VKnO Design

Kreativ søndag.....

2011-04-03T21:10:00.000+02:00

Planene for denne søndagen var enkle - først en håndballkamp og deretter være kreativ, og da passet det fint at Karianne i sin Smykkelineblogg kom med en liten "kreativ søndag"-utfordring. Tema: Blått.

Begynte på en ring i går - litt sånn uten mål og mening. Tok frem litt sølvtråd (3 mm) og sølvrør, med planer om å trylle det sammen til en ring, en ring som jeg også kunne sette noen stener i.

Etter litt saging, filing og lodding var dette resultatet:

Ringen bærer preg av at jeg er ute av trening og at jeg ikke har "planlagt" arbeidet godt nok. Men jeg har fortsatt et håp om at ringen blir brukbar når jeg er ferdig med den.

Så snart håndballkampen til Lilly (11) er ferdig er jeg igang med neste steg som er å sette i en sten i "røret", og i tråd med dagens tema velger jeg en 4mm blå topaz.

Her er topaz'n på plass. Ikke helt enkelt å få satt den fast. Ved å sette ringen fast langs hele røret, ble det ikke noen plass til å hamre fast stenen. Så jeg valgte å sage av en del av festene som går langs røret. På bildet her ser dere at festene er kortere enn på bildet uten sten. Gambler på at jeg kan file det litt penere underveis.

Litt penere ble det - men har mye å gå på:

På sidene har jeg satt inn 2 oransje CZ (2mm) og 2 blanke CZ (2.5mm)

Litt usymetrisk ;) ...og gir meg assosiasjoner til båtlanterner og lyskastere....

Ringen ble brukbar, men langt fra salgbar - hverken designet eller håndverket. Men uten tvil en nyttig øvelse. Jeg kommer til å bruke ringen selv, ihvertfall en stund, før den blir demontert og får et nytt liv.

Så hva har jeg lært av dette? Jo:
- Lær deg å tegne og ta deg tid til tegne arbeidet før du setter igang
- Planlegg arbeidet: viktig slik at du unngår at noen deler er "i veien" når du skal sette en sten
- Ha tålmodighet underveis - skader ikke å legge noe tilsides eller begynne forfra
- Øvelse gjør mester

Alt i alt så er jeg fornøyd med denne kreative søndagen selv om jeg ikke er fornøyd med det kreative resultatet. Men jeg har fått trent litt på ulike teknikker og har blitt bedre kjent med eget utstyr, og sist men ikke minst - jeg har kost meg!

Sterling silver jewellery

2011-03-07T16:21:00.000+01:00

Yeah! I've finally managed to capture some pictures of my some of my sterling silver work. Not the best pictures, but it is a start - and it makes me able to show you some of the stuff I am working on.

The first two photos shows a ring that I made about a year ago, right after I took the first course. Actually I'd totally forgotten this ring, untill I got back home after the third course (stonesetting) and I was looking for some jewellery to pierce and set a stone in. So here it is with a tiny, but sparkling cubic zirconia (CZ). The stone is 1,5 mm.


Female sterling silver band with CZ

I just love to use these vintage gloves and a vintage book as a background, but I know I have some work to to before I get it right. On this one it is too much gloves......

Same ring as above.

Up to now, all my jewellery (beside a necklace for my nephew for christmas) has been womens jewellery. But now I have made my very first male ring:

Male sterling silver band

I have been playing with my drill on this one ;) The ring has been oxidized, so it is a bit darkened in the holes and on the sides. The inside of the ring is polished and made really comfortable, and on the outside I have given the ring a bit of a shabby chic and worn feeling.

Same ring as above

The final jewellery I'm going to show you today, is a necklace that I made last fall. I really love this one myself, but I have not know how to get the photos of this one right. And I still got to work with the photos before I can list it on Esty or Epla. I think I got to find a suitable neck.... anyone up for a job as a model?

Sterling silver necklace

The necklace has 3 hammered hearts:


Sterling silver necklace, detail

I love to be able to be creative and "play" with silver at the moment. What is your favorite creative activity?

Monday Moodboard: Feeling vintage

2011-03-07T11:39:00.000+01:00

Inspired by some of our European Street Team members on Etsy, I decided to go with the flow and make my own monday moodboard.

For the moodboard I have picked 4 of my favorite items on Etsy - items that I have discovered in the past few weeks. They all touch me in a special way, give me that special feeling that I would love to be able to recreate in my own work.

I am still learning to make jewellery, and I'm working towards finding my style both in products and in photos.....so the moodboard today is representing a part of my path towards this goal of mine :)

For more monday moodboards, see fleurfatale's blog.

1. GypsyLeeLee

2. WilliamDohman

3. edmdesigns

4. ThisYearsGirl

Mine onsdagsfavoritter på Epla

2011-02-16T21:36:00.000+01:00

Til nå har jeg bare blogget på engelsk, men har i dag tatt den beslutingen at jeg innimellom også skal blogge litt på norsk - og onsdagene vil jeg reservere til å vise noen av mine favoritter på Epla.no.
So far I have written my blogs in English, but I have today decided that I from time to time will blog in Norwegian - and wednesdays will be reserved to show some of my favorites from Epla.no in Norwegian ;)

4 favoritter vil bli presentert hver gang - alltid på onsdager, men ikke nødvendigvis hver onsdag.

Så....*trommevirvel*..... her er dagens favoritter eller forelskelser som det heter på Epla:

Atinakjolen "Snøhjerte"

Blått glasssmykke med sorte striper

Veske med blomster

Keramikksmykke

Sånn, det var noen av mine favoritter. Ta en titt du også, klikk på linken under bildene og surf deg inn i dybden blandt Eplas godbiter - kanskje du finner noen nye favoritter du også.... God Epla-jakt!

Stone setting

2011-02-10T12:12:00.001+01:00

Last weekend I went to Oslo for another jewellery course - this time I was going to learn how to set stones in jewellery.

Some of the tools needed

I was not sure if this was the right thing for me, as I am not into all these sparkling "bling-bling" jewellery, I am more found of odd bits and pieces like a stone or glass from the beach or steampunk-ish findings. But I do have a need to learn as much as possible about jewellery making (I'm addicted...), and I wanted to meet other people in the same situation - so I decieded to go for it!

Wow, am I glad I did! Not only did I learn to set stones and turn an ordinary jewellery into something extraordinary, I also met some amazing people whom I am looking forward to get to know better.

And the best of it all; I think I am about to fall in love with those tiny sparkling gemstones!

My first try. All stones are CZ, from 1.5 mm up to 6 mm. I did struggle alot with the large ones in the tubes ;)

Amber - difficult to set without damaging the stone

Rose quartz cone in the middle and tiny CZ's in the front

One of the other students in deep concentration....

