fernseed

This piece of hand-knotted fisherman's net is so beautiful, I could not resist but reused it as a drop-poncho top. Intended for Burning Man, which means a bit too naughty to wear around town. I suppose it makes great photo prop for self image. (Thanks E. for helping with photo.)

Glad people are still finding out about Fernseed and our quest for sustainability. Thanks for the mention, Livingsocial.com.

Gorgeous silver thread fabric over organza'ish cotton. Most likely from India.

I made it into a Warrior Sarong for warm Indian Summer days.

I am in love with this style of wrap, because it is very functional for a skirt. Because one leg is wrapped first, which allows for tons of movement without restrictions. Below is an image of movement right before a spin kick.

And then I went crazy. Climbed the railing to show how one can do the splits and the sarong will still cover all the essentials... It does not flash like a regular sarong tie. Sorry, the splits is very amateur. I have not done the splits in a long time, and the 4" railing actually scared me. The drop to the back is about 10 feet, so I hurried up and down.

I am attempting to either photograph or illustrate instructions on how to do this Warrior Wrap style. In the meantime, use a 7' length fabric (curtains length), and try it. Eventually you will discover your own technique. There's no perfect one way to do this. Cheers.

I actually purchased reclaimed wood, without knowledge at first. How did I know? It actually started to show signs of mold after six weeks. I shrugged. All wood is great. You can correct any issues by painting it. I'll deal with the fraud issue later. I needed to get rid of the scum on my deck first.

I decided to use an oxblood red, which has a lot of brown. It absorbs heat. I used a mix of different paints in order to get a sealing paint to protect my home from damage, not to mention my health and that of my dogs.

Prep time took about 30 minutes because I had to remove all the sawing materials and gear (this is where I do work during the day) and plants. Then it took another 37 minutes total to paint.

To penetrate the wood well, I re-used an old mop. The paint mix is mostly reclaimed with a few tablespoons of new mixes. I re-used a dry paint brush to stir the paint. The dry bristles work so well.

To protect my lower body from paint, I wore a sarong-skirt that I made out of a long pillow case. This skirt replaces a smock. It simply looked better, and I am vain. Why, you ask? It is loose so it does not press against my skin when I walk or sit. The legs have veins that are very close to critical areas of the body, such as your liver, kidneys, ovaries, etc. etc. I throw it in the wash later. If I do not wear it again, I will re-use once more by cutting it up into scrap wipe cloths.

I must admit I was surprised and happy that a pillow case can look like a skirt from the Victorian era or a Geisha kimono. All I did was cut off the closed end, kept two strands of fabric for straps, then tied it to the back over folds. Fun, isn't it?

Today's sarong is made from a gifted Queen-sized sheet that was cut in half. I believe the original owner was creating clothing out of these fabric, because the fabric is in excellent condition. Very little wear, except for the fact they've been worked on by me.

Image below shows the sarong worn while spinning in a circle. I wore this Warrior-style, which means one leg is wrapped beneath before cloth is wrapped around the waste. There are two pre-cut openings to thread the corners through before tying. Single knot required. Ankle length with minimal gather for a 5'10" individual. (If you are shorter, you create more gather at the top, so it's adjustable in length.) Finished seams. Non-gender specific. Will fit sizes xsmall to xlarge.

If you purchase this in person, I can personally alter this to fit you specifically, as well as provide instructions how to do a warrior wrap.

100% reclamation. Refabbed at $18.

To buy this online, click here.

Started last night and almost finished today. This was a chair that was gifted to me by Emily, who has been so kind visiting me on weekends. She loves new ideas as much as I do! This was her mother's chair. She had no room for it, and so instead of landfill, she brought it to Fernseed.

The cushion on chair is not in photo because it was put aside to allow wood to dry. In addition, I am in the process of dying the piping on the ottoman and seat cushion to match the legs.

I call the paint color Bone White, which is actually a mix of different type of paints and color. The paint was designed to withstand minor scratches and dings. (As most people know, I will not sand unless the wood is raw. Sanding is one of the most occupational hazards for carpenters and artisans. It should stop, legally.)

The upholstery fabric covers new batting, new antimicrobial foam and shredded cedar wood. This item is 100% reclaimed.

Image below shows the chair before refab work...

Been working on two pieces of antiques, in particular a long side table and a smaller tea table. The smaller one had fire damage, from what I can tell. It was restored, but it fell apart. I turned it into a very shallow shadow box table.

The longer wall table I am turning into a bench. Trying to make cush for it. In the meantime, painting it in enamel mixes. The colors are being toned down as we speak.

This is my living room split into two spaces. Actually three. See that far corner Tansu table? I am going to turn it into a corner desk. :-)

My new console table was designed using one particle board from a broken bookcase (tabletop), four legs that arrived with no tabletop, reclaimed red enamel which I mixed with other colors to obtain the Oxblood red. The legs are stainless steel with adjustable rubber feet, especially great for homes with unlevelled flooring.

The tabletop was made in Denmark, so it's incredibly sturdy and heavy-weight. The pattern on top is a distressed silver over brown rose garden. I created the stencil pattern using reclaimed vintage lace and new silver paint over the original brown veneer.

Table measures 53.5" wide, 16" deep and 30" high. Almost 100% reclamation. Designed and created by Kristine Dang. $250

Below is a close-up of the stencil pattern, which was completed prior to the sides and legs being painted.

