indie emporium

Being home again (and having some time while Ada and Adam were visiting greatgrandmother, I've started to search internet in everything connected with indie: design, enterpreneuship, craft, blogging. And I found this - advertising one Fall craft event in Tulsa, OK. Pitty, there is no such event in Poland. Yet. I like this banner (on the website Indie Emporium one can find more banners to doanload.

I also like Fishcake Nifty Stuff Made by Vozz and though I still can not install its banner, I have it on my site roll among "Sites I like" :)

Generally, I've noticed I prefer indie designers, and women bloggers and crafters - if I think about the reasons I find the girl power the most appropriate and interesting. And, to tell the truth - in the field of softies making men are in minority.

I find it pitty that in Poland tradition of handcrafting is dying and just few young people craft - even in social anthropology or evern ethnography my collegues scholars seem to avoid the subject - maybe it's too oldfashioned for them? But I'vwe learned that such movement - worldwide movement - like softies making is really interesting and important to survey - that's us, in the first decade of new millenium!

sheep of the world, unite!

After making Amelia, and Sinead, I decided to make a whole herd - sheep don't like to live alone, prefer to flock together. I also thought that "sheep of the world, unite!" would be a great motto of such a production. So I thought that such a flock could be a good toy for any child - and even better present for an auction! Going to Lodz last Friday, with all my suitcase full of softies, I took my "moving studio" with me, few WIP sheep, threads, needles and so on. During couple of hours of travelling I made Pola, white fluffy sheep with scarlet legs, and embroidered heart on her "arm" for embellishment. People in compartment were rather surprised by seeing anybody with a needle work - it's so oldfashioned! - and asked me if I had any work finished to present them. And I did. They all agreed that Hildegarde was the sweetest monkey ever, and couldn't decide if Hadrian or Leelee was cuter. But I will never publish Pola's photo - one nice girl bought it. OK, she did not - I gave Pola to her father, because little Nicola asked him to buy her such a beautiful sheep (and I was flattered to hear it). I thought she was exact person to have it - she showed her good taste pointing the most beautiful of my toys - fox, Florence. Florence is especially dear to my heart. And so I just asked Nicola's father to sent the amount of money he thought Pola was worth to Gajusz Foundation. Well, I believe he will do it :)
When I came to Lodz, and I told my mother what I did, and what slogan I have, she asked me to make these sheep for her - to take them to Israel!!! She has the idea to present them at artistic symposium, as a metaphore of currency - masses treated as an easy pray, herds of unprotected sheep against the pack of wolfs - politicians and corporacies. I don't actually like this dichotomy: Us - Them, Sheep - Wolfs, it's too simple as an analyze of reality, but sheep and lambs indeed evoke many religious and mythological associations. Most of them connected with naivety, easy character, offering, innocence, pray, cuddly nice creatures of small reason. Though I'd prefer them to stay, I liked the idea they will make a journey to the Promised Land :) (actually, not so promised when some sheep are equal, and some sheep more equal there...) So, mother took three sheep and a lamb: Sinead, Amelia, Vincent and Bobby to Israel and promised me to take lots of photos in interesting surroundings. Good start. If it's still actual with summer_pickles, Amelia will go to Australia afterwords. Or maybe all of them? (My mother's safety is more important for me than any photo and I hope she won't make photos in any dangerous zone, and don't want to even discuss it). And then, I think that mother was right: slogan "sheep of the world, unite!" is not just a joke and travesty of communist slogan, but can be a statement, and motto for all those, whose good intentions, charity, trust, attachment for family is taken as a stupidity, herd instinct or target for misuse by anyone.

