No Serial Number Summer Issue 2018 by No Serial Number e-Magazine

ISSUE 13 SUMMER 2018

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CRAFT | HERITAGE | ENVIRONMENT

shades of green… the journey of four skeins of yarn

Mushrooms and Dragonflies: The Art of Upcycling Metal with Old Repurposed Tools

Kufic Script, Paper and Ink: In Search of Beauty From the Past to the Present

“I am a recycler, oh yeah baby”: Teaching children about circular economy through design

Dear Readers,

Credits

We’ve reached another Summer edition and we’re more excited than ever! Starting from our traditional crafts section, we have featured here fibre experiments by Anna del Col who uses flax-leaved daphne to make yarn in different shades of green, the eco printing of Caroline Beech, and in the same section we have a feature on upcycled metal worked by Brett James, the ‘earth clay’ of Kelly Magleby, and the stone carving of Martin Wilson. We love having such variety of materials in this section! We also have an “ink special” feature with two very different artists who make inks from scratch for their work, Joumana Medlej a calligrapher who makes geometric mandalas inspired by the 7th century Kufic script and Ross Belton who makes 3D art with found objects, fibres experiments, natural dyeing and more. In the fashion and upcycling section, we look at the sustainable fashion projects run by Zoë Burt and Becka Wright’s mission to bring back unwanted fabrics into circulation. In our innovative materials section, we have a fantastic piece about the potentials of mycelium for growing sustainable materials and a feature dedicated to artists who are finding some original solutions to the growing problem of e-waste. We also continue our journey of discovery of creative plastic recycling and zero waste initiatives around the world, crowdfunding projects for the planet and more! Another exciting piece of news is that in May 2018 we launched a series of monthly meetups, workshops and events dedicated to all the realities that we have been promoting tirelessly in our publications and online for the past two years. Our events will take place in a scenic location in the London Docklands (UK) at a cafe, studio and exhibition space run by Bow Arts. You are all invited to join us onsite and online on the last Thursday of every month for networking, Q&As and workshops. Talks are free to attend onsite and will be livestreamed on all our social media channels where you’ll be able to participate remotely. Find out more about our events here www.noserialnumber.org/events. As always, we look forward to hearing from you. Do share your feedback, ideas or creations with us and we’ll take them on board and spread the word whenever we can.

Alessandra & NSN Team

Editor Alessandra Palange Art Editor Francesca Palange NSN Italy Editor Rosa Rossi Marketing Alessandra Palange Francesca Palange Translations Fuschia Hutton Subscriptions & Advertising info@noserialnumber.org Cover Photos Hope by Ross Belton (2015) Selected for Inspired By the V&A These figures pay homage to the ghosts of ‘fallen’ women, highlighting the issue of female suicide, both in the victorian era and through to today. I was inspired by the wrapped cloak and layered clothes ‘binding’ the young woman and her child together, as portrayed in the etching ‘The Bridge of Sighs’ by Millais. Recycled fabric, Rust printed, cyanotype birch bark, clay pipes, rusted wire Graphic Content: Fonts by Creativeqube Design, By Lef Design, Mainfile, Freepik and desings by whiteheartdesign Copyright All images are copyright protected and are the property of their respective makers/owners as detailed in each article and photo. No Serial Number Magazine is published four times a year. No responsability will be accepted for any errors or omissions, views expressed or comments by editors, writers or interviewees. No Serial Number Magazine makes all efforts to advertise products that are in accordance with its ethos. However, goods advertised are not necessarily endorsed by No Serial Number Magazine. Information is correct at the time of publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. All prices are accurate at time of going to press but these may change at any time.

No Serial Number Team ALESSANDRA, EDITOR I am a qualitative researcher in the social sciences and education with a keen interest in citizenship. Being the editor of No Serial Number Magazine is a hobby for me, something that I do out of passion and with the belief that there are many things we can do to make the world a better place, one of them is producing and consuming more responsibly as a society. I originally had the idea of this magazine when I started networking with eco-friendly artists, artisans, and creative businesses online for a family start-up business. At this point, I realised how diverse and creative the environmental movement really is and thought it would be great to have a place where we could tell all these stories and explore the role of creativity in the search for environmental solutions. If you’d like to propose a story for No Serial Number Magazine you can email me here: editorial@noserialnumber.org

