Plask Design - Industrial Textiles and Art

New Passion - New Blog

2009-10-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

This blog is now officially closed.

Instead, I have started a new blog, which will be focussed on my journey along the paths of soap making.

Do come and join me at: http://ultimateorganicsoaps.blogspot.com/

I will be looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Ultimate Deal for Friends, Family and EuropeanStreetTeam Members

2009-10-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

Okay - Here's the Deal:

I have had a lot of family, friends and my best buddies on the EuropeanStreetTeam as me, "When are you going to start selling your soap? I want to buy some!"

The thing is that I just don't have time to set up a store before Christmas. I'm studying for a big exam at the beginning of December which will get me a degree, and ultimately increase my paycheck at work.

In addition to this, I have made other commitments with my Canadian friends, as well as my children that will fill up my weekends before Christmas.

But..............

I am have decided to sell about half of my soaps to all of the aforementioned people privately.

Contact me through my email address at: plaskdesign@broadpark.no

Let me know what soaps you are interested in purchasing, and I will contact you and let you know if the products you want are available.

All soaps will be sold for 6.00 USD or 35 NOK, no matter what types are chosen.

All soaps are at least 5 oz (140 gr)- most of them are at least 7-8 oz (210 - 250 gr).

Shipping and postage are in addition to this, but will be kept at a minimum. All recycled packaging will be used to keep prices low.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT!

All of it has been great appreciated.

Kindest Greetings,

Nicole.

Cranberry Lemon Zest Soap

2009-10-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

This has to be the best soap I've made yet. And I actually thought it was a dud, needing to be thrown out, or at the very least only good enough for my family to use.

But I was wrong -

I rebatched soap and added both lemon zest, as well as tittebær (which is the Norwegian cousin of the North American [and possibly British for all I know] Cranberry).

I was so excited as to how this soap would turn out that I did not sleep so well the night after I made it.... and it was a long day before I could unwrap my goodies the next evening.

Here is how the soap looked before I took it out of its mold.

And here is a nice side angle:

It is difficult to see from the above picture, but the soap directly around the cranberries became very gummy in consistence. It was melted-cheese-like in consistence and stretched out into the air when I pulled the plastic away from it. This was a bit disappointing for me and it was here that I thought I had had my first major failure. Failures and me do not go well together. I tend not to be so easy on myself.

But I thought I would at least give the soap a few weeks to dry. Even now one and a half weeks later, all ares of the soap is really hard in texture. Now that was very cool.

Here are some more shots of the soap at different angles.....

It reminds me of a white Christmas cake I saw pictures of one time in a cook book.... long ago in my childhood. I never knew what that cake was made of, and I've never seen anything like it since. But it looked as good as this.

Mmmmmmm........

It just makes you want to eat it right up, doesn't it?

Chocolate Soap that Makes You Say Hmmmmm....

2009-10-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it - I have the North American gene that leads to a great amount of self confidence. I have this nasty habit of believing I can do most things... and if I can't do it, I can learn how to do it. This includes anything from baking bread, learning a second language, and changing the tires on and the oil in my car.

It also includes being a mother, which I knew nothing about before having kids. The irony here being that instead of all the criticism I thought I would receive, I have since found out that most parents are winging it by the seat of their pants anyway.

But every now and then I accomplish something that even impresses myself. It happened again the other day.

I made chocoalte and mint soap. A big leap forward and an even bigger leap of faith from the other soaps I've been making.

The result is this:

As always, the pictures are not perfect. I am using my camera here, but it's on the fritz. However Photoshop helps somewhat.

I made a basic soap batch and split it in two. I then added pure dark cocoa to the one half and lots of natural mint leaves (ground up) to the other.

And then I swirled them together......

The result is a dark heavy cake of soap that looks good enough to eat. Wow - if I didn't know that I was going to get the stomach ache to end all stomach aches....

My husband, who had gotten used to my creative whim quite some time ago, has not once complained that the main floor of our house stinks like a European Confectory Shop.

On the bright side (as if there would be any down side.....), my cravings for chocolate have diminished completely.

Instead I'm walking around on a total high. And while I've always been a home-type person, I must admit I really enjoy being home these days.

Who wouldn't want to change places with me?

All Set And Ready To Go

2009-10-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

Well, almost all of my soap is now made and is almost ready to be packaged for the Christmas Market in November.

Just a little bit more drying necessary.

Here they are, all lined up like good English school children.

And here are the latest coffee and chocolate soap. I love the swirls of chocolate in the coffee.

Mmmmmmmm.......

New Soaps - Broken Camera

2009-09-29T11:59:00.001-07:00

I'm finally ready to show off some of my soaps! I'm so pleased and thrilled.... I no doubt needed a change in my life, with new challenges to face, new magic to learn to weave.

On the down-side, my camera is no longer working as it should. Fair enough, I've had it for almost 5 years, and it has taken thousands and thousands of pictures. Still, I was hoping it would be a bit before I would have to purchase a new one.

In the meantime, I've borrowed my daughter's camera.... and I'm desprately trying to figure out how to use the macro function (which should be easy enough to figure out.... but isn't always). So not all the pictures are as great as I would like them to be.

First picture: Wild Flower Soap. This soap is made from the last of the wild flowers picked from my sea side cabin.... with wild rose petals placed on top.

Christmas Spice Soap: soap made with the spices of All Spice (Allehånde krydder på norsk), cinnamon and a bit of oatmeal. This is the soap that is stinking up my hallway.... and no one is complaining.

Mint Soap: White Castille Soap mixed with fresh mint leaves. Mmmmm......

Cucumber Soap: this is cucumber soap mixed with bits of diced Castille soap. A really cool pattern.

Coffee Soap: made from both coffee with coffee grounds added. According to all the experts, this soap is what is needed for those working with fish, onions and garlic. And it feels really great on the hands.

Man's Soap from Juniper Berries: my first 'male based' soap made from juniper berries (einebær på norsk). I've chosen these berries both for the smell, but also because juniper berries have had disinfecting qualities.

One of my first Heather Soaps (Lyng på norsk). I've given many of these away to great reviews. I'm looking forward to making more of this soon.

Below is a simple soap with some Cherry Juice swirled into it.

And below is some Rose Hip soap (Nype) that I took out of it's form tonight.

Here it is before the big moment....

Gorgeous colors of reds, oranges and dark pinks....

And here they are all cut up.... ready to be dried.

I can't wait to try these ones!

Another Weekend of Good Work

2009-09-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

After many weekends at home, we finally were able to escape to our cabin and do some of the work that we actually enjoy.

We have started to cut down some trees, to prepare for our wood storage for 2010. Here's my husband busy at work.

We only cut down one small tree this time, as we intend to come many weekends over the autumn, and perhaps even into the winter time.

So this is what it looked like when it was all loaded up into our trailer.

We also started digging down through the soil to find solid rock, in order to start making foundations for the last part of the balcony which will be built next summer. For those who have forgotten where we were to dig, here is a before picture.

Pretty steep, which made the digging quite difficult. And, as our bad luck would have it, we couldn't actually find solid rock. Just lots and lots of very large tree roots. Digging around in the basement we were able to find a rusty saw to cut them out of the ground with.

We're not quite finished with this job, but as one can see we've removed enough earth to make the ground even steeper than it was before. And making it that much easier to work with. But luckily we can't imagine it can be more than a couple of hours more of work.

Below is my super cool, race car driving, brother-in-law, now having fun with his new toy. He has purchased this excavator to help with a lot of the work he is doing on his cabin. However at this point he is doing a small favor for my parent-in-laws.

We intend to be on his good side for quite some time as we have some reconstruction of our pathway that needs to be done.... which will be a lot easier with one of these.

Finally, I got to spend 5 or 6 hours over 2 days walking over 10 acres looking for fun ideas to make soap with. What is left of the fruit is over ripe, but this is fine as I have gathered it for color purposes only.

Here is the last of the red currants that could be plucked.

And this is not a great picture of the rose hips that I have gathered. Once I take out the seeds, the color should be stunning.

I was also really suprised to see how many wild flowers there was left this late in the year. I think I must have picked a whole bread bag worth of the. All of them are now lying nicely between pieces of paper towel, squished between magazines. Here is a picture of the first collection of flowers done early Saturday morning.

I have also put on my rain pants, and kneed my way through the blueberry bushes, tittebær bushes (a cousin to the cranberry, it grows on tiny bushes just centimeters from the ground). I've got exciting ideas of mixing these with orange and lemon zests.

I was also able to start picking a little bit of juniper berries, even though they are not quite in season yet. Most of them are still green. This is what can be seen in the smallest bag at the bottom.

I must say that I am really excited about adding a bit of juniper extract to my soap, as juniper has a disinfectant quality that has been used by many peoples in the days before modern medicine. More info on this as I experiment.

A Whirlwind Weekend of Creativity

2009-09-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy weekend for me..... with lots of creativity, combined with general house keeping, being with the kids, running errands, going out Friday night with my friends, etc.

Right now my world seems to be revolving around soap making. It's become almost an obsession for me. And now that I've made a few batches that have turned out seemingly perfectly, it was time to try something new.

I have made a batch of cucumber soap! Here is what you start with:

And then you give it a whirl with your favorite slicer and dicer.

Until it looks like this:

And here is what the soap looks like before it gets poured into the molds.

This went so well, that I thought I would try making some soap from some blueberry juice.

But oh no! When you add the lye to blueberry juice, it turns a shocking orange color. Oh well, I thought. I'm sure I'll come up with some clever title that will make the soap seem really appealing.

This soap making was done on Saturday night, after the kids had gone to bed. Sunday afternoon, I decided to try what is called the French Milling Process. It is also referred to as Hand Milling, but I think the first name sounds much more romantic.

My daughter has been asking me for weeks to let her help me with making soap. This of course is not an option because of the lye involved. However, I was willing to let her help me out here.

I decided to remake soap using heather, the national flower of Norway. Coincidentally enough, there was a big heather bush by my neighbors driveway - I stole a bit from there (I don't think he checks out this blog at all). The thought was that if this soap was a success, I would make the effort to do a bit of mountain hiking and gather some heather where no one would miss it.

It became my daughter's job to remove the small flowers from the even smaller branches.

In the meantime, I would grate some of the soap I had made previously and begin the remelting process.

Now, I'd only seen the French Milling procedure preformed once on YouTube. The woman there used double zip-lock bags and simply tossed the soap into the boiling water. I did not have any zip-lock bags, but simply thought 'It can't be any harder than melting chocolate. I'll simply use the same method.'

In the meantime my daughter dutifully continues her work. She's an interesting girl. Sometimes she's like many 5 year olds and works for a few minutes and then wants to go back to playing. Today however she worked at this for over 20 minutes, and never complained once.

Here's her at the beginning of her job:

And her she is having completed her work. Even I, who expect wonderous things from my children was really impressed.

So the thing that I learned about using the French Milling process is that it is NOT like melting chocolate. It takes a very long time. I have since found out that it can easily take over a full hour for the soap to melt, as did mine. But in the meantime I vaccuumed the floors, put the laundry away and cleaned up my workspace on the dining room table that my husband has been after me for days to get done.

But the soap finally melted, though it never did reach a liquid stage. Instead it became almost like a candy/toffee mixture and I in my great impatience just wanted to get things done. So I added a few drops of natural cherry coloring that was sent to me from Canada a number of years ago. Then I added some of the heather flowers.

Then I started to put the soap back into a mold. I had never done this before. In addition the soap was clearly a different consistency than it is when first made. So I found myself pushing and squishing it into all the corners of the plastic container.

I must admit I was quite unsatisfied with this idea of mine. In a desperate attempt to find an unplanned solution, I took out my muffin tins and lined them with cupcake holders. And I made little soap candies.

Very and so totally cool.

After I washed and cleaned up that mess, I saw I had a little bit more than an hour before Hubby came home from work (weekend shifts.... blah!). So I decided to hunker down and get the last of the work done, so that my evening would be free.

The soap that I made on Saturday night would come out of their molds. I was excited to see what would happen to the colors of the cucumber and blueberries during the chemical process.

Difficult to see here, above, but the blueberry soap had turned weird terricotta color. I'm still concidering what to do with this.... if there's any way to fix it, add to it, etc. Or perhaps our family will have a lot of soap that doesn't really look so great.

