Wardrobe Refashionista Pledge

I have joined the Wardrobe Refashion Pledge! I believe it's the last day for this time to sign up... It will be exiting to see what I can come up with!!! I do need a lot of clothes!


The Pledge

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I Jenny pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recylcled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftyness brings! Signed Jenny aka SmilinThyme aka CoffeeSilverstone.


The Rules

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1.
No buying new! (handmade is excepted; So this allows for Etsy purchases etc!!) All clothing must be Recycled, Renovated, Preloved or Thrifted, or Handmade only for the term. Employment related and special needs clothing (ie sports, school), shoes and undies are excepted from the rules, although you are encouraged to have a go at making these.
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2.
In extreme circumstances, maybe a special event, or the worlds greatest and most amazing never to be repeated sale that you simply can not pass up, you may use the Get out of Refashionista Jail Free card. You are able to use this card once during the 2 month part of your contract; ie 1 for 2 months, 2 for 4 months etc. Of course you need to fess up on the blog and display the button!
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3.
You must post on the blog at least once a week to let the community know what you've been up to. This will not only give you brag points, but inspire and encorouge others! Of course you need to display the button on your blog and have copied the pledge in at least one post, and provide a link to your pledge under the button.
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4.
You need to be honest and admit when you've fallen off the Refashionista Wagon! Go directly to Refashionista Jail, do not pass GO and do not collect $200! Apply for parole once there.

Cirkus Transmopol

Please, please just check out this awesome band, Cirkus Transmopol!!!

Awesome design - Threadless

Threadless is an innovative site where you can buy limited editions of designed T-shirts. You can also submit designs.

I have found me some favourites, all out of print in my sizes....please, please reprint these....

Hedvig

This is one cool cat...
Name: Hedvig
Owner: Jenny

More photos coming...

Mucha inspired W.I.P

I just have discovered the artist Alphonse Mucha and got inspired by this [link]

This is Work In Progress and will be updated as I go along...


I can't really classify it, digital collage maybe?

Credits: All textures except the blue one (mine) are free digital
scrapbook papers from here [link] by Kim Liddiard [link] and
[link] and Valeri Brumfield [link]
(Some are altered in colours...)

Avatar fun

I just found a site where you can make lovely doll avatars. This is me. I've tried to capture my style and personality... My personal favourite is the frog prince... I love frogs, have always done and the fairytale about the frog prince is so captivating...

Maybe this will be the help for me...

to learn how to knit.

Some of my small and big dreams and maybe some time to be projects...

OK... when I see this and this from Knitty I want to learn how to knit and this sweater how to crochet.

I love frogs (check comments by SmilinThyme and follow this breadkrumbs journey) so to make this lovely 17th century frog purse would be so fun. It is totally awesome. Image from Museum of London Picture Library.

I dream of a new apartment with a little garden, where I would plant herbs for health and food, inspired by medeival monasterial herb gardens...

Speaking of medieval stuff, it was far too many years since I visited the Medieval Week on Gotland and it was also 12 kgs heavier so I am dreaming of making some new garb.

I have many ideas and dreams... this pattern from my favourite garb pattern maker Sophia's Atelje is tempting.

At Scaramouche (a manufacturer and maker of medieval garb) I found following ideas (all images are from the Scaramouche website).

Maybe something fancy or plain.... and admit that the cloak down below is awesome!!

Well...for the time being I'll just dream on and prepare for the holidays....

Long time since I blogged....

I've been far too busy for a while and forgot to post the rest of the CDs I got in the DualDiscDebacle
CD swap.

This one with such a beautiful cover comes from the crafty ass chick at Polka-dot-Stripe.


Here is another one, with an interesting theme - one CD with male singers and one with female... I also especially love the CD-labels that gives the impression of a ball of cotton.... made by Suzie at The Purly Gates.


Tori at Knitting, Dogs and More sent me this one:


Thank you all so much, I like some of the music on each one and have made some pleasant and fun new discoveries.... I really was lucky to receive all my 5 CDs....

Oh, I'm in the creative flow...

Right now I am at my parents home, we celebrated my 32nd birthday yesterday. We had nice dinner together and I got a nice CD and a lovely bling-bling necklace. Another birthday gift is that dad is helping me out with a part of my gymcard for a year. I also got the chance to take a ride on dad's new motor bike, a Yamaha 1000A Dragstar Classic. We took a long ride and it was so fun!


I have started make an embroidered necklace... just simple stitches in silver thread. Progress so far on the left. I'm having fun!

Today I also have taken time to scan some old family photos and my mums old bookmarks. Really hope to use them in my projects later.

"The Gathering" - Sarek

Sarek is a Swedish band that has combined contemporary music with folk music (etno pop). Genom Eld och Vatten was their breakthrough and was their entry in the Swedish Song Contest 2003 (IE Swedish ESC preselection '03).