FRANCESCA, ART EDITOR After many years working as a retail manager in the fashion industry, I decided to leave the retail world when I became disenchanted with its focus on profits over the quality of products and the customer experience. I decided to take the leap and start my own business, first by collaborating with eco print artist Michela Pasini and then with my family on the development of No Serial Number Magazine. With time, I became more and more passionate about the graphic design process, so much so that I am now in charge of the design of magazine. I also keep track of emails, sales, and subscriptions, and run the social media pages. If you have any questions about your subscription, a wholesale inquiry or would like to talk about cross-promotion, I am the one to ask! You can contact me here info@noserialnumber.org

ROSA, NSN ITALY EDITOR I am a retired Latin and Greek teacher and an avid knitter and crocheter. I have published school textbooks and work as a freelance writer for Pearson Italia. I am also a consultant for various cultural projects in Italy. At the moment, I am managing the development of a new library within the theatre of Caffeina Cultura and Caffeina Cultura’s own bookstore. For No Serial Number Magazine, I am mainly in charge of finding eco-sustainable realities in Italy, where I am based, and writing about them. I also manage the Italian Blog of No Serial Number Magazine, so if you’re interested in No Serial Number Italia, please visit the blog it.noserialnumber.org or email me: noserialnumberitaly@gmail.com

Featured contributors. . Kate Stuart

I’m a practising artist, writer and craftswoman based in the North East of England. I specialise in upcycling, zero waste living, quilting, and painting with acrylics on canvas. I live with my partner, our two children whom we home educate, and a variety of pets. As a family, we aspire to return to the crofting roots of my ancestors, and to live a zero waste, self-sufficient life. Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/uk/shopThePhoenixGreenStore Facebook and Instagram: @thephoenixgreenstore

Paige Perillat-Piratoine

I am especially interested in growing the urban fabric. From urban agriculture to biomaterials, I work with projects that contribute to a more organic cityscape and report on the people that make the steps in that direction.

Pam Newton

Working towards a Textile degree, graduating in 2018, specialising in Weave and Mixed Media at Coleg Sir Gar, West Wales. I am fascinated by nature and the human interaction with it. With a background in horticulture, my work involves creating natural fibres and colours, borrowed from the landscape made to be returned. I love creating a sustainable lifestyle and enjoy teaching, writing and travel; being inspired by other artists and places. Website: www.naturalthreads.co.uk Instagram: @by_natural_thread

Holly Foat

As a freelancer, I’m passionate about supporting the local community and helping local businesses. I also work in ethical marketing, and enjoy promoting sustainable living and blogging about it. I’m a craft and upcycling enthusiast, especially textiles, although I rarely find the time to create as my two young children keep me busy! Blog: www.noserialnumber.org/directory/author/holly-foat/ Facebook: @EthicalByHeart Twitter: @CaptainHolly

DO YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR US? GET IN TOUCH!! If you are passionate about crafts, art, design, social projects, zero waste and all the other subjects that we cover in our magazine then get in touch and you could become one of our contributors. All you need to do is to send us an email to info@noserialnumber.org. We also have opportunities to write for our blog so get in touch!

Contents TRADITIONAL ARTS, TRADES AND CRAFTS 6. Bristol Cloth Project 10. Shades of Green... The Journey of Four Skeins of Yarn 14. Making Natural Connections 16. Rope Works: 3D Creations From Textiles 18. Making Pottery the Anasazi Way 22. Reclaiming Stone and Slate: The Unusual Journay of a Scientist Turned Artist 25. Mushrooms and Dragonflies: The Art of Upcycling Metal with Old Repurposed Tools 27. Everlasting Flowers: a Tutorial by Brett James

Shades of Green

INK SPECIAL SECTION 28. Kufic Script, Paper and Ink: In Search of Beauty From the Past to the Present 33. Tutorial: Making Oak Galls Ink 34. The Art of Ross Belton: Exploring Space and the Pursuit of Sustainability 39. Mark Making Tutorial with Ink and Homemade Brushes by Ross Belton

