The Biker Pants Live On

 

Did you know it takes approximately 208 gallons of crude oil to raise one feedlot steer? And that's just raising the cow, not to mention the amount of energy that goes into creating the hide.

By upcycling materials, this 7cm wide by 13 cm long cuff, created from the pocket of an old pair of leather pants - (probably, given the opshop they came from, once the pride and joy of a bikie)- would be saving at least 2.6 gallons of crude oil in the raising of the cow alone....

Not to mention, the materials were purchased from the op-shop run by the Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda, Melbourne.

Who would have thought reducing your carbon footprint could look so good?

Fully adjustable via the lace up chain system at the back, this cuff is edgy yet feminine.

Made from the to of the pocket of that infamous pair of leather pants, this is a narrower cuff with antique gold findings & fittings.  The chain on the front is sewn on with copper wire.

Both available at Etsy and soon at MadeIt for Australian buyers.

New at Kreated - Pocket Rock Upcycled Leather Cuff

Artists do it, Greenies do it, now even Rock Chick's can do it... Upcycling.

Express the edgier side of your personality with this upcycled leather cuff made from the pocket of a rather large and loved pair of leather pants found at the local Sacred Heart op shop.

Perfect to go with this season's rock/military look or even when you want to give that casual t-shirt & jeans a bit of a pop, this cuff is adjustable courtesy of the chain fastening system.

The cuff can be worn plain, or with ribbon threaded through the front eyelets for a more feminine touch (see images).

The preworn nature of this leather has ensured the cuff is beautifully supple and soft.

There are obviously only two pockets in pants so there is only one of this design available (the other pocket wanted to be made into something else!)

**All upcycled materials have been cleaned before use**

Buy me at Etsy (USD) or Made It (AUD)

More interior inspirations

Photography by: Dan Magree

Photography by: Maree Homer

Photography by: Michael Wee

Photography by: Sharyn Cairns, Marcus Clinton

Sydney interior designer Roxane Kourakis

Insprations from House & Garden

Inspirational Spaces

I live in the smallest apartment in the universe. It has for some time been known as "The Mouse House". This is a difficult (read disastrous) thing for someone who has a lot of materials, old photos, clothes, apparently doesn't have a shred of "everything has it's place" mentality and inherited the dreaded hoarding and collecting gene from her mother (she doesn't throw ANYTHING out and was horrified when I threw out a roll of carpet when I moved out of my old, considerable larger apartment... I think she almost had a tear in her eye as she exclaimed "But you might need it one day" and had a definite smirk of satisfaction when one day I did!).

I'm never going to have one of those minimalist apartments with three things in each room (much to the disgust of some of my minimalist friends). So what's the alternative? Lately I've come across some wonderful inspirations for a home that utilities the whims of the collector to create spaces that showcase the different aspects of your personality and create wonderful, personal, ordered spaces without having to compromise on homeliness.

Using these along with a great book called Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston, a couple of my fav of the moment blogs & websites (here and here), really useful articles like this, and inspiration images from House&Garden, Real Living and Inside Out, the Mouse House revolution is about to begin!

Quotes to kick you back into gear

I have been inactive over the last week, repeating that same old same old pattern based on fear of success rather than failure. I have designs, great designs, coming out of my wazoo and yet somehow seem to always find something else to do rather than create them.

Each time I experience this - the frozen numbness that comes with a fear of the unknown, I come back to this quote by Marinne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

It is on this principle, to have people shine and express themselves, that Kreated was born. Yet if I do not give myself the same liberty - do the things I love with 100% commitment and love - how is that to have the space to manifest in the lives of others?

So here is the plan for tommorrow:

Choose three things that need doing (go to op-shop for upcycling materials, take pictures of my new designs, post them on etsy) and be true to my word in getting them done. And quit wasting time beating myself up for the time I've already wasted.

Prepare to see an influx of funky new designs combining textiles and metals from Kreated over the next week!

Inspirations

There is so much to get inspired by in the everyday world, from the way the light hits a window in the evening to the patterns created on the wall as the light filters through the trees; from the tactile nature of this seasons richly coloured silks to the chunky textures of winter knits. Even the smell of my coffee in the morning somehow manages to inspire jewellery designs for me.

So here are some of the things I'm inspired by right now....

Coffee in the morning (the colour and texture of the creme, the shape of the glass, the smell... oh that smell!)

The creamy texture and colour of milk

Miss sixty chunky eggplant knitMiss Sixty mesmerizingly coloured dress in a heavy silk (this photo does the colour NO justice)!

This gorgeous scarf in my favourite colour combo (with a dark royal purple/eggplant/plum) from baboom on Etsy


This satiny coffee cup holder from gabriellamistral on Etsy.

I could just keep going and going with this post!

New at Kreated

I'm a little obsessed with recycled materials and antique bronze at the moment. The antique bronze works really well with this season's colours and who can't do with a spare heart if you're like me and wear yours on your sleeve!

Each piece is available at Kreated on Etsy or MadeIt

“ Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree ”

~ Emily Bronte

A wearable depiction of the bronze-golden hues of Autumn and the oncoming silver light of Winter, this 36 cm long chain with a 14 cm drop piece is perfect for layering with both shorter and longer necklaces.

The silver leaves are patterned on one side and quite light like leaves that you would see fluttering in the wind.

“Some people wear their heart up on their sleeve. I wear mine underneath my right pant leg, strapped to my boot.”
~ Ani Difranco

For those of you who love to fall in love and wear your heart on your sleeve, here's a spare one or two for when it doesn't go quite to plan.

The crystal is a recycled piece from an old necklace while the hearts are cast metal.

The Wicked Witch of the East enchanted his axe to prevent him from marrying the girl that he loved. The enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one. Each time he lost a limb, Nick Chopper replaced it with a prosthetic limb made of tin. Finally, nothing was left of him but tin. However, Ku-Klip, the tinsmith who helped him, neglected to replace his heart. Once Nick Chopper was made entirely of tin, he was no longer able to love the girl he had fallen for.

Wicked Witch of the East or the love of Tin Man's life, wear his shiny new heart around your neck.

The chandelier crystal is recycled, old school lead crystal found when I was packing up my Dad's house (so there's a little bit of my heart in there for you too!)... I suspect it came from the chandelier in a house we had about 20 years ago.