2011

Dear all, when I started blogging in September of this year I didn't had a glue of what impact it would have. It has indeed! I'll tell you that blogging is fun to do and kind of addictive too. Your comments just make me keep on posting! Thanks for your sweet words and please drop by again.

Wish you all a happy new year!

Almost five fingers

L is having her birthday next week, so be prepared to read some posts about that special day. Preparations are started over here!
So sweet, she wants to invite four friends for her very first birthday party. Today we cosily made invitations. Firstly L started to make drawings for her friends and others, invited for her 'adults party', but it appeared to be too much work for her (she's that precisely, it would have taken the whole day). She ended up adding her name at the bottom... No need to mention that I was inspired by stamping Kristel (here she is again :)). Last time HEMA was my eraser supplier, this time it was V&D's turn (another Dutch warehouse).

In a shoebox

This stable I once made by covering a little shoebox with felt and cutting a little cross to fix a twig. M and L are always a bit disappointed because for them it's necessary that Maria is wearing a red robe with a blue mantle and Joseph should have been dressed in brown. But their mother longed for a more stylish nativity scene... I want to and don't know why, but every year before Christmas I fail to make some more felt figures. It doesn't matter, as long as we enjoy Christmas. And we did this afternoon, sledge sliding down the hills in the beautiful woods of Breda. I wish you a happy Christmas too!

We do use real candles in our Christmas tree and lighted them traditionally yesterday evening, followed by singing songs and M playing her violin. And no, we don't agree that the burning candles are dangerous.

Giveaway winner

For those curious ones about the second part of the giveaway: here it is! But for whom was it made? Oh, exciting... Today my Chinese colleague Tao chose a random number between 1 to 37. Congratulations Jennifer of Little Birds Fly, these two ornaments will be yours in a few days. Happy Christmas to you!
Thank you all for passing by and writing such sweet comments. My conclusion is that my first giveaway was a great hit!

Out of fashion?

Before I told you we had a Christmas dinner in style in the office. To be able to wear a sleeveless dress I was looking for a bolero in town. But, I was told, they're out of fashion and no more available... Mmm, what to do? I remembered this post and decided to knit one. Due to a lack of time I wasn't able to search for a pattern, so I just started to knit once I had bought the wool. Luckily the fit appeared to be fine, so it's no shame to share a tutorial. The bolero is made of exactly 3 balls of yarn of 100 gram each. I used this yarn, needle 8.
Here comes my very-first-can't-be-more-simple tutorial:

Addition: to see the kids version, click here.

First giveaway

I like to try something new. For no other special reason than soon having Christmas time (read present time), I thought it was time for a fast and small giveaway: two double sided ornaments. Just leave a short (and sweet ;)) comment and I'll randomly pick a winner next Wednesday already!
When you come back that day, I'll show the still secret second part of the giveaway just before closing time (4 p.m. Amsterdam-time), that looks like the Christmas variant of this ornament. The very same day I plan to send the post, hoping it arrives before the 25th. I will ship world-wide so anyone is welcome to enter if you'd like.

Productive

Wow, what a week. My job is extremely busy as usual before Christmas time. Early starts, long days. Pfff. I survive by emptying my head and making things in the evenings. Planning so far: a necklace (Monday), a bolero (Tuesday and Wednesday), an addition for the nativity scene (later this week).
A small item I was pleased with was this experimental necklace, that I plan to wear tonight at a Christmas dinner in the office. A few weeks ago I fell in love with a necklace my neighbour was wearing. After a good look I tried to copy the tied knots into the wire. Once clear it's fairly easy to make. After five knotted wires the work was done. Now doors are opened; there surely will be more necklaces in the future.
In the morning my daughter was amazed and asked me: did you make this yourself? She loved to be a model for the camera to show you the necklace.

Special friend

My friend Kristel invited me to her birthday lunch and workshop last sunday. There was no doubt about bringing along a self-made gift for somebody like her. Because she's an allround crafter but knitter I made her a knitted pillow cover. There's no pattern, after casting on I just knitted purl and knit stitches randomly. For the filling I used this, because the proportions are great in my opinion (I only made it some less thick).
Kristel, thanks for the creative afternoon. Now I know how to crochet again! I'll certainly continue doing this and will try to transfer the crochet virus to my daughters ;).