Ecovative

Ross Belton

SUSTAINABLE FASHION 44. In Conversation with Nature: Discovering Sustainability in Textiles with Zoë Burt UPCYCLING HUB 48. Fabric Yarn From Textile Waste 50. Fabric Yarn Purse Tutorial by Becka Wright INNOVATIVE MATERIALS 52. Ecovative: Pioneering Fungal Biomaterial 56. Pure Waste: Upcycling Leftovers From the Cotton Industry E-WASTE 58. Weaving Cassette Tapes: Sentimental Waste, Cloth and Craftivism 60. E-Waste on Etsy HOME CHRONICLES 61. “I am a Recycler, Oh Yeah Baby”: Teaching Children About Circular Economy Through Design

Primitive Clay

Kufic Script

KITCHEN CHRONICLES 64. ‘Hurray for Colour!’ Vegeterian Segment Quiche WORKSHOP STATION PRECIOUS PLASTIC 66. Democratising Plastic Recycling

ZERO WASTE 68. Setting Up a Zero Waste Shop

PETITIONS 70. Petition: More Sustainable Nappies by 2020

ISSUES FOR ETHICAL BUSINESSES PROJECTS FOR THE PLANET THE ECO CRAFTERs AND ENTREPRENEURs’ AWARD ECO-FRIENDLY IDEAS COMPETITION

Each issue is created with love: love for our world heritage and love for the environment. We are really passionate about meeting creative people that put all their effort in combining these two elements - that’s why this magazine exists! In this day and age we desperately need to change the way we live, consume and produce. We hope that with this magazine we are contributing towards this goal. If you love what you see subscribe today and help us grow and reach more people! www.noserialnumber.org

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ARTICLE SUBMISSION & BOOK REVIEWS We are proud to have a global readership so we are always curious to learn of sustainable creative initiatives around the world. Get in touch and tell us your story: info@noserialnumber.org

PAST ISSUES Available to purchase on our website www.noserialnumber.org, Magzter.com or Issuu.com

EVENTS We are happy to announce the beginning of our monthly Networking Events. These will be held at RAW Lab in East London and will also be livestreamed online for those who can’t join us.

SUBSCRIBE We want to keep the magazine affordable because we believe the content we publish can make a difference. You can subscribe online for only £28 / $36 (plus delivery) and you will receive four seasonal issues right to your doorestep!

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RENEWALS You can decide to make a one-off payment for a subscription, in which case we’ll send you a reminder when your subscription is about to expire, or have your subscription automatically renewed every 3, 6 or 12 months. Find all our options on the website.

AUTUMN Issue 2018 • • • • • • • •

Crochet Coral Reef Project Textile narratives The Glass Hub Traditional stone carving Gumdrop, recycling chewingum Quilting Up-cycling furniture Innovative designs

& Much More ...  OUT ON 23.09.2018  SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: www.noserialnumber.org

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PINTEREST Follow our Pinterest boards for vintage fashion, traditional toys, natural colours, textile design, ecofriendly ideas & recommended books www.pinterest.com/ noserialnumber

TRADITIONAL ARTS, TRADES AND CRAFTS

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Bristol Cloth Project Words and photography by Babs Behan

The Bristol Cloth is a locally sourced and manufactured cloth, using lambswool from holistically managed Fernhill Farm, just outside of Bristol. Organic traditional British plant dyes, dyed by hand in Botanical Inks natural dye studio in Bristol and woven at the Bristol Weaving Mill. The first industrial loom to open in Bristol in nearly 100 years. The cloth is made from 100% natural, non-toxic materials and is not only safely biodegradable but actually offers biological nutrients back into the soil. The whole system is climate beneficial and demonstrates the way in which things should be made to create a sustainable future and regenerate the health of our biosphere. Bristol Cloth is made using a beautifully soft lambswool, which initially comes in three colours - a cream, a beige and dark grey/brown. We use the cream yarn for dyeing with our plant dyes to create an orange and use the other two colours in their natural undyed state. 6

Fernhill Farm uses holistic farming techniques to manage their land and maintain high standards of animal welfare. Animals are grazed in a way which mimics natural grazing patterns, with the flock being moved on from one area to the next in quick rotation. This allows an increase in plant growth and diversity within the soil, which means greater levels of carbon sequestering, capturing carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil where it belongs. This system has the potential to reverse the effects of climate change and is therefore a climate beneficial way of farming. The increased plant diversity also means that more nutrients are being put back into the earth and thus regenerating the health of the soil. With mass scale monocrop farming and chemical spraying diminishing the health of our soils, to the point where it is said we have less than 100 harvests left in the UK, it is reassuring to know that alternative solutions are possible. Sustainable systems are not enough, we need to create things in a way which are

