Living is creating

I do not know the verb "relax". I often wonder if that is a verb at all. My verbs include working, crafting, designing, knitting ...

Am I crazy? Probably so but I am having too much fun to really realize that I miss all the time that people usually spend doing nothing or socializing.

So I had some ideas for the new folk bags a couple of days ago and there they are.

You must wonder what is that beautiful, most ornamental pot ever seen! It is my newly purchased treasure from Etsy. It is made by Constance Finn from Past Embraces. I could buy all their painted stuff, can there be anything more ornamental?

The more I make things myself, the more I want to spend my money on hand made items. And regarding to my studies - after learning how to design plastic, mass-produced items, everything hand made has even more value. I hope that the recession contains the possibility for all of us to think more seriously where we put our money to.

Yesterday I read about a wonderful Finnish artist Anni Rapinoja, who uses natural elements in her art. I am astonished by her creativity, I love her willow shoes especially. She is a real proof of the fact that living is creating but it does not all have to be cheap plastic.

Kalevala rocks

Forgive me not to post any Christmas photos, I just have to dedicate this post to the folk bag I have made just before Christmas. It was ordered by a person who did not want her bag to have flowery style. Instead, she gave me two themes: Finnish rock music and Akseli Gallen-Kallela's painting Lemminkainen's Mother.

I found the design process very challenging but also wondefrully interesting.

Lemminkainen and his mother are characters from Kalevala, the finnish national epic.

Finnish rock music is often very hard and earthy, trying to reach somewhat heroic atmosphere.

I ended up creating very melancholic look. The bag is called October as it is one of the saddest month in Finland, very dark despite of the firsts snowfalls of the coming winter.

I do not know how the bag would be received in other countries. For me, it is very touching in its honest melancholy.

I painted the fabric myself as I was unable to find anything appropriate in my stash. I find it more and more appealing to try to design my own fabrics. I have lately joined Spoonflower and might try that soon. They offer fabric printing on JPEG image which is a brilliant idea for business I think!

Bumblebees and glass

Some people hate primitive country style. You know those pictures of enormous bodied cows and bigs, dolls that have long legs and flowered cotton dresses and kitchens filled with towels and shelves for plates.

My husband is one of those people who think it is just too childish and represents bad style.

I probably should think the similar way - studying design and all.

But I think primitive country has something so feminine, so relaxing and fun. I just had to make a folk bag from Debbie Mumm fabric and think about naive country things like bumblebees and homemade honey!

Talking about design - another new folk bag has a theme that has been on my mind for months. One day at the library I was browsing books of designer glass. Finland has a lot to offer regarding to glass vases, we have great designers like Timo Sarpaneva and Tapio Wirkkala and many more.

Seeing a picture of Oiva Toikka's Bambo inspired me to try to create a textile that takes it's concept from glass.

I used only mild contrasts and complementary colors to great a light and brisk feel. The result is very different than most of my bags but I am very happy with it!