a start

Ohhh yes, a LATE start, but a start it is !

Is it still okay ?
(hmmm . . . but I do it anyway)

I wish all of my friends out there
A  JOYFUL,  HEALTHY  AND  CREATIVE
2025

We had a wonderful end of December :
a lovely dinner party
(with me wearing my necklace and earrings)
lots of presents, some homemade
(and I forgot to make photos before wrapping and now they're gone)
some stitching started
for Yvette Phillips' wonderful Stitch Club workshop.

The not so fun part of that stitching is,
that my arthritic hands aren't getting any better,
so it takes quite a long time before I'm finished
though now I'm nearly there !

(but now have to wait for some new floss first)

Today was another stitching day
but : in the waiting room of the hospital
(Man had to have another small surgery in Rotterdam,
and yes, all is well)

A few stitches on my Kingfisher
(till thread ran out)
But I had also two more birds to sew together
out of white cotton (old bed sheet !)
They are finished now, but my hands protested in the end.

Tomorrow I will be filling them and then I'll paint them
just like the little Xmas presents !
(will take photo's this time !)

The idea for this came from
Judy Coates Perez
and I'm deeply grateful for that !

day 26

An anniversary day.
Sunshine and warm for the time of the year
just as it was then !!!
Oh my : 21 and 26, we were so young then
but,
still going strong together !

I think such a day asks for a special jewel, don't you think ?
A golden heart is just the right one
for a day like this !

My PINK RIBBON Textile Jewel
for day 26 :

a felt heart pendant, stitched with hand dyed cotton
and some seed beads,
on an adjustable homemade cord.

(5cm,  2")

For a donation

of at least

 € 15,- 

SOLD  !

this sweet pendant can be yours
and might be a lovely jewel for many years to come.

You just need to send me an email at

  fiberrainbow@gmail.com  

and we'll arrange the next steps that have to be taken.
bank or Paypal
(+ postage)

ALL the money you donate
goes to Pink Ribbon !

  "A  HEART  OF  GOLD"  

To see another Pink Ribbon Textile Jewel

you'll have to come back here

tomorrow !

what a night !

Last Friday
we had the most wonderful night
in a very long time :
a concert of the ANALOGUES !!!

and the ANALOGUES try to reproduce the sound

of the good old BEATLES !

They search for all the same instruments

that were once used by the Beatles in the studio

to come to the original sound

(and they succeed quite well !!!) 

The Analogues

We bought the ticket last year already,

one for our daughter too.

But circumstances made that she couldn't go with us.
So we had one spare ticket
with only hours to decide who to ask instead !
In the end the friend of a dear friend
(who also lives near the theatre in Rotterdam)
was (and IS) a great Beatle-fan
and was delighted with this sudden surprise !!!

And I can tell you,
thought the main hair colour in the theatre was gray
(hmmm . . . not me)
we howled, whistled and clapped our hands till it hurt,
like any "normal" POP concert audience,
the old fire still burning  !!!

hospital ...

March started with hospital time.
For me with a new lens in a cataract operation :
very clear sight now but trouble with glasses !
(though now I have one pair with a zero glass on the left side)

Then, last Monday, came more serious hospital time for man :
carcinoma surgery !
Bad for him and a long day for me in the waiting room,
but I took some tiny stitch work with me.
Mirjam 
made these amazing tiny embroidered "pockets".
I know now how to make them
and took some felt, threads and scissors with me
(apart from a book, a puzzle book and more stitching)

(I gave it to someone who also had surgery)

Today at home I made another one

I not only added thread, but also
some tiny snippets of fabric.

THANKS Mirjam !!!

second month !

A month passed in a blur :
reading
stitching
going to the shops
and looking after Man
. . .
But for that last bit I can say that things are improving !
Though slowly, things Man is getting better !

Though another workshop (by Cas Holmes)
is already on its way,
I'm still stitching on the big circle
for April Sproule's workshop.

The stitching is done
(as far as I think now)
and I'm attaching sequins, beads and buttons.
right in the center there will be a small silk pompon
(a leftover of my necklace making)

I first thought of adding a felted piece in the middle.
In fact that was the start of the whole design
(but I will keep that one as a brooch
as I originally intended)

A picture taken with the daylight lamp
and not ALL of the piece.

