Deadly Unicorn

Here's by far the most colourful piece of junk I picked up on the beach yesterday: a unicorn helium balloon! (I bet my sister would have loved this one!)

Sure, helium balloons are fun (and pretty) but when they escape there's a very big chance they end up in our oceans.

Did you know that balloons, just like plastic bags, are often mistaken for food by sea turtles, dolphins and whales and can result in a slow and painful death?

Banish the bag! And think twice about those balloons ...

The Perks of the Job

I thought today was already a fabulous day when I went treasure hunting on the beach and came home with more treasure than trash ... (maybe material for tomorrow's post)

But then we got invited for pancakes AND a little boat trip by the Hamra Krog-sisters Karin & Linnea and their dad.

They took us to a tiny little island where we went fossil hunting (supervised by about a dozen of curious seals!)

And after reassuring me that it's not illegal to pick fossils and sell them I started brainstorming about what to do with them ...

Earrings? Bracelets? Necklaces? All of it?
I think it's time to add yet another project to my list :)

Live like you love the ocean!

Today is World Oceans Day - 24 hours to honor the world's oceans ... an initiative to inspire people to make ocean protection a way of life.

We all know that global warming means warming of the oceans, results in melting glacial ice, rising sea levels, heavy rain in some areas, and drought in others. But there's more to the issue ...

Here's a bit of chemistry: Almost half of all the carbon dioxide emitted since industrialization has been absorbed by the ocean. When carbon dioxide reacts with water, it forms carbonic acid, and releases more hydrogen ions into the sea, lowering pH and causing acidification of the ocean. 

Further, these hydrogen ions quickly bind with carbonate ions. This deprives animals like hard corals and certain mollusks and plankton of the raw material for their calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. This may ultimately cause the world's oceans to become corrosive to such animals, and cause coral reefs to dissolve."

There you go - one more reason to reduce our carbon emissions! 

Here's some ideas ...

* reduce meat and fish consumption
* eat more locally and sustainably grown food
* reduce your use of plastics and consumption in general

A healthy ocean contributes to a healthy climate, and a healthy climate is crucial for our ocean life.

Source: this website

Preview - Ainas Ateljé

Here's a little preview of how my shop now looks! Or one corner of it anyway :) 

Today was Sweden's National Day which of course meant that the postman had a day off - so I'm still waiting for my paint and my tea :) Good thing there's lots of other things to do!
I struggled with my bookkeeping program about half the day but managed to figure it out in the end, I sowed some more seeds in the hope it's not to late in the year for cilantro and chives AND I (almost) finished my first creative project (will be revealed soon).

We managed fixed our internet connection so I hope we'll stay connected for a while now - I feel so lost without news from the outside world!

News like this for example: I passed my exam!!

I got an e-mail from school saying I should call to discuss my grade. 

Didn't sound very promising now, did it?

Apparently that's Canadian humor :) I got 84%!

I tried to call you mum - thought you should be the first to hear - but there seemed to be something wrong with your phone ...

Öppna Ateljéer = Artistic Roadtrip

My boyfriend's mum is on the island for a couple of days (a birthday present to her from all the kids & her sister) and just like last year when she took me along for the "Open Studio Days" in Småland, I'm taking her and her foster daughter all around Gotland.
I'm not even half as organized as she was last year but we were very successful anyway and managed to visit 12 workshops in the South of Gotland - and maybe even some more tomorrow!

Here's a tiny selection of the massive amount of pictures I took:

Relief by Svante Gärdek

Eva Hållsten's concrete bears and a superb idea I might just "borrow" some time in the future: pretty lace instead of ugly mosquito nets in front of the windows!

Coat hanger duck by sculptor Sanny Laurin

and Sanny's artistic hand right before he released this tiny bird that flew into his barn.

Maud Sundström's barn I completely fell in love with. How I would love to have a place like that! All the junk included!

Some pictures I took inside Maud's gallery - sometimes it's not the actual art that speaks to me but more the artists art of living ...

 And Charlotte Karlsson's lovely ceramics to finish! Talking about eye-candy!

What a day - I wish I already had my paint - I want to pretend I'm an artist too!!

To all you talented people who got my card today and read this post: Thank you so much for sharing your work with us and letting us peak behind the scenes a little.

You inspired me!

Rikskändisar!

See here my first appearance in a (local) Swedish newspaper together with Luqaz and my latest "loppis fynd" :) 

I gave the journalist my card because I thought he really should write about my shop but apparently he decided against it :p 

Oh well ...

I guess this is a good start anyway :)

Today I was a bit of an all-rounder @ Hamra - cleaning rooms and peeling potatoes (10kg!!) - but I also got loads done in my shop - I put up shelves and window blinds pretty much all by myself - and even though none of it is exactly straight I'm still pretty proud of my work!

This is going to be a great summer!

F&B - Fabulous & Beautiful :)

Yesterday I ordered 5 colours of Farrow & Ball paint I'll be working with this summer.


All Farrow & Ball paints are water based, eco friendly and comply with the latest EU environmental legislation regarding the VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) content of paints. In other words: sustainable & perfect for my workshop :)


I've worked with F&B paint before since that's the paint my mum uses in her tree houses and around the property in the South of France. She's remodeling soon so be sure to keep an eye on the website to discover the changes!


I won't reveal my choice of colours just yet. You'll see once I get them and I get started!