Monday, October 29, 2012

Key holder and memory board - Avaintaulu ja muistilaput

key holder and memory board by gretchen

I'm sure you've seen this before. Good news is that it works also! And compined with memory board - it makes your life a little bit easier. It's done from very basic things. I painted cork trivet and glued plastic animals on it after I had cut these poor animals half. It's brutal, I know. And paint what I used is naturally chalk board paint. You can also write on it...small words. I saw this kind of key holder in - guess where - in Pinterest and there I have a board called crafts. I have there 182 pins and I want more. Do you have nice crafting ideas? And where I can find them?

Olet ehkä nähnyt tälläisen muovieläin avaintaulun joskus jossain. Perusaskartelua. Korkista tehty pannunalunen on maalattu liitutaulumaalilla ja siihen on liimattu puolitettuja eläimiä...tiedän aika brutaalia...mutta toimiva ratkaisu, kun siihen saa vielä kiinnitettyä muistilappujakin korkin pehmeään pintaan. Ja jos haluaa kirjoittaa itse levyyn, sekin onnistuu. Keräilen tälläisiä ja monia muita askartelu- ja käsintehtyjä kivoja juttuja Pinterestissä ja niitä on kertynyt jo 182 mutta haluan lisää! Ei sillä, että ehtisin tai osaisin kaikki ne tehdä mutta se toimii kivana inspiraation lähteenä, kun sille päälle sattuu. Onko sinulla joku kiva idea? Ja mistä sen voi löytää?

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Adorable vintage post stamp - kaunis vanha postimerkki

stamp book and stamps by gretchen gretchen

Quite many years I've been going through many flea markets, antique shops and auctions. You can imagine how much things you see and how much you take home with you. Yesterday I was reading my favorite blogs and in Hello Sandwich I saw some lovely handmade envelopes made by her. There were cute stamps on them. Then I remembered that I bought few years ago an old stamp book. I bought it because it had beautiful old stamps from Japan. Or I'm not sure but I believe so. I don't understand the written word. If you do, please tell me. Very simple - beautiful colors and flowers. I guess they are vintage because they are from 70's. I haven't decided what to do with them. They are just so incredibly beautiful. Maybe I just frame them and hang them on the wall for my inspiration.

stamp book and stamps by gretchen gretchen


stamp book and stamps by gretchen gretchen


stamp book and stamps by gretchen gretchen


stamp book and stamps by gretchen gretchen

And I think I should start to send letters again...maybe then I would also get one in these times of digital age. Would you like to get a hand written letter in handmade envelope? 

Lueskellessa eilen suosikkiblogejani löysin Hello Sandwich - blogista mielettömän hauskoja hänen itse tekemiään kirjekuoria japanilaisine postimerkkeineen. Silloin muistin, että muutama vuosi sitten löysin kirpputorilta hienon postimerkkien keräilykirjan. Ostin sen näiden hienojen postimerkkien vuoksi. Ne ovat mielestäni japanilaisia. Postimerkit ovat niin kauniita, että ne voisi melkeinpä kehystää ja laittaa seinälle omaksi iloksi ja inspiraatioksi - nyt kun muistin niiden olemassa olon. Kaikenlaista tavaraa on tullut haalittua kirpputoreilta, vanhojen tavaroiden kaupoista ja huutokaupoista myöskin. Onko se sitten ihme ettei enää muista ihan tarkkaan mitä missäkin hyllyn nurkassa on...

Ooops!
Just got e-mail about stamps form friendly person...they might be Korean. I wished they had been Japanese...
Sain ystävälliseltä ihmiseltä sähköpostia ja hän epäili, että olisivat nuo postimerkit korealaisia...


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Blue Monday Dinner - Aina Maanantaina

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

monday dinner by gretchen gretchen

Monday comes always too soon. Why not to make it lovely. Food is just basic but you can make a great atmosphere with the table setting. The candle holder is vintage and Danish Design. It's made from cast iron and called "Tiny taper holder", "Spider" made by Jens Quistgaard 1955.

Maanantai tulee aina liian pian. Harmituksen sijaan voi jatkaa viikonloppua ja kattaa kauniisti vaikka ruokana olisi mitä tavallisinta ja tylsintä ruokaa ikinä - viikonlopun jämät. Kattaukseni kynttilänjalka on tanskalaista muotoilua. "Spider" tai "Tiny taper holder" on Jens Quistgaardin muotoilua vuodelta 1955 ja vintageksi sitä voidaan jo kutsua.

Font in first pic is Brain Flower by Denise Bentulan 2012 from dafont.com

Oops, always forget to tell you that finally bought a camera and playing with photoshop. Yey!



Friday, October 12, 2012

Fabric printing

Day 3.



rolling pin


My third printing day was a mix of trying with different kind of fabrics with different patterns and different methods. Haha..I made three different print patterns. One with rolling pin and I say that was quite fun. I used contact plastic and foam. I printed on fabric that already had print - an old duvet cover. Print was inspired by pearl necklace. 


rolling pin print

When using rolling pin, one has to think more carefully about pattern that one can make more even print. Mine is quite rough and needs a little bit development...but somehow I like the roughness. It's a good contrast to the very romantic roses.

