I have always been a fan for all things miniature. These small denim cubes started out as a test to do something three dimensional out of denim but soon I noticed that I had done already few in a row…and really enjoying hand stitching the sides together. Some of the cubes got beads as numbers on the sides- small soft dices and one cube got really attitude after adding studs!
Delicate and dreamy leather pendants. Top that is used as the background is one of my old designs, simply a pattern with triangle and a circle. The jewellery I started calling DaVinci…cause at that time I was reading more about his designs. All materials are again recycled…pieces from old jewellery.
Symbolism and mysteries fascinates me and one way or another leaves their signature in the outcome…
Headpiece is also one of my old designs.
This red checked fabric was a last minute found from a thrift store for 2€ and after this pic I knew what to do out of it. Pattern for the dress is again from 90s fashion magazine Burda with some slight alternations. The dress turned out to be too easy and “nice” so I cut out some free hand patterns and stamped them on.
It was supposed to be tough looking chick wearing a checked punk inspired dress with dr. Martens shoes…but it turned out to be slightly nicer version of that. When you want the picture to be taken full torso and you wearing the dress it is hard if you have to do it by yourself—-but hey let´s use a selfie stick—which is not as easy as I thought it would be…photoshoot took place in the botanical garden of Delft.
For carrying mobile phone cross-body. All pouches are made from recycled materials; denim, leather and all the metal parts are from thrifted bags or jewellery. Lining is made out of old scarves, as long as they have silky and smooth surface to easily slide in and take out the phone. I used various type of cords for the strap…from shoe laces to self made ones.
Some of the pouches I painted and stamped with lines and circles and the swiss cross symbol was just perfect for the more simplified and sharp look. Love to use also washing instructions from old garments as decoration.
Now I just need to find homes for these unique pouches…
Arts and crafts. Because I love leather, because I love finding different ways to express my love for leather, because combining recycled jewellery and leather makes awesome and unique outcome.
I searched for some cool backgrounds for my “blue pipes” and found a book graphis annual 83|84 from which I picked these ones to tell a story with my jewellery. I think the pics I found are just spot on…especially the one with the bird…”Dream Boat” by Robert Giusti.
Free hand painting on denim. Bought this denim fabric for 2€ from local thrift shop…it is a large piece of denim, almost three meters so this bag will be the first one of a bigger wave-family.
I lined the bag with the same denim fabric so the bag both looks and feels sturdy…easy to also carry heavy items and the bag keeps its shape even when half empty. Shoulder straps I padded to add extra comfort and fastened them to the bag with gold colored badges (which I found on a flee market in Ghent…30 pieces for 2€).
And the tassel…cause what would a bag be without a matching tassel? Painted some black leather with the same gold color and finalized the tassel with twisted metal wire (done from an old bracelet). Now waves and vibes for good times!
The leopard print fabric and the cute Hawaiian motif one were a gift from a friend. What to sew out of these fabrics? I am not a big fan of animal printed clothes…so I came up with the idea to join both fabrics in the same item – a backbag. The Hawaiian print fabric I used as a lining. Shoulder straps are from thrift shop; a belt with gold colored studs 3€ and the chains from an old necklace. It is more my style to wear animal print as accessory – as a contrast or matching part of my outfit.
Photoshoot took place at harbour; beatiful sunny day and glittering water. From nationalgeographic.com: “Leopards are strong swimmers and very much at home in the water, where they sometimes eat fish or crabs.” ;-)
This bag is made out of an old leather jacket and because I am working with an existing garment I have to constantly adapt my design to work with the details of that particular garment.
Decoration was inspired partly by abstract art and partly by the interesting eye icon that has been popping up in the fashion shows quite a lot. See mind blowing Viktor&Rolf spring 2016 couture pic.
I sew the original care label from the jacket to the front of the bag, completing the story of repurpose and zero waste.
Some pics of my jewellery diy year 2015.
I was trying out different techniques, such as self made clay and ways of decorating the clay with paint and nailpolish. In my older posts you can find more about these experiments. Some of the pieces turned out nice and few (above and under) became my favourite.
