A boy and his Cheetah

Have you ever seen the African movie "Duma".  A typical Disney movie, nice to watch with smaller kids.
Anyway this was painted for a boy, it took me longer than suspected because I've never tried to paint a Cheetah before.
It was painted with Acryl on Canvas 30x30cm 3D

Textile painted application

After months and months of not being really creative apart from a couple of scrap cards and mini albums I've gotten into gear again.
I've painted a couple of  images with textile paint for a mini fair I went to. One got sold, I guess it is a bit too much for the people that visited. Anyway I thought it is time to sew one of them on a T-shirt. The trend this Summer is still prints with animals and dark blue (the only color I have hope for this Summer as I look hideous in the other trend colours: grass green, apricot and yellow!).

If the T-shirt wears out I can just cut out the dog and sew it onto something else. Over the years I've been so impressed with the quality of the textile paint. I've been washing and even tumble dried (evil! Not supposed to!) some textile painted items and they survive beautifully.

The first time I saw the French Bull dog is when I came to the NL. I thought it was the most ugliest dog I've ever seen. My husband (boy friend at that time) wanted one.. Ughhh! People do change I tell you, now I'm the one that wants a French BD and my husband is the one rolling his eyes. LoL

Ps.If you haven't seen the face I've painted and ironed onto a jacket click here

Dishcloth with a kitty silhouette

I made this dishcloth with 100% cotton for a dishcloth swap at swap-bot. The idea was to crochet or knit one for your partner with 100% cotton. The one I got is working double time. I really love it. I've used my favourite pattern (crazy cloth) and looked for a kitty crochet pattern so to add something extra to the dishcloth. Between all these cat patterns I chose a kitty from the window cat family

Dutch Doggy de-luxe bedding

Ok I got up this morning and just had to make the new nest zone for Zizi. Her pillow was getting really old and the time was ripe to make a new one. Today. The last one I've painted with textile paint, I just can't seem to find a photo of it as I thought I posted it on the blog. Well, will keep looking for it.

My kitchen's theme is funky Dutch in the colours blue/white/red

I just love Dots. Originally the Dutch use red or blue check with the delft type of prints.

I kept it simple as I normally complicate things with my creativity attacks.

I made a cover from the red (used stash for that woot-woot!)

and then made a pillow with a Dutch couple print (used up stash so another woot!)

I filled the pillow with polystyrene balls that waited for a special moment like this for at least 4 years (brought it with me when I moved...so another double woot for using up stash)

I added a label with Dutch Windmills to both covers just to be fancy:

The cute little bear that got nipped by zizi was a gift from my friend in South Africa.

The other cute little one is my own and she's surely going to get a smooch!

zizi always have to share her nest. I posted on my blog when our cat annexed zizi's bed and then colonized it with a fresh batch of kittens. When it was safe for Zizi to reclaim her ground the kittens then in return claimed Zizi as their godmother. A dog's life. No democracy when cats and kids are around.

Winter Fun

It was time to make some new paintings for school, Christmas was gone and I had to paint again something with a winter theme. I painted on the two glass panels at the main entrance a little stove, red hot, with a bit of smoke and a sleeping cat on a pillow on the other panel.

I owe you the photo's.

Then due to a lack of time a sick kids I painted on both sides of an A3 poster so that I can just tape it to the glass panels of another door.

I painted a red robin as I just love their attitude, very very inquisitive and cocky.

a close-up:

I painted the body of the robin with gold and copper which created a beautiful effect

And I painted a penguin on the other side:

The falling snow was done with a natural spunge

This penguin must be a Jackass penguin from South Africa as all the others live in the Antarctic and are used to cold weather.

Cinder is 12 months here. She is a Bull Mastiff/Boerboel (South African Mastiff) breed. I grew up with Boerboel in South Africa and they're dependable family dogs.

