"Oh...my bag!"

handmade heart

2012-01-26T20:26:00.009Z

I am well aware that you haven't seen a lot of creative stuff here lately. I did make some things. Mostly plans. Will tell more of that next week.

But now a little hands-on Valentine project.

A while ago I thought it would be nice to have some card stock hearts with a pattern of perforations. A plain, good quality heavy paper canvas so to say. Easy to decorate and use in different ways.
Cutting them myself and adding perforations turned out to be a bit messy and very labour- intensive. So I looked into the possibilities of having a batch pre-punched.

After finding nice supplier, and a couple of tries (the small perforations proved to be tricky) it all worked out, and now I have a box of lovely 2mm thick, cleanly punched, white cardboard hearts.

A valentine tree would be lovely.
My "seasonal" branch is awaiting some fresh wind. Above is number one, with Miss A on the back.

For Miss M, I have some fine sequins in store.
And I added a quick, sweet garland to cheer up the window...difficult to get the whole thing on a picture though...

As I have quite a lot of hearts, I'll be putting them into the shop as well (starting Monday).
Or you can shoot me an email right away if you're interested. To get the costs covered they will come at a price of 0,95 € per piece.
The hearts measure 12 x 11 centimeters and have a centered square of 5 x 5 small perforations (2mm wide) so you can easily get a needle through. The colour is a pure, matte white.

You can add buttons, pearls, embroider, draw, use them to wrap up a special gift, string them together, make a little booklet, add decopatch etc.
Hmmm, in the end I might not have enough hearts to try it all out ;)

Popped-Up

2012-01-12T20:51:00.005Z

I'm sitting here quite content, as I just found this pop-up book at the thrift store in a perfect state.

Illustrated by Kubasta, these books are classics, and an all time favorite of mine.
I used to have a couple of fairytale books from his hand, which I looked at over and over again, remembering all the details.

Brilliant.

hello, hello!

2012-01-07T23:01:00.005Z

Finally back after two weeks of traveling. First to family in Holland for wonderful, relaxed Christmas and New Year's celebrations. Then a couple of days to our house in Austria. Still a huge project, especially with major distractions such as snow shoveling.
(We definitely need one of those spiffy machines to cut our way through. I've never displaced so much snow from A to B!)

I have been sorting our way through a batch of cupboards, dressers, closets and wardrobes again, while my dear husband tried to understand the wild and unusual heating system (gas, solar, wood carburator, floor heating, plus some classic wood ovens all thrown in a pot with a scary amount of pipes and faucets).

So now I can offer you an 80-ies glitzy Bogner ski-suit. A stuffed bird collection. A pair of mon-chi-chi bed linens. Or maybe the electric dart game we found hidden somewhere in the "Stube"....?

But there are some quirky nice things too. Like the antique hair curlers (we all need those right?), a brass pendulum, a silver tea sieve and a funny round brush.

We also discovered a nice big dining table in the attic under layers of dust. No trace of woodworms either for a change. Yippie! Oh, and yes,...here is the snow. Well, at least the beginning of it...

That dark gray building with the shingles is our shed. I love that shed. Filled to the brim too. But that's for summer.

For now, it's about wishing you all a wonderful and healthy 2012. Before it's too late to do so!

Diana

santa squirreling

2011-12-21T21:30:00.004Z

Like most of you, I'm in the middle of getting all the presents sorted.
One of the things Santa is going to bring is a book from the series "Ich Sehe Was" (Original Title "I spy"). We already have a couple of them, but I'm sure the kids will love to search through another one.

However, after seeing this today, I realized that next time I should make our own family version.

"I spy, I spy,....three pairs of silly eyes, 9 stars from either sky or sea, and a little Christmas tree!"

With all these collections and displays in the house we'll easily get a sizeable book together!
Too late, for this year I'm afraid, but I'll put it on the list for 2012.

just....

2011-12-12T19:26:00.008Z

...fighting a bronchitis.
...wishing the Christmas elves would work for me.
...it would snow. Just a bit, at night. So that I could enjoy the winter world from my window.

Al in all, not a very productive day. But I cheered myself up, making a set of three paper collage gift tags. If you like them, consider them a little Cristmas gift from me to you.
You can download the PDF with the complete set of three from here (with back and front side - on the pics below you can see only the front).

Have fun wrapping !

2011-12-06T22:04:00.001Z

Dreary days, and the first snow is falling here. Excellent conditions for taking in a couple of episodes of Downton Abbey, and stitching together some circles of colour. The first ones already wandered into the shop as I can't possibly wear all 15 of them!

Christmas is still ages away for me. Except for the Spekulatius.
I have those very close at hand ;).

What are you crafting right now?

Thank God it's Monday

2011-11-28T21:41:00.005Z

I am recovering from the weekend.
School's Advent Party on Friday afternoon, birth day party at the other end of town Saturday morning, 2,5 hour drive to Austria Saturday afternoon, picked up the keys to our weekend house, stayed the night and spend the following day discovering cupboards, storage rooms, the attic, the barn, and some surprises an old house is always hiding. Cleaning. Making plans. Drive back home on Sunday. Roll into bed exhausted.

I already wrote that the house is old, didn't I? Turns out we bought an abundant collection of vintage trunks, boxes of old letters and 1940's household account books, a zillion wardrobes and old farm house beds (in all kind of conditions), a whole collection of vintage chemist's glass bottles. And that's only the top of the pleasant iceberg. I won't bother you with the unpleasant renovation iceberg, which might actually be just as tall as the pleasant iceberg. But it's our own fault. We wanted old, we got old. And a magnificent view too. I think we're lucky (cross fingers here), and hope we stay that way. I'll take you on a little visit now and then, if you like.

a quick post...

2011-11-17T21:25:00.004Z

...before I dive into the world of (clumsily) made cupcakes again, and finish my "oh so clever" scavenger hunt, as well as the party decoration bits that will be required tomorrow.
I think they will want to hear ABBA too. Yes, ABBA.

But here's my quick crafting solution to keep all the needles in the house tidy and in one place.
Darn difficult to photograph though, as one cover is as long as a common pair of knitting needles, the other as short as your standard crocheting needle, and the third one (not pictured yet) as small as a needle book should be.

But it'll give you an impression. And I used a bunch of these felt strips. So hauling them home was not for nothing. The ribbon is part of the wonderful new autumn/winter collection I just got in . The flowers and Zig-Zags are from Kaffe Fassett. Now I only need to get them into the shop, pronto.
But first: Cupcakes.
Have a good weekend! We'll be recovering from ABBA.

...of ashtrays and snow flakes

2011-11-06T20:05:00.009Z

Autumn/Winter is slowly conquering the house. Small heaps of chestnuts everywhere. Used as dog food, play money, or doubling as rocks in miniature worlds. The balcony is covered with red wild vine leaves. The frost sensitive plants have found a cool but secure place inside.

We still have that big white branch hanging in front of the window in our hallway, and it's a great "canvas" for seasonal decoration. This weekend I was inspired to get things going for the coming months.

A few months ago, I picked up a set of old ash-trays in the 1 Euro shop, as I loved the glass patterns. I didn't know how and when to use them at the time but I decided to take them home anyway.

This week I discovered them again and thought I'd use them as stamps on clay. So I made thin 2-3 mm layers of clay (love that material!), carefully pressed on the ashtrays, and then cut the prints out with a sharp knife. To finish things up I made a small hole in the top with a knitting needle. After they had thoroughly dried, I painted them white.

Voila, a set of different sized, shaped and patterned "snow flakes" for my branch. The whole snow-association being way too early of course, as day temperatures are still reaching a ridiculous 20 degrees Celsius over here.

But you know: Winter happens over night. It always does.

Oktoberfest?

2011-09-27T09:50:00.009Z

I know, it's not October yet, but the coming month will be such an exciting one. There are a couple of things over here, that will come to a final decision. This will mean a lot of new work, but also that some of our long time dreams and plans will hopefully come true.
I'll keep you in the loop!

And then there is this book I received yesterday. Just wonderful. The content, format, the way it is made up. I must admit I'm a bit proud to be a tiny part of it.

(Yes, it's this bench).

And in between things I might be able to try my hand at this simple quilt project from the book (I'm a beginner in this field) with pieces of treasured girls clothing that had their share of wear and tear, but I still can't get over throwing away:

Congratulations with this wonderful piece of work Grace! Completely in the spirit of your blog, but at the same time a great addition, with its own character.

Oh, and in case you wondered: Yes, I did go to the Oktoberfest this year. For the last couple of years I am in doubt, if I still feel like it. The whole circus about getting a table gets a bit on my nerves. Maybe it's just me getting older.
In the end, a good friend had a booking and we all went.
And it was nice again. Whatever the magnitude, commercialization and reservation policies, there's still nothing like the Wies'n.

Treasure Week

2011-09-13T21:29:00.005Z

Yesterday was special. Miss A. had her first official school day. Big day. Lovely, festive day.
And another dream of her's will be coming true this week as well, as Thursday will be her first violin lesson.
Since kindergarten, she always made it clear the violin is the one and only option when it comes to choosing an instrument to play.
And now finally the time had come, and we went to visit the violin shop.

