Creative Spaces!

Don't you love seeing what's on other people's tables? The creative things they are working on? How they organise things? The work in progress? Personally, I'm addicted to this site I think.... LOL!

Today I would like to share with you one of those infamous patchwork projects I'm working on. It's constantly on my table so I can just grab it and work on it whenever I feel like it. The majority of the project is in a box, but working on one of the log cabin blocks doesn't take much of material, it all fits in one small pouch. I even take it with me on little trips! Take a peek at my work in progress...

This first picture shows how I tried to see how all the strips of fabric would look by just pinning them together in the order they would be sewn.

This second picture shows this same block all sewn together.

As you can see, the base of my block is an astrology sign and I have all twelve. So I will be busy for a while stitching all twelve log cabin blocks and then making it into one large wall hanging. At least, that's what I have in mind for it at this moment. You never know of course... haha!

Go see more creative spaces right here!

Hugs,
Wezz

What's on my table?

Time to get back into the blogging groove and what better way than to show you what is on my table right now! I'm working on some scarves, and this one is with some pompom yarn. I love the color, and really like the structure of how it turns out when knitted. The pompoms make it oh so soft too!

Let me know what you think, okay?? Always love to hear what you guys think! :-))

I wrote this as part of the "creative spaces" and you can find more of those right here.

Hugs,
Wezz

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've shown you some of my scrapbook pages, so please take a trip with me! Let's go to Crete, Greece!!

I know the pictures of the pages are not the best, but it's all I have at the moment. Taking pictures of a double spread is definitely no easy task! I do hope you can still see the beauty of the place though. (click on the pics to see them a little bigger)
Coz my new Monday plans?? I'm taking the airplane to go there!! It's our paradise, our sanctuary place. :-))
See you soon!!

Hugs,
Wezz

Step by step...

... I'll get there. At finishing all my UFOs. It may take years, coz who knows what's lurking in the cupboards. But whatever I can find, I'm finishing, slowly but surely. If I come across something older, I need to make the decision to either finish it and do something with it, whatever that is, or to get rid of it in one way or the other. Not easy for a packrat like me!! I see potential in just about every little bit!! There's a reason why I kept things, although I may not remember that exact reason any more, I can think of several new ones every time! LOL
But, I've come to the conclusion that I can't keep everything. I can't wear everything I make even though I love it, I already have jewelry for every outfit I own! I can't keep every little piece of thread coz I think it will come in handy for a crochet project. I can't keep every little bitty piece of fabric, even though that will be like a dagger through my heart, especially since I've now.... wait for it.... taken up patchwork and quilting! Hahaha!
Just finished my second class but I can already see that this is gonna be another addiction. That's why some other things will have to go. Like maybe some fabric that I once bought for making clothes but it hasn't materialized yet and I need to check each and every piece and see if it still holds that promise or not. If not, it's gotta go. I am still going to my sewing group every week, so some things will still get made, or finished. :-))

As far as my last Monday Plans go, I finished the crochet bonnets! The tails are now neatly worked in and they look very cool, even if I do say so myself. I even worked in the tails of a scarf that was also waiting for those finishing touches.

  

 

 

 

See?? All finished!!

I'm still contemplating opening a new category in my etsy store with crochet and knitwear. One thing is for sure, I'll definitely have enough to fill that new category! :-))

I'm gonna take a stab at my new Monday Plans... 

If the weather cooperates, I want to photograph everything I have for that new category, so that when I've finally decided, I'll be ready to fill it. Preventing a backlog or a reason not to follow through there. LOL

I don't have quilting class this week, but I do next week and only two classes left before the summer holidays so I want to finish my first panel AND a second one. Yup, the fabric for the second panel has already been cut and is ready to work with! Woohoo!! :-D

Hugs,

Wezz

Monday Plans

Well with the unbelievable nice weather and Easter weekend in between, I'm now ready for new Monday Plans. I even managed to get results for my last plans. I finished 10, count 'em, TEN, of my bead crochet ropes. They all got caps and clasps now! Yay me!! Wanna take a peek??

And in more detail....

