I love family traditions. Something about doing something the same way every year calms and excites me at the same time.
Here in Israel we are in the midst of celebrating Chanukah, a holiday that commemorates the miracle of light. Every night we light another candle in the Menorah, for eight nights.
But for our family, the preparations start the night before. We light the menorah on a side table near the window so people outside can see, so we need to move around a lot of furniture to make that happen. The big empty space by the wall where the side table usually stands can only mean one thing - It's Chanukah.
My childhood took place in two different continents. We went back and forth between Israel and the USA until I was twelve. We never spent more then two years in one place - moving around many neighborhoods and schools. The years in America were spent in a classic suburban setting - a front and back yard, plenty of open spaces but very little independence, mainly due to my parents feeling it wasn't secure enough for us to walk around on our own. The years in Israel were spent in Jerusalem, a busy city full of people, traffic, cafes and the regular hustle and bustle of a busy city. We were free to take the bus and walk around the city as we pleased.
Sometimes I look at my kids and I realize they haven't been out of our community in a month (!) No stores, no traffic - just the quiet Israeli countryside. I find myself feeling bad for them, even though I'm pretty sure they could care less. They seem perfectly content.
This week we went out for a walk in the woods surrounding our house. I took pictures while my kids ran around, climbing, shouting, having fun.
We gathered branches we found lying about to make a winter bouquet. When we came home I made a couple of different bouquets. Fist, I took some Holiday Ornaments from my shop and hung them on the branches set in a vase. This would look equally pretty on a branch hanging from the ceiling.
For a more colorful bouquet (but still super simple to put together) you can stick Washi Tape on the branches (I chose neon pink and a minty green color for the tape).
Washi Tape makes everything better
A little while ago it occurred to me the longest I've ever lived in the same house has been the Caravan we're living in now while we're waiting for our house to be built - eight long years - and that kind of freaked me out. I don't like to settle down - I love moving around and discovering new places. But this week with my kids in the forest, I felt content being exactly where I am, no matter where we'll be tomorrow.
Have a lovely winter,
Elisheva
P.S. The ornaments are for a limited time - until January or when they run out - whichever comes first, if you like them you'd better hurry:)
About a week ago I gave a talk in front of a lovely group of women (120 in total) about my business, mainly it's growth over the past year. I showed different methods that worked for me in terms of publicity, mainly overseas. It was very important to me to give actual tips and ideas people could implement - rather then stand in front of a crowded room and show off - which I really hate.
I spoke about planning ahead and ways to get the word about your creative work out there. (You can see the full presentation here . I came out feeling really good - everyone was very friendly, and I was sporting grey nails - my tried and true method for feeling amazing:)
Looking back at the past year, I can't pinpoint anything specific that was the one thing that's responsible for my growth. It's a process that I'm still learning. I can say that the fact I started putting a lot of effort in my shop on Etsy really contributed to my studio, and not for the obvious reasons of increases in sales. Working on my Etsy shop brought back the joy of my craft b/c it made me face a lot of things I had been trying to avoid, and made me get back into creating.
For those of you who don't know, Etsy is an online Marketplace for everything handmade (or in the handmade spirit - they've recently changed the rules a bit) . The revelation that Etsy is more of a social media platform then just a marketplace was a game changer in terms of traffic and sales - with forums and teams created around mutual interests or geography and a big emphasis on liking other peoples creations. For me the most refreshing and inspiring part of Etsy was the fact that I could really feel the pride people take in their craft. I had always tried to hide the fact that I produce everything myself. Studying Industrial Design in a very traditional and conservative school - handmade was a step down from mass production (it sound almost crazy, right?). In school the professors would always praise the industrial process, and I was embarrassed.
Then all of the sudden, I was forced to tell my story. I started to show pictures of myself in the production process. As I came out of my shell, I was blown away by the amazing feedback I was receiving.
The community aspect of Etsy helped me make friends all over the world, like Rebekah from Alaska who takes the most amazing inspiring photos of her lovely jewelery, or Adele, an industrial designer from Italy with a creative outlook on design.
