August

I'haven't posted for quite some time now though I've been quite creative in August and gotten one year older. I've for one made two necklaces, the fist one I've crocheted with wooden beads and added silver leaves (measuring 96cm all around), making it look like a vineyard in fall. The other one was made in a more African theme with glass beads and measuring 52cm (possibility to lengthen or shorten a couple of cms). For more photo's of these pieces have a look at my flickr photo's

I've also been working on orders crocheting applications and painting panels for pillows, did a couple of swaps by making ATC's and dotee's.

No I have to ease up a bit with the creative juices and the reason is of course to be seen top right on my blog ;-)

My first ATC's

What is an ATC?
It is an Artist Trading Card and you can read all about it here. I've been trying to ignore their excistance but couldn't and decided to participate at swap-bot's First timers for ATCs *International*. One has to make 2 cards for 2 partners to swap, no theme as it is for first timers. I've used stamps from South Africa taken from letters my mom sents me.

I just love my kitchen

By now you've gathered we've moved and oh it was so worth it. I'll be showing some views in and around the house. The house was bombed in WWII and rebuild in the 1950's. It has 4 levels and the 2 lower levels were used for straberry storage. The area we live in is known for its cherry, pears, prunes and apple orchards and strawberry field. It is a house situated on a dyke and the property is between a church (1700's) an old school (occupied by a beautifull artist couple) and a "tree farmer"(can somebody give me the right term?) . The house overlooks a watery landscape, sort of overflow (haven to lot of birds) of one of The Netherlands' trade rivers. As the house was added to over the years it has a lot of character and special corners.

This is part of my Oilily/Douw Egberts crockery

The spot where I'm writing my blog

When I leave my kitchen...

Sewing update

Last week it was raining cats and dogs outside, inside the cats teamed up with (or against) the dog.
The dog thought..." if you can't win them let them join or else get out of your own basket in shame". I think the the black and white bouncer with his expensive coat is using some version of sign language to tell that there is space for no one else... The little ratty catty is trying to stay unrecognisable regardless of the paparazzi catching them in a very intimate setting.

This week the weather looks better and I odly enough I need now to finish the kitchen curtains to keep the midday sun out otherwise it gets too hot.

I've used Dutch Folk print fabric and made it retro with red fabric with white dots.

I struggled with getting everything to align (it is my second try at making curtains in my life), so took a time out and made a silly but very friendly girl. She agreed to pose at a little niche in my kitchen:

I was actually cutting a couple of dotee's and then thought if I add legs and arms it would be a dolly dotee ;-) I've made the limbs so long as little kids just love clutchable softies....only catch is....I'm keeping her! Though I made her very child friendly

What to do with Fat Quaters

I've looked up some tutorials in blogging country:

• Marmadaisy: She has FatQuater friday tutorials!folding tray, Chicken bookends,etc
• The Jolly Jabber: Binding tutorial
• Island Mama: Kid's FQ tote bag
• Crazy Lanea: Sock bag
• Focus on finishing: tuck pillow
• Buttonberry: Posh pick and mix bag and Stash buster quilt
• Dulcinea's Windmill: Fat quater knitting needle roll
• Quilter's jewel: FQ book cover
  
  ok ladies so please please add your tutorials to this post because there can a lot more done with our FQ's
  
  
  ps. Folding your FQ's for gifts/swaps:
• folding fabric fat quarter cuts to the proportions
  of playing cards.
• Folding Fat Quarter Stars
• Fat Quater gift cracker

Using your scraps:

• Cut out and keep:fabric ball necklace
• Skip to my Lou: crayon roll
• Needled Mom: fabric postcards
• Molly Chicken: lavender baby softy and fabric house
• Craf pudding: patchwork sewing basket and a fabric card holder and covered buttons(without kit!)
• Kmel's Grocery bag dispenser

sewing flowers

I'm looking for tutorials on sewing flowers for the girls' rooms, I've already found this really nice one:
Sew Blessed: fabric flower tutorial
PortabelloPixie: Rolled roses
Artsy craftsy babe: Fluffy Flower
Blair peter: fabric flower
Pixie blossoms: fabric flower
Spilly Jane: making round petals
Molly Chicken: fabric flower & Raggy flowers
Sew Blessed: fabric flower
Trufflegirls: fabric flower
Chris's creation: fabric flower
sophie stansfield designs: felt flower
I love to create: fabric rose
wiki how: silk,satin,ribbon rose here on a video clip
Kalamity Kim: fabric roses