I picked up small stones whenever and wherever I found interesting ones. I let the shape of the object guide the way I am decorating and painting, by doing this I am merely enhancing the hidden beauty already existing.
Nature-inspired patterns on an old plate, by stamping with real leaves. The plate is an old metal plate that has a beautiful patina and can not be used any more for serving food but as an interesting eyecather in various installations it would still be an unique piece. I collected some leaves that had nice forms and and used them as stamps. It is easier to stamp with a leaf that has an even surface so the stamped image will look sharper and all fine details will also transfer properly…althought in this case there were some paint splatters but still the outcome feels old, just like the plate.
This crochet fringe bag was born in wintertime in Finland Lappland. I found second hand a box filled with untouched black cotton blend yarn rolls. I knitted and crocheted many various things out of the yarn but this bag became my favourite. In my mind I was carrying it in snowy scenery because it looked kind of winterish and warm finished but when I unpacked it in summer I realized how perfectly it even fits summertime also!
It is crocheted with a big sized hook into a rectangle piece and then folded to the shape of a bag and hand stitched together from the sides. Fringes add the hippie look and I also placed some silver colored buttons on the flap to make the bag stand out.
More small craft projects from denim. A pendant and a bracelet…both are easy to pair with any clothing and colors. The good thing is, these bracelets stands alone well, or can serve as a foundation to any arm bracelet setup you feel up to.
Black cord bracelet has a collection of old, various glass and metal beads. The clever, small magnetic closure for the bracelets is more neater than just using the clasp…and much more easier to put on your wrist.
Denim jacket is an old project, soaked in bleach from its arms and hem so that the outcome of the bleached parts is uneven and dramatic.
Jersey fabric from the golden 90´s with some bold statements on. The words were so cool and graffitilike so I cut them out and sew them on denim. I have a pro camerabag for my Canon but it is quite big and boring and often I just want to carry with me only the camera when I go on a photoshoot- so why not carry it in a cool and funny bag! I padded the bag with foam to secure the camera from getting any hits. Shoulderstrap is long enough to carry the bag across shoulder to hip and it is made from an old canvasbelt. The denim tassel was originally created for another project but by adding a wooden pearl to it tassel was a perfect match with my new bag.
Homemade clay pendant painted silver gray. This freehand shaped necklace clay pendant I paired with geometric shapes. With a black, diamond shaped and a silver coloured rectangle one. Every piece of the big “clay family” pendants that I did have had an unique outcome and some are still under process. The spark to create something out of these pendants can come everywhere…just looking at a flower, urban shapes and colors in the city, fashion editorials…and I am sponging up the ideas and formulating my own creative outcome.
Spirit away: To carry someone or something off mysteriously or secretly.
What to do with the leftover leather scraps from various projects? Tassels; they are fun to make and you can easily decorate anything with them. Put them on your key chain. Spruce up one (or two or three) of your purses or even attach one onto a jacket zipper. I have signed my tassels with an unique leather strap finishing on the top which I cutted out to a weavy form and then wrapped it tightly around the tassel using glue. Another small design part is the cut out round piece on the top of the tassel from which the cord comes out..glued tightly to its place. I really love it how the colours in these photos blend together, the old brick stairs were just the perfect background for the tassels and the vintage bottle.
One of a kind. Material for these small craft projects I found when hiking with my friends in an old-growth forest and I wanted to cherish the memory of this sunny day in the forest and up in the hills and made these little gifts to my fellow hikers; keychains and necklace. Objects are made from one branch that had a smooth and worn surface. I cut the branch in 5cm pieces, used a nail file to smooth the sides and the surface. You only have to do as much as you see fit as far as cleaning goes. Colourstripes on the keychains adds a modern touch and with the small hook on the top of the keychain it connects easily to a key ring. Around the necklace wooden pendant I twisted thick copper wire and thin copper wire is the chain of the necklace.
pattern: a natural or accidental arrangement or sequence
There are several ways you can make homemade clay for making ornaments, necklaces and for other projects and crafts. When shaping my small clay objects I usually go with the flow and the shapes are more raw and plain than complex and stiff.
