As a school project, Natcoll design student Marie Holdaway recently re-illustrated ‘Cheap As Chipped China’, Issue #8 of World Sweet World Magazine, by Kura Rutherford. Great to see how people reuse material, put their talent to work and create something new. Marie illustrated the article with the frankie magazine in mind, and found her inspiration at Lovely Sweet William.
This lovely, Crafty Girl’s Road Trip inspired article was written by Kura Rutherford, and appeared in World Sweet World: Issue #8. Photos courtesy of Rosa May Rutherford.
When keen crafter Rosa May Rutherford bought her first car and found herself with both time on her hands and a growing sense of adventure, she hatched a plan to drive from one end of the country to the other, stopping at every small-town op shop along the way.
Inspired by Ann Packer’s book Crafty Girls’ Road Trip, twenty-four-year old Rosa decided to put her own spin on the fun concept. With a tight budget and little ‘all weather’ driving experience, Rosa was determined nonetheless. She had a plan: to put on loud music, fill her car with petrol and drive from the far north of New Zealand to the deep south, not returning home until her wee Mazda 323 was jam-packed full of second-hand stuff she could fill her house with, or repurpose for craft projects.
Having fun, catching up with friends along the way, and seeing new bits of New Zealand were high priority, but Rosa’s trip was also strongly informed by her staunch belief that craft-making is made all the better by reusing resources. ‘There is so much out there to be reused’ she says, ‘and I was determined to go out and find lots of it.’
While, she says, it’s great how the majority of crafty New Zealanders will now purchase 100 per cent natural fibres, she is inspired most by the people who have gone the next step and are buying their craft materials second-hand. ‘I think I would cry if I saw that my friends had bought brand new knitting and crochet needles. The world is overpopulated already with size 3 1/4 knitting needles!’
‘I’d never been on a solo road trip before so having a focus really gave the trip an extra momentum and I found that having a style or era in mind really helped me to hone in on the perfect scores! When I arrived in some small towns, it was a bit of a downer being by myself, but knowing there were op shops just waiting to be explored made it ok.’
Rosa developed a method to finding op shops in every new town she visited. ‘I’d always do a lap of town, and check out the back streets just to make sure the shops weren’t hiding behind the library.’ She admits though that there would definitely be quicker ways of finding them. ‘If I had been more on to it, I might have actually gone in to the library and checked out their yellow pages! But there’s something satisfying about finding the shop yourself.’
Along the way Rosa became as passionate about the op shops themselves as the potential scores. ‘Op shops rule. I know they’re nothing new, but maybe we take op shops for granted. I love the sense of community and the locals all doing their weekly shop there and catching up on the grandkids. It also adds to the sense of community if you know that every dollar you spend is helping in some small way to keep a good thing going.’ She noticed the places that really took pride in their shops. ‘Some people really make an effort to make their shops interesting and appealing, and that’s inspiring. The best shops were often in the small towns. Some of the big city shops were really lacking in that care – and I just walked in and walked out. You can tell if the shop has their heart in the right place! One small op shop even offered a free piece of home baking with each purchase.’
Refuse centres were another regular pit stop, and great places to ferret around. ‘It’s pretty funny arriving in town with the first question running through my mind – “wonder where the dump is around here!†But it definitely paid off when she would finally spot a Recycle Centre sign, and come out an hour later with two shopping bags full to the brim with kitchen goods, aprons, reusable fabric and have only spent $5, after giving a $2 tip!
Having returned from her trip, and now settling down to start on a myriad of new craft projects, Rosa has good news for fellow crafters and op shop scavengers; ‘having driven from north to south, I can tell you there is heaps of cool stuff around that needs to be found, and used.’ Rosa May totally recommends a second-hand crafty road trip to anyone wanting an adventure. She was overwhelmed by the beauty of the homeland, and the kindness of people along the way, but most of all she is still in awe of her stack of op shop scores.
Rosa May, like many others, has a mini craft business selling her crafts on felt.co.nz. ‘I want to look after our planet, so I make sure I use as many recycled and organic threads as possible.’ Now she has such an assortment of craft materials (and a house that almost looks like a second-hand store, with so many tea cups and enamel coated dishes) she figures she and her wee business will be set for life – ‘or at least until the travel bug next gets me’.
This is from Emma Cowan‘s article on Christmas, “‘Tis the season”, in the latest issue #8 of World Sweet World. We forgot to put the amount of flour in the ingredients list, sorry about that, so here’s the whole recipe.
These snappy biscuits are easy to make; they just take a little time. You bake the dough first, in little log shapes, then slice it thinly and bake it again. This recipe makes around 60.
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C
2. Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and thick. Add the flour and baking powder, mix together, then divide the dough into two bowls.
3. Add the grated zest of an orange and the almonds to one bowl, and knead until the ingredients are combined and the dough is smooth. Add the cocoa and spices to the other bowl, mix through and then add the chocolate, kneading until combined.
4. Form each bowl of dough into two log shapes, then place on a baking tray with plenty of space between them. Bake them for 25 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely (at least an hour).
5. Preheat the oven to 140°C
6. With a sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/2cm slices, then lay them out on a baking tray. Slice on an angle to make long thin shapes.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the biscotti are dry and just starting to brown. Remove and leave to cool on a rack. They will continue to harden as they cool.
2 cups raw sugar
4 eggs
Rind of one orange
4 cups of plain flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 cup raw almonds (with skin)
1/2 cup chopped chocolate
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 t cinnamon and a pinch of ground cardamom
Hi everyone,
we proudly announce that the latest issue, #8, of World Sweet World magazine is out now, in shops around the country and some shops in Australia, and available from our website. Here’s a little sneak preview!
We have a picnic-set project in store for you, in time for summer – have your own kit stowed in your bag at all times for emergency picnic breaks. We talk about crafty businesses again, in Miss Millie and Lucy Arnold’s article on selling at craft fairs, which is full of inspirational tips to help you get the most out of your crafty day. Also, we’re excited to report that Wellington now has it’s very own weekly craft fair – Frank Kitts Market, starting Dec 12th, underneath Frank Kitts Park on the waterfront. We’ll be there most Saturdays, so do pop by to stock up on mags for gifts, to renew your subscription, or just to say hi.
Last not least, summer is never complete without a soundtrack, so we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite New Zealand musicians and compiled a summer mixed tape (free download!) for you to bike, swim and play to. We’re absolutely stoked to have such talented artists on board and are proud to be able to support their music.
Have fun, and we hope you have a good summer! xx Thomas and Hannah