The course ended on Sunday - and I think I have been dreaming about setting stones every night this week..... Both stones and tools has been ordered, so I'll soon be able to play with this at home :)

Waiting for a new place to stay

2011-01-28T15:25:00.001+01:00

I have grown out of the limited space that I have available for my "production", and for years I have wished for a garage/barn with loads of space for me and my crafting business.

imagine the boat being replaced by a garage

In 2010 we finally managed to start the building project, we deceided to go for a prebuild model from Grimstad Garasjene.

the first day of building

later the same day

- and later that week the garage was completed - or at least completed enough for us to use it for our cars this winter....just in time before this loooong and cold winter started.

the garage with our house in the background

The ground floor is for our cars, motorcycle, machines, equipment etc

my soon to be studio :)

.... and 'tam-ta-da' the "loft" is all mine. I am planning to have my sewing machines, fabric and everything needed for that part of my business in the part with window facing towards our house. And in the other half of the loft I will have my metalsmith studio.

my metalsmith "corner"

As soon as possible this year, that is whenever the ice and snow has left us and it is possible to start digging in the soil again, we will build a bridge over to the loft.

Building the bridge will be the first step this year towards the completion of the loft.

If the year turn out as planned, I will be able to start to decorate and move my stuff before the next winter sets in.

To blog or not to blog

2011-01-22T22:20:00.007+01:00

I have kept this blog, but it seem like I never get aroud to post any new stuff - so the question is: Close it, or keep it and hope for better time, energy or whatever I need to keep the blog alive?

I have the same "problem" when it comes to my Etsy-shop, Epla-shop and Flickr-account - I keep them barely alive, but I fail when it comes to being able to add new products and new photos on a regular basis.....it is not that I don't produce new products - I do! The problem is to get the products out on the internet ;)

Well, I am an optimistic person - and I always believe that I am going to change sooner or later, so I am going to keep this blog, my shops on Etsy and Epla and my flickr account. I might not be the most active person on these sites - but I will be hanging around, and from time to time I'll be adding something new ;)

Today I was able to photograph nearly all the products I've been making lately; earrings, bracelets, bookmarks, rings and necklaces - and all 300 photos has been edited. So, the first 3 steps towards selling my product are completed (1: make the item, 2: photo of the item, 3: edit the photo), only the final step missing - make the item available to your customers!

The optimistic part of me tells me that I will start on the final step tomorrow - so only time will tell if I'll manage it this time ;)

Learning new skills

2010-02-27T19:15:00.008+01:00

Wow, it's been a whole year since my last post, and of course lot has happened during that year and I will not make you all yawning while I tell you about everything. So I'll skip last year and just tell you about two great weekends in February this year and about VKnO learning new skills.

The first weekend-course I went to was to learn how to transfer digital photos on to fabric. I was looking for a new technique to use on my bags, and I was amazed when I learned how "easy" this was. My head has been producing lot of new products in the weeks after this course - I'm just waiting for the perfect time to get my hands and sewing machine to start producing what my head's already completed ;)

Here's what I made at the course:

- a handbag with photo of my two girls on one side, and on the other side there is a photo of the local nature.

The second weekend-course was held already the weekend after the first one - and the theme for this one was "Sterling silver jewellery with soldering". 20 hours with sawing, forming, soldering, polishing.......wow, it was fun! I really loved to work with silver, and I'm really looking forward to start to make my own jewellery using the newly learned silversmith skills. But, I reccon it will take a while before I can list any of my own silver products in my shop at Etsy of Epla.......I need to practice a lot first ;)

I made myself 3 rings during the course:

I've already started to work on a few projects involving sterling silver - practicing on the techniques and having fun!

....stay tuned for more news from VKnO and my products.....

Made in Norway

2009-02-25T19:46:00.007+01:00

A few days ago I got a mail from Lise at trollsmed. Lise is a Norwegian silversmith, and she makes gorgeous necklaces and other products out of her own handmade porcelain beads and sterling silver - take a look at http://www.trollsmed.com/ for more info.

Lise wanted to know if I was interested in starting a Norwegian Team on Etsy, and inspired by her question I had to go looking for other Norwegian sellers on Etsy.

I found more than I had expected, and here are some of them:

(click on the picture before Feb 28th to see the treasury with link to the featured items)

So what do you think about a Norwegian Team?

I would love to see YOUR answer to that question - no matter if you are a fellow Norwegian seller, a customer, a friend or just another person with an opinion - please leave your comment!!!!!!!!!

My office

2009-01-15T09:42:00.011+01:00

My new working area are finally completed. The room used to be a combination of bedroom and office, but when our daughter got a new room upstairs we deceided to turn this room into a flexible office.

This is something that I've been waiting for and I'm very pleased with the result.

Here is how messy and awful it was by the end of December:

And today when everything is completed:

There are a total of 3 tables/desks in the room; one where I have my sewing machine, another where I can make my pendants, drawings etc (this table can be tilted when used as a drawing table), and the third one is where the "family pc" is placed (normally used by my husband).

We have loads of shelfs for storage, and if we manage to keep the room tidy, it is organized in a way that makes it possible for the whole family to use it at the same time - but I prefer to have it all by myself :)

Looking back at December 2008

2009-01-01T15:24:00.024+01:00

As this has been my first holiday-season as an Etsy-shop-owner, I didn't quite know what to expect. So I decided to take everyday as it comes, and didn't set any special sales goal for the season.

However, when I look back at December, I am quite satisfied. I managed to sell some products on VKnO at Etsy, I sold some locally, I got my first custom order (locally) and I made a few special pendants that I gave away as gifts to family and friends.

I don't have photos of all the products, but here are some of the products that left my house this December:

That was the end of 2008. When it comes to 2009, I am also quite happy the way things are going right now. So far I've had a quiet forthnight at Etsy, probably due to the fact that I've done next to nothing to promote my business.

But I've had a couple of local sales:

...... now I'm looking forward to the rest of 2009 - I think this is going to be a great year!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:49:00.004+01:00

Hope you all have a wonderful evening.

Best wishes for the New Year!!

New Years eve 2008 (Hvaler, Norway)

Meet Bianca at bndesign

2008-12-19T09:11:00.005+01:00

Today it is time to meet Bianca, the creative mind behind bndesign. Bianca has a great variety of products in her shop, and I usually discover something new every time I take a look at her shop, or something that I just haven't noticed before.....so remember to take a good look around in her shop once you're done reading this interview!!

1. Tell me about your store (name, products, etc)?

What is there to tell? Let's start with its name: bndesign. That is my design-name. It is my initials (Bianca Noodelijk) plus the word design. I already have my own online shop but that is my little jewelry shop.

Then why did I choose my design name for etsy? Well I started out as a buyer and didn't think about selling on Etsy at first... When I did think about selling I thought about selling my prints, art... But I started to list more and more jewelry, which sold a lot better;) So that is why the jewelry took over :)

I sell a lot of things in my shop, mostly jewelry. But also phonecharms, plushies (triny's), ACEO's and for 2009 I have the plan of listing photo's/ prints/ art/ cards and such.

