Beautiful treasures: unique felted scarves by Gaia Girard

I first discovered Gaia Girard's beautiful scarves on Pinterest, and then I noticed she has a shop on Etsy where she sells her creations. I was smitten right away. I contacted her and asked her about her work. Her story is a fascinating one.

Come to enchanting Rome with me, and step into the wonderful felted world of Gaia Girard.

Nuno felted circle scarf for spring

How did you discover that you liked working with textiles?

My mum and my grandmother used to knit, crochet and sew together. They made garnments for everyone of the family. I loved watching them. I soon became passionate about wool threads and fabrics. I could play all day with yarns and threads. Growing up, I started to knit and crochet myself, then I started to weave and to sew. I discovered felt 10 years ago and I never came back.
Also, I completed a Master degree in Oriental Art and Archaeology, during which I discovered and was deeply inspired by the magnificient techniques and colours of Indian, Japanese, Chinese and South East Asian textiles.

You live in beautiful Rome, one of the world's leading fashion cities. Does that influence your work?

Rome is such an amazing city! The light here is magical. I live in the city center and every day I walk through ancient buildings and roman streets, that are so inspiring, with their patterns and colours. People here are very fashion forward . It's not just all about brands, they know how to dress up, mix and match. They try to express themselves differently through colours and accessories, as a result of the combination of different cultures and history.

Which techniques do you use to create your items?

Having studied many tecniques (weaving, tapestry, dyeing, screen printing, macrame, sewing, felting) I love mixing them. I often handdye the fabrics, sometimes using the shibori tecnique, batik or screen printing. About ten years ago I discovered Nuno Felting, consisting of layering very small amounts of wool onto woven fabric. The basic fabric is usually silk or cotton. Through the felting process, the wool fibre migrates through the fabric. As the normal shrinkage from the felting process takes place, the fabric is pulled, creating unique textures in the product. I am fascinated with this medium. Everyday my imagination is fueled by its versatility. I am surprised that it can be manipulated in so many ways.

  3 in 1 nuno felted long sleeve poncho, shrug and scarf

When you start creating a scarf, do you have a pattern in mind beforehand or do you just let the textile lead you?

When I start creating, I always start from colour. I lay down the fabrics on my working table and let them speak to me. This is the part of the creative process I prefer. Having worked for many years as a paintings conservator, I am fascinated by colours, patterns and textures. I am always looking for interesting colour combinations.
Only after I am satisfied with the fabric arrangement, I start to lay the wool onto the fabric. 

Big nuno felted circle scarf

You work with merino wool. What are the advantages of that material?

I strongly believe in ethical and eco-friendly fashion. From this point of view, few fibres are as wonderful to work with and to wear as Merino wool. What attracts me most to this material is its versatility, its delicate composition and its natural properties.
Soft, comfortable and breathable, Merino is a highly efficient insulator, keeping the wearer cool and fresh in hot temperatures, and warm in colder weather. Merino also possesses antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Can customers order a custom piece?

All my pieces are one of a kind. For each piece I make a new design. I often use vintage fabrics, that I only find in small quantities. For these reasons, the customer can only decide the color palette, leaving me the freedom to choose and arrange the fabrics to better suit the custom order.

How can customers keep their scarves beautiful? Are they washable?

Wool naturally repels dirt. Just airing them goes a long way, particularly in humid weather. The moist air takes dirt and bad odours with it as it passes through the garment.
If you wash by hand, make sure you do not leave them lying in water. Excess water should be squeezed out using a towel - never wring. Reshape them after they have been washed and spread them out to dry on a flat surface so they keep their shape.

Where can people buy your beautiful pieces?

My pieces can be found here on Etsy or in a few selected shops around Rome.

Apart from scarves, Gaia also makes felted tote bags.

Nuno felted tote bag

Click to visit Gaia's shop on Etsy 

Follow this link to visit her Facebook page 

Thank you Gaia, for a peek into your creative world!

The search for nickel free jewelry

When you're allergic to nickel, it isn't always easy to buy jewelry. Pure gold contains no nickel, but is expensive. And when you like silver better, the options are more limited. Copper and bronze contain nickel as well.
In my time I have bought lots of jewelry that claimed to be nickel free, but did cause me irritation. A waste of money!