I must admit I love these kind of shops, as they always have a bit of a secretive aura about them. Full of treasures, mysterious objects and accessories, craftsmanship and unhasty knowledge.

Now we have a 1/4 violin to take care of. I fear it can probably make as much noise as a 1/1 violin. But maybe we'll be surprised at what fine little hands, young determination and a dancing heart can come up with! I look forward to these new roads my girl is taking.

I wonder...

2011-09-09T18:14:00.008Z

...how people get these, oh-so-fine lines drawn perfectly steady on a curvy surface.
I guess it's like with all the other beautiful artisan products in this world: Lots of practice, a steady hand, and a considerable amount of talent...

In the middle of a busy week and with more action to come, I was able to do a quick, surprise flea-market visit, and picked up this wooden painted egg. It's rather big and intricately painted.
My guess is that it's originally from Russia or Eastern Europe (Poland? Hungary?). Anybody seen a similar piece before, and knows a bit more? I'd love to hear about it!

Monday Stills

2011-09-05T20:48:00.005Z

What a delicious summer it has been. Wish I could sit on that bench again, soaking up some late afternoon sun.
Tomorrow it will be all about the here and now. About next week, school start, and the colder seasons. Words like Oktoberfest and Advent will start popping up.
But not yet. Not today. Still got a minute or two.

Framed 2 - DIY

2011-09-02T09:37:00.005Z

Back today with a new picture frame. Contrary to yesterday's more reduced style, this one fell into a pot of paint (a couple of pots really).

This is what I used:

Material: Cheap paper covered frame from IKEA, fabric, ribbon, carpet tape, tacker.
Stash buster factor: Good - smaller pieces of ribbon and fabric will do.
Recycle factor: Not really. Just pimping a rather boring paper frame. I picked this frame as it is not expensive (around 1,- Euro, I think) and slightly padded, so the fabric wraps nicely around it.
Crafting fun: There is a bit of fiddling and a bit of hand sewing hidden within this project. On the other hand...it's all part of the fun, and the frame is not too big so it stays manageable.

1. First you have to take the frame apart. Which is going to give you three pieces: Front frame, back cover and the support thingy. It's only glued together, and it doesn't matter if the paper is damaged a bit.

2. Then cut the fabric to size for each of the three pieces.

- For the back: Cut two fabric pieces of the same size (size of the back cover plus 1 cm seam allowance). Make a tight fitting "bag" out of these, leaving the bottom side open. NOTE: Don't forget the cut out at the top side of the paper frame: If you don't plan this one in, changing pictures is going to be a hassle!). Slide the back side into its cover. Close the bottom side with a couple of hand stitches.
- For the support latch: same procedure.
- For the front: cut four strips, two long ones and two shorter ones. They are meant to cover the four sides of the front frame. Make sure their width is approx 2 times the width of the frame and they are approx. 4 cm longer than the length of the frame sides. You'll have to be able to wrap them around and glue them to the back of the front frame. Sew the four pieces together so they will fit the frame. There is no easy way of doing this. It took me a while to make sure the fabric frame would neatly fit the paper one.

3. Use the carpet tape to tightly secure the fabric frame onto the front piece of the original paper frame, fold the left over fabric to the back of the piece and secure with carpet tape or hot glue.

4. Embellish the front frame with ribbon, buttons etc. I'm afraid it's hand stitching again! It's better to do it this way, as the fabric needs to be tight to avoid distortion or deformation, resulting in a fabric frame that doesn't fit the paper frame anymore...

5. Are you still with me? Good, as the easy part comes now: Glue the back and the front frame together again (I used the carpet tape), but just at the outer sides and not at the top side - you'll have to be able to slide the picture in...

6. Place the latch correctly onto the back side and use the tacker to secure at the top. The first part of the latch (until the bend) needs to be secured entirely to the back side of the frame, otherwise the latch doesn't have enough strength and your frame will slip away.

That's it. Not too difficult really. The only somewhat tricky part is sewing the cover for the front frame.

A set of mixed and matched fabrics on different frames would look nice!

Framed

2011-08-31T21:32:00.005Z

Well, that was quite a blog break! More than two months!
But now, slowly, my blogging mood is coming back.
There is a steady drizzle outside today, so it's a good time to look through the photos I made during these last summer months, and let the highlights pass before my eyes again.
Maybe I'll find two nice pictures to fill these frames with.

I picked these up when I was in Amsterdam. They are from "Luna" and are made in South Africa from discarded wood, which is collected and sold to Luna by homeless people.
Every frame is different, often with different layers of paint showing through, and when I spotted them in one of my favorite Amsterdam design shops (The Frozen Fountain), I immediately fell for their simple, robust look. At the same time they are well made, and the wood is pleasant to the touch.

I seem to have something with frames these days, as I just redid a simple IKEA one too. I'll show you tomorrow, together with a "how-to".

Hope you all had a wonderful summer, with lots of memorable days and some "frameworthy" moments as well!

Monday Stills

2011-06-19T23:05:00.007+01:00

Getting back into the swing of things after a holiday break can be so difficult.
And spring happens to be full of these breaks and festivities.
Miss A and M are still in the middle of their Pentecost holidays as well. So blogging is exchanged for pick-nicks or visits to the lake/pool (good weather), cinema, museums (mediocre weather), friends coming over to play, etc.

Not so much crafting. Or blogging. Or working. Just looking at these linens from the corner of my eyes, that's as close as it gets.

Well, ...hopefully next week then....

Monday Stills

2011-06-07T14:32:00.004+01:00

Shaking the hay out of our hair.

Looking for tiny vases for the smallest flowers.

Getting crazy ideas out of our heads.

It has been a lovely weekend.

2011-06-02T22:23:00.009+01:00

I'm preparing for a long weekend off.
Bags need to be packed.
Which inspired me to this small gift bag.
And when I say small, I really mean small. Two handmade truffles would fit. Or a pair of earrings. Nothing bigger.

I couldn't stop with the simple, relaxing stitching, so I made a couple more. Redid the brooch on the green one too, because it turned out a bit too wonky first time round. It looks better now - No time for a new picture though. My real bags still need to be packed.

See you on the other side of the weekend!

A bit of chaos

2011-05-31T20:13:00.003+01:00

It's kind of difficult to keep on track around here.
All kind of activities going on. School stuff, meeting up with friends, days off, planning for a family celebration, and oh yes: It's my birthday again too!
So, more celebration!

Phew, I almost wish I got some rest, and a bit of time to make some progress work-wise.
Having said that, I wouldn't have wanted to miss the lovely, perfect and most delicious lunch I had with my dearest today.

About the picture above: I took it last year. I swear there was no trickery. This sunflower really smiled at me (and every one else who passed it over the course of a day or two, which was as long as it took for the other pollen to come out). Sweet!

About Craft Materials

2011-05-24T21:26:00.001+01:00

I visited my local felt store to buy a small piece of felt of a specific colour. Before I knew it, I heard myself asking "Do you, by any chance, have some left-over scraps?".

I felt my heart jump when the lady said: "Sure, let me get a bag for you."
My heart jumped even higher when I saw the actual size of the bag she handed me in exchange for a small amount of money.
I cycled home, managing this ginormous bag with one hand, humming "Rolling in the Deep" from Adele, and leaving a trail of head-shaking, fore-head pointing and disgruntled looking fellow road-users behind.

After I got settled at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, I started unpacking, and my heart jumped up for a third time: The colours, the amount, the dust!

Now I have a ton of beautiful wool felt strips (broad and narrow) and pieces in all imagineable colours, and it's official: I'm a crafting material geek.

Crafting Material Geeks do not necessarily look for the "ready-to-go" craft supplies (although they do appreciate those too). They secretly prefer the "good finds": Boxes of old mother-of-pearl buckles, vintage embroidered "just-a-small-stain-in-the-corner" table cloths, silly ephemera collections.

Alternatively, they are also crazy about the "this-might-come-in-handy" stuff like there are ribbon spools, drift wood, scraps of all kind, actimel bottles, glass doll's eyes, boxes with wooden letters etc.

This does not mean I save absolutely every bit of string I find. Craft Material Geeks are picky (to their own standards, that is). And to save myself and my family from too much stuff lying around, I regularly clean out. The geekiness as such is incurable though.

Or does anybody out there have a different experience?

Monday Stills

2011-05-24T10:32:00.009+01:00

No time for posting yesterday, with a poor sick child at home, and tons of dishes and..eh..empty bottles to clean up from the weekend.

But I can write a few lines now. About these matchboxes I picked up at a flea-market on Saturday.

Cute, no? Turns out they are six from a whole alfabet series designed by Jose Maria Cruz Novillo.

Now I want them all of course - something like this:

(The two photos above are via grain edit).

Ah, well...one can't have everything...

Crafters Closet - A dress part two

2011-05-19T20:06:00.005+01:00

The dress is no longer. It has been transformed in a not so spectacular but nice and colourful neck-roll cover, and immediately been claimed by Miss A. who drags it with her to wherever she decides her new chill-out zone is going to be.

