Life Creative

Happy 2012 (and some photos)

2011-12-31T11:15:00.003Z

First and foremost, I wish all of you a happy 2012. May the year be active and bring you challenges and the joy that comes from a job well done.

I wish this to you, my dear readers, but also to myself. 2012 looks like there might be a few opportunities and challenges ahead of me but I am spoiling for a fight so that's good. I hope you feel the same about the coming year.

And as a bonus, a few quick (mobile) photos of Christmas decorations I made this year.

I won't pay that much for a scarf!

2011-10-18T14:41:00.002+01:00

I went winter-shopping the other day. I needed a new coat, hat, gloves and SCARF. It went fine with everything but the scarf. The coat and hat are black so I was looking for a nice, warm, and colorful scarf. I found one just like I wanted but it was in a fancy brand boutique and it costed too much for my taste. I thought about it and decided to save some money and knit the scarf myself!
And here is how it looks now. Yey! Right? Only detail, it didn't end up being cheaper then the shop version. Awesome. But I like making it myself. So still a win. I just hope that I will finish it by the end of winter cause I am not so good with knitting needles.

Fancy Eating

2011-09-21T12:39:00.002+01:00

So my life has been totally upside down the last month and I had (and still have) to deal with a lot of stress. For me one of the day to do that is to spend quality time preparing and eating good food. Taking this extra few minutes preparing a delicious and beautiful lunch gives me the chance to occupy my mind...and just do something that makes me happy. Not to mention the joy of actually sitting down and eating that.

So today I had French bread with olive oil, Italian ham, goat cheese and cocktail tomatoes on a bed of rocket leaves. And for desert I had delicious plums (did I mention I really like autumn?).

Do pay attention to my new table napkins I recently finished making. I made only two but I am thinking of adding 2 more to the set.

I know the colors are a bit off but there is really very little sun here nowadays and I don't have professional equipment for taking photos in poor lighting.

I'm Back

2011-09-17T16:54:00.004+01:00

So it's been a little while since you heard from me last. Mostly I've been busy with my studies but the real reason why I have not been writing is maybe laziness. Now I am back on track with some craft projects that I want to show you here in the next few weeks (as soon as the weather permits some decent photos).

Today I am just writing to say "hallo" and to introduce to you two new four-legs that joined our little family. They are two brothers called Eddie and Silencio and they are the cutest rascals you can imagine.

I spend a lot of time making small crochet balls for them, which are their favorite toys and which get lost almost immediately. By my estimate there are around 15 of them somewhere in the apartment and I don't know where.

Carnival Collection 2011 - Giveaway

2011-01-01T17:36:00.005Z

First of all, Happy New Year everyone. May 2011 be everything you hope for and even more. May all your wishes be fulfilled and may new great opportunities present themselves to you.

Since I've been slacking a little bit with my blogging (or more correctly, since I've been rather busy studying) I thought it might be a good idea to kick off this new year of blogging with a little give away. Don't we all like that?

The photos in this post come from my new earrings collection: Carnival 2011. They will be available from my Etsy shop after the 15th of January. But before that you have a unique chance to win a pair of black beauties of your choosing. All you have to do is:

1. Go to LifeCreative page on facebook and become a fan (if you aren't one already)

2. "Like" the photo of the earrings from Carnival Collection 2011 you would like to win

3. Check back on January 15th to see if you were lucky

And Done.

2010-11-17T14:50:00.004Z

And it's finally done. It only took me like...oh I don't know...six months!

This doily measures 71cm in diameter and is the largest piece I made so far. I gave it to my mum and it felt very much like making a mandala and destroying it at the end. Very good feeling really.

My favorite shots of Aarhus

2010-09-27T12:14:00.004+01:00

Below is a collection of my favorite photo shots of Århus, Denmark. I took all of them within the last year. I am curious what you think of this city, just by seeing these photos. I am also thinking of taking some more urban, industrial shots to show you other faces of the city. Would you like to see that?

You can see more photos in my Århus set on Flickr.

Excuses, excuses...

2010-09-11T16:11:00.004+01:00

So, it's been ages since I wrote anything on the blog. Sorry guys but I have a good reason for that. For 2 weeks now I've been attending classes in Multimedia Design and Communication so the amount of my spare time shrunk dramatically.

I will continue to post here and of course I did not abandoned my love for handmade. You'll see more of my projects and I hope to finally write a tutorial or two. However, what you might also expect is some more photography, manipulated photography and maybe a bit of graphic/web design. I hope you don't mind.

And today, have a look at my new crocheted earrings. The pattern is a simple pineapple but they look like a really cool drop shape when on your ears. I made two versions of the earrings. One model (orange and yellow) has a tighter weave, which makes it smaller and stiffer and the other is larger and more airy (pink). The smaller ones measure 6cm and the larger are around 7cm long.

What do you think? Would you wear them? Should I add them to my Etsy store?

Photographic Inspirations: Tomas Rucker

2010-08-20T08:31:00.003+01:00

No point in writing much in this post. Let me just say that I really love this photos:

Find more stunning nudes here and here.

On Photography

2010-08-17T09:45:00.005+01:00

The weather around here is not very good but I am still trying to make the most out of my free time. At the end of August I begin studying and so I am quite certain that my free time will be severely limited.

I have always been interested in photography and recently I got a chance to use a more professional equipment. Below you can see the photos I took in Århus and surroundings together with my first attempts at Photoshop.

I especially like the pink battle ship, that I found on the beach. It was left there by the local urban guerrillas as a part of Pink Army project. The Pink Army demands that all wars around the world end immediately. This from their manifesto:

We- The Pink Army- have been in war with all wars in the entire world, since September 2007. Our troops consists of thousands and thousands of strong, brave and armed men, who are ready to fight to death, if they must. And we are growing in numbers, day-by-day, hour-by-hour. From house to house, street corner to street corner, The Pink Army will conquer every square inch of the world. We will strike down on any type of resistance with no mercy. We will hold no prisoners. Any form of surrender, retrieve, “weapons stand still” or peace renegotiations is out of the question. The Pink Army will fight to the last pink drop of blood. Until our demands has been met, accepted and executed.

Don't you just love the way they mock the rhetorics of warmongers?

Jewish Papercuts

2010-08-12T14:32:00.004+01:00

This summer I spent some time in Kraków, Poland and specifically in the old Jewish neighborhood of Kazimierz. It was a great and very informative time and I only regret it didn't last longer. We ate delicious Jewish specialties and listened to live concerts of klezmer bands.

But I think the greatest discovery I made was Jewish Papercut art. Turns out this form of art is very popular in the Jewish culture and has been so since XIV century. The paper cuts usually have religious or historical theme. The designs are incredibly intricate and often colorful. I am totally in love with the artistry. The following illustrations come from the book by Marta Gołąb.

See more amazing works here.

Frey Wille Jewelery

2010-08-08T11:03:00.005+01:00

On my wanderings through Warsaw this year, I stumbled upon a new jewelery store: Frey Wille. I didn't know the brand before and I am not usually a fan of luxury jewelery but I fell in love with Frey Wille instantly.

It is an Austrian firm made up of a team of artists, goldsmiths and experts of fine enamelling with 60 boutiques all over the world. The company was created in 1951 and is growing ever since.

According to their own website, the artists of the company take inspirations from the surrounding world and the variety of cultures. But many of their pieces are tribute to great painters and architects such as Mucha, Klimt or Hundertwasser.

Frey Wille designs very simple shapes in gold or silver but the beauty of the jewelery lies in the wonderful, intricate enamel paintings. Each bangle and pendant is ornamented with art or culture inspired decorations.

The jewelery is very divers and ranges from very colorful to more toned down, and from modern to antic design. And if it wereb't for the prize, everyone would be able to find something for themselves. My heart belongs to Claude Monet, Iris series - especially the Regina bangle!

But I am almost just as crazy with Alphonse Mucha or Gustav Klimt collections.

Below the lovely "Ode to Joy of Life" collection.

Have a look on Frey Wille website for more sweet jewelery browsing. And make sure to leave a comment and let me know what you like most!

Etsy Treasury

2010-08-05T21:18:00.002+01:00

Tonight something for you, Ladies. I made etsy treasury sporting colorful, fancy, imaginative and one-of-a-kind polymer clay rings.

Leave comments and let me know which ring you like the most.

Jewelery

2010-07-25T18:07:00.006+01:00

Since I was a little girl, I have always loved jewelery. Colorful, traditional, weird, elaborate, simple, ethnic, silver or with stones...I love it all. And I have quite a collection to which I add, as often as possible, new pieces - handmade and not.

Today, I was going to show you a better picture of our wedding rings and when I was taking photos, it came to me that it might be a fun idea to share more of my collection with you.

Below are just a few sets that I have acquired recently and a few words about their history.

First of all, the wedding bands. Handmade to order by Titanium Knights from Etsy, they are made of jewelery quality titanium with thin, silver inlay line. The rings have sandblasted finish, which gives them porous texture. Read more about titanium rings and their qualities here.

Above are four sets/pieces of jewelery. All found their way to me very recently and all make me excited. The wide, wooden bangle and blue earrings are just pieces bought at whimsy because I like the color blue and have many outfits that they will fit nicely.

The amethyst and silver set has an interesting story. The ring was given to me by my mother-in-law on the day of my wedding. It's a family heirloom and I would really like to hear more about it, but so far there wasn't time. The bracelet, despite the fact that it looks as if it were a set with the ring, belonged to my godmother. She was wearing it at my wedding and when she saw the ring, she decided to give me the bracelet to make a match.

The last, "old gold" set I completed myself after browsing through the shops of Warsaw. I do not like real gold but at the same time, I am a big fan of "old looking" jewelery.

Mrs. P

2010-07-21T10:58:00.005+01:00

From now on you can call me Mrs. P :D

Our wedding day was very special and almost everything went exactly how we wanted it. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the bells were ringing (or at least they did in my head). Our friends and family enjoyed the ceremony and the dinner afterwards. We opted for a rather simple and relaxed celebration but chose a few very special elements:

The car that drove us to the wedding place was 1937 Buick Special.

I am in love with my cobalt (or persian) blue wedding dress from Tadashi Shoji. The form of the dress makes me think of origami folding and so to keep with the slightly oriental style of the outfit I chose white orchids for flower arrangement. The bouquet is large (thanks to white long stem grass) but because it's so simple in form and color it does not steal focus and is a perfect accessory.

We had our wedding rings specially made to order. It was Titanium Knights from Etsy that made them for us and we are super happy with the service and the product. I can't prise them enough! The rings were made exactly to our specifications and they look stunning. They are of course titanium and have thin silver inlay. My ring is thinner and more feminine, whereas Mr. P wanted his to be manly and thick. I promise a better photo on one of the coming days.

And last but not least, the wedding dinner and the cake.

The wedding cake's photo speaks for itself. I absolutely love the blue roses decoration. Very artful, don't you think?

The dinner took place in Sadhu Cafe in Warsaw and if you are ever in the city, you have to check it out! The food was eclectic, coming from Polish, Indian and Italian traditions and everything was delicious. The restaurant prides itself on preparing tasty treats for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, and they surely live up to their standards.

Now it is time to edit photos, order wedding books, and slowly but surely come back to real life.

A little treat for me!

2010-07-03T09:24:00.003+01:00

, originally uploaded by Furya.

What do you think about my new blue earrings? I made them last month and from the moment I took them out of the oven, I knew they would be mine. I am in love with the hashed blue color and how it works with the white pattern.