There are stories to many of the products I work on, especially the ones that go way back. For example, this table. Solid wood with hand etched details, but it arrived in bad shape. Half a top missing, but I think it was a replacement top completed quite a while ago. A loose leg that made the table wobbly. Water damage discoloration. So far, trying to do my best to bring this baby to health.

Something lead me to do a shadowbox table with the missing half top. I actually think it's quite entertaining. Collector's sea shells with sand and rocks tell the story. I call this table Riptide. Should be available in a week or two or three or tomorrow...

Antique wooden table, vintage glass top, rare sea shells and screws were reclaimed from destination landfill. White sand, black sand, rocks and paint are new.

Solid wooden drawers from a discarded vintage desk were transformed into wall-mounted cabinets with the addition of shelving units (from a salvaged bookcase, made with durable particle board solid wood front trim). These are all generally the same size; however, each vintage drawer was hand-made so there are slight size variations within 1/8" range (not noticeable to the eye). The painted brass handles are still attached at the top.

Each unit was hand-painted dark brown enamel with slight variations in yellows on the interior. Wall mount hardware included. Each drawer was hand-created and hand-painted. Each is unique. Measures 24" tall, 14.5" wide and 4.5" deep. 100% reclaimed materials used except for paint. $35 each.

To buy this online, click here.

Below is mage of the 4-cube Orphan Drawer Hanging Cabinet...

Standing 21.5" high, these make grand homes for plant life and natural products. Tillandsias (air plants) require very little watering in these type of vessels. I actually tested this design eight months ago. I created a terrarium using a real chemistry beaker with a tall, narrow neck, and the plant lived for 6 months without my watering. I almost fell over. Here's my theory... With the very little water you provide, the airplants in these types of vessels will photosynthesize and generate moisture in their own atmosphere, which is much like ours. The difference is, these bottles contain clean matter and no pollutes.

Each terrarium includes fine white sand, river pebbles, found branches, reclaimed sea shells, antibacterial aquarium pebbles (very little), water and Tillandsias. $34 each. Smalls are also available for $24.

These fragile glass vases, mimicking tall chemistry beakers, now hold Tillandsias on pebbles, leaves, branches and white sand. These airplants require very little water when they are in small-mouthed containers like these (simply mist or steam once every month, if needed) . Vase measures 11.5" high. $24 each

I love the fact that the fabric came from somebody's RV. Grateful Dead followers, perhaps? Espresso color felt piping on a few. Measurements vary from 6" to 16" depending on pillow. Currently three available. $10 each.

This is a retained down jacket that was recently painted a reflective silver. It shines, oh boy. I designed this specifically for night time activities on the Playa, such as bike riding. It reflects light, so other riders [who are appropriately using bike lights] will be able to see you.

If you are sensitive to paints, this may not be a great match for you. Otherwise, it's a great cool weather jacket that is light enough to wear during the day as well. Nylon exterior is water and wind resistant. Collar is rabbit fur (sorry, it came with the jacket). Size small/medium. $75

A vintage rose cameo placed perfectly on a hand-carved ring made from reclaimed exotic wood. Locally designed and created. Size small. Cameo measures 3/4" tall x 1/2" wide. $42

{you can buy this via online here}

This so-called "Tansu Cabinet Table" of mine was once a desk that was simply too heavy and too large for adoption. So I did a little refab work. I removed one filing cabinet and cut the top to create a smaller table that would work as a filing cabinet with a larger top surface - a card table, a game table, a discreet homework desk for two, or a deep console with deep drawers. It's up to you, how you would like to use this table. It's now a good size and just light enough to be moved easily from here to there.

The entire unit was hand-painted using brown-ebony enamel, so the surfaces are very durable. The table measures standard dining table and desk heights, which is 28.5" high. The tabletop measures 21" deep x 30" wide. The filing cabinet is standard size and can hold hanging folders with added devices. A refab from a vintage desk. All American-made particle board (hence it's so heavy). Enamel over veneer in most places. Original legs and cabinet construction. $175

A collector's snail shell I am very fond of because of the green woven pattern on the exterior cone-shaped area. This one has so many complexities that I have a feeling he's very special. Pink bottom. Calcified top cone area? Pearlized interior surface. And to top it all, he's 52mm large (2 inches).

Specie and pricing yet to be determined. To be continued...

Three slightly chipped tea cups were saved and given to me by the Chinese restaurant down the street. We painted and transformed the cups into small vesels for multiple varities of drought-tolerant succulents.

Each vessel contains a collector's seashell, which carries a single flower-like plant. Also included are organic soil, reclaimed drain rocks, new river pebbles and collector's rocks. The exterior of the cups were painted a yellow-red brush pattern. $6 each or $15 for all three.

For jewelry, scarves, magazines, books, pots + pans... Pretty much anything that needs a good home can be suspended or clipped to bars on a free-standing steel rack. Painted with Stainless Steel metallic, this stand used to be a portion from a front gate . Gate was reclaimed. Measures 7' high. $35

A selection of reclaimed antique wooden crates has been repainted and updated with mounting hardware, so these can be used anywhere in the home, whether it's a display case in the living room, a key holder in the entry way or storage unit in the bathroom.

The exterior is a rustic red. Inside is a tone-on-tone grid-pattern of water-resistant yellow over a deeper yellow. The trim is hot chocolat (brown). Can be used outdoors as well to store small planters. This item was made using all reclaimed materials, except for the deep yellow paint. Solid wood. [Don't we throw away such great things?] Measures 9.25" x 21" x 6" deep.

$18 each