As a jewelry maker with a severe nickel allergy, there are times I have to work with gloves on and remember that I cannot touch my face for as long as I haven't taken off the gloves or washed my hands. I guess I chose the wrong hobby. :-) But I like it so much that I just can't stop.

When I make nickel-free jewelry for my shop, especially earrings, I always make a pair for myself and give them a test drive for a couple of weeks. When I am certain that they don't cause me irritation, I'm safe to state that they don't contain nickel.

Other options for allergy-sufferers are wooden jewelry and plastic items. This is a great choice for beaded necklaces and bangles.
Putting some clear nail polish on the inside of rings and bangles helps too, but has to be repeated every once in a while to be effective.

Looking for that nickel-free piece to complete your new outfit? Here are some suggestions:

Romantic retro-inspired post earrings

Classic gold plated earrings with rhodonite beads

Retro bracelet with big plastic beads in black

Long dangly goldplated earrings with champagne crystals

Are you allergic to nickel? What kind of jewelry do you wear?

What seasonal type are you?

A few years ago, my mom and I went to a spa where you could do a color analyses for clothes and make up. We were very curious what the outcome would be. I had been wearing black for years, so I didn't even have a clue anymore which colors suited me.
Turned out I was the worst of all, at least in my eyes: the spring type. Salmon, soft yellow and mint green? They look great on a cupcake, but for clothes...?
After a few months I gave up my resistance to what I first thought were not the colors that suited my personality, because everywhere I went wearing my new colored clothes, I got showered with compliments. "You look great!" "You look so healthy!" "You glow!"

Here is an overview of the 4 primary types:

SPRING

The spring type looks at its best with colors with a golden undertone. They have to avoid cold colors like grey, black, white and pale blue. They glow with warm turquoize, salmon, peach, soft yellow, warm lilacs and taupe. They should never wear colors that are darker than their hair color.
When wearing patterns, they should look for small drawn polka dots, and sharp alined flowers. The Oilily brand is famous for their floral patterns that are ideal for the spring type.

They usually have red or golden blond hair, and light colored eyes in hazel, vibrant green or blue with warm specs in them.
They have to keep their make up light and natural.
Jewelry should be gold, copper or bronze and delicate.

A famous spring type is Nicole Kidman.

This is the perfect necklace for a spring type

SUMMER

Summertypes look at their best with cold colors with grey, blue and pink undertones.

Pastel hues, smokey colors and powdery tints should dominate their wardrobe.

Powdery pink, vanilla, lavender, plum, greyish blue and rasberry are typical summer colors.

Patterns should be overflowing colors and tone on tone tints.

They usually have a pale complexion, and blue or greyish green eyes and blond hair.

When picking out jewelry, silver is the right choice.

A famous summer type is Uma Thurman.

These are the ideal earrings for a summer type

FALL

Colors with yellow, golden and orange undertones are the best choice for a fall type.

Earthy tones, the colors of the foliage in the fall, and colors that flow into each other look great on them. They can wear leopard prints, fake fur and beaded garments that would look as if they were too much on someone else with flair and elegance.

Yellow ochre, brown, beige, moss green, gold, orange and red makes their color pallet warm and rich.

Fall types have dark, golden brown hair and dark eyes. They eyes are usually warm brown or green.

Gold, copper and bronze jewelry is their best pick.

A famous fall type is Julia Roberts.

This necklace is a wonderful choice for a fall type

WINTER

Blue and silver undertones characterize the winter type. They can get away with big color contrasts, and wear powerful colors that make a statement. Fushia, ice blue, white, black, powerful red or emerald look great on them.

When thinking of patterns, color blocks come to mind. They need items with a luxurious air to them that make a statement.

Think of Snow white as a perfect example of a winter type: pale skin, very dark hair and steel blue, grey or very dark eyes. She looked great with her black and blue dress and red lips! :-)

When it comes to jewelry, they should stick to silver.

A famous winter type is Angelina Jolie.

This bracelet would look great on a winter type

Do you know your color chart?

Bring a friend competition

♥ BRING A FRIEND COMPETITION ♥

Win a gift voucher for the Twenty Little Lights shop for 10€ or 13$!!!

What do you have to do to enter? Like the Twenty Little Lights FB page. Then get your friends to like the Twenty Little Lights Facebook page. 
Send me an e-mail @ Twentylittlelights@hotmail.be with the list of your friends who have liked Twenty Little Lights.
The person who gets the most likes, wins!