Then I made two simple shapes from foam and played with them. It's much more easier. First drops on stripes and then on dots.

drops print


drop print

And then I finally made one of my - at the moment favorite - harlequin.


harlequin pattern

Very simple often works better than complicated. And I think this is the best of all. Now I have a lot of small pieces of hand printed fabric...we'll see what they turn out to be.


harlequin, drops, dots

That's it. Three days of hand printing. It was fun and you don't need a big space to do it. I had my own ways to do it. I used woodblock together with foam, carved woodblock and rolling pin with contact plastic and foam. No linoleum carving...but you know one thing what I'm going to do before I continue fabric printing again is to get linoleum and wood carving set. I want to try it!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Fabric Printing

Day 2.

If you want to carve wood - do have proper tools. I didn't have and it took time. Printing quality is also more difficult to keep with wood stamp. If you want to buy a wood block stamp - there's plenty for example in Etsy. If you want to DIY you should go to shop and buy wood carving tools. I'm like that kind of person who doesn't mind to read manuals and who doesn't obey rules necessarily. So sometimes it's not easy...but it's rewarding when you manage to make something without proper tools...and you don't have to be too serious.

wood block stamp by gretchen gretchen


paint


wood block printing by gretchen gretchen

Now I have already 5 different kind of printed fabric. Actually I have six. Yesterday I also went back in history and made one wood block with foam. I just love dots so I made big dot. And I'm sure my printing quality is better with foam combined my concentration. But of course foam isn't so environment friendly as wood is so that is something to think about. And when you are cleaning up remember not to flush paint straight to the water supply. Wipe as much ink as possible off the printing tools. We do want to take care of our planet, don't we. Yes, I know...I'll have to work on with wood carving so I can forget foam.  


Dot.
 
wood block + foam printing by gretchen gretchen




Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Fabric Printing

Day 1.

I made two blocks. I used wood block and craft foam. I printed dots in four colours. I printed on used old fabric napkins. First one was the most difficult as always but this is still very easy method...the result should have been better. Maybe one should be more precise...

Tomorrow I will try woodblock printing.

gretchen

gretchen



Tein tänään puupalikasta ja softiksesta painomuotin. Tietenkin palloja ja neljää eri väriä sekä kahta eri kokoa. Käytin vain yhtä puupalikkaa - painokuvioita voi tehdä useammalle sivulle ja säästää materiaalia. Painoin vanhoille serveteille ja kangasnenäliinoille. Lopputulos kaikkien värien kohdalla ei ollut ihan priimaa...

Huomenna koverran puusta painomuotin.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Three days of fabric printing - kankaanpainantaa kolmessa päivässä

fabric printing

In spring I bought great book about fabric printing. I have waited a good moment to start and now it will happen. Tomorrow I'll start by block printing. I'll share my journey to the world of hand printing with you. No matter how I manage to do it. Wish me luck!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Air Plant - Tillandsia - ilmakasvi

Do you remember when I told you that I brought two Tillandsia to home from Berlin? We found them from Handmade Supermarket in Markthalle Neun in Kreutzberg. I promised to make displays with them and here they are. And as you see they are still alive! I hope I can keep them alive through winter. Have to learn more about them and try my best.These gorgeous ones are from Till.

I made two different kind of homes for them. I read that it is easier to Tillandsia live above other plant. They need moist air. Have to admit I'm a little bit scared of winter. Maybe I have to buy a plant light for them. I'd really like to see them grow.


air plant
Jonantha

Muistatko, kun kerroin ostaneeni kaksi Tillandsiaa eli ilmakasvia Handmade supermarketista Berliinin Kreutzbergistä.Ne ovat vielä elossa! Hyvälaatuisia ovat, kun ovat selvinneet minun hoidollani, kiitos Tillin. No mutta joka tapauksessa silloin lupasin toteuttaa muutaman idean miten niitä voi laittaa esille. Tässäpä kaksi ensimmäistä. Perusajatus oli, että kosteutta kaipaavat kasvit ovat ovat hyvä laittaa toisen kasvin päälle. Pitänee kuitenkin vielä googlata ja lueskella miten saan ne pysymään elossa läpi pimeän talven. Kasvilamppu lienee ostolistalla kuitenkin.
 

air plant
Capitata
You just rotate the yarn around wire very tight all the way. Then you twist a kind of nest on top of it as you see in the picture. 


air plant


air plant

With buttons you just push the wire through them. It's easy. You can also make your own plant world using different kind of plants and materials. In Finland you aren't allowed to pick up moss, lichen, cut fresh sprigs from the trees without landowner's permission. I don't know how it goes in your country. But I guess you find great things from flower shops also. But what do you think - aren't they lovely!



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