Do you have other links or your own tutorial on making a fabric flower? Please add.


and then at crafty pod's a bouqet of links to make flowers from fabric, paper, beads & crocheted: let's make flowers

"We've moved"

I took a pic of our new house

and then drawn in my own style it over, including the birds lol.
Then I've coloured it digitally and let it be printed. I was impressed with the result and addressed all the cards today, sticked a stamp on it and posted it to family and friends with our new address information on it. I wish you can see the cards!

I've previously got a "we've moved" card from a friend with a photo of their house. To congratulate them with their new house I got the idea to draw their house in my typical style and send them a card. They' loved it ;-)
By the way as a gift I crocheted 2 crazy cloths in my friend's favourite colour.

I can make one of your photo too! For 15Euro's I'll send you a digital image you can print yourself or take to a photo or card shop to print it. Let me know ;-)
(paypal accepted)
** 20% DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS OF CRAFTYMAMAS - which is a free membership!(must have more than 30 posts at forum) **

Gift idea?

DD7yrs went to a party of twins. As usual I'd like to make something and it must be personal but what if you don't have time or energy?

Well, I took 2 simple cottons bags from my stash and added some dotted fabric, Japanese fabric, cute buttons (hello kitty buttons bought at CraftyMamas shop!), ribbons and emboided their names on the bags. I've added a schetchbook in each bag for something extra. The photo's did come out a bit dull. Here is the one bag's pics:


close-up

Bedotted!

via swap-bot i got infected by the Dotee craze and do not want to be cured:

The guidelines for a dotee is more or less it should be around 3 inches, have a "tail", have a (felt,embroided/drawn) face and have a hanging loop. The body can be any form as this is an art doll an you can just go ballistic with embelishments! Read more about the origin of Dotee's and how to make one.


This was for the "any color theme"

This was for the "dotted dotee theme"

This was the pink/orange Dotee

This was the pink Dotee

This was the flower power Dotee

Girls' stuff

ok I've made my 7 today....
(this was 28/6)
This is how I've done it:

At craftymama's this very usefull link (see the tutorial for creating these tutu's)brought me to it:

Per tutu I used:
2m of tule (width 140cm)
Length of tutu 50cm
I used the cheap rough "tule" as they're going to play outside
(If I want to use 3m I'll think it would be best if I make it longer than 50cm)
That worked out at 28knots per tutu
I've
used the thin elastic (I had) and just measured the waist of my girls

the colors as requested by b-day girl dd5yrs, I've used as follow:
2x lilac and pink
1x purple and pink
1x lilac and purple
1x sammon and pink
1x sammon and orange
and te b-day girls got:
3m in total of orange,lilac and pink

I've had enough pink if I get sick now I would throw up in pink I think

I've cut the ends of the strips for my little curl a bit round to create the look of flower petals.

Isn't it lovely

On the 17th my husband and I was married for 9 years.

We didn't plan anything as next year is the first decade celebration and we're in the middle of renovating here.

I decided to make him a very nice dinner as his love is definitely influenced by what goes in his stomach

I made his favourites

• fresh spinach cooked and dressed with gorgonzola and sliced boiled eggs


• endive (boiled) dressed in a jacket of ham and then topped with a white cheese/ham sauce, crumbs and old cheese and in the oven


• oxtail stew with brown button mushrooms


• mixed chopped baby lettuces (don't know their English names but more than just butter and ice) with balsamic/garlic vinaigrette and chopped baby radish

He didn't expect it an dived into the dinner and luckily I didn't make any starter and only bought a Ola Viennetta ice for dessert.

Husband came home with this beautiful large bouquet with lilies(5 different ones), which are my favourite and was in my wedding bouquet and and 2 poppy seed things (I adore poppies). The special thing was also the agapanthus which is called here in The Netherlands South African Lily ooooooooooh I had to cry! A pity the photo isn't that good.

