Sunday, March 30, 2014

Beautiful DIY Easter Egg - Dyed With Avocado


natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com



Today I have some Easter inspiration for you. Doesn't these ones look real bird eggs? I don't know which bird...but still, haha. As you might remember I have tried few times natural dyeing on fabric with avocado with different kind of results. Good and not so good. And why to dye with avocado? Because we eat them quite a lot and they taste sooo good. Of course they have good fat and it is great to use the whole fruit because they have arrived here from far far away.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
 I used ordinary organic eggs.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Avocados are dried on the table. They don't have to be. They can be quite fresh too...maybe you get better red when they are more fresh? I got a little bit brownish color. In pic above you can see amount that we have used during about ten days. 4-5 avocado peels. So that is a amount what I used in dyeing.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Basic ash from fireplace. That might get you in trouble if you don't have fireplace. But you know it is very common that when you dye eggs with natural dyes you use vinegar. For this amount I used 2 tablespoons. You have to be a little bit open to try different things and enjoy of excitement of what's going to happen when I do like this or this? I guess I love to try but get also very frustrated if I don't get good results...like today but still I continued...sometimes you just can't stop the moving train and you want to see more.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
First I decided to empty eggs. Then you can use them more freely as decoration. So you have to get the raw egg out of the egg shell. Make two holes. A smaller one and the bigger one with needle or sharp utility knife to the both ends of the egg. Try to break the yolk with needle. Then you just blow. Here you can find cleaner solution. Wash the eggs.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Because the eggs are empty, they are also light. So I used some iron wire and put the wire through the eggs. With the help of wire I can get the eggs more under the avocado water. Otherwise they just float...

So you need a kettle, hot water, avocados, (ash if it's possible), vinegar and the empty eggs in wire. But the most important thing you need is patience. Really. 

I kept the eggs in the kettle almost 3 hours. It doesn't have to boil just simmer. In some point I was so frustrated that I decided  to make eggs with normal way of natural dye. Turmeric and vineger. But I tell you about that later this week. BUT after those long hours I was very happy. The avocado dyeing worked so well. The eggs looks so real.

natural dyed eggs photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

That was a story about my Sunday. I guess this is just what is called slow living. You just have to make yourself open to it and give the time to things and the most of all to yourself. It's not about being fast and make great results like we have use to do in our daily work. It's about enjoying the day and feeling and making things that makes you smile or even laugh.

To be continued this week...

Have a great week!

xo
Kreetta 

ps. I got the uneven surface with putting the avocado peel on the egg when my eggs were in the kettle. That effect is cool I think. That's why the egg looks so real.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Slow living - Silver clay workshop


Villa Järvelä photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com






My dear friend had her birthday party. We had so much fun! On Sunday we went to make some silver jewellery. She had organized a silver clay workshop for her friends at Villa Järvelä. What a lovely idea.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com


The most difficult is always to decide what to do...but there were plenty of books and plenty of this and that you can use when making your precious jewellery. So it wasn't too challenging.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com










We could also try to make some tests with modelling clay. That was a great. Each of us got 7g silver clay. It dries fast so you have to be quite quick.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
The workshop teacher Jenny Lipponen had a lot of examples with her.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com








Here you can see some silver clay gear...I mean tools.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Learning by doing. When we got our jewellery from ceramic kiln it was time to brush them. You could work with silver with different kind of tools. You could make glossy, semi-matte, matte or patina. Another decision...

Villa Järvelä workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Coffee and cake. Of course. With lake view.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

































We had great time working together...laughing together. This kind of days we have too few. We even had a little baby boy with us. He was so cute.

silver clay workshop  photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com






So here they are! The workshop took about 3 hours. Not so long time at all...but it was very easy-going and relaxing so it goes well with the concept of slow living...and I guess the jewellery wasn't the main point. It was more about friendship. Thank you Päivi and all the lovely ladies! Next time we have to go to sauna too!

xo
Kreetta

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Finding inspiration - My workspace is my head



inspiration www.gretchengretchen.com
 
Would you agree if I told you that the most difficult thing is to make something without inspiration? Can you tell where you get your inspiration? Exactly? I wish I could - but I can't. But I can tell you few things I saw this week and I think these ones will make impact to my upcoming Easter blog post.


Here they are:

1. Dietlind Wolf - she's the power lady of everything stylish and handmade. Totally gifted and talented woman. I guess it's not a surprise if I tell you - I just love her work. Go and see Dietlind's newest styling.

