Handtanned Skins

Below you can find a selection of photos of skins I’ve tanned with only natural products and simple hand tools. I have tanned mostly sheepskins, but also goatskins, fishskins, reindeer skins and fox skins (road kill). All animal skins are salvaged, which means no animal has been killed just for the skin. I work with skins that would otherwise be buried or sent to a landfill. You can learn more about the natural tanning methods I use here.

Leather Bags & Pouches

Diversity of bags and pouches that I have created with leather I have tanned.

Handmade Leather Clothing

Various pieces of handmade garments made out of different kinds of handtanned leathers.

Plant Weaving & Basketry

I am passionate about learning how to weave with plants. Willow was my first love, but soon enough I discovered I could weave with other plants too, such as esparto, broom, retama, pine needles, chestnut, and even with the leaves of our house plant!

I started weaving by trial and error, making what I call “bird’s nest” baskets, very easy to make and beautiful too. Then, my friend Rose Nomade introduced me to some actual willow basketry techniques, as well as to the basics of coiling and plaiting. Then, in 2021, I finally had the chance to attend my first basketry course with the amazing Spanish weaver, Carlos Fontales, who taught me more than I could ever imagine! I learned the basics of willow, chestnut and esparto weaving, and I can’t wait to continue to delve deeper and hopefully attend more of his courses in the future. My latest obssession is experimenting twining all sort of things – from bags to pouches to a skirts – with jutta fibers.

Below you can find a selection of baskets and other small projects I worked on during the last years.

Wild Foods

I love learning about wild plants and make delicious, nutritious and medicinal meals with them. Below you can find some of my favourite wild berries, nuts, flowers, plants and trees as well as some magical drinks and meals I have had the pleasure of creating thanks to them.

Felting & Wool Crafts

Felting is an ancient skill that has been used for thousands of years (at least since 6500 B.C.) to create felt, a non-woven textile that originates from the pressing and rubbing of fibers together. In order to make felt, animal wool/hair is used.

Besides felting, I have been dabbling with other kinds of wool witchery, such as learning how to card wool, how to spin yarn by hand, how to crochet, and other similar things! I feel very humbled by the teachings I receive from practising these ancient skills, and have been increasingly more thankful to Sheep, who gives us so much.

Other Crafts & Skills

I am a lover of many other crafts and am always happy when learning new ancient skills, such as how to make musical instruments out of bone and raw skin, bowls and water canteens out of gourds, buttons out of leather  and reindeer antler, and prehistoric jewelry replicas out of soapstone. I also really enjoy making percussion fire with marcasite and flint.