On the other hand, the cucumber soap turned out fantastically! A beautiful light yellow/green color with dark green specks. This really thrilled me and I plan to make more as soon as possible.

Now the picture below does not do justice to the soap. This is the cucumber soap and the color is not showing through as nicely as it is in real life.

And wouldn't you know that the blueberry soap looks much better after being photographed that it does in reality. In real life it's much more of a grey color.

So this is where I am in my journey of soap making. Next week I plan on making more cucumber soap.... that was so cool. And coffee soap. Look forward to updating....

My First Soap

2009-08-30T12:21:00.001-07:00

It's not a perfect picture (taken with my cell phone), but this is the result of my first attempt at making soap..... creamy, white bars of soap made almost entirely from olive oil.

I'm so impressed with myself that I'm giggling like a little girl.

Because I needed to don rubber gloves, and because my cell phone is still very new and cool and I did not want it to get wrecked by any traces of caustic substances, I didn't take any pictures after this.

But...... These two blocks have now been sliced into 19 bars of soap, and have been packed away in a dark place. I will have to wait 4 weeks before I can use them.... or give them to friends. They will need this time to finish their chemical reactions and have a soft enough ph-balance to use.

I'm looking forward to it....

Mother Daughter Bake Off

2009-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

So last week I was quite sick, and was home for the week. And since my daughter attends the same day care that I work at, it was just easier to keep her home than get dressed and go out of the house twice a day to both deliver and collect her. (My husband was working a split shift that week, and was unable to help with either of these, which would have made all the difference).

Towards the end of the week, I was starting to feel better. And my daughter was going nuts. She'd watched a lot of tv. She'd played every computer girl-game known to man. She'd painted and drawn so many pictures that the kitchen and living room walls were covered. She had pearled and beaded, built sculptures with Lego, played with her dolls and gone outside to take pictures with her camera (we'll chat about that later) until she just could not do these things any more.

Finally, she was bored.

So I asked her if she wanted to make cup cakes from scratch. Not from a package.

I didn't need to ask her twice.

Before going further, do realize that this is NOT a food blog. You will NOT find professionally taken pictures here. If you want that, why not visit two of my favorite food blogs:

The Pioneerwoman Cooks: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

and

Everybody Likes Sandwiches: http://everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com/

In the meantime, this is the story of my day with my daughter.

First, I don't normally use recipes when I cook food. I'm more of what you would call an intuitive chef. However, I do know where my boundaries lie.... usually anything that comes after dinner and involves dessert. This would include cupcakes.

My recipe came from a Norwegian recipe book pictured below. spis drikk lev, which translates as eat drink liv.

Oh yes, and before I get sued, I should say that this book was created and put together by Fran Ward, to whom I am eternally grateful for. Her hard, industrious work will be an inspiration to me for many years to come.

The recipe chose is called SPICED CUPCAKES, found on page 32, as seen below.

Unlike most North American recipes, the ingredients are measured out in weight.

First, 250 grams of flour are tossed into a bowl of your choice.

Next, 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

And then 175 grams of brown sugar. Mine was quite hard since I had not used it for quite some time (perhaps close to a year?) and I needed to spend a lot of time breaking it apart with a fork.

Next go the spices: .25 teaspon of cinnamon and .25 teaspoon of freshlly ground nutmeg. I ignored the instructions here. First, I added a lot more spices (Norwegians are NOT known for spicing up their foods) and added ginger as well. Secondly, I doubt I will ever in my life have a fresh nutmeg to ground, so dried powder had to suffice.

In the meantime, my daughter needed a job to do, so that she could rightfully say that she made the cupcakes with a little help from me. Thus I gave her the most important job: chopping up two bananas into tiny pieces.

We just won't tell anyone that after 4 minutes she thought that this was not fun any more and wanted me to finish the job she started.

I chopped up the apple needed.

As for the liquid ingredients, one needs to whip together: 1 deciliter (100 ml) of milk, one egg and 3 tablespoons of peanut oil (I only had raps oil).

Then you pour the mixture into your dry ingredients:

And mix it together until it is nice and thick like this:

Then you put in all the chopped up fruit:

And mix these until the batter looks like this:

Then you fill up the cup cake tins.....

And give the bowl to your daughter who is eternally grateful because she has NOT had ANY fun this week.

And ignore her when she's still working on it 15 minutes later.

Now, as the cup cakes were baking, the house filled with a wonderful smell that reminded me of autumn: apples, spices, thick breads.... Mmmmmm......

Now when the cup cakes came out of the oven, they certainly looked a lot different than what was in the book...

One cannot see it from the picture below, but they really did look a lot different.

But they tasted wonderfully. I would definitely make these again any time soon. Even if my daughter refuses to help me chop up bananas.

My New Model

2009-08-23T00:33:00.001-07:00

This is my new model, BM. I am very grateful that she has said yes to this project because for the first, she has a great jaw line. Just look how it gracefully slopes upward to the ear. Almost like a Greek sculpture.... Her complexion is also perfect, as most truly Norwegian skin is.

The second reason as to why I am grateful is because I have no money and can't afford to pay someone who looks as nice as her.

However, I am not allowed to say anything more about her. That was part of the deal: no full facial pictures, and no details about her on the internet. The truth is she has an important job and it's not in her best interest to have herself displayed in a public way. I can say that she works for the government, but she's not a spy. She's not a senator either. (Or a mayor, or councel woman).

Her job covers a lot of different areas in Norwegian life. For some, she helps to bring closure to years of pain. But she's not a priest or a pastor. Others would rather never see her again, feeling that she has ended their lives. This however is the price she must pay to do the kind of work she does. I don't think she takes it too personally.

Her work involves a lot of different types of knowledge that has taken years to aquire: economic, legal, social, religious, ethical, and anthropological as well. But she is not an expert in any of these areas.

Finally, one would think that her job would make her very stuck up, stuffy and pretencious. However, she is one of the most lively people I know of, perhaps THE most lively person I know right now in my life. So we now know that she is not a docor.

She always has a smile on her face, almost always can see the humor in any situation. She almost always has a kind word to say about people, even to those who have not been particularily kind to her.

And when I brought up the idea, wondering if she would perhaps be willing to do this for me (I had expected her to turn me down immediately) she immediately jumped at the chance. While she has not said this to me, I think that she saw this as an oppurtunity to do something she would not otherwise get a chance to do.... another item she can write on her list of 'Things I Have Done During This Life.'

In any case, it has been a lot of fun to work with her in this way and it seems like both of us are looking forward to taking lots of pictures together in the future.

Saturday Mornings at My House

2009-08-22T01:55:00.000-07:00

Well, not all our weekends are like this.

Most of the time one or both of us is working on somthing.

At the cabin working....

Or Viking Man has a work weekend...

Or Viking Man is working overtime....

Or I have a long list to complete and have the kids tagging along, doing their very best to not let boredom get the better of them....

But this weekend is not like this.

And life is good.

An Enlightening Experience

2009-08-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I purchased and then received a light tent. This has completely changed the way I take photos. And I've learned one major thing about myself - I am (or was) scared of light.

Now, I've never been scared of the darkness. Even as a child when I was scared of alligators under my bed (I had a deep blue carpet.... thoughts of sharks appeared later), but this had nothing to do with the dark. When it was time to go to bed, I was able to convince myself that they too were sleeping.

But during the day getting to my room would involve running down the hallway at full speed, making a sharp 90 degree turn at the end of that hallway, and the flinging myself through the air until I landed safely on my bed which was in the middle of my room.

However I digress.....

The first round of photographs I took were a great improvement over those that I took before I had the light tent. However, many members of the European Street Team I know and love were telling me that they were not light enough.

This involved a second round of photography. When this was done, I touched up my photos using my favorite (free) tool: Picasa3. I lightened them so much that I thought they looked unreal. However, my team members cheered me with great energy, saying I had finally got it right.

Had I really? I thought my pictures looked like they were almost touched by the hands of God, light cascading from above.

But apparently there are many who are not agreed with me. The traffic in my stores has soared to almost 3 times what it was before.

And I'm getting hearted. By others than my team members. That too has not happened for quite some time.

So once again I've learned that I do not see the world quite as my fellow man does. Why this surprises me is another good question as I had resigned myself to the fact that I live in a slightly altered universe than many - and feel quite at home here.

Still, I'm starting to get use to the changes, to stretching the walls of my security box. Starting to think: Yeah - that is a really cool picture.

First Day of a New School Year

2009-08-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

I've been at home the last little while, not feeling as frisky as I normally do, and this is why it continues to be quiet on my blog.

Having said this, it is important that I blog a little bit for my family back in The New Country, keeping them updated with what has been happening in my children's lives.

Yesterday was the first day of a new school year for my son. Yesterday he began second grade.... and couldn't wait to get going. I should have let him sleep in 15 minutes longer than I did. He was itching to get out of the door.

[First of all - a warning the the pictures are not as great as they usually are. My hands are not as steady as they normally are, and my brain is not as focussed as it usually is]

Here he is eating breakfast, yougurt and musli:

And suddenly he said to me: I need to have blue hair today. It's the first day of school!

Fair enough - we put some blue in his hair.

And then I forgot to turn off the flash:

And after I thought I had turned off the flash, it turned out I did not push the proper button hard enough:

But there's no time to take new pictures as my son has really important things to do today.

Like putting on shoes that won't cooperate.

Okay - he's ready to go and will stand still long enought to let me take a picture.

And I forget to turn off the flash.

Ahhh... I'm giving up on taking proper pictures now. Now I just want to sit on the couch and relax before my daughter wakes up.

My son checks his bag one more time.

Okay Mom, no more pictures. I'm ready to go.

And off he runs without a hug and kiss. (Which is okay because I definitely should not be kissing him too much right now).

And I run to the kitchen window before he disappears for the next 6 hours.

It's very quiet in the house right now....

Finally a New Post!

2009-08-10T12:27:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've posted on my blog. This is despite those who have been nagging me, wanting to see what has been going on during my summer. (Yes, BM - I've been listening to you. You too TW.)

It has been a long summer with lots of work. And I've come back from my holidays and jumped right back into my full time job. So my evenings have been dedicated to washing huge garbage bags of clothes, towels and weeks of bedclothing... as well as the clothes we are using in our every day life back in the city.

But I've finally got around to finding the pictures I want to use, and getting my head around what I it is I want to say.

First of all - here is the most important of our projects: the porch on the third side of our cabin. This is what we (and especially my husband) has been dreaming of for 10 years.

We have already been out here eating breakfasts, watching the sun rise.

(Well, okay, that's a bit of a lie - have day light almost 24 hours a day means that we would have to wake up at 3 am to see the sunrise. Maybe we'll try that in October. But we have eaten lots of breakfasts out here).

We've also eaten lunches out here and myself and my husband have enjoyed a glass of wine or two (or more...) in the evenings.

And I also have to say that since we've been using this side of the cabin we've seen more animals this summer than we ever have in the 12 years we've been living out here in the summer. We've seen: porpoises, a family of mink, sea eagles, weasles and lots of fish jumping out of the water. It is quite amazing.

In the autumn, when the grass begins to die, I will (yes, that is *me* I said) be starting to dig out the dirt down the forth side of the cabin.

We'll be starting to build the forth balcony next spring.

I am a bit hesitant about it though. It is a steep incline, going straight down to the sea.

But, great things do not come without great risk. I will just check my life insurance before starting.

We're also using the porch as a storage place. Until now we've had piles of nicely stacked building materials covered with tarps. They've been green tarps of course, so they blend into the landscape. But they've still been there and have bothered us. Now we've got it all tucked away...

And they're protected from the rain....

The second major project that we've completed was to re-routed our water supply around 20 acres of property. Here is where we used to get our water....

Which was way at the far end of the first porch we built 8 years ago. And completely on the opposite side of the cabin to where the kitchen is.

But with hard work done by my kick ass brother in-law and my cool nephew...

And a little bit more tinkering here...

(If the truth be said, it was my brother in-law who did all of the important work on this project)

And paying my 7 year old son an advance in his allowance to crawl under the second porch (build 3 years ago) which is muddy and wet, to pull and push the hose and tap to where it is supposed to be....

We can now simply go out our kichen door to get our water. We will be building a stand for the sink pictured here.

