Skate and create

Rasa Gutauskaite has launched a range of unique jewellery inspired by her passion for skateboarding. By Glynis Fox.

Skateboard rider Rasa Gutauskaite knows all about the ollies, kickflips and grinds that are essential features of this fun pastime – and she’s also pretty hot at using some great tricks to give tired boards a new lease of life!

The Lithuanian, who has lived in the UK for about 15 years, says the secret lies in using a variety of techniques to turn old boards into eye-catching jewellery.

Before skateboarding became a passion, Rasa spent years immersed in other crafts, including knitting, beading and crochet, in order to express her creativity.

Now, after dismantling skateboards, she refashions the Canadian Maple which the strongest are made from, by cutting them into pieces and turning sections into rings, necklaces and much more.

Rasa is justifiably proud of her eco-friendly approach – by reusing wood that would otherwise be discarded – and her work is capturing the interest of fans who are eagerly snapping up her pieces. These can be found on sale in shops in Lincoln and Newark, as well as on Etsy and her website. Rasa also introduced her collection to members of the Steampunk community during the Weekend at The Asylum event in Lincoln, during its crowd-pulling summer event.

Family ties
Before moving to Newark, Rasa lived for a time in Lincoln, but a couple of years after coming to the UK she was joined by her 20-year-old son Aleksas, who is an illustrator.

“Before the economic crisis in Europe, I worked as a project manager in an advertising agency organising adverts for clients, which included those going on stations and on banners outside shops, sorting the proofs and doing the invoicing. I did that for three to four years,” says Rasa.

“When people started cutting back on their marketing and slashing their budgets, the agency closed down. A friend’s brother encouraged me to look further afield.”

Today Rasa works full-time at a major electrical goods centre, near Newark, where she is a repairs technician, advising customers how to get their products working again.

Aleksas is a student at Nottingham Trent University studying Games Art and also doing illustration.

Creative designs
Although not doing as much skateboarding as she did two-and-a-half years ago, Rasa is concentrating hard on making her jewellery in her spare time.

Familiar with Newark Skate Park, Rasa used to go skateboarding at the former indoor skate park, Flo, in Nottingham.

“I used to meet up with a couple of other people and we had girls’ nights. I really enjoyed it, but of course I had to learn how to balance properly on the board and you can end up getting bruises and small cuts, but skateboarding is also addictive,” says Rasa.

“Paullo, a Lithuanian friend living in America, got me interested in skateboarding and he sent me one to my home. He encouraged me and has since taken great interest in my jewellery work.

“Rhys, another friend, uses old skateboards to make large pieces of furniture and bowls and gives me a few ‘nose and tails’ offcuts,” says Rasa.

She had also bought Aleksas a skateboard which he used for a bit, then Rasa found it was always getting in her way, so she decided to work with that too!

“I started off by making jewellery about a year ago. At the time I was inspired to do pieces using glass beads and Swarovski crystals, then I decided to combine beads and pieces of skateboard to make combi-style jewellery. I have also been influenced/inspired by the Pinterest platform,” she says.

Rasa, who has also learned her exciting craft by watching videos, invested in a rotary tool and set out to create jewellery to sell.

“There are seven layers in skateboards made from Canadian maple and I love revealing all the different colours of the various layers. When I made my first item, as I was sanding it down, I thought ‘Oh My God, I am keeping this for myself!’ I quickly became addicted to making jewellery.

“That’s when I started creating more pieces from old, recycled skateboards. Each piece is handcrafted with care, giving new life to broken boards, whilst capturing the energy and uniqueness of skateboarding culture.”

Jewellery for all
Rasa’s business is called Baltic Dew – because she is from a Baltic state and ‘rasa’ means dew in the Lithuanian language.

“I make jewellery for men and women, neckpieces and rings for both and even earpieces, particularly for men. Rings are made in specific sizes, they are not expandable, so they are sold online to size and also to measurement at fairs.

“It is very exciting when you cut pieces from boards, which may vary in quality and value and expose their different colours. They really make cool pieces,” adds Rasa.

“I use oil to finish pieces of jewellery, but rings are finished with thin layers of a ‘superglue’ and made strong, plus shiny, using a lathe.”

Rasa has bought two rotary tools for use at home, starting with a basic tool and then going on to purchase a higher quality American Dremel rotary tool, sanding pads, small sanders and a heat gun.

However, she is also an enthusiastic member of Hackspace in Nottingham, a non-profit limited company with a board of elected trustees, which is popular with hackers, makers and crafty creatives who love to meet up to build, make and learn.

It attracts people who are interested in learning about and sharing knowledge of electronics, crafts, robotics, DIY, laser cutting, computing, filmmaking, animation and all manner of other creative challenges and projects.

It welcomes people who are looking for a group who can share tools, techniques and time, pool resources for bigger projects, get funding, discounts on kits and components, and is as much about community as it is making things.

“A friend told me about Hackspace and I went on a tour of the site and became a member straightaway. I met a lot of people, I was able to ask questions and I received a lot of support and some of the guys showed me how to do things. It’s like a community.”

Rasa has a brother, Arturas, in Lithuania. Her parents, mum Edita and dad Gytautas, live in Germany and they are all proud of her.

“My father, who is into carpentry, said to me: ‘I never thought you would get into working with wood!” says Rasa.

Rasa’s unique pieces can be found in The Raven’s Hearth in Kirk Gate, Newark and in Love from Lincolnshire, Burton Road, Lincoln.

Photographs: Mick Fox

We Recommend

Winter takes flight

Creating fabulous fragrances

The art of restoration

A taste of tradition

Fire

New growth for market town

View all