I am still struggling with the whole cane business. In this piece I used kaleidoscopic/mosaic cane and it looks cool. However if you look closely you will see that the motives are not perfectly square and the pattern inside is also a bit twisted. Oh well, you can always say: I meant it that way!

And seriously: practice makes master so don't give up on your polymer clay.

Wedding's getting real

2010-06-26T08:48:00.002+01:00

1950 Patan wedding, originally uploaded by dlisbona.

My wedding is approaching in huge steps now. It's only 2 weeks left now and it is getting real! Yey. I am very excited.
1. The dress is ready and waiting in the wardrobe
2. The shoes are bought
3. The cake with blue roses decoration is ordered
4. And the dinner place is booked
Of course there is something like 100 other details that are already arranged and probably 50 more still to lock down. But we are almost there and I honestly can't wait.
I promise there will be photos after the event but please forgive me if I am not very active here at the moment.

Polymer Clay Inspirations

2010-06-17T14:25:00.005+01:00

Today, I would like to show you my polymer clay inspirations. There are great many gifted artists out there and below you can see only a small selection of work presented on flickr.

I hope they will inspire you as much as they inspire me to keep working and honing my skills.

1. Pastel Cat Sculpture, 2. Bangle, 3. ...Singing silk..., 4. Tropical flowers, 5. Ikat Necklace., 6. Cosmic Blossoms B-Side, 7. Black & White Ikat Shield - Aug 2009, 8. Polymer Clay Seabreeze Bracelet, 9. 'Gem (in hot pink)', 10. Filigree Bracelet bangles in many colors, 11. Robin Egg Beach Balls, 12. Green Retro Earrings, 13. Spaceballs, 14. Atardecer en el mar / Sunset on the Sea, 15. Blue Spiral, 16. Magic mushrooms, 17. Polymer Clay Star Flower Pendants, 18. Polymer Clay Necklace, 19. crumpled brooch, 20. Colgantes transferencia, 21. Leaf necklace, 22. Black Polymer Clay Heart with Pink Flowers, 23. Namtar , 24. ACEO Deep Forest polymer clay 1, 25. PS145c

Walkathon 2010

2010-06-13T18:10:00.006+01:00

Did you hear about Walkathons? The first one took place in 1953 (sic!) in Puerto Rico and the idea is really a very simple one. You register as a participant, show up on the date and go for a lovely walk along the predetermined route. And the sponsor (in my case Ecco shoes company) gives money to a charity of your choice for every kilometer that you walked. It is a very nice and healthy way to spend a Sunday with your family or friends and you get to do something good for those less fortunate.

I walked today in the Aarhus Ecco Walkathon 2010 and did 10,5km (the route was only 10km long but we got lost a little bit along the way). We started by warming up in Tivoli Friheden (fun town).

The route was well chosen and took us through gardens, meadows, parks and the forest on the seaside. Many people took this occasion to spend some healthy time with their kids and the sponsor made sure to make it especially fun for the youngest. They could get small booklets and collect check points with funny cartoon characters on them.

The following Walkathons will take place in Aalborg (21.08), Odense (04.09), Kolding (16.10) and Copenhagen (29.08) and Hamburg (19.09) and Warsaw (11.09)

Thoughts on Creativity

2010-06-08T12:09:00.002+01:00

Last week my friends, knowing how much I enjoy Ted Talks, pointed me in the direction of this clip. Ken Robinson, an expert on cultural education, talks about how schools kill creativity in children. I think he is making a lot of sense in that in many countries (especially European ones) we educate people to be academics. Primary schools prepare us for high schools and these in turn prepare us for universities. There is very little to no, practical skills taught.

But what I think is the best part of the talk, is when Sir Ken says that to be creative, you have to be ready to make mistakes. You have to be ready to be wrong. And isn't it your experience that at school, you were laughed at whenever you made a mistake? That when writing a paper, you stuck to the safe ground, because if you tried to use your imagination (or even longer words), the effort didn't matter and you got penalized for spelling mistakes? How terrible is it that in our culture "artist" is not a real job?

Rainy Sunday...

2010-05-30T16:01:00.003+01:00

It's been really rainy today and the lights had to be on from 1pm because there is almost no sunlight outside. The only thing I want to do on a day like this is to roll under the covers with a good book or a movie. I feel gloom.

But today I really did my very best to stay upbeat.

- I cleaned parts of the house (Mr. P cleaned other parts)

- I did my danish homework (and discovered that my Microsoft Works experiences a fatal error every time I try to paste anything to it)

- I watched some tutorials online

- I shared my newest fimo ring with you (see picture or flickr)

- I even made strawberry-banana milkshake

And I still only want to crawl in a dark hole and forget the world. But instead I will go and sort out the chaos that is my craft studio.

The conclusion, I guess, is that either there were more sunny days when I was a kid or rain simply was another element of our games and we didn't even notice. Whaddaya think?

Polymer Clay Starter Kit

2010-05-27T19:48:00.005+01:00

Working with polymer clay does not require tools but they are very useful if you are looking to create smaller, precise pieces - especially jewelery. There are literally hundreds of tools for polymer clay craft out there. And if you are anything like me, there is a part of you that loves tools. I guess it's the same part of me that is in fact a boy and always played with guns and climbed highest trees in the neighborhood. Oh well.

Most of the tools are not very expensive but it is a good idea to limit yourself to a starter kit before you are sure that polymer clay is what you enjoy.

At first it might be a bit confusing to choose the necessary tools (at least it was for me) so I compiled a list for the beginners out there. Here are the tools that turned out to be most useful for me:

1. Pasta Machine

As weird as it may seem, pasta machine is the most useful tool you can get. It serves to warm up and soften the clay, create uniform sheets of clay (of different thickness), blend colors, and many other purposes. A good place to buy pasta machine is on ebay. You should not invest in any high-end pasta machine because you should never use this machine for food preparation. The cheapest one will do just fine.

2. Cutting and Sculpting Tools

To create detailed ornaments, you will need to use cutting tools. I mostly use these 5 tools.

1) and 4) Sculpting tool and doll making needle. Useful for connecting pieces of clay together, moving and fixing small pieces of clay onto the project, sculpting little holes, etc.

2) and 3) Modelling knives. Can be used for moving and fixing elements onto the project. They are also good for cutting shapes and small elements.

5) Slicing blade. It is used for cutting slices of canes and blocks of clay. It is also flexible so that it allows you to create different shapes.

3. Acrylic Roller

Another essential tool is an acrylic roller. You will use it to flatten your pieces, roll in cane slices and many more. Before I got my acrylic roller I was using a small wine bottle. But the problem with a glass bottle is that the clay can stick to it and your projects can get ruined.

4. Cookie Cutters

Ok, so they are not absolutely necessary but still very fun to have. You can of course shape your pieces by using knives and blades, but cookie cutters are handy and will make your job easier.

5. Examination Gloves

And last but not least, examination gloves. They will help to protect your skin and keep colors of clay separate and clean. Thanks to the gloves you will also be able to keep the surfaces of your clay projects clean of fingerprints. Just make sure that you buy a tight fit for your hands.

Rhubarb!

2010-05-23T12:47:00.005+01:00

I love seasonal fruits and veges. There is truly nothing more enjoyable on Saturday morning than a visit to farmers' market. I love browsing around the stalls, smelling fresh, earthy smells of roots and herbs, and picking up what's in season.

May is the season for asparagus and rhubarb. And boy, do I love rhubarb! So many good things you can make with these sweet and sour sticks.
Yesterday night, I turned the fresh batch of rhubarb into this delicious rhubarb sour cream cake. It is a very easy to follow recipe, but the outcome is orgasmic. The cake gets better on the second day, if kept in the fridge. And I strongly recommend you serve the cake with whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream, or sour cream and vanilla sugar. Mhhmmmm...

There is something about Denmark...

2010-05-21T14:00:00.004+01:00

...that you don't know. And that I didn't realize until recently, when the days got sunnier. Namely, that 21st of May in Denmark lasts 16hours 36minutes and 40seconds. The same day in Poland lasts 16hours and 23seconds. Even though the difference isn't that large in reality it feels very important. The reason for this is that the sun rises in both countries almost at the same time: around 4:30 - and I am still asleep so don't really care about that. At the same time, sun sets in Poland at 20:33 and in Denmark at 21:25 - almost an hour later. Because of this the day feels wonderfully long.
I took a photo of the sky yesterday at around 21:30 to prove that it was still totally bright outside. Isn't that just great?

Hooked on Earrings

2010-05-19T21:31:00.004+01:00

Have a look at a few earring pieces I've been working on. The biggest challenge in this project was the wirework. Turns out it is not at all easy to bend the wire for loops. It has to look aesthetic and be identical for both earrings. Big respect for all the smiths out there and maybe someone would like to take an apprentice?
Meanwhile, have a look at my earrings. I especially love the blue ones, but the pink ones are also cute (only the color is less aggressive and more rosy in reality).

Polymer Clay: Working the Cane

2010-05-17T13:31:00.003+01:00

My experience with polymer clay is advancing. I have to say I enjoy very much working with this medium. It is flexible, colorful and the effect of your work is almost immediate.
But it can also be a bit frustrating. When you look at clay items on the Internet and read the descriptions it all sounds so simple. But once you start working on it yourself it turns out that, even though the method is simple, you need a skill to perform it. Well, whatdayaknow...

Anyway, I struggle especially with cane making. It is one of the basic techniques of polymer clay. The simple idea is that you wrap layers of polymer clay sheets. Reduce the cane by pressing it from the middle out and than cut thin slices to use in your work. Again sounds simpler than it really is. The reduction can distort the image and the cutting can easily change the shape of the slice. But practice makes master and I shell not give up! Here comes a few points about what I learned so far:

1. To cut thin and well shaped slices you need a really good blade. A modeling knife is too thick and other thinner pieces of metal will not be sharp enough. Have a look at ebay and get yourself a proper polymer clay blade (cost: around 5 pounds/$7.20/6 euros)

2. Make sure that each layer of clay is thick before reduction. Otherwise it will become so thin, once you reduce the cane, that it will blend in with the others.

3. It is easier to reduce the cane when clay is still warm. But it is easier to cut thin slices one the cane cools down (an idea: put the cane to the fridge to cool it down quickly).

4. Black looks good as a divider between colors in the cane. However black Fimo Soft smudges a lot when cut. Very annoying.

Below is one of my first cane projects:

Birthday on a Spring Saturday

2010-05-11T14:41:00.007+01:00

This Saturday Mr. P celebrated turning...a certain amount of years. We had family over for coffee and cake and we prepared a traditional Danish bday table. Note the obligatory Danish flag, home baked buns and the monster in the middle - kagemand or the cake man (see also photo below). Kagemand is traditionally made for kids' bday parties. The dough varies and can contain a variety of additives (such as marzipan, chocolate, sugar or honey). But the unifying quality of every cakeman is the insane amount of sweets that are placed on the cake after it is baked.

In our case the dough was made with yeast and as little fat as we could. The top layer was made of glazed brown sugar, powdered sugar icing, Haribo jellies and licorice candies. We were also going to use blue jungle sprinkle mix but there simply wasn't enough space. Anyway, you understand now the essence of the cakeman I think - and that is sugar-induced coma.

After we stuffed ourselves with sugar and fat we decided that the least we could do, was to have a little walk in the park. The weather was wonderful and I couldn't stop myself to take pictures of the fresh spring colors.

And in the evening, the weather turned. Storm clouds came about and the colors changed again.

Blue and White Polymer Clay Beads

2010-05-08T19:14:00.003+01:00

I am very excited about this new beads I made this weekend. Look how awesomely blue and girly they are! I made 7 of them and it took me over 2 hours - a little bit long, no? It is precise work, but I hope I can shave some time of this work in the future.