Material: Old dress, ribbons, hot pink linen, embroidery thread.
Stash buster factor: Good. Everything was there except one of the ribbons.
Recycle factor: Yes.
Crafting fun: Quick and easy. It's always nice to play around with matching ribbon and fabric, and the actual sewing is a piece of cake!

In the mean time I'm making some progress with the letter case. Here's what I'm going to use.

The book on Maya Textiles was a steal and is very inspiring. That's why it's on the picture. The piece of multiplex wood is just a part of the actual required amount. My plan foresees quite some fret sawing, so I hope my hand doesn't fall off by the time I'm ready. The tin of white spray paint in the upper let corner is a relatively old one, I once bought to paint some metal.
I'm going to finish it, but hereby swear never to buy this stuff again, because my oh my, it does smell horribly chemical! Maybe any of you know of a spray paint that is no absolute bio hazard? If so, tell me about it!

I'm off now, to pull together a ginormous grocery list, as we're cooking a five course dinner for approx ten people this weekend. This needs some planning. And fresh flowers. And ironing of the largest table cloth I can find in the house.

See you next Monday!

Crafter's Closet - A dress

2011-05-18T10:07:00.005+01:00

While I was rummaging through my fabric stash, I came across an old children's dress.

Despite a big tear in the lower part, I kept it, thinking I could re-use the printed flower panel for another project. Miss M. wouldn't allow me to dispose of it anyway.

After having it lying on the floor of my work space for some days, my sewing machine is now humming, and I will show you the result tomorrow. Nothing spectacular or fancy - but I think it will turn out quite nice, this second life of a summer dress. After that, it's back to the letter case. Oh my.

Monday Stills

2011-05-16T23:11:00.012+01:00

I'm recovering from a nasty little (non-virtual) virus attack.

Therefore, I'm taking it easy this Monday morning, and check out my new gadget.

Actually, I should say: My only gadget, as I'm usually not very aware of the latest available technical accessories which could improve my quality of life in the way that actually doing things, can be replaced by steering, loading and clicking things.

I think I stranded somewhere around the invention of the dishwasher.

I do notice that there is an increasing amount of battery chargers which wander into our luggage when we travel. The place they take up in our suitcases is actually slowly becoming a threat to the amount of shoes I can squeeze in.

Simply adding a suitcase or bag, which would seem an easy solution, evokes a strong inner resistance from somewhere deep within me. This probably is a legacy of the early days of our life together, where my husband fooled enthousiastic, naive me into joining his adventurous trekking events. For these undertakings the first rule is: "Less is More", which you can only agree to after the second day of backpacking your backpack up a volcano, or constantly lugging it up/dragging it down from autobus roofs. After that, we had a two-seater which could barely hold a towel and a bottle of sun screen. And then we had two kids, whom I regularly took for visits to their grand parents in NL. I found out the hard way that it is not recommendable navigating more than a suitcase and a handbag when you have a maxi cosy with baby dangling on one hand, and a toddler hanging on to your other sleeve, while you rush to check in for a flight. You can see how the "L is M" mantra got ingrained over the years.

Now back to my gadget. It's brilliant. It saves room. And it's not technical at all. It will allow me to take more shoes, while I magically hide three kilos worth of books into a 600 gram and 2,5 centimeter thick tablet. It's fun to use, and quick too. No added suitcases. Nice work, if you ask me.

Crafter's Closet Part Three

2011-05-11T22:08:00.002+01:00

I thought I went through this in the eighties, and it would never come back again. Something like the chicken pox, or wearing neon leg warmers in public, or having a poster of Duran Duran stuck on your wall. Once you've been there, you're done with it.

But seeing this letter case, a bout of nostalgia overwhelmed me, and I got weak. I totally forgot about what a dusting nightmare they really are.

But now it's a fact: We have a letter case in the house. It's big and dark brown, and I don't know where to go with it really. It's not even an original one from an old printer's shop.

Paint is almost inevitable. But I've got another idea lurking in the back of my head. It's going to be a lot of work, that I can say. But I'll give it a go. The overhaul is not going to be done within one week, so I'll strew in a couple of other posts and smaller projects in the mean time. I also hope to make some shots of my progress here and there, using this blog as a stick behind the door. Feel free to remind me, if it's taking too long ;)!

Monday Stills

2011-05-09T09:58:00.020+01:00

Actually a Sunday Still. And maybe this post should be called "The Singing Succulents".
But first things first.

This is Miss A. She has a desk right under her bedroom window. A window facing south where the light streams in on sunny afternoons, and from which she has a view into the garden. This is great, because Miss A. loves to draw and sits here regularly. Most children like to draw but Miss A. loooves it. In German you would say "Sie malt für ihr Leben gern". Give her a snippet of paper and she is off..

Now last week I read a piece about children's art in our news paper. It appears that most kids, once they become a teenager, automatically stop painting and drawing as a spontaneous way of expressing themselves. Psychologists say it's because they are getting too critical. They feel that their work is not good enough. They also might be too busy with other things. We'll see what happens to Miss A.'s drawing fever (of course I secretly hope she'll just keep on enjoying it, in whatever form!), but in the mean time, I love to hold this moment before my eye just a bit longer.

"What about the succulents then?", you ask. This drawing of a succulent choir is actually one of my favorites. She made it last year at Kindergarten after a visit to the botanical garden. My husband nicked it for his study. The somewhat austere brown one in the left corner is a palm. He's the conductor.

He also snapped Mr. Pig who is waving at us from a square post-it size piece of paper.

I recently saved this snippet for me though.

If she grows up and wants to never touch a set of crayons again, I will still have the antelopes to look at and to remind her of how much fun she had, drawing and doodling.

The Birdhouse Part Two

2011-05-06T18:19:00.008+01:00

Peek-a-boo!
Here we have a newly renovated bird loft for rent.
Small and private. City location but quiet and surrounded by gardens.

Property owners: Family of humans with two lovely, animal-friendly girls. Sympathetic, helpful male adult, and a female who sometimes sings out loud (minus), but puts seed balls out in winter (plus).

Dangers: Two felines, a couple of unpredictable blackbirds, and several grumpy squirrels wandering the gardens. No foxes.

It is funny how taking a photo, sometimes brings out what is missing. Looking at the picture above I think that, before I can officially can declare this project finished (to my taste), I will add a small lining of green felt behind the orange roof edges. Which, at this stage, will be a bit (very) fiddly. Hopefully I can bring up the patience. But I'm not expecting any tenants soon so that'll be allright.

Material used: Paper, felt, acrylic paint, bit of embroidery floss.
Practical use: Uh. None whatsoever.
Recycle factor: Medium. At least the bird house didn't get ditched. And my felt stash has been reduced by 10 square centimeters.
Crafting fun: Yes!

Birdhouse

2011-05-03T19:51:00.004+01:00

Here we go for the next installment of my craft projects-in-waiting! I picked up this small bird house at the thrift store a while ago, as I liked it's shape so much.

As a real bird house however, this little dwelling doesn't seem ideal. It can't be opened and cleaned from the inside. Also: I doubt one young bird could find it's way out from the depths of it (although they are capable of quite a lot!). But I think I can make it look pretty, so that it will fit next to my small collection of other bird houses (...I do aim to keep this "collection" tiny! Just three or four of them.)

Paper and paint where the first things I could come up with. So the material above is my starting point. A Carta Varese with a tiny, lovely print in cheerful but soft colours will take the lead. I'll see how it turns out an will post the results at the end of this week!

2011-05-01T21:43:00.010+01:00

It was a mild spring weekend, and looking into the garden from our loggia was a delight. I did get out of my chair though, in between breakfast, afternoon tea and a lovely dinner of asparagus risotto, and went to check out the flea market.
As I always like to see on other blogs what people snap up during their thrifting sprees, I shall now share mine. Look away if you don't like clutter.

The tiniest of brass birds. Actually a set of three, but I gave each of the girls one.

A bag of dice. Dice always get lost. I've stocked up now.
For all conceivable dice games. Even the ones where throwing a banana, a pig or and old shoe are part of the game.

A delightful box of what must be a 100 glass chandelier pendants in all kinds of shapes and sizes. We have no chandelier for these. However, I'm pretty sure that they will be very useful for future crafting projects.

And this is Miss M's small collection of trinkets...it must be in the genes.
She promised me I can borrow the ring. I'm not too sure about the earrings...maybe when I'm invited to an eighties party...;)

I will also tell you what I did not buy: Two messed up sets of drawers, a set of industrial lamps, boxes with buttons, empty boxes, vases, sets of tiny antique porcelain doll's arms. No books either. I also left the canvas world map for the wall behind and dashed past the stand with the glass laboratory menagerie.
That was quite good of me.

Crafter's Closet Part Two...

2011-04-29T15:41:00.006+01:00

...so, in the end I managed, and got the first project out of the way. After arranging things back and forth for a while, I went with this...

