looking forward

I know it's early, but because of the first little bit of sun I'm already looking forward to easter...

ballet birthday girl

yesterday my sisters daughter, Juul, turned 4! It's such a special age, so many changes, going to school, starting her first ballet classes. So I made her a balletbag with one of the embroideries my parents bought in France. The corsage with her initial can be removed. Hope she will become a great ballerina.

big difference

I bought a new lino cutter and that makes a big difference, for stamp making I always used an old one. It's a lot easier now, a few examples of the results.

getting organized

After a while of working on several projects everything is a total mess so getting organized again is inevitable. While cleaning up my working space I came along a pin cushion I made in the second grade, the beginning of my crafting and now so vintage ;-), sweet memories..

birds & dots

I really love felting. especially the reversible possibilities of it.

mixing

I ordered the fabric I used for this bag a long time from Kristen Doran in Australia. I ordered a few fabrics and did use the others already, but for no reason couldn't find a good destination for this one. So I started to look for a good combination with the fabric...think the result looks nice, but I might do some more experimenting...

pizza time

I am starting to like cooking, since my life is more easy going because I quited my job. I take more time to enjoy it and get better in making difficult diners. For this weekend it was pizza time (absolutely not difficult of course ;-))! The boys loved the pizzaface I made them..

swinging frog

I made this babymusic frog for an old colleague of mine who is expecting a babygirl in june.

new inspiration

For the first time bought japanese books through yesasia.com.....and they arrived, it's a miracle. I'm very happy with the new inspiration.

new felt colors

I bought more felt colors (again !!??)....made this corsage for someone who is, just like me, fond of grey and black. Added some yellow because I think it matches her.

I had to take the pictures in the evening, by daylight the colors would have looked better.

four

I've been tagged by Marieke to show the 4th picture in my 4th folder. It' an old picture of a good friend. We had dinner at her place (that's why she is wearing the apron ;-). We had a lovely time. It's nice to see these pictures again.

I'll tag:

pina

farawayme

Jacoline

Anouk

saying goodbye

last year I took a big decision to quit my job and take some time for the boys. Not that I didn't like my job, on the contrary, but just because it didn't feel good to leave a big part of the upbringing with someone else. This is my first "free" week and it already feels very good. For my farewell diner I made my colleageus a keychain. Saying goodbye is never easy...I'm gonna miss everybody at work.

and blue again

As I told I made a felt garland for a new boy, welcome Bram!

finally some pink

I just finished another boy present, but can't show it yet because we will visit them next week. After all the presents I made for boys I was happy to finally make something for a girl. This is the result.

blue rabbit

A boy is born, Guus! I made him this blue rabbit. The idea came from a little drawing. I made the drawing while Jilles and Stije were also making drawings, I used their crayons, that's why the coloring is ugly. But other than that ;-) I'm happy with the result.

the pile is growing

bought more (!!!??) new fabrics. Went to a nice fabric store last wednesday and I am very happy with my purchase. Especially the flower fabric. I'm thinking of combining it with felt (for example butterflies, allready cut some to see how it looked and birds).  It's unbelievable how addictive fabric stores are.

new building

A good friend bought a building to start her own veterinary practise. She recieved the key this week so I made her a keychain.

no leaves

made this flower for a birthday girl. A bit different, without the leaves and different colors, which I think she likes.

branch mobile

My sister made this beautiful branch mobile for christmas, but it's good for every season. She painted the branch silver and hung it on the sealing with fishlines. Love how it looks. unfortunately it's difficult to take a good picture of it.

felt flower

I wanted to make a felt corsage to cheer up a friend of us who is ill, therefor I ordered some japanese crafting books. Only problem is that I will have to wait till february for them to arrive, so I made my own design.