Anyway, I love them and I am very excited to make more. Do you also like them, or am I completely blind? Should I make more? What colors should I use now? Tell me, tell me, tell me!

PS.
You can see more photos on my flickr account and if you work with polymer clay and share your photos online, you can also join Polymer Clay Art and Craft group on flickr. I checked and all the other groups seem restricted geographically or by type of polymer clay items. My group is open to everyone and invites all types of polymer clay works. So feel invited!

100 Hearts Giveaway!

2010-05-03T11:51:00.003+01:00

My Etsy shop has now 100 hearts! This is such a nice and round milestone that I decided to say thank you to everyone by hosting 100 hearts giveaway. You can win ANY item of your choice from my Etsy shop.

What you need to do, is very simple.
1. Join my Facebook fan page
2. Write a comment under the giveaway post, saying which item you would like to get.

Giveaway lasts until Sunday 9th night. The winner will be chosen at random on Monday morning. So don't wait!

Polymer Clay: Second Date

2010-05-01T17:36:00.006+01:00

It's been quiet here for a moment. But I have an explanation, really. I spent the last week honing my polymer clay skills but couldn't show you anything because the weather was really gray here and photos wouldn't be any good. I still don't have really good equipment for product photo taking (donations anyone?). Anyway, today the sun came out for a few moments so here it comes.

So, what do you think? Have you tried polymer clay? How did it go for you?

Polymer Clay: First Steps

2010-04-24T22:22:00.003+01:00

Just two polymer clay pendants I made today. They are far from perfect but it was my first time, so please be gentle in your comments. Also, I really liked making them so there will be many more in the future. After all, practice makes the master.

Doilies Galore

2010-04-19T14:46:00.008+01:00

I love making doilies. The repetitive work that leads to development of regular pattern, visible only at the end of work, has something zen-like to it. I always think about them as mandalas of crochet art. Unfortunately they don't fit my house decor so I lack reasons to make them. And that is why I was so happy recently when I got an order for a few doilies.

So let me brag about a few finished and unfinished projects:

Eggs, eggs, eggs...

2010-04-03T11:23:00.004+01:00

Easter eggs galore. It is traditional in Poland (and several other countries) to ornament eggs for
Easter holidays. I usually use onion peels to colour my eggs from light yellow to dark crimson and leave it at that. But I thought you might like to see what my mum does with eggs from Easter:

The two eggs below are ostrich egg! They are bigger and much harder to break but the surface is also porous so it's harder to paint.

The next two eggs are coloured by boiling in onion peel. My mum uses a small knife to scratch the images on the shell (that's some skill, no?). It is good to use goose eggs or white chicken eggs because the greater the contrast, the better the pattern looks.

To see a few painted eggs from previous Easters, have a look at my flickr account. And now I am back to the kitchen, where everything is ready and smells so good :D I wish you all a very Joyful and Happy Easter.

Earth Hour 2010: 27th March 8.30pm

2010-03-26T18:33:00.005Z

The Earth Hour is tomorrow! And it's going to be the third time I participate in the action. Of course, Earth Hour is not enough to preserve the environment but it is a great way to raise awareness and spread some good feel around the globe. It is also a fantastic way to feel connected with the global community of people. Here is what Earth Hour website says:

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Read more on the website and switch off your lights tomorrow!

Circle of Friends Award

2010-03-26T09:00:00.002Z

What a fantastic beginning of my Friday. I woke up to see that I got this very sweet award from Amy of Ruby Mountain Beads. Have a look here to see what Amy loves and while you're over there, don't forget to check the fantastic jewellery Amy is creating.

Ok so here is who I pass the award too:
1. Victoria of Donauluft
2. Fiona of TizDuster
3. Snowbell of Snowbell Jewellery
4. Petronella of P8 Buttons and Fabrics
5. Jessica of Jess Gets Crafty

I should also tell you about 5 things I love...and it's hard to choose the top 5. Let's see:

1. I love Mr P. also known as my_soon_to_be_husband. I love him for all of the right (and a few wrong) reasons but mostly I love him cause we laugh together a lot.

2. I love spring! The air here is finally warm and sun shines more and more often. I even washed windows to get ready for more light. And of course with the coming spring I also love Easter holidays. They are always so clean and bright (despite the religious background) and there is loads of delicious food.

3. I love travelling. I haven't had a chance to do so much of it recently (except for our holidays on Gran Canaria). But at the same time Denmark is my fourth home (I was born in Poland, lived in Germany and studied in the UK) so I am in some sense a constant traveller.

4. I love crafting. That's not much of a surprise. But most of all I love finishing projects. There is nothing better than the feeling of job well done.

5. I love reading. Or maybe more precisely, I am addicted to reading. One entire wall in our living room is covered with books and I usually have 3 or 4 books started and laying around my apartment. I cannot go to sleep without reading at least a few pages, no matter how tired I am.

Warm Coffee and Croissants

2010-03-24T13:56:00.004Z

Doesn't it look scrumptious? The green cozy is my first really finished knitted project. I am so proud of it and I think it looks fantastic. I know there are several design flaws but I ignore them and stare at my coffee pot instead of drinking it.

And by the way, I am sure you all know it's Etsy Euroweek and I've been featured in this lovely European-themed treasury!

Spring Paper Project

2010-03-20T13:21:00.005Z

Spring has been shy so far in this parts. Despite a few really sunny days at the beginning of the month and the temperature steadily rising it is still very grey outside. So, one of the evening me and Mr. P had a nice, crafting session and came up with this lovely origami cranes to put in the windows.

Now we have a nice flock of blue, green and yellow birdies, flying together around the apartment. The day feels brighter right away.

Most of the cranes are hanging in the window. But I am also thinking about bringing some young willow branches from the nearby forest and making more colorful origami decorations to hung on them.

What do you think about it? Do you like to decorate your house? Is origami your thing?

How-To: Setting the Price

2010-03-17T19:04:00.004Z

After struggling with price setting for my scarf (see this post), I decided to do some research. It turns out, unsurprisingly, that pricing craft and art items proves to be difficult for many people out there. We worry that the price is too high while it is often too low. We disappoint ourselves by not charging the price, we feel is appropriate. And very often, we simply have no idea how to reach a reasonable price.

Below are some tips and useful tools collected from all over the craft sphere. I know they helped me and I hope they will help you too.

Arriving at reasonable price

Now, this may seem like a taunting exercise, but it is in fact a simple mathematical equation.

Item cost = cost of supplies + (hours x your hourly wage) + selling fees

cost of supplies – this is self explanatory, but you have to remember to consider all materials you used to create this piece.

hours – this not only includes the time you spent working on a piece, but also procuring supplies, taking and editing photos and posting items on the Internet.

hourly wage – this vary depending on your country of origin and how much you would like to earn. I think it is not a bad idea to start with 1,5 x minimum hourly wage of your country and then adjust according to the price your competitors use.

selling fees – this are costs of etsy or artfire postings + postage supplies

Item value/price = item cost + profit margin

profit margin – how much you would like to earn on this piece. How valuable you think it is. Some people suggest you should triple the item cost or charge as much as the market will bear (i.e. as much as people are willing to pay) but I think it is a much better practice to add the value you think is appropriate. I find it better to charge the lowest price I can bear. But don't undersell yourself. Charge what you think your creativity and skill is worth.

Reality check

To make sure that your price isn't completely unreasonable, compare it with your competitors' prices. To identify your competitors, check other crafters in your category. And remember, mainstream manufacturers are not your competition. You create one-of-a-kind pieces of art and they make uniform items. Their price will often be lower but it should not concern you, because you create in a different category.

Too high, too low

Now that you checked competition, consider revising your price. While doing so, remember that too high prices may discourage your shoppers (especially, if you cater to students and young people) but too low prices will almost certainly cause suspicion. Customers will often overlook low priced items assuming that the quality is also low.

It is a good idea to have a wide range of prices so that each of your prospective customers can choose something affordable. At the same time you will give them a chance to try your products out, before they are ready to spend the big bucks.

Useful resources

For more information on pricing check out this few exercises from Etsy. Use rolbe etsy calculator to calculate the price, using the cost indicators. And check out this website for postage costs.

And btw., the great photo on top of the page was taken by DCvision2006

Putting the Price

2010-03-10T09:25:00.006Z

It's been quiet around here the past couple of days. Partly because I've been working on a long term crochet project. To be perfectly honest, I am not a biggest fan of large projects. I'm the immediate gratification kinda girl. If it takes too long I get frustrated and toy with dropping the project all together.

But of course, large pieces are so much more impressive in the end. So, I pulled myself together and the past 2 weeks I spent working on this scarf. Now I already have all the 40 squares and it's only a question of connecting them into two lines. I promise that as soon as it's done, I will let you know.

The biggest problem I have with this kind of projects however, is setting a price. Making one square takes around 30 min. 30 min times 40 squares = 20h. Plus minimum 2h for connecting the squares into a scarf. Minimum hourly rate in Denmark is around 100kr per hour so I should get 2200kr for this piece. This amounts to around $400. Do I think this scarf is worth that much? Absolutely! I put my skill and effort into this piece and it is one of a kind. But would you pay that much? Probably not. After all, to you it is "just a scarf".

How do you deal with this kind of problems? How do you choose prices for your items?

These Are a Few of My Favourite Things...

2010-03-05T11:52:00.003Z

One of my favourite things is to discover new crafty people online. I love looking at inspirational projects, great patterns, and colourful pictures. This is also why I "waste" so much of my time reading blogs (oh thank you Google Reader) and scanning through my twitter stream.

Today, I'd like to share with you 5 of my absolutely favourite blogs:

1. Do Stuff!
This is one of the first craft blogs I started to read. And some 2 years later I am still loyal and as charmed by Leethal's aesthetics. Her work is colourful and whimsical and inspires me to try out new techniques. Leethal works with everything from knitting, embroidery and sawing to photography, colouring and spining yarn. She is also a full time crafter and sells a lot of her fantastic patterns and craft sets online.

2. Feeling Stitchy
This one is a group written blog about (big surprise!) embroidery. And even though I don't embroider too much I still really like looking at the amazing projects featured on Feeling Stitchy. I especially like the fact that the blog presents how embroidery can be used to create art pieces rather than embellishments on handkerchiefs.

3. Dude Craft
Paul Overton's blog is one of these very special places on the net where you can find truly original...everything. As Paul writes about himself: "He delights in the unusual" And I delight in his choice. And when you are at it check Make and Meaning where Paul is a contributive author.

4. Carina's Craftblog
Carina's blog is one of the most colourful places on the web. Every time Carina posts another project, I get all envious about her skills! But at the same time she inspires me to try more colurs and colour combniations in my own work.

5. Yes and Yes
Sarah's Yes and Yes is a relatively new discovery of mine. She writes a bit about crafts and fashion but mostly she writes about life. And her stories are not only well written but also fascinating. It's the kind of civil journalism I like the most. My favourite is Sarah's True Story series where she interviews people with interesting life stories.

English Patient

2010-02-28T20:17:00.002Z

I was just watching English Patient and got really in love with the beginning scene. It is absolutely fascinating how the human form is drawn by just a few simple strokes of the brush.

Holidays on Gran Canaria

2010-02-27T20:15:00.002Z

Thursday night we came back from great holidays in Gran Canaria, Spain. This is also the reason why you haven't heard from me for the bast two weeks. I am now relaxed and full of sun energy. Of course the head-on crash with grey and cold reality of Denmark was a bit rough but nothing can bring me down when my towel still smells of beach and sun (and have tones of sand in it).