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regenerative. The sheep are hand blade sheared, which means that they get to keep a layer of their wool on them after shearing, as opposed to machine trimming, which takes off the whole fleece down to the skin. With a layer of fleece left, they are warmer at this particularly cold point in the year and can therefore be kept outdoors during lambing, which reduces their levels of stress. The lambswool is a Shetland/Romney breed, which Fernhill call their â€œMendip typeâ€?. The animals are bred for their meat and, unlike many other farms, the fleece is of a high enough quality to be used as a fibre, creating a valuable second revenue and reducing waste. Once the wool has been hand blade sheared from the sheep, it is sent to the spinners in Yorkshire to be scoured, carded, graded and spun. Halifax Spinning Mill are a lovely team who are passionate about working with primitive and rare breeds and natural fibres. While regenerating their industry, promoting British traceable production since opening in 2009. We provide them with an organic natural soap to wash our wool, making sure every step of the process is biological. The wool is spun to a 2-ply yarn for us by Paul at Halifax and coned up ready to be spun, while the cream batch is made into 250g hanks for ease when dyeing.

British dye plants with better fastness. We use madder, which is a red root from a green leafy plant that is part of the legume family. Wild madder can be found growing in nature reserves and other wild places in the UK, however its cultivated version is used more commonly as a dye material for its richer, deeper red colours. This is overdyed with a clear bright yellow from Weld, which is a yellow flowering plant. This is also a heritage plant which grows abundantly across the UK. Both of these dye plants thrive in poor soil conditions and are very easy to grow. We have some growing in our new dye garden at Feed Bristol that we plan to use for our next Bristol Cloth project once they are fully established. The orange we get from these two plants sits wonderfully with the two natural undyed fleece colours and make a beautiful cloth. We sourced the weave design via a nationwide competition

The yarn is sent back to us in Bristol to be hand dyed in the Botanical Inks studio in the Barton Hill ward, which has a fascinating textile history of its own. We originally chose the colour for the yarn by sourcing organic onion skins from local shops and used them to create a beautiful rusty orange colour. As this is not such a colourfast dye, we decided to match the colour by using traditional

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yarn as I work it. I used Australian merino wool tops (ribbon) to create this yarn. Sometimes I dye the wool before spinning, sometimes after.

I am not (yet) a professional - I spin and dye for pleasure. Every now and again, I get distracted while spinning and sometimes I might go a bit too fast, sometimes a bit too slow. Or sometimes, because I like to spin by hand, the yarn that passes through my hands doesnâ€™t always have the same weight and so, if I always pedal at the same speed, the finer yarn twists more and the thicker yarn twists less. The small amount of silk added to the darkest yarn is mulberry silk tops, dyed with Daphne and spun with the wool.

My spinning phase is as follows: first I spin two separate bobbins of singles. I then combine them, spinning the wheel in the opposite direction. When I spin the first single, I turn the wheel to the right. I then carry on turning to the right as I spin the second. However, when I ply them together, I have to turn the wheel to the left to obtain the correct tension. Hey presto, the yarn is ready.

Books Atzei, A. D. (2003). Le piante nella tradizione popolare della Sardegna: documentazione sugli usi alimentari, aromatizzanti, profumieri, artigianali, cosmetici, medicinali, veterinari, magici, ornamentali, rituali, religiosi, tintori, antiparassitari e vari, delle piante. Delfino Carlo Editore. [Plants in Sardinian folklore Italian book written by Father Aldo Domenico Atzei of the Order of Friars Minor and published by Carlo Delfino Editore, contains vast documentation on plant use as food, spice, perfume, craft, cosmetics, medicines, veterinary cures, magic, decoration, rituals, religion, dyeing, antiparasitics, and more.] Cardon, D. (2007) Natural dyes: sources, tradition, technology and science. Archetype. Cardon, D. (2016) The Dyer's Handbook: Memoirs on Dyeing by a French Gentleman-Clothier in the Age of Enlightenment Translated and Contextualised Oxbow Books Ltd