I miss designing. I am still thinking if it is a good idea putting it all in one shop or maybe I should make a second. But I am still undecided on that one...

I am selling on Etsy since December 14th 2006 :) And I notice an increase on sales as I go along which is always good! That keeps me keen to make and list and promote more to keep it growing.

2. What made you start selling your products and show your designs tothe rest of the world?

My design/ illustration work I was already showing to the world but since it is hard to get assignments for that I also started to make jewelry which is more easy to sell on. And now the jewelry kinda took over... And I always make a LOT! So I have lots of stock. Even of products I don't use/ wear myself. And what better way to get them out of the way by selling them and making some extra cash with it?! So it really started out as a hobby. Which it still is. But I also have the dream of making my living out of my work. (designwise and jewelrywise)

3. How do you let the world know about your products?

Promote promote promote! I started out with my family (although only my mother and grandmother promote me;)) (and my bf!) and I keep 2blogs, a personal one and a "business" one, and I sometimes place ads. And of course on the forums on Etsy :) with my lovelystreetteam! Also I some times do a craftfair. And people are now finding me for time to time, which is great. My plan for next year is to invest a part of my etsy-income in more ads to get more people to notice me... I am still in the invest more than you earn part but next year I only want to invest my etsy/craft income to the crafts section of my life...

4. Do you adjust you crafting to the different seasons? And how?

Just a little bit. I always try to come up with new items to make. ButI do use more vivid colors in spring summer, Christmas fabrics forChristmas and snowflakes for winter. Although when made they will bein my shop all year round (except the Christmas items, those I do remove from my shop)

5. How do you get inspired?

Very boring: by everything around me! The butterfly necklaces I am making started out by looking at old poetry images and me thinking howcan I use those? Because I love them! Also nature brings me lots of inspiration: the colors the shapes! And of course fashion, songs,movies... truly anything can be an inspiration.

6. Do you ever get a creative block?

Oh yes! I notice when I focus myself to much on one thing like photography or just the butterflies, that I get bored and fed up with it. So that is why I do so many things! I can't get myself to focus on just one thing! Although I do envy people like Anna, thehouseofmouse, they have a style and product I have a bundle of things. I also noticed that I need time to be creative. I used to have a full-time job with no free-time almost and I had no time to create. That made me so sad and down that when I left there I took a part-time job so I can do both. Although I must say I do miss the extra money ;))

7. What is a normal day like for you?

That depends if it is a jobday or a "me" day. On a job day I leave the house around 8.40 and am back at 18.30. On a "me" day I get up (around7.30/8.00) check etsy and email when eating breakfast, get dressed. Feed the cat, go to the supermarket, post some packages (if I have sold items;)). Go home, do the laundry, some ironing/ housework. Check etsy and everything again. Take photo's of items, upload those, edit them and start listing. Or make new items :)But with the start of 2009 I also want to give that a new turn: I want to make a timetable sort of like a workday, and stick to it. Get upearly and work with a routine. So my days get more organized and I will be able to do more :)

8. Do you do this for fun or for serious business?

It is both :) It is not serious enough that I can live from it, but I do treat it like that since I do want that to happen :) But I also love doing this so it is also fun ;)

9. How do you see yourself down the road?

Well hopefully being able to live of my work. And I do have the dream of owning a real shop also where I sell my handmade items (and depending on the size: also handmade items from other crafters)

10. What else interests you besides your craft?

Art and design, but that is also craft related. Fashion and photography, but that is also design related, so yeah... everything in my life is connected :)

11. Is there something you would like to say as the end of the talk?

Thank you VKnO for this opportunity :) You are the best (and people should check out your lovely shop!!) And I just hope people will lovemy items :D People should buy more handmade items, it is unique and more special :)

http://www.bndesign.nl/

illustratie - fotografie - design

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Hope you've enjoyed reading this.......I'll be back with a new interview after the holidays :D

Ingermaaike

2008-12-12T23:49:00.007+01:00

I'm back with a new etsy-shopowner-interview, after a few weeks break.

Today I'm presenting Inger, the creative shopowner of

ingermaaike - Felt it all: http://www.ingermaaike.etsy.com/
ingersworld - The world according to IngerMaaike: http://www.ingersworld.etsy.com/

For those of you that don't know the work of Inger, remember to take a good look at her two shops once you've read this interview - I promise you it is time well worth spending :)

1. Tell me about your store (name, products, etc)?
My store is called after myself as that is what it is about, me and the things I make. I make felted toys and scarves, some flowers and jewelry too. Whenever I see something that may be felted I will try, so my range of products is ever expanding. Tha main seller are the scarves though.

2. What made you start selling your products and show your designs to the rest of the world?
I started felting about 2 years ago and having innundated all my friends and family with felted presents I needed to have somewhere else for my felt to go. And while looking for wool I stumbled across this etsy site. After a while I thought I may as well try and sell from there as well as the pile of felt was reaching the ceiling.

3. How do you let the world know about your products?
First I opened a shop on etsy and just hoped for the best, then I forgot all about it till I actually sold something. Suddenly my interest was piqued. I roamed the fora and chatrooms for hints tips and suggestions. One day I discovered there were teams, I applied for membership to the EST and was added to the list. I lurked around there for some weeks and then finally introduced myself. This team has been paramount in further developing my skill as a shopowner. Constantly egged on to improve my photographing skills and descriptions. Together we make treasuries that often end up on front pages further promoting the shops. In the mean time I have started blogging as well and have a flickr page (http://www.ingermaaike.nl/ and http://www.ingermaaike2.flickr.com/ on twitter i am called ingermaaike too)

4. Do you adjust you crafting to the different seasons? And how?
My crafting and color schemes are strongly influenced by what I see around me so automatically it changes with the seasons, but this is not something that happens on a cocious level.

5. How do you get inspired?
My inspiration is found around me, in nature and from feedback and requests. Every bit that goes in gets stirred in the brain and eventually comes out in a shape or form of felt. Sometimes directly and sometimes it may take months.

6. Do you ever get a creative block?
If I am a bit stuck I just make some scarves and inspiration for something new will come again. The making of a scarf is very meditative occupation, so then the ideas start brewing as I am laying out my scarf.

7. What is a normal day like for you?
I get up at 7.15 take a shower and wake the boys. They fix their breakfast and lunch stuff and we walk to school. A 20 minute walk through the woods. Once I get back home I do some house work if I feel like it. Usually I will mess around on the net for a while, time flies as we all know once you start surfing. Having done that I will felt or dye or felt and dye. Maybe take the dogs for a walk and gone is the day, time to pick up the boys from school again. On coming home they do homework and I help as they are still learning the language and need help with translation. By then it is time to cook and after dinner I will felt some more or hang out behind my computer. All in all a very exciting life..

8. Do you do this for fun or for serious business?
It is a business, and we need the income from it as supplementary income.

9. How do you see yourself down the road?
We will have remolded our barn into a workspace for me where I can create and teach workshops, maybe even sell to passing tourists.

