toasty

Finally gave in and bought myself a pair of Lowie Turkish socks.  I've been craving them for the last few winters.  It was a good decision.  They're made from recycled yarn (100% acrylic = vegan + washable) and so they all come out a little differently.  As luck would have it, I love the colour combination on mine.

 I love the blue / yellow striped heel on them too.   

Going to keep my super cosy in Latvia next week.  

Today also witnesses the completion of sock #1 of the pair I started knitting a few weeks ago.  There was way more yarn than I expected, so they've come up a lot longer than I had imagined.  Toe-up all the way.

Nirit Levav

This woman is amazing.
Seriously check her work out.

BIKE chain maile

Lookie what I made today

{ Gun metal bike chain links (recycled) }

 Like it? Buy it

More photos & details right here

RECYCLED SILK

I got this bundle of colourful joy from a shop called 'Happy Herbal High' in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

 Look at the colours!

They have a store in Camden too. 

Which is good, as I feel I need more than the one ball already.

Bike-Chain-Maile

Recycled bicycle chain links, stainless steel & aluminium.

It has more of an 'amour' feel to it than my previous designs and I love the way the links have a sense of free flowing yet still manage to retain the 'solid' shape around the neckline.

This is a new design I have put together for the amazing Tracey of Los Parcheros; beautiful handmade jewellery... Worth checking out!I'll be working on some more chain maile soon.

Mix Make Wear

Blue organic discs hand embroidered onto vivid orange net and smooth canvas backing, with striking yellows to reds.  Ribbon tie fastening in matching yellow and blue. 

 

Made from carrier bags, netting, canvas: all recycled.

Created using crochet, heat proccesses, hand embroidery and sewing.

A collection of materials, a mixture of textures and some fun techniques for this playful statement necklace...

Measuring 12cm x 10cm.  Ribbon ties approx 50cm each.

Golden Bees

I decided I wanted to try something a little different with my handmade bees and swapped the silver for gold to see how it would look....

 I think it suits them:

I will be crafting some hair slides in the gold version too, but for now you can
purchase the broaches from my Etsy store
or from my stall in the Backyard Market on Sundays, 10am - pm.

This little chap measures about 3cm long and including his wings in about 3.5cm high.
The wire I have used is very sturdy and really shines out. 

I am pleased with the result - as I hope my customers will be too!

20% OF PROFIT FROM BEE SALES IS DONATED TO THE SOIL ASSOSIATION TO HELP THEM SAVE THE HONEY BEES

Buy Bike Chain Earrings Online

Mechanical & beautiful.

All of these and a few more, are finally available to purchase on my Etsy store:

All the earrings are handmade by me, all from genuinely recycled bicycle chains I gather from the bins of local bike shops and spend the time cleaning and disecting to recreate them into lovely little designs for cyclists & civilians alike to enjoy!
There are a lot more designs which I make and sell; these shall be appearing online over the next few weeks. Please bear with me on this; I am currently under a pile of knitting and present making.

Go buy some here

Gold Safety Pin Necklace

Gold dimensional necklace made from safety pins - a stylish and functional bit of neck bling! Created by my friend and fellow textile designer Armita Shirazi.

Also worn with my recycled bike chain-maile necklace, more of which coming soon...

Recycled Newspaper Bunting

Spring cleaning already? Kind of want to get rid of all those old magazines but can't seem to say goodbye? How about some recycled bunting to brighten up your garden this spring!

It can provide you with a few additional activities in case of boredom:

Even the cats like it...
I made this from one copy of an old Evening Standard I had lying around and a ball of unwanted garden string, which I chain stitched as a joining string for the triangles.

If you enoyed this then please visit www.laurabaxendale.co.uk for more reycled creations!

From Paris, With (some knitted) Love

Hand knitted heart, in beautiful shades of maroon, purple and lilac, hanging from a hand sewn bow; created using second hand Parisien lace I personally bought back to London and gave a home, to save it from the fate of a bin. All of this on a luxurious & natural cord, hand knitted from a mixture of hemp & bamboo.

Currently priced at only £15

E-mail me now at info@laurabaxendale.co.uk to purchase or find out more.

Custom colours available.

A few words on new knits and bits

It has been a small while now since my last blog; not to mention any major website update. I have been busy with many things; include a change of residence and set up of a new creative studio space.