Here are the lyrics in Swedish and my rough English translation:

Jag har inte silver och inte guld, inget du kan få
Det jag äger ligger blottat för din syn
Mina händer är tomma, men hjärtat fullt av nåt du inte ser
Så jag har nånting som är mera värt ändå
För om du tappar modet och faller ner på knä kan du vila här hos mig
Som en klippa i stormen att luta dig mot
Och jag sviker aldrig dig

I have not silver and not gold, nothing you can have
What I own lays bare before your eyes
My hands are empty, but the heart is full of something you can't see
So I have something more valuable anyhow
'Cause if you loose your courage and falls down on your knees you can rest here with me
As a rock in the storm to lean yourself on
And I never will let you down

Jag ska följa dig genom eld och vatten
Över land och hav
Jag ska älska dig tills hjärtat slutar slå
Från det högsta berg till den djupaste av dalar ska jag gå
Genom tid och rum
Ja, alla mina dagar ska du få

I will follow you through fire and water
Over land and sea
I will love you until the heart stops beating
From the highest mountain to the deepest of valleys I will go
Through time and space
Yes, all of my days you will have

Och när vindarna ligger på vidderna dansar jag med dig
Och solen bränner svalkar jag din hud
För om du tappar modet och faller ner på knä kan du vila här hos mig
Som en klippa i stormen att luta dig mot
Och jag sviker aldrig dig

And when the winds lays on the expanses I dance with you
And the sun burns I'm cooling your skin
'Cause if you loose your courage and falls down on your knees you can rest here with me
As a rock in the storm to lean yourself on
And I never will let you down

Jag ska följa dig genom eld och vatten
Över land och hav
Jag ska älska dig tills hjärtat slutar slå
Från det högsta berg till den djupaste av dalar ska jag gå
Genom tid och rum
Ja, alla mina dagar ska du få

I will follow you through fire and water
Over land and sea
I will love you until the heart stops beating
From the highest mountain to the deepest of valleys I will go
Through time and space
Yes, all of my days you will have

"The Gathering" - Alban Faust

I have a weakness! I love BagPipes! It reminds me of when I lived in Scotland. Scottish bagpipes has a massive, majestic sound with a very, loud "undertone" (a constant bellowing). Once I heard the bagpipe being played indoor, in a room about 50 square metres, and I tell you it was almost not bearable.
Later I discovered the smaller French and Swedish bagpipes, this was when all things medieval was my big interest (I still love medieval stuff). Then, this summer I discovered:

"Alban Faust, one of the major bagpipe makers and pipers in Sweden, has a CD called Bordunmusik från Dalsland (Drone music from Dalsland). Most tracks include bagpipes of Swedish, French, German or Flemish origin." link

He played with his group Faust at the folk music festival I visited this summer, I loved it! On this compilation though he is represented with one of my favourite tunes - a wedding march - Brudmarsh från Äppelbo. When I eventually get married, this tune is must on my wedding...

Postbox....I love the sound from it...

The CDs I've posted for the DualDisc Debacle should arrive soon (I hope *bites nails*), meanwhile I just wanted to show how the CDcovers turned out... I just love the colours.


I have received 4 of the 5 CDs in the swap. The first one came from Jason at Food Ninja. (I want to try out that Potato and Leek soup) I think I had only heard about David Usher of the ones at his playlist. Quite a few really cool songs though.



The second one that arrived was from Shanna at Two Trees...with roots like these and contained "everything" from Los Lobos via Billy Preston to Sarah McLachlan. Loved it! Such a cute package... And her website... beautiful!

Thank you Jason and Shanna! I will post the other two as soon as I have taken some pics of them.

I've found "my" radio station....

I have been looking all over for a web radio with a totally international mix... haven't found it, and then it was at the Swedish National Radio all along.... SR Sverige is this lovely channels name.
I listened far to long last night with a big smile on my lips and in my heart.

This is how they present themselves:

"SR Sverige is a digital radio channel with hit music from the whole wide world.

On our channel you can hear tunes from Lebanon, Mali, the USA, Scotland, Iraq, France, Brazil, Cuba, Siberia, Madagascar, India and Sweden, all in the space of half an hour! Sick of the run of the mill monotonous pop music from your usual station? Then SR Sverige is the place for you!"

And yes... that fits right into my musical taste... look at this playlist for example...

• Tomatito "Al Mariyya"
• Chiara Civello "Here Is Everything"
• DV8 "Kera Tera Mul"
• Ray Charles "Georgia On My Mind"
• Think Of One "Sable D'Or"
• Shantel "Bucovina (Haaksman & Haaksman Soca Bogle Mix)"
• Cesaria Evora "Monte Cara"
• Rachid Taha "En Retard"
• Markscheider Kunst "Kvasa Kvasa"
• Malouma "Char´Aa"
• Shoukichi Kina/ Champloose "Celebration Reggae"
• Dusminguet "San Cristóbal"
• Karen Matheson "Early Morning Grey

All these played in the same hour... Yay!!!!

Totally awesome video

I found this video: Breathe Me by Sia at the Naive Knitting Blog. So beautiful and creative...

"The Gathering" - Väsen

Next band I want to present to you is Väsen - a Swedish folk music band. I heard the band members play in various constellations at the Korrö Folk Music Festival. It was a rare treat ;-)
Bart has written an extensive fan page about them - scroll it down and you'll get to know them a bit... Do look it up!!
The songs on "The Gathering" CD is from their first record "Väsen" and more traditional in style than the later ones... Here is a video from the Nordic Roots Festival of later date.