My clay recipe is quite simple, I do not cook the mixture or use oven, I simply let the objects air dry for a couple of days. When the clay is dry and hard I give the surface final touch, usually it is painting with different techniques. Why not even leaving the pieces undone! Here I wanted to try out a surface that looks like marble but in the end the result looked more like color splashed on the object. I used one color, black, rather than mixing a variety of colors so I got a more simple look. The necklace looks good paired with one coloured garment and stands out perfectly.
Wristbands inspired by Dart Vader´s stormtrooper division 501st Batallion known as “Vader´s Fist”
Narrow stripes cut free hand out of leather. The stripes I arranged first so that the colors flow evenly and the outcome is interesting. Then connected the pieces by sewing them together on top of each other. Bag closes with magnetic clasps and the shoulder strap is long enough to carry the bag cross body. The flap I decorated with shorter leather strips and left the edges raw.
Epäsymmetrisen raidallista nahkapintaa pitkiä paloja yhdistämällä. Leikkasin vapaalla kädellä mustaa, valkoista ja beigeä nahkaa pitkiksi suikaleiksi jotka yhdistin päälleompelulla toisiinsa. Sommittelin nahkapaloille järjestyksen ensin lattialla, sain siten tasaisen mutta vaihtelevan pinnan väreihin. Laukun läppään ompelin somisteeksi suikalepinnasta ylijääneen osan ja se kätkee alleen myös kiinnitysmekanismin, magneettinepparit. Kantohihnan mitoitin niin että laukkua on kätevä kantaa olan yli ristiin. Laukku on ehdottomasti katseenvangitsija jolloin vaatetuksen voi sävyttää laukun värimaailman mukaan.
Pendants made out of thin silver wire. Inside the round pendant I crocheted a delicate “web” out of metal wire. Final look on these pendants I wanted to be more simple and raw than flawless. Black chain pendant is actually one old long chain which I cut into smaller pieces.
Paksusta hopealangasta väännettyjä riipuksia. Pyöreään hopealankariipukseen sisälle virkkasin ohuesta rautalangasta “seitin”. Tein kiinnityskohdat samaa hopealankaa kieputtamalla, eli riipukset on tehty yhdestä yhtenäisestä palasta. Tavoittelin riipuksiin ja työnjälkeen askeettista ilmettä, ei viimeisteltyjä kaunottaria. Riipuksia voi käyttää myös korvakoruina, kolmio toiseen ja ympyrä toiseen korvaan tai vain yksi kerrallaan. Musta ketjuriipus on vanha, pitkä ketju paloiteltuna. Pujottelin uudet, lyhyemmät palat yhteen ja viimeistelin päät mustilla helmillä.
This vintage pouch is from Stockholm. To give it more personality and to match it with the rest of my wardrobe I added some fringes and black studs.
Vintage mustan pikkulaukun löysin Tukholmasta second hand-kaupasta. Laukku oli kaunis mutta halusin päivittää sitä vaatekaappiini sopivaksi. Hapsut ovat muodissa joka vuosi vaatteissa ja asusteissa joko pääroolissa tai efekteinä. Elementtinä hapsut ovat katseenkiinnittäjiä ja niiden avulla näkymätön muuttuu hetkessä näkyväksi. Pikkulaukkuun leikkasin kaksi riviä nahkahapsuja jotka liimasin laukun etupuolelle. Mustat kartioniitit viimeistelevät yläreunan ja merkitsevät kohdan josta hapsut ryöppyävät alas. Tämäkin laukku toimii vaikka seinälle ripustettuna katseenvangitsijana!
This bracelet is bended from silver wire and the ring is connected to it with a delicate chain.
Black leather with different techniques. One with fringes and the other one is odd shaped piece which I gathered together from one side and fastened it to the leather cord. Used alone it makes a statement to your outfit and even looks more dared with added jewellery on top of it.
