And the winner is…

Mr. Mikael, come on down! You’re the lucky winner of your very own Grower’s Pride Wallet.

Thanks for your lovely comments and well wishes, everyone!

And now I’m off for two weeks of green lush west coast family and friend extravaganza, so, ironically, my new new shop will be closed until July 3rd. Oh, timing…

Catch up with you all then!

Happy Solstice,

Anna

Grand Opening!

Wahoo! As promised, I’m happy to let you know that my Etsy shop is full of goodies and ready for business! Since I listed these items over the weekend, my stamp set has been selected for two separate etsy treasuries, too (here and here)! Nice to have some props so soon…!

To celebrate the shop opening I’d going to do another giveaway — this time for one of my new wallets:

Grower's Pride Billfold Wallet

It is made out of the awesome, graphic, webbing-infused plastic that onions and other veggies are sometimes packaged in. I’ve been playing around with the material for a while now, trying to find the right application for it — it’s just so strong and light and splashy!

I’ll draw a random lucky name on Thursday, June 18th, so be sure to leave a comment on this post before then.

Thanks, and have a lovely week!

Best,

Anna

Hands

Thank you for the bits of dream analysis that some of you have offered since my post the other day. Because it has lead to some interesting conversations and personal insights, I’d like to share a bit more of the dream, flesh it out (no pun intended) a little and see what else you folks might think of it.

Something that I left out from the brief explanation I gave with the image, that I think is important, is that I came back to get my old hands. In my dream I had grown new, healthy and strong ones to replace those ones.  Finding them was like a unexpected reunion with a some loved one I hadn’t seen in years, had thought maybe I’d never see again. It wasn’t gross to find my old hands; they were starting to rot, yes, but more like the way a peice of fruit goes soft if you forgot it in your bag for a few weeks. I think it was an indicator of how long they had been left there, forgotten. I saw the gauntness of them as that they had been neglected and abused  – starved – and felt so tender for them that they had been treated to terribly. I didn’t want to leave them behind, I wanted to protect them and keep them safe even though they weren’t really useful for anything. And I felt awed by them too,  the same kind of wonder I feel for those tiny shards of perfectly blue robbins’ eggs you sometimes find on the sidewalk, or a shed snake skin, or an empty snail shell — that there is something precious about these fragile remnants of life and growth.

I also didn’t mention the setting:

I found my hands after trespassing into a condemned apartment highrise where C and I had once lived, I had gone back to pick up a few things I thought would be useful there that we had left behind. I wasn’t expecting to find my hands, but when I did I forgot about looking for anything else, I was so overcome with emotion at finding them. There were others in the apartment building too (it was a dorm is think), they were faint aquaintances that I felt no warmth towards. I felt embarrassed that they might notice my parcel and I tried to conceal my greif and joy and releif at finding my hands from them.

An interpretation that my friend T offered after having heard a more full rendition of the dream:

The high-rise represents anonymity, serial production, and all the ugly parts of modernity.
In this particular case, hands are not related to capability or aptness but to identity.
You see them more often than you see your face, after all.

mixed media collage, september 2008

In retrospect, I was a little spooked and intrigued to find the same hands appeard in this peice I made last september, just after we had just moved to toronto.  Disembodied, pale and ghostly, glowing, reaching towards…?

This collage decorates the tin I keep my drawing pencils in. Coincidence? Maybe.

Sneak peek

So I’ve been beavering away here the past few weeks putting together a whole bunch of things for the shop. Poor little lonely cuff, sitting there all alone… she needs some company! It’s funny though, that what takes the longest isn’t actually making things to put in the shop, it’s all this photography, editing, writing, arranging, etc that accumulates around the making, the work of actually translating these beautiful things on my desk into images and words that might cause you to fall in love with them yourself.

Anyway, here is a little sneak preview of a few of the things for the shop that I’m most proud of, for you my loyal fans…

Expect a proper post and shop update in the next few days. I think at that point I’ll do a little giveaway too, to celebrate the “official” opening of the shop. (Finally!)

In the meantime, I hope you all are having a lovely sunny June tuesday.

(I’ll have to post some pictures of my various gardens here soon too — everything is suddenly green and lush and full of promise…)

Best,

Anna

May

I’ve been neglecting you, I know. I’ve been preoccupied – in the good way.