10. What else interests you besides your craft?
I love all kind of science and read a lot about it, reading is my water and food.

11. Is there something you would like to say as the end of the talk?
Make fun every day, not just when you have time :0D

......I'll be back with another interview next week, unless the holidays hits me first ;)

Homesick?

2008-12-03T19:08:00.002+01:00

Morgenstund på knappskog
Originally uploaded by catty_bergen

Do you ever feel homesick? I do, and today I googled my 'hometown' Knappskog looking for photos. Well it's not a town, just a small village - but nonetheless, it's my 'home' .

I didn't find many photos from Knappskog, but amongst the ones I found there was this gorgeous photo of a sunrise, taken 2 1/2 years ago, and I just had to share it with my blog readers.

I think I'll have to bring my camera with me when I'm going home for the weekend.......maybe I can capture a morning like this myself.

I love this weather!

2008-11-27T13:30:00.014+01:00

Welcome to my little photosafari,

according to the weather forecast it was 8 C and 15m/s, so it was rather windy...

this is a crowded beach in the summer, but today I was all alone....

I walked to the end of the pier, feeling a bit unsecure.....it was really hard to stand upright,

when I was standing on the top of the stairs and turned back towards the wind.

A bit later when I was about to leave, one sporty guy came along. Just note that the sea temperature is about 0.0 C. I'm impressed:

Finally: Home, dear home.....

I live close to the sea, but I can not see it from my home, only hear it. On days like this the windows of our house and car usually gets covered with a white layer of salt from the ocean.

VIKING CHALLENGE - THE WINNER!!!

2008-11-24T21:28:00.005+01:00

In the weekly challenge of the European Street Team on Etsy we had 'Vikings with a hint of upcycling' as the theme.

Nine creative europeans delivered an entry to the challenge, and here is the winner:

Please welcome.........

Chichiboulie with 'Dalla':

CONGRATULATION!

The Vikings are back!

2008-11-20T20:17:00.023+01:00

This week I won the weekly challenge of the European Street Team on Etsy with my "Aqua et ignis". As the winner I got to choose the new theme, and I ended up with 'Vikings with a hint of upcycling'.

The European Street Team has, as usual, accepted the challenge and I will, in this blogpost, present the entries as they are presented to me.
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Please welcome the Vikings of EST:

Chichiboulie with 'Dalla':
Kreativlink with 'The Vikings, Suede Journal':

BonnieBoon with Baby Viking HAT:

GiftsandStars with Feeling Like a Viking Key/ Bag Ring:AleciaV with Return of the Vikings:
kraplap with Erik the Discoverer Brooch:

toosis with Silver Cuff Viking Bracelet: dinafragola with Viking Shield Pendant:

paperfection with The Harald the Viking Journal:

The challenge started this monday and will end a week later (monday 24th Nov. 21:00). If you would like to be a part of this challenge, please convo me once you have completed your entry. http://www.vkno.etsy.com/

Designed by RJ and RJ Charms

2008-11-19T10:15:00.005+01:00

Today I’ll let you meet the Nicole, the woman behind two great shops:

Designed by RJ - Jewelry for the Playful Spirit - http://www.designedbyrj.etsy.com/
RJ Charms - Charming Accessories for Your Life! - http://www.rjcharms.etsy.com/

1. Tell me about your store (name, products, etc)?
I sell fun, costume jewelry at Designed by RJ. I love adding a vibrant pop of colour to my outfits, and you'll see that come through in a lot of my designs. I also have a line of charm accessories that have ended up in their very own shop, called RJ Charms.

2. What made you start selling your products and show your designs to the rest of the world?
I started out like many people, making gifts for friends and family - I slowly moved onto doing craft shows and opened an online shop 6 or so years ago, when Etsy came around it looked like a great place to sell! I've since closed my own online shop and now sell only via Etsy, as well as some consignment and wholesale.

3. How do you let the world know about your products?
I love blogging, and enjoy some of the more popular network sites. I also do some online advertising, and of course - word of mouth!

4. Do you adjust you crafting to the different seasons? And how?
I do adjust somewhat. For example, this fall I introduced my "Victorian" line of jewelry. And of course RJ Charms features some fabulous kitschy charms for specific holidays (right now it's all about Christmas and winter!).

5. How do you get inspired?
Mainly by playing with my beads. Sometimes I'll browse online supply shops, and get inspired by something I see. I also follow some colour trends - red and turquoise is still one of my favorites!

6. Do you ever get a creative block?
Sometimes I do, and when that happens I dig into my little pile of items waiting to be deconstructed and repurposed. Or I just take a break altogether!

7. What is a normal day like for you?
I have a part-time office job, so typically I'll get up and spend an hour or so online while having breakfast. Checking orders that came in over night, reading blogs, twittering. Usually I lose track of time and race to get dressed and out the door. I'm home again at lunch to pop online, maybe relist a few items in the shop, see what's going on online. Then when I get home in the afternoon I'll do more of the same, pack orders and get them to the mail box by pick-up time. Around 5:30 I head to the living room and catch a cooking show or two, waiting for my partner to get home - at which point I cook dinner (unless it's his turn, and then I relax and wait for the sushi delivery!). After dinner I get crafty - either making items for orders, or new items. I craft in my living room so I still get to spend time with my partner in the evenings. Then around 9pm it's back online for some late evening listings!

8. Do you do this for fun or for serious business?
It's a business for me, but it's only gotten to this level by being fun! If it wasn't fun it wouldn't be all that much different that a desk job.

9. How do you see yourself down the road?
I hope to keep on crafting! I've been making and selling jewelry for six years now, and I hope to keep on doing it for years to come. I also sell supplies so no matter what I'll be involved in the craft world somehow!

10. What else interests you besides your craft?
I love art, I majored in silkscreen printmaking in University, and miss it terribly! I recently received a membership to our local gallery and plan to make good use of it! And food and wine are big things at our house. We don't have kids (yet), so I have lots of time to prep yummy meals. Right now we get a bin of organic produce delivered every week, so cooking with that is always a new and exciting challenge!

11. Is there something you would like to say as the end of the talk?
As I've done the past few years, I'm having a handmade holiday this year - everything I give is either handmade by me, another crafter/artist or is a charitable donation. It's a great way to support the indie artists, and give something meaningful! I hope more and more people consider having handmade holidays too!

At the end of this interview I would like to offer the readers of this blog a discount: ~ 15% off at DesignedbyRJ.etsy.com or RJCharms.etsy.com with code "VK08" Code can be used at checkout in 'notes-to-seller' and a refund will be sent.
Thank you RJ for taking time to answer my questions and for your kind offer to my readers!

I'll be back next week with a new interview..........

The challenge: Vikings

2008-11-17T21:28:00.009+01:00

Thank you, AmandaYuDesign for choosing me as this weeks winner, my "Aqua et ignis" Pop Art on display won the last theme "Aqua". So I am the boss, or the queen as I may be called, for this Weekly Challenge for the European Street Team on Etsy which originated from Kreaktivlink.