Recommended

To stay with Annekata, on her blog I 'met' one of her inspiration sources: Nuno Magazine, where I copied this beautiful lightbluegrey image from. I would like to introduce this magazine to you, for I was struck by the beauty of so many diy objects. Just go to this preview if you want to get triggered like me. The featured egg carton wall art, the finger puppets and do you see that knitted purse, it's all lovely! Don't you agree?
Thanks to Heather of Nuno Magazine I had a glance through their fall issue. Now I'm happy and certainly up for the winter issue!

Thing

When I saw this of Annekata some time ago, I knew right away I had to give it a try to make Kristel a brooch like this, which I attached on top of a present I made her. Apparently I was in the right mood, for I made a double sided thing (a more and less colored side), which can be used as a brooch or a button or a pendant or an ornament or... Somebody any other idea?
What's inside the wrapping paper I'll tell you later, so to be continued...

Addition 23.12.10: today I discovered that there is even a name for this and these kind of things: a so-called gift topper. When you like to be inspired for making another one yourself, then just go to this link.

To stay overnight

We needed a sofa bed, but where to find a goodlooking one? As more often we solved the problem by making one ourselves. And this idea, a DIY sofa bed, I do recommend! We bought two good quality mattresses (no Ikea) and linked them by handstitching the long edges together with a strong thread. Then I made a cover. Doing this I suddenly got stressed because I accidentally cut the fabric in a wrong way. That's why the colored part was added. But I don't regret it at all! On the bottom I used one very long and four little zippers. So, one guest can sleep directly on the sofa; in case two people are going to stay overnight we get off the cover and rotate the upper mattress.
A tip about the upholstery I used. Some of you maybe know the beautiful fabrics of Kvadrat. Their Divina is used on a regular base in my professional projects. For this sofa bed however I used a slightly different option: the so-called Europost of Gabriel. This fabric is some cheaper and stronger. And I think the ocher is the most beautiful colored woolen upholstery there is. The picture doesn't show it properly; you should see it in real!

Staring at leaves

M loves this tree on the wall of her bedroom. She has a loft bed with direct view on this tree. Often we just cosily stare at the leaves to discover objects in the patterns of the used fabrics.
Last year I couldn't decide whether to buy this (in the meantime everywhere spotted) tree of Dutch Inke or not. But because of the high and sloping ceiling, it was clear that this tree wouldn't work out. So it became an own version made of different fabrics instead of wallpaper. To be honest, this way it turned out to be such a hugh project, that I wouldn't recommend to copy my idea. Although the final result is well succeeded and sustainable. The honours of the design of the tree and the detail with the bird go to Inke.

First exciting, then cosy

Yesterday evening was just great. The girls were dancing and singing their songs till... he came, he came, Sinterklaas. And he brought a lot of gifts: such as a serious pile of beautiful books, Schleich animals (horses and dogs), a (lovely old-fashioned) wooden spinning top, a lift bridge for the wooden train (L's heart's desire), glittering tights (for M of course), a black leotard (the first black to wear for M anyway) and even (something their mother would never give ;)) nailpolish.
For the day after some pics to taste how it was.

Another secret

Of course Sinterklaas visited school too. Yesterday all classmates of M received a felted pouch for their so called diatonic Choroi flute.
There's another Sinterklaas secret, this time for M (who I strictly keep away from my blog and I-phone these days): weeks ago I attended a parents evening where we were teached how to make a felted piece of fabric. This was a new experience for me and I enjoyed doing it a lot. We were asked to personally embellish and finish the pouch at home. Yes, I'll do, Sinterklaas said.

Swapping

Kristel of Vlijtig and I know each other for a long time. We are different and at the same time have a lot in common. When she saw this scarf she asked me to make one for her daughter. We agreed on a practical swap of Sinterklaas presents, so we could make them in daytime. And so became swapping a new experience for me.
I sent her this post: a scarf on which I pinned some mini-presents for her two daughters. Hopefully they all like them. Have a look at Kristel's blog which beauties she made for M!