Elokuje Handicrafts is my dear little side entrepreneur project in which I design and manufacture jewelries out of recycled materials. My mum is my most important associate, since she has a long history in handcrafts and lot of experience. 

Remankeli is our first public jewellery collection. It uses local secondhand bicycle (mostly mountain bikes) parts like chains and inner tubes as main material. We also use recycled and leftover leather and gemstones (semi-precious stones) to bring some more color. Remankeli-name is Finnish and it means: Re (recycle, re-use), Mankeli (a mangle; Finnish nickname for a bike). Thanks to my friend for making up the name! 

I think the main reason why I started this project was to design, create and brand something of my own. And also to utilize my mum´s knowledge and skills, plus to give more ambitious goals to her handicrafts hobby.

It is relaxing to create something with my bare hands since I work as a graphics designer interacting mainly with my laptop. I do not sew, knit or crochet… So creating new jewellery out of used material and figuring out what colors would go well together is really interesting.

I guess I got my interest towards jewellery in the end of 70´s when my granpa´s sister sent me a beautiful pink heartshaped box full of glittery and glamorous earrings and necklaces from Florida, US. That was a treasure! 🙂

Remankeli isn´t that glamorous and shiny but surely something what I wear myself now. Cycling in various forms is something I really enjoy and I want to show it with my Remankeli earrings, bracelets and necklaces. 

Remankeli jewelries are made of bicycle parts that have a story. Those parts have been part of somebody´s adventure or experiences here in northern Finland. I think it is fascinating!