upcycle

Marolsha Jewelry

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

When you live in a city like New York or Chicago, it's fairly easy to find your way around. For the most part, urban planners patterned these cities on a grid with numbered streets indicating one direction (East/West) and avenues or named streets indicating the perpendicular other (North/South). So if you're at my favorite Mexican restaurant in the East Village and want to get to my favorite all-veg diner in the Lower East Side, you can do so with ease simply by knowing the cross streets. Easy peasey.

Like most things in India, however, navigating the chaotic streets of Kolkata isn't so simple. There is no helpful grid to indicate the desired direction, and good luck finding anything in its proper place on Google Maps. In order to get where you're going, one must rely on the kindness of strangers who live or work locally to point you in the right direction. But sometimes that direction isn't clear. I mean, how do I know I'm still walking south when the street I'm following seems to have veered to the left?

Instead of going the route of a Boy Scout and carrying around some clunky chunk of magnetized metal, Marolsha has come up with a solution to help you find your way in style: the Vintage Compass Silver Ring. Lightweight with an adjustable band, the silver compass ring is a utilitarian's dream. I tested it out in a place where I am direction literate to be sure it works, and sure enough, it pointed north. Although the aesthetic is a little reminiscent of something you'd get out of a machine for a quarter, the construction is vastly superior and ensures a significant cost per wear lifetime of getting you where you're going.

The compass ring isn't the only offering from Marolsha that piqued my curiosity. I was also interested in two seemingly opposite feathered finds: Twin Owls Earrings and Mod White Love Birds Earrings. Owls are birds of prey, which means they are solitary by nature to facilitate their livelihood, and, based on their appearance in Hieroglyphics, that rugged individualism has kept them around a long time. Love birds, on the other hand, form long-term, monogamous bonds marked by a social demeanor and affectionate nuzzling. But you won't find their likeness in Egyptian caves. Despite their differences, both birds make regular appearances on adornments, as they captivate the human imagination.

Twin Owls Earrings are made of a sturdy antique brass and fall two inches below the earlobe on a thin kidney earwire that is easy to attach and detach. Their color is so bright it could be mistaken for a matte gold. The Mod White Love Birds Earrings are about a half-inch in length and dangle from silver plated leverback earwires. The color is painted onto the pair with a white enameled finish. Like the compass ring, both set of earrings are well-constructed.

Based in Singapore and created by Canadian fashion lover and jewelry designer Maddy, Marolsha peddles unique, vintage-style jewelry that is inspired by the natural world. Whenever possible, Maddy repurposes and recycles her findings in the process of creation. This eco-friendly sentiment is also found in the paper box in which the pieces arrive along with a handmade gift card that resembles a postcard. All of which is to say that Marolsha's jewelry reminds me of both the abundant joy of travel and the warmth of returning home.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, April 20th 2010

Green Arm Cuff with Wooden Marble Buttons / Flax Farm Hoop Earrings / Face Scrubbies

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

By Le Chat Crochet

I have a proud family history of hand-me-downs, secondhand stores, and thrift. My mother once had a bumper sticker: “This car stops for yard sales.” I am familiar with “rummaging” as a sanctioned, communal activity for acquiring goods; have visited flea markets in several countries; filled paper sacks at $1 “bag sales”; and as a child, I often accompanied my realtor father to tag and estate sales. For years, I have longed to visit the Highway 127 Yard Sale. My grandmothers—who stayed friends long after my parents split up—used to convene every summer in my hometown to go “saling”—that is, to buy a local Thursday/Friday/Saturday newspaper, circle the best garage sales in pen, and drive around all day looking for bargains. They didn’t need a map. Thrift is bred early.

When one of my grandmothers moved into an assisted living community several years ago, I was sent in to sort her closets jammed full of old magazines, spools of ribbon, shoe horns, and half-burned candles. At the time, I lived across the country, yet there was no one better for the job. I sat in heaps of recipes, plastic bags, and cloth scraps for days, sorting old letters, checking sell-by dates on canned food, and reclaiming a childhood record player found hidden in a large leaf bag in the pantry. In the end, we donated, sold, and shipped antiques and knick-knacks to relatives in several states.

After I’d gone back to my East Coast home, my father called from Indiana. “I’m sitting in grandma’s garage!” he announced. “Dad, I already went through that stuff,” I said, wary of his excitement. “You threw away things that could be recycled!” he hollered. He went on to explain that he had brought back all of the garbage bags from the dumpster in the alley—seven, he chided—and at that moment, sat pulling out the plastics and metal cans while listening to a sports game on the radio.

Despite the eccentricities passed down in my genes, I understand that reclaiming an old sweater to make new wearables is not only currently en vogue but also intelligent economics. It should also come as no surprise that I marvel at the exquisite and interesting ways artists and craftspeople upcycle. Le Chat Crochet, a modest Etsy shop based in Amsterdam, is one of the best examples of this modern reclamation I have found. Astrid, the shop’s mastermind, offers a simple selection of upcycled goods, from earrings and arm bands to hot pads and face scrubbies.

My awesome selection from Le Chat Crochet’s shop includes a deep green armband with marbled wooden buttons and hoop earrings with fifty-year-old reused flax yarn crocheted on the bottom edge for dainty decoration. I also received four face scrubbies that are modeled after coaster crochet patterns and are perfect for the astringent that removes dirt and oil from my slightly cranky face. If you’ve ever used a facial tonic, you know how quickly you can get to the bottom of a bag of cotton.