The third project: I spent 3 days (with the help of one of my younger nephews and my son (7 years) and daugher (5 years) to paint this wall. It would no doubt have taken me a lot less time without the help, but it isn't always the point to get something done in the least amount of time.

And most of the paint actually ended up on the wall.

We are really happy with the color on the wall - although you can certainly see the difference with the wall beside it:

Here's a better view of the painting that needs to be done next summer....

But at least we'll have a great view to comfort us while getting the work done.

Finally there was a bit of fun building. My daughter has been after her father to make a proper bed for her pet lion. You could see that she totally fell in love with her father when he got the job done:

It's a perfect fit.

And inbetween all of this work, and the fishing, swimming, water tubing, and day trips we took, I was still able to get a lot of crafting done.

It has been a very good summer this year.

Adding Surface Area to our Holidays....

2009-06-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

So for those that have been have been following my blog, you'll know that my husband and I have been working on improving our sea side cabin for years. This year we're adding porches, replacing two windows and painting walls. For the work that we did last Easter, see this post:

http://plaskdesign.blogspot.com/2009/04/working-together-as-team.html

But now we're doing the fun stuff. The stuff that's easier to do, quicker to build. And looks impressive.

Everything started out well from the beginning. My husband purchased his materials when there was a sale at the lumber yard. I myself was stunned. I never even knew that lumber yards and building material stores had sales. The result was that we were able to get everything we needed instead of just half of it. And here it is:

You'll see that one piece of clear fiberglass/plastic on the top of the pile. We need that because last Easter my son did this:

While swinging way too high on this:

We haven't actually gotten to that part yet.... but we're working on it.

And so in addition to all the materials we bought we still have our previously purchased materials that will also be used:

Here's a reminder of where we last left you at Easter, having dug holes and made huge cement blocks, on which the vertical supporting beams will be placed.

And this is how far we came yesterday, just after lunch:

I was trying to get my husband to wave to me. His response was to become very irritated and told me to come down and help him (as opposed to vaccuuming the crumbs that kids had left all over the living room floor because they decided to take their breakfast down from the table so that they could play with all their little Bankugan toys).

I spent 45 minutes helping him put up the last vertical supporting post, as well as securing it to the cabin itself. I also got three big horsefly bites that I am still treating with aloe vera.

But all this was good - it would have taken him at least twice as long to complete the job himself. And soon after that he was able to complete the days work:

I am so looking forward eating dinner out here in a couple of days.

Premier of Else-Gunn Cowls... and a surprise from my favorite girl.

2009-06-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

There's a woman who lives in my neighborhood, Else-Gunn. A totally cool woman. She's a very good friend to one of my neighbors and one of her children is in the same class as one of mine. Over the past two years I've had the oppurtunity to have many conversations with her. She's always smiling. She always has something funny to say. Even when she's really irritated at something, her humor bubbles over. So even if you really agree with her that the situation is down right awful, you're giggling.

She has to be one of the nicest people I know, and during the last couple of months I've had the oppurtunity to slowly get to know her better.

A week or so ago she decided to give me a big bag of gorgeous yarn that she had collected.... and had intended to knit cute things from. But sometimes the best of intentions don't work out. It was so nice of her to give it to me and I am very grateful for her thoughtfullness.

Right from the beginning, I had made it my first priority to make her a cowl as a thank you. She did let me know that her favorite color was pink.... and I am almost finished with her project. But first I had to think up a good idea, and practice a few times before setting to work.

I found a beautiful shell technique that looks stunning. I've made two cowls already, which I've taken pictures of:

This first one is made from a dark pink cotton (this one is not her's). It is 95% finished as I need to add some buttons to it. I was thinking mother-of-pearl. It's a little hard to see, but I hope the shell pattern comes forth a little bit.

Here is a second one that I have done witha combination of two types of white cotton. The plan is to naturally dye this one (and others I will make from cotton) using natural materials I can find from the nature surrounding my cabin.

It's my intention to make a lot of cowls of this style, in different colors. And all of them will be under the title Else-Gunn Cowl.

Fame is always fun to pass out to others.

And here is a man's cowl that I've almost finished knitting. This is 100% wool in a fantastic bright red color. Great for sports fanatics.

And then later today I got a bit of a surprise.

It was rather warm today, and after a few hours of swimming in the ocean, I decided to head back up to our cabin to start getting dinner ready. My daughter came with me and once inside she asked me if she could work. This is quite different from just painting or coloring, which she also does.

This was just perfect for me and left me free to make dinner.

About 20 minutes later she comes to me with this:

The light had already started setting.... but what she's made for me is a new diary/journal that I can use (having seen that I was coming to the end of one I am working on presently).

I was really stunned. I mean, I have always thought I have the greatest kids. I have always had the opinion that they are more thoughtful, considerate, and have more empathy that the average kid. But this rarely invovles me. It usually involves everyone else BUT me.

But maybe sometimes it can be my turn too.

One Cozy Morning.....

2009-06-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

The women in my family wake up early. It's always been this way, as far as I can remember. Even when attending parties and being up to the early hours of the night, I still don't sleep to later than 8.30 am.

This has continued into my holiday this year. Less than a week into my holiday and I have not managed to sleep later than 6.30 yet. But I'm working on it.

In the meantime, I had a very nice surprise yesterday morning. I was up and water was boiling to make coffee. And I thought I would take a picture or two of the water outside of where we are.

The water was perfectly peaceful, only interrupted by small circles made by feeding fish. It was so quiet...... with the exception of a little bit of insect activity. It didn't even appear that the birds were awake yet.

And then I heard a little giggle. I turned around and saw a flash of pink disappear around the corner and back into the kitchen.

I wish I could have reacted fast enough to get a picture of that. But as said, it was early and there was no caffine in my bloodstream yet.

So I too snuck back in the kitchen and found my favorite girl waiting for me with a big smile on her face. I made the two of us breakfast.

She was hungry! But while eating we had, for the first time since maybe Easter, a really good conversation - just her and I.

We spoke about Canada, about fishing, and swimming and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. She mentioned a dream she had a week or so ago, and I told her of a nightmare I had when I was little, that seems silly now. Even she thought so.

We spoke about the cartoons that we might be watching if we were home, and how neither of us really missed them.

And then she says: Take a picture of us together, Mom.

Well, my hair was not washed, and neither was my face. But this was here and I, right? So here is the picture, which she at least really liked:

And then it's time for posing.....

And Voguing.....

(with chocolate not yet washed off....)

And time to hang on the swing......

And prove that she can climb up all by herself.

Back.......

And forth.......

And then suddenly she's forgotten all about her mother and life opens up with all its possibilities....

Slaying Vampires in my Spare Time

2009-06-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've always liked life on the rough side. A little bit of toughness, a little bit of suffering never hurt anyone if you ask me. [Emphasis on 'little'... before I start estranging my friends]

I like music from all genres but Punk, Industrial and Alternative are always among my favorites. I like all types of food. However those dishes that have a great amount of spice or some sort of 'fear factor' are those that intrest me most. And I obviously was not looking for the white picket fence and a dog named spot when I made certain life choices about where I was going to live and who I was going to live with.

Now I find this part of my personality is finally starting to creep into my craft. I was thrilled to purchase this set of knitting needles a few weeks ago:

(For those of you who have sensitve ears that might bleed a little with alternative language usage, please skip over the text that lies between the next two pictures)

Are these just not kick ass, or what?

It's so totally awesome to work with this pair of tools. It's such a wave of self confidence that surges through me when I have them in my hands. Not unlike when I drive this:

Usually with that Punk or Industrial music playing at a good volume.

But I digress.......

So it's late, late in the evening when I finally have time to sit down and work on my projects. It's the time in the evenings that the mind starts wandering, and I start to think how lucky we have it. Any gnomes with red eyes, critters from the deep underworld or monsters from mythic eras peering into our windows shudder with fright when they see me and my formidable weapons: they slide back and forth upon each other with lightening speed.

Even sparks fly into the air now and then.

My husband has a new found respect for me. That I can say in all honesty.

And to top it off, I've actually started to create some really nice finished pieces.

A lovely pink.....

And a lovely snow white......

I wonder how the bats will react when I continue my work around the campfire this summer.

Getting Ready For Summer

2009-06-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

We got a big parcel in the mail today - some wet suits for our children so they can enjoy swimming in the Norwegian seas for a bit longer.

They were ready to go at once, and were very upset that they were not allowed to try them out in the bathtub.

Clever kids.

May 17th, 2009 on the West Coast of Norway

2009-05-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

May 17th: the national holiday of Norway: the day Norwegians and those living in Norway to celebrate the signing of the constitution of the country, which came into existence in 1814. While other countries celebrate their national days in shorts, with picnics at the park, frisbee and with bar-b-ques (ahem - thinking of my own here...), Norwegians dress up in their formal bunads (which cost thousands of USD each) or other formal wear. They then march in 'open' parades in which everyone is free to join in if they want. After this, they gather in school yards (if they are not in the big cities playing on the tivolis that have come to visit) and then play games, and eat ice cream and hot dogs until it comes out their ears.

Upon first moving to Norway this type of celebration was really hard to swallow. First, 11 years ago I was not in the economic place to even dream of using my absolute best formal wear (which could not be replaced at that point) for anything else other than a wedding or christening. Secondly, I couldn't understand how a nation could love their country so much that they could show their love so openly for it: open parades where everyone was shouting and singing cheers, greeting everyone with a 'gratulerer med dagen' and a smile, even if you'd only met that person once before, eating the foods their forefathers ate and eating it with pride, even though many don't know how to make this food anymore. All the things that might be politically 'wrong' with the country (which could be anything depending upon which political party you support) are forgotten for the day.

Where I came from, such conduct was closely associated with right wing political groups that one should keep their distance from. Scary images from history books appeared without warning in my mind.

Over a decade has passed now. Not only am I in a far different place economically (though I sometimes continue to be as cheap as I was earlier.... but that's a different story). And I've been here long enough to see the difference between loving one's country and starting up a totalitarian regime. While I probably won't every get my Norwegian citizenship, I think it's so cool to live in this country. I'm thankful that my life has taken me here. And I am so proud of my kids being Norwegian. Now that rocks. And seeing my kids start to appreciate Norway, and celebrate May 17th in the way it's supposed to be celebrated, moves something deep within me.

This May 17th I was on my own. My husband had to unfortunately work this day. But I was undaunted by the task ahead of me. I woke the kids up (they were the only ones in the neighborhood who were not woken by the canons of Bergen being shot out to sea), fed them a semi-nutritious breakfast, got them dressed, and did their hair.

Here are two pictures of them, before they started to become a bit undone:

My daughter in her festdrakt (which is not an official bunad but an acceptable bunad-wanna-be.... for those of us who have other things to spend our money on).

My son and his friend in their outfits. My son (on the right) is wearing an Askøy bunad, loaned to us by his cousins who have since grown out of it. Unfortunately this is the last year he will be fitting into it. You can see at this point that my son is already starting to become 'undone', his hair sticking up in different directions, despite good quantities of hair spray used.

After meeting at the Health Center (opposite and up the street from the school), the students joined up to form a choir. Many songs were sung, poetry about Norway read, and a few speeches given. (I have no pictures of this as I was busy holding my little girl up high so she could see over the heads of those standing in front of us).

Just as the smallest started getting antsy, everyone was instructed to get into class/day care groups to form the parade. My little girl had no interest in walking in the parade (we'll force more patriotism into her next year) so we walked down the street where we could get a good view of everyone going by.

Here they come!

The lead procession.

The grade 7 class of the school (which is the last year before they begin what is equivilent middle school or junior high).

A woman in her gorgeous bunad. I unfortunately am not educated well enough and cannot recognize most bunads. This is one from the west coast, in any case...... lots of embroidery and little gold or silver.

A proud Norwegian father in his bunad, pushing his two small children.

A gentleman stopping to greet an on looker. (See what I mean about open and inclusive parades?)

A little girl in a festdrakt.

Family friends marching by. Notice the little blue festdrakt on the boy.

More friends stopping to say hi. These bunads shown here are the female version of Askøy bunads.

The music corps that passes by in their finery.

More people in their Sunday best.

My son and his friend who walk on by, completely absorbed in their own cheers and ignoring my shouts to turn around so I can take a good pictures of them.