Mastiff are origanilla bred to be hold dogs. Guards of earlier estates caught poachers with dogs. Only trouble was that they were mauled so bad that they didn't survive to be put on trial. So these Mastiffs were bread to hold the poacher untill the guard can arrest him. The dogs were also transported to South Africa and went through a couple more mixes untill it became the well known Boerboel (farmer's bulldog). Bred to fit into families and also be a guard dog. Boerboels closely watch his owner's non verbal and verbal communication to decide if the owner is in danger and should be guarded. Otherwise it just relaxes. They very good with kids

I could skin my dog alive and hang it out to dry

Goodmorning all, what a nice morning
well there is just one little dog that should keep a very low profile today or she can invite her family for her funeral herself.

We have a maltese called zizi. Now I'm not really a little dog fan but my mom always have one so I grew up with them. Living in The Netherlands and the small houses her size fitted better anyway. She doensn't like to go out, she doesn't shed, she's fine with the kids, she eats all the food that falls on the floor. I taught her all kinds of tricks like standing up and turning around, and then the sit, lay down, get in your box, etc. and she's very good at just following the direction my finger is pointing when I utter a little grunt. She knows a lot but.....

when she goes outside she attacks every big dog she sees and then she has instant deafness. She doesn't hear me at all. Lol I really get ashamed when she does that. Owners looking at me like "What is this, can't you controll that little thing? It is annoying. Look how good my big dog listens" .The big dogs ignore her and then she thinks she's winning and attacks again with a histerical barking. She grew up with a big dog loving her...so she propably think she's the same size.

ok on the other hand we have a Mastiff (actually a boerboel/mastiff) She's a "puppy" and turns 1 this week. She likes to play.. that is why she's my husbands dog. He got her when I got the baby... (another story)

So this morning when we got up it was the thickest snow I've ever seen in my 11years here. The Netherlands is known for the bad weather and not the nice snow scenes. My husband had to drop the girls at his mother's on his way to work. It was madness here getting all the coats, shawls and gloves. I can tell you sock staying paired are a challenge in this house but gloves and baby shoes are even worse. Baby went out with slippers...They were away and I just turned to make myself my first coffee and enjoy the lovely morning
ahum untill little dog ran out of the house an (try to) charge across deep snow. She attacked a german sheperd. He should've scared her. I'll pay him next time to do that. The poor lady didn't know how to get rid of my dog. I saw it all happen through the window. "What's zizi doing outside?!" Anyway by the time I got through the front door Cinder the mastiff somehow got through the electric fence and charged the whole lot there...eeeeeeek! I think the snow was to thick for the signal?? Anyway luckily she knows the sheperd and thought it was fun the lady shouted at her to go home and she did..?! wow she doesn't listen that great yet. But zizi....

Cinder ran my way and I tackled her to get her to the chain but Cinder thouhgt we were playing in the snow. yeah right. My mom warned me anyway that one always have to be representable and here I was:
post baby figure, skinny pants that shows of my thundering thighs very well, a little sport vest and gym shoes without socks, no lipstick. The snow and saliva of the dog were everywhere on me and in my shoes. I got her chained at last and then zizi had enough lol the snow was to thick for her so she got very tired and came home....

I got iniside and looked like Onslow's wife in "Keeping up appearances".
Luckily for me all the vehicles passing by couldn't stare at me otherwise they would've driven off the road with this snow. Lol hello Monday Morning!

ps. zizi is now sleeping in her basking with one eye closed. One eye on me is determening if I'm going to bag her and ship her to Korea to be eaten in a restaurant. I will not relief her from that thought yet.

pps. Ok ok she'll accumulate credits quickly with me. She is cute by the way.

goat softy

I bought this goat´s pattern and parts for a good cause and received it in the post the day my youngest was born. Well yes almost 1,5 years later I decided I really have to start finishing projects.
Well what shall I say...everytime I make a softy I promise it will be the last one. Yeah right....

Well here he is
the pants and the crocheted little jersey I made on my own steam as it was not part of the pattern or pattern pieces.

Ok yes I should have turned his legs so he doesn´t look like he is maimed but for the rest he is ok I guess. Larger than I expected anyway.