I was thinking of a challenge that has a connetion to my corner of the world. Ok, I'm from Norway where we have a lot of water, some snow and ice, semi-high mountains and a 'ugly' history. Water (Aqua) has been used, snow/ice is just too cold and mountains have to wait till next time.......... cause I have choosen a part of our 'ugly' history for this weeks challenge: the VIKINGS!

I would like to see items that are somehow related to Vikings or to the time when vikings raided and colonized parts of Europe.

In addition to a Viking-connection, there has to be some recycling or upcycling involved when creating the item. It's up to you to decide how much recycling/upcycling as long as it is involved somehow.

Once you have done your entry please send the link to http://www.vkno.etsy.com/

Here is something for you inspiration:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking
Link to Osebergskipet, a famous viking ship

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upcycling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling
http://www.regia.org/vikings.htm

I have not been able to copy any photos of viking ships - so please take a look at one of the links for more details - some of the ships had the most amazing carvings.

Monday special: Upcycling finds Europe part II

2008-11-17T10:22:00.002+01:00

Last monday I made my monday special based on upcycling finds from the European Street Team, and I found so many lovely items made by upcycling or recycling so I decided to follow up with a part II from Europe.

So here we go:

Trashion Baroque Japan Jacket by yasminbochi:

eggyolk-yellow summer top from recycled fabric, size x-small by katsai:

One of a kind sunny yellow tote with vintage applique by Ravenhill:
My Little Gem 3 - Warm Brown with Rosette by karuski:
Magicien de la nuit - my first handsewn plushie ever by ArtMind:

Have a wonderful week, and remember to think twice before you trow anything away - it may be turned into something loveable!

Taking it a bit further....

2008-11-16T15:28:00.005+01:00

Those of you that have seen my Etsy-shop, may remember my Pop Art Pendants made of soda pop cans and newspapers, maps and magazines. So far I have had 3 different lines of Pop Art Pendants:

* Windows of the Past, Pop Art Pendant (with vintage newspaper/magazine)

* Windows of the Sea, Pop Art Pendant (with lighthouses or other items related to the sea)

* Windows of the World, Pop Art Pendant (with a piece of a map)

This week I've been working on a way to improve my Pop Arts, and I've ended up with 3 changes to the product:

1. Making a mini-stand so the Pop Art can be displayed as any other piece of art
2. Stamping the frame, this makes me able to add a title or a statement directly on to the Pop Art.
3. Using a piece of fabric as the motife.

This is the first one I've made involving all three changes:

This item 'Aqua et Ignis' is inspired by the weekly challenge of the European Street Team. This week the theme is aqua (Take a look Amandas blog for more info and all the other entries).

I've have not added the little 'loop' on top of this item, so this can not be used as a pendant. It is ment to be on display, and I will call this line of product for 'Framed Fabrications, Pop Art on Display'

The three next photos shows the different shapes I've used on the mini-stands and how the backside looks:

The mini-stands can also be used with my pendants, and will look really great on any shelf. The mini-stand will soon be available as a separate product in my shop.

While I was shooting a lot of photos of my new product today, my two little girls (Marthe and Lilly) were having a great time climbing. Looks fun!

Cool Temptations

2008-11-14T09:00:00.007+01:00

It is time for a new presentation of a great Etsy seller. Today I'll let you all meet Maria João from Lisbon, the crafter behind Cool Temptations.

1. Tell me about your store (name, products, etc)?
My shop’s name is Cool Temptations and I design and create jewellery and accessories, mostly with lampwork and glass beads. I design and handcraft necklaces, bracelets, earrings, lariats, and smaller pieces like key chains, brooches, book markers, glasses holders and everything else which is doable with beads!!

My friends, and greatest fans, always said that my pieces were a temptation they could not resist, and that they would always come back for more! That showed me the way when it came to deciding the name!! Of course I took some precautions, as the word “temptations” can easily lead you to a very different kind of products, once you google it!!! And I added the word “Cool”, in its several significant, meaning fresh or refreshing, smart, updated, fashion, that’s everything I want my jewellery to be!

2. What made you start selling your products and show your designs to the rest of the world?
Well, the truth is that jewellery is a rather recent addiction. I didn’t use to pay that much attention to it and always wore a gold chain with a beautiful pendant, always the same, but from the first necklace I made in early 2004, I realized that there was something about making beaded jewellery that opened a new world of colourful options.

And one thing led to another: my friends started to ask me to make them something new to wear with this or that outfit, I started to buy more and more beads and spending more money on my new hobby, and I started to make one or two jewellery parties at home, and friends’ friends came in and bought my necklaces, and that was the best way to finance my addiction!!!

Last year I discovered Etsy and I loved the concept of creating a world wide shop supported by crafters from all over, so I decided to join in this fantastic community and share my jewellery with them!

3. How do you let the world know about your products?
It hasn’t been an easy task, I can tell you!
I’m an architect and I have been working in my own office for the last 20 years. Being my own boss doesn’t allow me to always stick to time tables, as when a new project comes into the office, or deadlines for competitions arrive, I must drop everything else and concentrate entirely on my work and have no time for fun.

This means I’ve been trying to list frequently at my Etsy store, but it’s been difficult to keep up to an everyday routine. I also joined a wonderful team in there (http://www.europeanstreetteam.etsy.com/), which allows me to communicate with a fantastic bunch of creative people, and I try to get some treasuries to promote the work of other crafters, I looked for a mentor that helps me and gives me useful advices on Etsy activities.

I also have my own site English written (http://www.cooltemptations.com/) and a blog written in Portuguese (http://www.cooltemptations.blogspot.com/) where I show my jewellery and sell it too. I’ll be making it bilingual shortly!

And I still have one or two jewellery parties now and then, where I try to get as many friends as possible, and ask them to pass the word around their friends!
And I always wear my own creations, of course!

4. Do you adjust you crafting to the different seasons? And how?
Well no, not really! I know people think one doesn’t wear this or that colour in this or that season, but I always create with all the colours in every season! I just need to find a set of lampwork beads that I like, and that’s that!
Sometimes people come to me with a sweater or a dress asking me to make them something to wear with it, and then we both decide if it should be a long or medium necklace, a bracelet and earrings set or whatever she prefers.
When it comes to the small accessories I mentioned before, I generally make them mostly for Christmas Season, as they make unique and rather inexpensive gifts.

5. How do you get inspired?
Lampwork beads are my best source of inspiration! I buy some exquisite sets from several glass artists I’ve been coming across these last 4 years, through the internet, and then I look for other top quality glass beads, seed beads, semi-precious gemstones, silver beads and findings to keep them company!

Lampwork beads always fascinate me with their infinite combination of colours, shapes, transparencies and opacities and a large variety of designs that lead us from figurative to complete abstract landscapes.