More children in their wonderful costumes.

And more.....

A really cool vest. I do not know if this is a bunad vest, or a festdrakt vest. I suspect it's a festdrakt vest, but am waiting for someone to tell me for sure.

The belt on this bunad is made entirely from pearl beads. Amazing work, and almost impossible to find or re-create these days.

I do believe these green bunads come from the more nothern part of Norway. Again, I'm waiting for confirmation (or otherwise) on this.

After the parade is finished, everyone joins in the school yard to: first, sit down and rest and second, to start munching down on all the types of food that kids enjoy most.... hot dogs, ice cream, pop, and cake. (There is also Lapskaus, a sort-of-type of stew that can also be bought for those who want 'real' food).

It's a good year this year, with lots of people.

After eating and resting, it's time to start playing games.

Here is a type of 'fishing' game. One must try to hook and pull up a small block of wood. The hooks are almost circular in nature, so it's not that easy. But at the same time it is something the smallest kid can do with some concentration. Underneath the blocks of wood are mostly markings of an 'O'. But if you find an 'X', then you win a prize.

My little girl did not win anything at this game.

There is also games that involve walking on stilts.... lots of fun for the older boys and girls. All is made a bit more difficult due to the formal clothes being worn that day. But if it was accomplished in the late 1800's and early 1900's when such clothes were worn daily, it must be possible to still accomplish this today!

Potato sack hopping is always a favorite.

A wheel of fortune is not something to be missed.

But my daughter instead wanted to play a lottery game. Strips of 'tickets' are purchased and each of these tickets has a 'window'. Opening the windows reveals a picture underneath, and if the right picture is found, one wins a prize.

In this case one must find a picture of a Canadian flag (which I thought was pretty cool in itself).

'Mamma - I think I found something...'

And we have a winner!

It's hard to see here, but she won a round jar of lip gloss that was packaged as a lollipop. This was very cool in her eyes.

There was also contests to see who could hammer a nail into a plank of wood the fastest.

And a contest to see who could manage to make it across the log, and the barrel surrounding it, without falling off.

A jousting contest, to see who's toughest.

Finally there was also a contest to see who was most skilled at shooting an air rifle. Lots of people, both female and male, and of all ages lined up to try their hand at this.

Ready..... aim........

And fire!

But I do think it was a bit unfair that this man, straight out from the military lined up as well. Having said this, Norway still has conscription, so most men over a certain age have spent time in a military.... as well as a large number of younger men and women. It's hard to know what skills are hiding under those fine clothes.

All in all it was a very good day. After spending all our money, winning some prizes and eating more than our fair share of ice cream, we headed to a friends house were we ate rømme grøt with speke mat.

(more on this to come.....)

I'm a bad parent....

2009-05-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

Or really, I'm trying to be a good parent.

Both my husband and I were really rebellious as teenagers. Some of his horror stories include shaving off all of his curly, curly hair and going completely bald for quite some time (this was before 'bald is beautiful'... and he was 19 at the time... and not black), and refusing to wear shoes for over a year (in a part of the world were we it rains more than 10 feet/3.5 meters a year).

I on the other hand, shaved the sides of my head, had my hair temporarily colored purple and was the first girl that I knew of in my neighborhood to have the top of my ear pierced.

All of these things seem to be so tame now, compared to lip rings (you choose your bodily location on that one), plugs, facial tattoos, and piercings that make even me quiver in disgust. And I can tolerate almost anything.

But now my husband and I can see our children already following in our footsteps.

My son, at the age of 7 has started creating his own sense of fashion. He is no doubt paving the way for his little sister to follow right behind him.

It started with blue hair gel. This was actually pretty cool..... I do remember how my mother responded when I came home with my hair shaved at the sides and purple. Not only was I not going to act like that, I actually think blue hair is really, really neat.

I wish I was young enough to dye my hair blue.... or had the figure to pull it off.

But now my son is pulling it one step further. While out shopping for some shoes for a formal day coming up, he saw some blue, sparkly nail polish. He wanted to have this.

For the first time I hesitated. Do I want my son wearing nail polish? What if he gets teased at school? Do I want others to be mean to him? I tried to talk him out of it, without actually telling him he wasn't allowed to wear it. (My husband and I have sworn we will never tell our kids that they can never do opposite-gendered-related things. My son has two dolls along with his lego and muscle cars, my daughter has two mechanical excavators along side of her barbies).

But he was insistant. He was going *TO HAVE* that nail polish.

And then I thought of me and my purple, shaved hair. I looked really awful with it. This is true. From a fashion stand point, it was something I should have never, never done.

But you know what? The world did not stop. Nothing bad happened. It didn't even hurt.

I dared to do it. I dared to do it in a long line of things I have dared to do. Not all of them turned out great (purple hair one example, a couple boyfriends another example) but some of them turned out better than I could have ever dreamed (that I dared to move to a foreign country where I couldn't even speak the language is the best example).

Suddenly I was really proud of my son. We bought the nail polish. We put on some nail polish just before he ate his bedtime snack.

While I am a little nervous of what his friends will think of his fingers tomorrow at school, at the same time, I'm amazed at the inner strength he is already showing. He has the courage at 7 that I did not have until I was 17. I needed to have angry, chaotic, teenage hormones rushing through me to help me have courage. He does it all on his own.

Good for you, N. You're really awesome.

[As an afterword, I came home to find two of his friends home for dinner.... N. had painted their nails already. And a third mother sent me an SMS to find out if the story was true. Then a second message to ask me where I bought the nail polish.]

Summer Cowls For Summer Days

2009-05-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

I've started making some summer cowls in cotton. Light to wear but not overly warm, these will also absorb moisture to help keep one cool during really warm days.

Here are the colors that I've produced so far:

Lime Green:

Turquoise:

Hot and Sexy Pink:

Do check out these and other great selections in my Mini Etsy (which will lead you directly to my store) on the left hand side.

Spring In Norway

2009-05-09T13:47:00.001-07:00

Spring started showing arriving at my sea-side cabin. Here's what we're all dreaming off while we work our day jobs during the week.

Daffodils that are sprouting.

The blueberry bushes starting to grow and prepare...

Green leaves that are regrowing on the plants we've been trying to get rid of.

The rose bushes that will soon be blooming.

Rogue Easter Lilies popping up in the strangest of places.

Wild strawberry plants peeping up by gravel road...

Buttercups sneaking up in the grass.

Other yellow flowery-tree like plants that I don't know the name of blossoming.

The cherry trees blooming.

And my daughter wants to get back to her wilderness training.

My Working Space

2009-05-03T05:18:00.000-07:00

One of my collegues from the European Street Team on Etsy had a challenge to all members: blog about your creative workspace.

This has taken me a bit of time to do as I, in the big scheme of things, do not actually have a permanent workspace.

I do have my sewing corner under the stairs of my house and I have done a lot of creative sewing in the past. However, at this point in time, my life is so busy that I am only sewing patches on the knees of my son's pants. But I will come back to this creative corner sooner or later.

Notice the newspaper articles I've been featured in as well as the pictures that my daughter has drawn for me in order to help me become more creative. I do miss sitting in that corner.

The next most popular place to work is on my living room chair in the evenings (below). Lately this has been happening more and more infrequently. But I do manage to get at least 30 minutes in before I need to go to sleep. Even if I don't create anything worth keeping and need to take it apart, I do manage to relax my mind and heart rate which makes falling asleep after a hectic day that much easier.

It's not often that I am a passanger in our Pajero. But those times that I am, I do some easy knitting.... the kind that can be done without looking at my project and thus avoiding car sickness.

Last week I managed to do a bit of knitting at one of my son's feild trips. We went on a big picnic at the north end of the large island we live on. After visiting the museum, wading in the super cold ocean water and eating our packed lunch, everyone else pulled out their coffee thermoses while the kids were running and playing in the fields. I took out my current project. I only got 10 minutes worth of work done, but 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there makes an extra project every week.

And today I did a bit of knitting while at the aquarium. I planned it right and we were able to get a window seat in the cafeteria just before the seal show started. My children happily ate an ice cream while watching the seals and all their tricks. I got to begin on something new.

So basically where I can take my work with me, I can have a work space. It would probably be easier to think of where I cannot do work:

on an airplane (damn those terroists!)
in the dentist's chair
in the movie theater
in bed after my husband turns off the lights.

Otherwise, I guess the rest is fair game.

2009-05-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

During the times when life is at it's cruelest, and days are at their darkest, being able to see out into the distance is comforting for the soul.

Purchasing Gifts on the Internet

2009-04-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Living half a world away from family and friends for over 10 years does make gift giving difficult. What size are they now? What are their likes and dislikes? What can I purchase that doesn't weigh too much, won't break or won't be confisgated by customs in other countries?

I found a solution to this for Mother's Day. For those who do not live in North America, Mother's Day is the 1st Sunday in the month of May. (I think - I'm starting to get these days mixed up now.... if it's not the 1st Sunday, then it's definitely the second). I found a great seller on Etsy makes home made soaps and jams. Bovine Bubbles located at: www.bovinebubbles.etsy.com

(For those looking for a more precise location, she lives in Saskachewan.)

I fell in love with the pictures of her products. While her tripple digit feedback attests to the quality of her products, her store attests to her success as a business woman. This is what I ended up buy for my mother:

Peppercorn Lime Bath and Body Bar

Pear Shea Butter Soap

Citrus Sunshine Bath and Body Bar

Sweet and Spicy Garlic Jelly (Although I think my Dad will really like this).

Blueberry Lime Jam

White Peach and Vanilla Bean Jam

Kiwi Lime Daiquiri Jam

I can imagine her before me, soaking in the tub after a hard day at work.... or having a slow Sunday morning breakfast with a cup of good coffee, some toast and one of these delicious jams. (And I can see my father using the garlic jam when he's cooking some sort of roast on evening).

In addition to these great photos and great feedback, Bovine Bubbles is registered with both Canada Health and Saskachewan Health. And all of her products are labeled nicely with a list of ingredients. And, small notes can be added to gift wrapped packages, wishing friends or family members Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas, Happy Mother's Day or even just a Thinking of You.

Do check out her store. It will be worth it!

Crab Fishing, Fish Fishing and Getting The Creativity Done!

2009-04-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. The sun was shining, there was very little wind and it felt almost as if summer had come. A good day for not doing any work and being with the kids

Now, I can write a long list of all the things I can do. Let's just say I've picked up various skills here and there, legal and otherwise. But one thing that I have not yet learned to do is drive a boat. I mean, it looks pretty easy, especially if one takes it slow. And considering all the other vehicles I can drive, legally and otherwise, it shouldn't take me long to learn. But in the meantime I need to wait for my husband to give me a lesson or two.

And since my brother-in-law was using the boat with his family in the beginning of the day, I spent the day crab fishing with my children.

We had help from one of the bigger cousins, who was also waiting his turn to use the boat. Here my son is given a lesson on how to bait the crab-fishing-pole. Yes, in Norway you can buy fishing poles made just for fishing crabs. I have yet to hear of anyone actually catching a crab this way. Instead it appears that this is a fun way to give all the smaller fish in the area a free lunch. Which is much more exciting for my kids anyway. If an actual large crab appeared, I'm sure it would monsterously terrifying to both of them.

The first thing you need to do is find some sort of shell animals. When I do this, I tend to go hunting for mussels. In this case, my nephew has chosen to use those cone shaped shellfish that glue themselves to large bouders. Then you take the nearest available rock and in proper primitive, neanderthal style, you smash the living daylights out of it.

And then you squish the flesh between the clothes peg that is found at the end of the fishing line.

Point number one: I do not know why clothes pegs are used instead of fishing hooks. Having said this, I don't see how either do a good job in actually catching crabs. If of course we continue to work with the theory that this is crab fishing and not simply providing free meals for underpriviledged fish.

Point number two: My nephew has a bandage on his hand because he cut it badly the previous week during a scouting adventure in the forests of Norway.

And then you bend over the edge of the dock and you wait.......

And you wait......

And you wait....

Finally my nephew, being as clever as he is, decides to find some super small fish hooks and re-ties the fishing lines. After another 30 minutes the result is this:

A makeshift aquarium of three small fish who thought they were getting a free lunch and a lot of shrimp that just got in the way.