I spent most of yesterday and today washing up clothes, sorting through photos and uploading them on flickr. And now I am having an easy and relaxing Saturday evening. But before I forget, I would like to share with you a few impressions from the island.

Gran Canaria is home to delicious food (if you every happen to be in Maspalomas check out Vista Bonita restaurant on Calle Einstein. Yummy food and fantastic service):

1.Papas Arrugadas, 2. Sangria, 3. Pimientos de Padron, 4. Gambas al Ajillo

Gran Canaria has breathtaking and divers landscape:

1.Puerto de Mogan, 2. Gran Canaria Mountains, 3. Beach in Maspalomas, 4. Colors of the Blue Mountain

People of Gran Canaria enjoy ornamenting their homes and cities in a variety of ways - sometimes quite weird (but mostly beautiful):

1.Ceramic House Number, 2. Handmade Menu, 3. Ceramic Art in Mogan, 4. Street Art in Maspalomas 5

And last but not least, the flora of the island is fascinating:

1.Plants of Gran Canaria, 2. Puerto de Mogan, 3. Colors, 4. Plants of Gran Canaria

I hope I have a chance to go back there some day. I have not seen half of the things, the island has to offer.

It Pays to Give for Free

2010-02-07T14:32:00.006Z

Day 6/365 : When I was happy to hold all this money, originally uploaded by ~jjjohn~.
Sister Diane from CraftyPod and Paul Overton from DudeCraft (which is by the way one of my favourite blogs) have recently shared their ideas about Free - the concept of sharing your work for free to profit the community and ultimately yourself. You can listen to their podcast and read blog posts here and here to better understand the concept and what they think about it. I advise you to also read the comments because the discussion is really interesting.

After reading the posts mentioned above, I thought I will also share with you my thoughts about Free:

First of all, I love to share and I do it whenever I can. I volunteer for this opensource, democratic and contributive organization. I make jam, I don't really like and give it away to friends and family. I work with people on a number of art projects and I open my house to complete strangers (again, read about BeWelcome). All of this might make it easier for me to see the value in give-and-give situations. But I can also see how the concept gets more tricky if you try to make money of your handicraft. Persuading sceptics is never easy and much less so, when you are asking them to release their property and/or copy rights.

So, bugger the charity, good will and karma of it all. What is the real value of Free? What does one get out of giving out ones work if money are not involved? And the answer is: the network!

Consider this: the greatest marketing tool that exists is the all powerful word of mouth. When people speak about your positively your customer pool grows and you also get a third part endorsement - much more trustworthy for customers then your own advertisement. So, you want people to find you and you want them to talk about you to their friends and audiences.
Now, imagine you have created a beautiful scarf and sell it in your shop. You post about it in your blog and on twitter, and you add a photo to your flickr photostream. This means that there are 4 places where potential customers can find your scarf. Now imagine, that apart from the scarf you also release the pattern, for FREE, on your blog and Anna from blog X and Johnny from blog Y make your scarf from themselves. They love your pattern and they post about it in their blogs, linking to you. Now you have two bloggers who support your work and already 6 places where customers can find you.
Imagine farther on, that you are feeling particularly generous that day and decide to release your photo of the scarf under CreativeCommons attributive licence and I use it in my blog (like I did with the photo above). Now my readers who like your scarf can find you and who knows, maybe your photo is so great, that you will be asked to participate in writing a book, or an ebook about scarves!
Your network has grown by 3 blog audiences and millions of CreativeCommons browsers.

In this little scenario, what you lost was...nothing. What you gained was 3 more links on the internet and an enormous pool of potential customers who would not find you otherwise. And the community gained new free pattern and a photo that can be used by others to learn and adorn their work. I guess the math is simple on that.

Book Review: Doodle-Stitching by Aimee Ray

2010-02-06T15:21:00.005Z

Full Title: Doodle-Stitching. Fresh and Fun Embroidery for Beginners
Author: Aimee Ray
ISBN: 978-1-60059-061-0
Pages: 128
Language: English
Flickr Search: doodle-stitching aimee ray
Buy it: amazon.co.uk amazon.com play.com

Content: Embroider Your World - Embroidery Essentials - Materials and Tools: getting started - stitch library - sewing essentials - Projects - Patterns - Acknowledgements - About the Author - Notes About Suppliers - Index

In the book:
This book, as many other craft publication, is divided into two main parts: the general introduction to doodle-stitching and project directory.
In the first part, Aimee Ray provides a rather short but still competent and easily understandable description of the art of stitching. Just in case you are a total beginner (just like me), she starts with basic information about materials, tools and tips and tricks you need to start with this craft. The main part of this section, however, consists of the Stitch Library, where embroidery stitches are taught.
Second part of the book contains 29 embroidery projects. From difficult quilts and sawing projects to simple pins and ornaments, everyone will find something for themselves no matter their proficiency level. Aimee starts each project with enummerating what materials and stiches are needed, to complete the work and moves on to point-by-point instructions. Each project is also accompanied by beautiful, colorful images and helpful diagrams.

Strong points:
- 29 projects
- clear descriptions
- many, many beautiful pictures
- great graphic design

Weak points:
- Stitch Library could contain more interesting stiches

Conclusion:
Can you live without this book? Yes, you can. Can you doodle-stitch without this book? Absolutely! Do you want to? No, no, no...no, no. Aimee Ray's book is one of the very special publications that speak to your creative side. The beautiful images and fantastic designs in the book are sure to inspire you to try doodle-stitching on your own. Absolutely recommended.

Playing with Fire

2010-02-03T09:56:00.002Z

Just a quick post, dear readers, to let you know that I hunted me a treasury this morning. It is called Playing with Fire and explores how fire can be perceived in the crafts world (as allegory, tool or inspiration). So have a quick look and let me know what you think of it.

BeWelcome and Busy Me

2010-02-01T18:23:00.009Z

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was pretty good, but also really busy. It all started on Friday with special orders for my earrings from the new collection. Now, you will hear no complaint from me there! Nevertheless arranging the orders, packing and sending them out took some time.

Then, exactly as I suspected, I got impatient and posted the new collection into my etsy shop instead of waiting until the end of February! It's very exciting to see it finally out and about. The earrings are the first on the line and necklaces will follow soon so keep checking in.

I also worked on a new design for candle shades. And I am really happy with the outcome. The shades make beautiful light patterns and create something special out of the simple tea lights. The first pair is already for sale in the shop and they look like a great gift for St. Valentines day. I will continue with this project and I'm planning to write up tutorials for this design.

And also, all through the weekend, next to my craft projects I've been working for B eWelcome.org. Those of you who follow me on Twitter could have noticed some tweets about this great community. The basic idea of the organization is to provide a completly democratic, free and volunteer driven platform for travellers. Members can exchange ideas, tips and helpfull materials but the best part is that they also open their homes to others and meet in real life. You can read more about the project here.
As you can already see I'm completely in love with the idea and so I spent a lot of the weekend with other enthusiasts from around the world writing up and translating the community newsletter. I just love working with passionate people. Check out the website and join in the network of open doors around the globe - it only takes few minutes to fill in the form. And once you are a member, don't forget to give me a shout. You can find me under the username: demorganna.

Working on Earrings

2010-01-26T13:02:00.003Z

The last two days have been really beautiful over here. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and it feels like spring is just around the corner. Of course the weather forecast is telling me to get real and put those sunglasses away...

Anyway, now that the giveaway is finished and the earrings are on their way to Petronella, I can go back to my little den and work on more crochet jewellery and also on the promised blog re-design - in short work in progress as always.

I thought that while I'm working, I can show you a few cute pictures I took yesterday, while working on the earrings. I'm really loving the colors!

Giveaway Winner

2010-01-22T08:52:00.004Z

And the winner is...(drum roll)...kraplap! Congratulations

Kraplap, please contact me through email (crafty[dot]maria[dot]design[at]gmail[dot]com)
and send me your address, so you can enjoy the earrings as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you all for participating in this giveaway. I lack the heart of a capitalist cause I would now like to give the earrings to all of you... Anyway, stay tuned to hear about more fun to come!

Pre-Launch Earrings Giveaway

2010-01-20T10:08:00.006Z

Today a special treat for all my blog readers: collection pre-launch giveaway! What you can get is earrings from one of the photos to the left and the rules are very simple:

1. Choose the earrings you like the most (1-green, 2-blue, 3-yellow
and 4-yellow rounds)
2. Post a comment saying which ones you like most and where
would you were it (everyday, party, family functions, circus etc.).
No anonymity comments will be taken under consideration - I need
to know who wins!
3. On Friday (22.01) morning I will draw one name at random and
announce the lucky winner!

Simple, isn't it? So don't wait and post your comments. I can't wait to send one of these babies away :D

Earrings Tested on Animals

2010-01-17T12:49:00.005Z

I am a very fussy customer. When I buy something, I really want to get high quality and good value for my money. This often leads to swearing off certain brands or shops and arguing with dishonest sellers. So in general a bit of extra stress in my life.

But my fussiness has also positive aspects. For instance it makes me more sensitive to my own products' quality. I dread the idea that my customer would come back and complain about their purchase.

So when I made first earrings from the new 2010 Collection, I knew I had to make damn sure that they were durable. As a crazyhead woman, I know perfectly well that jewellery (especially the fav one) goes through a number of ordeals. It is often tugged at, taken off and put on repeatedly, and stuffed into bags and pockets.

To make sure that my new jewellery is up to the task, I gave my earrings the following treatment:

I wore them every day for a weak through normal day's chores and to a party
I wore them in bad, wet weather and heavy rain
I wore them under a hat
they travelled through 3 European countries stuffed into a pocket
they survived family Christmas with me
they were used as a toy for my cat (see picture)

And they are still pretty and in exactly the same shape as they were when I finished them. After this treatment, I can, with all honesty, say: approved for women's life!

(Note: no fat and lazy animal was hurt during this photoshoot)

Stripping the Blog

2010-01-15T16:12:00.002Z

So, I got tired with google blog templates. Their boring and every second person on the web uses them. In short, they are not worthy of a crafty person.

Now, I like to make plans and talk to people about fantastic projects that, in the end, never get realized. I talk myself out of them or I simply forget.

So this time, I decided to strip my blog of any design, until I learn how to create a really good blog design (or to modify a really good blog template). Keep your fingers crossed!

2010 LifeCreative Jewellery Collection

2010-01-12T15:42:00.006Z

I thought I might give you a sneak peek into the crochet jewellery collection I've been working on from the beginning of the year.

I'm having a lot of fun with this project. I really enjoy the process of crocheting and then starching the pieces to achieve the desired form. The items will be for sale in my etsy shop at the end of February! Or earlier if I can't wait any longer :)

You can see more photos here and here.

Polymer Clay Treasury

2010-01-09T09:49:00.005Z

Photo curtsy of rabinowitzorly

Following my recent fascination with polymer clay, I browsed etsy to see what polymer items are there. And I found an amazing variety of projects, from sculptures and household items, through beads and pendants, to buttons and pens.

And so, I decided to share my finds with the wide world through this treasury. Look around and enjoy the beautiful items.

Review: Polymer Clay Books

2010-01-06T08:16:00.005Z

Picture curtsy of Alkhymeia

I have recently rediscovered one of the most amazing craft materials, polymer clay. I grew envious of all those etsy clay artists and their fabulous projects (see my favorites) and decided to try for myself. Well, the first attempt was quite a failure...it just isn't as simple as it looks.