Working side by side with talented people from all over the world made me take a long hard look at my own designs - I knew I needed new ideas, better photos, which helped me rediscover my creative streak. I felt obligated to my new customers to show new innovative designs. Now I am busy designing new items, in addition to designs I created especially for Etsy that would have never come to life without that site (my art prints, in case you were wondering).
More then anything, I think it's about being in constant motion. Something about being a creative entrepreneur working from my home - you kind of function in a different time zone. I needed someone or something to get me back to living with the rest of the worlds schedule out of belief in me, not criticism.
There is a lof of frustration in this kind of job. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get things done, and even when I do get them done I'm not sure if done is good enough - not to mention all of my other jobs (mother, wife, etc) I feel like I should be putting more time into - it's nice to get a friendly push in the right direction every once in a while.
How about you, dear readers? Have you ever gotten a kick in the butt from someone who believes in you? How did that work out? Let me know in the comments below.
I have so much to do and I feel so tired and overwhelmed, I just want to sleep.
Or go to Ikea.
But this is a special time of year In Israel. Here we celebrate the New Year in September, what we refer to as Rosh Hashan. September always feels like the end of something, and the beginning of something new.
So I thought if I have sum up this last year it'll make it much easier to leave the past in the past and energize for this new year we are welcoming.
This past year has been very meaningful for me and my business. So much has happened, let's take a look, shall we?
For starters, my former partner had to leave the studio when she moved up north, this is the last post we wrote together.
A wonderful DIY by Tamar for apple flowers
My designs were featured in many places! Blogs that I love, amazing web sites, and a lot of thought happened after I took part in ICFF in New York, more about that here.
Lots of new designs in my collection, I wrote a little bit about the design process here.
I made a lot of new friends through this blog, and these virtual friendships became real ones. We cooperated on some projects, and we already have a couple of new ideas for the upcoming year.
A piece we did for Zuriel Dairy Company that was featured on the no 1 Israeli news site
One of the biggest things that happened to me is this blog. What started out as a side project for my Homeware studio, became really central in my growth as a designer. I've never had this many ideas in my head, and I'm so happy I get to share that with my lovely readers, weather here in the comments, Facbook, or email.
Working from home in my teeny Caravan, far away from the city, well, it hasn't been that amazing for my social life. I'm so happy we get to meet up every week and chat:)
So, what's in the work for next year? Some new designs I'm working on, getting the word out about this blog, and all kinds of little dreams I have that I'm not ready to spill the beans on yet - I don't want to jinx anything:)
So I'm taking some time off now for the High Holidays, and I will be back real soon!
As we say here - Shana Tova Umetuka - have a happy sweet new year!
So this week I did something completely out of my comfort zone.
This might not sound so daring, but it was for me.
I added a picture of myself to the studios Facebook page.
And no it wasn't a picture of me in an artistic pose, hiding my face behind one of my butterboards. But a real live front faced picture, you can now officially recognize me on the street.
Up until recently, I felt fine hiding behind my logo. Lately, and I think this has to do with the blog, I felt like a more personal approach could work for me. I was surprised at how comfortable I felt being myself on the blog, so this was the next natural step.
The truth is, my business IS personal. Not only because I design everything myself, but also because I produce many items on my own. Almost every design is partially handmade, whether it's the packaging, cutting, or assembly. This used to be b/c I had no choice, but now I kind of enjoy it.
The most exciting part of my job is when I send out orders. It doesn't matter how many orders I've shipped, I'm still always so surprised someone ordered something. And knowing that the item I've designed and made is on it's way to someones home far away, well that just makes me so happy and honored.
A typical pose, this is how I spend most of my day
Now that I'm out in the open, I'd love to show you more of what goes on from my side of the screen. You can now follow me on Instagram, and until I add a button you can find me at hooknloopdesign.
Join me next week, Holiday season is coming here in Israel, and there will be quite a few treats.
I've always been a very visual person. Memories are stored as movies in my head, my thoughts are like a photo album, and I have a knack for remembering faces - I'll often recognize someone on the street who once rode the bus with me.
A lot of my memories are associated with color. I remember what I wore on a certain occasion, what color the room was, the dishes, the food.... This might sound funny, but when my niece asks my brother to tell her stories about his childhood, he send her to me - telling her the stories will be more accurate if I tell her his childhood memories.