But low and behold, my brother-in-law and family come back from their boat trip early than expected (he actually hates fish and is relieved every time they come back without fish - we secretly think he visits the places where everyone knows you can't find fish) and my mother-in-law gives me the elbow and suggests that we take the boat out.

You can imagine the the kids are filled with glee.

Now, for the little bit of complaining that I do, I really do have a pretty cool mother-in-law. My kids adore her, and she is absolutely a super cool mor-mor (grandmother).

Knowing that my kids are still small enough to think our boat is a true racing boat, she hits the throttle and roars around in circles on the water.

Who's not having fun here?

Soon enough we go to a good fishing spot and start our gamble with the sea.

Who's not having fun?

Almost immediately my son gets a fish. This was great for him and now we have dinner for tomorrow night.

This was however the only fish that we caught in 45 minutes, though we did get 2 strong nibbles that bend the rods, and got stuck on the bottom 3 times.

And for my fellow members of the European Etsy Street Team, I have actually been completeing some projects! (We can't just be having fun all the time, can we?) :) I was able to complete this during my afternoon coffee. It will be up in my store next week.

I definitely can't wait to get back here next weekend.

A Means to an End -

2009-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

This friday the trip to the cabin was almost hell. A major accident had blocked the only road north out of Bergen and we were stuck in the middle of it.

With no way out.

With four hungry kids in the truck (we took two extra just to be sure the experience would be as extreme as possible).

And no way out.

And myself looking at the gas guage which says I have less than a quarter tank of deisel.

And no way out.

But we made it out.

When we got to our cabin it was freezing could. A lovely north wind was blowing, which guarantees sunny skies, but not the cloud cover to hold in the heat.

So I gave each of the kids a small suitcase, while I loaded myself up with a big backpack, two grocery bags of food and a large duffle bag of washed linens from our last stay. We all hurried along the pathway to our cabin, rushed in and closed the door behind us. I made dinner and we all ate like wolves (everyone was excused their lack of politeness at the table tonight).

And then I dressed the kids in winter jackets and hats and sent them out to play for a bit.

And then I made myself coffee, poured it into a thermos mug and went out myself.

And saw this:

(stage left)

(stage center left)

(stage center right)

(stage right)

In an instant everything is vanished: clutching in and out of first gear for over an hour, 4 kids asking how much longer it is before they can get out of the truck, me wondering if I'm going to make it to the gas station before I need to call a tow-truck, me getting very hungry and very irritated at small, little people who are also very hungry and very irritated.

It's just me, my coffee and my breath rising from my lips. Not bad for a Friday evening.

Working with Nature --

2009-04-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am pleasantly surprised. Not shocked, but there's not a lot that shocks me anymore. I've come to expect the best and the worst from those of us living on this planet. It's all the stuff that happens inbetween that intrigues me and impresses me.

So imagine my pleasantly surprisedness when I found some great yarn (in my favorite yarn and fabric store) which was made from BAMBOO. I've now finished my first product from it, I am so completely satisfied with the yarn that I can't wait to get my hands on more of it.

Still, it takes me a bit to wrap my brain around the whole idea. I mean, we start with this:

(minus the dog)

and this:

(the above photos were stolen from http://www.bamboogarden.com/)

and end up with a product like this:

The benifits of using bamboo yarn are numerous.

It's a completely renewable resourse. Even the hard cored, left handed environmentalists will be happy. The bamboo can be harvested without destroying the plant itself, leaving the plant to continue growing so that it can be harvested in another 6 months.
By itself, it is completely biodegradable.
Has the ability to be dyed by 'natural dyes'. This is better for the evironment. (And until this point I had not given much thought to unnatural dyes that are harmful to the environment being used on other types of yarns. Hmmm.... food for thought).
Bamboo yarn has natural anti-bacterial properties. (Great news for me working in a day which involves wiping a lot of snot and being sneezed and coughed on regularily throughout the year).
Bamboo also has natural ultra-violet light protective qualities (perfect for that full body protective sun-suit I'm thinking of knitting)
Bamboo is softer than silk. (This I can personally attest to. My fingers were happy little fingers while working on my first project)
Bamboo has a beautiful NATURAL luster.

This is my first product with this great material. Soft and silky against the skin.... This is my new favorite invention since peanut butter.

I look forward to showing off future products.

All is of course not perfect in the real world. This is true of bamboo yarn as well. The one downfall that I have been able to research is that it does absorb water and expand when soaked in water.

But as always in my life, when life gives me lemons I do try to make lemondade. In this case I'm thinking: Asset enhancing swimwear for both men and women.

Working Together as a Team -

2009-04-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is a close up of my sea side cabin, located approximately 1.5 hours north of Bergen, Norway. It's a family retreat, where everyone goes to relax and fill the soul with the time and space that daily life takes away from it. My husband aquired this property from an elderly family member over 20 years ago, and when he took it over it was falling apart in every sense of the word. All the windows had been broken by storms, two of the walls were rotting out, some of the floor boards had broken through to the stone basement below.

Since I have joined the picture 11 years ago, the two of us have been working together (in every sense of the word) to rebuild this place. We've replaced the roof. We've extended the building and extended the kitchen on one side (where one can see the white door) while adding a bathroom with a ecological toilet and a space promised for a small foot-pump shower (which is a big improvement from the bucket in the basement that was available when I first moved here) as well as adding a second bedroom on the second floor.

This summer we'll be extending the wooden porch around to the sea side of the cabin.

8 years ago we build a porch in front of the doorway. Before there was only wet dirt and cracking cement. We also added the fiberglass roof so that we could be outside when it rained.

3 years ago, after replacing the roof and extending the cabin, we added a porch on a second side of the house. At the far end where the railing is we've enjoyed many breakfasts looking over the sea, while listening to my mother-in-law shouting good morning to us from her own cabin further up the property.

Now we're going to extend the porch into a balcony on the sea-side of the cabin.... both to get even closer to nature and to find a bit more privacy.

Now the problem is that while we do have access to a concrete mixer, it is located further up the property. And considering that it rains an awful lot on the west coast of Norway, the ground is almost always saturated with water. After a quick discussion, my Viking husband and I decided it would take just as much work to mix the cement by hand as it would be to take the concrete mixer up and down wet grass.

The descion was made pretty quickly. I had dug the holes to solid rock while Viking searched through all of his materials to find planks that could be used to make forms. I would mix the cement and he would carry it and fill the forms. Mormor would make sure the kids did not get in our way.

The lesson begins:

Two parts sand from the wheelbarrow above....

Plus one part gravel.....

Plus one part cement.....

(Which in the end, when using my shovelfuls, turned out to be about 4.5 parts sand to 3 parts gravel to so-and-so much dry cement. But in the end, it was good cement).

There's the dry mixture.... almost looks like BisQuick Mix, doesn't it?

And there's the final, usable product. Which also resembles BisQuick Mix when the milk has been added.

After almost 2 hours and 9 small batches of cement later, all the forms were filled.

And always the romantic, Viking needs to leave his mark.

Secret Easter Bunny -

2009-04-14T08:29:00.001-07:00

Being a member of the European Street Team on Etsy has it's social benifits. Like getting secret gifts twice a year from someone you are not expecting at all.

We have two occasions where we exchange gifts: Christmas and Easter. I unfortunately was not able to participate in the 'Secret Santa' give away, but I was one of the first to jump on board to participate in the 'Secret Easter Bunny' give away.

The person I received to make a gift for was a woman I've actually be aquainted with for a couple of years now. Malene lives in Denmark and has the store Elves Garden (http://www.elvesgarden.etsy.com) where she makes wonderful pieces of jewelry with a mystical or mideval feel. I really like her work and have bought a number of pieces from her already.

Because we live in 'similar' climates (though this word should be used carefully as it is warmer in Denmark, though some what windier), I decided to make for her two cowls. One made from a Danish wool in wonderful orange and yellow colors, as well as a summer cowl made from a yarn that is a combination of wool, cotton and chitin. (Fantastic material to work with). I was very glad when she liked the parcel that was sent to her. She has posted about it here, in her blog: http://malenekaae.typepad.com/malene_kaae_design/2009/03/my-second-secret-easter-bunny.html

It turned out that my secret Easter Bunny lives in Italy! Mette is an avid knitter and sells both her wares as her patterns at this store: http://www.knittingmette.etsy.com. And she has sent me the below:

A cute little refrigerator magnet that my daughter has completely fallen in love with....

And a wide variety of goodies for me, myself and I. :) I cute little knitted Easter Bunny was perfect for our Easter Holidays out at the country side, as well as some Easter Candles, a handful of Italian body creams and tea from Italy. In addition to this I got a marshmallow Easter Bunny as well as what I assume was an Easter bunny made from white chocolate. However, that one melted a bit before I got it. Regardless, it tasted very good!

Thank you very much Mette!

2009-04-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

The problem with being Canadian in a foreign country is that we're just too trustworthy. I mean, come on – we're CANADIAN. Everyone likes us. The world is generally unaware of any major global mistakes that we've done, in comparison to our neighbors to the south. Even Bin Ladin has put us quite low on his list of countries to 'get'.

This being my frame of mind, it left me in a position to be really taken on April 1st. And I got taken good.

For those who don't know me personally, I work at a private day care. 100+ children and 30+ adults working in 6 different teams. April 1st, 2009 was a really warm day, one of the warmest days of the year. For the first time, the group of children I work with were all outside. My team members were out with them, and I was left in charge of making lunch for the group. I was running late, and trying to cut tomatoes and make a mental list of all the eating utensils that we needed.

And the the phone rings.

I look at the receiver and the number is hidden. Strange, I think. It must be one of the parents phoning from work. So I answer the phone.

Is this Nicole -- ? I was asked. I answer affirmitively.

Yes Nicole, this is the Stig Andresson phoning from the local distric police. We're phoning because we had a speed control earlier this morning and have documented a vehicle registered to both you and Cato – , a dark blue Pajero with license plate number: ###### driving at a slighly higher speed than what is presently allowed on the roads of Askøy.

[Now the thing is, I normally NEVER speed. I mean, I'm a good Canadian girl. We ALWAYS follow the rules, the classic joke being: How do you get a pool full of Canadians out of the water? Say: Okay everyone – swimming hours are now closed! --- However, this particular day I was a bit late. And I did drive slightly faster than normal, but did not drive faster than 10 km an hour more than allowed. Because I know it's very unlikely you'll get a ticket at this speed.]

Okay, I say. I admit nothing.

Yes, he continued. As I was saying, we have documented you driving slightly faster than currently allowed. We take this kind infraction very seriously. Because of this I am phoning to find out if you can please come down to the station some time today so that we can discuss the matter further.

[At this point there is a bell ringing in the back of my head. But clearly it's not ringing loud enough]

I still say nothing. I mean, I of course will do everything in my power to assist the police, but not when it involves getting my own hide strung out.

I need to know, says Stig Andresson, when it it possible for you to come in so we can handle this matter. Can you come in right away? His voice is affirmative and authorative.

Well I'm at work, I say. I can't give you a time of when I could come in.

Is there any way you can come in on your lunch hour? Stig Andresson asks me.

[At this point in time, I know I'm not going to get a fine, warning or even worse. After all, if I had driven so fast, why would they have not pulled me over then and there? Suddenly it occurs to me what date it is.]

Is this because of April Fools Day? I demand.

In an even more serious voice Stig answers: I can understand how you might think this. And I sympathise with your worries. However let me assure you that this is no joke. This is a serious matter that should be dealt with as quickly as possible.

[I am still hesitating at this point. But, this is the police phoning. I mean, what if it was actually real? Best to play it safe, I decide].

Can I have your phone number? I ask.

Of course you can. It is.... and Stig in a completely professional nature gives me a mobile number.

Is there a land number I can reach you at?

Stig does not miss a beat. Of course, he says. If you wish to reach us through our central board, you can dial this number [gives a land number that is not very suspiscious]. Here you can ask for me and you will be directed quickly.

Okay, I say, submitting completely. I will probably get my lunch break between 1 and 2 pm. I will do my best to come in during this time. If I am unable to, I will come in contact with you. [Two can speak like a professional.]

Thank you Nicole, says Stig. I look forward to meeting you. Then we hang up.