But loving the possibilities of polymer clay, I have decided not to give up and to keep on trying. Baby steps and so on, after all, practice makes the master.
To support my amateur tries, I bought (or was given) 3 polymer clay books:

The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques by Donna Kato
The Polymer Clay Techniques Book by Sue Heaser
Polymer Clay for the First Time by Syndee Holt

The first two books have their particular strenghts each. Donna Kato's book is an in depth study of one polymer clay technique and provides many examples of how to use millefiori in your projects. On the other hand, Sue Heaser's The Polymer Clay Techniques Books is a quick overwiew of over 50 techniques and can serve as a great beginner's guide to polymer clay.

Unfortunately, I have also purchesaed Polymer Clay for the First Time by Syndee Holt. And trust me, it was a mistake. The book is a perfect example in how NOT TO write craft books. It contains some meritorical advice and a few decent projects but most of the work shown in the book looks at the very best amaturish (and sometimes it is simply ugly). The color of the pages looks like from an old newspaper and, despite the fact that the book was published in 2005, project pictures are grim, poorly lighted and they all seem to have been taken on a table from the '50s which only adds to the unattractivness of the work presented. On top of it all the texts in the book are also written in rather poor English.
It is a toroughly uninspiring book and if this was my only source of knowledge about polymer clay, I would have thrown out my Fimo supplies and never come back to this material again. Trully shame.

Stay tuned for more in depth reviews of The Art of Polymer Clay Millefiori Techniques and The Polymer Clay Techniques Book.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-02T16:25:00.003Z

First of all, I'd like to wish all my readers and the entire craft community a very happy and insanly productive 2010!!!

Ah, 2nd of January, the day of reflections. The hangover after New Years party is gone and we can finally sit down and reflect over the last year and our plans for the year to come.

Just before NYE I stumbled upon this post in Yes and Yes blog and I thought that it was a great idea to concentrate on last years accomplishments. I am usually one of the "glass half empty and what are we going to do about this?!?" kind of person, so it would be only too easy for me to focus on what did not go so well in 2009. So, inspired by Sarah, I discarded all the unhappy thoughts and here is the list of things, I am proud about:

1. I finished my university degree with an outstanding result.
2. I worked with a great charity and learned a lot from them. This was also the moment when I realized what kind of job I want to do.
3. Together with my fiancé, we survived moving our lives to Denmark. It was not easy or stress-free.
4. I am learning Danish and have already passed 2 levels of state examinations.
5. I started to run. Ok, not very regularly, but there has been an improvement in my generla form.
6. I learned a lot about how to deal with my stress issues and I'm getting better at it.
7. I opened my Etsy store and this blog. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to craft and see your reactions to what I make. It has also opened a dam of creativity and I am constantly flooded with new ideas.
8. I got to travel around UK a bit and see Oxford, Cambridge and a few other places.
9. ...and I got engaged. OK, I know it is not an accomplishment, but still something to rejoice!

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper New Year period without...RESOLUTIONS. And no, I am not naive. I know perfectly well that, half of the items from the list below is never going to happen. But I like making plans, dreaming and writing up list. So here goes my resolutions:

1. I'll make a conscious effort to be more positive and open to new ideas, people and situations.
2. I'll run regularly
3. I'll apply for university to complete masters degree
4. I'll learn to speak Danish
5. I'll volunteer for a charity (preferably international development one)
6. I'll list more items in my etsy store and continue with this blog
7. I'll get married and not loose my mind (or make someone else loose theirs) over some unimportant detail
8. I'll write 2 short stories...

...there. I guess that's enough. I hope that in 2011, I will be able to report to you that I have accomplished all of the things on my 2010 list. And I wish you all that you will have beautiful dreams for the coming year and that you will find satisfaction in working to accomplish them.

Picture curtsy of Christopher Chan

What Goes Around Comes Around...

2009-12-28T12:16:00.009Z

I hope that your Christmas were as lovely as mine were. Have a look below to see some of the handmade gifts that I made for my family and friends and handmade and handmade-related presents that waited for me under the tree.

What goes around...
1. Crochet doilies, 2. Snowflake, 3. Bracelets, 4. Gloves, 5. Crochet hat, 6. Snowflake, 7. snowflakes, 8. Crochet hat with a snowflake

...comes around.
1. Shot Glasses fro m Etsy, 2. Jewellery Set from Etsy, 3. Books, 4. Photos from Bieszczady, 5. Fused Glass Plater, 6. Supplies

Just Before Christmas I Think of Spring

2009-12-20T19:29:00.004Z

Christmas is in a few days (YEY!) and all the handmade gifts are finished. I really cannot wait to see how my family and friends will like all the goodies I...that is Santa Clause...made for them.

Anyway, this pre-Christmas period was like a great craft workout. I made a lot of things in a short period of time. Each item was crafted with the thought of specific person in mind and it was a really fantastic and invigorating experience.

Now, that all the Christmas gifts are done, I can put my newly formed craft biceps to further use: 2010 LifeCreative Jewellery Collection!

I have 1000 ideas using the team of flowers. I plan to use rich, vivid colours and mixed media to create textured, lively pieces for girls and women of all ages.

A few sketches have already been put down on paper and some items started. But as my Christmas gift to you I decided to share the photos of my first necklace from the new collection.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

2009-12-19T16:23:00.003Z

This is my sacrifice to the gods of weather so that they may be so kind as send us snowy Yule this year! Pretty please :)
The photos are of snowflakes I crocheted recently and of beautiful snowy days in Aarhus, DK.

1. snowflake, 2. snow in Aarhus, 3. snow in Aarhus, 4. snow in Aarhus, 5. snowflake, 6. snow in Aarhus, 7. snowflakes, 8. snow in Aarhus

Honey Vodka for Cold Winter Nights

2009-12-10T14:23:00.005Z

The weather here in Denmark is truly sad nowadays. It's wet and grey and there is not much sun at all. So to get myself up I decided to brew me Honey Vodka!!!

It is a fantastic drink to savour in the long, dark, winter evenings. It warms you right up. And it smells like Christmas :D

PS. Because of the lack of light, I did not take any pictures myself. The image above is curtsy of Kacper (accessible under Creative Commons licence). Click on the photo to see it on Flickr.

Honey Vodka Recipe:
Ingredients
- 0,5 l. vodka (you can use spirit instead if you like it stronger)
- 1 glass of honey
- 2 oranges
- 1 lemon
- 3 tbls of grounded coffee
- spices (carnation, ginger root, cinamon bark, nutmeg, vanilla pod...etc. - you should experiment and find your taste).

Preparations:
- Warm honey on a slow fire till it becomes clear (use saucepan with thick bottom)
- Add 1/2 glass cold water
- Add grated peels of 2 organes and 1 lemon
- Cut organges in slices and add them too
- Add juice from half a lemon
- Add spices and adjust for taste
- Brew coffee in 3/4 glass of water and add it to the saucepan (but without grinds)
- Boil everything together and then cool it all down
- Pure it in a large jar and store it in a cold place.
- After two weeks strain through a fine sieve and store the clear liquor for another two weeks.

And enjoy! :)

Flickr Mosaic

2009-12-08T14:39:00.003Z

My flickr mosaic curtsy of a great tip by Carina from Carina's Craftblog

1. IMG_3526, 2. Crocheting on Cam, 3. colors, 4. 3flowerbrooch1, 5. 3brown1, 6. IMG_3585, 7. One pumpkin..., 8. IMG_2474, 9. earrings, 10. IMG_3596, 11. IMG_2633, 12. IMG_2591

Paper Craft: Christmas Decorations

2009-12-03T16:42:00.006Z

Now, ordinarily I am not the biggest fan of paper crafts. They just seem...temporary...to me. But, when you think about this, what better time to create temporary pieces of arts, than Christmas.

There is a long tradition in Poland of cutting shapes out of paper (see: here and here) and so every kid at school gets to do at least a couple around various holidays. So I sat down yesterday and, willing my brains to remember the school times, I made these snowflakes:

They look lovely in the window, unfortunately the weather outside is not very Christmas-y (grey skies and rain) and so the picture is nowhere near pretty enough.

I thought I will also take the time and show you how I made it (especially since it is not very difficult).

1. Take a piece of paper and fold one corner to the side.

2. Cut off the outstanding piece of paper so that you are left with a square.

3. Fold square along the diagonal line (now you have a triangle).

4. Fold it 2 more times, every time joining the 2 furthest corners.

5. Now you can start cutting. Many minute cuts make for the most intricate shapes.

6. Unfold and voila!
7. To straighten the folds, you can iron your snowflakes or keep them overnight in a thick book.
8. Connect snowflakes with white thread. You can hang them on the window frame or use as garlands.

Note: You can fold the triangles more times, it's all up to you. You can also use any symmetrical shapes (circles, hexagon etc.)

Christmas sneak a peak

2009-12-01T13:09:00.010Z

Ok, so it is finally December and so it's time for my first truly Christmas post. The only problem is that for that I cannot blog about the projects I worked on for the last three weeks! Why? Real Santa doesn't give and tell...at least not in advance.

And so I suffered in silence with so many lovely items in front of me. And I so wanted to share it with you.

And finally today I snapped. Here is a sneak peak into two beautiful projects. You cannot see the entire item but at least you can enjoy the lovely crisp blues. I am also particularly proud of the texture of both items. The yarn feels soft under your fingers, but the way it is knotted provides for a very interesting, 3D effect.

Working on the projects, I have also discovered an interesting thing about my creativity. Namely, I am much more inspired and work faster when the item, I am making, is for a person I know. Not only my creative juices flow in abundance but I am also more motivated to work. Very rewarding.

Maybe this is the trick for the future. Always work with a person in mind.

Hopenhagen - become a citizen

2009-11-29T11:16:00.003Z

On the 7th of December representatives of 129 countries will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to take decisions regarding climate change.

By signing this UN sponsored petition you can help the leaders to realise how important climate protection is to the citizens of the world.

Don't miss out on the chance of having your voice heard. Become a citizen!

Book Review: Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs

2009-11-25T13:50:00.004Z

Full Title: Beyond the Square - Crochet Motifs. 144 Circles, Hexagons, Triangles, Squares, and other Unexpected Shapes.
Author: Edie Eckman
ISBN: 978-1-60342-039-6
Pages: 202
Language: English
Flickr Search: Eckman crochet motifs
Buy it: amazon.co.uk amazon.com play.com

Content: Imagine - Quick Start Guide - Crochet Motif Workshop: A Word About Yarn; Sizing and Gauge; Following Instructions; Reading Charts; Getting Started; Beginning the Round; Ending the Round; Color Considerations; All Those Ends!; Joining Motifs; Principles of Flatness; Taking it to the Next Level; Edgings; Make it Your Own; Designing with Motifs - Circles - Hexagons - Triangles - Squares - Unusual Shapes - Appendix - Index - Stitch Key

How the book is organised:
The book is divided into two main sections: workshop and motifs.

The first part contains a brief introduction to crocheting in general and to stitching motifs in particular. The author provides a wide variety of useful technical tips on matters such as joining blocks, ending or shaping your work. Additionally reader will find inspiring notes on choosing colours and creating your own designs.

The second part of the book focuses on particular motifs: circles, hexagons, squares, and unusual shapes - 144 instructions in total. Each motif gets its own page with the colourful picture, clear graphical diagram and text instruction. Descriptions of motifs are meticulous and very easy to understand.

