greatest hits & a giveaway: with green couch design

........................................

yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesses that you & i love!

today's our 6th giveaway: a PAIR of wall pockets by green couch design!
and enter to WIN with the other giveaways so far:

1. a recycled rag rug by *five forty*, here. (ends tomorrow!)
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a seatbelt mini-tote purse by *alamodestuff*, here.
4. a moo moo dress by *jules mae clothing*, here.
5. a tapestry necklace by *vadjutka*, here.

each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (this thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

.................................





wanna know a secret?
i'm a STRONG believer in teams.
in teamwork.
in collaboratively working & thinking & *doing* and making ideas together to create change!

like great friendships.
or kissing friendships. :)
or parenting.
or community building.
or great causes like eco friendly living.
goodness sakes... in everything!

so just imagine my joy when i see the collaborative works of a great pair of eco artists: a graphic designer & an architectural designer, teaming up in life and love and handmaking to create *responsible* designs! love it!

cale & meg of green couch design just thrill me with their eco concious creations, using recycled, reclaimed, pre-loved components. add a dash or two of their collective creativity and it's a pleasure to see the wide-range of sustainable goodies they're making for our future-friendly homes! and now you can WIN a pair of their most popular goodies for yourself! woohoo!

you can catch up with this great team in their lovely shop.
on facebook. or on twitter.




thought you'd also be interested in seeing the images that inspire their collective creativity! here's green couch designs'
greatest hits!

..............................
..............................

above:
1) Simply Joy, Meg and I are inspired by the simple functionality of play. The way an old tire tied to a tree becomes the fighter jet, or pirate ship, or even the fairy castle of our imaginations. We are inspired to play, and play inspires us to design. This tire swing hangs just outside our kitchen windows and is a constant reminder of what we believe.

2) Growth and Nature, we love gardening, and always have a huge one! This is our lettuce, in our upcycled window cold frames, just starting to stretch for the sun. We are inspired by the the greatest creation of all, our world, and the amazing intricacy of it all. The beauty and wonder of life!

..............................

below:

3) Whimsy, silliness, and laughter...This collection of rubber duckies started right after our honey moon on a double date at a local arcade. The collection has been slowly growing ever since. We love the way each one reminds us of a moment in our lives, and how they all make us laugh. I think when we get to bogged down in design we just take a second and look at the duckies, cheap, simple, and wonderful! It reminds us not to take our process to seriously.

4) Dream, and proclaim! We're not sure how it happened but the shower curtain in our bathroom has become our confession wall, our dream center, and our proclamation station! It started with "LOVE CONQUERS ALL" in sharpie and has grown to include our dreams for the future and our prayer requests to God. It's the documentation of our life, and it dares us every morning to dream bigger, and defy our fears, to shout our passions to the world!

...............................

thanks so much, cale & meg!
and now... the moment you've all been waiting for... a chance for one rikrak studio reader to WIN a pair of green couch design's FABULOUS, award-winning wall pockets, in your choice of colours! woohoo!

green couch design tells us about this great PRIZE! : "Storage with a contemporary twist. These hand made storage units work great to catch your keys, outgoing mail, hand bag or purse, or even as a cubby for markers and pens. The pockets are wrapped with fabric. They come in a variety of colors (red, yellow, green, black, and white). The wall pockets will ship with the appropriate drywall anchors and screws for any application, and can be hung in about 5min. Visit our Etsy shop to view the color options in more detail."

1. go visit the wonderful green couch design shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from their shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about a great team you've been part of!
... = 1 entry

3. fan green couch design on facebook, AND leave a comment about this rikrak feature on their wall.
then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.

4. Leave a comment on one of their *okiecreative* blog posts. Okiecreative is a collaborative blog, by multiple design, arts, and creatives around Oklahoma. It is directed by Kyle Reimer, and green couch posts every other Thursday. Here is their most recent post... http://okiecreative.com/graphic-design/bringing-design-home-spring-cleaning/
then come back here and tell us!
... 1 entry

5. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry

6. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog (that's my blog!)
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

8. do your OWN facebook update about this giveaway.
then come back here leave the link!
= 1 more possible entry


9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the green couch design giveaway will be chosen on thursday april 29th @ 9pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

and don't forget to enter to WIN the other fab eco week
giveaways here!
1. a recycled rag rug by *five forty*, here. (ends tomorrow!)
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a seatbelt mini-tote purse by *alamodestuff*, here.
4. a moo moo dress by *jules mae clothing*, here.
5. a tapestry necklace by *vadjutka*, here.


see you tomorrow for the final installment! and yay... it'll be EARTH DAY!