White washed

I was sorting out the dirty laundry then the telephone went upstairs, when I returned some white wash was added lol! This is zizi our maltese after a trim

New baby on board

I've resolutely told my husband this was our third and last baby....

so as he can't have babies himself he went and

took another mother's baby and brought her home.

I couldn't refuse:

Her name is Cinder untill we can find a very suitable name.

We actually want an eay to pronounce Afrikaans name.

Defenition of cinder according to answer.com:

burned or partly burned substance, such as coal,

that is not reduced to ashes but is incapable of further combustion.
A partly charred substance that can burn further but without flame.

I thought it fitted her looks.

Cinder is a Boerboel pup. Boerboels are the South African Mastiff. I grew up with these dogs on the farms. They're guard dogs as well as family friends and are very sensitive. Read more about boerboels at wikipedia.

So at the moment I'm changing nappies and newspapers!

(My baby is 3 months older but they're born in the same year)

Monushka

It has been a white again since I've posted but I haven't been idle at all.
I've painted a painting in Acryl 50x40cm for my dd6:

I've been painting an order 40x30cm:

The gold and silver 3D liners I use alway photographs badly, pity about the photo then but you get the idea ;-)

What a day!

It started out with snow (our first and what a supprise)
and then dh came to tell that somebody drove of the dyke. Slipped, would be a better choice of words as I don't think somebody intentionally would drive off the dyke. Especially when the car ended up coliding into one of the Zimbabwean statues of the neighbours, smashed it and... the driver was a lady!

We live near to a bend in the dyke and it is the 2nd car slipping since we live here (6 months). We took photo's and maybe you can see the sun had to make way for another snow "storm" coming. The lady making the accident phoned her boyfriend and he and his colleagues came to get the car. They work for a potatoe farming company 1km from us. We also poned to warn our neighbour as it seemed he wasn't aware of what was going on outside in his "garden". (The statue nearest to you is where our property begins, we took the photo out of our window on the first level)

Then dh had to leave and try and get some clothes for a birtday dinner tonight. He left and I tried with the girls to get their snow stuff. Things were still in boxes and they left with dd8 wearing MY rain boots and dd6 wearing my gloves and they both had hats that were one size to small...! The neighbour's 2 sons came to play and had some fun sliding down the dyke.

Then in they came telling there is a raven that couldn't fly. I was still in my pyjama's so got some pants and a jearsey and chucked dd out of my rainboots. Indeed, the raven came where they were playing?? And didn't fly away though looking verrry alert and healthy. I picked it up. Yes....he really did his best to treat me as carrion but I knew with that terrrible beak he couldn't reach below his cheeks lol and behind his ears so I came out without a scratch on my bare hands and that bird was cursing high and low. Terrible sound. Have you seen "the crow"? You know all those movies? Luckily the sun was shining lol... we live next to a grave yard and our town is called "warden of the death" (direct translation*) ok ok I have an enormous sense of drama and imagination.

I had to manage 4 excited kids (age 6-8), one baby that decided it was time to be heard (loudly), 1 little histerical dog barking at the top of her voice and the crow that was telling me unsensored what he was thinking about the situation while he was trying to get away as well.

Ok the kids ended up with their wet snow clothes calming the baby and the crow was bucketed and my tray was used as a lid. I phoned the animal rescue: one hand on the lid and one hand for the phone (didn't need my legs lol). I noticed that I had the animal rescue's number in my phone. We're here 6 months and already had the number regarding a lost cat and a dead one (run over infront of our house).

The bin was a bit small so I got a (clean) plastic rubbish bin (how appropriate) with a lid wich didn't fit well. I couldn't use my hands this time as the villain crow was ready for me and I couldn't supprise him from behind so I chucked the bucket and him into the bin.

While waiting for the animal rescue I made myself presentable, vacuumed, tidied the kitchen, put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, breast fed the baby, organised the kids and checked on the crow (who cursed every time I did!)
Only a mother would do these things.....