Strengths of the book:
1. Clear, easy to read instructions
2. Clear page layout
3. Great tips for crocheters

Weaknesses of the book:
1. Not all designs are aesthetically well done
2. Some motifs are repetitive
3. Despite its introductory part, this book is not suitable for beginners
Conclusion:
Edie Eckman's book is one of my favourite crochet compendiums for two reasons. First of all it is a fantastic tool for someone who, like me, loves to design their own creations. You can mix and match your favourite motifs and come up with brilliant ideas, just by browsing the book. It is really inspirational!
And second of all, you have to love a book that contains dedication: For Mom, with Love :)
These, combined with the very good quality of instructions and diagrams results in a fantastic book for intermidate and proficient crocheters.

Shop Re-Opened!

2009-11-21T10:44:00.004Z

Yey! After a few months break my etsy shop is opened again. Very exciting!

I started with relisting my old favourites. You will also find a new line of 80s style earrings.

And the best things is that if this Saturday and Sunday you spend at least $8 in my shop you will get the shipping free!

Buy Handmade Pledge

2009-11-16T19:46:00.002Z

I pledge that this Christmas all the gifts I give will be handmade. I will make as many of them as I can myself. The ones I cannot make myself, I will buy from independent artists and crafters.

I will also ask for handmade gifts from my family and friends.

If you want to ensure that handmade market is alive and kicking, do the same. Go to http://buyhandmade.org, sign the pledge and post the pledge banner on you website.

Silkeborg Puppet Festival: The Opening

2009-11-13T09:27:00.006Z

Yesterday night, I had the chance to participate in the opening performance of Silkeborg Dukketeater Festival. Thalias Kompagnons proposed an unforgettable rendition of Mozart's Magic Flute.

Tristan Vogt and Joachim Torbahn chose an unorthodox method of communication with the audience - namely by video camera. Not only did we have the chance to see puppets acting on the large screen, but also the, usually backstage, workshop of the puppeteers.

My first thought, when I saw the screen and the camera, was: why are those guys giving up the biggest advantage that the theatre has over television - live audience interaction?!? Turned out, they didn't. Not only did the troupe interacted with the audience, not only Tamino and Papageno winked at us from the screen, but also Daniel Gloger - contre tenor, who sung almost all the parts - acted with his entire self. It was fantastic!

Thalias Kompagnons combined new media technologies, sketchy decorations, simple puppets and loads of creativity. And the result was an uncanny feast for imagination and a healthy portion of laugh.

After the performance, I found myself inspired to dive into the world of puppetry - I've got to tell you, this is a whole different kind of craft!

Photo curtsy of this website.

Celebrating Autumn: Pumpkin Buns

2009-11-08T13:20:00.005Z

Don't they just look delicious? I baked these pumpkin buns yesterday and, despite it being my first time, they came out quite nice. They are very soft and airy inside and they have this amazing aroma of cardamom (even though I added much more cinnamon and clove). They taste fantastic with smelly soft cheeses and gruyère although I must say I like them with apple and ginger jam as well.
The only disadvantage is that the pumpkin taste is completely lost in them...pity. Anyway, I found the recipe here - well of cooking and baking inspirations! I promise to translate it for you in the next few days so stay tuned.

My Creative Space and New Project

2009-11-06T14:41:00.004Z

I haven't had my own, properly separated creative space since I was a school kid. But in our new apartment there is a spare room where we keep all the mess and two desks. And I've got to tell you, it feels fantastic to be able to arrange my own piece of room in exactly the way I want it. My creativity level spikes immediately when I sit in my chair and in front of my desk. It is just great!
Examples of my creativity spikes include polymer clay beads, embroidery project, textile jewellery and wild hoards of images of bags, bracelets, hats and buttons. Now I only have to sit down and work on all of this - see you in a few years :D

Celebrating Autumn: Colors

2009-10-30T11:12:00.005Z

Colors are God's way to help us deal with the gloom of autumn. Below are some colorful inspirations from today morning's walk in the park. Enjoy!

Celebrating Autumn: And What if I Get Ill

2009-10-26T13:20:00.003Z

It is hard to celebrate or enjoy autumn if you have to do it from your bed with a sore throat, headache and 40C degree fever. In the capricious autumnal weather it is easy to catch a cold. Luckily, nature provides us as well with a lot of natural remedies and immune system boosters. Today 3 ideas of how to go through the fall using your own kitchen stock.

The Terrible Mixture

What for:
Sore throat, general cold and muscle soreness. Garlic has the qualities of natural antibiotics and can kill germs! Ginger and honey smooth the aching throat and lemon provides your system with C vitamin.

Ingredients:
1. garlic
2. ginger root
3. honey
4. lemon

How-To:
1. Chop garlic and ginger
2. Pour hot water over it and let it brew for 5 minutes
3. Add lemon and honey
4. Drink while warm

Onion Milk

What for:
Does wonders for sore throat.

Ingredients:
1. onion
2. milk

How-To:
1. Peal onion and cut it to several pieces
2. Boil the onion in milk
3. Drink milk while hot
4. You can add honey to sweeten the drink

Zombie Elixir

What For:
Kills the germs and makes sure your cold won't develop.

Ingredients:
1. 40% vodka (any kind, the taste really shouldn't be your main concern)
2. 250g of garlic

How-To:
1. Chop garlic
2. Pour alcohol over choped garlic and keep it in closed jars for two weeks. The jars should be kept in warm place, possibly in the sun.
3. After two weeks throw away the garlic and keep the alcohol (it will reach the color of muddy kiwi juice...yummy)
Hint: don't use jars or bottle you actually like - you won't be able to get rid of the garlic smell.
4. When you feel a cold is coming on drink 10 drops of elixir in a glass of water before every meal.

Remember: the remedies work and can support your immune system in fighting the head cold but they are not a substitute for medical advice in case of prolonged illness.

Celebrating Autumn: And All That Jam...

2009-10-17T09:06:00.005+01:00

So I live near this botanical garden, which is in fact a big park, and no one pick up the apples from the trees in there ... anyway, long story short: I had a few spare apples on my hands. I am not the biggest fan of jams, jellies, marmalades etc. but the apples were a bit too sour to eat them like just like that - so jam it is. The recipe below was taken from Polish newspaper but then considerably modified and adjusted by me.

The recipe for Spicy Apple and Ginger Jam (For roughly1,5l of jam):

Ingredients:
1kg apples
300g of ginger (or less if you don't like the jam too spicy)
500g sugar (or less if you don't like your jam too sweet)
1 table spoon of dried ginger
a few cloves
3 table spoons of cinnamon
(you can also add vanilla or cardamom - depends on your taste)

Preparation:
1. Peel and cut the apples removing the seeds and put it in a large pot
2. Peel and cut ginger and add to apples
3. Add 0,5l water and boil until soft (around an hour). Don't boil it too hard and consider adding more water if you see there is not enough left in the pot (don't overdo it or you'll make the jam too watery)
4. Add spoonfuls of sugar and stir. Add as much sugar as you think is necessary for your taste.
5. Add the spices and stir - let it boil for another 10 min.

If the jam comes out too watery you can either boil it longer until the water steams away or you can add a bit of jelly fix powder.

Ginger has the tendency not to get entirely soft during boiling - if you prefer you can put the apples and ginger into food processor before cooking or use hand blender after.

6. Put the warm jam into clean jars. Screw the tops tight and boil the jars in hot water for 10 minutes - the jam is now pasteurized and can keep in closed jars for up to one year.

This jam is ok for sandwiches, waffles and crumbles but I also like to add it to my black tea.

Let me know if you tried this recipe and what came out of it!

Celebrating Autumn: The Pumpkin

2009-10-11T12:31:00.004+01:00

First of all, I love pumpkins! This is what it will say on my grave...or at least in my post-mortem biography.

I love everything about pumpkins: the colors, the shape, the smells and the tastes. And most of all I love the fact that so few people in Europe know what to do with pumpkins which makes them at cheap and, at the same time, exotic food.

There are many pumpkin varieties but here in Denmark you can only buy two kinds of pumpkins, the halloween kind (they are destined to end up as jack-o-lanterns) and the hokkaido. The former one is watery, large and very cheap and is perfect for pumpkin curry soup (recipe below) and the later is more expensive but sweet and is prefered for the pies.

So, the other week I took a trip to a place called Bazaar (a topic for whole other post) and bought myself some pumpkin, Baby! And here is what I did with it.

Jack-O-Lantern/Halloween Pumpkin Preparation

1. Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seed nest with a spoon
2. Roast it in the oven, skin up, for 1h at 180C - remember to roast pumpkin in a deep dish. It will give out a lot of juice and can flood your oven otherwise.
3. After an hour check if the pulp is soft and let the pumpkin cool down
4. Scoop out the pumpkin pulp, divide it in portions and freeze for further use

Sweet and Spicy: Pumpkin Curry Soup

You will need:
- pumpkin pulp
- curry powder (or ingredients for curry powder)
- olive oil
- onion - sliced
- 2 carrots - sliced
- 2 potatoes - sliced
- you can also use other root vegetables such as celeriac or parsnip
- salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up the oil in a large pot, add curry powder and let it fry for 2 minutes
2. Lower the heat to medium and add onions
3. When onions are glossy add carrots and potatoes (and any other roots) and steer well
4. Add pumpkin pulp
5. Add water and boil till the vegetables are soft
6. Blend the soup and spice it to taste (cayenne pepper fits well with this soup)

You might also want to add some vegetable stock with the water. You can also use fresh (not roasted) pumpkin - in that case cut pumpkin in smaller pieces and remember that it will take a little but longer to boil until soft.

Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds or garlic bread croûtons (mhhhmmm).

What is Craft?

2009-10-05T12:36:00.002+01:00

--A craft is a skill, especially involving practical arts. It may refer to a trade or particular art. [Wikipedia]
--trade: the skilled practice of a practical occupation;
--skill in an occupation or trade;
--make by hand and with much skill;
[Google]

But do these definitions accurately describe the present day phenomenon of craft? Is cooking a craft? Is baking? Jam making? Hair styling? And what about blowing circles out of cigarette smoke? What do you consider a craft? What definitely is not? Do you have your own definition that describes the concept better? I would like to hear from you before I tell you what I came up with. Leave comments and take part in the poll to let me know what you think.

Not Really on Holidays

2009-10-03T16:33:00.005+01:00

I haven’t been posting much in the last 2 weeks, my twitter activity has also gone waaaaay down and my Etsy shop is closed. But, despite how it looks like, I am not on holidays.

I have now finally moved to Denmark and my days are filled with unpacking and arranging, cleaning and sorting out.

Also my crafty activities have now been replaced with window cleaning and soaping of wooden shelves to smooth out the surface (which is btw. a very interesting process and I will write about it more, once the shelves are finished and I can see the result with my own eyes).

So, due to all the work that is still left to do at our new home and the fact that I do not have internet connection for now, I will post less for the next few weeks. To make sure you will not abandon me during this time, here comes a few lovely pictures from our trip to Pułtusk near Warsaw and down the river Narew. Please, make note of the fact that we did this trip on the 26th of September...have a look at the colors and the weather.

Protest Post: Let Christmas be in December

2009-09-22T14:03:00.003+01:00

Christmas related items have already started to pop up here and there, on craft portals and blogs. Pretty, felted Christmas trees and Santa Clauses, embroideries with elves and so on and so forth. Despite the fact, that these creations are often very beautiful and/or interesting, I REFUSE TO GET INTERESTED. It is SEPTEMBER, people! Why ignore September? Why ignore autumn? It is after all, the most beautiful time of the year (at least in some countries)!

I have decided that I will ignore Christmas until December and instead lead "Love Your Autumn" campaign. Send me your beautiful autumn pictures or post them on your blogs and link back here! For starters, here are some warm colors of Polish September.