I made the label on the back, because it wouldn't look nice in the front.

rockets

two little boys are born, so I made a new felt design. These rockets are the result. Hope the two little ones like them.

little angels

Made this mobile, but I'm not satisfied with the result. I like the idea of using the branches, but maybe I should make other felt figures, more colors. any ideas?

combining

for no reason I forget to mix different crafts. For example I never think of combining needle felting and wet felting. It's the same when I work with felt fabrics. I hardly ever combine it with cotton textiles, just never think of it. So stupid because the result feels good. One of my intentions for 2009 is to do this mixing thing more often. And I almost forget.....all the best wishes for 2009!

felt necklace

love the color of these felt beads, finally made a necklace out of it. Hope the recipient likes it.

swap 2

Kristel from vlijtig made me beautiful christmas ornaments, the little house matches my christmas puppets perfect. Really love what she send me.

christmas

christmas is already over, time flies. I made these leaves for a garland, but made to few, so i quickly made corsages out of it, so we all looked very festive during christmas. Hope everybody had a joyful christmas.

handyman

My husband loves his moleskine notebook, you can keep little papers in it, but there is no room for a pencil. I saw this idea at whip up a long time ago. I loved it, so simple. I made my own version for Roel.

christmas ornament swap

made these for Kristel from vlijtig, hope she likes them. Jilles was so fond of them, he wanted to keep them, so maybe I will make some more...

little feet 2

the same pattern, other decoration with a smile..

recycle-a-shirt-bib

Sometimes when a shirt has a nice pattern and it doesn't fit anymore, it's a shame to throw it away. So I made this bib out of a nice t-shirt. I'm also thinking of making a cushioncover out of a t-shirt. But the shirt still fits Stije so I'll have to wait some longer.

cowboy bib

Also made this cowboy bib for my sister and brother in law.

little feet

I found a nice pattern for babyshoes here, very easy to make and you can decorate them yourselve, so fun to make. This first pair is for my sister and brother in law who are expecting a boy.

proud

Mostly I am proud of one of my 3 boys, but now I am a little bit proud of myself. I made a clutch out of one of the embroidery's my parents brought from France. It was a lot of work, but I am sattisfied with the result. I didn't use a pattern for it, it's my own design. I'm showing it of at a wedding next week.

Boys garland

For Jilles his birthday I made a garland. I found it more difficult to make a color and pattern combination for boys. I think I need to buy some more fabrics to make better combinations ;-).

new fabrics

Last week in Washington, I visited a fabric store. Josefien guided me, otherwise I would have been lost, the store was so big! Amazing. I managed to buy some nice fabrics and also got a beautiful Washington fabric as a gift, thanks again Josefien! I already used it to make a 'sinterklaas' gift, so I can't show it yet ;-). In the states they have a lot of reproduction fabrics from different periods, I like them very much.

quick treat

Jilles turns four today! Because we were on holiday and Jilles had to give his treat the next day, I made these little gifts (while suffering from my jetlag) some collorfull foamstickers, ricepuppets and a Jilles stamp (made earlier). Jilles was very happy with his treat.

finally made the pattern

I got the pattern for this fabric basket from vlijtig and finally made it, I find it hard to fit the innerpart to the outerpart, but I'm sattisfied with the result. I stuffed it with some sinterklaas candy (how irressistible this time of year!). It's also a gift for our friends in the states. I bought the fabric in the US in a webshop and now I'm taking it al the way back, funny how things can go.

short trip

This week we stay with friends in Washington, we're looking forward to see them. I made them some gifts. I will publish this post when we're already arrived, because otherwise they might see there gifts before unrapping. By the time it's is published hopefully Obama is in the white house, we can check that out ourselves, funny..

preparing for 'sinterklaas'

Sinterklaas is almost arriving. Jilles is already practising the songs and he is very excited. In preperation of his arrival I made this garland. It's so simple, I saw the idea at a fair.

new treasure from france

My parents suprised me again with new things they found at the "marché aux puces". Really fantastic, now I have to figure out what to make out of it. Even Stije and Jilles were enthusiastic about the tapestry.