Savage Color

Textile Junkie

"Textile Junkie", is one way to refer to my love of materials. Color, pattern, texture, and crazy prints light up my world. A longtime design principal I have applied to my works as a favorite is

“design bringing the outside in! ”

When we bring nature into our interior spaces we add depth, dimension, texture, warmth, w/ a sense of the organic.

After a long time obsession w/ collecting textiles and infusing my love for plants into this realm I have recently been inspired to start experimenting w/ botanically infused dyes from my garden (and spice cabinet)!

My journey into design is not limited to just soft foods, but hard surfaces too w/ a niche in natural stone and tile. Loved helping so many great people in the Portland area w/ design of their interiors including funky tile and exotic stone, selections for over a decade! Working full time in this fast paced industry, left me little time for hobby. My passion for textiles was more of a hobby collecting cool fabrics and prints w/ occasional light sewing for interior projects versus crafting pieces of artwork!

My First Loom

Since childhood I have been intrigued by crafting w/ textiles though and remember asking for this rad (toy) loom to start weaving by the time I was 6 or 7. My mom taught me embroidery and how to make a fuzzy hook rug. How about those funky pot holders weaved from the stretchy nylon bands?  The hippie years later hit and I continued to wet my whistle making making peace pipe pouches, hemp necklaces and festival dresses. Good times! Thanks Jerry!

Currently for the first time in a long while I am finding more time to play! I have retired from my tile showroom position thanks to my residual income from my home business sharing doTERRA essential oils. Now I am learning how to nuture myself, and do more of what I love. I am at the gateway of learning how to weave and macrame. It is coming along fast considering I am recognizing the basic knots from my hemp necklace making days!

Dyeing Deja Vu

Instantly I have been drawn to dye these first spools of jute w/ color! This handcrafting of color is adding a unique, feel to my projects considering I am harvesting plants in my garden to make beautiful one of a kind colors in my artwork. My first attempt was a huge success and I am pleased to share my results. Feeling like I could have worked in Fez in the dye district from a past life I am rooted to this practice and though new, it's seems familiar and old. (See image Fez below). This practice is ancient, good for the soul,  and I love that it is plant based.

Supplies

It was great to score some of the supplies I needed at a garage sale. I was able to buy many vats (old pots) for a $1 each to hold my dye baths! YES! Currently I am working w/ natural fibers such as hemp, cotton, and jute to practice various dying methods.

Wild Color

What I am enjoying the most about this process is it feels pretty organic! I hope to maintain sample records of my recipes w/ some level of science(to an extent) but sometimes it just feels good to go "Wild Color". This is a reference to the book "Wild Color: The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes" by master mixoligists, Jenny Dean and Karen Dyadic Casselman (1999), where I have received my inspiration.

Jenny Dean has worked with natural dyes for more than 30 years. A collection of her dyed samples is included in the collection of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage in Brussels, Belgium. Karen Diadick Casselman has taught dyeing techniques throughout the U.S. and internationally. Her dyed pieces are included in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution and other museums.

Modifiers, Mordants, and pH

There is a wide range of color one can extend from just one dye bath. Once a material has had it's dye bath a mordant can be added such as a copper, alum, or iron solution to create this range in color. These are basically baths in acid or alkaline like infusions (pH up or pH down). They can be made naturally using things like rusty nails and copper pipes diffusing in water solutions. These liquids need to be handled w/ care.  I am still wanting to understand more about making my own mordants before I embark on this part of making and storing these liquids. For now, I just worked w/ rinsing my first project in a modifying pH up or pH down solution to experiment w/ range 5.0 to 7.0 on the pH scale is considered neutral. Anything higher than that is on the alkaline side of the scale. A value lower than 7.0 is to be on the acid side. pH testing paper is an inexpensive and easy way to test the pH value.

1. Natural ways to adjust the pH down toward more acid(0-5.0)  is w/ vinegar or lemon.
2. If your solution is too acidic ways to adjust more alkaline, which is up w/ amoneia, ground chalk, washing soda, or wood ash water.

I don't keep amonia in my house since I only use non-toxic, natural cleaning solutions in my home.  I did swoop some ash left from a  wood burning fire out from the yard and mixed w/ water to make my pH up solution as a tester. The acid pH down solution was the easiest for me to whip up considering I had vinegar on hand. Vinegar is something I always keep around as a multi-use natural, effective, and non-toxic cleaner.

Bright Acids and Essential Oils

Acid side of pH scale makes brighter vivid colors! I saw this affect happen before my very own eyes w/ the vinegar. I could not resist as I was making a wild orange marigold color out of turmeric I rinsed it to give it yet another bath in my doTERRA Wild Orange essential oil. The tone became even more vibrant! The wild orange scent was nice to wash away the vinegar smell. Both can have anti-bacterial properties which was also a good thing because one mistake I made was after juicing the beet  was to add the plant matter to the dye bath. This made for lots of chunks and micro particles I had to rinse.  I was going for a golden from turmeric powder added a base from a beet or pomegranate rind was custom in India. This could deepen the original gold color and as the tumeric fades easily w/ UV exposure . Though I kept my measurements a bit loose the final resulting color was exactly what I was going for. Alchemy fun!