2. My long time favorite is the blog Hello Sandwich. This time I expecially loved the post about Kyoto plants. She is my eyes in Japan. Country I love to visit someday.


The world is full of creative people and absolutely stunning work of art. It's amazing...what else can you say?


Have a lovely weekend!

xo
Kreetta



Friday, March 14, 2014

How to be a creative?


paint and hand photo by Kreetta's dear husband www.gretchengretchen.com
photo by Kreetta's dear husband. my hands were too blue to take a photograph, haha.









Over two years ago I made my very first blog post. I was so scared to write in English but I was so excited about my new hobby. Today I'm so happy I did it because it led me to a very good direction - to direction of being creative. I have noticed that I get more energy from letting my creative fluids running free. Who said that I can't paint? Who thought I can't make a great DIY's or who was sure I never would be a good photographer? It was me (and few others I guess) but here I am.

I was my own block on the way to be a creative. Funny isn't it. So if you have ever thought you can't do it or someone has said to you you can't - don't listen. Try. Do what you love and believe in that. The rest will follow...that sounds very flat and cliché I admit...but still and at least you have tried.

It's Friday evening - we have the whole weekend to make things we love! Go with the flow!

xo
Kreetta

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Pineapple, Cabbage, Protea and Tillandsias


pineapple photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com


Have you ever had an idea or thing in your head and you just can't get rid of it? Inspiration that won't leave you before you have done something about it?

Lately I have had one fruit in my mind. That fruit is pineapple. So today I had to go and buy one and of course photograph it. Today not tomorrow. Another haunting thing in my mind has been a savoy cabbage in our refrigerator. It has so beautiful texture. Very photogenic...so I had to photograph it also.


cabbage photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com



Protea photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com

And what about this exotic flower - Protea. I have it because of photoshooting at work. It's flower is like pineapple's surface texture. It is so weird but so pretty. It goes well with pineapple and cabbage, doesn't it?

Finally I get to plants that I love. I got these air plants this Friday thanks for Till Herba Caeli. Now they are here with us in our home. I used them as a prop in few pics I made at work and now I just had to photograph them with pineapple. Of course. They go well together don't they? Friends, haha.


pineapple and tillandsias photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com

Inspiration and ideas. So many in your mind but only few comes out as artistic work and even fewer you like the result. I have thought many times how would I photograph pineapple. After long time thinking it came naturally. The light was great this evening so it was easy to just make a setup in our living room and use natural light. I wanted to make a little bit like those old still life paintings from the past. But didn't make the whole composition with many kind of fruits, veggies etc - instead - I made very simple still life compositions.

The most important thing is to forget criticism and enjoy making things. They don't have to be perfect. Process starts from somewhere and ends somewhere and you can always start a new one. Only thing what really has happened is you've learned something. That's not a bad thing either, haha.


xo
Kreetta

PS. I'm thinking new content to my blog and that's why you haven't seen the old post series like Is It Vintage and Photography Concept and Styling. I'm in process with my blog's content. If you have something in your mind, tell me. Have a lovely week!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Slow Living - Never Say Never - Glazing Ceramics


ceramic bowl photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com


You never know how your pot, bowl, cup or what ever turn out to be when you have glazed it. It's always a little bit surprising. It isn't very easy, I think...and I'm too lazy to make tests. Do you test your glaze before the real one? I don't - yet - so no reason to complain, haha. Any tips for me?

ceramic bowl photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com

Actually I like the surprise. I actually try to make some glaze combination that I would get different colors what they supposed to be. Few times I've managed to do it. Have you?

ceramic bowl photo by Kreetta Järvenpää blog: www.gretchengretchen.com

I seldom get the result what I have in my mind and I've learned to take it as advantage. I feel making ceramics is very relaxing. Playing with clay and playing with glaze is fun. The last bowl I made succeeded quite well. Or what do you think? 

Ok, I admit I haven't been so happy lately to my glazing but this one I am. I used raku clay and 7 different glaze and made finishing with black ink. It looks a little bit rough and broken. It's a little bit frayed and has some influence from circus that I so love and like, haha.

Dinner making is calling my name. Pizza Sunday. Gluten and dairy free.

Have a relaxing Sunday and let's hope the coming week starts with peace and harmony.

xo
Kreetta
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