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come advertise with the rikrak studio blog!

thanks so much to the nicies who have come on board to advertise in this 1st year here on the rikrak studio blog! i'm just delighted with how things are going growing here on the blog with you lovelies, and i'm happy to be offering a few new ad spots as of today for MAY, if you're interested!

if you feel that your shop, group or blog would be a good fit with the rikrak studio blog feel & focus, and are interested in rates, please email me at rikrakmail @ yahoo.com . there's lots of continued fun coming up on the blog: funfun guests, more fabulous giveaways you're not going to want to miss, great games, fantastic features and, as always, a few extra fun surprises, too. being part of the fun is a great way to boost sales, gain exposure and build your little business in the handmade community, too!

i'm a handmaker & mommy and know it's a challenging economic time out there... so i try to keep the rates nice & reasonable.

i also love designing ads for folks that need them, as well.
just let me know if you need that, too!

so come & be part of the fun!
thanks so much, lovelies!
k. Pin It

collections & a giveaway: with vadjutka

........................................

yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesses that you & i love!

today's our 5th giveaway: a fabulous tapestry necklace by *vadjutka*
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (this thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

.................................

cue birds singing.
cue ear to ear smiles.
cue the loveliest of feelings deep inside your soul!
this is, indeed, how i feel about judit of vadjutka's beautiful eco friendly textile jewelry work: whole heartedly, entirely, smitten!

the beautiful shop vadjutka has quickly become one of my very favourites in the whole wide world. the endless appeal of judit's gorgeous sustainable work: her brilliant use of colour, the beautiful textures she weaves together, her most gorgeous & inspiring photos, and her love of giving new life to tiny scraps of traditional fabrics ( you know how i LOVE scraps!) combine to make it, i would say, just the loveliest of places to visit.

and now... how marvelously lucky we are... you can WIN one of her latest works! woohoo!

first: be sure to visit the wonderful vadjutka shop, where every unique piece of jewelry certainly does have it's own wonderful personality! you'll also want to catch up with her wonderful wit and charm on her beautiful blog, and thru her tweets and facebook updates. and how about subscribing to her lovely monthly newsletter here! and i know you, too, will be SMITTEN!

now... let's see what judit's collecting!

................................

who (are you) : Judit Wild, and my shop is vadjutka
what (are you collecting) : I collect vintage and modern glasses from around the world
when (did you start) : Approximately 10 years ago.
how (many do you have?): Somewhere around 25; I never know precisely.
where (do you find them) : I have two main sources: fleamarkets in the countries I visit – for example I have bottles from Greece, Macau, Austria, Turkey - and the fleamarket in Budapest, Hungary where I live.
where (do you keep them) : They are all around my flat: mostly on my bookshelf.
what (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one) : Actually the very first piece of the collection is from my late boyfriend: I kept only this blue siphon-bottle of his.
what (piece would you like to add): My favourites are the art deco glasses, and I’d love to have one from France. And some more perfume glasses from China and Japan.
why (do you love them) : I love glass because it is clean, and I love to watch the light going through colored glasses.
which (one is your favourite) & why : My favourite is a little red and orange colored parfume bottle, that I bought in Macau. I love its colors and its clean-cut shape, but also, that it reminds me of that journey.
what (else do you collect) : National and tribal jewelry, but I dont have that many yet.

....................................

and now... you can win a vadjutka original eco necklace!
woohoo! it features traditional Hungarian tapestries, beautiful, colourful fabric remnants and wow - is just gorgeous!

judit writes about this beautiful necklace: In this necklace you will find a hand embroidered pattern, which is an element in one of Hungary's embroidery traditions: the Kalocsa embroidery. (Kalocsa is a town, known also for its tasty paprika powder.) I incorporated this traditional pattern into a modern findings that resulted - well, in my view - in an exciting mixture of colors, patterns and forms, and showing us, that traditions can be modernized. More about Kalocsa embroidery: http://www.kalocsaembroidery.com/

........................

brilliant, judit!
and i love the way you modernize traditions in such a beautiful,
meaningful way.