The very next thing I do is phone my husband, just to hear what he has to say about the situation. Then Stian, a co-worker of mine. Tears are running down his cheeks.

I have been caught. I was sucked in so badly that there's no way out of this one. It does not matter if I had some suspicions, I choose to take the safe road and I was duped.

I'm sure I could have smacked Stian, without too many consequences later. And I'm sure I had DEATH written in my eyes as Stian did start backing away from me when I approached him.

Instead I decided to give him a big hug. I was duped. I was conned. I was suckered. April Fool was written across my forehead in big, flashing, neon letters. But I was going to take the high road out.
And after wallowing in my embarrassment for an hour, I came to the conclusion that Stian wouldn't do this with just anyone. I choose to believe that he tricked me because he considered me as a friend.

Though it is a strange initiation, I accept Stians friendship. Until next April.

I Got Myself New Boobies....

2009-03-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I went against what family members and friends had been telling me for years... that what I had was just fine. There was no point in going bigger. People should love me just the way I am.

Well I have to say, I have thrown caution into the wind and have followed my own desires. I bought myself some new boobies, and I LOVE THEM.

Here they are:

Aren't they perfect? I purchased them from Greece, and you can hardly even tell!! And already all my products just look great on them.

They peek out nicely, but aren't graphic at all.

They bring forward certain attributes.

Even when hidden, they still enhance. Isn't that what they say, that it's the mystery that the most intriguing?

If Janet Jackson can flash herself, then so can I!

Me and the Glass Coca-Cola bottle. We've got our curves and we love them!

Week In Lillehammer Part I

2009-03-07T23:55:00.000-08:00

I have just come back from a week long skiing trip in Lillehammer. Most will remember that this is where the Winter Olympics were held in 1994. And what a perfect place for it - lots and lots of snow. Which is so different from what we get on the west side of Norway. Here we get rain, rain, and more rain. So it was a nice change for all of us.

Below is the cabin we rented, which was more than big enough for the 17 family members that came along.

Unfortunately I do not have a lot of pictures of skiing - as a first time skiier, I was concentrating much more on keeping myself upright than taking great pictures. And it was also our children's first time skiing. So between me and the kids, my husband had his hands full!

But when we were not skiing, the kids had a great time playing in the snow. Below are all the children building a snow cave. Now this is something that is NEVER done on the west side of Norway. If we do get snow, it's so wet that I would never let my kids build a snow cave, for fear that it would collapse on them.

Here's the oldest cousin doing a lot of the hard work, digging out a pathway to where the door will be. Us adults are smart and are enjoying a well deserved break on the porch.

More digging and planning......

And here we are towards the end of the project, after all the snow from the inside of the cave was emptied out.

The door way.....

My two kids who were so happy with their new house that they were unwilling to leave it, even after the sun had set, the temperature had dropped and they were shivering.

So much snow is also good for flying lessons.

Ready.....

Set.......

Go!

More posts to come in the next few days....

For the love of Mohair

2009-02-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

I will admit that I was a bit hesitant when I found some a lot of mohair yarn at my favorite sewing and knitting store. Without anyone actually saying this to me, I felt that it went out of style in the early 1980's. And I'm not sure why.

In the end, the fantastic colors won me over.

How can one NOT walk around with a smile on their face, knowing they are drenched in sunshine?

For those who have their heads in the clouds, a sky blue scarf is perfect. And for those who really have their heads in the clouds, the safety buttons ensure that they won't loose the scarf.

A jolt of cranberry red to splash the world with color.

Finally, this burnt orange always makes me feel toast from the inside out.

I've personally tried wearing these scarves and they are so soft and cozy to the touch. But mine's a pink one and no one's allowed to take it.

Norwegian Raspeballer

2009-02-24T02:40:00.000-08:00

As part of my products to my customers, I offer translations of Norwegian recipes that will be sent electronically to buyers. These they can enjoy while waiting for their purchase to arrive via ordinary mail.

One of the very traditional recipes that I offer is Raspeballer. These are potato dumplings that are still very much in fashion. Traditionally they are eaten with turnip/swede/rutabaga different types of salted meat: lamb, bacon, sausage, etc. After this, there are a number of different additons that can be found all over the country, depending upon which area you come from. Some families enjoy pea soup with this dish, others add sour cream and other still add syrup.

Whichever way you choose to eat your raspeballer, you can be guaranteed to be full and content for hours afterward!

Norway In the European Melodi Grand Prix

2009-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

I am not usually a huge fan of the European Melodi Grand Prix. I do watch it, usually moving in and out of the living room to fold a load of laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc. It seems to me that the 'talent' aspect of the competition has disappeared in the 10 years that I've living in this country. I accept the fact that looks and the selling of sex will always sway voters in competitions such as these, but in the last years it seems that a lot of good looking ladies with perhaps not the best talent have made their way to the top.

But now, now there is a new young hottie from Norway who actually can play music. And who can sing. And he's got some talented modern Halling dancers behind him. Those dancers don't just have pretty faces.

Oh.... if I was 17 again.

A Little Something Turned Big

2009-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

My biggest satisfactions come from the smallest things. Like when I don't really have faith in an idea, but give it a whirl and am surprised to see the outcome.

I had such an experience last week: a single ball of purple wool and two pewter buttons. I did not expect much to come out of this. In fact, I EXPECTED it to be a waste of valuable time.

Instead, the result was a simple scarf with a lot of versatility. And it's not the fact that it looks good that is the point of this blog. It's the fact that it has taught me something big about myself.

First, the scarf: it's a loose traditional stitch with a twist. This gives it a very organic and lively feel. It will go with all casual items and business attire. Because it's made from soft wool, it will keep you warm while still letting your skin breath. It's a good deal.

Secondly, me: I need to stop analysing things so much. I need to stop trying to predict the outcomes of events and focus on the journey. I need to ENJOY the journey. I need to start being a bit more optimistic about things and expect the best from my endeavors.

And finally, I need to remember and take solice in the fact that as always, great things are hidden in simple packages.

A Little Piece of Paradise

2009-01-29T11:57:00.001-08:00

There have been a number of people asking me my cabin by the seaside. While I of course won't go into great detail, I do think I can share a bit that will satisfy most. Our cabin lies between 1 and 2 hours north of Bergen, which covers an awful lot of ground. While the cabin itself dates back to World War II (due to short supplies building materials, another house was purchased, taken apart and transported by boat here), the stone foundations of the cabin, which can be seen in the photo below are dated to the 1600's.

The above picture is taken from the sea itself. To be very honest, it was taken my husband as he was bobbing gently in the water, lying in a yellow rubber dingy. Originally the cabin was only as wide as the top two windows. We have expanded it to the right (extended the kitchen, added a toilet [there was only a bucket when I first moved her 10 years ago] and a second upper bedroom). The windows we want are extremely expensive, so we will probably have enough money saved up to purchase our next window next year.

We do a lot of fishing at the cabin - here is a boat that the entire family owns together - all 18 of us. The one rule that no one is allowed to break is that any gas used by someone must be refilled IMMEDIATELY. No exceptions.

So far there has been no problems.

I for one prefer fish from the land. I'm quite good at it as well. It always gives me such pleasure to have my brother-in-laws tease me about what it takes to be a 'real fisherman/woman'. Then within an hour I've caught the above, and they come home as the sun is setting with nothing to show for their efforts.

Yes, life out in the country side can be pretty good.

A Work Place Flower Virgin

2009-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I learnt a new life lesson today: no matter how sick you are, how much you shiver, how much snot your blowing out of your nose, despite all the hours you are sleeping during the day, never, ever, ever forget this: always wear a bra!

I'm on my second week of being sick with a really good influensa that I just can't shake. I don't need to go into details. Needless to say, after going to the doctor, having some bloodwork done, receiving new 'governmental sick leave papers' and delivering them to my boss, I went home and slept for another 5 and a half hours.

So I wake up, take some more Ibprofine and eat some of the dinner that my better half (especially at this point in time) and my kids ate for dinner. My better half, who has been up since just before 4 AM this morning asks if he can sleep on the couch for a bit, before putting the kids to bed.

The kids are happily addicted to Play Station. I agree to this.

So I'm flipping through the channels on the tv, wrapped in a wool blanket with hot tea. It's a sad state when one has over 100 + channels, and nothing is of interest. Not even Jamie Oliver is very entertaining tonight.

And the doorbell rings. 'Jeez-Louise!' I think to myself. Who in the name of Paradise and Lawn Clippings is ringing my door now? I don't even have any loose change if it should be someone collecting for the Cancer Foundation, Askøy Football Association, or some local high-school band arrangement.

There's a man out there, super blond hair and high cheek bones. Suddenly I'm aware that I'm wearing wrinkly pajama bottoms that have been used for a couple of days now, and a ragged army green sweater that I used to wear in Canada over 10 years ago. My hair is not yet brushed since I've woken up a few hours ago.

-- Is this number #%? he asks.
-- Yes, I say.
-- Are you Nicole? he asks.
-- Yes, I say.
-- These are for you, he says. And hands me this:

I'm kind of stunned as I take this fantastic boquet into the kitchen. I understand that this is because I'm not feel great, but I can't figure out who would send them to me. After 10 years of living in this country, I still can count the number of true friends I have on one hand. Such is what happens when you move often and change jobs frequently. The one possibility I can think of is a friend who is now up in the Song region for a couple of weeks and we haven't been sending SMS's like we normally do. She knows I'm not well but.....

So I open the card: Dear Nicole! Wishing you a good recovery. Greetings from both the small and big at your workplace.

Now I'm stunned for a second time. In all my work experience, I've never had anyone of my work places send me flowers when I've been ill. Even when I fell 10 meters in the mountains of Canada, had to be rescued by helicopter and could not work for 3 months because of some rehabilitation that needed to take place, I did not receive flowers from my work place. The only question was if I should be docked one day's pay because my parents did not contact my work place immediately to let them know of the incident. (Silly them - they were worried if I would be a vegitable or not).

I understand it's the virus at work here, and I know that I'm not the first to receive flowers from my work place. I'm fairly confident there's an unsaid rule that those who are sick longer than a week will be sent flowers from money that's put away every month for such occasions. Even so, I'm getting pretty emotional about it. I'm not crying, but I've had to take a couple of deep breaths now and then.

Wow - someone sent me flowers. I think I'm starting to feel a bit better already.

And in the future I will always wear a bra. Maybe a pair of jeans as well.

Back to Knitted Postcards

2009-01-23T08:17:00.001-08:00

I've been home sick with my son this week - not a lot of fun. But while both of us have taken it easy, watch tv, drinking lots of vitamin rich juice, and tea (and a little bit of hot chocolate to keep the moral up), I've been playing with my knitting needles. I think even in a severe coma, I would still be able to knit something wonderful.

I've gone back to knitting postcards for while. Why, you might ask? For a number of reasons:

1) I'm not feeling well enough to even work on a scarf.
2) I have a whole lot of yarn, wool and material that needs to be used up in one for or another. I can see that haunting look in my husband's eyes - time to get on it.
3) I like being forced to enter the world of 'EXTREME CREATIVITY' to make something that looks nice from a lot of odds and ends that, well... really don't look nice at all.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I've of course cut out lots of hearts - close to 100 of them in fact, that are now stored in my 'Applique Box'. I have found some flowers I had forgotten about as well. It's nice to be able to put these to good use.

As I'm making these cards, my mind starts to wander, wondering what it can make and how to diversify my cards as much as possible. What kind of appliques can I can I make from a sewing machine? Cupcakes? More flowers? Whales? Words/Sayings? Birds? Hmmm.... I think I might have to start doing some free hand drawing to see what I am capable of.

And should anyone have a good idea that might work, I would be willing to give them a free sample of any card I made from that idea. Crafters Unite!

Working Partnerships with VKNO

2009-01-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have begun to establish a good working relationship with another Etsy seller who lives on the east side of Norway. While we have only met once for coffee, we have spoken often through email and SMS. And it seems that our personalities fit perfectly together.

At the moment I love making scarves. And I have plans to make all different types, all sorts of variations. One of the ideas that has been coming back to me again and again is to make a 'Viking Princess' Scarf. While the details of how I will make it and what it will look like are under wraps for a while, I discovered that I was going to need a special pin.