Reading Meme - Celebrate Books

2009-09-17T18:48:00.003+01:00

Today, I read this post by Snowbell and, because I love reading, I decided to do the Reading Meme as well.

Books accompanied me since my first days of life. Before I was old enough to do it myself, my parents took time every evening to read a piece from Tove Jansson's The Exploits of Moominpappa or the fantastic Polish adventure series Pan Samochodzik. My books and reading habits define me as a person and can say a lot about me. So here comes a part of my soul.

Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
I don't do that. I am usually too absorbed to even change position when my back starts hurting. I can't even count the times I missed the bus stop...

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I don't have any scruples about marking in books although I mostly only do it to my university texts.

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears?
I tried to get into the habit of caring a bookmark with me but it never really worked. I can't remember to put it back in after I'm done reading and certainly I can't remember to move it from book to book. Most of the time I simply remember the page number.

Laying the book flat open?
Yes, I do it. Shame on me, I know.

Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
I think the majority of books I read are fiction. But I also enjoy an occasional history book, or psychology and communications related publications. And one cannot forget all my crafts books.

Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy! My partner has an e-book reader (he reads a lot of big, fat programming manuals and it's better for his back to have them on small e-reader) and I tried to get to like it but no such luck. I like to touch and smell an old paper book.

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
It really depends on a book. I remember reading The Horse Whisperer during one night but now, when I am older and have more patience, I take my time savoring books.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
No, unless a word really buggers me and I cannot understand it from the context.

What are you currently reading?
I'm enjoying the fact that I am back in Poland and have easy access to Polish literature. I'm swallowing book after book from Polish fantasy and classics. At the moment I'm reading Widmokrąg by Wojciech Kuczok and Homo bimbrownikus by Andrzej Pilipiuk. Additionally I have a few non-fiction books started, Online Marketing Inside Out by Brandon Eley and Shayne Tilley and Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

What is the last book you bought?
Widmokrąg by Wojciech Kuczok

Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
I guess the answer to this question is two questions up!

Do you have a favorite time of day and/or place to read?
I always read before falling asleep. Even when I am very tired I like to read at least a few pages (or even sentences). And other than that I love to read during long journeys by train. Nothing better than that!

Do you prefer series books or stand alone books?
No real preferences here. Although I do tend to buy books of the same authors again and again if I enjoy it.

Is there a specific book or author that you find yourself recommending over and over?
I love the early books of Jonathan Carroll. Especially The Marriage of Sticks

How do you organize your books? (By genre, title, author’s last name, etc.?)
Hmm...mostly by genre and language (we have books in Polish, English, French, German and Danish) but we have no strict system here.

How-To Tuesdays: Going in Crochet Circles pt. 1

2009-09-15T11:11:00.011+01:00

One of the fundamental skills a crocheter should acquire is crocheting circles. This form provides basis for many crochet projects, is effective and, in fact, very simple to create.

Today I will show you the simplest method of starting crochet circle.

1. Crochet 6ch (in case you are using bulkier yarn, less ch may be in order)

2. Join the the last and the first chain loop by slip stitch. This is your foundation circle

3. Put the hook through the whole in the middle of your foundation circle. Pull yarn through so that you have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull it through the two loops. Repeat all around the foundation circle. You can make the stitches tighter or less tight depending on how many stitches you need.

4. When you have stitches all around the foundation circle, join loops with slip stitch and start next round. From the second round pull hook through back of first round stitches. You can use single, half-double or double stitches.

DO NOT forget to increase the number of stitches to keep your circle flat.

Stencil Art in Warsaw

2009-09-14T08:10:00.004+01:00

This Saturday we had a walk around my favorite nooks of Warsaw. We bought 6 CDs and 4 books, had delicious vegetarian meal, drunk fantastic ice tea and took plenty of photos. So, I decided to divide the photos in several topics and today I will show you the stencil art that we came across.

I simply love this face. I wish I knew the author.

It reads: Steal, Steal, Steal.

And this lovely stencil spells: ASS

Crochet Gloves in Organic Green

2009-09-10T12:40:00.006+01:00

So here, I haven't been all that lazy after all. I started the gloves back in London and crocheted them all the way through Europe. I guess, this is the most international project I have worked on so far.

I love the slender look the gloves give my hand. They, well actually so far only one of them, is 20cm long and reaches up to mid of my lower arm. They are made with my favorite organic cotton, so soft and smooth in touch. Still, loving them as much as I do, I have to figure out glove measurements so I can post them online and share them with you! Otherwise they will only fit me. Anyone has any ideas?

And below is a bonus photo of The Glove attacking Local Tiger during her afternoon nap.

(Not so) lazy day

2009-09-08T15:37:00.003+01:00

I was going to spend this day relaxing and sipping iced coffee on my parents balcony. I planned to write How-To Tuesday post but not much more. No such luck. I grabbed the brush and painted the fence in my parents' garden. I thought it would take me an hour at the most. Instead, I lost all day.
Then again, the day was nice and sunny and the neighbors very friendly. Have a look at my parents' jungle garden.

Shh...look at the local tiger at the water pond...

On the Move

2009-09-07T08:17:00.002+01:00

Ah, finally there is time to sit down and write a little something. The past two weeks were truly chaotic and left me with overwhelming feeling of surreality. The events, although planned and executed in logical order, just don't seem real to me.

So, let's see what has happened so far:
1. Packing boxes in London
2. Shipping boxes to Aarhus
3. Closing bank accounts, paying last bills and getting flat deposit back
4. Getting on a 24h bus ride (London-Brussels-Hamburg-Aarhus)
5. Unpacking some of Peter's boxes to find necessary items (where the hell are plates?!?)
6. Attempting to legitimize my stay in Aarhus (so far I only managed to get a library card)
7. London boxes arrive
8. Unpacking some boxes to find clothes etc.
9. Marveling at the mess created...
10. Getting on a 12h train ride (Aarhus-Berlin-Warsaw)
11. Realizing how many things we forgot to take from Aarhus
12. Making cherries in chocolate for my friends hen night
13. Great hen night party!
14. Sleeping it off

And if we extend this time line to include coming Wednesday, then there is also my friends wedding to attend.

Luckily we are staying in Poland until the end of September. I've got time to relax, write on this blog, tweet and work on more craft projects that I have in mind.

Packed and Shipped

2009-08-28T11:00:00.003+01:00

This post has (almost) nothing to do with crafting but I couldn't help myself, I had to share with you the images of our life packed in boxes.

It is the first time when I actually move all my earthly possessions. Before that it was always: pack your backpack with what you need and go. It gives me a funny tingling feeling of something new beginning in my life. (Oh my god, I'm so adult!)

And now the crafting part: I just love the tones of blue created by the wrapping foil!

19 Craft Locations around London

2009-08-26T11:56:00.001+01:00

An important note I forgot to add at first: this map was put together with the help of London Stitch&Bitch group and my Twitter followers. Thank you guys!
View Craft in London in a larger map

How-To Tuesdays: Getting the Most Out of Your Twitter Account

2009-08-25T13:59:00.005+01:00

Once you follow more than 200 people it becomes difficult to really use Twitter for what it is - minibloging platform. The constant stream of tweets can become overwhelming, making many users discouraged with the tool. Below are my ideas of how to not only manage Twitter information flow but also get most advantage from your account.

1. Take time reading at least some of the tweets on your time line - after all this is what Twitter is all about. I am constantly amazed at what wonderful things I find by following tweets. Obviously it is impossible to read all the tweets, unless you want to do only this all day long. I find it is a good practice to take set aside a given amount of time every day to read a sample of tweets. Treat it like the daily newspaper. This solution has the added benefit of making you more careful about who you want to follow. You can't read all the tweets - so make sure that you only see the ones that count!

2. Read all tweets of a few chosen people. Among those that I follow, there are several fantastic bloggers. Each and every of their tweets carry great value and I don't want to miss them. I keep a their twitter pages bookmarked and at least once a week read all of thier tweets. It is always worth my time.

3. Take time to check who follows you. Every day I check the list of my new followers. I do not blindly follow back. I open every account, read their bio and follow the webpage link they provide. This not only allows me to weed out the spammers and "instant_money_makers", but I get the chance to discover interesting websites and find great craft shops. I only follow people who have the potential to add value to my stream of tweets.

Elfish Elegance or Few of My Favortie Etsy Items

2009-08-21T22:00:00.003+01:00

I was hunting for an etsy treasury for the past week. Tonight, after setting up an alarm clock and staring at the screen intently for an hour or so, I managed to finally get one.

It is really gratifying to be able to showcase your favorite items from other sellers. Especially so, for someone who wasts a lot of time browsing crafty creations...

Nevertheless, the system Etsy has in place is really frustrating and I am not sure when I will be bothered again to hunt another one of treasuries. I think someone should rethink the idea and maybe allow you to book slots for the future or allow more treasuries...I know the problem isn't one that can be solved simply, but I think it is worth putting some effort into.

Anyway, enjoy my treasury here.

My First Brownies Ever

2009-08-21T19:52:00.002+01:00

Tonight, I baked my first brownies ever. They are very good and I feel so proud, that I just had to share it with you!

This was the first time I have ever baked anything else than bread so it really feels good. So to all of you out there who, like me, are afraid of baking, I say: go for it!

Now I need to clean my kitchen, also known as the battlefield...

My Craft Locations in London

2009-08-19T13:33:00.002+01:00

I am soon leaving London for good and in the process of packing I was inspired to organize my knowledge of the city. Below is web address to google map with London craft venues I know and like:

http://tinyurl.com/nl6qbc

To make this map more useful for others I think it would be great to add more addresses to the list. Leave comments with your favorite (or most hated) venues and I will place them on the map.

How-To Tuesdays: What Should I Tweet About

2009-08-18T15:29:00.007+01:00

There has recently been a lot of chatter among the social networking savvies about the quality of tweets. According to data analytics provider, Pear Analytics, 40% of all messages on Twitter constitute pointless bubble. What they mean by pointless bubbles is not even spam (3.75%) but rather messages of the "I feel like ice-cream" kind.

Sure enough, the numbers change if we pay more attention to who we choose to follow. Nevertheless, these stats uncover the sad truth about Twitter - many people don't know what the tool is for and don't know how to use it.

What should I tweet about? - the answer will vary from person to person, depending on their personal style, the reason they joined Twitter in the first place and what their followers might be interested about.
When you are a crafter you should divid your tweets into two categories: self-promotional and community-minded. Use 15% to 20% of self-promotional tweets and 80% to 85% community-minded ones and you will be fine.

1. Because Twitter is ALSO a marketing tool:
Let's not kid ourselves, most of us joined Twitter to promote our craft. Yes, we want to connect with other crafters and read what's new on etsy but mostly, we are there to let people know about our latest projects. And that's ok.

Twitter is a potent marketing tool and, if used properly, will direct traffic to your shop and blog. Tell your followers about new handmade items you posted to your shop. Most of them follow you for this information exactly. Tell them about the great feedback someone left, after purchesing the fabulous bracelet you made. They will share your excitement.

2. Because Twitter is NOT ONLY a marketing tool:
Once you shared links to your shop and blog, realise that Twitter is not only about self-promotion. It is also about the community:

- share knowledge (by posting links to articles, tutorials and blog posts)
- share finds (by posting links to craft artists or objects you find amazing)
- retweet valuable tweets
- share your craft moments (tweet about inspirations or lack of these)

And most of all, be personal about your tweets!

Autumn Doodling

2009-08-16T14:19:00.002+01:00

Despite it still being plain summer, I was in an autumn mood the last few days.