R FIND IT ONLINE Facebook: @anna.decol.5 Email: az.agri.decolpiras@gmail.com

INK SPECIAL SECTION

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Kufic Script, Paper and Ink: In Search of Beauty From the Past to the Present Interview by NSN Team Photography by Joumana Medlej Joumana’s artistic journey is fascinating. It is fascinating because she actively researches old artistic traditions and conceptions of Beauty to bring them back to life however, as you can clearly see from her work, she also adapts this classic technique to her own contemporary style. Traditionally trained as a calligrapher in Kufic script in Lebanon, she now makes geographic mandalas with this script, which has now become inseparable to her artistic identity. She does not experiment solely with graphics though, she uses and gathers materials to make inks and brushes too. We are extremely grateful to a reader of No Serial Number Magazine for introducing us to Joumana’s work, please continue sending your ideas and suggestions to editorial@noserialnumber.org

Hi Joumana, thanks for agreeing to this interview. First, could you tell us something about your and your background?

slow process of discovery? I first discovered natural colours in a course where we learned to extract pigments just like the medieval masters did: grinding and washing rocks such as malachite and cinnabar, as well as certain plants like madder. When I moved to where I live now, on the edge of Epping Forest, I felt an irresistible need to connect with the land and started taking frequent walks, and took up foraging. One day by chance I found many oak galls. I had never seen them in the wild before but I knew how to make ink from them, and on the same walk I found several good quality quills by the pond: the writing medium and writing tools in the same place. That’s when I realised that I could forage for art as well as food!

I’m from Lebanon where I spent all my life before moving to London a few years ago. I had a diverse creative career including graphic design, animation, illustration, games, comic books, but since I relocated my focus has been on my Kufic-based art, Kufic being the first Arabic calligraphic script. How was your journey to calligraphy, when did you get interested in this art and how? It was very unexpected and not at all something I had planned. One of my university teachers, a master calligrapher who is highly esteemed in Lebanon, asked me to work with him as his assistant. He must have seen something in me I didn’t know was there at the time. It was a great honour so I accepted, and after several years of hands-on work together, I realised the Kufic script had become a part of me and that it was going to be “my thing” from then on. I had received a traditional transmission without realising it. In one of your recent blog articles you write, ‘It really tickles me to be able to make both ink and writing implement from “waste” picked up in the same place, a short walk from home.’ When did you first start looking at your local environment as a source of art materials? Was it something you knew you could do from the beginning or a

I saw that you aim to live plastic-free; do you see that at times your life as an artist clashes with your drive to live a low-impact life or do these two aspects of your life go in harmony? What are the challenges of making eco-friendly art? In my experience it truly is easier to be plastic-free (or nearly; my plastic consumption is now around 10% of what it used to be) in my personal life, which is a good thing because I also noticed that there is far more potential waste there than in my professional life. But although I talk a lot about the plastic, since it’s such a huge problem, I’m always looking at sustainability as a whole. How are my materials made? What am I putting into the water when I use them? And even, are natural pigments always necessarily better than synthetic, given some of them need to be mined somewhere? I don’t necessarily have answers and am not always able to do without the offensive product, but it’s important to remain aware, and I can make a big difference in my practice, both materially and ethically, so that yes, both aspects of my life are in harmony. Materially, I begin by taking good care of my tools; I never buy anything cheap out of convenience, thinking I’ll dispose of it and buy another. I bought my basic tools in 1997 and they’re good for another twenty years. I switched my packing materials, normally a major source of waste, to entirely biodegradable ones (especially tape) and I make the boxes or mailers myself from reclaimed cardboard. I’m also moving away from acrylics, and sticking to watercolour and homemade media such as egg tempera. Ethically, I am 29

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Use the coupon code NSNPROMO20 for 20% OFF on any of Rossâ€™s workshop! Redeem your coupon code at www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/ modern-eccentrics-13430779926 This offer ends on 31 August 2018

R FIND IT ONLINE Blog: moderneccentrics.wordpress.com Instagram: @spottedhyenas & @moderneccentrics Twitter: @spottedhyenas & @moderneccentric Pinterest: @spottedhyenas Facebook: @moderneccentrics

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SUSTAINABLE FASHION

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In Conversation With Nature .. Discovering Sustainability In Textiles With Zoe Burt Zoë plant colour swatches