Secondly, I like to reuse materials, encorporating 'upcycling' as often as possible. VKno also encorporates themes of 'upcycling' in many of her products, some of which include aluminium. So I approached her with my idea, asking if one could make a strong enough pin for me and my plans. The thought had never occured to her before, but she was willing to take on the task of at least trying to find some artistic solutions to this problem.

Last weekend I recieved this package:

A variety of different pins made from aluminium wire and folded, upcycled aluminium. My job was to critique them, and then send them back to her so that she can work futher on this project.

However, I found that each of these pins had so much potential that I had to share them with my friends and with the world.

Pin 1 - Is an upcycled aluminium frame that is encircled in copper wire, and has a wire needle. It's a rougher style, and while I have no immediate plans for this style, it is somethikng that would go well with what I make - tiny, fine stitches are not usually the way I do things.

Pin 2 - Is a flat, hammered copper circle encircled with wire. I actually do like this particular style, but wonder what other decorations can be used instead of the copper crown that was used here. VKno, in her personal letter that she included with this package, has already told me that a number of different decorations can be used.

This basic style, in my opinion, can be appropriate to a number of different articles that I make, and I might end up ordering a number of these in similar styles in the future.

Pin 3 - This is one of my favorites. It's another upcycled, aluminium frame tightly wound with wire. While it might be a bit difficult to see in this picture, VKno has added many seed beads on the outer edge of the frame. She herself has said that the corners are not to her satisfaction and that she plans to make them look more professional. This in my mind, is a very nice, classic pin that could possibly be used for more formal occasions.

Pin 4 - A heart shaped pin. What could be more perfect for Valentine's Day? Or for a special birthday or anniversary? I absolutely love this pin, though I do have some questions for VKno on its strength. This however, if it is a flaw, would be a very minor flaw in my opinion and can no doubt be corrected quickly. (She's so smart!) I see this pin being popular, both for me, but also for other Esty Buyers out there.

Pin 5 - The whale. Silly me. When I came home on Friday evening from work and opened the package, I didn't even see it was a whale until I read her letter. On the other hand, my husband immediately exclaimed 'Wow - Cool whale!' when he saw it, as did my four-year-old daughter. It is now of course very obvious to me, and I admire VKno's creativity. She says that this is her favorite, and for someone who lives on the sea-shore, I can understand why this is.

I love her use of beads in this piece. This would be perfect for many 'Norwegian pieces' I have thought of, or have thought of since I have seen the pin.

Pin 6 - This is my least favorite pin of all that have been sent to me. However, it is more the shape that doesn't feel right. I'm not sure if it's the shape, or the size, or a combination of the two, but I just don't like it.

Having said this, I really like that she combined two colors/materials. I see this as a good starting point for something much better in the future.

Pin 7 - This is nice pin, but for me the beads take away from the pin itself. I much prefer the styles of square pins seen in Pin 1 and Pin 3. In my opinion, the square would have to be much larger to support large beads such as these.

And now a personal thank you from me! Thank you so much VKno for taking on this project. I will send you further personal comments via email, and your package will be sent back to you later this week. :) As always, my opinions and comments are only my own. I hope that you will have great success with this idea, with many other customers other than myself.

You're a true pal!

Stormy Family Hike

2009-01-17T12:41:00.001-08:00

Today we joined up with another family in our family and took our family hike on one of the smaller islands surrounding the large island where I live. The day was windy and dark - the past 40 hours or so we've had pretty extreme weather, with winds blowing up the the category of a 'little storm'.

Here we are driving out towards the island of Ramsøy - now there is a direct road here, with land bridges made of stone. This however does nothing to keep the water from washing up over the road during fierce weather.

Getting closer and closer to the water....

Pretty much as sea level here......

Here we can see the houses of Ramsøy in the distance.

Getting closer....

Once here, we head towards some old German Bunkers left over from WWII. My children and those that were with us were looking so forward exploring the 'caves' and 'tunnels'. It crosses my mind that while I was born in 1973, the war was still 'in my lifetime' as my grandparents lived through it and I heard direct stories from them. Now those people in my life are gone, and WWII getting close to being a full century old. I imagine this war will have little meaning in my children's lives.

We don't tell the children that all of these bunkers were made by Russian prisoners of war, almost all who lost their lives doing so. When does one begin to share such tragedies with small ones?

70 and 80 year old rubble still lying around....

A view back towards the island that I live on (that would be the dark mass far into the distance).

A really cool and scary hole where 3 of the kids swore in all honesty that they could hear a troll lurking in the depths.

A machine-gun bunker where no doubt dozens of planes were shot down from.

One nephew getting a little too close to the dark and chilly waters for our liking....

The last and final reminents that are eroding away. What will my children show to their children?

Scarf with Attitude

2009-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life is a bit difficult. Sometimes people push your buttons in ways that don't like. Sometimes things are a bit out of your control and there's not much you can do about it.

So what can artistically inclined people do during a time like this? Let their nasty feelings out through some of the work in a humoristic means.

What can I say? Life was difficult for me during the coldest time of the year. It's always good to vent your anger towards a semi-mythical figure.

Winter Hiking Outside of Bergen

2009-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

My family and I went winter hiking a few weeks ago. There are a number of mountains right behind Bergen that the general public has easy access to, and the three that we walked around were Fløyen (where we took a tram to the top), Blåmannen and Rundemannen (these are located right behind Fløyen).

Below are a number of photographs of the scenery we were able to enjoy... when we were not engulfed in trees.

Above: looking to the east of Bergen.

Looking out beyond the harbor of Bergen. The first island (Askøy) is where we live, with 22 000 other people.

Looking over the southern mountains of Bergen. Out beyond that final island is the great big ocean of the Atlantic.... next stop: Stavanger.

Breakfast in my part of thw world....

2009-01-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it's not a very good picture. There's not a lot of light so early in the morning... around 6 am. But what you see here is a pretty standard Norwegian breakfast. Two pieces of bread (not toast) with with cheese and mayonese zig-zagged over the top. It's quick, easy, and fills you up. Together with two madarine oranges and I'm set until lunch time later on.

Nobody Likes Me Scarflett

2009-01-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

I was given a ball of wool from a friend - she had one left over from her workings. Knowing that I like to use things that others would just get rid of, she asked me if I could use it for anything.

From this ball, I knitted a scarflett. I thought it was fascinating how the extra colors that were entwined within the navy blue wool appeared at a random pattern of their own making: purples, pinks, greens, oranges, and even a bit of yellow making appearances at will.

I knew a piece like this needed a pretty big border. To this I added a fringe in baby pink, in order to bring out the reds found in the purples and to off set the light blues.

Imagine my shock when I held a contest a couple of months later: each participant was required to go through my store and find a piece that they would never, ever, ever buy. Even if someone paid them a large amount of money to do so. This piece got the most votes.

However after a lot of thinking and searching my heart, I've come to the conclusion that this piece is wonderful, and wonderful for someone out there.

I will continue to hold out, until this person and myself cross paths.

Alpaca for Men

2009-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Who ever said that the soft, luxurious alpaca wool was just for women? Men also would love to have something cuddly and butter soft against their skin.... as long as it doesn't look as soft as it is.

A Game of Balance

2009-01-09T10:31:00.001-08:00

It has been a long time since I have posted a blog. There has been a lot that has been going on and a lot of things that needed to be sorted out in my life. And my body and mind really needed some rest.

I left a really horrible job last August - the kind of job where the boss runs the place like it's his or her own little empire, breaking laws and threatening employees left, right and center. And to make matters worse, most of those who were hired were either young, or had no working experience (ie - new mothers who had spent many years at home), or a combination of both. I was able to find a better job and move on towards the end of the summer. But I had spent two years at this former job, and needed to both get used to a new job (with new expectations), shake off the bad experiences that I had been experiencing before, and renew my relationships with both my husband and my children, which had been strained the last year or so due to stress.

I needed to take care of my mind and body. I had decided that while I would start exercising, I wouldn't actually change my diet too much. I do eat a lot of fruits, veggies and healthy food. The problem however was that I was also greatly addicted to chocolate and coffee (and chips on occasion). However coming from a low point, I decided to continue to indulge myself in these treats on a *reasonable level* until Christmas. This I have done.

Now Christmas is over, and to be really honest, I'm really tired of the coffee and chocolate. I also am a lot stronger than I was back in September, when I started my new job. As the days go by, I am exercising more and eating less junk. I am having less desire for the things that got me through the days before. It happens that I make myself my first cup of coffee in the evening, and then throw half of it out because it just doesn't taste as good as it did a couple of months ago.

I'm exercising, usually, 3 days in a row with one day's rest. When I started exercising in September (which was only maybe twice a week), I found it incredibly hard to burn more than 150 calories in 30 minutes - and I was on the lowest level of my elipse machine. The last few weeks I've been burning 300 - 350 calories in just under 30 minutes. It's amazing. And this evening I hit a new record: after a day's rest, I have worked out for 35 minutes, and have burnt 410 calories.

It's not often I stun myself.

!!Another Treasury!!

2008-10-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

I was placed in another treasury on Etsy. I'm starting to like this. :)

I was Interviewed! Yeah!

2008-09-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by a fellow Etsian: Mea Culpa's Body and Bath Creation. The experience was great and I'm looking forward to my next interview.

1.What is your stores name and what do you sell (and anything else that you wanna share about it)?

--- My store is named Plask Design. I sell mostly cool and innovative winter wear: hats, scarves, and fingerless gloves. I do my best to use, and am experimenting more with, recycled and upcycled materials. I am knitting and crocheting more and more with textiles and plastics as well as traditional wools, cottons and silks. I have also started to encorporate printed material into my store in the form of Traditional Norwegian Recipes, as well as knitted/crocheted postcards that of course are meant to be used and sent off to friends and family. This is because I am actually educated in Creative Writing and Journalism, and am working on my first family travel book which will be entirely published by myself.

-- It is also interesting to note that 'Plask' is actually the Norwegian word for 'Splash'. I chose this as a name for my store for two reasons: 1) I love the sound of the word and feel that it resonates in any language, and 2) the west coast of Norway is one of the wettest places on earth and receives over 3 meters or 10 feet of rain a year. The perfect place to develope designs for the items I make.

2. How long have you been crafting for yourself before you decided to share your designs with other?

-- I can't remember if it was my mother or my grandmother who taught me how to crochet, but I was shown at an early age and then started flying on my own after that. When I first moved to Norway as a newly wed with my husband, money was tight while I went to school to learn the language instead of working. My mother-in-law taught me to knit and everyone that year received socks for Christmas. Once I could do both things, I spent the next 5 years or so playing with different stitches and techniques. It wasn't until I found Etsy and I became more focussed on creating finished products with a high degree of professionalism.

3. Where do you get your inspiration?

-- I actually get my inspiration for the materials I come across. How do I make a bag full of wool, each ball a different color, into a spectacular object that someone will love to have on their body? What will happen if I cut up this kitchen curtain with with gorgeous colors into one continuous strip and make a hat out of it? What can plastic be made into? How do all these different materials feel against the skin? This is the part of the journey I enjoy the most.

4. Is there a funny story where you accidentally screwed something up, but it turned out better than you planned?

-- Not really a funny story, but a long-term learning experience. In the beginning, I didn't understand that a lot of the items I made did look very good at all, until I was finally finished with the product and the decorating of it. Then about 6 months ago I met a landscape painter who was visiting a friend of mine. I saw the stages of his work (I had really seen the beginning stages of a painting) and saw that his work didn't look very good at this point either. This realization made me focus on the final vision of my product and not pay so much attention to how it appears before I get to that stage.

5. How do you see yourself down the road?

-- I really don't know where my creative journey will take me, but I'm pretty much open to anything and any type of material.

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

-- A little bit of both. The economical social structure of Norway is one that I could not live off my work, pay my mortgage payments and keep my children feed. I will be continuing to work in my career (which in itself is very creative) for many years to come. But I am continually thinking of, and planning for perhaps 20 years in the future when I'll be approaching retirement. I hope to have created enough success that I can begin to cut back on my hours of work as I get older.

7. Do you ever get a creative block?

-- I am a mother of two youngsters, aged 4 and 6. I work full time and my husband also works full time shift work. Life is incredibly busy already, but we also add in weekend mountain hikes, trips to our sea-side cabin as well as skiing trips in the winter. This is of course after the house gets vaccuumed. I simply don't have time to have a creative block: there's always an etsy project that needs to be worked on or finished.

