A touch of old tree prunings and old houses

I never used to be a fan of wood. But in saying that, I guess what I was meaning was the old Lockwood style fake tongue-and-groove homes with too much glossy Rimu around the place.

Anyway, that was then and this is now.

Scandinavia. Oh I love you. IKEA. Oh I love you. Though both those places have nothing really to do with what I have created here, but it's where it all started.

Scandinavia and IKEA have something in common. Yes, IKEA is from over there, and yes, IKEA is renowned for it. Plain, natural wood.

I have just started creating wooden pieces of jewellery.

Firstly but not leastly, let me start off with these beauties:

Prunings from very old trees in Christchurch....

 

Each one is completely unique. Plum, Maple or Oak.

These have been taped off and painted in bright colours with a mix of gold paint...then sealed twice for protection.

Once finished, a large silver jump ring is added as well as a long silver plated chain.

The longest one in this set is off to Australia this week - it was snapped and sold while it was still drying.

The next selection of beads are also blonde natural wood - sustainably harvested again, of course.

Enormous geo beads are paired up with smaller round beads - together they look incredible with bright polymer clay beads and strung onto either black or bright yellow cord.

     

 

Up up and away....

In my beautiful balloon!

Goodness me, I haven't blogged in a wee while!

I have no excuse really - considering I have even downloaded the fabulously easy to use blogger app for my iPhone! (Using it right now to be frank!)

So, in my glass-box studio this week, I've been madly crafting away with wood. Glorious wood!

Hot air balloons are a bit on my mind just now! And I've just been told that it's Hot Air Balloons over Wanganui coming up too! Oh how astute I am!

Anyway - regathering my thoughts here - oh that's right - as I was saying, hot air balloons: when you mix great wood with fab papers and a jolly good laser cutter - your dreams and ideas hit the mark dead on! I love the end result...

Aren't they just cute! My wee studio smells so mighty fine: wood - it hits me in the nose like the smell of dried cloves. Remember back all those years ago when you were at Kindy : when you would make Xmas tree decorations by poking as many dried cloves into an orange as you could?

Then, after it dried, it smelled divine. That's what working with wood does for me - takes me back in time with a hiss and a roar.

All I can advise is to think about sustainability in your work: all of this wood in my work is sustainable. I also recycle paper as much as I can - using even gridded Maths papers in my work - as well as good purchased papers.

We are surrounded by stack loads of old wood here in Christchurch: heart Rimu, Oak, Kauri, Matai - the list goes on. Old homes are bowled over and although the forest sized loads of native timbers are being picked through, much of it is still being dumped. 

Some designers and furniture makers in the City are picking through the piles, but when a demo and rebuild is on a tight schedule, there's only so much wood one can save.

In a nutshell: wood is beautiful. Save as much as you can, and wear it forever as that special piece of Jewellery ! Xx

Re:kindle my craftiness please..

I met an old friend for coffee today - but I was a tad early.

Non-accidentally mind you -  I headed to New Regent St 45 mins ahead of our 2pm meeting time as I had cabin fever and "crafters block".

This Street is so cute and has survived some 17,000 or more shakes over the past few years. 

I had seen a fab store from the window a few months back and have always wanted to enter inside: Re:kindle is just yummy in every sense of the word: smells great (like the woody oiliness that comes from crafted and re-loved timber), has fabulous ethos behind its brand and sits so damn well in this little Spanish-styled nook.

So today I entered inside: the lovely spacial designer Tessa Peach greeted me from behind a trestle table made lovingly out of salvaged timbers: some slats painted, some chipped, while others show off all their vintage woody grain.

From the window I spotted some lovely designer pieces: geometrically designed bracelets, stylish card wallets, ethical toys and beautiful necklaces. I can tell you, the smell doubled my love for these keep-sakes.

          

Just look at this estate of wooden houses! I want to live here.

Next door to Re:kindle, and sharing the same slice of block, is a wee simple looking cafe. 

I met my friend here: we shared a gluten free citrus slice over our coffees.

The best thing about this cafe, is the furniture: all designed and crafted by the clever folk next door!

Edgy, upbeat and European with an utterly Melbourne style to it, this place is a great place to stomp out any cabin fevers or "crafty blocks".

 

The little wooden houses sit just above the eye - lining the parameter of the cafe space.

Citrus slice and a cup of coffee Supreme.