plastics, rubber, recycled stuff

I have been researching a lot of new materials and playing with new ideas. But what I love the most is rubber and plastics. There are so many people making absolutely amazing jewellery out of rubber and plastic and recycled stuff... even paper. I'm blown away. I think I might need to meddle a little with some of the above materials, too. Here are a bunch of links to some great sites and awesome products, be inspired, buy something, make something.... or just love something. Happy New Year!

André Ribeiro
Biladesign
Fruit Super
Batacuda
In Habitat
Sarah Hood

absolutely smitten

I'm absolutely smitten with this woman's work. And her photography just as much as metalworking ... http://www.nstp.de/nstp/galerie/julika/index02.htm

marimekko

I love MARIMEKKO! What else is there to say! Love at first sight! I could fill this page with pattern after pattern with Marimekko... Have to figure out how to do some colourful patterns in jewellery. Sadly, silver is very monotone and grey.

A friend of mine is heading to Europe and planning to spend a few days in Latvia this fall and she asked me what I'd recommend she'd see while there on a short visit and I just could not come up with a solid answer... but last night it came to me! Pedvale Open Air museum is amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone heading to Latvia during any season, especially in the summer. It's beautiful. It's inspiring. It's picturesque. It's creative. A must see, if you're in Latvia. Rent a car if you have to... or hitch hike... or take a bus... just go!

spider webs, but not the halloween sorts

One very early morning this fall, as I was returning home after having worked a night shift, my neighbour across the street called me over to her front yard. The sight was unbelievable. Her entire little evergreen tree was full, I mean not just full, but covered, completely covered in tiny, beautiful, delicate spider webs that were only made visible to the naked eye because of the dew and fog that was still hanging about in the morning air. It was stunning!

cabbage? absolutely inspiring!

A little while ago, despite the overwhelming amount of work that was mounting on my studio bench, I decided to take a day off and went to help a friend out. She had a mountain of cabbage to deal with and I had some childhood experience (or just memories) of dealing with sour-kraut, and thus it just seemed like the perfect solution. It took me and her a full day to shred and pickle six five gallon buckets of kraut! I came away from it all thrilled and relaxed, despite the work, and ready to sit at my bench again. It was inspiring and invigorating on a completely different level then one might have thought. And it felt so very good to be doing work for someone else! Besides, cabbage is really beautiful. It reminds me of macrame and layering and all those beautiful things we experimented with while in the studio at school. Might have to revisit some of that again...

Just found this awesome blog by Andrew Goss. (I have adored his work ever since I can remember!!!) It's about concrete... some absolutely amazing things in there, like fabric dipped in concrete. Amazing! Started reading at about 5 am this morning and could not stop... still can not...