8. What is one favorite thing that you made and felt bad selling it - only because you liked it so much?

-- I absolutely love most of my gloves. They're my favorite things to make. Most of them turn out much better than I had envisioned and I always question if 'these' will be the latest pair that I will give to myself.

9. What is a normal day like for you?

-- My husband wakes up around 5am. I usually don't sleep well after that so am often up at 5.45 or so. I make myself coffee, check etsy, my team blogs, my private blog and then my email to see if I received any news from home.
-- 6.30 - 8.00: pack lunches, wake and dress the kids, feed them breakfast, dress and deliver them to the places they need to be and then head to work.
-- 4.00ish - start heading home and pick up the kids. Start dinner if I'm home first. Eat. Start kids on an activity while I do some laundry or clean up the kitchen. Spend some quality time with the kids. Get kids ready for bed, read stories, sing, kiss them goodnight.
-- 8.00ish - do a bit more laundry or one more housework job.
-- 8.30ish - the night is mine and I can work on Etsy. Do check Etsy itself, my blogs, then get to work until about 10.00 pm. Then go to sleep and start the whole thing again the next day.

10. What else interests you besides your craft?

-- Our family spends a lot of time outside. We go on mountain hikes (some are spoken about on my blog: plaskdesign.blogspot.com) and have a sea side cabin we often visit. Here we do a lot of fishing, as well cutting down trees and chopping firewood. During the right times of the year we harvest in a lot of blueberries, raspberries, and apples.

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

--- I think those who use Etsy as an area to shop and/or sell should really start realizing and understanding that they are at the very beginning of a new politican and economic part of history. I truly believe that the internet levels the feilds between big corporations and the private seller. I also believe that in the future (and hopefully during my lifetime) I will be able to see the demise of big industry and the rise of local industries of all types: manufacturing, agriculture and farming, and possibly even areas such as energy creation. Wouldn't that be cool?

Naugty Christmas Stuff

2008-09-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

A number of years after I discovered that Santa Claus wasn't real, it became apparent to me that I'd have to make my own Christmas cheer.

Christmas truly does begin again after the age of 30.

Childhood Treasures from Down Under

2008-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

I found this fantastic artist on Etsy when I was looking for Christmas gifts for my two neices.... aged 3 and 1. All of my family lives in Canada, while I live in Norway, so sending gifts can be a bit of a challenge. If clothes do not fit properly, they cannot be returned. We have to think of size and weight when shipping. We have to consider that items might be broken on the way... although of course there is not so much we do about that in any case.

I had considered for some time of perhaps sending these two girls art work that they could hang on their walls and look at during the quiet times of their days, namely in the morning and evenings. There is a artwork enough on Etsy geared towards children, but when I saw the work of Lloyd, who goes by the user name of TummyMountain on Etsy, I knew I had found exactly what I was looking for.

TummyMountain's work is appealing on a lot of different levels. The pictures are simple and without a lot of complicated visual details. The simple faces of the children could be *any* child. The pictures themselves are not static, but have an energy and an expectant engery that flows through them. Something is always about to happen or a new world has just been created. It's something that all of us can recognize from out own childhoods, and in the lives of our children.

And who can not smile at the full fury of a little youngster that doesn't have his or her own way? There's something precious and beautiful about even this.

And finally, the small disasters that come about from trying to be adults in a world children don't quite have access to yet. Even when we know we should be angry at them, they have our full sympathies.

I purchased two paintings for my neices, and have been informed that Lloyd and his wife have gone to the extra effort to find the perfect holiday wrapping for two small ones, who probably will only appreciate the wrapping paper at this stage of the game.. This is perhaps not so easy to do at the end of September, when the rest of the world is still getting used to the start of school and the upcoming of Halloween. They have certainly made my day and I just felt I had to share my treasure with the rest of the world.

Norwegian Fall Foliage

2008-09-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

It has always amazed me that so many flowers and colors come a live in autumn in Norway, when the days are growing darker and darker by almost 10 minutes a day. The sun falls lower and lower in the sky. There's a constant chill in the air.

And still.... flowers open up and bow down to the light.

This is Lyng, or Heather. It is the national flower of Norway. Here it is blooming in a light lilac color.

Here you would think that it was the month of May.... not the end of September.

Here is ivy that I know was cut way back last spring.

And finally rosehips..... you always got to love the colors of these!

!!New Contest!!

2008-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

This contest is now closed. The winner of this contest was

Breeleed.

Congratulations to her and stay tuned for future contests that will

be coming soon to this site.

This contest is to help me learn about the popularity of alternative postcards, with knitted postcards in mind.

To participate: simply answer the questions below honestly in the comment section. There are no right and wrong answers and the winner will be chosen randomly through a draw when the contest is over. Be sure to give me information so I can contact you: if I cannot contact you through your blog, then send me an email address so that I can deliver the prize.

The prize: the prize is a knitted post card of your choice, as well as a 'Gullbrød'. This is one of the most popular and traditional chocolate bars of Norway. It is actually a marsipan bar (Norwegian marsipan is *less* sweet than the marsipan found in Great Britain or German) dipped in dark chocolate. The prize can either be sent to you, or to a friend as a gift.

Deadline: October 3rd, 2008 at 9pm Norwegian time. (I do have to wait until my children have gone to sleep). :)

Questions to be answered: Under what circumstances would you buy a knitted/textile postcard? Have you purchased them in the past? Would you consider purchasing them in the future?

** A Reminder ** You will not be punished for giving a negative answer. This is a contest designed to gather information. :)

Good Luck to all those who participate!

Included in another Treasury! Yeah!

2008-09-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

It must mean that autumn/winter truly is coming.... and I'm getting more popular. :)

Being A Smart Alec - Parental Discretion is Advised

2008-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I feel like being a smart alec. I've been making beautiful flowers and designs on my pieces of art for over a year, and now I need a change. Don't get me wrong, I like making flowers. I like making beautiful designs. But I do have another side of me that is fighting to emerge - I will make a place for this in my store as well.

So it came down to the question: what would a smart alec say in the dead of winter when everyone else is complaining about how cold it is? And after a little thinking, 'Bith My Ass Jack Frost' comes forth as the one with the most humor. I am curious to know what others will think of this creation.

Any comments are welcome!

A Family Hike Kjærlighets Stien

2008-09-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

My husband has been working all weekend, so while I did not want to give up our weekend hike, I certainly did not think I was willing to take both kids with me up a mountain by myself. So instead I took them up Kjærlighets Stien, which translates as 'Lover's Path.' The name has always confounded me as there's certainly no place on this hike to get cosy, anywhere. The pictures I have will show this. Most of the time it's pretty wet as well.

In any case I chose this hike today as it actually allows us to circle our house. We walk down the hill from our house, along the main road....

...through this tunnel and about another 500 meters along the main road before turning upwards into the woods.

Here is the very beginning of the pathway that heads upwards. As one can see, in the beginning both my children were full of energy.

I do have to admit that I did let the kids decide how fast we would be hiking. So this involved stopping at every creek and water hole (4 of them), inspecting every large hole in the ground for sleeping animals (of which thankfully there never are....), and playing on every fallen tree.

Here is a picture showing one of the easier parts of the hike. One has to watch their feet all the time. My son did well - my daughter however fell flat on her stomach 4 times. But she's tough - never once did she cry or complain. She's a real trooper.

While they took time playing, I was able to have fun looking through the trees.

At this part of the path, the forest clears out and a number of large trees appear. No one has told me this, but I can only assume that when this land was owned by farmers 50, 100, 150 years ago, this was part of the area where they used to plant trees for their children and grandchildren. The building of resources for future use (in this case large, straight, wide trees that could be cut into planks to build houses/barns) needed to be planned. I *think* these trees must have been planted sometime in the past as they are all growing in pretty much a straight line. But their usefulness is not needed these days.

More of the rocky path..... (certainly no place here to bring a blanket and snuggle up for the night). :)

Finally, it appears that we have found the very last blueberries to be found in this forest!

This is usally a hike that takes my 40 minutes when I partially run it. Today it took me/us 2.5 hours. But we had fun!

Autumn and Winter are Starting to Creep In....

2008-09-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

As I get a bit older, my favorite season is starting to change from summer to autumn. Summer is great when you're 18, do not have a lot of responsibilities, have lots of extra cash to spend and can be up all night and still function the next day. Now I'm 35, have two small kids with their activities to drive them back and forth from, a full time job and a house to take care of. And while my life is still pretty minimalistic compared to some, it's still busy enough that the heat of summer wipes me out and makes me, at times, a bit grouchy. :)

The cooler weather of autumn is a welcome sight. And speaking of visual clues, when I was 18 the changing colors of leaves and grass was something to be depressed about - summer and freedom was over; hard work (or what I thought hard work was at the time) and school had begun again.

But now I greet the colors for the beauty that they are. I had never seen nature as a painted landscape earlier in life as I do now. In addition, the changing colors signal at life is getting easier for me. The welcome routines for me and my family have returned and while I'm not sure my children will admit it, I believe that they also welcome the security of routines again. The temperature has sunk by almost 10 degrees and everyone is much more efficient at getting what they need to get done, done. The nights are getting darker and all the birds and other animals of Norway are also sleeping at night (in the summer they can sing and play 24 hours a day... and do it loudly!).

Yepp - it has taken me 35 years to get here.... but now I join the ranks of all the other intelligent people and say, I LOVE AUTUMN.

Contest - Winner will be chosen on Friday September 26th, 2008.

2008-09-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

This contest is now closed.

The winner was 'layla'.

Be sure to check back in a couple of hours to see what the next contest is about.

This contest is simple. I would like to know what is most the most popular or most needed piece of winter wear: fingerless gloves, winter hat with ear flaps, winter hat without earflaps, short scarf or long scarf.

Write your answer in the comments section and on Friday September 26th I'll put all of the names into a hat and draw out a winner. The winner can then choose a pair of fingerless gloves from my store and I will send them to the winner free of charge + free shipping. If there is another item that is wanted, I will give a 30.00 rebate + free shipping.

Could life be easier?

Another Textual Sensations Scarf

2008-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of my Textual Sensation creations that will be put up for sale tomorrow, September 19th, 2008. I was given everything used to make this scarf by two different people.

My next door neighbor is also an advid crafter (mostly sewing, but some knitting as well). She has two children that are smaller than mine and receives all of my clothes that do not fit my children anymore. To show her appreciation to me (although I thought it was her who was doing me a favor - it's much easier to go next door with bags of clothes instead of driving 35 minutes to the nearest Salvation Army Drop Off Center) she bought me a large bag of different types of wool from the Dale Factory that's located north of us.

The material I used to make the appliques (Dreaming of Sunshine) came from a number of cool curtains that a friend of my sister-in-law's was wanting to get rid of. She certainly did not want to throw them out as there was nothing wrong with them. She just didn't want to have them anymore. And in Norway we pay for all the trash that is taken away from our houses (meaning if you only set out your trash container once every two weeks, you save a lot of money), so these curtains would be filling up a large space in her trash container she could be saving for something else.

All in all, it was a win-win situation for everyone. This includes the lucky customer who will decide to buy this product one day. :)

Industrial Knitted Postcards with Environmental Message

2008-09-16T13:03:00.001-07:00

My quest to use up every single piece of material that I would otherwise throw away has really forced me to use and stretch my brain in ways I had not imagined. And I hope this is just the beginning.

Below are various knitted postcards that I have produced. They are made from wool leftovers that are too small to make gloves or scarves from.... or are made from other items that have outlived their usefulness for whatever reason. These may include but are not limited to the kitchen curtains and last years Christmas table cloth that Uncle Louis permanently stained. I am also looking forward to making more of these from my store as well.

The above is made from kitchen curtains from our cabin that no longer could be used, but which had some really cool colors. I have also made a hat from this material and gave it to a little girl down the street.

The above is part of that Christmas tablecloth mentioned above - it is mixed with green yarn. I did this on a whim and felt like the result looked wet, slimy and murky. Hense the old 50's movie title popped into my head.

And here's something to do with all my left over green bits that actually looks cool.

And finally one of my favorites. I plan to make lots of these appliques to help get the message across!