I even managed to do my (unblogged) Monday Plans of last week, which was to get the finished necklaces all photographed and ready for my etsy shop. I've even started to list them too! Even more Yay Me! :-))

I've got plenty more of these ropes, so I'll be busy for a while trying to get those finished too. Then I need to get them photographed and uploaded to the store. But if I wanna do something completely different this week, I just may tackle some of my crochet bonnets and work the threads in.
Huh, my UFO's are slowly becoming FO's after all this time!

Monday Plans do get my butt in gear it seems. And that's not just the Monday Plan, but the Big Plan! LOL :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

Monday Plans

Apparently I can create create create and create. Come up with 10 new designs when I just started a new one and still have to see how THAT one will turn out. My hands can't follow my mind. I crochet and knit and while doing so I'm already thinking of the changes I'll make to the next one. My crochet and knit patterns come into effect as I go, sometimes I'll write something on the back of a beermat or on a post it note so I don't forget what it is I want to change in the next one. Crocheting bonnets just come to life while fitting or just simply DOING.
But finishing off, now THAT is something completely different! I need a serious kick in the butt for that it seems. I have piles, literally piles, of finished crocheted bead ropes, all they need is the finishing touches like caps and a clasp. I'm dragging my feet on that one, I can't seem to bring myself to actually finish them. I have a pile of crocheted bonnets but the tails are not worked in yet... What's wrong with me???
Maybe I should pretend I only have one crochet hook, then maybe I wouldn't be working on 3 vests at the same time. All different of course, but the same type of yarn is used.
Maybe I should pretend that I have only one pair of knitting needles so I wouldn't be working on a vest, a scarf, socks and more all at the same time. Okay, not *exactly* the same time of course, but they're all in various stages of completion.
Maybe I should pretend I only have one beading needle so I would work on that one project until it's finished completely, instead of the gazillion projects I have laying around.
Maybe I should pretend I only have one box of scrapbook papers and use those up first before I can use something from another box (and those with Club Scrap will know exactly what I'm talking about!).
But I just got another idea for a new ring design that I need to try out before I forget what it looks like in my mind!!! I'm terrible at drawing something like that, so I need to make it to see if it's doable or not.
Sigh.
Maybe I just need to DO it.
Finishing something I mean. That will be my plan for this week. I want to have something to show by the end of the week. Something that's been laying around here for ages without getting to the finished state. I really need to do this, it's time.
Now that it's in writing and out there for the world to see, maybe, just maybe, I can do it.
Yes, I can!!

Hugs,
Wezz

Long time no see!

Right. But I'm back! Again. Don't know how long it'll last this time before I need a long blog break again. Life just happens and when it does, we all gotta deal with whatever it throws our way. Right? Right. I'm here again.

Reading my last few blog posts, it made me remember a promise that I haven't kept. Yet. So I gotta make good on that. I promised to show you some of the beads I bought in Venice, so here are a few pictures of the gorgeous yummy beauties! Remember, I got to see how they made these too! Hot of the press so to speak... Because of the handmade nature, they are not identical either, and some are not completely round.

 

I must admit, I love looking at them, seeing the light play in them, fondling them... and yet, I find it hard to come up with a good idea on how to use them. I mean, a REALLY good idea that would bring out their beauty the best way possible. Gotta think some more about this... hmmm.... ;-))
Until next time, hopefully you won't have to wait a couple of months.... heheheh....

Hugs,
Wezz

Calling all Paper Lovers!

oh boy do I have some cool links for you today! I was totally blown away by some of these, and I can only dream of such creativity with "just" paper. The paper in itself are just art pieces in some of these!

First, take a good look at this one. Playing with paper just has something magical to it, and these artworks show just that in The Beauty of Paper Art. And Art it is, with a capital A.

Now, let me blow your mind by this one. It's called "Patience" and you'll see why.... My jaw just dropped when I saw this. There is an interview with the artist Randi Parkhurst right here that you can listen to. It's about the making of Patience. I loved hearing her talk about the process and how the video finally came to be. Isn't this just amazing???