The animal rescue arrived and came to the same conclusion as I did:
the bird wasn't hurt as far as one could see, only a crooked nail but no blood.
What a day! and it all happened before 12....

The girls had to go to Sinterklaas entering our town at 13:30 (and still looked like runnaways) and I had to run errands and then get all girls 3 and me! pressentable for tonight's dinner.

drawstring bag

I needed a b-day gift for dd7's friend. As I've already given her with a previous birthday a personalised painting I had to think of somthing else. Something personalised (I like that) and not to intensive to make as I have a time pressure at the moment with a couple of orders and of course wee baby of 1 month.

I let dd draw an animal, paint it with textile paint and then I've made a drawstring bag from it 45cx45cm using orange fabric with white dots. I googled and find this perfect drawstring tutorial made by schetched soul, plain enough for me to follow.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to make it a bit more interesting with applications or reversable or with a quilted backing. This just'll have to do and next time I must start sooner!

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

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

from the corner of my eye

We were driving past orchards round dusk when from the corner of my eye

I saw movement in a little broken window of a wee little barn It was this little fella

I've finished another order: a textile painted giraffe. Somebody ordered it for the 30th b-day of her friend. I had much fun painting this...needed some colour in my life ;-)

Percheron and polka dots

I've painted the partial face of a Percheron with oil on Canvas (80x30cm).

I've cropped the photo a bit.

This was my first try out of making myself a skirt. I've sewn it according to an Onion Pattern number 3021. It is ok. Don't want to talk about it. I wish my mom was near(she's 10 000km's away) to help me rather than me trying to discover the wheel all over again regarding sewing. The delightfull babyrib fabric was (I think) from Stenzo (or somekind of a known European brand)

Miss Mouse

I've just finished what I've started after dinner and no, it is not my coffee. I've crocheted this mouse what should be a bunny when starting this hobby 2 years ago. She is from a little booklet called "vrolijke beestjes haken". The 2nd bunny I tried out turned out looking like piglet and was sold as a piglet. Well Martie as I called her was claimed by my youngest in the mean time. Martie supprised me by hanging onto her dangling arms and legs despite the rough but fun times she went through. To be honest I thought she'll be a grey mouse living a grey live somewhere forgotten. None was true. Martie with her cute face and her big spirit in that awkward little body, caught the eye of the talent hunter in our house. So Martie rose to the occasion and got a new suitable show bizz name from her new manager. I'll just check with the manager if I may go public with the info so soon. Her manager and stylist (it seems) asked me to make her a dress and as this rising star has such a wonderful personality I made her a hat to match! Monart designed and crocheted her a Cherise scalloped dress with blue trimmings and a hat that will make the ladies green at the Derby ;-)

Belle and Boo

oooooh I just have to share this with you:

I've read about Belle and Boo on the blog Domestic Bliss,While searching for a swap. I had a visit at Belle and boo on Etsy and then completely fell in love with the fragile beauties this artist makes. You can read more about her on her blog.

When typing this post I discovered the origin of the name Belle and Boo:

"I guess I should start by introducing the namesakes of my blog, Belle and her little bunny Boo. Belle is loosely based on a much younger me and my all time favourite children's book character millymollymandy, who I think.." Read more here

After a couple of weeks I return and bought one for myself (called Release), and one for Chanah(Chance Encounter) and of course one for Danae (Flowers for mommy) with money I made from my paintings ;-)

How's that for an art circle ;-)

So please do yourself a favour and go and visit Belle and Boo's shop and I can recommend buying because the service is excellent.

Arrivè!

These two paintings were ordered by a Crafty Mama, from Australia,for her girls:

• Acryl paint on Canvas
• fixed with varnish
• finishing touch: glitter and silver&gold liners
• 24x30cm

I really appreciate orders that don't really pin me down to having no freedom of how I'm painting. This was such a lovely order: "for girls, not too pink, and a choice from 5/6 animals" I had the fun I needed ;-) thanx for this order and I hope it brings a lot of giggles!

ps. photo's distorts a bit and I don't know why