Makes me happy

Today I'm here to share something that makes me so happy. As someone who read this blog or follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed the slight obsession that I have developed in the latest months about up\recycling, and lately, about my newest passion: baskets ! Yep, few weeks ago I started just for fun to make baskets out of old clothes striped down ( by me )  and hand sewn and I loved it. I find it so creative and relaxing and the idea that something so beautiful comes out from old items destined to the trash, well makes me feel so good at so many different levels. Back to the point. Few weeks ago I had the chance to visit this lovely shop here in Loviisa '' Krinti ''. I immediately loved it. It features only very high quality and high standard items, going from wool to espresso machines, from vintage to handmade, everything from local artists\artisans. Usually I am quite shy when it comes to talk about what I do, but something there made me feel at ease to just ask if it would be possible to bring few of my creations to see if something could fit the lovely atmosphere. Long story short, my baskets now are happily waiting for a new home from their spot in Krinti !!!! I'm so thrilled and excited about this collaboration. I'm so happy and excited that finally my creativity is finding its very personal way of expression. Litterally I let my hands and my soul do all the job while my mind just rests and I love the results ! Here few pictures I took today when I brought few more items to sell.

I'm really really happy.

This gonna be a great summer !

Stripes

Lately all the family has been involved in a major decluttering. With the spring we all felt the urge to simplify, to get rid of 'things' filling our house and stealing our space and time. The good thing is that I didn't forced anybody, I started and all the children followed along. It has been really freeing. We are home and you can always hear someone saying '' ... do we really need this !? ... and you know something will go either on the trash, or in the 'sale' bag, or in charity bag. The only thing I was a bit concerned were all the clothing stuff. Something is too old or stained or damaged to sale or give away, but I always felt guilty to simply throw it. So one day I thought to start reducing those items in stripes and making balls to crochet or knit, but the reality is that I have a quite big stash of yarns and I knew right away that probably I would never choose them over wool or cotton for my projects ... and an idea started taking shape in my mind ... what about baskets and bowl and pot-holders ? But not knitted or crocheted, somethin that is new to me ... so my adventure in sewing baskets started and now I'm addicted ! I love striping down well worn and loved clothes, choosing nice colours and sewing and sewing and stopping and marveling at the beauty that comes out of it . The only downside is that my hands and fingers right now are quite sore but so worth it ! I'm replacing plastic ones with the newly handmade, saving some for making presents and I will sell the others (more details about this later on ). And of course I love teasing my kids a bit ... when they worriedly ask me 'but the dark shirt you just striped wasn't my favourite black one  isn't it ? '' ... well I always answer ... ''who knows ? Did you leave it around ? Because I don't come and pick clothes from your closet ... '' eheheheh (mischief mama face here ).
Before showing few pics of my lovely baskets I wanted to wish all the fellow moms reading my blog
Happy Mother's day to all of you !!!

Creativity

Since I was a child I have always been very creative, and I have always loved drawing, painting and working with my hands. As a young adult I had so many dreams about my life, how to make a living from my real passions and skills and I'm pretty sure I might have succeeded if I didn't give up on my dreams because of other people expectations.
So when I became a mother 15 years ago ( almost) I always tried to nurture the creativity of my children. Their early childhood has been filled with glue, scissors, colors and dough, wool, yarn and papier-mache and whatever else can come to your mind. Now that they are older ( I mean the 4 older ones of course ) they all have an own creative life that of course not always, if ever, matches with my own interests. My children are into dance, minecraft, playmobil. Seldom one of them works with the wood or papier-mache or draws. I have to be honest, a couple of years ago this was very painful for me. Not only because I wished to pass them my knowledge,skills and passions, but mostly because I lost my creative buddies. But then, one morning, after they busied themselves upstairs in their big room for few hours the call you up with the camera, for some mementos of their last effort, and in a leap you realized that it might not be wool or watercolors, but surely you indeed passed them the burning fire of creativity, that one fire, I'm sure most of you know it, that makes you see the world around you in a total different way: a wonderful place filled with opportunities to create, to make beauty happen, to be happy in the work of your busy hands. Here what my camera captured a couple of morning ago ...

 After unbuilding most of their plamobil sets the painted and mixed them with wood and clay and what-not to create a fire station of their own.

 The fire station has many different room, filled with tiny details they build\make.

They prepare tiny food with clay\playdough, sew pillows for tiny beds, make doors and tiny books and newpapers for their firemen.They give birth to a whole world with their hands. It may not be made out of natural material as maybe i wished, but it is indeed a highly creative work.

 And there is the city on the side ( unfortunately you can't see in the pictures ) with hybrid houses made of playmobil houses with wooden roofs made by them and firefighter busy fighting fire, with books about firefighter open on the side to make it as realistic as possible in all the details.

I asked them to let me take a picture of them near their creation, but my boys declined, Milla instead accepted happily. So here she is, on behalf of her brothers Leo and Seba.

Way to go kids !

Under the sea or upcycle part three

Lately it seems that I can't focus or get inspiration. As if my positive attitude has a bit faded away for no evident reason. I'm functioning really undertone in these days, hence my silence here in blogland. But I still menage to make some pretty things ... another jar cover, with a bit more character this time ....

leftover blue cotton, sequins and a humble pickle jar ...

Not bad in the end ;)

Upcycle part two : crocheted jar covers galore

Ok, when it comes to crocheting and decorating, things get very easily out of hand. So after my first jar cover I was so excited that I had to make another one, and another one,and another one ... I'm very satisfied, two of the jars are the one I use for flour and sugar. The third one, smaller, doesn't have a use already, but I have few ideas buzzing in my head for it ( and the others I might do ... ups ... ). ut here few pictures ...

Here the four of them on the kitchen cabinet

The smaller one, made with some leftover yarn (baby bamboo, my favourite ) in shade from red to yellow

And the bigger ones, on the left with the pinkish string  for sugar, on the right with the white string for flour. In my opinion they look very nice and give the kitchen a much cozier feeling ...

Do you like to make beautiful things for your home? Let's share few ideas !