Wednesday, 16 October 2013

DIY tin can light project

I have a very narrow and short corridor in my appartment.
Imagine an about 1x2 meter hallway surrounded by four doors, an air-conditioner indoor unit and a small storage place above one of the doors.
You get the picture, right?
Pretty cramped indeed...
So whenever I thought of a lighting I always ended up I should buy a very small ceiling light or something that wouldn't be an obstacle (or wouldn't break up in pieces) when storing things in the storage place I've mentioned before.
But since I'm in my DIY phase and I have to admit that I am more than addicted to read and follow relevant blogs and pins these days, I have decided -guess what- to make one myself.
Of course, as you can imagine, part of my diy to do list was always recycling materials such as tin cans, as I assume it is for most  DIY-ers.

Ok,enough with the rambling, now let's move on with the procedure!
First of all here is the list of tools and materials you will need for this project:
  • A tin can of course (you get to choose the size, just make sure it fits the cord set you have bought or already have)
  • White plastic paint
  • Some toothpicks
  • A paint brush
  • A needle file
  • A hammer
  • An awl
  • Some enamel paints of different color
  • A cord set ( I used an IKEA HEMMA Cord set so that makes me an IKEA hacker, I guess )
  • White spirit
 
At first you have to paint the tin can inside out with some white plastic paint.Make sure it is very well covered so you might have to paint it 2 or 3 times for a perfect result.
Then let it dry for a while
Ok, now if you are observative enough you might have noticed that there is a hole on top of the can.
I did this hole using the hammer and the awl because I thought I should  pass just  the cord through the can and not the light bulb socket!!
Silly me, I should have read the cord set instructions first!
So if you have a cord set like mine make a bigger hole before painting the can and after CAREFULLY measuring the diameter of the light bulb socket.
Otherwise, if you can pass only the cord through the can, you should make a small hole like this one in the picture before painting the can white.

Then start using all your artistic flair in decorating the can.
I, for example, left the stripes of it white and just painted the top and bottom of the cylinder.
I used  yellow, blue, red and green enamel paint and I applied  them onto the can with a toothpick.
I wanted to give a more abstract painting look to it but I guess you could paint anything, using stencils for example or if you are a skilled and talented painter you could paint all or part of it.


Then comes the part that I told you before (you know- where I make a bigger hole so that the light bulb socket fits in


And finally you screw the cord set steadily to the can


And the long waited moment has arrived!!
It's time to put it on the ceiling!
Make sure you turn off the electricity first and get the help of someone who knows how to install a ceiling lamp (I got all the help I could get from my boyfriend by the way-thanks George!)
And tadaa!!!


Friday, 13 September 2013

EGST recipe column



Hello again!
I would like to inform you that starting from this month I will be the new recipe column publisher of the Etsy Greek Street Team blog.
So all you Greek Etsy sellers who would like to see one of your yummy recipes published you could send it to me written both in greek and english (make sure it is fully detailed as far as instructions are concerned) along with some clear photos.
If you have a problem with translation no worries, I could do it for you.
You could send me anything you like, recipes of traditional dishes or gourmet ones.
Below there is a link so you could check out how the recipe will be presented:
 http://etsygreekstreetteam.blogspot.gr/search/label/recipes
 So come on you Etsians show us what you cook!!!
 PS1: I would like to thank the EGST team for giving me the chance to be part of it.Thank you girls!!
 PS2: You can send your recipes in this mail :dimsarvani@gmail.com.I'll be waiting! :)




Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Shopbevel jewelry design contest #2

Hello everyone!
Hope you're doing fine.
As for me, it was such a pleasant surprise to find some days ago in my Etsy inbox an email from one of the Shopbevel people inviting me to another contest the site is hosting which is called Mykonos Blue Design Challenge.
So without any hesitation, I have just submitted one of my designs which I thought would fit this certain jewelry design contest.
After all, the first experience was far more than positive for me.I mean,the whole process from voting till the final result announcement was very exciting and even though I didn't get to be the winner (As far as voting is concerned I was rated at about the 10th position in approximately 135 entries) I really enjoyed each and every minute of the procedure.
My new submission is this one:

It is a handmade stained glass boat pendant in cobalt and light blue,already listed in my Etsy shop and you can vote for it HERE.
Thank you in advance!

Thursday, 5 September 2013

Summer farewell

What a lovely farewell  to summer this tune and clip is...




Let's just hope that sunny,warm days aren't over yet and we can still enjoy them throughout September (or further more).
But even if the weather chooses otherwise let's just keep the feelings,the images and the odors of this summer inside us as a token from this blessed season.
P.S1.Oh my...how poetic can a single video clip turn you into?
P.S2.Use full screen for watching.Then you'll get even more poetic..;).

Thursday, 25 July 2013

My be♥d Anafi


Τhe first time I have been to Anafi island was centuries ago.For those of you who are not Greek or have never heard of it I will give you a first hint.
It is very close to one of the most famous islands in the world, Santorini and also one of the Cyclades islands which have taken their name from the shape they form (that of a circle-κύκλος in greek language) around the sacred island of the ancient Greeks, Delos.
Well, that's enough with the historic data, now let's go back to Anafi....
Just imagine the island of Santorini with a town (chora) situated so very high on the mountain peak but  less crowded and ''civilized'', beaches that are more friendly to the visitor than Santorini's volcanic beaches are.
Then, try to think how such a beautiful island would be without all these night clubs,fancy restaurants and luxurious hotels.
Yep, now you get the idea of how Anafi is really like.
In fact, it is an island that ''the less is more'' attitude is coming to life.
It has everything you need, especially if you are a fan of small places that provide only the necessary for your summer vacation: A few sandy beaches, a town (well, that is an overstatement for the island of Anafi,given the fact that it is inhabited by not more than 300 people during winter time), and some small, family-run restaurants that serve the most delicious homemade dishes you could taste.



I have visited the island for the second time some days ago.It was such a pleasant surprise for me to find out that even though so many years have passed and Anafi has been slightly touched by the hand of tourism and civlization it still gives you the same uncanny, almost otherwordly feeling.
 Moreover,the human factor certainly adds a lot to the equation: Friendly,warm local people would welcome you with a smile and would remind you of a more careless period in Greece, when the crisis and all were not part of our everyday life.
In fact, in this tiny corner of the Aegean sea everything is so simple and minimal that maybe you get to see what is really significant and meaningful in life or maybe you are taught a lesson: you see how people learn to live with less by taming the elements of nature and how they make the most of the small gifts that are given to them.
Although I  had the luck and  pleasure of being around quite a lot of summer destinations, especially here in Greece, one thing is pretty certain: Anafi will always have a special place in my heart.









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