Words by Kate Stuart Photography by Marienne Wie and Zoë Burt

Zoë Burt comes to her craft from a place of nature, and it is evident in everything she touches that there is a tangible conversation between her work and the natural world. “My childhood”, she tells me, “was largely spent outdoors.” Bringing the outdoors into her practice and sharing that connection of art and nature is everything to her. Citing early inspirations from her mother, a talented machine

knitter who created fashion for family and friends, here was a relationship that helped to kindle in Zoë a lifelong passion for and connection with nature. “Holding my mum’s hand”, Zoë recalls, “and going around the garden to name the flowers and plants and recognise their beauty or fragrance was a significant moment: bay, roses, lavender – this introduction was a treat to the senses” A second but equally significant influence on Zoë’s early artistic development was her uncle, the abstract artist Theo Mendez, who taught at Camberwell College of Art and was Head of Textiles from 1976 until 1984. “I admired his natural flair for colour and form through painting and collage, his appreciation of jazz music and his fabulous light studio”, Zoë explained. These two important people clearly influence her practice still. Colour, design, botany, cloth – all come together in her creative work which has encompassed cyanotype or blueprint, sustainable fashion, natural dyes and most recently, a book in collaboration with the photographer Marianne Wie called Nature Journal, which Zoë describes as “a creative journal to connect with nature throughout the seasons. Step-bystep techniques in how to make botanical inks, natural dye recipes, lumen photography, blueprinting and other processes.” Training in Textiles at Central St Martins, Zoë specialised

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INNOVATIVE MATERIALS

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Ecovative: Pioneering Fungal Biomaterial Words by Paige Perillat-Piratoine Photography by Ecovative To our knowledge, fungi have been around on our planet for approximately 1.3 billion years. It is even widely theorized that fungi helped break down the bare rock on earth, creating liveable soil for plants to grow on. And it is only 600 million years after fungi that land plants evolved and populated earth. Yet we know much more about plants than we do about fungi. It is estimated there are approximately 5.1 million species of fungi on earth, with the vast majority of them still undiscovered. Today this gap is slowly being closed. Mycology, a relatively young science, is gaining traction and being explored much more. This is because we are discovering the breath of applications fungi can offer. They are plentiful and they are radical. One of them is in the world of biomaterials. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungi: an underground network of very thin threads that form a structure very much resembling the internet, or our own neural pathways. Depending on the variety of fungi, mycelium can grow into and throughout different materials such as soil, compost and wood. As the mycelium grows through a material, it binds the individual particles together into one solid object. Eben Bayer, the founder of Ecovative originally noticed this as a child working on his family’s farm. Ecovative is now a pioneering biomaterial company. The process starts with an agricultural waste product. Corn stalks, for example, which they purchase from regional farmers, are mixed with mycelium and are then poured in custom-shaped molds. A few days or weeks later, the mycelium has grown onto the corn husks, binding the pieces together and creating a cohesive shape. It is then dried out, which deactivates the mycelium, making the product ready for use. The resulting biomaterial may have many very interesting qualities, from fire resistance to insulation and shock absorption — some of which perform far beyond current hi-tech solutions. Even more interesting is the fact that when the mycelium product has reached its end of life it can be broken down into small pieces and composted. It will then disappear within a few months, returning nutrients back to the earth instead of breaking the nutrient cycle. The first application Ecovative tested on a commercial scale was packaging and insulation. A product called « Mycofoam » was developed, which has very similar properties to polystyrene. What this means is huge. There is currently a solution that exists, relatively low-cost as well as zero-waste, which can displace

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E-WASTE on etsy No Serial Number Magazine selected her favourite e-waste makes from the world of Etsy. Have you ever incorporated e-waste in your work, would you consider adding some electrical conduits in your next project or have you ever bought a craft product made from upcycled e-waste? Email us your ideas and we might select them for our next e-waste feature!

UNBROKEN THINGS by Fernando Pinzon My craft diaries are my way to create environmental awareness and inspire people through recycling to write in the traditional way rather than the electronic way. The magic of the transformation of the waste to the final product is my passion. I would like to think that I am contributing my bit to the arduous task of maintaining a green planet. I belong to many ecological movements and they have helped me to maintain the hope that living in a better world is possible, although unfortunately part of humanity is insanely blinded by the greed of natural resources. Products: Handmade Journals with wooden covers and banana leaf paper, bound in coffee sacks, upcycled leather, Bicycle inner tubes, and gorgeously adorned with countless upcycled ingredients from car and bicycle parts to old clothing accessories to E-waste and wild harvested flora.