1. go visit the wonderful vadjutka shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about a tradition you've modernized in your own life or home (just like the way judit has modernized traditional fabrics in her work, or vintage bottles in her collection!)
... = 1 entry

3. subscribe to judit's wonderful monthly newsletter here. and come back here and tell us = 1 entry

4. follow her on twitter { she's @vadjutka }. Come back here and tell us about it!
... 1 entry

5. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here. please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

6. become a fan of vadjutka's on facebook.
then come back here and tell us about it!
... = 1 entry.

7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

8. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry


9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the vadjutka giveaway will be chosen on wed. april 28 @ 9pm EST.
d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

have a fabulously vivid day, nicies!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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lucky #640!

woohoo! we have a lucky winner!
so great reading about everything that you nicies love from all of my lovely sponsors' shops in the recent *i love my sponsors giveaway!*

and so fun reading about your fave signs of spring! yay spring!

thanks to random.org ... #640 is our winner! congrats to K is for Calligraphy! yay! this is such a gorgeous shop, filled with beautiful paper craft! i love love love how she combines lovely calligraphy with beautiful papery projects! *swoon* {ps: i notice she's close to 1000 etsy sales, too! let's help her get there!}

so congrats, nicey!
you've won yourself a fun shopping spree!

and hey, lovelies!
don't forget to enter the first 4 ECO WEEK giveaways, on right now, right here!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here. Pin It

great greenie & a giveaway: with jules mae clothing

........................................

yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesseses that you & i love!

today's our 4th giveaway: a fabulous redesigned moo moo dress/ shirt/ mini GIVEAWAY with the wonderful JULES MAE CLOTHING.
and enter to WIN with the other giveaways so far:

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (this thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

.................................

..............................

happy monday, nicies!
it's earth day on thursday! yay!

now... i just love a wardrobe re-vamp.
fresh fashions :re-done.
re-designed.
stylish beauty re-created!

well today's lovely eco artist, julie of jules mae clothing, does just that, and with such FLARE!
her amazing eco-forward clothing lines are born of rescued fabrics (and ethically sourced materials) and using her original designs, she creates fashion-forward styles like no other!

i'm most especially in love, of late, her fabulous moo moo 100 project: she's creating her way to 100 fabulous moo moo dresses: all recrafted/redesigned glamourous sensations, with something for everyone... and this week she's offering the first 25 dresses for sale for the first time in her lovely shop (woohoo to that!) .... AND is GIVING one away here as our latest eco week giveaway! you can win it! woohooooooo!

so check out the fab moo moo's so far here. and her lovely shop here. catch up with her on facebook & twitter .... and see below for a fabulous chance to WIN a moo moo!

..............................

..............................

so i asked julie, as a great green-ie, to share an easy eco tip with us for earth week: love what she came up with!

'"What comes to mind for me, since we have mega hard water on this side of Canada , is how to deal with hard water caused build-up in your hair!! We moved to Ontario from BC last summer and the change in water hardness was destroying my hair!! It felt gross. It looked dull and sometimes wirey. I hated it!! So, before going out to buy some chemical hair care product to fix it, I did a little on line research. Turns out just plain old vinegar and water will do the trick! There is a recipe here: http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandcraft.com/shampving.htm . I’ve done it a couple times, and it really works. In addition to the vinegar rinse (which I do about every month to six weeks or so, but apparently it can be done more often) we bought a shower head water filter. The filters need to be changed ever six months or so, and it truly makes a difference. "

...............................

thanks so much, julie!
and what lovely hair to go with your amazing moo moos! :)

now .... this one shoulder jules mae original moomoo #10 can be yours! woohooo!

that's right ... it's a one shoulder jules mae clothing wonder! with a narrow elastic carefully added to the hem, you can wear it as a long dress, a mini, a top, or anywhere in between! and it fits most! yay versatility! {you can find out more about this dress here.}

so here's how to win!

1. go visit the fabulous jules mae clothing shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about what you'll be doing to celebrate *earth day* this week!
... = 1 entry

3. join jules mae's facebook page. then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.

