spinners, and more importantly to salmiak, salty liqurice! There is a possibility, that when my hubby joins us, he'll be greeted by gigantic woolly whale!LOL!



Red handspun yarn by Coolclimates http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37792424

This week I've collected some items from fellow Scandinavian Etsians, Swedish and Norweigian designs. It's good to be home, and be surrounded by all these pretty items!

Red Tree by Carambatak, Oslo, Norway http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39845197

Colourful scarf by Ingermaaike, Norway http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php? listing_id=28795080









My new design, silk and wool blend scarf and cable knit hat, soon to be listed in http://www.knitkitbox.etsy.com/

Capital of Finland, Helsinki by Syko http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41094677

handmade leather travel journal by Leathermaps http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=40964159

Team CAC

All these following beauties have been collected from the Team CAC's production. (You can find more info about our team also from Facebook, from our newly created pages at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Etsy-Team-CAC/101781875105?ref=search&sid=601218211.1950546945..1)

Isn't it fairly amazing what people can create?

I'll quote words of Andre Gide, the French author and Noble Price winner:
"Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better".

http://www.crochetedwithlove.etsy.com/

http://www.sewfaithful.etsy.com/

http://www.mysaviour.etsy.com/

http://www.delightedhands3113.etsy.com/

http://www.fallingstarlane.etsy.com/

Gingerbread men

I had a panic attack; Christmas is only 5 weeks away! In my mind I'm still living in October...hmm... This also means I'm only 5 weeks away from gingerbread men, cinnamon buns and chocolates...You can not eat them before, as it only spoils the Big Days! So on 24th (yes we celebrate Christmas for 3 days by Finnish tradition), on Christmas Eve, one starts to enjoy, and by 26th one can not face another gingerbread man for another year!

Hereby I offer our family tradition for your service, make them and enjoy, just follow the lead of Lukas (shown on picture making them)
The Recipe for the Best Thin Gingerbread Men

You need:
200 g butter
2.35dl of sugar
1.5 dl of syrup
1 dl cream
7.5 dl of flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of cloves
1 tsp of allspice
0.5 tsp of ground ginger

Melt the butter in the same bowl you'll mix the dough in. Mix the baking soda with small portion of flour. Add the seasoning (ginger etc), sugar, syrup and cream to the cooled down butter. Mix the ingredients well together, to make sure none of the seasonings are clamped together. Add the baking soda mixture, as well as rest of the flour by gently mixing or even rather spooning the flour in to the dough. Cover the dough and the bowl with clean towel and plastic bag and leave it in a fridge to set until following day.

Day 2: take the dough to room temperature, put oven on to 190 degrees. Start moulding the dough, portion at the time with rolling pin, to a thin flat disc, press gingerbread men out with the mould of your choice, add men on oven tray and bake for 5-10 minutes until dark golden brown. Decorate if you wish, with icing sugar mix when men have cooled down.

Hint: moulding is easier when the dough is still cool

Hint 2: once baked, lay the hot gingerbread men on flat surface, on uneven surfaces like plates etc they’ll just turn wonky...

Hint 3: Eat plenty and enjoy!

Also, some knitting pictures as attached- latest customer orders, skull mittens and pink slippers.

Living with polar bear

This week has flown by! This is because it's been the first week since our move to new house, and we are all trying to find our bearings, and the tricks there is in the older houses. Also partially because I’ve really tried to study, and concentrate to this course about accountancy, with no luck I’m afraid…It has become clear that me and mathematics do not agree with each others.
I have managed to grasp the basics, but every time I try a new exercise I get confused. Why mathematics can not be as simple as on knitting or visiting the bakery- one chocolate cake, two chocolate cakes…. If you have any ideas how to help me with basics of accountancy, please feel free to contact me!


I have also finished off a few new orders, white ones made with traditional style, with Novita pattern, and brown ones with Garnstudio pattern and Novita yarns. I have concentrated all my efforts on these knits, as my dear husband, who has been a valuable asset (read a hand model for men’s gloves) has stopped smoking. This has meant that our 1st week in new house has been as pleasant as living in a zoo with wounded polar bear. Bless him, he is trying really hard, week 2 is nearly done, but I’m ready to attack him with 10 nicotine patches while he is a sleep, just to make our life easier...So if there is anyone out there who knows tricks to accountancy and grumpy husbands, please contact me urgently!

Greek lightning!

Just when I thought my lige was settled after previous uprooting and relocation, we're hit by Greek lightning!Ou landlord gave us 5 days to move out; his brother needed a home, our home. After four sleepless nights and attempts to find a new home we finally, on last minute found one (finding a new place which would accept a family with pets, and also one that we could actually afford was not an easy task)! Praise the Lord!

Our new home is actually better what we've had before, and after all the hassle with broken heater, knackered hot water boiler and no cooking facilities, we've managed to conquered the move and settle in! I missed last weeks blogg update, as I did not have access to internet either, obviously due to the move, so please accept my apologies re this.

Anyhow, I've attached a picture of our new drive/path into our new home. Poor Charlie the Dog gets tormented by local cats- they keep appearing behind our windows just to drive him potty!!

Amongst all these manic circumstances I've unravelled my stress levels with knitting, and here are my new items for our shop, Merry Berry Christmas socks, Clever Blue mobile phone case and also latest customer order for brown gloves, made with Garn Studio pattern Z-434, and Novita Nalle yarn.

p.s:When checked into Etsy, came across this seller InspiredbyMarie and item wood burned sign: Welcome to Nuthouse! Brilliant, that's what we need!!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32164599

New orders

This is my latest handy work, a pair of felted slippers which were made for my good friend Sirpa, as a birthday present. My plan was to decorate these orange beauties with gold, silver, and diamonds (all mentioned being authentic materials of course….hmmm in my dreams…and hers…) to match her beauty queen like appearance, but after a thought I decided to stick with more common material, wool instead, to match with the real world. She did like them, so mission accomplished!

I also received my first Alchemy requests-custom made requests, via Etsy. Hooray! I’ll keep you posted, but so far requests include gloves, mittens and few slippers. Brilliant! I’m also waiting for new stock to arrive. There will be new yarns like Puro, Huopanen, and Luxus Cloud to arrive to my shop listing!

I love making presents and orders, as whilst knitting stitch after stitch I also weave part of myself to them too. Orders are also fun in a sense, that the requested item my not match my taste and style at all, which sometimes is like opening my eyes to the world I did not know existed. One becomes so accustomed to daily routines and colour schemes one is used to, that getting an order with different view, with new colours and shapes becomes a learning curve. I also believe that in a process of doing anything artistic, hand made items, writing etc one becomes blind to the results and therefore to make the item, it’s better to stand away from it, so one can clean the act and open the eyes again for finishing touches. These are my words of wisdom for this week, take care and God Bless!