Sunday, October 23, 2016

COOKING FROM PATARUOKAA BOOK

COTTAGE WEEKEND

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Weekend at the cottage was pure slow living. Finnish cottages are often very basic. This time - no running water in the kitchen. The cottage was very old house where we could enjoy of fireplace in the kitchen. Such a cosy feeling it made for us. I was so happy that finally we had time to begin to cook from the book I have made with Meri-Tuuli Lindström. The book is called Pataruokaa, A Book of Stews. Stews are THE best on a cold autumn evening in the middle of nature in the candle light.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
We made two stews during our stay in the cottage. Here you can see roasted Jerusalem artichokes. We made lentil stew with Jerusalem artichokes. We made also very hearty stew - chorizo beef stew. They were both so good.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
 Our little Haruki also enjoyed the stay and she was very interested about the birds :)

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Chorizo beef stew was made with tomatos. It took 4 hours to cook and worth to wait, I have to say. The meat was so tender. I ate it again next day with bread and it was so lovely. Rich and thick taste.  It's easy to imagine that after a very cold day outdooring this kind of food is heaven.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
We are having grey days and the light is vanishing very early. I love the greyness I have to admit. I've learnt to love every season. It makes life very rich because every season has a very special atmosphere. After warm summer it's great to enjoy the darkness, candle light and warm woolly socks on the cosy sofa.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
This is not my knitting work, it's my husbands. Yes, I have my camera and my husband has his knitting.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
I've been thinking to photograph birches...so long time. But every time when I see a very good birch forest we are driving somewhere and we just don't stop only for photographing except today. Gorgeous burnt orange color from the leaves behind the birches.

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
 I admit. I took my own table cloth and two plates with us to cottage because I knew I wanted to photograph the food we make and you can't do it with ugly plates, can you?

cottage weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
We also brought with us these preserved pears and made delicious dessert from them. These ones are actually Finnish pears. We are going to make them again. They are in season now so have to be quick. They say also that we are going to have snow fall next week. I guess winter is knocking on our door. 

xoxo
Kreetta


Saturday, October 15, 2016

KUKKA WORKSHOP

ARTIFICIAL LIGHT - CAN YOU USE IT WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING FLOWERS?

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Familiar things. Comfort zone. For me going after artificial light with flowers was a big big question mark. For me flower photography has been all about natural light. But as I live in north - Finland - we really don't have much of the light during November, December or January either and I have to photograph then too. Yesterday we had the flower workshop at our workspace in the evening so I needed to try other options than natural light. I rented led light and here you can see the results.

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Not bad. But not exactly the same at all. All these things are matter of the taste for sure. Many times there are not enough natural light or you really have to think where and when to photograph. With artificial light you are not depending at all from the giant big lamp above us. But still...

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

For us in kukka workshop it is important that people get a pic of their work before they leave the workshop. That is because of many reasons but the one is that the arrangement might not survive in it's beauty to student's home door.

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

It's also important to document the arrangement that you can get back to it and see how you develope your skills. By comparing pics of the flower arrangements together - it's easy to see. You don't need any high end camera. With this light you can shoot with smart phone too...ok, it's pro photography light and too expensive in home use and some troubles always with smart phones with right exposure but you can do it!

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

I just love to see student's work so it's very helpful to use certain hashtags and they are much easier to find like we use #kukkaworkshop

flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com
Beautiful textures, tones, lines, scents, colors, shapes, thickness, airiness, diagonals, contrasts and many more. When making a flower arrangement you are like an artist who just happen to paint with flowers. Sounds tempting? For me? Yeah!

Next flower workshops will be on 19-20th of November during the weekend and they are all about Christmas. We will be at Työhuone ovi 10 and we will use natural light as much it is possible.  So if you are planning to use camera take your tripod if you have one. I will make a biggest ever background for you with different shades of white. More information here in FB event.

Teachers: Florist Hanna Piippo @piippohanna Photographer and Artist Kreetta Järvenpää @kreettakreetta  Food: Health Coach Maia Söderlund @maiasgreenmedicine

Any questions?

See you there!

xoxo
Kreetta

Sunday, October 2, 2016

KUKKA WORKSHOPS COMING UP IN OCTOBER

LEARNING NEW SKILLS


If ever - it's now.

After a very busy week I finally had a chance to play with these cuties. I bought them during this week and I was a bit of afraid they will be wilted before I have time to make something out of them.  I'm always a bit unsure when I begin with my flower arrangement. How about you?

flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

But getting started makes my creative soul sing. It's flower therapy.

flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

In love with details. Odd textures and forms. Colors and tones. Mixing them all together.

flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Just can't remember all the names of the flowers and plants. That is a bit annoying. Don't know if it's only my problem, haha.

flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

Surely it takes sometime and I took pics while building the arrangement and went to computer few times to see if everything is just in the right place. Many times they weren't but now I think they are - surely could do better. I  was building the arrangement for the picture only so one side mattered.

flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää www.gretchengretchen.com

I think the moment when you can say this arrangement is ready - no changes anymore - is the most hardest moment of all. I know I'm only on the way because it is still very hard to say: It's ready. But you know what they say 10 000 hours practise is needed to be a professional. Well, I hope it's less though...and do I have to be a pro? Anyway it is very very relaxing to work with flowers that is for sure and when you do it only for the camera you can break a lot of rules - that is so cool. Well, that is another story.

But if you like to learn how to make a luxurious,modern and relaxed flower arrangement, you should come to our Kukka workshop at työhuone ovi 10. I have invited talented florist Hanna Piippo to teach you the most beautiful flower arrangement on 13-14th of Oct and I will teach and help you with photographing the arrangement. Teaching is in Finnish. You can find more information about the workshop in Facebook event you can find here.

Come along!

Have a lovely Sunday! 

xoxo
Kreetta


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