Making a necklace or a bracelet with this or that bead depends on how it talks to me! I tend to visualize first where I would like to wear it, and then decide the design! 6. Do you ever get a creative block?
Oh yes! I have been sitting in front of my working table for hours with no idea what so ever! They’re my blank periods, where I look attentively at the beads, but don’t get any kind of message from them!
When this happens, I just go for a walk or do anything else! I stay out of the room for a few days and I only return when I feel like cleaning it and tidying everything up. It’s a wonderful exercise before starting again!

7. What is a normal day like for you?
I’m not a very early riser, so I wake up around 7.30 or 8.00 am, feed my cat, get breakfast, check my messages and my Etsy store, wait for my husband to be ready, then I get a shower and get to work.
My returning hour is never the same, but I try to get to the gym before 7pm. I need to get exercise at least 3 times a week, as I need to loose weight and I have a lazy thyroid that keeps stocking up everything I eat into my thighs!!! Sometimes I pick my teenager daughter at school and we go together to the gym, or we return home, she studies for a while and I sit at my table to play with beads. When I get too excited about some new beads, and I start making something, I tend to forget about dinner, which is a good thing, but I get reminded of it by my family and I‘ll just make something and get back to it!
At weekends I love to stay in and spend hours with my beads, making something different everyday! It really full fills me!! 8. Do you do this for fun or for serious business?
Well, I do this mostly for fun and as an anti-stress for my working life.
It began as a hobby and as something I could do with my daughter, but then it evolved both to an addiction and as an escape from a serious problem I had some years ago. My mother used to live with us and she had Alzheimer’s. She passed away in 2005, but her last two years were very demanding and difficult to deal with. I had to stay home for hours and hours to be with her, and beads and creating jewellery were the only things that prevented me to go insane!
Today I can say it’s a little bit of both, fun and serious business, as I love creating and I sell my pieces in order to support this beautiful addiction I have.

9. How do you see yourself down the road?
I would really love to be able to make a peaceful transition from my architecture office to making jewellery as my everyday work (=fun).
It hasn’t been easy to run an office here in Lisbon, with this entire international crisis around! And I would surely have a better life if I could find a way to be earning some money with my Etsy store. I would love to get the time to promote my jewellery and sell it both through the internet and in local shops.
Maybe I can get there in two or three years, who knows? I’ll keep trying that’s for sure!!!

10. What else interests you besides your craft?
I’m really fortunate to live in Lisbon and be able to go for walks along the river and go to the beach from May to October, but I also love to travel and visit new places.
I love to read and going to the cinema, theatre or a good art exhibition. Oh yes, and I also love some TV series like Grey’s Anatomy, Gilmore Girls and The Practice.
And most of all I love staying in with my family and friends, as they are the most solid part of my life and the ones I could never do without, and join them in a good meal, a great wine, a good laugh and a great conversation.

11. Is there something you would like to say as the end of the talk?
I always have a wonderful time while creating my jewellery, and I take special care in details, comfortable findings to wear, good quality materials, and one of a kind designs. I hope that you will enjoy looking at and wearing my work as much as I enjoy making it!!

Take good care of yourself and have a wonderful life!

If you would like to see more Maria João's products, please take a look at her shop: Cool Temptations.

.....and of course, I'll be back next week featuring anoter talented crafter!

Monday special: Upcycling finds Europe part I

2008-11-10T12:01:00.005+01:00

Today I've made a search for upcycled products made by members of "European Street Team", and here are some of the gorgeous items I found:

Hand Printed Recycled Map Paper Envelopes - Mixed Prints - Pack of 10 by annarubyking:

Upcycled handbag made from mens shirt by Babongo:

Lost Girls No. 2. framed collage by lapomme:

PETALS - Bobbypin set of 2 in Recycled Cherry red satin bobby pins by MGMart:

Vizsla - Set of 5 Calendar Gift Bags - for animal charity by makemesmile:

Levis 501 upcycled black denim boho indie bag green lining double entrance by Lazyfish:

I'll be back next week with Upcycling finds Europe part II.

Plask Design & Print

2008-11-07T10:19:00.009+01:00

Welcome to my first in a hopefully long serie where I feature Etsy sellers.

Today I'll let you meet Nicole at Plask Design. Nicole is from Canada, but are now living at Askøy, a beautiful island at the westcoast of Norway.

Nicole is actually the first seller I contacted when I started at Etsy, and she gave several great advices that helped me when I opened my own shop. Thanks Nicole!! I am really honoured to be able to feature her and her shop in my blog.

1. Tell me about your store (name, products, etc)
My store is named Plask Design and I design and create fun accessories for cold weather – these generally include gloves, hats, and scarves though I am open to other ideas as time allows. The word Plask is the Norwegian word for 'Splash'. I love the sound of this word and think that it is just about one of the best words I have ever heard of. It also fits my store perfectly: on the west side of Norway we receive over 3 meters of rain a year, and are expecting more with climate change. It also rains most of the winter here, which makes it very important to dress warmly to keep away winter colds and viruses that make their annual migrations through Scandinavia. Finally, it just feels wonderful to be nice and warm even when it's cold and blowing just on the other side of your jacket.

2. What made you start selling your products and show your designs to the rest of the world?
Before I started making my own items, I sold a lot of Norwegian products on eBay, mostly to Norwegian Americans. I sold everything including Dale Sweaters, Bunads and Festdrakts, Pewter, Norwegian Literature and Norwegian Food items. As the fees from eBay began to skyrocket and my ability to make an okay profit began to disappear, I became disenchanted with just being a 'middle man'. I really felt like I wasn't dong anything substantial. It was around this time I discovered Etsy and it became very clear to me that this is what I wanted to do. I already had experience selling and knew the system. I spent the summer months making items and beginning my exploration of textile arts. The first day I began listing items and after 30 minutes one of them 'disappeared'. It took me close to a half an hour to discover that it had sold. Although it took me a number of weeks to sell my next item after that, but I was hooked. -- Concerning the original question – I want to make designs and show them off to the world because of my upbringing. Having grown up in North America, and especially because having grown up on the west coast of North America, I have an over exaggerated sense of self confidence and believe I can easily play with the 'big boys and girls.'

3. How do you let the world know about your products?
I actually don't do a lot of advertising. I renew my items daily on Etsy so that they are close to the top of the list of products. I try to create treasuries and hope that those I've chosen will remember me in the future one day. One thing that I really like to do is I like to help other Etsians. When I see members asking for help in the forums I actually do my best to give them good ideas. I do believe that I'm more creative than others in this area (ie – problem solving and seeing outside of the box). I'm also a firm believer in what goes around comes around, karma, or whatever phrase you would like to use. I'm more than willing to give away ideas or advice that might help others.
I am also working on a local level in my community – my friends and co-workers know what I do and most of them are quite impressed with my work. I often donate my items or gift certificates to my store for local fund raisers and this generates a lot of interest in my work and my store.