Get in touch with Fernando: Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/unbrokenthings Facebook: @DiariosArtesanales and @Unbroken Things

Lee Bots by Nancy Solbrig Lee Bots, is my love child I started four years ago. These robot sculptures are handcrafted by me out of discarded electronics. Once on their way to the trash these computers, printers, electrical conduit, etc get torn apart by me and reassembled with new life as robots. The robots are assembled together using a variety of different wire, including networking wire and power cord wire. The robots are put to gather with a variety of new and old parts. Like computer parts that are only a few years old can be put together with a vacuum tube from the 50s.

Get in touch with Nancy: Website: www.leebots.com Instagram: @leebots Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/leebots Redbubble: www.redbubble.com/people/lee-bots Facebook: @LeeBotss/

Do you want your E-Waste craft to appear in the magazine? Write to us info@noserialnumber.org

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Interview by NSN Team Photography by Arne Jenard, Luca Piras and Ulrika Nihlen Stylist Clara Dayet ecoBirdy is an inspiring business that has managed successfully to combine eco friendly design and education. Vanessa and Joris, the founders of ecoBirdy, have a unique approach to their product design. They use a technology that allows them make fully recyclable objects for the house using recycled plastic toys… but their work does not end here, they have created a children’s book and devised school programmes that allow them to engage with the very important owners of the toys that ecoBirdy recycles. Getting children on board by making them emotionally attached to safeguarding the environment and recycling is not an easy task, but it seems Vanessa and Joris have found a really balanced recipe for success.

Hi Vanessa and Joris, thank you for taking the time to talk to us about ecoBirdy. First of all tell us about ecoBirdy, who are the people behind this project and what’s their professional background? Vanessa: Behind ecoBirdy it is me Vanessa and my partner Joris. We both worked in the design and fashion industry in the past. When it came to creating our own brand we were questioning ourselves what to create and especially why creating something new if so many beautiful designs already exist from the past. We take very seriously social and environmental responsibility, personally and professionally speaking. So we thought about creating something by making the most of the precious resources our beautiful earth has to offer. This is where we started to research on sustainable materials for our designs.

of kids furniture and home accessories was January 2018 in Paris at Maison & Objet fair. We were so excited to see the reaction of the public to ecoBirdy and were beyond glad it was so positive! In April we also attended Milan Design Week to present our collection with a special installation called “Sea of Plastic”; it showed a surface full of plastic waste reflected by a mirror in the air - a reality for which we are all responsible!

When was ecoBirdy founded? How did the idea for ecoBirdy first come from? When did you first think toys could be recycled to make items for home decor?

Joris: Yes, it was really amazing to finally present what we have worked on for such a long time. There was so much work and effort we had put into ecoBirdy, and we still continue doing so much research, engineering and testing… How did the idea for ecoBirdy come? When we were researching on sustainable materials and came to study about plastic we found out that plastic toys are among the most intensive users of plastic of all consumer goods and most of them are abandoned after a short time of usage. We liked the idea of bringing these shortly used plastic toys back to their children in furniture pieces.

Vanessa: We have been working on ecoBirdy for more than two years but the official launch of our first collection

Tell us a little about ecothylene™ the innovative material

HOME CHRONICLES

“I am a recycler, oh yeah baby”: Teaching Children About Circular Economy Through Design

KITCHEN CHRONICLES

ISSUE 13 SUMMER 2018

‘Hurrah for Colour!’ Vegetarian Segment Quiche Cake Party is the alter ego of Freelance Cook and Pastry Chef Nausicaa Frusi, who is based in the Milan area. Intrigued by Nausicaa’s mastery and her passion for organic produce and recipes suitable for a vegetarian diet, we asked her to share some tasty seasonal recipes. She has now become a valued magazine collaborator. This recipe was created by Nausicaa as she spent a period of time lending her services to No Serial Number Magazine, at our Italian native home in Navelli (Abruzzo, Italy). Nausicaa’s variation is an ode to summer - she chose seasonal vegetables to decorate the quiche. If you grow your own vegetables, then this is the perfect summer recipe. If not, then we recommend using local produce from farmers’ markets, where you can buy directly