Isabelle de Borchgrave is a belgian artist who, for one thing, makes replicas of dresses that are shown on old paintings. You know the renaissance ones with the great details? She reproduces them in PAPER. I was told that she mainly uses pattern paper (like what you use for dress making) and then paints it and decorates it to look like what is in the paintings. When you hold the pictures of the paintings next to what she makes, the resemblance is uncanny. It's like they walked of the painting and are there, life size. Here's a video of one of her expositions called "I Medici - A renaissance in paper", this one was held in Florence and is now in Brussels. I sure hope to go see that one! Oh and don't be afraid to click on the other links too! Here's another video of her work. It's in French, but you'll get the idea. It's called "Dreams in Paper". Oh yeah, I can only dream of such things! Some more info about this great artist can be found here. You can even take a peak into her Brussels based studio! More pictures of her work can be seen here but let me tell you, if you ever get the chance to see her work up close, don't hesitate! It's sooo much better in real life! I haven't seen it yet, but did see my mom's pics and they are better than what I can point out to you here. Really.

Oh and I have a really neat little project for you that I found on YouTube. Imagine this with some little pictures on it, like a brag book or something.... It's small enough to keep on your coffee table and for sure a great conversation starter! If you make it and have pics of it, let me know, I'd love to see it! :-))

For now, I have a card to show you that just pales against these artists' work. But, I still do like it. It's made following the DWYT sketch 24. Yeah, I'm a little behind there, but I don't always make them immediately and what can I say? Some sketches just don't appeal to me at all, so I'll look for an older one that will work with the image and scraps of papers I have at hand. Enjoy!

Sorry, no idea where that rubber stamp image came from. I got it in an image swap and there were no specifics with this one. The butterfly image was painted with water paint colors, the cheap kid stuff. Who says crafting is expensive??? LOL :-))
I hope you had fun following all the links in today's post! Let me know your thoughts about all this, okay?
Have a nice day!

Hugs,
Wezz

A Winner! and a bit of a travel story too...

We have a winner for the contest on our latest traveling!! The answer was... Venice! :-))
And the winner of the snail mail card is.... drum roll please....

    cockney blonde said...I'm guessing it could be Venice. Love that City.
How wonderful having a little kitty in the house. I love all our animals but its great when they're babies, so cute and funny, x

Congratulations, Cockney Blonde! Please let me know when I can mail the card, okay?? I don't want it sitting in your mailbox for too long if you should be traveling yourself...

We got a chance to travel to Venice coz Jan had to be there for his job. But boy, that's one heck of an expensive city!! I'm pretty sure this will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Everything is expensive there! And I do mean everything: food, drinks, taking the bus boats, even using the public restrooms! No kidding. And before you flip out over this, they are kept very clean and in really good condition. Kinda important. LOL
Since I had time on my hands while Jan was working I was able to explore the city. I got lost in the little back streets and alleys, found wonderful shops, great little tucked away squares were it wasn't as busy as St Mark's Square, got totally soaked in the rain on several occasions, took boat rides, and visited the walhalla of glass, the island of Murano..... I'm still lost for words on what I got to see in the workshops, demos and the Glass Museum. No wonder this is expensive stuff, some are really affordable though you have to search for those. They only use particular kinds of sand, are very specific on what they'll use to get the colors, etc. This is not your run-of-the-mill glass, even though the chinese knock-offs really do a good job at imitating them. I learned how to tell the difference on some of the items, especially some of the inside coloring (like swirls and some other types) and the glass itself. Hard to explain in a text if you can't hold the two next to each other to see the difference for yourself though. Of courste I came home with bunches of Murano glass beads from the island as well as some pendants and they all are the real deal. (ouch, my poor poor credit card!) I'll take a picture of them soon so you can see how gorgeous these really are. I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun working with these in my jewelry!!
Strolling through the little streets of Venice I also got to see a few artisan people working on the famous masks in their workshops. They preferred not to have their picture taken though so I respected that. One of them was making them with papier maché, while another one was making them in leather. That's right, real leather, coz it's nicer to wear on your face. Of course, you don't get these for a bargain price. For low prices you can buy a made in China mask from the street vendors. Another person was working on bookbinding, also with leather, she had the hides hanging in her shop. Very cool to see these people at work. I also found a book store that had books that had the covers of some famous books like Alice in Wonderland, Robinson Crusoe, etc. done by an "artist" and when I saw the price tags I almost fainted. Books ranged from 3000 to 8000 euros. For sure, the covers were nicely done, but the whole time I was thinking "I could do that". Well I could if I had the materials and more importantly, the outlet for it! Doesn't it strike you sometimes when you see some artist's work, that you think you could do this too? I think we creative people should all move to Venice and go make a fortune there. A bunch of us together and with all that creative talent I see amongst my online friends, what could be better? LOL
I saw a guy in his workshop who made everything out of wood. Nothing special? Wait, he had a folded shirt that looked so real, a shirt hanging from a clothes line, a biker's jacket, shoes, western boots and the list goes on and on. All done in wood. Now there's something where I think "I can not do this". I was impressed to say the least. :-))

Hugs,
Wezz

What is your favorite necklace length?