I also work on a blog (plaskdesign.blogspot.com).

Finally, in 2009 a girlfriend of mine will be opening a cafe and lunch bar. Not only will I be lucky enough to be able to market and sell my wares here, but I will also be using the same local to hold classes in crocheting and knitting with alternative materials such as fabric, plastic and metal.

4. How do you get inspired?
I actually get inspired by the materials I use. A lot of my materials are given to me by family members or neighbours who give them to me instead of throwing them out. It's incredibly inspiring to move through boxes of materials, having vague ideas of what each material might become, and then seeing the material transform into something even more beautiful than I had envisioned in the first place.

5. Do you ever get a creative block?
I work full time, take care of 2 young children, take care of most of the house as my husband works shift work and does a lot of landscaping work on our house. I make dinners and clean up most of the time. I do laundry most of the time. I drive the children to and from gymnastics training most of the time. I purchase food and household products most of the time. I also spend a lot of time with my children, reading to them and teaching them English, giving them opportunities to be creative with all sorts of different materials, taking them on weekend hikes and outings. In the end I simply do not have time to have a creative block. There is always circa 5 projects I am working on.... and as one or two of those reach the final stages, my mind has already thought of one or two more ideas that it would like to work with.

6. What is a normal day like for you?
At 5.30-6.30 a.m, depending upon my shift, I wake up, make lunches, make breakfast and prepare clothes for my children. After this, wake up kids, get them dressed and send them downstairs to start eating. Then I join them, clean faces and brush hair, send my son off to school (or the neighbours where he'll walk with his friend to school later) and drive myself and my daughter to the day care where I work full time. Do my 8 hour shift, collect my daughter, collect my son (who may or may not be at my sister-in-law's depending upon how late it is), go home and start dinner unless hubby has come home first. If hubby is home, I sort through the never ending pile of laundry. Eat dinner, spend time with hubby and kids, do one major piece of housework and then start getting the kids ready for bed. Read to kids and tuck them in, do some more laundry then check out Etsy and work on my Etsy projects.

This does not include the days I drive the kids to gymnastics training, have an evening meeting, or some other appointment.

I do a lot of my basic Etsy work during my «dead time». I knit and crochet gloves, hats, and scarves when I'm waiting for things: waiting for my kids during their lessons, waiting to start work (if I'm early), sometimes during my lunch break, if we're driving somewhere as a family and I'm in the passenger seat, when I'm at the mall waiting for my husband to get what he needs, etc, etc, etc. It's amazing how much you can get done during times like these. I then decorate them usually during the evenings on the weekends.

7. Do you do this for fun or for serious business?
A little bit of both. It is a lot of fun, and I really like the idea that I am creating something that someone, somewhere is going to wear and be happy with for a long time. But I do hold myself to a high level of professionalism. I am 35 now, and would like to have this hobby grow slowly over the next 10 or 15 years.... so that as I get older, I can perhaps work a little less in my 'real job' and spend more time working with textile artistry. I also take very seriously the reason why I'm making this a lifestyle. I believe that every time I make something and sell it to another person, it's a small hit against the big industries that are making hordes of money by paying very low wages to second and third world citizens. Also, when I sell and buy items on Etsy, I'm doing my part to keep alive a modern cottage industry market place, which will be open for other women and men around the world, who maybe need the this market place for personal economic survival. I believe in one of the founding principles of Etsy, that this could be a new way to do business that will level the playing field for anyone with access to the technology, but it will only grow if many of us use it regularly.

8. How do you see yourself down the road?
I see myself happily working at a 'real job' that I truly love, though perhaps working a little bit less. I look forward to be earning money from Etsy (or whatever will be popular in 10 – 15 years to come) that can be spent on things I like (as opposed to new rain suits for my growing children) and I look forward to start teaching my skills to others so that other can start making items for personal use/gifts, or to further open this fantastic marketplace.

9. What else interests you besides your craft?
I love building stuff – especially if it requires tools of some kind. At work, I'm the one with a big garden shovel building huge sand castles for 4 year olds. I'm the one who builds towering towers from wooden blocks. I love making bread from scratch. I'm the one who built our wooden porch at our cabin. Speaking of which, I do really like spending time at our sea-side cabin. My husband inherited it from his grandfather 20 years ago, complete with leaking roof, punctured windows and bug-eaten floors. He has been restoring it and building onto it, and I joined him in his project when I married him 10 years ago. When we're not working hard at this, I really like fishing, as well as some gardening, although I have not done this since my daughter was born 4 years ago.

10. Is there something else you would like to say as we end this talk?
Yes – It is really important for me to stress to people that they need to really start thinking of where their clothing, jewellery, and not to mention food comes from. People really need to start re-thinking the value of products that are very inexpensive and start considering the value of fair wages for everyone as well as considering the thought of exactly how many 'things' we need. How many shirts do we really need? How much food do we buy because it's incredibly inexpensive, but ends up rotting in our fridge, or is fast food and not good for us anyway? If everyone started small with these thoughts, it would create a dramatic change around the world.

Please take a look at all the beautiful products of Nicole in the shop: Plask Design

I'll be back next week with another lovely shop to feature.......

Monday special: Upcyling finds

2008-11-03T11:19:00.010+01:00

Here are a few of the many great items on Etsy made by upcycling a used product - giving it a second chance.

Flower Necktie Cuff Bracelet with Buckle by debapaka

SYMBOLS - Vintage Typewriter Keys Earrings in Ivory by GemmaBeads

UPCYCLED Felted Wool Hat by FoxIslandFancywork

Upcycled White Ruffle Purse by TheReFORMatory

CB121 RECYCLED Computer CIRCUIT BOARD Jewelry EARRINGS Geekery Trashion Bronze colored with Brass Metal by DebbyAremDesigns
I'll be back with more upcycled goodies next monday - see you ;)

Do you want to be featured?

2008-11-02T18:41:00.004+01:00

I am refreshing my blog, and will start doing so by featuring a few of the many talented shop-owners at Etsy.

I intend to feature one or two shops a week.

If you are interested in being featured - just leave a comment with a link to your shop or other contactinformation. If I choose to feature your shop, you will have to give a short 'interview' (approx. 10 questions) and send me a maximum of 5 photos.

Yeah! I made it to the frontpage...

2008-10-05T12:35:00.003+02:00

.....for the first time :)

Etsy Front Page 10/4/08 LinArt

Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

Petit rouge

2008-10-01T17:38:00.003+02:00

The schools in Norway are closed this week due to what we call autumn vacation, and my oldest daugther are attending a handball-school in her vacation. For me, that means that I have to drive her there before I go to work and pick her up in the afternoon (the schoolbus are also on vacation). Only "problem" is that she starts later than me and ends earlier - so this week I only work five hrs a day.