Nature rules!! Stay tuned for an upcoming post on my macrame project w/ incorporation of my dyed goods. Here are a few inspirations. 

You Put Da Lime in Da Coconut

Who doesn't love summer? Here in my hometown of Portland, Oregon we see little of the Sun as a gray backdrop paints the sky most of the year in Puddletown. I wait for that one fine day where I might get a glimpse of bright blue sky and warm sun kisses. The benefit of all of the rain and grey is crystal clean drinking water and the greenest of emerald forests so it not all that bad.

Vitamin D

I am a Sun worshipper though w/ genes rooted to the Mediterranean.  Sunshine makes me smile and fills my soul w/ golden goodness. It is also the only reliable way to create vitamin D in your own skin. This vitamin is stored in fat cells, and when released, circulates through the body in the blood. Fear of UV exposure has led to increasing vitamin D deficiencies, leading to or associated with:

• Osteoporosis, fractures (vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium in bones).
• Rickets (staging a comeback) which is insufficient bone formation characterized by twisted limbs.
• Diabetes.
• Impaired insulin production in the pancreas.
• Schizophrenia.
• Melatonin imbalance resulting in depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Reduction in muscle strength in the elderly.
• Auto-immune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis (more prevalent in countries such as UK and Scotland compared to other European countries).
• Cancers of the colon, breast and prostate.
• Allergies.
• Adrenal insufficiency.
• Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
• Infertility and PMS.
• Learning and behavior disorders.
• Cardiovascular disease and hypertension.

So the key is to get out there and absorb some Sun in small doses while protecting the skin from burning.  Today it is barely May and we had a fine 80 degree day. I was inspired to do some gardening and yard work while increasing my vitamin d production. Before I knew it though I was feeling zapped, overheated and parched pretty quickly.

Fresh Coconut Water

Drinking water was not doing enough so I happened to crack open a coconut to harvest the water inside. Young coconuts versus the brown hairy one are preferred as they have more nutrients and better flavor.

Coconut water is a superfood filled with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, and growth factors. It is low in fat and has only a fifth of the sugar found in most fresh fruit juices.

Coconut water has a normalizing effect and gives the body a boost of energy so that it can overcome a number of health-related conditions. It is effective in relieving dehydration, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive disturbances, kidney and bladder disorders, and vision problems such as glaucoma and cataract. It is reported to turn back time, so to speak, by reversing or slowing down the aging process. Coconut water also has an alkalizing effect on the body, helping to counteract or balance the effects of acidifying foods which are so common in our diets.

Lime Essential Oil

I also added a couple drops of pure, therapeutic Lime essential oil to revive and cleanse!

Lime essential oil contains powerful antioxidants that ward off free radicals and enhance immunity. Due to its high limonene content, Lime provides internal cleaning benefits and can be diffused to help purify the air. It’s also an effective and natural surface cleaner. Lime is known for its ability to uplift mood, and balance and energize the mind and body. 

This was such a simple, healthy and cost effective DIY remedy to bring me back after my "meltdown". I instantly felt hydrated, refreshed, and energized. I highly recommend "you put da lime in da cococut" and enjoy a similar delight this summer.

Tribal Beauty Benefit Gala for the Healing Hands Foundation

Tropical to fresh we will be celebrating exotic culture, indigenous lands, and the native farmers who bring us the finest CPTG essential oils on the planet.

Lives and entire communities are being empowered thanks to doTERRA. doTERRA's co-impact sourcing practices captures hearts and makes a sustainable impact w/ love.   Besides educating our own oil community to raise awareness on "Co-Impact Sourcing"  we are also raising funds for doTERRA's Healing Hands Foundation this night.

The dōTERRA Healing Hands Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to improving lives through partnering with organizations that bring healing and hope to the world as well as lives free of disease and poverty, and to ultimately teach impoverished cultures how to be self-reliant. dōTERRA International, LLC, ensures that 100 percent of all donations go directly to those receiving aid.  The cost of a ticket is $25 and includes:

• One drink ticket to try one of our many doTERRA mocktails at the elixir bar.

• One entry into the doTERRA essential oil product raffle
• Live music from artists including global DJ Gobi
• Essential oil and co-impact sourcing education w/ various regions to "tour"
• Sampling at our Tribal Beauty Bar
• Trunk show w/ exotic, handmade, local goods from Pacific NW artists
• Silent Auction representing items donated by gracious patrons representing the arts including: healing, garden, music, art,  dance, and culture.