Oh and I'll show you my WIP crochet blanket I'm making for baby nr.3. I've decided to add 10 more blocks, 5 on each sides before bordering it and adding picots

Baby boy born!

I was flattered when asked to design a announcement card for a baby born by a couple who also asked me to design them a wedding card. I'll post the card some other time.

As a gift a painted the card (to be framed) with textile paint on cotton and embroided to give it a 3d look instead of using my usual liners.

Earth toned Granny Squares

Man! I've finished it, 18 10' granny squares , that is 25,5cm squares.
Here they all are as prove

They're packaged and ready to be sent to the US

FunFillies on the market

her other side:

* This is a filly made from felt, buttons and thread
* She has two different sides so you have 2 for the price of one!
* You can use her on a door knob or hang her anywhere you'd like!
* In your own room, kid's room or give her away (if you can)
as a gift

* size (measured without hanging loop and tail:
15.5 x 14 cm (6"x5,5")

* I've designed and made her myself with my own fun style

* This FunFilly is also available in
delicious red/white
earth sand/white
sunny yellow/white
fresh green/white
for more photo's of the other ponies please see my Flickr or my Etsy

Price per filly:
Euro's: 11.50 (excl.shipping) through paypal/paying into my bank account
indication in AUSD:17,50 (excl.shipping)paypal
indication in USD:15.85(excl.shipping) paypal

Shipping indication for one filly: Euro 2.76
AUSD:4.50
USD: 3.80


* please mail me with questions or exact shipping prices when you'd like to buy more than one filly or combine it with another item in my shop

"Button your card" Tutorial

As I was making ready to assemble a package for my mom and baby dotee swap I found I didn't have a cute card to add. My crate with card making stuff was still at our previous home. I went to the one store we have in town and found nothing cute and creative enough with which I could associate lol. I did buy a little card as I had to have one and thought I'd just have to think of something to cuten it up!

When I came home I got a great idea: I turned to my addiction for comfort:
buttons and crocheting yarn
Surely you can think of this too but making this into a tute is fun, colourfull and may bring you a nice idea:

Skill level: absolutely eesy

Get your (or mother's)

1. embroider's thread/yarn (I used crochet cotton)
2. needle (large eye)
3. buttons
4. and a card (pick a size, I used a very small card)
   
   

• The card may be a boring, bought one or
• make your own one and draw something very simple on it. If you're afraid to draw something simple, ask your child to help you!
• I've chosen as many buttons as there were flowers, of course you can have more or less, just what tickles your fancy.
• Then I've ordered the buttons to see what would look best as it is very easy to create a beautifull 3D effect, not only because you're using buttons but because some are flat, thick, large or has an eyelet at the back which make it stand out more.
  
  start sewing girl!

(I started by tying a knot and make the first stitch from the back to the front.

I also ended by tying a knot)

You can cover the thread on the inside by glueing a piece of cute fabric or paper on to it, but I just left it like that.

You may get more ideas to brighten up the picture like I could've added a real satin ribbon or by embroiding the stems too. If you keep it simple it is quickly done and still shows your effort and creativity ;-)

Now you have another excuse to go and buy more buttons!

Mommy and baby Dotee swap

I've joined this swap as I'm so pregnant and I love the dotees:
"In honor of Mother's Day, in the month of May, let's do a Mommy and Baby dotee doll swap! You will send your partner one regular sized dotee doll and one mini baby dotee. Dolls don't have to match, and use your creativity! "
I had fun making mine, and I'll show them as soon as my partner received hers. I surely can tell that the partner sending to me had fun too!
On a grey and rainy day my day started colourfull when the first poppy opened!! I've been trying at our previous house to grow them as I just LOVE their exhuberant explosion of colour and flower. My effort didn't pay off as a combination of: drought, husband thinking they're weeds, going away on holiday, etc.
Now as we move to a new house I was wonderfully supprised to see the previous owner shared my love. I couldn't wait for these large buds to open.
Okay I'm trailing off here.
Back to the grey rainy day and after this red poppy supprise mr.Postman dropped a package for me from Germany. Guess what was on one of the stamps.....a poppy. Oooooh look at the contents of the package:

Included was not a mother and one baby but 2 babies!
and they have names:
mom Alice and the babies are Cindy and Amy ;-) ain't that cute! She sent me a piece of flowered fabric too, making the spoiling complete. It was her 2nd dotee swap. Thanx countrys!