I do try to think things through beforehand, but then often switch plans along the way. This time it was the handles that gave me some trouble. I didn't like the idea of fabric ones for these library bags as they tend to get stringy over time. Belt straps just didn't seem to fit with the look. In the end I confiscated two old brown leather belts from the husband (He is already used to my prying eyes when I'm looking for crafting material).

Et voilá: Two sturdy linen bags with re-purposed belts to carry tons of wonderful tales, books on horses and occasional comics around with (Lucky Luke is favorite these days).
On to the next project, which I'll show you coming week...

In the mean time: Have a nice weekend!
I'll be leisurely walking and looking for small surprises on Munich's biggest flea market of the year tomorrow!

Time for...

2011-04-26T09:10:00.006+01:00

...chocolate, sitting on the sunny terrace doodling and drawing, dogs and horses, a hike, a meal, a talk.

it was a happy Easter indeed!

Crafter's Closet

2011-04-21T00:18:00.005+01:00

I will open that closet, of which every crafter is afraid: The one of unfinished projects, rudimentary ideas and serious candidates for the bin.
In my case, I won't need to open a closet really, as these items are strewn across my work room, which doubles as a guest room, and lies right next to our living room, connected by double doors.

Needless to say these doors need to stay shut most of the time. And all the piles need to be moved to our bed room (right next to the pile of unironed laundry) every time we get guests to stay over. This moving around and keeping doors shut, gets on my nerves, and so does the proof of procrastination and assorted mistakes that grows under my eyes.

To fight this nasty battle, I will try to post the story of one of those closet projects every week. Clean, fact driven and without mercy...kind of like in my old project manager days.
No optical illusions, touch ups and all that. Just make, share and close the project off, regardless if it's a hit or miss.

Here we go!

Project 1: Library bags.
This sewing project all centers around two small cross stitch wall hangings, which I picked up on a thrift market a couple of months ago. After the first euphoria calmed down, the big question came up: "But really,....what do I do with them?"

First: Take them out of their flimsy frame.
Second: Think hard about what on earth would be a useful project to incorporate them in, taking their somewhat odd size into account.
Three: Come up with the brilliant and unheard of idea to add them to the (much) needed library bags for the girls.
Four: Start mixing and matching to get the material together.

And that's where I left it all behind in January of this year....

Material: Linen, ribbon sample, fat quarter of cotton, piece of felt and eyelets.
Stash buster an recycle factor: Good. Bought one set of small thrift embroidery pieces, picked all the rest of my stash. Reduces the use of plastic bags too. Makes kids happy. Complexity: Simple.
Result: Next week.

Wish me luck ;)

Monday Stills

2011-04-19T20:26:00.002+01:00

Miss A's Easter Bunny is smiling at me!

And every time I pass that window sill I'm smiling back.

Monday Stills

2011-04-12T20:52:00.004+01:00

Message in a bottle.

Remember this "Police" song? Where lonely Sting sends out a bottle message, and waits for ages and ages until he (almost) gives up hope, and then he opens up his front door one day, and sees a hundred-thousand answers "washed upon the shore"?

The following gave me a similar feeling...
On our way home from a wonderful, lazy afternoon at the banks of the Isar, we got over the "Thalkirchener" Bridge and saw all these small love messages fastened to the balustrade.

Cheerfully bonded without being chained, that's how I see it. You can throw your key into the fast flowing river for a touch of drama, or keep it in your pocket or a secret place. You might not tell anybody about it, but at the same time let the world know. You can add your children by adding smaller locks. Maybe it's the beginning of a family lock tree? And even if your "forever and ever" only lasts a month or a year. It was there and brought a smile to more faces than you would think.

Monday Stills on Thursday(evening)

2011-04-07T20:45:00.005+01:00

Laptop had a virus, Back-up was acting weird too. So I got a bit scared of my computer, and thought a couple of days quarantine would do us both good. And it did. But I still owe you a "Monday Stills", right?

I like how this small box turned out. It wandered away already, as it was meant to be a gift. But I had a day to look at it.
I do have a weak spot for boxes. All kinds of them. The suspense of what could be inside...or the consideration of what you could actually put inside.

Ah! Two birds in this case.
I'm not sure if Bird B (on the right) is enjoying Bird A's talkative mood, but it's too late for this season to pack up an leave. They're already nested ;)

Monday Stills

2011-03-28T11:32:00.006Z

I'm stuck on this crafting project.

Experience tells me to just let it go for the time being.

Reality tells me I'm on a tight schedule with this one.

So a little out of the box thinking is required.

And a coffee with one of the huge cookies, my brother brought with him from Holland. (Thanks again PJ!).

Hmm. Two different ones may even help better...Enough out of the box now, I guess...

Pip Blues

2011-03-23T19:53:00.013Z

Miss M has moved out.
One day, a couple of months ago, she whispered her biggest wish in my ear. Her own room. Please.
Not that sharing with her sister was a problem, but her need for her "own" corner in the house had grown.
Miss A wasn't too charmed, but she understood, and got used to the idea over time.
And we had the space for it. So we did some planning and cleaning out, and last week the big day arrived. Oh, how my girl enjoyed figuring out where to put what, and how she wanted it to be perfect, in all detail.

We got our treasured Pip Studio wallpaper out to decorate her new wardrobe. We changed a lamp. We bought "grown-up" duvet covers. However, lying in her bed that first night, hearing her sister humming next door, the golden shine of having her own little kingdom faded a little. She suddenly realized there was a "goodbye" she had to catch up with, and that it is a blessing to have a connecting door through which you can exchange late night stories.

Monday Stills

2011-03-23T14:00:00.000Z

Music has moved in at our place again. After years of silence.
Rusty in the fingers, hesitant in the execution. But it feels good.

I still hear the words of my mother ringing: "You'll be grateful."

Impossible sentence, I know.

But here we are: I'm grateful.

Link your Pink

2011-03-17T13:40:00.006Z

After all the bad news over the past few days Nic's spring colour post lifted me a bit.
Delicate cherry blossom pink. Gentle and soothing by nature.

With two girls around the house, I expected to find some pink here and there. Not so much. All I could find (except the leporello at the top), came out of the depths of my craft boxes. Fair enough.

2011-03-15T09:52:00.004Z

Again, grief is indescribable. Damage to all that lives innumerable.
It remains shocking how far, just how far, intellectual and technical capabilities of humans surpass their sense of responsibility. We are blinded and struggle to see. This is our task: To struggle and to learn to see. We must get there together.

13:12

2011-03-14T12:12:00.003Z

It's very quiet here.

I hope my small and tiny hope.

For all people of Japan. For all people in Japan.

Prototyping

2011-03-03T21:09:00.002Z

Posing prototype.

Still some work to be done.

Stitching. Cutting.

And a lot of humming as I'm listening to "Rolling in the Deep" from Adele... "We could have had it aaaaahhlll!". And checking out Elsita's blog. What fabulousness.

Have a nice weekend!

The making of...

2011-02-28T11:28:00.003Z

I had such fun with this. I also realized (again) about my dreadful written German, the woes of Microsoft Publisher, and what a lovely, diligent but also easy-going person Nic from Luzia Pimpinella is.

Of course I already knew that, like I knew about all the pretty stuff Nic designs too, and her photography, which betrays the same eye for detail and colour. That's actually why I asked her a few months ago if she'd be interested in making a designer portrait with me for my Caught Crafting blog.

She was, so know it's there. Ready for you to download. Ten pages long with a small, printeable extra to get your craftiness going. And it's available in English and German.
Go have a peek, to see what's all in there and let me know what you think!

Monday Stills

2011-02-27T21:47:00.006Z

Wally has helped us out quite a few times. On long flights, during days of illness, and sometimes just on early Monday mornings, while we are slowly waking up, and there is still some time before kindergarten starts.

Let's see..can you find Odlaw?
I'd get nuts if I had to draw this - Martin Handford must be a patient man!

Dala Cushion

2011-02-22T22:00:00.011Z

So this is one of the things I have been sewing...

One can never have enough cushions in an Austrian Ski hut...
(I should actually write vast, beautifully renovated farm, located conveniently next to the skiing piste). Especially not when you have ten giggling, eating and talking women perched together around a huge table in the "Stube" for hours and hours.

Thank you Anita for the marvelous days, and for making this lovely, yearly tradition possible!

Monday Stills

2011-02-21T21:17:00.004Z

The light was too drab yesterday for a decent Monday Stills picture. Anyway: The shot below pretty much sums it up: I've been sewing.

When I held a piece of gingham in my hands, I started thinking a bit. How some designs and patterns become classics that never tire. So I thought I would write a new post for Caught Crafting on just that: Fabric design classics. One at a time of course.

First up: Gingham, or "Vichy" as they like to call it here on the continent.

Oh yes, as the result of my sewing is a present, I'll show it to you a bit later. It does include gingham of course...

Monday Stills

2011-02-14T10:55:00.005Z

Nothing still about this Monday! Work stuff, house stuff, making stuff (yes, I still do that!) and now that the sun has come out: Errand stuff. However, there was some time for this...

All new and shiny. Carefully groomed and pampered by the husband, who had to mark some territory as he found this leaflet unpacking the box...

