Heart tea cozy

A whole week passed and I barely touched the computer. Well, I did, but too late when I was too tired so making sentences was a colossal task. I just read...

So, here we are... I talked about a tea cozy and hearts and an overdose of pink? well, some time ago, when I first opened my little online shop, someone asked me if I could make a tea cozy. It was my first custom order... first order actually. And I really liked the challenge because I had never made a tea cozy before. I was a newbie so I started doing it and when I was almost done with it, the customer informed me that she actually wasn't interested anymore. Since I was new at this, I hadn't charged anything before hand and I was left with a tea cozy full of pink hearts. Im not a big pinky, hearty person myself so I was left wondering what to do with it. Sure, I could have put it on the shop anyways but... you know when you do something but you are not completely satisfied with it... you just think... there is something missing here... and I dont like puting for sell something that doesnt convince me...
Months later I walked in a shop... one of those very old ones that seem to have been there for ever, with tons of bits and pieces all over the place. I found a bunch of little buttons shaped like hearts in different shades of pink and different sizes and bought them thinking of this cozy. Sew them up, added a little ball on the top for easy grabbing... and... taddaaaaaaaaa....



I tried it -to see if it worked- and it keept my tea warm for 3 hours!!!! Actually, I forgot it on the table and 5 hours later the tea was still warm, only... not drinkable warm...well, for me. I like my tea warm. Not luke warm but... warm!
Well, I really hope it finds a home soon because it deserves being used. Im not very pink myself so it doesn't match my cups and pots (as if everything had to match, right?).. So off to keep someone elses tea warm in this coming winter!

It's in my shop now!

On other news...I've been teaching myself how to sew a zipper to a wristlet... I feel so clumsy sometimes!

I know, not perfect... but now I know how to do it! I just need practice!

And I also taught myself how to put one of those magnetic snaps on a bag... I confused myself a bit what with the lining and the right side, the wrong side... I swear sometimes it feels easier for me to read a philosophy book than sewing instructions... my brain melts! How dumb am I.
Not really...:)
Well, you can't see the snap, but the bag itself is quite comfortable. It's linen with a nice Amy Butler fabric on top.

Anyway, it's saturday and the inlaws are coming over ... I better start cleaning up the house a bit. Just today the sun decides to come out and you can see all the dirt in the windows... damn! Now Im going to have to clean them......... whyyyyy?! Can you tell I am not a fan of household chores?

I hope everyone is doing ok!
Have a nice weekend!

last sun rays and my face! :P

That was an interesting Friday. The Merry-go-round was a very good idea. I loved reading about other women around the world and how it was that they arrived to this point in their lives where crafting is so important. In a weird way I got a sense of community.

I've been busy making a few more scarfs but now I run out of silk so production is at a halt. I feel like sewing today, but I don't know what!
I have to run to the post office to send some goodies to their new owners, but here some pictures of the new scarves (whilst enjoying the last sun rays we'll see for a while I think! Im not possing, the photographer thought it was best to take pictures when i wasnt aware of it):


They are both nuno felted scarves, merino wool felted onto silk fabric. The flowers in the top one are made with different shades of browns and mustard colors in silk. Silk everywhere actually! :) I added some subtle golden beads that seem to be coming out of the flowers.

The scarf bellow has a lots of red shades: dark, cherry, orangey, pink and rainbow silk strands. Lots of silk on both scarves. It addes some glitter without being too much in your face. And it is so soft and delicate!


I was going to post about the tea cozy but as i was writing I had an idea to improve it, so hopefully, tomorrow!

Merry go Round

Jump on our merry go round and join a group of artists/crafts-women as they link hands around the world and tell you a little about their lives in art and craft.

Today is the first time we have this feature in our blogs. As a group of 8 women from all over the world, we have got together in what would constitute an example of peaceful idea exchange and diplomacy, and agreed to come to our blogs once a month and share a bit more about ourselves.
We choose a question and all of us have to answer it in our blogs. It will be very interesting to read what each of us has to say, taking in account how much our lives and crafts differ.

This months question:

What was your journey to your art/craft?