Ingredients for the shortcrust pastry:e 250g wholemeal flour 100g butter 60g pecorino

40g parmesan 1 egg a pinch of salt a pinch of pepper

Method for the pastry: Place the flour in a bowl, then add the butter and salt. Knead with your fingertips until it reaches a breadcrumb consistency. Add the cheese and mix quickly. At this point make a well in the centre of the dough and add the egg. Mix together quickly. Form into a ball and leave to rest in the fridge for 24 hours. To prepare the quiche, roll the dough into the shape of your chosen tin. Don’t forget the sides. Now begin to form the segments with the vegetables you prepared earlier. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180°C. Check after 20-25 minutes to make sure the vegetables haven’t dried out too much.

from small producers. It is perfect served on its own with a green salad, but also makes an ideal centrepiece for a summer picnic. If you wish to serve it at a picnic then you could make more than one, depending on the number of picnickers. Your guests will be just as impressed by the sight of the colourful segments exploding against the feast table as they will by its delicious flavour (or flavours!). Do try the seasonal varieties that I recommend.

NO SERIAL NUMBER

WORKSHOPs, EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS station

Ingredients for decorating the quiche: (spring version) artichokes asparagus spinach

(autumn version) mushrooms onions broccoli potatoes

(summer version) aubergine large red onion yellow pepper courgettes red tomatoes

(winter version) red cabbage white cabbage onions potatoes

FERAL METAL UPCYCLED FLOWER MAKING WORKSHOP - UK I will be running an upcycled flower making workshop as part of the Festival of a Thrift 2018 in Redcar 22nd & 23rd September.

Method for the vegetables: Wash and chop the vegetables. Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté each vegetable separately for a few minutes while adding salt. They should be soft but not fall apart.

JOUMANA MADLEJ AKA MAJNOUNA - UK July 14: View Tube Local Creative Market (10:00-17:00, The View Tube, the Greenway, Marshgate Lane London, E15 2PJ

BOTANICAL INKS - UK July 4th - Bundle Dyeing With Flowers And Plant Materials, Ibiza Spain. July 5th - Natural Ink making using local plants and minerals, Ibiza Spain. July 13th - Bundle Dyeing With Local Plants, Flowers and Food Waste at Potager, Cornwall, UK. August 15th - Upcycling with indigo + bundle dye at Bristol Textile Quarter (details tbc), UK. August 18th - Bundle-Dyeing With Mayfield Flowers, Scotland.

ROPEWORKS - UK Craft Central market at the Forge, London UK 30th June – 1st July www.craftcentral.org.uk/

MUSIC CLOTH - SINGAPORE Ready, Cassette, Go! Arts experience Pick a cassette tapes / video tapes and let’s weave them into a piece of MusicCloth® www.airbnb.co.uk/experiences/60719

R FIND IT ONLINE

ecoBirdy - BELGIUM

Website: www.cakeparty.it Facebook: @cakepartyitalia Instagram: @cake.party.mi

London Design Fair, September 20-23, 2018, London UK

A mAGAZINE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRAFT MOVEMENT Why the name “No Serial Number”? Because nature and craft share a common characteristic, they are not made in series. They are both the result of an organic, slow process of growth and development. Not one leaf is the same, nor is a handmade creation. Crafts remind us that our hands and minds can work in tune with our natural environment to make things that are useful, or simply beautiful. As a society, we are in urgent need to slow down and preserve our collective environmental and artisanal heritages from unsustainable production practices and corporate greed. No Serial Number Magazine is a humble attempt to explore how creativity, nature, activism and business intersect in contemporary society. Who is it for? artists, artisans, casual makers, craftivists, and conscious citizens Topics textile arts • natural colours • traditional trades and crafts • creative upcycling and salvaging • slow fashion • zero-waste lifestyle • biodiversity • kitchen chronicles • grassroots environmental movements INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED BY NO SERIAL NUMBER ISSN 2516-1776 (Print) ISSN 2516-1784 (Online)

No Serial Number Magazine www.noserialnumber.org info@noserialnumber.org Fb: www.facebook.com/noserialnumbermagazine Twitter: @N0serialnumberM Use #NoSerialNumber Pinterest: noserialnumber Instagram: @noserialnumber.com_magazine £9 + Delivery Printed on recycled paper at UEL Printers