Here are some scenes from the last few weeks.

sharpening pencils, a good way to start the day

an etsy shop update in the making

the urban forager's lunch - wild lambsquarters, sorrel, dandelion, mustard, dill and chive flower salad

a grey evening rainbow over the city

and

an image from last night’s dream, interpretations welcome:

i dreamt i came back to get my hands

they had been amputated at the elbow

they were emaciated and starting to rot

i felt so sad and tender for them

i wrapped them up in a cloth like a baby

so no body would see

Inspiration

Thanks, spring. Keep up the good work.

Better Bartering with SwapSity

If you’ve been reading freeplaycraft for any length of time, you’re probably already well aware that a big part of my life and work centres around the first part of this blog’s name — free. Most of my work emerges from salvaged or abandoned materials that are both free to me and freed by me, being saved from a deadend in landfill. Other times I’m lucky enough to get unwanted materials to use and enjoy directly from an individual, rather than a dumpster. And better still are the times when I’ve given them something of my own in exchange. At this point gleaning intersects with bartering, but it’s all still free.

My own experience with bartering started a few years ago. While living in Montreal I had a regular swap relationship with my massage therapist, trading my work creating custom clothing and alterations for her in exchange for kinesetherapy. It was awesome. Over the years I’ve also traded my various design skills and haircutting services for all sorts of things, ranging from home baking to fabric and paints and catsitting. And numerous clothing swaps! And then of course there was the fabulous composting worm exchange…

The beauty of swapping is each individual tends to offer up things for trade that she doesn’t want or need, or that have no monetary value to her. But in a happy exchange, everyone feels like they have gotten a great bargain – gotten more then they gave. The key is of course that the value of skills and services isn’t nearly as rigid as the conventional market makes us feel: in the right hands, everything has value – even garbage, right? It’s just a question of finding that right person.

So without further ado, it is my great delight to temporarily avert my gaze from my navel in order to introduce you to the mastermind behind SwapSity; a new online service dedicated to connecting people interested in swapping with each other! Take it away, Marta!

Freeplaycraft: So what is SwapSity?

Marta Nowinska: SwapSity is a green bartering community for Canadians. The site facilitates local barter exchanges of a wide range of goods and services. For example, members can swap their artwork for website development services or trade books for videos. When the exchange feels uneven, trades can be balanced with cash. You can compare swapping on SwapSity to free, eco-conscious shopping with an added benefit of clearing your home of any excess stuff.

FPC: How did the project start?

Marta: I came up with the idea for SwapSity in mid-2005. I thought it would be really cool to create an innovative e-swapping site where Canadian consumers could exchange all kinds of things without having to spend cash. It would essentially turn their items and skills into purchasing power. Further web research revealed that other websites did not provide exactly what I had envisioned. So, I set out to create SwapSity. I launched SwapSity as private beta (i.e. membership by invitation only) in September 2008!

FPC: How does the service work?

Marta: You start out by putting your things up for swap. Your swap inventory could include anything you no longer need, skills or knowledge you possess or things you can lend to other people. Next, you proceed to create a wish list of desired items you want to receive in exchange. As soon as your item inventory and wish list are uploaded, you are all set for the most exciting part: swapping! That’s where you make, receive and negotiate barter offers with other members. We have a user-friendly interface to help swappers negotiate and track multiple trades. As you become a more active member, you begin to receive more offers for your items. Every newly received swap offer carries an element of anticipation. It’s exciting to click it open, haggle a little and when both parties are happy, seal the deal. Swapped items can be exchanged in person or shipped locally. There is also user accountability in the community through a feedback system.

one of my personal listings on SwapSity

FPC: What makes SwapSity special and different from other exchange websites that people might know about (craigslist or freecycle)?

Marta: Unlike craigslist or freecycle, we are not a classified site or a re-gifting network. SwapSity is a Canadian consumer bartering site. Our tools are built to facilitate user-to-user barter transactions, negotiations of swaps, easy management of multiple offers and finalizing trades. We are also working hard to constantly improve the site and offer customer friendly service – listening to our members’ feedback and suggestions is important to me.

FPC: On a personal note, you’ve put a lot of work into making your vision come to life. I can’t imagine taking on such an ambitious project alone! What were you up to before you decided to start SwapSity?