My journey has been long. I started to show interest in arts in general when I was a little girl. So my parents signed me up to every workshop there was in town: drawing, ceramics, puppet making, music...
As I grew older, in my teen years, I basically stuck to ceramics. I dont know how much I learnt or did in those years but then that group of people I used to see once a week at the class, was my second group of friends, another type of friends away from my school friends, and that felt special.
When I left town and moved 1000km away to go to University, arts seemed to dissapear from my life for a while. First couple of years of uni I spent, I think, every waking hour with my nose glued to a book... or running to a class or a study group. I think the urgency of the examns and this new life meant that there was no time for anything else... and I ignored my "calling". Deep down inside I think I would have loved to join the Fine Arts School and study something there, but in a family of laywers, Ingeneers and doctors; arts are a hobby, not a job ... so in my head it didnt really fit the chance of studying some form of fine arts to develope it into a job later.
After a couple of years I started to draw again, took a couple of workshops on photography (right before digital era, so all those tricks for the speed and shutter went unused once I got a digital reflex).
In the year 2000 I thook 3 months off and came to Europe on vacations (Im Argentinean, south America). Whilst in Firenze, Italy (talking about art, uh!?) I met this dutch man who a couple of months later, was ringing on my bell in Argentina, surprising me and asking me to marry him. So I packed up and moved to The Netherlands.
For the first 3 years here, arts were reserved just for my free time... a museum here and there, sketching at home, playing "Pollock" in the garden with big canvases... but not much more exploration.
After the birth of my son 2 years ago, and my decission to stay home for a few years with him, I joined an Atelier to further my "education" in ceramics. Further or really begin it! I also joined a 6hour workshop on hand felting... and I was hoocked!
Ceramics and wool have been a constant in my life. And as I immerse myself more and more into the craft world, and pay more attention to what I always really would have liked to do with my life, be an artist; I learn new tricks, discover new mediums of expression... and ways of expressing it.
And the fun is just beginning. So, the journey took 32 years... since I was born. I now know that this is what I like, what makes me happy and what I want to do with the rest of my life. And Im just starting...


Please, do visit the blogs of the other women who are posting today about this very same thing in their blogs. They are:

http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com
http://fancypicnic.blogspot.com
http://lilypangart.blogspot.com
http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com/
http://easterya.blogspot.com
http://halfanacreblog.blogspot.com
http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com
http://blog.glamasaurus.com

On my desk, wednesday

All I can say is that my eyes are crossed already from sewing little beads. It is fun though to design the whole thing... but this is all I can show...

Oh so misterious! :) Tomorrow, hopefully, will be done.
Im going to my ceramics class tomorrow, so I will try to make more of those little red hearts which have been such a success...




Im actually in the middle of making a psychodelic teapot... hope it actually works and I can pour tea out of it... I already have the tea cozy! Will show you later. Hope you are ready for an overdose of pink and hearts! :)

Seasonal color pallette incognita

I was thinking, what do you think is the color pallette of this season? I've seen lots of purples and lilas but then I got the catalogue of a big fashion multinational a few days ago, and surprise! no purple, but lots of bright yellow, fucsia, emerald green, electric blue... very...errr..80s. I dont know how I feel about that, I might be too classic in taste for the 80s, but Im left a bit confused... what is the palette then? Ideas?

Well, in the meantime, the scarves have been well received. I even sold a couple before I could put them in the shop! That is always encouraging. I need to find a place nearby where I can buy more organza, or silk in different colors for nuno felting (wool on fine fabrics). It always looks very delicate and pretty...well, the skill of the felter helps too!

But until then, it's just wool with some embellishments.

First up a very sober, minimalistic black scarf, with a ribbon (which has grey, white and black flowers printed), and white buttons in 3 sizes with black and gray rims. They form a little sober garden.




Then, here is the "sketching acquarel flowers" scarf. It is handfelted with cream merino wool. the flowers were also handfelted in lila and purple merino and silk strands. After that I "sketched" with the sewing machine and then added (what It seemed like a million) beads in lila, pearly white, purple, bourgondy and transparent beads. There are in total 6 flowers, 3 on each end of the scarf:






Both going to my shop now...

So, if anybody finds out what colors are fashionable at the moment, and want to share with moi... thanks :)
Have a nice monday!

Autumn and winter Collection

Doesn't that sound like I should be in the Paris/London/NY Fashion week?? :P right...
Cold weather is here to stay and so are the new items I've been working on for my shop. I enjoy handfelting things...balls, boxes, shawls, bags...or whatever else! Don't stand too long beside me or I'll cover you with soap and water! :) and start rubbing... no wait...
Anyway, the first two items are ready.