Now this baby is slowly giving away it's tricks and secrets to a perfect Cappuccino.
Coffee at our place anybody?

Luring Spring

2011-02-11T11:57:00.005Z

...by spreading some colour. Nic started a big scale colour infusion in blogland.
First up: Lime, or Limette as the Germans say (Love that: "Limette"). So here is my nature made, hand made, industrial made Lime sorbet.
Once we're through with all the colours, the handmade bit will hopefully come together in a nice Spring bouquet.

First pic: A lime tree as nature, and the good care of our neighbours makes them. Second: A "forgotten" candle holder on our balcony, braving winter temperatures. Last: Some lime from my felt stash, to kick of the handmade bit.

When you click the "Lure Spring" logo on my side bar, you'll find out more in case you want to join the virtual blog spring!

Monday Stills

2011-02-06T19:53:00.002Z

This post card cut-out hangs right beside the front door, on the way to our kitchen. I typically pass this corner of our apartment a zillion times a day. That is also the reason why it hangs there. Because it makes me smile.
Life can be good at any age.

Some people whisper (and they are not trying to be nice...) that it is my girlfriend G. and me.
It's not.
But it could be us in about 35 years. (Except for the dress of the lady on the right. I'm not going to wear a similar dress, and I'm pretty sure G. won't be wearing it either).
Hopefully round that time, we'll be able to meet up regularly in a sunny place, chatting the hours away. Taking walks followed by an egg-nog and a huge piece of cake.
Yes, that could be us.

2011-02-04T08:51:00.002Z

It's a bit quiet here as I'm getting ready for a birthday party. Physically and mentally. Below you see Miss A. turning 4. Somewhere in Australia, two years ago. I hope to see that smile again tomorrow, when I try to keep up with her and her 10 friends.

May your singing be loud, your cheeks full of chocolate, your jumping and running about fabulous and your sleep in the evening deep and peaceful. With exactly that smile on your face.

Monday Stills

2011-01-31T13:20:00.003Z

Mimosas. One of my favorites.

It's true: They're here today, gone tomorrow. Too fragile to keep for long, but they smell wonderful and look so delicate and pretty. Cheerful bunch these mimosa branches. So I captured them, while they lasted...

Concentrate

2011-01-27T13:57:00.007Z

I'm working away on a couple of projects, but have nothing ready or presentable enough to show you here. In the mean time, to keep all the free-flying viruses at bay, and as an antidote to all the gray outside, I pulled out this summery bowl and am pressing big glasses of juice for everyone in the house.

Hopefully it helps, as we have Miss A.'s birthday coming up soon, so we need to be fit and ready to party!

Monday Stills

2011-01-23T21:26:00.003Z

Today: A Clock. Or rather: Something clock-like.

During our last visit in Holland, Miss M. discovered this wooden toy clock at my parent's house. She picked it up from the depths of a cupboard where some of my old childhood toys bravely stood the test against time.

Once at home, in her own bedroom, she immediately put it up against the wall. Very satisfied of having her own "practicing clock" within sight.

I do like the clock too.

It also fills me with a hint of melancholy, when I see how my oldest is slowly but surely grasping the concept of time. Walking with big strides towards a grown-up life sliced into decades, lustrums, years, months, hours, minutes. Learning that "things" (should) take an x-amount of time.

Once you know about time, there is no way back. It's like learning words, or reading.

It's good and wonderful. It's necessary...but to be honest, when it comes to knowing about the slices of time, I secretly think it's also a tiny little bit of a shame...

World of Washi

2011-01-20T19:45:00.008Z

During my shopping tour for Christmas in December, I made myself a little present by picking up a set of masking tape. I have been wanting to try out this pretty material for a while, and now, I finally came round doing it. I'm thrilled about the texture, the quality and the how easy it sticks, can be peeled off, sticked on again. All without ruining the surface and the tape itself.

First project I tried it on were our bed-side lamps. Just looking at them already made me fall asleep. Nice side-effect maybe, but not during the day.
A paint spray session, a bit of easy math to get the pattern right, and a lot of fun tape cutting, brought me a fresh pair of lamps.

And, as I thought my better half would prefer something more geometrical instead of the flowery stuff, I made a pattern variation but with the same tape. Two different shades, but the same style. I like that.

last but not least, when it comes to lamp shades: The light shines through it wonderfully!
I'm addicted. Washi tape for all, I'd say!

Monday Stills

2011-01-16T22:59:00.010Z

I know I'm not exactly a regular poster. But you know, blog inspiration comes and goes. For the coming weeks however I want to give it a shot. At least each Monday.

At the start of the working week the house is normally peaceful and quiet. I enjoy wandering from room to room, cleaning things up here and there, letting some fresh air in, and let new ideas or the planning for the coming week run through my mind. During these moments, I take the time to enjoy the light and atmosphere of this apartment I came to love and feel at home in. So, I took up the idea to share some of this with you and to post a Monday Still each week.

Today: This silly, yellow vase I can't part with (I stuck some ribbon on it as well...djeez), the red berries and the wall paint in the background, it's hue changing with the sun from grey to a very light capuccino.

What/when are your favorite moments at home?

2011-01-14T18:47:00.007Z

Wandering through blogland these days, I see a lot of cleaning-up and reorganizing activities. I'm no different really, as these early weeks of January seem to ask for it...

A make over for our girl's room is on the agenda, cleaning out my study is long overdue, and saying goodbye to tons of paper is about time. (I always keep old bills, account statements, registrations and what not for ages and ages, because the moment I throw stuff out, some unexpected need for it always comes up...)

After all that busy planning, of what I should do, I needed something else to do. So I dug up those inspiring pictures of "Caretti Siciliani" I bookmarked a while ago, and painted this small box for pins.

Getting my pins under control is really a tremendous achievement don't you think ?
I believe I can rest a bit now.

Glitter Girls

2011-01-08T21:20:00.005Z

Miss A. is the youngest one in a line of glitter girls. And with that I mean women who love anything that's shiny. Especially her great grandmother and me.

We just can't resist a good dose of sparkle. It doesn't have to be expensive or everlasting. I have, for instance, a (not so expensive) fire opal that never ceases to amaze me with its deep, secretive glow. But a good Christmas ornament, or an outburst of starry fireworks does the same thing. We get that distant look in out eyes, and leave out a deep sigh.

Over the years I have toned down a ~~bit~~ lot on the obvious glitter (the style police is everywhere and quite unforgiving!), but when the day comes that I'm gliding over that red carpet, I'm going to drape as many Swarovski crystals or sequins around me as I can get away with. (I can safely make this statement here, as that day won't come. Ever;)

One of the things a glitter girl obviously needs, is a box in which she can safely organize her bits of sparkle. So that's what Miss A. got over Christmas.

I knew that Pang-Dang game, the bag of left-over felt I dragged home from my felt supply store, and the vintage ribbon would come in handy ;). Colour outside, a mirror and glitter inside. Perfect for my sweet pea!

How to...

2011-01-05T21:36:00.007Z

...magically turn 10 days into a wonderful month (at least it felt like a month off..).

Get spoiled by loved ones and Views. I swear it works.

We have safely arrived in 2011, and hope you all did so too! And although we don't know what this year will bring, we are already on our way!

I'll be back soon here with some colour to share!

2010-12-16T19:04:00.003Z

I saw a nice item at Doro's a couple of weeks ago, of which I made a mental note.
She bought a couple of plain papier maché angels at her local craft supply shop, and turned them into a bunch of cheery, colourful Christmas angels.

So, last week my mental note materialized, and I got my share of angels to fiddle around with. A priority these days before Christmas? No so much. Fun to do? Definitely.

And I still have two more! Hmmm...kitsch is good ;)!

Silly and random stitches

2010-12-10T12:27:00.005Z

The hardships of being a snail are often underestimated.

Food is so close...

Yet so far away.

Go for it Snailie!

Wreath business

2010-12-06T08:09:00.006Z

After visiting my local craft supply store, I came home with all kinds of stuff that were not on my list.

With all this extra stuff, I started making a Christmas wreath. So I thought at least. Until my whole family (one after the other) dropped by, peeking over my shoulder to see what I was doing, and asking: "Whazthat?"

"A wreath", I said.

"That's no wreath!", they would mumble, "That's two iron rings with things!"

"O.", I said (a bit pinny), "And why, in your (unsolicited) opinions, is it no wreath?"

"There is no greenery in it", they said.

No greenery. Mwah. There's bits of green related things in it (wood). I say it's a Christmas wreath. And in case you want to know: Here I explain how I got around to make the painted wooden Christmas baubles, for my own, personal Christmas wreath.

Cylinder counting

2010-11-29T11:15:00.006Z

Time didn't allow for a self-made wreath and a self made Advent calendar.
So the excited, longing children's eyes and voices won: A calendar it is.
Here's a shot of the making process.

And here's the result. The pictures are somewhat crappy because snow is already falling for 24 hours here, which means less light. And the cylinder family didn't want to line up the way I told them - a couple of them kept turning their backs on me. But you'll get the general idea.

