About

Hi I’m Julie and I live in Texas but I’m originally from Colorado. I’m an artist and I have been self employed for over 20 years in the graphic design/business image development arts.

I always thought I would do well as a junk dealer – I know how to clean things, repair things, take things apart and make them work for something else and such. I’m lucky at shopping at resale and junk stores, I’ve been known to dumpster dive. I guess stuff like this might be inherent in an artist – the typical starving artist in college, you make do with what you have and create the rest.

I was also a Girl Scout for many years – even up until I was a senior in high school (that’s when it really starts to get fun – sailing every weekend, camping all the time). Scouting inspired my patriotism and environmentalism from a very young age (why does the word patriot have to have the word “riot” in it?). I remember building shelves in my bedroom out of the empty cartons from Girl Scout cookie sales. I tucked the flaps inside the boxes, put them on their sides, stacked them up and covered them in fabric. It reminded me of a giant doll house with lots of compartments. I think I must have been hard to discipline – as punishments like sending me to my room was anything but punishment – let me go off somewhere quiet and I’ll stay busy for hours creating something.

So that’s what this blog is all about – sharing creativity, spreading the word about recycling and re- purposing and sharing ideas about it all.

Why is this called Tukal Hut?

A Tukal is a round one room hut usually made with mud walls and a pointed round thatched roof. They can be a simple yet beautiful thing.

My mom has a carved wood, 3 legged stool that she got when we lived in Africa when I was a kid. At the top of each leg hangs a little brass “charm.” One of these was a tukal – I’ve always loved that thing. And I’ve always had a desire for designing living spaces. I think it must have to do with an innate desire to live a simpler, unencumbered life. In a round, one room hut – you can live very unencumbered.

Please comment with your own ideas and creations!

Peace and spread the joy,

love,

Jules