Monday Maker...Britte & Markus, our wonderful Carpenter duo.

Today we meet Britte & Markus our talented woodcrafters!

(Sarah from u-ni-k has added some typical English grammar otherwise the words are all from Britte & Markus)

One of their lovely children's toy cars

Name: Britta Steinnökel

Year of Birth: 1958

Current City: Borgholzhausen in Germany

Company name: Sternengasse GmbH

How would you describe a typical Sunday?

Breakfast is commonly served on a breakfast board.
The hole is designed to hold a boiled egg.

We like to lie in, wake up slowly and have a leisurely breakfast with our family. Typically we'll do the things we like; read a book, ride our bikes, bake cakes or meet up with our friends & family for a chat over something nice to eat.

And here a quite obvious question: How did you become a talented crafts person / designer? What inspired you to do this?

When I met my husband, he is a carpenter, and I learned to love working with wood. Together we started to build wooden toys and eventually sold them at our local christmas markets. With our own children we learned to love the simple toys.

This beautiful rainbow maker twirls like a
seed blowing in the wind.

Its Fill-in-the-blanks time. So, please fill in the blanks:

I love nature because she gives us power and inspiration 

If I could live anywhere I'd live at my place, an old farmhouse in the country side

If I weren't a designer / maker I'd be a cook

People who like nature will like our creations.

Wood

It’s national Tree week. 

During National Tree Week 2011, The Tree Council is urging everyone who cares for their environment to take that step and put one tree – or more – in the ground.  Not simply because it is a carbon sequestration and storage tool and a regulator of the urban microclimate that takes up air pollution, nor because it ameliorates adverse effects of weather, reducing wind speeds on blustery days, giving shade on hot days, cooling the air, reducing heating and air conditioning costs and saving energy, which in turn cuts down air pollution caused by burning fossil fuels – though it is, and does, all of these things.  No, the benefits of a tree extend far beyond. To read more about National Tree week click here

Both Sarah's and my own Dad were trained/training carpenters, so we have both been bought up with wood. My own Dad used to run his hands over wooden products appreciating the grain and fluidity of the wonderful material. I am sure Sarah's Dad did the same. So it was no surprise when Sarah announced to her Dad that we were looking for a wooden toy maker and he knew of a wonderful man who could help us.  

In celebration of the wonderful being’s that are tree’s, and following on from my blog of yesterday about Ida's memory box that is made from sustainable wood, I would like to tell you a little about one of our makers Markus Kampe of Sternegasse. 

He is the genius behind the wooden toys and breakfast boards that we have as part of our collection of treasures. He works with trees that have fallen in the Teutoburg forest in Germany where his workshop is situated and works with the natural beauty of the wood to create wonderful toys. He is a real life Father Christmas. Read Sarah's blog about her recent trip to his wonderful studio. Here are a few of the lovely words that we received when our latest delivery of wooden objects arrived from him.

“Wood enriches life. Wood has soul and character. Wood lives – in diverse colors, with natural odors, and individual structures. 

Wood provides subtle opportunities to create objects. This is where our philosophy originates. The Sternengasse team develops, manufactures and distributes wood products focusing on the preservation of the wood’s original character. In this way Sternengasse ensures that every product gains a distinctive individuality.

With experience and tradition, our love for wood, and a richness of ideas, we offer imaginative wood products, for a more natural, exciting and enjoyable, as well as easier and better life – true to our motto:

Sternengasse - Wooden-Toys-Craft for a more natural quality of life. “

So lets celebrate tree's this week and all do our bit and plant a tree, care for a tree and appreciate wooden products. And if that wasn't enough, Celebrate tree's again on 3rd and 4th of December on National Tree Dressing Day.

Mr Crocodile

Tiger Frog

Elephant