You can submit your list of friends till Wednesday 6th March at midnight (CET).
The winner will be anounced here on Thursday the 7th.

The Twenty Little Lights Facebook page

Vintage teacup shopping on Etsy

I'm a real Etsy addict, and I love everything vintage. And from time to time, you stumble upon a great shop, filled with treasures.

Earthly Treasures is one of those shops. Apart from beautiful jewelry, bookmarks, paperweights, photoframes and suncatchers, you can find an amazing collection of vintage teacups which really stole my heart.

I love vintage teacups. Even if they don't match, they look wonderful on the coffee table. I put little plants in them, use them as a tea light cup or just display them in a cabinet. They are great to collect trinkets in, or even in the bathroom or a night stand to put your jewelry safe when you're not wearing it.

Aren't they just the cutest? This is just a small selection. In the shop you can find lots more. It is really worth taking a look. 

Earthly Treasures on Etsy

Coming soon: some new items in the shop

I have been working on a few new jewelry items this weekend. Let me know what you think!

For the moment the jewelry in my shop is mostly gold. Now I'm trying to work with bronze, and I ordered silver supplies. Can't wait to get started with those!

I think brooches are an underestimated fashion item because they are so versatile. They look great on a denim jacket, a hat or a sweater. But you can also use them to pimp up a handbag or even put them in your hair!

Safe hypoallergenic nickel and chrome free make up

Like many people, I struggle with allergies. Especially nickel and chrome are not doing me any pleasures.
A few years ago I learnt that nickel doesn't only appear in metal objects, but also in foods and cosmetics! Tomatoes, pears, all dried fruit, soy and everything out of a can are a big no no if your allergies are really severe. Chrome is used in the shoe industry to prepare the leather. Maybe those plastic flip flops aren't such a bad idea after all.

Cosmetics that have metal packaging take over particles of nickel, and in metallic eye shades and lipsticks, nickel or chrome is often present.
What I didn't know until very recently is that especially green make up always contains chrome. Since I have green eyes, I always use green eye pencils and shadows. No wonder my eyes were irritated all the time.

It is difficult for allergy sufferers to find affordable and beautiful make up that is hypoallergenic. Most "safe" make up is so expensive, as if suffering from an allergy on its own isn't bad enough. But is all hypoallergenic make up safe? Not every allergy proof make up is healthy. Reading about parabens and other poisonous chemicals in cosmetics, made me more aware of what we put on our skin. We do our skin more harm than good by using body lotions and cremes without knowing what they actually do. So now I try to research my cosmetics before I buy them. Online you can find some great database websites that show you the ingredients of your product and how safe they are.

I found an affordable make up range of a UK manufacturer, Eye Care Cosmetics. They make make up for allergy sufferers and contact lense wearers, are not secretive about their ingredients, and state that their products are perfume-, paraben-, nickel- and chrome free. They even have a nickel and chrome free green eye make up range. They don't use animal ingredients, and don't test their products on animals. We like it that way!

I tested their mascara, lipstick, eye pencil (green!), blush, nail polish and make up remover, and I must say: I'm a fan! No more watery eyes. The lipstick and eye pencil have very good lasting power, the mascara is great, and the make up remover is gentle, yet it removes all make up perfectly.

The nail polish is my least favorite of the products I tested. The bottle is small, which isn't a problem to itself, because it gives you the chance to buy more colors and finish them before they dry out. But the opening of the bottle is smaller than a regular bottle, and the brush is regular size. So it takes some aiming to put the brush back into the bottle without creasing the hairs. When the polish is on the nails, it scratches quicker than other brands that I've used. This won't stop me from using it though, because the Eye Care nail polish does not contain the poisonous toluene, formol and colophane, as most other brands do.

This might sound strange, and is probably due to my allergy for nickel, but when I put on nail polish of another brand, my nails seemed to feel heavy or blocked from air. I don't experience this with the Eye Care nail polish.

 It's a shame Eye Care doesn't have a selling point nearby. Choosing the right color of foundation cream is difficult in a webshop, on a screen. But maybe, if the brand gets more popular, more dealers will appear.

Do you have any allergies? Do you research your cosmetics before you buy them? What hypoallergenic brand do you use?