Mustaa nahkaa eri tavoin työstettynä. Halusin tehdä ison kaulasomisteen nahasta ja liittää yhteen eri tekniikoita. Laskostettu nahkapala on kiristetty langalla yhteen, en siistinyt palan alareunaa jotta nahan luonnollinen kauneus ei häviäisi. Toisen somisteen hapsutin ja rullasin pieniä nahka”kukkia” koristeeksi. Kaulanauhaksi letitin nahkaa ja kiinnitin kaikki yhteen niskasta painonapilla. Kaulasomiste on käytössä hieno sellaisenaan tai vaikka yhdistettynä toisen korun kanssa. Sisustuselementtinäkin koru toimii ja “telineestä” sen voi helposti ottaa käyttöön ja säilyttää myös näyttävästi.
Natural stones transformed into pendants with copper color. The striped pattern I achieved by first masking the stone with small tape. All decorative parts are recycled and from old jewellery, color combinations I tried to keep in the warm shades of brown, gold and copper. Background is a board game called China chak, made in Finland by Nelostuote.
Luonnonmateriaali kivi muuntui kuparin värisillä yksityiskohdilla koruksi. Raidallisen kiven teippasin ensin jotta väri ei tarttuisi kuin haluamani kohtiin. Koruosat ovat vanhoista kaulakoruista, yhdistelin ja kokeilin vapaasti eri osia, pitäen värimaailman ruskean, kuparin ja kullan sävyissä. Koruja voi käyttää myös vaikka avaimenperinä tai sisustuselementteinä. Kun korun yhdistää esimerkiksi samansävyisen valokuvan tai kuten kuvassa, pelilaudan kanssa saa erikoisen yksityiskohdan sisustukseen.
Stones that I picked from the sea shore. Some of the stones I painted and added metal wire to hang the cord from. You can choose a variety of ways how to work with stones, leather is one of my favourites. The ring on the red leaf is made out of leather and bound together with wooden beads. Photoshoot took place in northern Finland, Arboretum Tornio.
Meren rannalta poimittuja kiviä kuvattuna Arboretumin vehreyden keskellä. Luonnon muovaamissa kivissä on hienoa erilaiset pinnat ja värivaihtelut, kivet ovat myös sellaisinaan valmista korumateriaalia. Meren rannalta tarttui mukaani muodoltaan kapeita kiviä. Kiinnitystavan valinta kaulakoruun voi olla mitä mielikuvituksellisin, kuparinväriseen pyöritin metallilankaa ja toiseen kiveen liimasin ruskeasta nahasta tupin josta kaulanauhan voi pujottaa.
Creativity and new combinations to old and forgotten jewellery. The turqoise pendant is a pairless earring together with some silver and glass jewellery. I love to do my photoshoots outside and especially by the water. The light is usually amazing and the clear water reflects it beautifully. Seashell pendants are easy to do, just find ones with already a hole in it and simply wear it.
Hopeakaulakorun uusi elämä. Yhdistelemällä parittomia korvakoruja, eksyneitä helmiä ja unohdettuja riipuksia voi saada aikaan uusia ja yllättäviäkin kokonaisuuksia. Kaulakorun yhdistävänä elementtinä toimii turkoosi väri ja hopea. Iso turkoosikivinen riipus on se pariton korvakoru ja puolikas eksynyt hopeasydän vanhasta kaulakorusta saivat uuden elämän. Turkoosi lasihelmi on riipuksena ketjun päässä. Kaulakoru tuo persoonallisen lisän vaikka yksinkertaisen korun parina.
Rannalta voi myös löytää simpukan kuoria joissa on jo valmiina luonnon muovaamat reiät hopeaketjulle.
Sewing together suede and leather. Same color brown and black but different surfaces makes together interesting combo. This bag I wanted to carry only in my hand so the handles are made shorter. Lining is made out of rigid denim so the bag keeps the form even when you are not carrying so much stuff in it. Leather material recycled and second hand jackets.
Kädessä kannettava nahka/denimlaukku. Laukun idea lähti tilkkutyöskentelystä, olin jo ajatellut pitkään tehdä laukun yhdistämällä samaa väriä eri pinnoilla. Leikkasin laukkuun mustasta ja ruskeasta nahasta ja mokasta kolmionmallisia tilkkuja jotka yhdistin vuorotellen pinnan elävöittämiseksi. Laukun materiaali löytyi taas kirpputoreja kierrellessä, vanhoja nahkahousuja ja takkeja. Laukun takaosa on tehty mustasta denimistä ja laukku on vuoritettu tukevalla paksulla vuorikankaalla. Laukku on siis ryhdikäs vaikka mukana kannettaisiin vain vähäistä määrää tavaraa ja rennompi vaihtoehto asukokonaisuuteen kun et halua kantaa olkalaukkua.