First we have here Mrs Neck Warmer... it is a handfelted scarf made with soft white merino. Soooo warm! I've made a button hole (word in english for that??) and added a handmade (by me) ceramic button in the shape of a heart. The glazing on that heart is gorgeous... deep red but if you look closely you see the little cracks and swirls of deeper red and orange.




Im glad I could combine too of my passions: ceramics and wool felting.

Yesterday I showed you I was working on some beading... well, here is the finished scarf.
Cream and moccha (sounds like a cup of coffee!) merino wool and strands of white silk, nuno felted onto white organza. I was talking yesterday about little windows through which you could see the organza. Well, they became modern, free hand sewing flowers onto which I added some beading... but it is all very subtle and soft, nothing screams here... very... ' me drinking a warm cup of coffee looking through a window in a sunny winter day'... very cozy, warm, soft and... just nice!








Well, they are going to my DaWanda shop later tonight!

On my desk wednesday!

Wednesday again.... I know, I sound like a broken record... but I always get mixed feelings about this post. Not because of the post itself, but because it makes me realize that we are in the middle of theweek...again. And that time passes by so fast! I know, I sound like an old woman... but it's true!
So, autumn is here. It is quite cold at night here and durign the day it doesnt get over 15C...so, plenty of "fresh and cool" air. Which to me means:
1- baking
2-staying indoors more
3- taking the wool out and felting like crazy! :)

So that is what I've been doing. Baking muffins (not so good... a bit hard...they are gone anyways...)




I found this scarf I nunofelted last year with mocha and off white merino wool onto organza... it has a greatbubbly texture and some little "windows" where you can see the organza...well, I'm trying to embellish those windows by hand sewing a million little beads... :)



It will take a while really...... I better go make some tea...

Glass bead making

After much anticipation, yesterday I finnally had my workshop on learning how to make glass beads. I was so excited...I really wanted to learn. I have always wanted to learn to work with glass but because of how expensive it is and also the fact that you need to have your own place -atelier- without kids running around or possibilities or burning/hurting someone...it gets difficult. I only got to learn the basics of making vitreaux and managed to make a small window in blues and red for the small bathroom.
But anyway, glass beads. This was a full day workshop at the same Atelier where I learn ceramics. Maud, my teacher, is a woman of many trades! She explained how things work, showed us how it was done, how your ellbows have to go, the glass, the mandrile (the metalic stick onto which the melting glass is rolled ti make a bead), the fire...and there I went. it is so difficult! I have a renewed respect for all those artisans that make beads! having a round, smooth bead requires lots of practise (more than a day). I guess like with many crafts, you have to get a fel of the materials. At the end of the day, after around15 beads, I managed a really nice round bead...sort of.
With the torch burning in front of you, and the noise it makes, you cant really chit chat with other people, so you are concentrated in your own work chossing colors and...trying not to drop melting hot red glass on your hand or get burned.
I liked also the surprise element... I guess this has to do with my newbie rank. When glass is red hot...it is like that...red.... regardless of the original color. Well, some don't get red...but most of them do. So you can add little dots and things here and there but if you dont remember well what you are doing, you can't really tell which color you used where...it's all red...

Anyway, really nice. I highly recommend a workshop like this...and here, my creations...


Now I wish I could have the money to invest in getting all the supplies and for an atelier or even small room where I could work... *sigh* Some day.

Premio...

Mrs Charlotte from Fancypicnic has been kind enough to bestow a prize on this humble blog. We thank thee! :)



I am supposed to pass it on to another 6 blogs apparently... so here they are:
The Wren design
La Srta Pil
The Spotted SparrowHalfAnAcre
Lawatha's glassThe Vintage Chica

...and some more...just because I want to. There are more than 6 blogs that I think are "brillante"...

Edward and LillyInside the ArtisanLilyPang Art
On My Perch

I always read these blogs even If I dont have time to comment on all. There are many more I visit and read (I have around 250 blogs in my bloglines... blogs in 3 different languages!) and with these prizes situations I always find it difficult to chose just a few. If I wouldn't think they are great, interesting, fun blogs, I wouldn't even read them to begin with...

I hope you all take the time to discover them, some fine people behind those blogs.

Have a nice weekend!