Most importantly, however, is that I have been busy working on many new creations; knitting has taken the reigns on my work and the variety of textile surfaces are beginning to form a satisfying mix. Obviously I am still working with recycled materials and have revisted past techniques to include wire, linens, hemp, bamboo, acyrlic and natural wool and even a flast of recycled French lace.

A sneak of a these will be posted shortly, then during the next few months will begin to appear on my website.

Keep peaking back!

New Recycled Ear Fancies!

I've been busy making a whole load of new earrings - including lots of lovely new recycled bottle top designs and some very unique dominoe dice pairs. They should all be available from my website www.laurabaxendale.co.uk just as soon as I get a moment to pop them on there! If not, come along to the Backyard Market on Brick Lane this Sunday and buy them direct from me at my stall, or even send an e-mail to info@laurabaxendale.co.uk and let me know which ones you would like!

Here's a little preview of only half of my new goodies...

Black & Gold Dominoe Earrings - £5.00

These dominoes are made of bakelite and are originally from Soviet Russia.

Blue Lego Brick & Pearl Earrings - £4.50
Recycled Red Ring Pull Earrings - £4.50

Silver & Black Recycled Ring Pull Earrings - £4.00

Bike Chain Jewellery now sold in Italy!

A few weeks ago a couple of fine Italians snapped up a load of my recycled bicycle chain bracelets & keyrings, to sell in their shop in Italy.

So if you are heading over there in the near future, look out for an establishment under the name of 'Cheesecake' and you may spy a few of my creations!

Their website; full of info on the shop, style & all sorts of on trend going-ons; is here:

www.naplestreetstyle.it

(Although be warned; if you don't speak Italian - like myself - you may find it a little tricky to understand!)

New Bicycle Earrings Online!

Check them out here:

www.laurabaxendale.webs.com/bikelegoearrings.htm

From £4.50 a pair!

Hand Knitted Bags For Your Treasures

Bags to stash your mobiles, cameras, MP3s & any other treasures you choose, hand knitted by myself, giving a use to all my odds & ends of yarn from knitting projects of yonder!

Now available on my website

www.laurbaxendale.co.uk

Egg Mag!

I have been using my old copy of the fantastic Egg Mag to create paper bags, which I use to sell my items in at my market stalls.

Here they are having made themselves onto the lovely EggMag's website:

http://www.eggmag.co.uk/eggstras/eggcam.html

Check them out and keep your eye out around London & Brighton for a free copy of the mag, it's utterly awesome!!!

Not to mention the magazine which inspired me to donate my profit from all of my bee sales to help save the honey bees!

I have also finally been able to part with my pile of old Howies catalouges; (for some reason they're so lovely it's hard to part with them?!) by recycling them in the same fashion.

Have a look through my previous posts for some pics of them! Better still, come and see me on Sunday's at the Backyard Market on Brick Lane and view them for real!

See my website for more information on my creations & my honey-bee-saving-bees!

www.laurabaxendale.co.uk

Bohoboutik - blog of blog

Just a quick blog of another blog that I have been featured on -

www.bohoboutik.blogspot.com

Lots of other fantastic recycled creations on there so give it a look!

My bicycle chain bracelet with anodised titanium was featured from my Folksy shop.

Check my Folsky shop out here:

www.folsky.com/shops/ReWearable

Also available on my website, with many more bicycle chain jewellery creations, here:

www.laurabaxendale.co.uk/

Fantastic Fathers Day Recycled Beer Gifts!

The perfect present for a beer drinking Dad on Fathers day!

Only £10 per pair!

Order before this Wednesday to recieve in time for Fathers Day - Check out this link for more styles:

www.laurabaxendale.webs.com/cufflinks.htm

Cufflink bases are more than secure, are nickel plated and bottle tops have been sanded down with lots of care via moi so a pair of these will make a shirt shine not snag!

Of Cabbages & Kings Market Day

Come along to the Of Cabbages & Kings market day in Stoke Newington this Saturday & Sunday 12th - 13th June.

There'll be lots of stalls full of jewellery, knitting, accessories, stationary & more, including my stall with all the usual recycled creations & some beer tastic fathers' day gifts!

See here for more: www.ofcabbages.co.uk/OCK-news.htm