matrix got me!!!!!! silly Aloutka! and children of the silence

After checking Krista's blog as almost every day (I wrote few blogs ago that I like her without actually knowing her in person), I've learned that her Hillary is already on our side of the reality. She named her baby Hillary Marie - good name. Have I mentioned that I'm an expert (in a way) in names and tradition of christening? Well, my PhD is all about it, heheheh :)
And - silly me - I was moved to tears by the information and beautiful photo of happy mother and daughter. CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTA AND HILLARY MARIE!"
Sniff, sniff...
I know the reason - though Ada is the most wonderful daughter in the world, she's not a newborn anymore. She is a big toddler, running around, speaking words that are not just her private language but each day more understandable, loudly singing, laughing, putting nappies on her head for fun, wanting to draw in my notecard, to be giggled, posing before the mirror, etc. She is growing fast, imitating grownups, almost grownup herself! I'd just like to feel this feeling of having newborn again! It was such a great thing to birth her and to have her in my arms. Well, I see that labor and storm of hormones made a gap in my memory and I don't remeber any discomfort or pain of pregnancy, heheheh. Besides, and that's another thing, Ada was very silent and calm baby from the beginning, and even midwifes in hospital were surprised by her zen meditative mood. So were our neighbours and landlords - everybody expected rush and loud. She just had her eyes opened but spoke a little. Child of the silence.
Omph, I'm back to myself - that's better. I'll better go finish birthday present for our young neighbour!
And I wouldn't be me if I hadn't noticed the information that Krista is already home! I have to check the information but it seems in Canada women come back homes after just labor! Or a one day. In Poland women are kept at least 3 days in any case. Very interesting.... I'll use it in my medical anthropology lecture. Next semester, of course :)

Respect habitats. Knut.

polar bear in the sea
Originally uploaded by lalootka.

Well, it seems I started making polar bear just in time - Dec. 5, 2006 Knut, first polar bear in Berlin zoo, was born. Sad story actually, because, after the death of his twin brother, mother rejected him and poor baby is raised by humans. And zoo workers use his cuteness to promote Berlin zoo, at first, and the idea of environemt and habitats preservation - this very Respect habitats. Knut . Excellent idea, of course. But I haven't been to zoo for ages - I have mixed emotions about it. I'd like Ada to know bio-diversity of earth but I pitty those animals living in cages (though they are not cages).
And I pitty Knut - I know that I anthropomorphise the cub of the polar bear, but - 6 months cub is a tiny baby, isn't it? And he lives without mama. His mama is 3 meters tall predator, but it's a mama!
I accessed Design Can Change programm and made a pledge: to do my best to design with a least effort for nature. Which means using pre-loved materials (I love this word pre-loved, I saw it at Maki Squarepatch site), maybe natural cotton or wool stuffing. That's a challenge. But actually, even dishwashing or morning shower can be a challenge. Or diet!
Life is not easy.
My students are funny - they were writing esseys at the Medical anthropology seminar about various types of alternative medical treatment. And they did it fine - quite fine. But just few of them had real anthropological conclusions and showed me the context of such phenomenons. On the other hand I apprieciate their point of view, way of thinking which is so different than mine. I'm quite satisfied with the seminar programm and result - "quite" means that we should have more time for such project than just one semester.

I envy Tony - on this picture - he can swimm all day long. Today is unBEARable heat and swimming in such a cool blue water like he does would be relief for everyone.
(...Maybe I should make larger bears - polar bears are the largest bears in the world. I'll think about it....)

indie business and VR

Blog managment is not an easy thing, I've noticed. After some hours of other blogs survey I think that generally people put a lot of effort to achieve popularity. And that's ok. So should do I. Let's call it investement: of time, work and attention.

Speaking of investment: so far I have to stop my flickr activity because I almost have the amount of 200 photos I could use. It would be better not to buy a pro account before I don't have some more stuff in stock. And that means some fabric stashes, felt and polyfil to buy. Besides, gazing at other's works took my precious time - though I loved it!!! I met so many wonderful artist there, so many tallented people. Thank goodness for internet. On the other hand: I've even dressed my yahoo avatar in t-shirt of the ONE campaign. And today I was watching if Krista published any new photos on flickr - why? To know if she's OK! Her labor day is soon. Then I realized that's the Matrix - the reality I just believe in. I know Krista only as a flickr tallented photographer and sensitive pregnant blogger and what - I want to know if she'd delivered already or not! Slight contact and exchange of comments made me feel like knowing her very well. Strange thing, internet.