4. invite a friend to join jules mae's facebook page! if they do, come back here and tell us who did!
... 1 entry

5. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry

6. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog (that's my blog!)
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

8. visit jules mae's lovely blog. check out her moo moo series.
come back here and tell us which NUMBER is your fave so far!
= 1 more possible entry


9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the jules mae giveaway will be chosen on tuesday april 27th @ 5pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
................................................

yay to beautiful DIY recycled style!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

and see you tomorrow for eco giveaway #5, nicies! yay! Pin It

the ECO etsy handmade earth auction!

happy monday lovelies!
while i prep the next fabulous rikrak studio earth week giveaway (we're on #4 of 7 today: check out the first 3 here!) i wanted to let you know about another fabulous handmade eco event happening in cyberworld for earth day this week!

skip on over to the ever-glorious team eco etsy blog for what promises to be to the funnest auction around. enter your bids on 6 amazing prize packs, including baby, home, fashion, jewelry, health & beauty and paper goods! the home pack includes a set of my very own rikrak *choose your own vintage fabric* coasters set! yay!

so join the fun, and all proceeds will go to the world wildlife fund!

i'm so proud to be part of the fun. eco etsy is an amazing team (and i hear there are membership openings if you're a green shop! yay!)

then head back here in a few minutes for giveaway #4! woohoo!)

happy eco week! Pin It

DIY & a giveaway: with a la mode stuff!

........................................

yippee!
it's handmade earth week here @ the rikrak studio: 7 days of celebrating eco-friendly handmade, and meeting some of the amazing artists behind future-friendly, sustainable indie businesses that you & i love!

today's our third giveaway: a rockin' recycled seat belt mini-tote GIVEAWAY with the fabulous Linda of a la mode Stuff! you can find the other giveaways so far:

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

each giveaway will be up for 8 days. be sure to come back each weekday between now and earth day (next thursday) to enter all 7 giveaways - you're gonna LOVE them! - and meet some of the fabulous folks behind the green handmade movement!

.................................

...............................................

alright nicies!
spring is in the air it's time to style-up our wardrobes in the best possible way: eco-fashion-forward chic!

let's start by making this gorgeous reclaimed fabric drawstring halter-top or dress this weekend in preparation for all the warm weather fun!

heck - this fabulous a la mode tutorial is so wonderfully straightforward and helpful, you'll have time to make 2! or 3!

just play the video above for the how-to.
and as she wisely suggests, you can use an old t-shirt or easy to work jersey knit fabric!
and tada! a gorgeous, eco friendly wardrobe is yours!
yay!

(ps: if you make one, send me a photo of it and i'll post them later on and feature you! yay!)

...............................................

...............................................



like her fabulous tutorial, a la mode recycles & reuses everyday found objects and "transforms them into fashionable art-you-can-wear accessories for the body and the home."

what could be more fun to wear then a gorgeous modern *seat belt* belt? or an industrial hardware urban necklace?

and what could ever be a more functionally fun conversation piece then these gorgeous seatbelt coasters! (wow!) or this chic-er-than-chic seatbelt clutch purse! love it!

indeed, a la mode is taking eco friendly style to a whole new, glamourous and gorgeous level!

thanks for inspiring the eco world with your beautiful artistry!

..................................................

and now...
you can wear your brand-new drawstring halter AND WIN yourself this most gorgeous seat belt mini tote for a
fabulous econight on the town!! woohoo!

a la mode writes: "A mini version of my popular seat belt tote, this handbag is eco-friendly and industrial chic. The perfect size for a night out or running around town, this little bag will go with any outfit -- dressy or casual. Gunmetal grey seat belts are woven together adding beautiful texture to this sophisticated and durable handbag. The seat belts are new, post production guality overruns deemed unusable for the auto industry. Saved from the landfill, they've found new life and usefulness in this great bag."

woohoo eco-style!

1. go visit the fabulous a la mode stuff shop!
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite goodie from her shop & why you love it!= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment about a great something YOU'VE made lately: a fun DIY project! leave a link for us if you have one!
... = 1 entry

3. become a follower of a la mode stuff on twitter (she's http://www.twitter.com/alamodestuff ). then come back here and tell us!
... = 1 entry.

4. become a fan of a la mode on facebook http://www.facebook.com/alamodestuff . come back here and tell us about it!
... 1 entry

5. leave a comment over in this etsy thread here sharing an eco tip.
come back here and tell us about it. = 1 possible entry

6. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

7. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

8. follow a la mode's lovely blog.
and come back here and tell us about it.
= 1 more possible entry


9. :: PLEASE NOTE:
each entry must be it's own comment.
thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 8 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the a la mode giveaway will be chosen on saturday april 24th @ 5pm EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

................................................

yay to beautiful DIY recycled style!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

--------> UPDATE: <---------
check out all of the giveaways so far!

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here.
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

and see you monday for eco giveaway #4, nicies! yay!

Pin It