When it's truly finished I will mount it on a 40 x 40cm canvas. 

a heart

This year hasn't begun quite well for Man : pneumonia is a nasty business !
Two courses of penicillin were needed to make a start in healing
Ever so slowly he is getting better now
(with a setback on some days)
Again we see what a precious thing
good health is !!!

After all the felting last month
it was time to pick up stitching again :
so many wonderful ideas in STITCH CLUB !

This little heart is for the workshop of
Chloe Patience

Stitching with so much texture is really fun !
(it seems that January 25 is "St. Dwynwens day in Wales :
the equivalent of Valentine's day   :-)  !) 

It is only a small work
because the two weeks are almost over
and I'm still busy with some bigger work
from April Sproule's workshop.
That gets bigger than I thought it would
(I added another strip of cloth on the outside !)
I will show that when I'm really finished with it

22 - 12 - '22

Quiet December time.
Winter but not really winter
only a short time of frost and ice (skating : 
though not for us anymore !)
(Luckily it isn't as cold as it is in the US right now !!)

Felting small things :
Yara is generous with all kinds
of fun little projects for Xmas !
I myself am busy felting small things
as presents . . .
(so hardly anything to show, YET !)

But this MISTLETOE is really doing the trick :
I've been kissed under it quite a few times !

XXX

The shortest day and longest night
of the Winter Solstice went by :

it is so dark when you get up and the light is gone
late afternoon . . .

Youngest grandson has his Xmas dinner at school
and they baked (here) nice pizza rolls
to take with him.

Still a few days to go to Xmas
still a few things to do
(though Man has nearly done
all the shopping for it)
. . . . .
we're ready for it  !

:-)

P.S. :
because the photo didn't want to load
midnight was already gone and a new date there

last ART MARKET

Tomorrow will be the very last
ART  MARKET
of this year.

ROTTERDAM  HERE  WE  COME  !

Rododendronplein
(Schiebroek)

10.00  -  16.00

So far I can say, it has been a successful year.

The belt pouch I made for the market in Baarn
was sold early in the morning !

It turned out very well that the long band
made it possible to wear it as a shoulder bag too !

So I needed to make another one !
I stuck to the same colour scheme
but used the sea glass my UK-friend Anne
had sent me !

(the colours are not ss distinctly different as it shows here)

This one also has two possible ways to wear !

We'll see what happens with this one . . .

The weather will not be splendid probably
but I hope without any RAIN !

day 14

The 14th of October
is always a very special day in our family :
a birthday-day !
(and Man had a very very special birthday today)

So this time I had already worked ahead :
no time
for stitching with preparations in the morning, and
no time
for stitching with guests in the house !!!

But,
here is my PINK  RIBBON  Textile Jewel for day 14 :

a wet felted brooch, stitched with a dot of velvet
and many many beads and sequins.
(5cm   2")

For a donation of at least

€ 15

SOLD  !

this joyful jewel comes to you
to brighten up your sweater or jacket,  or
you have a wonderful present for someone dear !
All you need to do is send me an email at
fiberrainbow@gmail.com
(or tell me in the comments)
After that we'll arrange the rest.
(PayPal is possible and easy !)

ALL the money you donate goes to Pink Ribbon !

(in the hand of Man   :-)  !)

"DEEP BLUE SEA"

Tomorrow . . . .. 

there will be a new Textile Jewel for
Pink Ribbon !
Hope to see you again

quiet ...

A bit too quiet perhaps

.....

but lots of loooong telephone conversations :

that was my 2020 birthday.

Man went shopping very early

and brought sole for dinner

and sunny flowers !

In the garden the flowering Malus and the very first Bluebell

(one that survived the garden-makeover

but I hope there will be more ...)

And then, late in the afternoon :

(after I already reconciled with the very quiet day)

the surprise visit of daughter with two grandsons

and presents !

A wonderful birthday after all

day 14

Another present for Man's birthday :

again a warm sunny day !

(the party for Man will be next week)

Though the stitching was on the machine, inside,

the door to the garden was open all day !

And who doesn't remember from childhood

the naughty Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter???

My Pink Ribbon Textile Jewel

for day  14 :

an oval brooch, cotton, felt and free motion

machine and hand stitched with rayon thread.

