Handmade

New Blog - welcome to tag along

2011-09-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Dear friends!
As you may have read a few posts back I am experiencing problems with my blog since Blogger upgraded the interface. Somewhere in my html-code is a fault causing all my links, labels and archives to “glue themselves” to the bottom of my blog. Blood, sweat, tears and a heck of work hours later I am no closer to the solution of what went wrong.

So now I give up and start on a new blog instead. I call it My creative everyday life! I am still on blogger and here is the link to the new one MY CREATIVE EVERYDAY LIFE

This is not an easy thing for me to do. I have written this blog since 2007 and the posts are an important part of my life. And I am afraid of losing you – all my dear blog friends!

I know I have followers from all corners of the globe and some of you also kindly have a link to my blog on yours. I would be so very happy if you would change the link to the new one. I will try and send a personal message to all my followers but if I miss out on anyone it is not intentional.

I hope you will tag along to the new one. I will be looking forward to seeing you all there.

Take care
Jeanette

PS Hurry over and you can win a photo of your choise in my first post. Just leave a comment on which photo you like best and I will pick a winner on September the 15th.

Sheep-shearing

2011-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

I love wool and all the amazing stuff you can create with it but most of all I love the actual producer. No I am not going to elope with a sheep farmer I meant the sheep of course. I have promised myself that one day I will have sheep of my very own. Maybe when we move to the country house permanently and not just use it for weekends and vacations. Unfortunately my husband doesn’t share my fascination and love of sheep so I just might have to find myself that sheep farmer anyway….

Today I went to watch sheep-shearing at Katrinetorps gård. It was great fun. One sheep took approximately 2-3 minutes to shear. Unbelievable! At first I thought it looked a bit brutal but then you saw that the sheep didn`t seem to mind. They loved getting rid of the warm fleece.
This is Torgil and his primadonna Lisa.

"Hey Torgil, had I known there would be such a turn out I would have brushed my fleece"

"Could I have some privacy please! My butt is showing for crying out loud!"

Am I cute or what! Please buy my CD after the show!

Mmmmm that felt nice. Scratch me some more....

Katrinetorp has a beautiful garden as well and I stayed there for hours taking photos. will show you some tomorrow. And after today I am even more convinced! I want a sheep....or two!

Take care
Jeanette

PS I bought the fleece from Torgil. Such beautiful, curly and bouncy raw fleece. I just couldn`t resist.

Frustration

2011-09-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Today I have been very, very angry – with Blogger. When they upgraded their interface all my labels, links and contact information suddenly appeared at the bottom of the page. I have tried everything and they are still like glued to the bottom. My dear blogfriend Anna tried to help me just now and we ended up chatting on facebook. That made me feel so much better. It is so nice to have someone that really understands not only your frustration but also understands how important this blog is for me. I have written since 2007 and through my blog I have shared my happiness, been comforted in my sorrows and ventilated some anger too and now, when everything is upside down I feel like weeping.

When everything was feeling really hopeless my husband came and gave me a package. A brown paper package tied up with strings. ( Like that song in Sound of Music you know!) He had collected it at the post office. Woohoo I thought, it must be my green raincoat that I ordered a week ago.

But it wasn’t. It was 7 tiny little jars with dye for my raw wool that I had forgotten that I ordered. Red, yellow and blue.

Oh joy! Can’t wait to try them out, but not tonight though. Tonight I have to finish the shawl that I am making to match my new raincoat and tomorrow I am off to the country house for some serious gardening.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Take care
Jeanette

PS Do you know what? When I looked at the preview of my post - suddenly everything looked OK again. All labels and links was where they were supposed to be and then when I published it everything was all wrong again. Crap!

Embroidery against FGM/C

2011-09-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

This is by far the most “strange” embroidery I have ever made but also the most important. It is a portrait of a female vulva. If you find this repulsive or provocative please, please read on anyway because it is made for a very important cause and even better - all can join in.