Mystic Mud Mask

Have you ever felt so happy you thought your body was turning into light, or maybe you have always wanted to simply glow like a saint? Well now you can with this DIY Mystic Mud Mask recipe inspired from afar. What a better way to ring in the new year with some tender, loving, self care!

This beauty ritual explores the sourcing of (edible) ingredients from India. Sandalwood essential oil for example is acquired from steam distillation of the wood from the Sandalwood tree. It has a main chemical component, Alpha santalol which gives provides therapeutic qualities that promotes healthy, smooth skin and can reduce the appearance of scars, wrinkles and blemishes. Both the wood and the oil have been valued for centuries and documented through history for many helpful applications.

It's a good ideafor safety reasons to really know the ethical practices of your essential oil company by evaluating many factors beyond the label. There are no labeling laws so any essential oil on the shelf can be labeled as "Pure" even when the oil is far from it. Synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or cancer culprits like harsh solvents are commonly used to cut or extend the quantity of oil.

Even from just smelling the aroma we can disrupt hormones affecting the adrenals,  sexual function, mood, neurological, and auto-immune health. On the other hand, working w/ a  Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oil can assist in balancing these functions, supporting the body /mind to greater health. Many of my favorite oil brand's essential oils are even safe for internal use. A drop of Sandalwood on the tongue is pure heaven!

Here is a list of what is needed. Mixing together in a small bowl:

• 1/4 cup garbonzo flour
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon of almond oil
• 3 drops of Sandalwood Essential Oil
• 1 drop of Lemongrass Essential Oil 

1-3 tablespoons of water (as needed) to turn mix into a paste.

* (Use turmeric with caution because it is a natural dye that may cause staining)

Apply for 10 min and rinse. Store remainder in fridge, and use the remaining cold mixture for an even more invigorating experience within 3 days.

One of the best parts of the mud mask ritual besides soft, glowing skin is using those ten minutes to do something else to elevate your mind or soul. Meditation or another Indian inspired oral care technique called oil pulling feels great. I like to also chant various matras. Sound Science isn't a religious thing or hippy thing but ancient technology that has been around for thousands of years but kept secret because the effects are so powerful. Through the power of the mind and also sound/or vibration we can create, manifest, and change our reality. Here are a few to start with and the meaning behind them:

OM is the primordial sound that created all of the galaxies.  Life originated from OM.  When you say or think OM, you are at one with all of the universes in space.

AIM is the mantra for consciousness, life and creation

So Happy New Year to all and love yourself more than ever by whipping up a mystic mud mask. Happy chanting!

The Quest for Elegant Savage Fruits and More Awesomeness

  Okay, so I got inspired after I watched this cool documentary called "Fruit Hunters" to find and try some of these long lost fruits that might be commonly found in markets around the globe but to Americans totally unknown. In the first 5 mins. this tropical fruit was being so magically described as luscious, sweet, and creamy like vanilla ice cream. Is your mouth watering yet? Besides just the yum factor this film has depth bringing up the theme that certain species of fruit have been so over bred for the shiny looking, long shelf life factor that many true, pure species of fruit are endangered, or even extinct. Banana's for example are on that list. Have you noticed how tasteless they have become?

 I don't shop at your average supermarket, but try to stick to the small, independent stores, farmer's markets,  and food co-ops. Still I had not heard of, nor seen and tasted many of these exotic fruits featured in "Fruit Hunters" simply because the fruit would go bad in the time it would take to import from these wonderful tropical regions if that specific species was even still available. One may have luck at their local Asian market or maybe it's just time to visit some far off lands!!! 

I did happen to come across a burst of some elegant savage looking awesomeness in the produce section at New Seasons in Portland, OR. It was a ripe, plump, hot pink unknown botanical creature of the unknown so I instantly put one in my basket, then another. This beauty happened to be dragon fruit and at $6.99 a pound I didn't care. I had to have it! Could you resist something so brazen? I had to know how it would taste?

Once I got to the checkout at the store I decided to put one of the two dragonfruit back after my total was almost $20 dollars. One of these lovely's would do. The curiosity was killing me. What would it taste like, of coarse? Especially what was the inside of this fruit like? Color, texture, aroma? I have a design background and am a mystic plant mama by heart so this fruit was a fusion of my worlds, and with a cut of a knife a new universe was discovered!

The white, kiwi like texture was a total surprise and for a second I thought I may have stumbled across the vanilla, ice cream fruit as described in  "Fruit Hunters". The flavor I can't described, though it wasn't like ice cream it was delicious!  

After much research my daughter and I decided to make smoothies w/ the fruit though we learned you could also grill it, or sorbet it among other preparations. 

Our smoothie ingredients were as follows:

1 cup of diced dragonfruit

1 cup of organic coconut milk

1/2 cup organic mixed berries

1 scoop Vegan Protein Powder

3 drops pure, therapeutic grade Ginger Essential Oil