This gives me some extra time to spend on Etsy in the morning, so yesterday I put together a treasury before I went to work:

Featured shops:
oldbutnew, irenesuchocki, pinkdragonfly98,
NestaUsa, skinfullybare, rikrak,
ArtZodiac, ColorTheoryCollage, DesignsbyDanna,
devilishgrin, AlisaPaints, NickiGrace

This is 12 great artists - use this opportunity to take a closer look at their shops. Trust me, it's worth the time spent!

Inspiration = new products

2008-09-30T20:51:00.005+02:00

It's been a while since I've sewn anything - no time and no inspiration, but now as the autumn has arrived it is again time for sewing. I got some really good looking clothes from a fleemarket a few weeks ago, and suddenly I became inspired to create a few items.

The first one I made was from a lovely limegreen jacket. This is the first one were I've kept the front of the jacket as it is, and not turned it sideways, and I'm quite happy with the result:

The next project was two skirt made of fabric in opposite colors - it was quite fun turning them in to in my eyes, two good looking products:

Key fobs are really fun to make. When I make these I usually sew a bunch of them at once on my sewing machine, so that I always have some of them lying around that are half-made, only missing the buttons and the ring. Then I use my "telly-watching-time" to complede the product.

Here are the ones that I've made so far this autumn:

In addition to this, I've also made a couple of other bags - they are all available in my shop.

This saturday it is time for another fleemarked. Who knows, maybe I find some clothes that just needs to be turned in to bags. If not, then I have loads of clothes that I collected during spring season - that are just waiting to be upcycled.

Yeah, life is great!

How can you resist this colour?

2008-09-06T23:51:00.007+02:00

That's the title of my latest treasury on Etsy:

You will find the treasury here for the next two days - hope you have time to take a look around in the twelve shops in my treasury and the four alternates if I rotate the items. There are some very talented people behind these shops.

Here are direct links to all the 16 shops:

urbandesign, dreadpiratefluffy, coffeebnz,

MyCoutureJewelry, joywhite, woollab,

Art2ArtColorado, nicole6697, phookafire,

SugarRoxx, rikrak, shellieartist,

MiddletreeMade, dawnchastain, motyl, flickerings

Thank you all for creating these wonderful items!

Sewing machine - a bargain or just waste of money?

2008-09-05T22:53:00.012+02:00

I have a sewing machine, a swedish Husquarna that I bought ten years ago. I have a very special relationship with this machine - one day I really enjoy using it, and I can go on sewing for hours - and the next day or even the next second, I hate the damn thing and would like to throw it out of a window.

Why is it like this, you may ask. Well, one reason for my urge to throw the machine away is its habit of eating needles. Everytime I am really motivated to sew, the machine deceides to kill my motivation by breaking a needle or two. No matter how few layers of fabric I'm sewing together, I'm always expecting the needle to break. It is really annoying!

Due to this needlebreakinghabbit, and other irritating problems with the machine, I started to look for an alternative. It seems like there are a lot of alternatives out there, and I guess that is like buying a car - you usually go for a manufacturer that you know, but no matter how good the manufacturer is, you might end up with a "monday car" - or in this case a "monday sewing machine".

I searched the forums at Etsy for advice by just scanning through several sewing machine discussions. During this I noticed that a lot of creative people at Etsy spoke very warmly of old Singer sewing machines - machines without any fancy stitches, just stright forward. This made me think of the possibility of getting one of those myself. And so I did.........

But I didn't just get one, I ended up buying three sewing machines today - they were just unresistable. In fact, I would like to buy at least two more - two lovely Singer machines - but I just don't have room for them, so I actually managed to walk away from them.

So here is what I got:

The oldest one cost me 100 kroner (approx USD 18). It is a Singer 44k, with serialno. Y1771771 (cool number!) produced at Kilbowie in Clydebank Skotland. It is part of an alotment of 70000 machines from september 29th 1921.

The machine is just fantastic, I had some problems with the thread, but after a quick search on the internet I manage to get it right, and I could start sewing. I've tested it a bit, and so far it manage to sew through 8 layers without any problems! Before I start to use it for real, I would like to have a check at all the parts - just to see if it really is safe to use.

The second one is also a Singer from Kilbowie. It's a 15k with serialno. EF893658, one of 5000 machines from june 14th 1950. I only paid 50 kroner for this (approx USD 9) - but I'm not sure if it was worth it. The light is working, but that's about it! I'm going to got someone to take a look at it - it's a cool machine, and I would really like to see how it's working compared to the one from 1921.

The third machine is a Brother (superzigzag or something like that) from '67. I managed to sew with it, but the fabric didn't look to good on the backside. I have to fix the transporter before I can start using it. I paid 250 kroner (USD 45) for this one - and it is definately worth it just for the box to keep the sewing machine in, and not to mention the cute accessories box.

So this is how I ended up as an owner of four sewing machines. I am now planning on using these machines (if possible) for the time being, and later on when I get a huge workingspaces in our future garage, I will invest in some new machines.

But on the other hand..... it was really fun buying these old machines, and I am not sure if I manage to walk away the next time either, if I ever stumble over a bargain like this again.

The story of my little Losby-Bird – VKnO’s logo

2008-08-21T23:32:00.009+02:00

In my dayjob, I normally spend most of my hours behind the computer reading and editing documents or analyzing tenders. I also spend some time in meetings or at seminars. I must admit that I have a creative soul, and my main challenge at work due to this is to stay focused on my work tasks.

Over the years I have established a few techniques that help me stay both awake and focused. Like when I’m on the computer, I usually take mini-breaks from my tasks and take a little trip into cyberspace – just to check my Etsy-shop or take a look at one of the forums that I usually hang out in. These little mini-breaks help me to get my mind of work for a minute or two, and motivate me when I later on get back to my tasks.

If I am in a meeting, that I’m not holding myself, or at a seminar I usually end up drawing small meaningless figures in between my notes. I guess that everybody around me thinks that I don’t have any interest in what’s going on, but actually I am as focused as I ever can be – and if I ever look like I’m paying attention to what’s going on, then I might be miles away in my mind.

So I was at a seminar with my colleagues two years ago when I draw the bird that later on became my logo. Well, at this particular seminar I kept on drawing really small figures and I took even smaller notes, and at one time one of my friends wanted to copy something from my notes, something she had missed. She then took a look at my drawings as well, and she immediately fell for the bird – This is something I could have as an artwork on my wall, she said.

Part of my drawings that day.

That was the birth of my little “Losby-Bird” – named after its place of birth. In fact I think that was the event that made me aware of why I draw these figures and that in order to survive I need to do something creative with both my hands and mind.

When I got home I started to paint the bird and some other figures in a larger size, and I even sold a couple of paintings. But, however it didn’t give me the right feeling, maybe painting isn’t the right medium for me……so for time being I have stopped painting, and started making a lot of other stuff instead.

But painting or no painting, the Losby-bird will always have a special place in my heart – and I was never in any doubt what to use when I needed a logo to put on my products.

I also have a dream that I one day will wake up with the perfect idea of what to do with all the weird figures I’ve drawn.