I picked origami paper again this year. Because I love the patterns so much. Each cylinder has a little door that can be swiveled to the side, after which the content can be gobbled down without further ado.
I did suggest however, that both girls include a little self-made surprise for each-other, which was taken up enthusiastically and led to a lot of secret crafting fun.

Have a good Advent time!

2010-11-23T08:49:00.004Z

It has been a long couple of days behind my laptop, but now everything is ready to go. The new "winter"-ribbons and the classic Christmas ones are in the shop, the news pages are all updated and I finished up a little extra:

That's right: A bit of fabric and ribbon inspiration.

As I wanted to do something else this year than "just" listing what's new, I raided Linda's shop (and she also added some goods for free. Thanks for that Linda!), spread out all that colour and pattern on the floor and started to mix and match with my ribbon. Out came 6 pages of great, and sometimes unexpected combinations, which I hope will give you some ideas for lovely winter crafting projects, and get you going with your own creative mixing and matching.

You will find muted combinations and bright ones, graphically strong designs and softer ones. The whole set can be downloaded from the Ribbons and Crafts site (3,7 MB), and while you're there: Take the chance to register if you want, as I'm working on a small surprise for all my registered customers/visitors later this week!

Well, I think I'll take a short computer break to get some craft projects on the way myself.
I still have hopes to be able to make this year's advent calendar instead of buying one ;)
We'll see...I keep you posted!

The Side Table Project

2010-11-18T21:58:00.006Z

Hello to al D*S readers and thank you for dropping by! I just emerged from the plastic fuse beads again and am ready to dive into my next furniture make-over...even though it means I'll have to stand on my balcony in increasingly cold temperatures, but...working keeps you warm right ;).
Have a look around and leave a comment if you want, so I can discover a few new blogs as well!

To my faithful readers who haven't seen the before-after post on Design Sponge yet: You can read a bit more about the piece below right here.

Oh, and if you're a font-addict (like me): Go check the contest at D*S. I loved scrolling through all the beautiful, funny and clever font ideas the contestants came up with.

People, that's it for now. I'm getting some well deserved sleep after a long day behind my laptop!

Ribbon Trees

2010-11-18T08:05:00.004Z

Miss M said, I should make 24 of them for our advent calendar. But I'm not going to make that time-wise. So I'll have to whip up something else for that, and leave these as plain winter themed "dust-gatherers", as the husband of a good friend of mine so lovingly says ;) (He actually uses the word "steh-rumchen", which, in German, sounds a lot nicer than "dust gatherers").

They do have a function apart from that though. The small bowls they're standing on are perfect for hiding sweets, a room fragrance, or..hmmm...yes, small advent surprises.

If you're interested I can write a quick tutorial. Just let me know in the comments below or by mail - I made these with ribbon and felt but some nice paper can also do the trick!

Pang Dang!

2010-11-15T12:44:00.010Z

I found an old pictogram game on one of my flea market sprees. I was charmed by the small icons and liked the game's name: Pang Dang! Maybe anybody of you knows it? I've never seen it in my younger days...

Some research on the net didn't bring much. Apparently the game has been discontinued and the company that produced it doesn't exist anymore. As a couple of the cards had been "re-interpreted" by a young artist in the past ;), the game could be played no longer as intended (which I knew when I bought it - It were the icons that drew my attention anyway), so I used a couple of the fun drawings for something else.

I think these will go on a nice album or box cover, or maybe end up as a decorative piece on a small purse. And the next one to "re-do" should probably be the pair of scissors. Or maybe the goose. Love the goose.

Halloween visitor

2010-10-31T13:05:00.005Z

Look what I found on the kitchen counter this morning. Pieces of Miss A's Halloween outfit made themselves independent. I managed to get rid of him by turning him into a pair of cuffs.
I hope it helps...still...I'll strategically place some chocolate eyeballs on the counter, just in case.

Glimpses

2010-09-24T10:16:00.011Z

We went to the eye doctor last week. Routine check-up for the three of us. Everything was absolutely fine, although our small, eagle-eyed Miss A. was somewhat disappointed that she did not need a pair of glasses after all.

On the way home in the subway the girls cuddled up against me. Miss A. holding hands with her sister (ah, they can be so cute!).

It had been a busy week for all of us, and late afternoons are always the part of the day where energy levels run low. A friendly looking woman in her fifties was standing in the corner across from us, two metres away. Maybe she travelled from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh to build a new life in Europe. Maybe.

She looked at us with a smile. Then, suddenly tears came into her eyes, and she had to turn away.

We reminded her, surely, of things that had been. Or could have been. And as much as I wanted to console her, I didn't know how. I just hoped she has people near and dear to her who can. I wish that for all of us.

miles

2010-09-03T20:57:00.010Z

The times of traveling slowly come to an end here after two weeks of China (The husband, not me. I was green with envy of course), and three weeks Holland. And now we are slowly getting settled for shorter days and cooler nights.

Just one weekend abroad left on the agenda. Paris. Paris and work actually. But I'll make sure to sneak off for a nice bistro and a small shopping tour.

I wouldn't say no to rounding Cape Horn on this Clipper though. (Picture courtesy of my dearest husband. Taken at Sail Amsterdam 2010, when my camera died on me).

Ah, think of it full sail at 18 to 20 knots. But that's probably for another life (which might start in a week or so. You never know...). It was wonderful to see the tall ships sail in, accompanied by everyone and his boat. But tomorrow, early morning, I'll be making some miles by plane instead. In two days I'll be home again - and then hopefully back to more regular posting.

Memory makers

2010-08-01T21:12:00.013+01:00

I made small memory game for someone who left for a new life. While doing so, I realized we all make memories. Not for ourselves, but for others. By organizing a legendary party, by saying the right words, by sharing sorrowful times, by baking the best chocolate cake ever.

And as so many things happen without us being able to take any influence, it is a wonderful thing to be at the root of a pleasant memory. A bit like being Amelie Poulain, but without all the secret planning. Just spun naturally out of care and attention. Every day magic.

The game

2010-07-10T23:05:00.003+01:00

What can I say? Ausnahmezustand. Exceptional circumstances. Noodtoestand.
The World Championships took a bit longer than expected.

Tomorrow is the last day, and "we" are still in. Germany because it's been my home for 15 years, Holland because I'm Dutch and spent the biggest part of my life there, Spain because it's the country of my childhood, and I can still see the pavement of the Ramblas when I close my eyes and so clearly remember the smell of a fresh tortilla or empanada.

All I really wish for is a good game. Viva!

wardrobe part 2

2010-06-18T11:10:00.015+01:00

Oh. It's summer hiding in there... I should have known.

Here's the how to:

1. I drew, scanned and printed the wardrobe (just 4 walls, no roof) to fit around an old, straight forward pc heatsink (the simpler its form, the better it is). Then I cut some paper to size, to cover the interior of the wardrobe. After that, I glued the wardrobe together and placed it over the heat sink.
2. For the flowers and the grass: Again, I drew these to size, scanned, cleaned it all up digitally, printed them and cut them out, leaving enough paper at the bottom to be able to slide them between the fins of the heat sink.
3. Et voila: The possibilities of your diorama are endless!

...for instance little red riding hood, dilly-dallying on her way to grandma (Watch your back girl!):

This might keep me busy for a while. Until the rain stops.

What's in a wardrobe?

2010-06-16T22:21:00.004+01:00

The digital refinement of my paper and marker drawing almost made my hand fall off.
So much for a high resolution scanner.

But the outside is ready now, and I'm happily doodling on the contents.
You guess ;)....
A hint: It's for playing (what else...) and there's a left-over pc heatsink involved.

a weekend out

2010-06-14T21:34:00.007+01:00

Once a year I'm off with the girls. Leaving Miss A. and Miss M. under the competent and caring supervision of my beloved husband.

I pack a weekend bag, dig out my stick and sun lotion and dive into a weekend that will leave me with a huge muscle ache and an array of scratches and bruises. A weekend that never fails to bring back the joy and fun I have when I'm playing hockey.

Oh yes, that small ball surely is hard. So is a hockey stick. And the synthetic turf too, by the way. But the fun of being part of a team and the quick game never tire. Sitting in the sun between matches with a drink and a bunch of giggling girl friends helps too. So does a drive with a Bahama blue old MG, roof top open. A night of dancing. A handful of new anecdotes to add to our team records. The bantering with the other teams. Good for body and soul.

If I only would have bought my new hockey shoes half a size bigger. That would have made things perfect. But I should know after all these years: Sport is suffering but satisfying!
I will try to get up from my seat now and stumble to bed. Next year I'll do some running, to get fit beforehand. Really.

what? 00:30 already?

2010-06-08T23:28:00.007+01:00

Catching up on work, losing out on sleep.
Hmmm, wait.
Maybe it was that veeery long lunch hour I had today which got my schedule messed up. Possibly. Or some inefficient fiddling with the details of packaging (I don't think I'm ever going to earn a penny this way ;).

"Discipline" and "Priorities" will be my magic words for tomorrow!