This was my try:

Mokume Gane

After a loooong time (I've had a jewelry abstinence it seemed) I wanted to make something to wear for a b-day party of an aunt. Decided to make something bold. I've made the beads with clay at a workshop two years ago and they actually could be varnished which I didn't do.It is made with the Mokume gane technique (marble effect with gold, my photo is not that good) and you can read more here and here you can see a movie tute of the lady where I had the workshop.
The pendant is 5cm and the beads are 2.5cm

I then came to the conclusion I wasn't going to wear blue but hot pink.... well I decided (as it was one hour before party and not dressed yet....)to wear this onebut made a "key chain" to click on, and click off as I fancy

I clicked it onto the large (reaching to my belly button) necklace I made for christmas(see blog). The "black beads" actually have a reddish glow and the beads are red and cherise coloured.

Perfect and in time!

Vintage/recycle Competition at CraftyMamas

I'm adding my penny of vintage stuff just to encourage beginner people like me to keep trying

Here I've tried the pillow case dress (tute here)made with a pillow from the vintage swap with CraftyMamas. The pillow case came all the way from Australia and didn't end up in the op shop too soon as it has definitely proof of a lot of use and sunny kisses. Somebody loved it and hang on to it untill the end ;-)

In hind sight:
* I should've kept the girls nearby when making it. Because afterwards I've made it too big(elastic) as I couldn't find them while sewing
* I've used to thick a fabric for making (my first) bias tape and too short so I had to add satin ribbon
* I've cut the arm holes to big

The dress will fit next year.... I'll definitely try again and learn from my mistakes .I've just used some coloured stiches to embelish as it it was time for dinner. The photo did come out over lighted, sorry for that

and then I crocheted a dressfrom this Vintage pattern:

Little Bo Peep - American Thread Company in Dolls and Dolls, Star Book 84, in 1951.

I've made her and under skirt (blue with white dots) as dd5yrs said that the dress was a bit improper with the holes in it....

I've used a trimming(purple pompoms) I got from one of my swap partners (can't remember which swap)

I've also added a (plastic fake jewel) button to give it a bit more of an evening gown look,

I guess miss bo beep met her prince

ps. I decided to make the dress because of dd5years:At a carboot sale she almost made a scene as she wanted a 2nd hand cinderella. For 2nd hand the lady asked too much. I guess she gambled that mom would give in because of the little girl. Mom didn't. I got the impression it was more the dress than the doll. So when I crocheted this one and added the jewel I knew I had it right Wanted to give the vintage crochet dress a bit of a spunk but use the yarn I had and thought the blue/purple would do it.

Mother's day

(photo of our back door on balcony)

I had a absolutely lovely Mother's day; gorgeous weather and spoiled rotten by dh and dd's.

We've been looking anxious for any signs of the cat we're looking after, to see when she will have her baby's. On this particular Sunday Morning, Mies (the expectanc mom) was looking green. So we were quite curious if she had picked Mother's day to do a difficult job: having her first litter of kittens. I've been roaming the house with her the past weeks to find a suitable spot: little bit dark, little bit cozy and peacefull. Well, Mies decided in the end to stay the whole day in the dog's basket.... and the dog of course had no voting rights in this!

While we were enjoying the sun outside with iced thea and (I was crocheting granny squares while husband was playing with the girls), Mies was counting the hours. We went to the neighbours to meet them "officially". As she invited us "unexpectedly" I wondered what to take with so I'll not arrived with empty hands. I thought to give her the blue potholders... she was an old lady and their house didn't make a modern impression. Potholders here is a touchy issue... Well she loved it! And by chance: her kithchen is blue so it fitted perfectly and she love the rings to hang it from. Very very interesting well known artistic old couple who made their galerie in an old school. Because of their beautiful wild garden, we enjoy the singing of birds, the view of pheasants and being a save haven for hedgehogs and other small wild creatures. I got a signed biography "Tussen oog en hand" of the lady: Emmy Eerdmans. I love her drawings of the black ladies the most. We quite enjoyed the work of her husband too; Ben Joosten a graphic artist He prints on these old printing tables, I love them. Beautiful. And he has a lot of humour in his artwork: printing images with the alphabeth. He has lots of cabinets with little drawers and then all these different types of font letters. The sites I've found on them is really not a good impression. In real life it is quite extraordinary. They're a very very friendly and humble couple.

