dinsdag 30 december 2014

last one

This will be this year's last post
and I want to share
another bit of colour 
in these cold winter days.
(Snow over here, but it's melting away already)


A little kiss and all the best for you
dear blogging friends.

Thank you 
for making it a pleasure to go to blog-land.


Bits and pieces of colour 
to make a new little quiltlet
(but can't show you all of it yet)


These were some things I sewed before Xmas.

I made lots of this kind of stuff when I still worked
as a school teacher with the pre-schoolers.
It was such fun to do it again


An apple pie and a pizza
for a little cook as a Xmas present.

After the presents were unpacked,
we had our "gourmet" dinner together.
And then he baked and served us some pizza as dessert.


HAPPY  NEW  YEAR  !

zondag 21 december 2014

winter solstice

It was the shortest day today
and not a very bright one.
So I sat near the window to finish
my little solstice quiltlet

Winter solstice 2014

For the sun rays using kantha stitches, worked out pretty good, I think.
(in fact with kantha stitching you use running stitches that
are paired neatly next to each other, which gives 
the funny looking rivulets in the fabric)


Here are the two solstice pieces sisterly (or is it brotherly ?)
next to each other.

And on the backside too.

The sun goes to its turning point and the days are (slowly)
getting longer.
(for the northern hemisphere that is ...)

I wish a lot of warm and bright days 
to anyone who need it.

zaterdag 20 december 2014

... stitching ...

Slowly the "thread beads" gather
on the little solstice piece.


One half (on the diagonal) 
will be with light coloured "beads"
the other half will get much darker "beads"


Done
It was nice to connect the swirl that was on on the piece of fabric
with the swirl of the dark red lace
(a kind of dark solar flare)

There will be rays on the outside,
also in light and dark.

(tomorrow)

vrijdag 19 december 2014

going to solstice and ... a present

It is really quiet down here.

(I visited the Christmas market here today :
and I'm very glad I decided over a month ago
not to participate this year ! 
I'm sorry to say that there were very few stands that I liked !
Really must find another type of market for my art.)

Because I made a little solstice quiltlet this summer
I thought it would be nice to make another one
this December.

I decided to make them "sisters in size"
20 x 20 cm

I "glue stitched" the first bits and then pinned down 
a lot of others scraps.
I started stitching, but didn't take a picture of the progress yet ...

My studio assistant was very much attracted to the boxes with scraps !

He loved to put them in his chair, the little buggy instead of his bear,
and opened and closed the lids ...
(I was glad he didn't tip them over) 

Then arrived in the mail a fun envelope :
Helmi had already send me an email for my address,
so I knew something was coming  ;-)

Thank you Helmi,
for this lovely surprise !!!
They will decorate the room or xmas tree this year !
Apart from the angels, there was also this fun little scrap 
with a goat (screen) printed on it 
She makes such fun things,
and I love what she teaches at schools !


zondag 14 december 2014

sunday (14 - 12 - 14)

Yesterday I was in Rotterdam 
for our last Stitch'nBitch this year ánd
to buy some lovely smelling green on the big market :
time to make the house look a bit Christmassy

Outside near the front door
and inside in some nice big pots





I also did another try with some 
Eucalyptus leaves
(though I'm not very good at eco dyeing !)

Mmmmm ... see what I'll end up with this time ...

The last rays of the low sun on this sunny Sunday
shone far into the house

(it is clear we're nearing
Winter Solstice)


donderdag 11 december 2014

mandala and more

Yesterday was our last evening
with the mandala group this year.

In the meditation we had to stay in the "now"
no other thoughts than that
with music a.o.  music of Sarah Brightman.


It was a wonderful evening.


The last few days I was busy making the post cards 
for our Christmas and New Year good wishes.

A few years back I made a lot of stamps
out of eraser blocks.
(HEMA) 
Geninne Zlatkis, a very talented artist,
had made a wonderful tutorial
that showed it isn't a very difficult task
if you have some lino cutters and some special soft blocks.
(but simple eraser blocks work just as well !)

I made some new ones 
because I wanted two stamps facing each other
holding a bit of Washi tape
with 2015 on it.
(yuk : the washi tape is awful to write on !)



Now they are all ready for the mail.


dinsdag 9 december 2014

december already ...

I really don't know where November went ...
and we're already in week two of December !
Time flies !

Last week we celebrated
the Sint Nicolaas feast
with daughter and grandchildren.
It was the first time for the youngest one.
In the morning we went to the school 
where big brother and his class mates 
waited for the arrival of Sint Nicolaas.




Of course the best part was unpacking the presents
later that afternoon !




The last, and biggest present of all :
a huge succes !
*
It was fun to visit my (big) brother again yesterday.
They had sold their house this summer and moved to an appartment.
Then they were away, we were all busy,
but yesterday we went there.

It was fun to see the painting I made for him years ago
still had a lovely place on the wall.

A piece of our garden for a special birthday
(70 x 50 cm)
*

I already told you that I was very unlucky with one of the 
Pink Ribbon postal consignments 
.......
but finally the second envelope with mandala's
(after the first one sadly had gone missing)
arrived safely at my friend Birgit's house.

Today arrived a very special "thank you"
;-)

A lovely rainbow of (natural) hand dyed wool
and a special lovely fragrant piece of soap !
(another blogland-friendship born)

Thanks Birgit !