Another Birch Beer Resource and a Give Away

Christmas (Hannukah, Kwanza, Yule  and Winter Solstice) is a time to share in traditions old and new, give gifts and share the love. I would like to impart two traditions here and announce a contest give away. 

I was a lucky enough monkey growing up to be surrounded by a crafty and loving family who made EVERYTHING from scratch and I am talking some serious scratch here. Carding and spinning your own wool, hunting and growing your own food, making your own wine kind of scratch. My favorite home spun tradition is hands down home brewed birch beer, so I am always on the lookout for new and easier recipes. I have found the ultimate birch beer resource here in a handy little guide that FERIC (Forestry Canada) recommends.

Another beloved family tradition is the hand made ornament. Pomanders, popcorn, ethereal feathery bits and baubles. Check mine out at Birch Beer Boutique  Two pair of these reindeer cork ornaments are up for grabs in this month's giveaway. You can enter by following my blog and enter again by Tweeting about this giveaway.

Bleu Nature Beats Us To The Punch!

My husband Joe and I have been working on a sage and juniper wood product for quite some time no that resembles this amazing design from Bleu Nature in France (via The Contemporist). 

They have prepped particle board panels with driftwood circles (or cookies) that you just nail to the wall. Our product differs somewhat in materials (we use "pest" woods that over grow the natural plant community and cause damage in the eco system along with discarded wood backing) and design (a leveled and planed look) but close enough! 

Ah well, Bleu Nature has done a great job and we salute them. Bonne chance mes amis.

Anthropologie's Shop the Snow House Rocks

Anthropologie's Snow House is quite a concept in styling and marketing. I'm unable to look away from this eye candy. Image via Stellar Blondie.

Re:Design Tech is Overjoyed to Join Poppy Talk Handmade!

I am brimming with enthusiasm to announce that Re:Design Technologies has been accepted to participate in Poppy Talk's Holiday and Gift Market this November.

What an honor to join the ranks of Fold (top left) and Please Be Still (bottom left). Thank you to Jan at Poppy Talk for the spot!

NEW PDF Paper Clip Chandelier Tutorials

Not for the impatient, my new Paper Clip Chandelier "Master Key" Tutorial outlines all the necessary concepts and steps to construct a paper clip chandelier using my methodology.

This Master Tutorial is priced at $18.00 USD and will be followed by shorter individual tutorials for around $8.00 each.

My shipping fees were getting to be OUTRAGEOUS (costing me $100.00 to $150.00 USD!) and prohibitive, so...a tutorial to share with everyone. 

Sneak Peek; RDT's new Christmas Cards

Miles of Light On Etsy

These original prints can be found at Miles of Light photography by Romina Bacci. I love the light and color play. Beautiful work and gorgeous subject matter - nature, kids, food and textile art. 

Twenty Years Without Taxi

In the 80's I loved Taxi Magazine. Looking back, I can honestly say that I've not since been so impressed by a magazine publication as I was with Taxi. Each photo and concept was exceptional, every location was timeless and all fashions were as relevant today as they were back then (which considering the prevalence of shoulder pads and teased hair, is really saying something)  

Today I stumbled upon Swan Diamond Rose's Flicker feed, which includes a few photographs of her modeling work for Taxi Magazine. What a great image! This photo could have been shot today. I am still crazy about this dress. Thanks to Swan Diamond Rose for sharing her work with the world.

RDT is Back From KFC!

Back from my week of training at the Kamloops Fire Centre and ready to resume my own work. I certainly needed this training to shore up my first year of British Columbia Ministry of Forests Wildfire Management Branch Zone Finance training (whew).

To be sure, the Fire Centre gave me a much needed hand, not the other way around. Many thanks to the Kamloops Fire Centre for the help! Now back to stringin' paper clips and painting pretty pictures! 

How to Make Birch Beer on EHow

Good News/Bad News scenario. Good news, I found a birch beer recipe to replace my Grampa's, which I lost. Bad news, I can't make it till the sap runs in the spring. BUT the syrup can be purchased at Birch Boy Syrups in Alaska for $10.00/litre. Better hurry, looks like supplies are dwindling!

Re:Design Technologies Loves Teal and Gold!