When we arrived back and I checked on the cat. She was still in the dog's basket. When later on I went inside to get some more drinks I thought I saw a contraction! So I stayed, husband came later to check where his drink was lol. I stayed with her and counted the contractions and slowely but surely they were closer together and she was purring all the time... At last they got heavy 9 directly after each other and she gave a sigh after the 9th one. Then I saw the little head and called husband and girls who were playing outside. They had to run up the dyke to get in the house and the youngest was firs; just in time to see the firs kitten born! A black and white male. When the dh and dd7 arrived they saw the second one being born. A female white with cyprus spots. That was it. I thought there must be at least one more but mom ended the job there. As we looked after her I didn't know her that well, she is a petit black and white cat and very friendly but i'm only allowed to touch her head and her shoulders. AFter her ordeal and my welcome assistance I can now even turn her on her back and pet her tummy! I guess I've entered her circle of trust.

Here the two kittens are one day old.

Arent' they cute!

Confession session

Hello...my name is Monique and I'm addicted to crazy cloths

personally I think they're therapeutic ;-)

The April challenge was...

At CraftyMamas

"April's Challenge, mamas, is to MAKE SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF!!! ( for a change...we deserve it!)We spend so much of our craft time making items for our family...this time it's ALL ABOUT MAMA!!"

This is what I write 24/4

"I've actually sewn myself a bag. Yes will all the painting and stuff I'm doing I've never made myself a bag except for the felted one I've tried and decided to keep.Well this time it was another bag made with the sew baby pattern bought in the shop, easy and neat for a beginner like me (hint hint to all other beginners out there) I've made it once before now I've made it in pink unfortunately just as I wanted to take the pics then of course the batteries failed....so I owe you a pic but in the mean time I'm enjoying my bag"

At last I have the pictures:

The bag is huge, you can throw in the dog as well on the first photo the pockets are inside, in the 2nd outside

French knot and dolees

(made this dotee with dd of 5 years)

Got up this morning and my 2 free days are over ;-) well it is not that bad, the girls returned from two days of being spoiled at grandma's.
I wanted to finish the dino yesterday but got a friendly hint to finish the last two seat covers I've been putting off. Husband thought that wife is inventing new projects to avoid tackling the covers. Husband was dead right. mmmm ok so I made 4 out out of the 6 covers and ran out of fabric. The thing was I'm a beginner sewer and made the pattern from an excisting cover. I want to give my new kitchen a retro Dutch look. I started the other 2 covers at a time when you know you shouldn't attempt anything.... I did assure dh that I was going to finish it yesterday so had to. Oh I started and it went all wrong, cut 3 pieces to small had to puzzle out everything again and was mad at myself for not doing it earlier, had hard stomaches the whole time (pregnant belly)etc. etc. In the end it worked out fine and I was glad for not budging out again.

Ok, back to this morning;
The girls were back and I was thinking of something to do with them so decided to practise making a dotee for the swap I've entered. So I showed them Dot's tutorial and they loved it, choosing the fabrics they both like. I've drawn the lines for them to cut out of the fabrics and the felt for the faces. We had lunch with dh and granddad and dd5 wanted to tell the men about our projects. As she is Dutch she confused the two English words and said we were making dollees, which of course is also what they are! The two men couldn't figure out what we were doing by looking at the fabric and circles so we didn't bother to explain, we'll just show it when it was finished.
Then we started sewing the faces. Dd5 thought that the nose of DD7's dotee looked like a pig (!) and wanted just one stripe for a nose. She also wanted open eyes (how to do that? I can't really sew). I remembered my mom made French knots at one time when I was still at school so thanx to internet was able to look it up. She sewed the eye sockets and I tried the french knot. One look at DD5's face and I pulled it all out again. She said:"mom you should use beads". Luckily found some very small black beads and dd was happy again. Well the three of us are now taking a break. I'm blogging and they're running around outside.
I was curious about the French know so found a different tute, and would you believe it, it worked! DD7 came in and said:"Oh you did manage this time! I like it now."
French knot tutorial