Astrid’s philosophy is more than eco-friendly. Her commitment to reuse is thoughtful beyond fashion, anti-consumerist, and truly without waste. My goodies came wrapped in reused packing paper and cardboard. She also keeps an inspiring blog about her trash digging, used goods swapping ways. Stories about reclaimed bathtubs housing turtles and curbside books going to a local cat spaying charity are among my favorites, though a meditation on the usefulness of a dot matrix printer is especially relevant since it prints the lovely Le Chat Crochet cards that come with every order.

With such a thrifty family, you’d think it would be hard to impress me by recycling. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The frugal, upcycled finds from Le Chat Crochet make me feel a little closer to home.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, November 29th 2009

Upcycled Box

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:10:00 +0000

By Malcolm Studio Shop

When I met my friend Jo at Café Coffee Day, I brought a gift for her with me: York Peppermint Patties. My mom gave me a bag full of the tiny circular treats before I hopped on a plane to return to the place of my temporary residence. From time to time she sends me care packages with miscellaneous unattainable American goodies that can’t be found in Kolkata’s plentiful markets: grits, nutritional yeast, black beans. It’s not that I can’t live without garlic powder or stick antiperspirant; it’s just that sometimes when living outside of one’s country of origin for a lengthy period of time, one needs something to keep them grounded, a small reminder of home.

When Jo saw my gift, her face lit up with a smile. “You know these things make one of my favorite sounds!” she exclaimed to my complete surprise. Um, sound? This was not exactly the reaction I’d anticipated. Unwrapping one of the chocolates, she handed it to me and said, “Hold this to your ear and break it open.” Confused, but willing to play along, I did as instructed. Jo wasn't kidding; the sound is fantastic!

During the course of our conversation, Jo played with the patty’s square, aluminum wrapping. She carefully peeled the silver topcoat from the thin, white paper interior and then used the paper to create an origami crane. She smooshed the aluminum up into balls of varying sizes and then ordered them from large to small in a curved line behind the paper bird. “Some people are just more imaginative than others,” I thought to myself. Where most would see a candy wrapper in need of a dustbin, Jo saw the potential for creativity.

Karen Malcolm shares this way of viewing the world with Jo. The driving force behind Malcolm Studio Shop, Karen takes discarded items and upcycles them into works of art, jewelry, and boxes. The vintage Buxton jewelry box I got a hold of has an exterior lining of chocolate brown velvet with a resin tortoise shell gem affixed atop. The interior lining is pink satin on the lid and a piece of cream handmade paper in the bottom, both of which are stamped with a gold flowery design and the bottom edges are lined with tiny, dark-colored beads. At approximately six inches by four inches, the delicate box is a nice size to house my earrings and rings. While a larger jewelry box that can hold all of one’s treasures may be warranted for some, I’ve learned to make due with and appreciate what I have at my disposal, a sentiment that resonates in the creation of Malcolm Studio Shop's found object crafts.

At home I don’t eat York Peppermint Patties, but I wasn’t about to tell my mom “no” when she offered me the silver bag. I don't consider myself to be a spiritual person, but I do like to think there are reasons for odd happenings and the uncharacteristic decisions we make. I like to think my intuition was at play when I grabbed that crinkling plastic and shoved it inside my bag before boarding the plane. Perhaps this is what Karen thinks too as she picks up the random assortment of fabrics, beads, buttons, pins, and other items that go into her creations. Happiness can be found in the most unlikely of places.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, August 25th 2009

Found Object Necklace

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:22:00 +0000

By Malcolm Studio Shop

Found object art first made an impression on me studying the Dada movement in a mixed media sculpture class. Evolved from ready-made, or “manufactured objects raised to the dignity of works of art through the choice of the artist,” the re-purposing and re-perceiving of found objects in art made a political-cultural statement that was at once empowering and irreverent, an inspiring combination for a passionate young student.

When the opportunity to review a Found Object Necklace from Rhode Island-based Malcolm Studio Shop arose, I accepted and eagerly awaited the necklace’s arrival in the mail. In the meantime I perused Karen Malcolm’s Etsy and Cosa Verde sites and was enchanted by her collection of found object art, jewelry, and boxes. Natural themes and muted, antiqued earth tones are predominant. She uses “eighty percent upcycled, recycled or reused” objects in all of her creations.

I had actually forgotten what my one-of-a-kind found object necklace looked like and that added to my sense of delight when I removed the necklace from its black velvet bag. The pendant is an assemblage of burnished metal pieces, their previous incarnations a mystery, and an acrylic amber piece that I suspect was once a button on a 1960s coat. This skillfully constructed centerpiece hangs from one of the coolest chains I’ve ever seen: circles and pointed ovals in a burnished metal, accented by three complementary, but not matching, beads. The necklace is much longer (about twenty-one inches) than those I normally wear, but the clasp allowed me to easily adjust it to a choker length.

Back to that sense of joy, what I love about found object art in general and Malcolm Studio Shop’s work in particular is the mysterious composition of treasure chest bits and magpie booty artfully arranged and disguised with re-purpose. It’s timeless because it comes from all eras and is essentially sustainable, reducing the demand for additional production. Malcolm’s work is also very reasonably priced; most necklaces are under $50 and original art and upcycled assemblage boxes range from $35 to $169.

Written by: Matsya Siosal, August 12th 2009