On the road

2010-06-06T20:28:00.013+01:00

The days flew by,
the weather did as it pleased,
we didn't read any of the books we took along, but plenty of dreaming instead,
newly learned swimming skills were practiced,
walking boots tried and tested,
and from the peaks of the Dolomites, the plains of Emilia Romagna and the hills of Tuscany, Italy was its good, expect the unexpected, beautiful and delicious old self.

Physically home again since yesterday, our mind is now slowly moving up north as well. Please allow 24 more hours before start up is completed ;)

Work in process

2010-05-25T21:59:00.004+01:00

I picked up some small ceramic tiles on Etsy, not knowing exactly what to do with them.
Now, with felt, floss and some beads added, I still don't know what to do with them, other than enjoy colour, form and all the possibilities ahead.

Blogging and crafting will be a bit irregular the coming week as the kids are home and the sun is out. But there is a little reading for you on Caught Crafting, where I interviewed Joan about her amazing collection.

I'll be back soon!

Colour Week - Last Day

2010-05-22T21:18:00.004+01:00

Multicolour- White - Multicolour - White...? I couldn't decide. Therefore one of each. A delicate Spirea in full bloom (a pity the scratch and sniff blog has not yet been invented), and that oh so wonderful mosaic in our neighbourhood church (a pity I can't catch the rays of sun in 10,000 pieces of gold with my limited photography skills).

Have a good weekend. And a lovely Pentecoast, if you celebrate.

Colour Week- Green

2010-05-21T19:25:00.013+01:00

Yes - I know. I forgot the purple yesterday. Well, I didn't really forget it. I just couldn't come up with a decent photo of purple. Or violet. Or any of their sisters.

So I jump to green right-away. Although Munich has quite some trees and parks and gardens I mainly saw other kinds of green. Here is my take on "city green" for today.

Top to bottom: Greenery grows everywhere, graffiti, graffiti,graffiti (Hmm, I'm no friend of these kind of doodles), door in a backyard, sticker saying: "Friends, who can live without them?"

Colour Week - Yellow and Orange

2010-05-19T20:49:00.004+01:00

Seems I can hardly say goodbye to Blue.

It keeps sneaking in again. But Yellow and Blue make such a wonderful combination.

I would have another dozen pictures to upload. If "Blogger" would let me. But these will have to do for now. I'll keep one with a good dose of yellow in store for Saturday...

Colour Week - Blue

2010-05-18T20:31:00.006+01:00

I wish I could post a photo of a nice blue sky here today. Maybe not the most original motive but definitely one I would have liked to have before my lens.

But no.The blue had to come from elsewhere. From Holland and Greece to be precise.

This isn't my home. It's a fisherman's cottage from the "Zuiderzee Museum" in Enkhuizen. Decorated in an old "Delfts Blauw" style but with a modern twist. The fun is in the detail here (i.e. all the smaller drawings and symbols), but unfortunately they cannot be seen very well on this picture. Best to go there yourself and have a peek.

The art supply store from Karin Schachinger here in Munich provided the second part of Blue. Luscious Grecian Blue wood paint, which I used on some desperate furniture a while ago.

Bits of Holiday during a cold month of May.

Colour Week - Red

2010-05-17T20:28:00.004+01:00

Lisa put up the 2010 edition of colour week. Today is red. Funny how you never see a decent bit of red when you need it. And I didn't want to cheat by digging through my archives.

This late afternoon though, on the way home from sports, this redness popped up just before my eyes (and it wasn't the lack of oxygen). Appears all the red of the day saved itself up and materialized in a circle. Glad I caught it.

Blues tomorrow. Hope blues will be easier on me.

Quick Note...

2010-05-17T08:31:00.003+01:00

Sew mama Sew's May Give Away feast is on. And I'm in!
If you'd be interested in winning 20,- € worth of goods from my ribbon shop - go and check out the Caught Crafting blog to get all the details.

Apart from the whole give away-thing, I also look forward finding some nice, new blogs.

So, with a coffee in hand, a bunch of Dutch cookies right next to me, I'm off! Not bad for a Monday morning...

busy but not blogging

2010-05-02T19:54:00.006+01:00

It's been a bit of a slow week here. Child at home sick (but better now), only snatching a couple of working hours here and there. Doing too much in the (late) evening and then getting punished by the alarm clock in the morning.

So when I got a few hours on Saturday morning, I dived head first into Munich's thrifting season. Every spring there are organised, neighbourhood yard sales, with maps of all the houses and buildings that have joined. A nice opportunity to discover some hidden city-gardens and pictoresque back yards as well as doing some flea-market shopping at the same time.

This time I saved a paper and wood peacock from the rain:

And these ceramic pendants:

The seller told me they were from Mexico - does anybody know a bit more about them? I'd love to collect some additional ones! Tomorrow (Monday) I'll get going with a normal week. A couple of furniture make-overs are desperately calling for my attention!

turning weakness into strength

2010-04-22T20:56:00.010Z

I have this weakness for wasabi peas. Once I'll open a box I can't stop nibbling. The spicier it gets, the better. Once I have finished a tin (sometimes my husband and Miss A. also get 1 pea. Miss M. thinks they are too spicy), I just can't throw it away. I mean it's a good tin. Perfect closing lid as well. It just seems such a waste. So I've been piling them up in a corner. Something like this:

Of course these tins are not the only things I have been piling up. So I thought, let's make the tin-pile a bit prettier, and then put all the other unorganized piles into the pile of tins.

Nice huh? And it's a total win-win situation. I have one pile instead of multiple piles, I can keep eating wasabi peas, I have an excuse to buy pretty paper and fiddle around with my new printer/scanner making little labels.

You should try it as well. Also works with peanuts, macadamia, almonds etc.

Nice weather project

2010-04-18T07:08:00.005Z

I remember starting these small felt doodles a year ago, sitting outside in the sun. Ever since, this has been a good-weather project to me. Associated with ice tea, white linen dresses and eating the fish of the day at the marina.

But last year's autumn caught up with me quicker than expected, and I didn't finish it in time. And we didn't go to any marina. And the white linen dress...well you probably get it...

But now I unpacked the doodles again and finished the loose ends. I'm going for a holiday at the sea-side this summer. Actually, now I think of it, this leaves me plenty of time to add a second, slightly shorter strand...must be do-able before July/August, what do you think?

What to do on a rainy afternoon in April

2010-04-15T19:13:00.003Z

- ~~Clean house~~
- ~~Sleep~~
- ~~Read~~
- ~~Play Playmobil with kids~~
- Decorate Grapefruit

Of course. Decorate a grapefruit. What else.

Did it rain where you live as well?

close up

2010-04-12T19:08:00.003Z

The last bunny in our house. Sad but true. At least it is captured now.

I think this is what's going to happen: We'll peel off the foil really carefully. Then make it flat with our nails and giggle at the funny print that is left, when something three-dimensional turns into something two-dimensional. Afterwards Miss A or Miss M will want to keep it for a while. Until it gets lost in the depths of a treasure box or under a pile of books.
The right package really is half of the fun.

Collected

2010-04-06T10:07:00.004Z

Hello there! Hope you all had nice Easter holidays!

We spent a wonderful week, adding to our individual and shared collections. Both the short lived and the lasting kind. As there were...

..the collection resulting from a walk through grandpa's garden with my five year old. After I made above picture most of it was blown away by the spring breeze. I was happy to see though, that the birds finished their plates this winter ;) (the green plastic thing on the right). But I have no clue where that bone comes from...

...the ginormous collection of eggs we ended up with - consisting of paper, real and chocolate ones (these won't last very long...)

...the ever growing collection of memories coming from that good old house in Holland and the loved ones in and around it.

...the changes that are developing for my business, and the endless collection of possibilites and ideas that come with them. Maybe that's why the door and wings suddenly appeared when I made my new Spring blog banner...

Anyhow, they're all good things. We are lucky. I am. I hope you are too this Spring.

Bunny Business

2010-03-28T17:24:00.006Z

Bunny: "Oi, Dee!"

Me: Oh, hello sweet bunny!"
Bunny: "I ain't no sweet bunny!"
Me: "Ok, well...just Bunny then."
Bunny: "Mr. Bunny. We need to talk".
Me (thinking that looks can deceive): "No problem, what is it you w...."
Bunny: "About working conditions."
Me: "Working-what?"
Bunny: "W-O-R-K-I-N-G C-O-N-D-I-T-I-O-N-S!"
Me: "But Bun', you don't work?!"
Bunny: "Ha! What about Easter then? Decorating eggs, dragging them around on my back, dangerous climbing, fending off cat-attacks while hiding the whole lot? That ain't work? I want a bunny bonus this year, otherwise I'm flying off to my cousin, who lives on St. Kitts, and I'll be drinking Pina Colada in the sun with my feet up instead. You choose.

