mardi 21 décembre 2010

Happy holiday time

I am very happy today because of one good news : I was invited to participate in exposition ''Rotterdam Review'' in Studio Hergebruik! If I will be lucky one of my creations will see the ''real world'' and will be shown during month of January in the center of Rotterdam! The most interesting for me is to meet another experienced and young upcyclers and exchange the experience.
Voila, December was very busy with the preparations for the holidays.
And I would like to thank all my faithful and occasional blog readers.
Your support and comments are very important for me, give extra force and wish to go further with new upcycling ideas and constant search in this matter.
I have many resolutions for next year (hope you too) and few fresh upcycling ideas

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and
many many many thanks
Zvet

As last the upcycling ideas for new year tree:
Christmas tree by Design Pack gallery posted by Recycart


Book new year tree by Gleeson Library in San Francisco posted by Recyclart


Shopping cart Christmas tree by Anthony Schmitt posted by Recyclart


Have you bought already your Christmas Tree?
If not check the site of Dutchhandmade team (I am the member also) for great ideas and upcycle2

vendredi 17 décembre 2010

Jumble parade

Two weeks ago we had a funny exercise to do on my design course.
We have being training our creativity during one lesson.
Everybody had to bring a piece or two of an old cloth and transform it in something totally new.
The main idea was - not to think, just explode imagination. We had only 2,5 hours to prepare our new garments and with the color scotch tape you can assemble easy and fast.
This is the picture of our jumble parade. Can you guess which one is mine?


Later I will show my original piece...

mardi 7 décembre 2010

Tjota Tonja - upcycling idea

Tjota Tonja sounds and looks very strange for somebody who does not speak russian.
"Tjota'' (rus. тётя) means ''aunt'' and Tonja (rus. Тоня) is a translation of shorten russian name Antonina.
We always shorten our official names.
For example my name is Svetlana but my family and my friends call me Svet.

And the story of today is about dolls. It is not really my passion, I am not a collector either.
I have discovered recently an interesting blog of Marina Bychkova who makes the extraordinary dolls.
The story of her passion which became a world known with the brand Enchanted Doll called my memories  about the dolls from soviet shops. When I was small they sold a very popular doll "Zolyshka'' (Assepoester). I have tried to find the photo on internet of Assepoester which looks like one I had. On this site there are many examples of soviet dolls and probably mine was more or less like doll on the picture.


I remember I had to choose a toy for my birthday and we went to the shop with my mother. The dolls looked beautiful for me. I have asked my mother to buy the famous Assepoester promising not to damage it and keep it properly. Few weeks after we decided to play a "Hairdresser" with my sister and a poor Assepoester left our hairdresser shop almost bald.

All these souvenirs inspired my new upcycling idea - doll Tjota Tonja.
I had a T-shirt. As some of my clothes, it finished in the box with a spot on the sleeve.
It has a funny applique work of a lady on the front side. 
The label is ''Antognini Jeans'' from which name Tjota Tonja comes.
Here there are - my old t-shirt and a doll. Behind I have used my old pull-over.


I have 2 sons and they play with cars and constructors. 
If you like this doll, just write me email with your address and I will send it to you. 
It can also be used as a small voyage pillow in the car or train. The filling is soft polyester. 

Tjota Tonja will pack her bags and move to another country.
She should be happy, after months in the dark box she will start a new life in the house of a Winner!
Merci! 

As last the photos of the fragile dolls of Marina Bychkova















vendredi 3 décembre 2010

Pop Top - Upcycle2

Pop Top. What is it? Do you know?
I will make the presentation of this small and very useful thing.
I think everybody drinks time to time beverages from drinking cans.
The stay-tab opening mechanism calls Pop Top.


I did not know before that somebody collects this tabs and makes beautifull thing.
The initiative groupe of Escama Studio from Brazil assembled the hand crafters and local designers to make the recycled fashion accessories using traditional crochet techniques. 








Behind this beautiful products are people with their stories, hard work and the intention to make this world cleaner. Watch the video showing how the pull tabs bags are made.

And the few words about Ermal Fraze who in 1959 decided to invent an improved beverage can.
First can did not have any openings and people had to purchase a separate opener.
After few adaptations of his initial design Fraze developed a can, known as a pull-top can.
Unfortunately pull-tops cans caused several injuries and drinkers even swallowed it.
Issue was solved in 1977 by the design of push-in and fold-back tab. 
The tab remains attached to the can and the principle is still used for the mass production of beverages today.

As last I would like to refer to the showcased on Brasilia Fashion week in 2006 the work of Ronaldo Fraga.





If you still have in your garage cans from the last summer party and you do not know what to do with them look at the tutorial given by Escama Studio and a treasury collection of designers from Etsy.

and
 try to upcycle too