Linen bag with denim straps. The idea for the pattern came from IKEAs packing material, it was firm enough to work as a stencil. With the black fabric paint and by repeating the stencil I created unique pattern on the fabric. Linen should be worn wrinkled, it is the nature of the material, so this bag just looks more interesting when it is really worn.
Pellavakangaslaukku denimhihnoilla. Idea kankaan kuviointiin lähti IKEAn pakkausmateriaalista, tukena ollut pahvi oli muodoltaan mielenkiintoinen ja käytin sitä sapluunana. Mustalla värillä painaen toistin kuviota muutamaan kertaan, tässä painotyössä ei tarvinnut olla millintarkka, lopputulos on yksilöllinen ja rustiikki kuvion ja värin, koon ja muodon vaihdellessa.
Camouflage pattern is a versatile one, it works nicely both in accessories and clothes. In fashion it is never out, you just need to know how much, which color and how to wear it. Here you have Versace playing with this iconic pattern. This bag was ordered from me, customer needed a roomy and unique bag to carry her laptop and paperwork in. From the ring you can hang your very own trinkets, customize it!
Olalla kannettava maastokangaskuosinen kassi. Kuosi nousee esiin ajoittain muotitrendeihin ja laukun kokoinen maastopala oli jo muutaman vuoden ollut minulla jemmassa. Camokuosia näkee kaikissa sävyissä mutta perinteinen maastoväritys on henkilökohtainen suosikkini. Laukku on tilava, sinne saa hyvin mahtumaan läppärin, papereita ja lempilehdet. Laukun reunan koristelin niiteillä ja sulkijarenkaaseen voi ripustaa omannäköisen koristeen tai vaikka heijastimen.
This is my first ever back bag made out of leather. Pattern is simple and again the design is zero waste; old second hand leather jacket to be re-used. I decorated the upper and lower part of the bag with silverpainted triangles and also by adding decoration with studs and some fringes in the bottom this bag gaines more rock credibility.
Selkärepun tarina alkoi pienestä kankaisesta repusta jonka joskus itselleni ompelin vanhasta jo tiensä päähän tulleesta rakkaasta paidastani. Halusin kokeilla nahkaa repun materiaalina ja tehdä siitä yhtä yksinkertaisen muotokieleltään kuin kangasreppuni. Varastossani oli useita sisustusniittejä ja sommittelin niistä kolmiomallisen kuvion repun etuosaan.Halusin myös vuorittaa repun niittien takia ja ompelin vuoriin myös taskun pikkuesineille. Kuviot on painettu hopeamaalilla reppuun, painovälineenä toimi muotoon leikattu meikkisieni. Nahkahapsut repun alareunassa liikkuvat kantajan liikkeiden mukaan ja antavat myös ilmeeseen särmää ja rock-henkeä.
Recycling and zero waste! This bag was a made to order to a friend who wanted to carry her working clothes in a stylish bag instead of a plastic one. It is made out of second hand denim with quilting technique and lining is a leftover IKEA fabric from older project.
Vanhoista denim kankaista tilkkutekniikalla yhdistelemällä syntyi monikäyttöinen kassi. Aina ei tarvitse mennä kangaskauppaan etsiäkseen materiaaleja; tälläkin kertaa kaikki materiaalit löytyivät omasta kaapista. Parit vanhat farkut ja ylijäämäpala kangasta vanhasta tuunausprojektista saivat uuden elämän kauppa- tai salikassina, sisustuselementtinä tai vaikka vaan muovikassin korvikkeena. Kassin koko määrätyi tällä kertaa lähinnä kankaiden mukaan ja kädessä kannettavana kassina hihnan pituus on hyvä mitata sellaiseksi että kassi ei kosketa maata kun sitä kantaa.
susanoo.blog 