Mine is about 18 to 22 inches, depending on the thickness and whether or not it has a pendant on it. How 'bout your favorite length? Please fill out the poll on the top right of this page! I'm very interested to see the end results of this little poll. Thanks for voting!

Speaking of voting, we here in Belgium have been asked to go cast our votes for a new government on June 13th. Our civil duty. Yes, it's a duty here, not just a right to vote. That's why it's on a Sunday. I just got the draft letters we'll have to present at the office where we'll need to go. Thank goodness our city is one of those where you can now vote electronically so no more "situations" with pencils without a tip and immensely huge papers with lists of candidates for us anymore. LOL
You gotta see the humor in a not so humorous situation, right?

And speaking of another not so humorous situation, something is definitely wrong with my Outlook program, and we're trying hard to get it to work again, but so far nothing worked. We fear that my laptop may slowly be dying though and we're doing everything we can to keep it alive and kicking... But, if you don't hear from me, you'll know why. Always something, huh? *sigh*

Hugs,
Wezz

Poll

I'm happy to report that the little kitten is doing pretty well. In fact, she's asleep right now next to me here on the couch. So sweet and innocent looking. Until she wakes again. Then, she's a lot less innocent!! LOL

I'm having trouble adjusting at home again, it's hay fever season for me. Being near the water last week was a lot better for me, that's for sure! I feel like my head is filled with cotton balls, my thinking isn't straight, my throat hurts like hell, and I'm coughing my lungs out. Especially laying down, so I'm not getting my necessary portion of sleep either.
Sooo, I thought I might as well try out something new on my blog, and I added a poll. There's a first for everything, and I've always wanted to do this... so now, there you are. Please please would you cast your vote?? It would be a great indicator for me when finishing off a few necklaces. Thanks so much!!

Hugs,
Wezz

Back home

well we got back home about 6 hours ago, we went to get our cats at the cat hotel, and came home with one more... LOL
Yup, they had found a little abandoned kitten somewhere and have not found the rightful owners yet. They do have some candidates to adopt her, but right now she's too young to eat on her own, so I was asked to care for the little one until she's old enough and eats on her own. I did tell them I wouldn't do it without the agreement of our two other cats, but so far they seem to be okay with the new addition to the household. Wonder how they'll react when it's time for the little one to go on to a new home... We'll see how it goes the next few days, if it doesn't work out they will ask someone else to train the kitten. She's very playful, exploring her new temporary home and definitely not shy at all!! She's on my lap as I'm typing this! Forgive me for any typos I don't catch... The cat did it. LOL

Nobody tried to guess where we were??? Maybe you need more hints, huh?? Or maybe this blog just doesn't have enough readers?? ahum!!! You can always share the link with your friends of course...
 So, here are a few extra hints... oh err, kitty is finding my fingers dancing over the keyboard very interesting and is trying to catch them! (grin) It's funny to have a little one in the house again. :-))
Okay, more hints to where we've been... Let me think, I don't want to make it too easy either of course...
- it's a world famous city in Europe
- very touristy
- there's a Hard Rock Café which made Jan very happy
- they have a long tradition of craftsmanship and handmade items which made me very happy
- if we had gone by bus or train we would still need to have taken the boat to get to the hotel and the city center
- to get there we had to cross Germany and Austria
and I'm not gonna say anymore or I'm gonna give it away! LOL
Okay, I'll make it a contest. Out of all the correct answers I'll draw a name and I'll send you a real snail mail card if you give me your address. Deal??? Deadline of the contest is one week from now -Monday 24th, so I'll draw the name on the 25th. Have fun! It's really not all that difficult!! I promise! :-))

I wonder if kitty is ever gonna go to sleep... She hasn't sat still for a minute yet since she got here, has eaten pretty well with some help from me and is still playing... pheww, I had forgotten how tiring this can be!! But it's just impossible not to like her!!

Hugs,
Wezz