This year, I get to spend September, the most magnificent month, in Poland. This makes me think of the colors and smells of my country and the beauty of "Golden Polish Autumn".

So, out of this melancholy came thoughts of Autumn Collection by Crafty Maria Design. I doodled and doodled and I came up with several ideas for hats and gloves. The results will soon be published here and in my etsy shop.

I am also considering changing this blog's design and playing with wire jewelry. These feel like good challenges for long autumn evenings...

How-To Tuesdays: Twitter 101 - How to Get your First 100 Followers

2009-08-11T14:56:00.007+01:00

To keep myself in check and post regularly, as well as write quality content for you guys, I have decided to start a new posting series: How-To Tuesdays. Once a week I will write how-to posts about craft techniques, craft projects, online marketing, blog writing, selling craft and whatever else will come to my head.

Today first of the series: Twitter 101 - How to Get your First 100 Followers

Twitter is an extremely useful online marketing tool for craft sellers. 140 character messages - the essence of Twitter - are perfect to notify your followers about new items in your shops, articles you wrote and interesting things you found on the web. But for the tool to be useful you have to ensure that a considerable number of people read what you are writing. Here is how to go about getting your first followers in 5 steps:

1. When you create your account do not neglect adding photo, bio and link to your shop, blog or webiste. As with any other online activity, empty profiles work like repelants to online community.

2. Once you have created your account, go ahead and follow big brands and authorities in your field. If you plan to use Twitter to promote your etsy shop start by following Etsy or Artfire . If you are more interested in human rights, follow Human Rights Watch etc.

3. After finding the big names, check who follows them. If someone is interest in etsy, there is a good chance they will be interested in your crafty tweets too. Follow them. Do not be afraid to follow too many people. You don't have to read each and every tweet. If someone turns out to be spamming or boring you, you can always unfollow them. Following people is the best way to get followers!

4. Use Twitter Directories such as WeFollow or TwitR. Add yourself to categories that describe your interest (for instance craft, handmade and etsy or humanrights, travel and development). In each directory you can only use three tags so choose them carefully. Thanks to directories, other Twitter users will be able to find your account. But remember to also use the directories to find people you might like to follow.

5. And last but not least create valuable content. To make sure that people will follow you and stay loyal to your tweets, make sure that what you're writing is of value and interest to others.

And always remember, Twitter might be a very easy way to promote your shop but it doesn't mean that you don't have to put any effort. It takes a certain amount of work to create and cultivate good relationship with your follower base. Don't believe in easy solutions ("I'll show you how to get a 100 followers a day!") and stay personal.

Next Tuesday: What Should I Tweet About?

Space Invaders Earrings

2009-08-09T10:20:00.006+01:00

Inspired by my success with the bracelet I sat down yesterday to make earrings to fit. They came out nice and perky. Unfortunately the endings in small objects are even more difficult to make. I did my very best but I will have to continue practicing until I get the trick.

One way or another I still love the technique.

I hope you are having great Sunday!

Space Invaders Bracelet

2009-08-08T09:24:00.006+01:00

I have recently bought beading loom - it was really cheap and I couldn't stop myself - and during the past few days I had a crack at it.

The choice of pattern for my first project was quite obvious. As an old geek, friend of geeks and a geek fiancé I was obliged by geek law to start 0with space invaders (if I had more colors, it would have to be old school Mario Bros).

So, with the pattern in mind and the instructions from The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques in my hand, I was off to a great start. The beginning was very easy and the pattern showed immediately. And I was doing a very good job all the way until I managed to tangle the beading thread and had to cut and reattach it. Which in turn caused some nasty knots on the side of the bracelet - well, I guess this means that I will wear it, rather then sell it in my etsy shop.

Beading on a loom turned out to be a great technique. Very simple and effective. It is easy to introduce the pattern and control it while beading.

And it would be an amazing way of creating jewelery, if not the problem of ending the project. I find it incredibly difficult to find fasteners that would fit beading bracelet. Any gold, silver or metal in general is too heavy for minute beads and beaded endings seem unreliable.

This time I stick to simply knotting the threads, once the bracelet is on my wrist. I think it looks very well and fits the style of this bracelet but I am not sure if it is "professional" enough. So I am still on a quest for better solution. Anyone has some ideas?

Discoveries of Frugal Life - part 1.

2009-08-03T10:39:00.004+01:00

The other day I went to my local supermarket to buy, among others, a toothpaste. Following the frugal tips and tricks I made a point of looking above and below my usual line of sight. And the difference in prices stunned me.

Regular brand-name toothpaste - £2.53
No-brand toothpaste from the bottom shelf - £0.17
Difference - £2.36

To be honest, I have to say I was really scared to pick up the £0.17 variety. After all there has to be some kind of reason why the price difference is so huge. But after checking the ingredients I had to conclude that both pastes seemed very similar. I decided to take the risk!

Result:
- my teeth are as clean as before
- my breath is as minty
- my wallet is heavier by £2.36
- my conscious consumer self feels proud

When I run out of soap, I will definitely try the no-brand one!

Book Review: The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques

2009-07-31T17:27:00.009+01:00

I love Amazon. I am crazy about this website even though it eats up loads of my money. This week two more books got purchased and delivered, through no fault of my own...kinda.

Anyway, I want to tell you about The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques. I saw this book in the store the other day and thumped through it. It looked interesting but I wasn't prepared to spend £13 on it. The same day, I browsed Amazon decided to check the price on the book: £6.11! Even with the shipping it is £5 cheaper!!!

The book came yesterday and I have just finished reading it. It is truly great!

The authors, Sara Withers and Stephanie Burnham, go through all the basic techniques that use beads of any kind. From paper embroidery, through knotting, wire knitting and loom beading, to beadweaving. Each page contains clear images and easy descriptions, accompanied by pictures of finised projects - for inspiration!

At the end of the book, there is also a chapter with beaded works of arts. Makes me wanna grab my loom and never stop working :)

I love the book for the variety of techniques it offers, easy-to-follow instructions and the great images. If you are looking for advanced projects in one of the techniques this is probably not the book for you. However if you are just looking to start with beading and jewellery making - that is a perfect publication.

Full title: The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide, with an Inspirational Gallery of Finished Works
Author: Sara Withers and Stephanie Burnham
Published by: Search Press
ISBN: 978-1-84448-047-0
Pages: 160
Language: English
Amazon.co.uk: The Encyclopedia of Beading Techniques

Crochet beading: How-To

2009-07-28T08:58:00.013+01:00

This weekend I was working more on crochet beading. It is a great technique and can result in beautiful jewelery. However, at the beginning it can also be quite frustrating. I decided to pass on what I learned, so you can hopefully be spared the frustration and go on straight to the fun!

1. Making the chart

In crochet beading, in order to introduce any complicated design, you have to start with a chart. Once you know the trick, making the chart is not difficult.

- Draw 6, 7 or 8 squares, line below line. Each line has to be shifted half a square to the right. Color the squares creating your chosen pattern.

- Start stringing beads from left to right and from bottom to top. String each line from left to right.

- Remember that the first beads you string will be the last you crochet.

- Repeat the pattern as many times as needed.

2. Counting beads

It can be daunting to count the beads you are stringing. Depending on the size of the beads, a bracelet can count between 700 and 1000 beads. And longer robes can be even more difficult. Luckily, there is a very simple solution to this problem. Every 10, 50 or 100 beads (intervals depend on you) string a small piece of paper with the number of beads on it. This way you will be able to control the amount of beads and, once the stringing is finished, you can easily remove the markers.

to be continued...

Beaded Crochet Bracelet

2009-07-22T14:31:00.006+01:00

Over the weekend I discovered that one of the big bookstores in London is about to close down. To get rid of the stock, the bookstore offered 50% sale on ALL books. When I reached the place on Saturday morning the shelves were already half-past-empty. Luckily for me (and unluckily for my wallet) the craft section still had some interesting titles. And one of them was Beaded Crochet Designs by Ann Benson. I thumbed through the pages and, since I had some beads lying around, I decided to try out the pattern for beaded crochet bracelet.

The beginning was very frustrating and the beads just really didn't want to fall into places.

Then, things started working a bit better.

But once the bracelet was finished I realized, I butchered the seam up.

Luckily, I managed to unravel the problematic part and redo the seam. And voila! a seamless bracelet was created:

Conclusion: I love this technique, it makes for a beautiful, summery jewelery! You can see more pictures in my etsy shop.

My first crochet tutorial

2009-07-16T22:41:00.003+01:00

Someone asked me today to help them with crocheting triangles. And this was exactly the push I needed. I was thinking about writing some tutorials up and when I started to write the directions for a crocheted triangle, I thought to myself: Hang on, you might as well do it right!

So here it is, my first tutorial. By all means do have a look and let me know if anything needs improvement.

3 Frugal Tips

2009-07-16T12:32:00.002+01:00

As you might have read in one of my earlier posts, I embarked on the challenge of turning my life more frugal. So far I had some mishaps. I bought too many Belgian waffles and chocolate while in Belgium and had to throw away some curry, that I had forgotten to put in the fridge the night before. But there were also some successes: reduced food wastage, saved up money, repaired (and not thrown away) sandals.

Here are three tips that I found immensely helpful so far:

1. Plan your menu

Sit down once a week and plan what you are going to eat the following week. This gives you several advantages over the usual chaotic eating. First of all, you buy only the products that you need so you throw away less. Second of all, you don't need to shop every day which limits the temptations, transportation costs and you have more time for yourself. And thirdly, if you plan in advance where to shop you will be able to hunt for sales, offers and discounted goods and in general compare prices more effectively.

2. Don't let the marketers get to you

I don't think there is anyone in the Western World who doesn't know that marketers use incredible amount of mind traps to seduce the customer and sell the product. And we all know that not all of these techniques are designed to sell you the best value for money.
The first step to deal with the problem is to learn what tricks there are. Type "supermarket tricks" in google and you will get a list of articles and blog posts about sneaky marketing practices, along with a list of ways to avoid the traps.

My favorite tip so far was to look "outside the box" or at least outside the eye level. If you have a look below or above the usual eye-level, you will find products that are of the same or better quality only cheaper. This is so, because the big brands are able to pay the shop for a good shelf spot - and the bigger the brand, the higher the price.

3. Cool down your boiler

This tip only works for those of you who have boilers or water heaters at home and can regulate the temperature.

First, do a small experiment for me. Let the hottest water from your tab run for a moment. Now put your hand under the stream - hurts? Can you actually use water that is that hot? I bet good money that you can't.
We don't actually need the boiling water in our tabs and that means that we waste the energy that the boiler uses to heat it up to this point. Especially now, during summer, hot showers are not something you are really looking for in the mornings.
If you lower max temperature on your boiler, you will end up with lower bills and less wasted energy. You save your money and the environment. How cool is that?

Organic scarf

2009-07-14T12:33:00.008+01:00

Thanks to the John Lewis sale I was able to buy a lot of beautiful naturally dyed organic cotton. My idea was to crochet a large shawl for which I had already found a pattern. But after reading Yoola's article and doing a quick analyzes of my shop I decided to produce several organic summer scarves - thanks to the sale I can sell them really cheap.

The pattern I used for the first two of the scarves is lacy but it also has regularly placed bobbles which gives it tick texture. I tested the prototype scarf on my trip to Belgium and the result is very good. The color fits summer outfits very well and the scarf can be worn loosely to act as an accessory or can be closely wrapped around the neck to protect you from cold summer evenings.

I will post the scarf on etsy very soon.