Something White in the Corner of my Eye

A few weeks back the Swans of Finland started their flight to their winter home on the southern shores of the Baltic Sea. On one dull autumn day I was driving to south from east of the country and at 200 kilometre stone of my drive I thought I saw some 100 white sheep in the field on the side of the motor way - obviously have got used to see them so often in Ireland. However had another look and realized the clean white creatures with long necks were far from sheep. It was a group of National Birds of Finland who had decided to stop and fill up their 'fuel tanks' before the 80km flight across the sea.

Photo: Seijastiinan mietteita

It was certainly an impressive view and also the first time experience for me -wow! It also created a great excuse to introduce all the Heli MG novelty for this autumn/winter season and its Christmas parties...

 

Photo: Absolute Studios Dublin, Model Katie B/ Distinct Model Management Dublin, Makeup & hair Julie Caulfield

...the luxurious Swan Cape! It's available to purchase today here. Also please follow this space for more fantastic ideas how-to-wear it, of course by Maria N.!

For My Dad

It's the All Saints Day. Just lit a candle for my dear Dad who passed away 6 months ago.

Photo: Heli MG

His passing came the most unexpectedly. The Finns would say 'off he went in his boots' which means he lived full life until his days were at the end.

Dad was a carpenter in his profession. He was a real inventor who spent the dark winter evenings with his feet up and his 'thinking cap' on in his favorite couch in front of the fire, sketching. There was nothing he couldn't fix or alter and especially over the long bright summer days, after retiring from his day job, he recycled all old timber and metal he got in his hands by turning them into most amazing functional tools and machines for his own use. Not forgetting the beautiful wooden furniture he made for me

Photo: Heli MG

Photo: Heli MG

or that we designed and put together.

Photo: Heli MG

Photo: Heli MG

His genuine creative enthusiasm inspired many of the people around him. Dad also taught me to love and respect the forests and their animals already in my childhood, something that has inspired me in work and play.

Photo: Heli MG

The memories will never die. The marks of Dad's hands can be seen in so many places and things. The paths he made in the forests won't fade. 

Photo: Heli MG

And his wise words will always guide me.

Rest in peace Dad.

Scandinavian Rya Rugs #2

I made a post about Scandinavian Rya Rugs - the main source of my inspiration - some time ago. Yesterday I discovered a fantastic video made by an American textile artists Melinda Byrd who is telling it all like it is.

 

- Thanks for sharing  your great video & beautiful work Melinda!

Goodbye 2012, Welcome Inspiring 2013!

New Year, new tricks! goes an old saying.

What's your favourite New Year's tradition? Resolutions? Fireworks? Anything special to wipe away the old year and welcome the new one?

Mine is definitely the New Year's lead pouring, an old Mid & Northern European tradition that, according to Wikipedia, travelled to Finland from Mid Europe via Sweden, at first for the New Year's Eve entertainment of the higher class. From 19th century it was done in most Finnish homes at the very end of 31st December to tell what the coming year would bring along.

Photo: mtv3 - STT

It goes like this: at first a horseshoe shaped lead piece is placed in a shallow metal scoop and heated on an open fire, or in the city conditions on an electric or a gas hob. When the solid lead turns into liquid - which happens very quickly - it's poured with fast twist of the wrist into a bucketful of cold water. Cold water turns the lead into a chunk of different shapes and textures.

Photo: 'jellytae'

Photo: Yle

Photo: Avviisi/ Seppo Honkanen

  

Each side, dent and bump of the chunk is then studied carefully by the pourer & co. The superstitious folk tells the future from the surface of them not forgetting the shape of the shadows they throw on the wall in the candle/ lamp light. I've added below the most unexpected of the 86 interpretations listed on the Finnish Folklore blog:

Donkey: Inheritance
Duck: Money
Monkey: A secret enemy
Weapon: Storming
Key: Money, Marriage
Hat: Success
Mouse: Poverty
Flakes: Money
Spider: Money
Bull: Angry man's insult
Fish: Good news from abroad
Saucepan: Death
Deer, Elk: Arguments, Bad luck in trading
Chain: Intact: Marriage, Broken: Adversity
Fox: Deceptive friend
Axe: Overcoming difficulties
Cat: Betrayal
Dog: Faithful Friends
Comet: Bad luck
Basket: Family Addition
Eagle: A lucky change of residence
Flower: Admirer, marriage
Crescent: Success, Happiness
Fir tree: Happiness
Carriage: Travel, Variable luck, Poverty
Snake: Danger
Cow: Money
Lion: Success with friends
Airplane: Travels, failed project
Bat: A failed project
Castle: An unexpected good fortune or inheritance
Bird: Happiness, Travels
Flag: Enemy in danger
Dragon: A large and sudden change of life
Mermaid: Bad luck
Male: Guest arrives
Head of a Woman: an argument with a neighbor
Square: Peace
Elephant: Happiness, Health
Numbers (any): Happiness, Health, happy marriage
Arrow: The threat from the indicated direction
Apple: Long life, Money
Butterfly: Happiness, Enjoyment
Predator: Bad luck
Billy goat: enemy
Owl: Bad luck, illness, poverty, shame
Cross: Bad luck, Penalty, Death
Uneven surface: Money
Scissors: Bad luck, separation, divorce
Frog: Love, Money
Umbrella: Bad luck
Mushroom: A row, separation, divorce
Bridge: Travels
Fragments: Bad luck
House: Success in business
Acorn: Health
Hourglass: Acute loss
Ladder: Travels
Chair: Family Addition
Cannon: Happiness
Hammer: Winning the enemies
Mountain: Strong friends
Several mountains: Powerful enemies
Circle: Illness, Money

- Huh, quite a list already! To find out the rest click here and copy the Finnish Folklore Blog link into the left field. Select Finnish as the translate-from-language and hit the translate button.

For the more down-to-earth crowd, including myself, it's just a great way to keep the whole family entertained while waiting for the year to change and also on the following day, at which stage the Christmassy board games have probably started to bore everyone to death. It's also a great way to stimulate one's imagination.

I used to pour lead at most New Year's Eves until my late teens and after that occasionally. At the legal drinking age and from it on it was even more fun than with one's family; we used to hire a log cabin or get together at someone's house for the New Year celebrations and keep on analyzing the lead chunks as long as the magnum bottle of bubbly - or a couple - was gone.

I missed the latest event as I welcomed the 2013 at home in Ireland - the tight security control at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport wouldn't have let the lead horseshoes go through in my hand baggage. - but I might break the rules and do it this summer instead to find inspiration, new shapes and stories, for my new fashion/home collection! 

- Whilst getting to it I'm wishing 2013 is the best year ever for all!

P.S: If you're under 18 or have never done the New Year's lead pouring and get your hands on the right kind of lead horse shoes, only try it under careful supervision of a person who's familiar with it. Also note, lead is hazardous waste so don't forget to dispose of it appropriately.

Wonderful White Christmas

One moment I'm waking up when the warming sun is climbing up and gently tickling awake all of a sleepy Irish village. A few hours later I wake up again in the middle of a blizzard and total darkness. 

- No, I haven't started my first horror novel, this is a true story of the start of a wintery holiday trip to my far away Nordic childhood home. - Okay, it's not really so far away to be honest, but after the total of 17 hours on my bum in 2 planes and 2 coaches before making it to my destination in Eastern Finland it makes me want to colour the story a bit more exotic. And anyways, it's the land of the Santa, white winters (however not always guaranteed white Christmases), Northern Lights and also hot bright summer nights with lots of mosquito which all probably make it quite an exiting holiday destination for those who don't get a dose of them on the daily basis - including myself.

During my Christmas break I was lucky to see the most beautiful and inspiring features of the local winter weather

- the amazing frost art & perfectly shaped snow stars...

- the extremes; most of the time the mercury was down at - 24 C degrees, one day it suddenly climbed up to 0 C degrees, and in a few hours it dropped back down to - 20 C - the chilly conditions can certainly tire up even a thermometer ;-)

- the Christmas time midday sun

- the frosty trees

- and the dozen shades of cold

and find countless clues of the very lively yet extremely shy wild animals; squirrels, ermines, hares, foxes - not forgetting wearing my favourite hat!

Note the squirrel's countless footprints on the frosty wall. He had also built a cozy, ball-alike nest of straw inside this old barn.

...enjoy the warmth & colours of the bonfire and heating up the frostbitten cheeks & fingers in the twilight of the snowy forest and cook some delicious sausages above the glowing embers for lunch

- hypnotic flames

...struggle my way back home from the forest in the powdery snow and as following sense the sweet pain in my every muscle on the next day

and still on the way back to my other sweet home in the mild January winds of the Green Isle.