But - to contunue my first subject - I still have my goal in my mind: to make plushies and to draw for children. And some day to make clothing for children. Label "lalootka's attic" sounds good for me. Anyway - to be an indie designer, not a mass producer, of course. The reason is simple for me: I believe in educational and socializing role of handcrafts. Mass production does not have "soul" - handcrafted objects do. Generally people rather suffer from being just one of the mass and want to be unique and special. Handcrafted objects give you an opportunity to feel that not everything is produced in China yet. Popularity of any object with a tag "one-of-the-kind" is clear then. I don't see any other way of learning children the R-E-S-P-E-C-T :) for work of others, for their own work than to offer them beautiful, good quality, handmade objects: furniture, clothing, toys. And books of course - even books should escape from mass production. Idee fix? Maybe - but I just want to take my chance. Educating grownups in crafts is another thing worth thinking.

Well, I've noticed also that I collected a lot of interesting labels here - representing women's initiatives mostly! Good - I believe in girl's power. One of my faves is "the Moms pack" - I chose this button because as the only one it showed no too sweet and cute face of motherhood. Now I'm alpha female and can do anything to bring up my cub. My both cubs actually: Ada and "lalotka's attic". I'm so curious and excited if it's gonna work out! Goddess, help me.

I knew that something will start with a business - we moved into the house no 36 and in feng shui it's a number of investments and growing business.... :) We should live here some time longer and then move to home no 28 - "easy money", hehehe.



On the other hand - my survey through websites and blogs of indie designers will help Adam and DD to start with KazawaProject also. I believe that Adam will use my knowledge! Information is priceless, isn't it? I wanted KazawaProject to be a label gathering young Silesian artisans and designers of various fields, but so far Adam is interested only in jewelry. Summer will be test for us both (ot rather the three of us, counting DD) if what we do finds an interest and customers.

By the way: I received a custom order, tralalala. To make tiny animals for Noah's arc, fox plushie and blanket for a baby. Fortunately my "genius personal sewer" which means petite sewing machine works. Making blanket in hands only would take too much time.


Tommorrow I go to Toruń for final lectures with my students. And to start exams - I'll test them of ethnography of Poland and ethnography of Slavs. The worst thing for me is to give them notes - I want to be justice. Afterwords they will have a chance to give me a note - evaluation questionnaire, hm. I don't think I like it, but I understand the neccessity of such responce.

My sister's birthday

Today is 19th anniversary of my sister - Justyna. She's passing her final exams in high school. Poor her, she had to resign of kendo national team to focus on her maturity exams and next-to-be-studies. Hope, everything will be fine. I'm sure, everything will be fine. She wants to study graphic design and computer science, lol. I prefer humanities, any ingeneering studies are amazing for me :). Actually, 3:30 a.m. when I'm writing these very words is about the time she was born! I could sent her sms if she wasn't asleep already. Happy birthday, sis!!!!! xxx

I learned today about Eduardo Recife, Brazilian designer who designed some astonishing typefaces. Some of them are available for free, some - for commercial use. It's pitty but I couldn't install them on my computer - I need some computer science lessons propably! But fonts are great and I like it very much. I decided to put link to his website on my blog among other very inspiring and creative "cre8ives". I like Max Rhode font inspired by his very own handwriting.

All the moments Ada was with her father I was trying to spend developing my work - about modern design and it's folklore influences. I want to be prepared for conference in Sandomierz. There will be Zbigniew Benedyktowicz who is one of my favourite social anthropologists and ethnographers - I admire his keen eye for modern art and gentle personality as well. Besides being interesting scholar and good writing publisher, he's a wise person and it's not a common thing. Either his gentleness - in our scholar circles especially. I've never heard him speaking ill of anybody. If I will speak at all, I will speak about Piatek - the village which is geographical centre of Poland but in any way can be centre of enything. It's margin of life, province, woop-woop land... - and I know some artists who want to awake this strange neighbourhood by some artistic events and founding Museum of the Middle of Poland. I'm very curious of the results.