Marta: Before SwapSity, I had a full-time job with a Canadian investment bank in Toronto. When I embarked on the path of entrepreneurship, I felt very energized, enthusiastic and eager to turn my vision into reality. Building SwapSity from the ground up has been an incredible project. A lot of careful planning and attention to detail have gone into making all the building blocks of the project work together seamlessly. But SwapSity work never feels like work. Even working on evenings or weekends is almost always enjoyable. The project offers a healthy balance of analytical and creative work, so I get to engage both my brain hemispheres. I think I made a good personal swap!

FPC: So if people aren’t curious yet, why is bartering better?

Marta: Bartering offers a smorgasbord of benefits. Not only does bartering support the environment, curb consumerism and save money, it also generates tangible value for both swappers. If I am giving up a spare treadmill which is only taking up space in my basement, the item has little value to me. On the other hand, it has high importance to someone who cannot afford gym fees and would like an exercise machine. Put in economics lingo, in a typical barter transaction, both barterers are giving up something which has low marginal utility for them and trading it for something else that has a high marginal utility. Simply said, junk gets swapped for jewels and everyone leaves happy.

Also, with the downward economy, swapping is on the rise. Bartering can be used in lieu of cash to acquire goods and services locally. It’s a recession-friendly resource.

some of the goods up for swap in the clothing section

FPC: How can people get involved?

Marta: People can get involved by joining SwapSity, becoming active members, and spreading the word about the community. The more Canadians know about SwapSity, the more barter opportunities for everyone. We do not charge any transaction fees, so everyone can swap to their heart’s content!

FPC: Thanks Marta! Keep up the good work!

So there you go, gentle readers – I hope that you will all check it out and consider joining! Like Marta says, it’s all free — and until May 15th, new member accounts currently come pre-loaded with 250 free credits — which you can use to promote your items up for trade, add extra pictures, etc. Okay, I admit, I sound like an informercial. The thing is, I think this service is the cat’s meow, and the more people that get involved the better it will be. Already in it’s private beta stage there are thousands of members in the GTA, and a new branch of SwapSity just opened in the Greater Vancouver area. Public launch is planned for later in 2009.

A’ight, that’s enough swap talk for now. Time for me to swap this keyboard for a warm chocolate brownie!

Hope you all have a great may weekend.

Anna

Spring Blossom Fest

poster design by yours truly, blossom image by Nikki McClure

If you’re in Toronto next weekend, why not come to Not Far from the Tree’s Spring Blossom Festival? It’s on Mother’s Day, and if my own Mom wasn’t on the other side of the country, you know I’d take her there for a picnic under a tree full of cherry blossoms. Pink snow…

April in pictures

There was pysanky made.

And great haircuts given.

There was wool dyed with leftover pysanky dyes (baked in the oven!)…

…and wool rolled into balls.

Lime coconut spelt pancakes, with AVOCADO and maple syrup

A daring new flavour combination was invented and acclaimed.

mizuna, mustard, speckled trout romaine, and arugula

Seeds sprouted…

tiny tomatoes

… and seedlings grew.

scadding court community garden

A little community garden plot named A7 was met and weeded and loved at.

tomatoes in bins, peas in buckets

A mountain of garbage slowly started turning into a garden. A bench was built. A table was painted.

And there was an ever changing rooftop skyscape to admire.

A7!

How very exciting! Just got a call that we have been allotted a plot at the local community garden! Number A7! I am at once both ecstatic and terrified! This changes everything…
So now I’m dusting off the dreams I carefully packed away as unrealistic earlier this year of growing such romantic items as musk melons and purple broccolli and brussel sprout trees, ohh…
But here’s the thing: I sort of spent my seed budget already on nice little container-garden-friendly things like… greens. So many kinds of greens. Some herbs. Nasturtiums. Beans. Peas. Radishes!
Anyway, wondering if anyone reading this in the Toronto area wants to trade some veg seeds?  I also have the lovely little fledgling tomato seedlings, of which I expect I have too many for my own uses even considering this new plot to plant. Tradesies, anyone? I’d be happy to put up an actual list of varieties if anyone is interested.
And now I hope you will excuse the inevitable garden obsessiveness that is likely to colonize this blog now. Maybe I should rename this place freeplaygrow?

Eh, whatever. It’s allll craft.