DIY | Dacha Project

July 23, 2009

For Ten Dollars, a Bag of Clay

LeaLSF buildings, DIY, video alternatives, bank, building, community, construction, contest, cottage, credit union, dacha project, DIY, earthen plaster, entry, finger lakes, ithaca, shack, shed, straw bale, strawbale, stucco, teaching, tompkins, top coat, truth window, video, workshop 3 Comments

Here is our video entry into the Pay It Forward Contest, held by our local Alternatives Federal Credit Union.

Alternatives gave out ten dollars to whoever wanted it, and those people were supposed to give it to someone else in the community, an organization or an individual.Then, the giver of the ten dollars is encouraged to make a video or write an essay about their recipient, and in it illustrate what they can do with it that would benefit the community. Afterwards! A committee at Alternatives picks ten or so videos they like the best, and set them loose into the public, where anyone can vote on which entry they think should get the grand prize-oh- $500.

Taking advantage of some beautiful footage our friend Shira took of us, plus friends, plastering the straw bale cottage, I put together this doo-hickey.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKYrn9NQ9O0&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1]

March 12, 2009

Winter Palace Pt 4- Frame by Frame

LeaLSF Uncategorized building, dacha project, DIY, finger lakes, framing, green nettle dacha, intentional community, region, stick frame, straw bale, strawbale, sustainable living, tompkins county, video 1 Comment

Filmed in September 2008, edited some time later by Lily G, and myself. Please enjoy, “Frame by Frame” the framing of our straw bale cottage. This short film is a moving after school special about some folk who engage on a journey of building a stick frame only to find themselves doing just that.

Next to come: Winter Palace Pt 5- Stacking Straw Bricks and Goofing Around, a thrilling drama showing the real life context around the building of straw bale walls.

[vimeo 3583444]

December 10, 2008

Winter Palace Pt 3- Concrete Day

LeaLSF Uncategorized building, cement, concrete, dacha, DIY, foundation, how-to, pour, truck, video 0 Comments

This a flashback to one of thirty-one days in August. It would have been like any other day, except it wasn’t, because on that day the Concrete Man came to visit the dacha. Watch to learn what to expect from such a man, and see how our foundation was poured.

We present to you Concrete Day, a human interest story, about pouring a cement foundation.

-Lea LSF

[vimeo vimeo.com/2469545]

Presently, the Winter Palace is buttoned up for the season. On occasion there are even people sleeping in it. There is a makeshift shower, Bernise-the wood stove, couches and shelves! To see it in its current state check out the post before this one. The building is almost done, though we decided to put off the plastering until next spring, on account of it being winter and all.

videos to come- cinder blocking, frame this fame, roof roof roof, and straw balin’ smooth sailin’

October 8, 2008

Winter Palace Pt 2- The Work Party

LeaLSF Uncategorized building, DIY, foundation, friends, rubble trench, straw bale, strawbale, sustainable 2 Comments

Here is pt 2, just like I promised. Please enjoy, it took a second to edit. More on the way in future. Perhaps as it gets so cold in Ithaca that I can’t go outside, I will pump these out faster. For now we are still building, taking classes, making friends and being mad busy. This week we’re putting up the roof. Hoorah!

Love Lea

[vimeo vimeo.com/1914918]

October 8, 2008

Winter Palace Pt-1- Let’s Dig

LeaLSF Uncategorized building, dacha, DIY, natural, rubble trench, straw bale, sustainable 0 Comments

This is pt 1 of our tool shed building adventure, shot way back in August, when the tool shed still aspired to be a tool shed. Eventually, we over built so that we began to feel bad about calling it a tool shed, and started referring to it as a palace.

Being the Russians that some of us are, and having a dear friend Mr. Winter, whose hard work has been so helpful, we decided to call it the Winter Palace. One day, I hope we will use it as an art studio, or a guest cottage, or something else entirely.

Today, more than two months have passed since Lily shot this, and in reality we are up to part 6 or 7. All the footage will eventually be imported, edited, exported, uploaded and embedded, even if it takes all winter.

Thanks for everyone’s support, please enjoy pt 1 and pt 2 soon to come.

[vimeo vimeo.com/1914345]

April 30, 2008

Grandma says I’m on my way to the Poet Laureate’s salary

dachaproject Uncategorized art, blood pudding press, DIY, ectoplasmic necropolis, may day, may day strike, poetry, publication 0 Comments

I’m being published in this fabulous new collection, ECTOPLASMIC NECROPOLIS, by Juliet Cook of Blood Pudding Press. She exemplifies everything I love about DIY publishing–fuzzy ribbon, hand binding, & lots of style.

Read more about Blood Pudding Press here and pick up a copy of ECTOPLASMIC NECROPOLIS. Lily wants me to be famous like yesterday & I’m currently behind schedule!

Also: my amazingly talented roommate, Rick Pickett, is spreading the word about the Midday MAY DAY Strike, which will be happening this thursday @ noon:

it is almost may–which means time for a cross-country road trip ending in the summers of brooklyn & time spent on our very own land. we’re officially tree huggers & dirty hippies now.

<3 sharon