Me: "Bunny, you can't go away! Not now, one week before Easter!
Bunny: " W-O-R-K-I-N-G C-O-N-D-I-T-I-O-N-S. Is all I’m sayin’."
Me: "OK, what do you have in mind?"
Bunny: "I want a Gucci bag, a fully stocked Egg-Decoration-Studio, and overtime pay in the form of an extra load of fresh carrots, baby spinach and 3 cubes of sugar. And I want a stylish hat.”
Me: “A stylish hat?”
Bunny: “Yeah, something that sets me apart from the other bunnies, you know.”
Me: “Hmmm, maybe a “Master Bunny” hat...?”
Bunny: “Master Bunny Hat. Sounds good. What about the rest?”
Me: “Well, the overpay seems do-able. Don’t know about the decoration studio though, as me and the kids normally do all of that, to be honest. And I fear that Gucci actually doesn’t design bunny-bags.
Bunny: “Well, they should.”
Me: “We can write them a letter.”
Bunny: “Yeah, yeah, fine. But I want a new bag now.”
Me: “It’s going to be difficult to find something that keeps all those eggs safe.”
Bunny: “Eggs? Who’s talking about eggs? I need it for my pocket mirror, my passport and my iPhone. This job is a logistic nightmare, and I have to look good in case I get photographed.”
Me:”….would this work?”

Bunny: “I’ll go with it.”
Me: “No St. Kitts then?
Bunny: “Nope. Not this year.”

Magazine inspiration

2010-03-18T20:42:00.015Z

I love magazines. Home Decoration, Architecture, Interviews, Food & Cooking, Geography, Business, Gossip, News ...you name it. I read it. For a long time, when my kids were still (really) small, magazines was all I could read. Nowadays, my amount of uninterrupted time allows me to dive into a book again for a couple of hours.

Still, each Friday morning, coffee at hand, I'll leaf through the Süddeutsche Magazin (amongst others). This magazine comes with our newspaper (and is generously left to me by my husband ;). Most of the times it's enjoyable, sometimes it's great, and now and then there is nothing in it that sticks with me. Last week however, it was definitely worth going through it, even if it were just for the birds.

See? Birds. And "10 for a Euro" plastic eggs. And paint. Makes this year's Easter decoration.

Anyone still has last week's "Süddeutsche Magazin" lying around? I do have some eggs in need of a bird...

as it comes...

2010-03-13T21:29:00.004Z

This could be me. Soaking up some sun.

But I'm too busy getting the new spring ribbons photographed while those rays of light last.

In the mean time, this girl is waiting to be part of a little round dance. She picks up the sun as it comes. Hmmm, I think I'll take a break. The sun will come out for a round of photography later, don't you think...?

Sewing Clothes for the Kids we Love

2010-03-02T21:42:00.007Z

When I got Nancy's email a year or so ago, saying she was going to write a book, and asking if I would consider making some felt accessories that could be strewn in here and there, I shouted "Whoopeee, yes!" to my laptop. Because I knew that her book would be a feast of colour, loaded with abundant and versatile designs for kid's clothing, and filled with delicious photography.

I also knew, that there would be lots of useful information behind all that eye-candy. And most important: I knew that this book would be written with heart and soul. With care and attention from both Nancy and Sabine.

So, without further ado, I did my little colour thing, and sent her a set of flower brooches/hair pins/scarf holders, hoping they would be what she looked for... Well, they were...and the editor did not cut them out. And this one is in a book now (yoohoo, hello sweetie! It's your mum waving to you!)

Maybe you've met her there already, maybe you will in the future. Maybe not at all. But in case you think it would be nice to add a little extra to a festive "Manhattan" dress, or "Brooklyn" shrug...or that "Feliz" skirt you are sewing would be perfect with a nonchalant detail on the hip: Here is the pattern. In English and German.

Have fun...that book will last a long time!

Application form

2010-02-12T11:46:00.004Z

Often, that what I expect to be the tricky bit about a crafting project, turns out not to be so tricky at all. Application for instance.

I always dreaded the fraying of fabric, an intended circular form that would turn out octagonal-ish. The skill needed to get more or less even stitches. The somewhat smuddly result after hours of sweating over a piece of fabric - doing and redoing bits.

But no, all of that turns out relatively painless. The tricky bit is the composition. What to add, what to leave out. Where space and emptiness is good, where it's boring.

Proportions, sizes, placement. I'm learning. And right now, I happen to like big flowers.

Taking it as it comes...

2010-02-05T22:24:00.011Z

I planned this to be a crafty post. Waited two weeks, hoping to get something finished. Something that would be half-way presentable. But I'm in the slow craft mode. Strolling along nostalgia lane instead. So be it.

Last year, around this time, we were travelling back home from Australia. One of those holidays that get even better, the more you look back at it. On Miss A.'s birthday we were in "Agnes Water" and had a nice little party, the four of us.

But...let's be honest, for a birthday girl turning five, nothing beats the hoopla of thirteen kids, three kilos of sweets, a chocolate cake and a bit of downhill sledding. So that's what we did this year. And we survived.

All of this was a week ago, and I'm still eating those wiener-wurstl...maybe that's what slows down the crafting. But then again, it might be these holiday pictures I keep looking at, and the thought of all those hot, hot days full of sun and water.

in Ordnung...

2010-01-21T12:46:00.010Z

Für die Bänderbegeisterten unter uns: Nic hat die Frage gestellt.
Da habe ich zwar einen kleinen Vorteil, da ich das Zeug hier Spulenweise rumliegen habe: Also ab im Schrank und fertig...

aber wo Rollen sind, sind Reste. Und ich kaufe auch mal ein paar Meter Pimpinellsches. In solchen Fällen hilft bekannterweise das schwedische Möbelhaus.

Hier mit diesen Teilen die eigentlich zu einem Wohnzimmerprogramm gehören (fragt mich nicht welches...), und so ungefähr wie Schubladen für nette Kleinigkeiten gedacht sind. Passt irgendwie ganz gut, finde ich.

Hinstellen kann man sie überall (unterm Schrank zum Beispiel). Stapeln auch. Und in eine andere Farbe übermalen. Dazu war ich bis jetzt dann aber zu faul. Oder besser: Ich konnte mich für keine Farbe entscheiden. Ist ja schon Farbe genug drin, denke ich...

You know it's the first week of January when...

2010-01-06T16:09:00.006Z

...suddenly there are a lot more joggers.

...there is almost nobody else on the streets, except those joggers.

...the police is harvesting on parking tickets.
All parking licenses have expired, and the municipality is not in a hurry to supply us, humble citizens with new ones.

...dinner consists of old, wrinkled tomatoes, pasta and stuff from the freezer I had forgotten about (fish sticks, pesto..).
Every year it slips my mind, that the 6th of January also is a day off, and well...shops are closed.

...street corners and junctions are still covered with the red fire works paper. Like it. Gives me an "after-the-party-feeling" in a nice way.

...I make lists. No "to-do" lists of course. Just "Preliminary Lists of Things to Consider in the Coming Weeks" and "Draft Notes for when Everything is Back-to-Normal".
This involves a lot of...eh...thinking, mugs of tea/coffee and all the left-over christmas chocolate I can lay my hands on.

...I think I should go and see my dentist for a check up.

...it's time for new fridge magnets....

2010

2010-01-04T19:55:00.005Z

...looks at me from the title of this post. A bit astonished. The curiousness of youth so to say. Quite a pretty year this twenty-ten. Still, in about 360 days, she'll be gone again. Oh so quick, just like all the ones before her.

But for now: We will get to know each other. Day-by-day. We're starting out really nice and quiet over here. I hope we'll get along. I hope you'll get along with her too. She will surely be something different for everyone, but I wish for all of you, that her days will be clear and kind, and that her nights will bring good sleep and a funny dream or two.

Happy 2010!

Positive thinking

2009-12-17T21:19:00.007Z

Christmas decoration status: 1 (See above: 30 cm birch tree wreath with baubles and felt stuff on it).

Oh no, I'm lying. I forgot the pine cone shaped, bees wax candle the husband bought. It smells good. Status should therefore read: 1,5

And I went to the hairdresser's. So that's done (Does this count as "decoration" as well?).

I'll look fancy dandy on Christmas Eve. That is, if I could persuade said hairdresser to drive with us to Holland, perched in between two children's seats, a big bag of toys on her lap, and a repertoire of songs and word games at hand. Then she could (re)do her styling magic before (every) Christmas dinner.

I also bought a present for myself (from Sanna Annukka). It was too expensive to ask anyone for it as a Christmas present. Sometimes it's better not to ask either, just secretly save some money.

All in all, pretty good progress, I think. A couple of days more and Christmas can come!

I do see the need to start shifting my attention away from myself, and towards other people though ;))...Christmas card writing would be a good start.

Well, if I don't meet you here or elsewhere in blogland during the remainder of this year: Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy 2010!

My wish for this and the following year, and a decade or 5 after that as well, is that the Kopenhagen conference becomes a success. Yep, such is my positive thinking.

a day about town

2009-12-09T21:19:00.018Z

Often, when you take up a camera with the thought of photographing something specific (Munich Pre-Christmas shots in this case) you come home with different things alltogether.

So be it. To me, this was Munich today.

The day actually did include a visit to our local Christmas Market. But I was too busy eating crepes and supervising kids at that point. Tomorrow it's back to the Christmas wreath, and some real work!