Joy

My newest folk bag is called Joy. It has been such a joyful summer! The garden has grown beautifully. I have felt relaxed and happy. In crafts, I have a lot of ideas of what to make and how.

I have found an Etsy seller that has beautifully dyed yarn: Hedgehogfibers. Check out her blog too: Fly along. Some might find her tones a bit melancholic but I absolutely adore them!

Memory Bag

I have designed a new bag which is a bit different than my folk bags. This is more two dimensional, without the round bottom. It is fully lined with cotton fabric. I think it has a structure very similar to many old reticules and other old drawstring purses. I call this bag "memory bag" as I think it'll be perfect for storing little treasures that bring us happy memories.

This is my first item where I have used the ribbons bought from Mokuba, Barcelona. Those ribbons are on my mind constantly. There's so much what one can create with ribbons. They also reminded me of an old hobby: weaving ribbons. I used to do that as teenager, I have to try it again soon!

Ribbons and Styles in Barcelona

I just came back from Barcelona, Spain. I spent the holliday with my husband. Luckily, he is interested in art and design too. Celebrating my recent graduation, we chose a stylish design hotel, went to several art museums and admired the local architecture.

All that would have been enough and almost overwhelming itself but the best of all was this: a visit in a small ribbon shop near the hotel. Look at the ribbons I bought! The shop was called Mokuba (Europe, New York). I love the little details and the delicate look of these ribbons. They are so inspiring! I'm afraid my future designs will be around ribbons, ribbons, ribbons ...!

Liking complicated and ornamental, I had to visit some Gaudi buildings, of course. But maybe I have been taught too much of Finnish design as I preferred the famous Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. The fact that it was built in the 1920s makes it so amazing.

When buying a simple hand made clay dish from japanese Katsue Kusumi I thought that my approach to simple shapes and forms starts from rustic things. In a weird way all design styles are connected to each other. It just takes time to really go deep to each and everyone and at the same time find the style of one's own.