Stone Therapy

It's the World Mental Health Day today and what would be more suitable topic to write about - with my wooden mug full of lovely, fresh hot espresso beside me - than stress management.

Eco Furs takes easily 6 x 12-14 hours of my week and I'm sometimes wondering myself too how I have the energy. Well first of all, I absolutely love what I'm doing. Secondly, when I feel tense and tired after too many work days in a row, I pay a visit to the beach - preferably a pebble beach, which there are quite many to choose from in North Wicklow. 

The sound of waves is very soothing and the sea breeze airs the stuffy head very efficiently. The round and flat and smooth pebbles are not called 'worry stones' just for fun.

I find the pebbles and stones in general very fascinating otherwise too and usually I end up having my nose down towards the ground & combing the shoreline for quite some time. The combinations of different beautiful colours & different types of stones and all the shapes are very inspiring.

 

I pick the most peculiar ones - like the 2 halves of a pebble I found last weekend from Greystones Beach and 'christened' Candy - and usually arrive home my pockets full of both work wise inspiring and therapeutic stones - Yes, I remember to empty them before my coat goes to wash...;) One group of them is sitting on my bathroom window sill and another on my desk, where I they easily catch my eye and let me escape to their therapeutic world every so often.

It's not just Irish beaches I love to visit when ever I have a chance. My favourite of the world beaches so far is the Omaha Beach in Normandy, France where a few years ago I also had a chance to follow my other big interest, Vintage tractors driving into the sea and helping fishing boats to land and take off - which is not particularly good thing for the tractor or the sea, but that is totally different topic so let's just enjoy the nice vision for now.

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France - All photos by Heli

- How do you relax in the middle of your work day?

Have a good day and remember to look after yourselves and each other - today and every day!

Heli MG at Habitare 2012 with DesignShopOutlet.com

Heli MG Home range grew with 5 new products this year. The child minded additions were launched for sale to Finnish & international trade and public at Habitare 2012 Interior Decoration, Furniture and Design Fair by DesignShopOutlet.com 2 weeks ago.  

Photo: DesignShopOutlet.com

The tufted stick animals George, Sammy, Danny and Hector - made with mixed recyclables; woollen socks, waste pieces of fleece, buttons inherited from my Granny, to mention a few - enjoyed being in the flash lights of Finnish press - especially George the Goat who Avotakka, a well established Finnish interior decoration magazine selected as one of the top 100 products of the show. To find more info on these delightful fellas and adopt one or all of them please click yourself to DSO's shop.

       

Photos: DesignShopOutlet.com

Other members of the Heli MG 'fauna', a bright and lightweight pair of rocking ducks, being introduced at the show and also being available at DSO afterwards, particularly attracted the attention of the smallest fair visitors. Those who were brave enough to test run the soft little rockers fell helplessly in love, confirms a trustworthy source of information.

Photo: DesignShopOutlet.com

Photo: Heli

What also makes this pair interesting is the frame material used - polystyrene foam i.e. amazingly durable building & insulation material that according to my carpenter Dad, among others, was used and loved lots especially in furniture pieces ordered for public spaces in 1970's & 80's.

I discovered polystyrene and got inspired by it whilst doing a custom sewing project for a cool Irish company Made In Hollywood. They create amazing things with polystyrene foam; not only for architectural & insulation purposes but they also make unique props & signs for marketing. For better idea of their fantastic production please click yourself to their portfolio here. They also cut the figures for my duck rockers.

Polystyrene inspires me because it's lightweight, durable and non-water-absorbent material. It feels warm when being sat or leant on. Not being a good ground for mold to land and stick to, it makes a fantastic base for example for the balcony furniture that generally are also quite heavy to handle and cold to sit on. Also, polystyrene doesn't burn unless it is in an immediate contact with a flame. And the best of all its features in a woman's point of view is that it can be shaped easily at home too, with a simple saw, without heavy power tools!

Solid wood has always been my personal favourite of the furniture materials. BUT I'd be very happy to pick polystyrene as a the material for small home accessories and children's room furniture to make them lighter to lift  - and less easily bruising for us adults and the little ones as even the sharp corners of polystyrene items are soft - what do you think?

As this year's novelty DSO also introduced a few other Irish Designers and a handful of young Finnish Design talents at their stand. The fabulous work of Irish The Printing Rooms, Jennifer Slattery Textiles and Klickity were very warmly welcomed by the show visitors and members of press - very exciting! Check out the show highlights here.