Shea butter – African women’s gold

Shea butter has nothing to do with pigs, but is derived from the nuts of a tree that grows in Africa. In Estonian, it’s actually called butter seed oil. Shea butter is known as the gold of African women, because it has been produced by women for centuries, and with the income from its sale, […]

In the footsteps of ancient design techniques in Istanbul

One gloomy February day, I got a call. A nice English-speaking lady from Lithuania asked if Õrreke also offered ebru workshops. “Of course!” I shouted enthusiastically into the phone, while clicking my fingers on the computer keyboard. Within half a minute I knew what I was doing. It was very reminiscent of the dripping technique […]

The most beautiful flowers

In the near future, there will be various anniversaries where we love to buy, give or receive flowers. But are we aware that growing these innocent beauties is leaving an ever-growing footprint on our collective environment? Valentine’s Day, and the Women’s Day that follows it, is a day of celebration. But sadly, this celebration does […]

Flyer with lipstick

In a school in Tallinn last week, we made planes with the children and their fathers. The twin girls named their planes Elsa and Elviine. I thought they were girls’ names, but it turned out that Elsa and Elviine were the first female pilots in Estonia. A few days later, I started researching the matter […]

Don’t buy Christmas from China …

That’s right… All the gold, sword and glitter that fills the world of commerce at the beginning of November to set the mood is actually quite soulless and fake. The spirit is rather homemade, in meaning and in stories. We – Estonians have a background in the back rooms of farmhouses and there was no […]