Highlights 50 / 2011

It's a wrap! is the theme for the week.  It feels like yesterday when I started the Artist as Neighbour-project for the Turku 2011 - European Capital of Culture. But the truth is, that was 27 months ago and now we've come to the end.

At the same time, it is a relief but of course a bit sad too. It means new challenges and taking time to think, what I've done for the past years. You know, next year it'll be the 10th anniversary for me working in the field of socially engaged, site-specific art. 

Weird enough, I'm sort of looking forward being unemployed - something I've been fortunate enough not to experience before. And being unemployed in my case doesn't really mean out of work. 

I'm hoping to concentrate on my other artistic practice - meaning performing and doing some serious embroidery. My current exhibition "The Dance of Death" is now shown at the gallery Å here in Turku, Finland. It also got publicity from Mr. Xstitch, whose doing fabulous things with a needle, thread and world wide web. 

Next February these works in addition to some new stuff, will be shown at galleria Kingi Kongi in Helsinki. It'll be first time for exhibiting in Helsinki - superexciting! 

Here's another wrap by the way. It's my phone cover!!! Cassette! Miroslove bought me a new phone & this cover as a birthday & Christmas present - lovelovelove!! It's all making me annoyingly happy-chirpy-smiley-nervous-crazy and happy again!

After finishing cleaning the house from top to bottom, I rewarded myself with setting up the tree. And buying  a new one - but hey, when one has these wonderful vegetables, what else can you do? Right?

 

And the tree has to be in kitchen! And the other one in the living room.

I've also been buying gifts to my family, but haven't got myself to wrap them yet. It also seems, I've found a few presents for myself...but just a few!

Lovely polka dot cake papers.

Mummi & minä eucalyptus candy dishwash from LeenaElina shop.

Cards by Polkka Jam

More cards by Polkka Jam

Mid-December means also the annual gingerbread "competition" with my friend Petra. Last year I made a freak circus & she a suburban tragedy out of gingerbread. This year I had Avara luonto / The vast nature in my mind, but as it turned out, it's more like crowded nature.

In addition to sleeping, drinking, watching Star Trek (we just bought this) Xmas is perfect time to lure Miroslove into playing some board games & myself to the old school style reading - having an actual book in my hand instead of a screen!

But this is for now - I'll go and see if it has stopped raining...

Pipariparaati / Gingerbread Parade

Viime vuonna piparitaikina ajoi Bettien ja minut uskomattomaan luomisvimmaan & tunteiden paloon, jolle hellan lamput jäivät kakkoseksi. Syntyi muun muassa hysteerinen friikkishow sahattuine naisineen, voimamiehineen ja arjen tragedioista ammentava, koskettava tarina tulen tuhoavasta voimasta, joka voi osua myös piparkakkutalon kohdalle.

Kun sinä katsot piparitaikinaa - mitä se sinulle kertoo? Minne möykyt, klöntit ja kaulittu tasainen pinta vie ajatuksesi? Avaraan luontoon, kerrostaloviidakkoon, hattarapilvien utuun vai valtamerien syvyyksiin? Kurkistaako puun takaa kolmijalkainen hirvi, turvonnut siili tai korvaton kissa?

Anna käsien, kaulimen ja muottien johdattaa sinut pipariparaatiin, jollaista ei ole ennen nähty! Kaikki käsiesi luomukset ovat tervetulleita, joten postaa kuva Pipariparaatin tapahtumasivulle ja tuo kaikille kreisi joulumieli!

Piparisanomaa saa myös levittää!
♥ Kiki & Bettie

Freak Show by Kiki.

Last year was exceptional in many ways. But as Xmas is coming, we want to remind you of our wonderful adventures with ginger bread dough. The dough, which in our hands and under the guidance of gingerbread gods transformed into a freak circus massacre with ladies cut in half, world's strongest men & to the heart breaking tragedy about the devastating power of fire, which the gingerbread house number 13 had experienced.

So when you look at the gingerbread dough - what does it tell you? What do you see? Where do the lumps and the smooth surface after a little touch of rolling pin take your thoughts? To the wilderness of nature or highways of an asphalt jungle, to the haze of pink clouds or deep depths of an ocean? Is it 3 legged deer peeking from behind the tree, disfigured hedgehog or a cat with no ears?

Let your hands, rolling pins and cookie cutters lead your way to the gingerbread parade, the kind of one has never experienced before! All your creatures are welcome, so please, do post a photo to our Gingerbread Parade event wall and give a crazy Xmas greeting to us all! 

Please, do spread the word!

♥ Kiki & Bettie

Bettie's tragedy with house number 13.

Cleaning with camera, part I

Xmas readings I

Xmas readings II

Beginning of the cleaning - from the top of the world aka fridge.

Postcards by PolkkaJam.

A little collection of coffee makers.

Calluna - the only plant I'm able to keep alive.

Lunch break & homemade hamburgare á la Miroslove.

Little findings.

Toys in the living room.

Someone else's souvenirs from the second hand market.

View from the balcony. Awful lot of rain today. Again.

My parrot wardrobe now has also a light so I can see what to wear.

Time for a little nap with Maro the dog.

Little presents for me - matryoshka potholder and squirrel cloth.

Two of my favourite beings in the world -
World Famous *BOB* and Soviet X-mas creature.

Well, last Xmas I obviously didn't feel like sorting the decoration.

This year the highlight of my tree will be Russian vegetables!

A little corner.

In the bathroom - see, the cleaning is actually proceeding!

Tiles above the tub.

A tiny little whale, that blows smoke from his mouth (if used as an ashtray).

Carwash picnic, neon pompom & just stuff.

The reason why I started to write this blog was to force myself to see good stuff around me, if not everyday then at least once a week. No matter big or small, meaningful or insignificant, but something  that catches the eye and makes life worth experiencing for a person that tends to fall on the gloomy side far too easily :) So here is another collection of everyday this and that. aka mondo dis'n'dat.

Fresh laundry!

A gift, that had been waiting for me many years. 

Matching fringe & pompoms in neon.

New high heels waiting to see the world.

Going across the new bridge in town!

Having a picnic at the car wash - a special Sunday tradition for us.

Old Sign I

Old Sign II

Lovely yard of the building where we had Hawaiian Hula course.

Varissuo suburb bathing in autumn sun.

Love in the harbour.

Old Sign III

Housing area in Pansio designed by Erik Bryggman.

Coloured containers next to military zone,
from where we were asked to leave.

Amanita Muscaria lurking in the grass.

Parthenocissus taking over the building.

Sightseeing spot in Pansio, view over the harbour to the Ruissalo island.

Young coconut juice with fresh pineapple and maybe just a little bit of rhum. Served in a original Trader Vic's seahorse mug.

New matryoshka found from Artjärvi second hand shop.

Maro the Dog enjoying "the scents" of the autumn.

The colours of the autumn.