How do I get this busy that I can't handle five minutes of peace for writing a post?? Weird...
It was my husband's granmother's birthday. She is probably my favorite person in this family, closed followed by an aunt who actually lives in England so it kinda sucks because we don't see her as often as I would like.
For Oma (grandma in dutch) I decided to bake a huge chocolate cake with lots of peaches and cream and pure chocolate covering it, and I made her a brooch. She always liked my handfelted flowers so I made one (very sober...) for her present. She turned 89 years old. I hope - if I get to that age- to arrive in such good shape mentally!!!!



Since I was playing with wool already, I started to play around with scraps that are always left out although I keep them...I never know for what, but I do. Just one more thing laying around!


I actually wanted to try, because I had never done that, drying what I handfelted, in the tumble dryer. It gives a whole different texture....a bit bubley! Not done yet, so I will show you later.
Im still trying to tech myself how to sew with a machine, and I made this little cones as pin cushins. I took the idea from a blog but, even thoug I have looked around, I can not remember which blog it was. Im very sorry...but due recognition to the person who thought of this before!



For those of you that already know how to sew, this nexxt effort probably will look simple and silly, but for those of us that are trying to learn, learning (or guessing) how to make a simple envelope type bag for your cosmetics...is a huge accomplishment. I used some Amy Butler fabrics I purchased not too long ago via Etsy, and...voila:





And... how about this?




...and more to come!

Walnuts

Last year, for our 5th wedding anniversary, Mr Husband gave me a tree... a walnuts tree. I was expecting diamonds, but...well... nuts will do! :) I actually was surprised because I wasn't expecting anything at all. And to hear him -ussually quiet, a bit shy- having a whole speech prepared about how planting a tree together to last for years to come, was symbolic of our love... was much more than what I was expecting to come out of his mouth. So, the tree was planted. This type of trees ussually take a few years to get settled and start giving fruits (aka walnuts), but surprise! Today we harvested the first one...



Hopefully we will get more next year because we can't do much with one... split it three ways is not very easy really...

On the crafty side of life, I've been working on more illustrations and painting a couple more bags...



They will be listed in my DaWanda shop later today.
I'm off to bake a cake for my husband's grandma who turns 89 tomorrow... and to coook some Pasticio for dinner... great yummy and yet simple sicilian food.

A look around Dawanda's shops VI

It's been a while, but here it is back again... I didnt stop doing this type of post for any particular reason but it just happens sometimes that the week goes by so fast... I just... don't manage. Simple.
Today I was looking for magnets. There is a bit of a fight going on here because Mr husband likes fridges all clean and perfect without any colorful attachments. That is too clean and neat for me! hahaha I like magnets and pictures and recipes ...everything. When something is too neat it gives me the "clinical" feeling... what is this a lab or a house?

So, I've been looking around for some magnets because the ones we have need replacement. The good thing about these is that they are very pretty and very affordable, which means that they can become a "self" quick gift.

These little cute apples are the best... I love Tizzalicious' apples! ...all of them!


I love this picture, it is so colorful! Eye catcher indeed! Fused glass magnets... Lawatha has lots of gorgeous glass creations: pendants and rings... but this magnets are just so cool!


These magnetic pegs are the best. How a regular household item can turn into somethig so cute! At Najade's shop there are many different colors and patterns to choose from... and so many more things to check out.



And last but not least... Mariska has many colorful monster-like soft toys... and some of them have their own magnets! Here is Bruno:
...he reminds me of the neighbours dog!

Hey, I just saw that the DaWanda Shopping Directory blog has a new post where it invites people to create their own pinboard of DaWanda items and send them to the blog, to be posted there. Pretty nice... I should have put these ones! :P

On my desk wednesday!

Im not gone! I just recovered one of the computers in the house for a few minutes. The husband is on a short vacation and decided that it was the right time to upgrade I don't know what, so he's had all the computers around the house linked in a network while he does I don't know what to them... very annoying as it is taking a bit longer than expected. Why do men have to upgrade everything every other month?
I have been enjoying the last few days of summer. When I left the house at 8.30am today, it was 14C...in August??? how can it be so cold!
I have, therefore, been working more on my paintings, what with no computers and locked up indoors. It has it's positive sides not having a computer available all day.
I've had a thing with peacocks for the past few weeks... month? I've drawn, painted, molded in clay, handfelted them. Why? don't know. Because I dont stick too close to the original model really, but I think I like the concentrical design in the feathers... or... don't know really!

So, while the kid was napping today, I was busy with this:



I know, the pics aren't very clear... sorry. It is done now... so I will show you later.
Now Im going to sit down and try to draw ANYTHING but a peacock... blank...Im blank