‘My motto is: in any messy situation, knit! That’s why I’m always with my needles’ Anna
‘Embroidery is like magic)))) I’d say it’s possible to integrate certain thoughts into the image, to remove them or, conversely, to add them.
‘Creating scents from essential oils is truly therapeutic. Sooner or later, aromatherapy will triumph in cosmetology’ Anastasia
So, on the threshold of Christmas and New Year, in an extremely ambiguous period of time on planet Earth, we are in the mood for joy, new projects and wonderful gifts of fate and a bit of magic.
I will not promote the forthcoming ‘marathons of the universe’, ‘round-the-world in a week’, ‘ritual astrology’ and ‘buying your own star’ My pre-Christmas article is dedicated to easy creativity and little geniuses (the term originated in memory of the writer J. Salinger and his ‘For Esmé, with love and squalor’).
So, if you feel lonely or sad, or on the contrary, you have a lot of energy and don’t know whether to learn to play the piano or simply start your own business, or maybe you have a house full of children, grandparents and pets… then it will be suitable for you….
Little genius number 1 is Anna’s. Knitting Masterclasses.
https://www.instagram.com/kuzki_mama?igsh=cXhxN3pncTVjN3Rk
Anna, tell me what kind of masterclasses you have and who they are designed for, are there masterclasses for children or for adults?
-My masterclasses are designed for beginners. You just need to know how to knit right and wrong. So far I have 1 MK on knitting. It is in pdf format with videos of the difficult moments. Also in pdf format with videos is the description of the ‘Twig’ bookmark and 2 descriptions on my instagram page. I am currently preparing another MK for a laptop bag.
– How did the idea come about?
– It is always nice when we are surrounded by beautiful things and accessories are no exception. It’s nice to hold a book or an agenda in your hands with a beautiful and elegant cover, in line with current trends.
– How do you feel when you knit?
Knitting brings joy and serenity.
– And tell me, how do you prepare for work? Do you put on music, maybe light some candles or put your favourite film on in the background? Are you inspired by walks with your children? Or maybe a cup of coffee?
–My motto: in every messy situation, knit! That’s why I’m always with my knitting needles.
– Why is handmade beautiful and do you think these things have a special energy?
– Things made with one’s own hands give warmth. While knitting you put a part of your soul into the product. That is why such a gift for family and friends is priceless.
After the lessons with Anna my inspiration was enough to knit an entire cardigan the size of the Principality of Liechtenstein on one of her patterns. And of course for New Year’s socks for children.
We have Polina’s Little Genius Number 2. It’s about embroidery.
– Polina, tell us how does a busy woman like you create whole pictures? Prestigious job, family, how do you find the time to create?
– I have time because I have the desire. I like to keep my hands busy.
– Is it possible to start creating paintings of this kind from scratch, without any experience? Your advice to beginners?
It is possible to make a beautiful product from scratch, of course. I work with ready-made canvases, but you could create your own pattern. With diamond mosaic it is more difficult, because the diamonds have to be applied on an adhesive base. If you want, you can make the base yourself. If you take a wide double-sided tape, for example, you can make a diamond base.
I advise beginners not to take large cloth sizes right away. To begin with, you can try children’s cloth.
Embroidery tip: I sew the beads with thread. But I once read that you can sew on thin plastic thread, so the design will be more uniform.
– What are your emotions while working, do you sell your creations?
– It is very relaxing. When you create, you always have time to think about something important, to put your thoughts in order.
I don’t sell my work because the canvas is not mine. It is not my own work. And then the speed of creation is sometimes incalculable, sometimes I have several years to finish a painting. I was only fast during the pandemic 🙂 🙂
-Now it’s fashionable to talk about different energies. What does embroidery contribute in your opinion?
-Embroidery is like doing magic)))) I would say that you can tie some thoughts into the painting, take away or vice versa add.
– That’s it! I felt exactly that from your paintings. Magical energy and a bit Christmasy!
Little genius number 3 is Anastasia’s, which is mine. Perfumery.
I put my personal little genius in third place, because it requires that you have at least one free table, or preferably a room or veranda at your disposal, that you are not allergic to essential oils, and that you have a little patience.
So, if you can’t de-stress or you are a prisoner of a whole army of unfinished business at the end of the year, if you want to create and build, but at the same time to write a novel there is no time, no strength, no talent, and building houses and people is not for you… Then I suggest you build pyramids with me… Not Egyptian pyramids, but perfumery pyramids (by the way, perfumery was respected in Egypt).
Creating perfumes from essential oils is really therapeutic. Follow your reflection in the mirror as you work with the oils and you will notice how your face will take on a relaxed and even languid expression, your skin will relax as if after a visit to the beautician. Aromatherapy is still far from its true triumph in cosmetology, but everyone can experience its effects.
So, everything is quite simple. You will need a container, a 10 ml bottle, natural odourless body oil (argan, almonds) essential oils.
All this can be bought in pharmacies or on the Internet.
How to choose essential oils? I suggest starting with two fragrances on which French perfumery was once based. Patchouli or bergamot.
So we buy patchouli essential oil and bergamot essential oil, then we let our imagination run wild and choose some oils whose aroma we particularly like and start experimenting:
Example:
step one
fill the bottle halfway with unscented oil (the base).
step two
pour in 10 drops of patchouli oil
step three
add 25 drops of bergamot oil to the bottle.
step four
and step four compose it with the oils you like and add a total of another 15 drops (for example, 15 drops of vanilla oil or 10 drops of rose and 5 drops of orange oil and so on).
fifth step
add 7 drops of odourless oil (the base) or/and a few drops of glycerine (to be bought in a pharmacy).
Recommendation: thyme, eucalyptus, lavender and geranium essential oils are very difficult to use in perfumery because they are too powerful.
On the other hand, essential oils of sandalwood, bergamot, vanilla, musk, neroli, pear and strawberry can always come in handy and can sometimes help correct a failed fragrance.
Note: if you are not satisfied with the fragrance, you can add it to liquid hand soap or add liquid vitamin E to use the mixture, e.g. for elbows and feet. The addition of wood oils makes the mixture excellent for massages, especially after exercise sessions.
The calculations in the perfume example are approximate, following the classic pyramid scheme, but freedom usually reigns in creativity, so experiment and enjoy aromatherapy.
But in a burst of joy, categorically avoid getting oils in your eyes 😉 and maintain at least a minimum of criticality.
Happy holidays to all! Whisper of flower wishes you sweet winter months!