Colors remind me of emotions, experiences, people and objects.
I decided to photograph some of my designs by color stories, and see what memories they spark. It was a pretty cool experiment, and I am really happy with the outcome.
In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here
Pink Remind Me Of....
A summer dress twirling in the wind, my mothers dishes on a rack, a walk in the park, the wallpaper on my childhood bedrooms walls, summer fruit, a babies blanket.
In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here
Blue Remind Me Of....
My sisters room, the beach and the pool, summer camp shirts, winter rain, excitement before a long flight, the flight that never ends, first earrings, ponytail holders (the chunky kind)
In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here
Black and White Reminds Me Of....
Holiday dinner, old movies, fancy dishes, newspapers by the door after the weekend, dripping ice cream, chocolate cheesecake.
And once you combine the colors together, all of the emotions and feelings mix- you don't even know why you feel something specific - and why it was triggered. And you keep trying to perfect the amounts and the relations between the color until something clicks.
Here. Just like that.
In this photo: Linen Napkin, Candlestick Stack, Butter Board, Graphic Coasters. See more here
And because it's summer vacation here in Israel, my eldest (5 years old) is currently interning at Hook n' Loop design. When he saw what I was doing he wanted in on it - this is what he collected in his room. I helped him organize it.
In this photo: A ton of toy cars, Cookie Monster, Grover, and some random elephant puppets.
How about you? Do you remember by color? Or is it something else?
I have some big news to share with you.
I bought a camera.
That might not sound like a big deal to you - but believe me, it is. I have been making due with my small and pink (!) pocket camera for way too long. In fact, all of the pictures on the blog, on Facebook and even some of the photos on the Shop are with that dinky camera. I learned how to use the manual settings, and honestly tried my hardest, but I felt it just wasn't working out anymore, and if I want to take everything to the next level, I cannot put off buying a camera any more.
So I bought a new camera. And it was expensive.
I came out of the store a little shaky. Mostly b/c I was excited, but also b/c I was kind of shocked at how much I had just spent on myself. And then I thought about all of these other times I had treated myself to something expensive, or asked for a crazy gift. Something I could do without. That I didn't REALLY need.
My Kitchen Aid. Honestly, the person who said diamonds are a girls best friend obviously didn't own a Kitchen Aid. Every time I walk by it, I give it a little pat, it's just that beautiful.
Sandals I bought in London. I was so pregnant at the time, and so sad I couldn't try anything on, and then I saw these shoes and tried them on and they made me feel so much better about myself.
My leather bag from Forestbound. When I turned 30 I decided it was time for a big girl bag, as opposed to all of the cheap-o ones I had had up till then.
And then there was that one time where I decided I needed a silver sequined pillow for our living room. As I went looking for the right kind of fabric and everything was so expensive, I felt kind of bad that I was spending that much on a pillow that, honestly, was not going to be very comfortable. And now that I've sewn it and it's on display, I'm so happy I did. Sometimes I look at it all sparkly and shiny, and I smile. It always sparkles back.
Once in a while I take part in craft fairs, and I often hear people saying -
Oh I love that! but I don't have any gifts to buy right now...
As if some things you can only buy as a gift - and not for yourself.
For some reason many of us are unwilling to treat ourselves, just because.
But spending money on ourselves - and it doesn't have to be a lot, it can be something small that we hadn't planned - does wonders for our self worth. Basically we're telling ourselves - you are good enough, you deserve this!
What can I say, I'm still on a high from my new camera. And I strongly urge you - go treat yourself! Buy yourself that necklace, something pretty for your home, go out for dinner tonight - you are worth it!
I have been waiting for so long to show you the new collection, and I finally can!
A little intro - this collection really represents my point ove view as a Product Designer, and my thoughts about design in general.
I love objects that you can interact with. Building, moving, taking a part. An abject you can't interact with is more like a statue, and I'm not a sculpture:) I want to design objects that change from house to house, that look different over time. And of course - for them to have that simple and chic effortless style.
So this was my inspiration board for Spring-Summer 2013 you may have seen on my Facebook Page. I think you can get a good sense of the vibe for this collection, don't you?
