Saturday, November 29, 2014

How to make Granola + X-mas present DIY Jar

granola+diy jar photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

X-mas in my mind. I have planned so many times to make granola...almost a year...that means also I'm not the first one who blogs about it. Actually I'm quite late, haha but still I decided to make a suggestion for you. Make a lovely DIY X-mas present for your beloved ones. There aren't anything that one can throw to the trash bin. You can eat the granola, use the glass jar in your kitchen as a storage item and making granola is easy.

granola+diy jar photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
There are plenty of choises you can make your granola. I made it of those I've written on the picture. But I added only dried figs after I had baked granola in oven. You are free to choose your favorite berries, and fruits. But be careful that you don't burn your granola :) I did it once because I had too high temperature in oven. You don't want to do it because all those precious almond and other peanuts and seeds aren't cheap and of course I use organic products.

granola+diy jar photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
You can decorate your glass jar with handwritten text. I used Illumigraph pen. You can always wipe it off. It's waterbased pigment ink. You can decorate your jars, windows etc. with it. 

granola+diy jar photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Illumigraph pen is great tool to make DIY X-mas decoration like Anu Harkki in new Huili magazine did. I actually went to photograph her lovely X-mas present DIY's and you can see all those ideas in the newest Huili magazine. Huili is THE Finnish ecological lifestyle magazine. Only in Finnish but you can always see the pics :) 
granola+diy jar photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
This week I also took part in Sugar Helsinki blogger X-mas evening. And look what I got! So adorable small X-mas tree. It's a perfect decoration for my workspace. Thinking of decorating it but somehow I like it as it is...small and pure. Will see what I do. It can be planted too but to do that I have to keep it alive through winter. It is sponsored by PEFC Finland.

I will get back to Huili magazine in my next post.

But now I wish you a beautiful weekend my friend!

xo
Kreetta

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Learning Porcelain Painting vol. 1

learning porcelain painting photo by www.gretchengretchen.com
My mom visited us this weekend. I decided to ask her to teach me some porcelain painting. Yesterday we went to buy some utensils for me. I don't remember if I have told you before that I found a huge box of old porcelain painting colors from one flea market last summer. They were so cheap that I decided to buy them anyway...even though I didn't know if they were still ok. As you might know the colors in porcelain painting are in powder form.

learning porcelain painting photo by www.gretchengretchen.com

I bought them because they looked soo lovely. Beautiful colors...and I was quite sure I needed them, haha. If I don't use them in porcelain painting I can always invent something else. I think they are perfect for decorating or as a prop. They are so adorable.

learning porcelain painting photo by www.gretchengretchen.com
...and what did I learn today?

learning porcelain painting photo by www.gretchengretchen.com
A lot. I learned that painting porcelain isn't easy. Yes, I know..sorry to say. You know I like to improvise...maybe not a good idea in porcelain painting. You have to practise. 

It's a good thing to have a steady hand. You need a good light. You have to know how the colors react...I mean you can't just paint all the colors same time or mix them. You need oil with these old color powders. But there are also water soluble colors. You have to make your color with palette knife and be sure there aren't any lumps...they will destroy your work in kiln. You can fire porcelain few times. So it's a slow process. Comparing to working with clay where you fire your glazing once or twice working with porcelain is more carefully planned...

learning porcelain painting photo by www.gretchengretchen.com
As you can see in the picture - my coffee cup is still unpainted. The reason why it is - I have to do some practising, haha. I find porcelain painting interesting...but I have to have a better plan what I'm doing. I love to work quite relaxed and free way with clay and acrylic painting so porcelain painting is a challenge for me. It needs to be thought more thoroughly. Kreetta is in trouble, haha.

The cup is waiting me on my workspace's table. Let's see what happens next!

..and thank you Mom!

xo
Kreetta

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Workspace Light


workspace light photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Winter. Where are you? 

I'm ready. Bring me the reflecting white. 


Yes, I remember I promised you a sound designed photo. Not today. Let's see if tomorrow :) Today I wanted to show you something light and airy. Opposite of the weather.

xo
Kreetta 

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Butternut + Font

butternut pumpkin photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com


Boo! I've seen many funny and scary costumes in IG and FB during this weekend. I didn't dress up this year because I took part in video sound design course from Friday to Saturday. I was planning to make something here for you to hear and see today but instead...we decided to work in the garden. We took everything away and put them to our garage because it's not summer anymore...we are waiting for snow.

We celebrated Halloween by eating a good dinner. We ate butternut pumpkin with white fish and other roasted vegetables and fresh salad. While my husband was preparing a dinner I photographed this pumpkin because it looked so beautiful. I didn't have my own camera or the lenses at home so I dived into my husbands camerabag and found Canon 650D and Voigtländer manual focus lens 90mm (that will be with cropped sensor about 140mm)...well this is the outcome. My husband likes to photograph stars so that's why he has his camerabag. 

As you might know I love fonts and I like to play so I did play with cool fonts from a food carton that is well designed. Can you guess what is the product? 

This time I wrote down a recipe for you. My husband does a lot of cooking and he never measures things so precise - he goes with the flow, if you know what I mean :)

I'm having a huge pile of things to be done next week. I wish I have energy to make things happen. I hope you have a good week ahead too!

xo
Kreetta 

ps. Next time I hope I have time to make some sound design for you...


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