This cute childhood memory

would look lovely on a bag, your coat or sweater.

For a donation of

€ 10

SOLD  !

(more is always welcome !)

this brooch can be yours

to keep or to give away as a present.

You just need to send me an email at

fiberrainbow@gmail.com

or leave a message at the comments down here

ALL THE MONEY you donate goes to the Pink Ribbon Fund !

"PETER  RABBIT"

Tomorrow there will be a new textile jewel !

See you then !

18 - 8 - 18

YES,

Zierikzee was great today !

Very windy

clouds but no rain !

Lots of compliments

and nice customers !

(but right now ..... we're tired)

Me ... waiting for the day to start.

We talked to lots and lots of lovely people

new ones and ones we have met before.

And I want to thank all the lovely customers

and hope they enjoy their purchases

for a loooong and happy time.

Thank you !

(and icing on the cake was the surprise visit

of our daughter with her kids !!!)

ready to go to ZIERIKZEE

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm always amazed

how much time it takes

to prepare everything for a market !

Collecting the stuff you made,

(I make pictures)

deciding what you take with you

and what you best leave at home,

finding he boxes that everything fits in,

last-minute adjustments to the newly made displays,

checking (deciding about) the prices ...

Oh my, I could write a novel about that last item !

some people really think that art

(when you're not an artist who makes a living out of it)

equals cheap !

Why is that ?

(No, sorry, I'm not going to write a post about it !)

I'm really pleased

the way the new display for the big necklaces turned out,

just simple, like I wanted.

While I was being busy with all that

Man did the shopping,

made coffee and tea,

even made dinner

so I could finish all I had to do !

And tomorrow he will accompany me

(instead of daughter, who usually goes with me

to these events)

So that's all for now,

I'll make it an early night

and tomorrow :

ZIERIKZEE

here we come

Hope to see some of you there !!!

colours ...

This week daughter and I were busy at school.

It's the school where I worked,

where daughter went,

and the grandchildren

(now only the youngest)

When I worked at school, I loved to use the windows

as a third (fourth) wall, and painted on them

whenever I needed it in a theme.

Later on, others asked me to decorate their windows as well !

When daughter "took over" that task I always helped her out.

The painting at the entrance door was damaged

(by scratchy little fingers)

and because the white paint we used

for some unknown cause started to peel ...

So, time to do the painting once again.

Some background, and then it's done !

*

The garden thrives ...

not only the flowers, but the tiny visitors as well !

Each year the Polygonatum is attacked by caterpillars,

it was no different this year

They start at the juicy seedpods

and then work from the top down ...

Well,

if you want butterflies ...

you have to endure these little buggers !

Of all the plants I bought through the years

a  LOT  disappeared, while others thrived

(and became too many sometimes)

I thought I'd lost this beauty

a Sanguisorba (menziesii, I think)

until I found it here again on the stairs to the water !

Must leave it there, I can't move it !

(NO .... my stairs are not very tidy !!!)

And in the water :

another beauty struggling ...

This Campanula lactiflora "Prichard's variety" is slowly getting bigger !

*

When Man is too busy with his "colours"

Bella surely has her ways to persuade him

to pay more attention to her !

"You have to pet me ..."

green !

Spring is really here now

and the garden is an explosion of

green 

So I completed the drawing / painting

of a few days ago

with a lot of green too ! 

Camassia leichtlinii

 Now it looks more like standing in its

natural surroundings of green and tiny bits of colour.

This is the Camassia's neighbour :

Polygonatum multiflorum,

only a few stems of a big wild bush !

Thanks Vicky !!!

(the sister of my dear garden-friend Rhonda

went to Australia and couldn't take her garden with her ...)

Many years ago from "wild" France

we brought this beauty home :

Asphodelus albus

This is the white Wisteria against the house.

though I've got it heavily pruned last year !

Such a lovely fragrance !

*

And now for something completely different :

the eldest grandson is the proud owner of some new "wheels" !

He started speed skating last autumn

and in summer they train on skeelers,

on 10 cm high wheels !!!

(almost as big as us now  ;-) ...)

This Saturday, while daughter and me

were at the "Alpaca-knitting club",

Man went to see the training !

(training with the grown-ups !)