And you know Gisele had to be there....
So the design I want to share is the Candlestick Stacks. You may remember I showed you a little preview here, and this is the final result. You receive three individual candlesticks that can be stacked into different designs, or used separately. One side fits a candle, and the other is the perfect size for tea lights. They come in white, black, and bronze.
In Judaism, it is customary to light two candles every Friday evening, at sundown. This marks the beginning of the Sabbath - our day of rest. This is normally done by the women of the house. In my family, you light an additional candle for every child that is born. I received a pair of lovely pewter candlesticks when I got married. When we had our eldest, I found a cute little pewter candlestick in a second hand store. The problem was, when my daughter was born I couldn't find a matching candlestick. So for the past two years I have been lighting a simple candle for her, when everyone else has a fancy pewter one - needless to say I fell horrible. So i kept thinking - wouldn't it be cool if my candlesticks could have "children" of there own. Thus - the Candlestick Stack was born.
The next design is for foldable bins made from industrial felt. This material is normally used as carpeting - making it very durable. Using some simple slits and flaps, you can easily set up your own storage bin - in small or large.
The next design is a house shaped napkin ring! It has many brothers and sisters you will get to meet in the next collections, I promise. Somehow, it is super cute and modern at the same time - something which is very hard to achieve. As the design came along, it became pretty obvious that such a special napking ring needs extra special napkins - that's how I came to design the linen napkin set. The linen I chose is soft but has a bit of a rough texture - giving it depth. The color combinations keep it on trend, turning even the most simple table setting into a head turner.
The coasters and butter boards were, for me, what tied the entire collection together. The geometric patterns along with the more organic shapes are what interests me esthetically.
The butter-boards are extra big, and can be used as little trays for cookies and a cup of tea, or for cheese, and even as wall art.
And the last item, continuing with me from my previous collection - the Stretchy Bowl. For those of you who aren't familiar with the bowl - it is made of a collapsible metal base and stretchy fabric netting. So when you add fruit - the bowl expands (think - a fruit trampoline). The netting lets air in, keeping your fruit fresh longer. And the wonderful thing about this bowl is that although it can be big, it literally takes up no space when you're not using it - b/c it packs flat. It's been featured in Gizomodo, and Treehugger and continues to be a big success. This design is clever without trying to hard - just the way I like it.
Seeing all of my ideas come out of production as tangible products was a huge deal for me. And the photo shoot with Efrat Lazanov (you can read more about that here) was pretty cool too.
As for the new collection - all of the designs can be purchased at my shop. If you'd like to purchase anything from my previous collections, I keep some things on my Etsy shop.
A new collection is a big milestone, and I always fear what people will say or think. So I'd like to thank all of you who are on my Facebook Page, for all of your likes and comments - I'm so happy I get to share all of this with you:)
As some of you may know, In my studio I design products, mostly Tabletop, mostly for entertaining. I thought it may be interesting for you if I show you some of the process that goes into designing Homeware. At the end of the post I will also share a new design, so stay with me!
Designing a new product often begins with the searching for inspiration. Some of finding inspiration goes with a more generic name - market research. The new design I want to share with you is for Candlesticks.
What I took from all of these (and many more images) were how low all of the candle holders were. When I have people over the last thing I want is for them to have to look around the centerpieces to talk to each other:) On the other hand, sometimes you do want a more dramatic setting. Or maybe you want to put them on a mantle - in which case height could actually be a good thing:) Thus, the Candlestick Stack was born:
I wanted it to be versatile and fit all kinds of different occasions, and esthetically modern yet classic - something that is very important to me. The more time I put into the design, I felt it becoming my favorite for this collection (sorry, rest of my designs:) The model in the picture is actually 3d printing done in plaster (I hope to tell you about this amazing process in another post - it is the COOLEST) It will be done (fingers crossed) in ceramics, in different colors.
What's cool and different about these Candlesticks is the fact that they are stackable. So you could use them together built up high, or break them down - depending on the situation, each time forming a different design. If you'd like to see the rest of the designs I'm working on, be sure to sign up below or on your right to get my newsletter straight into your inbox. Until next time, Elisheva