Japanese dress for kitty is beautiful. trinlayk - I hope - will like it. Her idea about making black cat with green eyes was good - kitty looks fine. I wonder what she did. For a swap which i s American word for an exchange, heheheh. I want to make some more kitties of that kind (limited edition, of course) to present them at indie babies - as soon as possible. I count on Adam's help in everyday care for Ada during summer vacations - as a teacher he'll have almost two months holidays. And then I can learn for my next semester lectures by days and sew by nights :)

Finger puppets

The best thing is to think a little without stress. So did I and solved my "problem" with signing into the blog. It was not a problem, of course. But first I had to change a subject of thinking for a while - it's easy when your child wants something to eat or to change a nappy. And Ada wanted both.

My princess likes new finger puppets a lot - to eat especially. She is 17 months now and still wants to put everything into her mouth. 8 teeth have to work. They are not for babies like her, rather toddlers or kids, or parents to make a theatre. The reason is very simple - felt is not chewing resistant.

The hare is one of Ada's favourite productions of mine - it has handle ears and that's good. And girlie-bear Sophie I want to keep for Ada. The others will go for adoptions.


Propably Miss June (or her clone) will go for an auction. I believe in giving back and I've received so much good that I want to share. With Hospice for children, for instance,
www.gajusz.org.pl - when I first saw those children I couldn't stop crying. I hope someone reach will buy her!

I'm still glad for making little makeover for June the Hare - now she's pretty and cute as I wanted her to be. Of course, she was charming and pretty even before. But I don't regret.

Finger puppets are good - maybe it doesn't sound modest but in my opinion they are cute. And I can make some more of them easily. I want to put them into my etsy shop. Soon.

Ada was soooo happy to see me yesterday that I was breastfeeding about 5 hours..... Propably she wants beastfeeding not as a food but as a warm contact and socializing with mother. Anyway it takes hours after my few days absence. We need to move to Torun - it's 1000 km then and back, it takes too much time. I do not want to be separated from her for half a week every week! I miss her the moment I close the door!

Pyza reminded me how cute and funny hamsters are. I used to have hamsters - as I remeber, once I had even 11 hamsters and it was too much of cuteness ;) But generally, though they are not easy animals, they look sweet and can be nice pets. And they don't smell like guinea pigs....

I like the idea that this year is a year of the Pig. My bother George is Chinese Pig. I am an Ox. My Ada is Rooster and her father is Dragon - oh, yes, he is. I gathered pig and hamster together in a photo, because they are both rather chubby. I like chubby :)I wanted pig's little hoofs to look as natural as possible.
I like little fangs of this wolf. I wanted him to be funny but still dangerous.
And little lamb hidden in mother's fur. Next time I'll make it better and I know what to improve. Photo especially. Lamb has to have its ears visible. And I want to make labs in a shape of softies. Maybe even this idea - mother with a lamb in 3D.
I have an idea how to make them keychains. That will be my next work.
I finally finished my kitty for swap. In few days I will sent it.
And afterwords go to Sandomierz for ethnological - anthropological conference!!!! Hurrah!

Matchbox Swap

Matchbox Swap
Originally uploaded by mooosh.

Hm, that's a swap! huh, huh - so I'll have an EXCHANGE and that's a differnce, though not so big। When I see so many CUTE thing I know that I could not find them easyly. For me it's even better to make a softie and exchange it with trinlayk than to look for such truc. (I hope trinlayk won't be dissaponted that what we do is not a swap॥?)

Today Ada and I spent some time together with our friends on Dembowiec Hill. Beside four moms (one mom-to-be), there were three boys from 2 to 13 years and my little lady. She seemed to really enjoy it, especially when she was kissed by Voytek - unfortunately I took a picture a second later! Anyway, too late. Ada was thrilled by the presence of so many kids - she really wants to socialize and to imitate elders. To throw little stones in the hole - just like Voytek.

While children were having fun I was discussing with Malwina and Kate about the craddle. Once, in 1981 they both found a folk craddle - ready to be burn - saved it and now this very, very old cradle is traveling around Poland to serve new children. My Ada was 27th child since the rescue day. Every child's name is writen on side of undercarriage. People seem to love this piece of furniture and say "there is a legend in this craddle". I want to write an article about the second life of folk objects - that's ethnography for me!