Making a bean bag animal

A friend has a new born baby girl and I was looking for something to make the elder brother feel special after being the only child for 6 years. As he LOVES dino's my thoughts were directed in this direction.
I thought of crocething one but didn't find a pattern that fancied me, though there are a couple to be found on the internet.

I picked up that he found a swimming dino at a "boot sale" and that was quite a catch, so decided to make him one. I first had to polish up on my dino knowledge as I knew how the swimming ones look like but the name..... so found the one he had on internet: Elasmosaurus.
I drew a pattern and then went in search of dino fabric in my stash. As I have 2 girls it was quite a search. At last I found green and purple checked fab so hope it is boyish and dinoish enough.

As I was cutting the Elasmo I thought it would be nice to stuff it with beans. That would be a little bit less soft for a boy ;-) and more fun.

I've never made a bean animal before so I have no idea what beans to use, does it make a difference. Well, I've found some bean tutorials on may search

• purl frog (she suggests dried mung beans, lentils, or buckwheat...now to find the Dutchversion)
• bean bag buddy (made from a sock and Split peas or dried beans)
• Ginger bread bean man (felt)
• Basic bean bag (knitted)
• Otedama - Japanese bean bag
• Snake bean bag (video, and this one is filled with rice)
• Cat doorstop bean bag
• snoogem (bunny)

of course you can throw the beans into almost anything you'd use fiber fill in I guess, like into this rabbit tutorial

Tutorials for Sock softies

I've made a sock bunny
It should have been a sock monkey to start with
but forgot to cut a tail so may first try-out at socking something into a monkey was this:

Here are some sock tutorials if you haven't found them yet somewhere else:

• super sock pig
• sock elephant
• sock monkey
• sock dog
• daschund sock dog

have you found any other sock animal tutorials?

Sock animals strip

Glove animals

• glove bunny
• glove dog

pincushion tutorials

(above the pincushion that I've made after my BIG search)

I don't have a pincushion
so
thought it was time to make myself one
but
first looked for some tutorials
which
I'd like to share with you.
Hopefully
I'll pick one and make myself one soon.

• Pixie blossom's English tea cup pincushion
• AbyQuilt's Lotus square pincushion
• How about Orange's tiny pincushion
• Planet June's offset square wrist pincushion
• PaperStringCloth's easy peasy square with button detail pincushion
• RozzieLand's sunny wrist pincushion
• Monkeyroom's pincushion sewinkit
• MyByrdHouse's carrot pincushion
• MyByrdHouse's year of the mouse pincushion
• UkLassInUs's pear pincushion
• UkLassInUS's apple pincushion
• NeedleNecessities' toadstool pincushion
• SilverThreadsGoldenNeedle's crochet pincushion
• Martha Steward's strawberry pincushion
• BetzWhite's cutie pie pincushion (felt)
• SouthernGirlMusings' pincushion
• NotNigella's fantabulous pincushion
• Bottle cap pincushion
• Homegrown tomatoes
• Julieko: Delicious chocolut donut (felt)
• Doll Make do pincusion (strawberry sunday I'll call it)
• Monkey room's sewing kit pincushion
• Zakka life basket pincushion
• Buttons Galore teacup and saucer
• Double scoop Ice cream
• craft pudding: baby food jar pincushion
• quilt maker's pin blossoms
• Urban debris hedgehog pincushion

Then finally I found pincushion that looked like the tute I was looking for...and fate would have it that here there is a LIST of pincushion tutorials....oh no! Why didn't I find this one first!

TheDomestickDiva's Stick a pin in it pincushion or Tammy times' flower pincushion

at second thought I found this one which is the REAL THING I was looking for

PurlBee's really easy pincushion

and a sweet patchwork pincushion alternative at Creative Kismet