Last week I posted a little welcome to Etsy piece on my favorite BC design team, Teal and Gold. Today I revisited their Etsy shop looking for the re-ply chairs and realized that their bent walnut picnic box is designed to carry wine. Be still my heart...wine in style out for a picnic in the forest...sold! Get yours here .

Why Re:Design Technologies made the Move to Vintage Design

In the mid-nineties I managed the luxury vintage and antique retail furniture and fashion chain Populuxe, renowned in Vancouver, BC for their well curated collections. I've moved on but never forgotten the lessons learned and the passion behind building those collections.

Digging around junk shops has become an intrinsic part of the design process for me in making the Paper Clip Chandeliers for RDT's Etsy shop and other galleries. I can't help but walk away with the gems along with the beaters that I deconstruct. Please check them out at my new Etsy shop Birch Beer Boutique.

I am so inspired by the shapes and colors of the designs of yore. I'm also inspired by our current trend towards looking back to great eras of invention in design, with pared down silhouettes, strong lines, bold colors and compelling patterns dominating storefronts. 

Great design always comes back around in both original form and modernized versions as our society pauses to reflect on our many achievements. What's old becomes new again and again in a constant cycle of rediscovery and reinvention. 

What's old is also functional if in good shape, and should by all means occupy a coveted status in our homes. All the more so when consider how much energy and raw resources required to make the simplest of objects commonly used in our homes today. To put things into perspective, the computer you are accessing this article on probably required a total of about 2,000 lbs of raw materials to manufacture and ship, as did mine.  

All In The Family

When I was about 10 my uncle, Chris Bridge, gave me his first polaroid camera. Chris still remembers that polaroid camera fondly and as always, carries that passion for the perfect shot.

His parents, my grandparents, instilled in all of our clan a love of living in nature, which we expresses in various ways. Lately Chris has compiled some of his best nature shots on his website www.northernsplendor.com. 

His shots remind me of my grand parents and their unofficial nature conservancy at their home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Canada). They cared for injured wild animals and fed thousands of birds. We had snowy owls, prairie chickens, mice, you name it. One cold, Northern Ontario spring, the Humane Society asked my grandparents to nurse a red fox with a broken paw back to health. 

Grandma and Grandpa called him Redd Fox after the comedian and kept him in the greenhouse during the day and the warm rabbit warren at night. Poor little Redd Fox was tempted so sorely every night, but there was no other option for him. He followed my Grampa around all day in the greenhouse after a while, so I guess he forgave us.

Chris' photos seem to me to carry this narrative forward. Good work! Check his work out and keep ypour eyes peeled for the photos of the albino deer. Beautiful.

The Gift

I've been working on the shed deer antler chandelier project for some time now, which is developing quite nicely due to an incredible act of fate. 

I had hit the wall as it were last night when I realized that I needed one more antler to complete the design. So off to bed late feeling  that I was so close! 

This morning when my husband stepped outside for work, he found the shed antler in the second picture lying on the front lawn. There are canid markings on the tips (see foreground), so we are thinking that a stray dog or coyote left it behind.

Coincidence? I think not...LOL

Etsy Love

ReDesign Technologies On Etsy

Birch Beer Boutique on Etsy

Teal And Gold

I am excited to announce that one of my favorite BC design teams is selling on Etsy. Teal and Gold  have some major skills which can be seen here on Design*Sponge's Meet the Maker posting. Great work guys! Just one question, how can I get one of your re-ply chairs?

Re:Design Technologies is Back!

ReDesign Technologies is back and ready to announce a few changes. I have opened a new Etsy store front today, Birch Beer Boutique,  for vintage pieces and works of art unrelated to the Paper Clip Chandelier Line. 

In other news, I am trying Big Cartel on for size and my RDT storefront is up and running!

Thanks to the folks at Etsy's Design Style Guide Team for welcoming me onboard! You can find my DSG storefront here. Cheers! P.

Sushipot on Etsy

Assemblage by Suzanna Scott, A.K.A. sushipot on Etsy, strikes a balance between several contrasting elements and appeals to both the eye and pocketbook. Suzanna uses a surprising range of materials to showcase vintage and antique print art collage to wear and display. Find it here.

