An Enlightening Experience

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.

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

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.

Slaying Vampires in my Spare Time

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.

My Working Space

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.

Working Partnerships with VKNO

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!

I was Interviewed! Yeah!

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

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.

:)