ButterflySenses Jewelry on Etsy

Got 11 bucks (USD)? These two necklaces could be yours, including shipping and the best customer service this side of...well, anywhere.  Yus, ButterflySenses Etsy Shop owner, is hosting a special buy two get one free offer and please give me one reason to resist making a purchase? Second to none customer service? Check!  Beautiful product? Check! No butterflies were harmed in the making of these clever pieces? Cheeyeck. 

Before and After Paper Clip Upcycle Makeover

"Helianthus" Upcycled Paper Clip Pendant Light on Etsy

Tangled Paper Clips Before the Upcycle

Upcoming Projects

My husband  Joe and I are hoping to be granted a Free Use Permit from the British Columbia Ministry of Forests to clean up some of the logging site waste wood not too far from our home in Merritt, BC. The wood is located in a traditional site where Joe and his family harvest foods and medicines every year. Ideally, we would like to clean as much as possible before the site is burned - great for the soil and new growth, but what a waste! 

Paper-Clip Pendant Lights Review in Real Simple Magazine

The August 2009 issue of Real Simple Magazine is on the stands, and guess what Mom? My paper clip chandeliers have received a mention on page 96 (blush)! Liz Arnold, you are very generous and I am so thankful. In her article entitled Home Website Directory, Liz writes;

"etsy.com: This site is getting a lot of play, and for  good reason. With more than 100,000 vendors and growing, it's the go-to place for all things handmade. Sellers have their own "storefronts" where they peddle their creations, like Rainbow-colored chrocheted rugs ($35) and paper-clip pandant lights ($275) - which are cooler than they sound."

Thank You Everyone!

A big thank you to Ready Made Magazine, Casa Sugar, Real Simple Magazine, notcot.org, This Next, Scoutie Girl, ETSY and everybody blogging about ReDesign Technologies Paper Clip Chandeliers. I deeply appreciate your time and effort. 

dust breeding » Archives » 8 / alphabird

dust breeding » Archives » 8 / alphabird

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Etsy's Handmade Moment Video Contest

My Etsy Shop

ReDesign Technologies Has Joined the Handmade Revoloution!

Welcome Back Spring!

The Paper Clip Chandelier Deconstruction Process

Re:Design Technologies collects vintage and otherwise used lamp shades, strips the acrylic, fabric, glue and dusty bits away to reveal the stainless steel framework underneath. Steel is constantly recycled in a closed loop process, as the raw material and production costs are so high. Stainless steel is a reliable material to use and reuse - our sturdiest frames date back to the 1930's!

Thanks to Kenkeknem Resources

Re:Design Technologies would like to thank Kenkekenm Resources for the opportunity to design their company logo. Kenkekenm Resources in Barriere, British Columbia (near Kamloops) specializes in Aboriginal Cultural Advising and Natural Resource Services.  Please visit their website at www.kenkekenm.com.

Early Examples of the Paper Clip Chandelier

Re:Design Technologies MPB Pine Products

Handmade Ochre Paintings

Handmade Ochre Paint

Re:Design Technologies harvests, trades and manufactures ochre and hand-made ochre paints. Botanical #1 is the result of laboratory testing, preparing ground iron oxide clay with olive oil. As a result of long-term testing, we found that the paint matures one year after the original preparation. 

What to Do When Life Hands You Scratched Used Records?

Turn them into fabulous works of art! 12" vinyl Record Bowls, shown here,  are $20 - 30 a pop (no pun intended) and come in Country, Pop, Dance, Classical, Disco, vintage Jazz from Bluebird Records & both Rock and Roll. We custom manufacture record clocks from vintage clock works and vinyl portraiture - a mixture of etching and painting. The Record Art ships easily and cheaply.

Re:Design Technologies Launches the Paper Clip Chandelier Line

Re:Design Technologies is dedicated to redesigning the home environment to minimize human impact on our natural environment.  Re:Design Technologies marries decades expertise in Natural Resource and the fine arts to create elegant solutions to compelling environmental issues.

Introducing our new Paper Clip Chandelier Line - innovative works of functional art featuring clean lines, deconstructed materials and minimal environmental impact. 

The Paper Clip Chandelier Line consists of six fundamental designs, custom manufactured to compliment both architecture and lifestyle. Each piece consists of 500 - 2,000+ individual paper clips interwoven to deconstructed steel lampshade structures. 

Pricing is from $225 CAN. Pieces are currently showing at Trish's Artists Place in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, 1-604-535-4664.