I read this post at Craftgossip.com and that is what got it all started…

“The Embroideries Campaign is not about shock value or sexuality, per se. It is about bringing an end to female genital mutilation. The practice of altering female genitals to protect a girl’s marriage ability is still widespread in some parts of the world. This surgery not only robs women of sexual joy, but also can complicate childbirth, affect general health, or even result in death from infection or hemorrhage.

To raise awareness and combat this tradition, the Embroideries Campaign invites women worldwide to create 7″ x 7″ works on fabric depicting healthy vulvas “as abstract or accurate as you like.” Needlework has been chosen as the medium for these works because it is usually the traditional domain of women and because the Persian word for genital alteration is “embroidery.” The works submitted by contributors will be joined into a patchwork wall hanging and displayed in public to invite media coverage of this issue. “

I decided at once that I wanted to participate. I made my embroidery with a “flower theme”, the flowers representing the freedom of sexuality that I think every woman is entitled to. If you like to join in and support the cause you can get more information on the Embroideries Campaign website.

You can send your embroidery to:

EMBROIDERIES
5a Gransden Ave
London E8 3QA
United Kingdom

Do join in!

Jeanette

My wardrobe got me thinking..

2011-08-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have a varied wardrobe. Variation is a good thing right? Well, no. In my case varied is just a polite word for not having anything that actually fits together. Oh I envy those who have a style, people who seem to follow a path clothes-wise and never wander astray….they stick to a certain type of clothes and buy stuff that fits right in there with the rest. Writing this, it sounds a bit boring but this is most often not the case. They can wear outrageous outfits but they sort of stick to the outrageous category if you know what I mean. . They are not office lady one day and punk rocker the next… Me, I seem not to be able to stay on the path…..

I love the Meg Ryan You’ve got mail kind of clothes as well as Madonnas crazy outfits in Who`s that girl. I also love hippie/grunge/skater kind of stuff minus showing your butt in a low waistline. I like suits for the office and I like colourful clothes. Heeelp! Is there such a thing as an wardrobe split personality disorder? ´Then I`ve got it!

Inspired by Eleanor I am planning a few posts on clothes. A “todays outfit” now an then, maybe once a week. At the end of the year I can look back and see where I went wrong that day, ha, ha!

This is todays outfit.

Yep, you saw right. Today Jeanette goes Pippi Longstocking. I always wanted a sweater like Pippi when I was a kid.

My Mum said she could knit me one but I didn`t want that. Handmade wasn’t really high fashion in those days but I would gladly knit one today though….

So today I am Pippi but tomorrow? Who knows!

Take care
Jeanette

I need flowers in the rain

2011-08-30T12:31:00.001-07:00

Today I bought a winter jacket and a cap! The terrible thing isn’t the fact that I bought it now even if it’s not even September yet, the terrible thing is that I want to start using it at once.

The weather is so cold, rainy and grey right now that all I can think about is my new warm jacket !

I need autumn flowers to brighten up my day!

Take care
Jeanette

Fashion statements from the commentbox

2011-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

One of my blogfriends has a newly found interest in fashion blogs…..and glasses. I have read her blog over the years and I absolutely love her posts which are usually spot on and almost always very funny. Can’t wait to read her posts on glasses and see the photos…..being a person forced to use glasses myself, inspiration and pep talk are always welcome!

Inspired by her I did a little embroidery. Of what? A pair of glasses of course.

I made sort of a collage with it and now I am of to the letterbox sending it to her.

Take care
Jeanette

PS I need reading glasses too. I have a lot of them. Mostly the kind you buy at the gas station.... My favorite pair are light blue with dark blue dots on them. My daughters say I look like Fairy God mother in Shrek. You know, the mother of Prince Charming.....ugh!

Short cuts

2011-08-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

My head is constantly spinning with new ideas for all kind of creative stuff but my problem is that I want to try everything out at once. So I usually end up with a lot of unfinished projects. I seem to constantly find something that is even more fun to try out all the time… My shelves in the work room are not only filled to the brim with objects that might come in handy some day ( like jumble sale findings, tin cans, wire, wood, scraps of fabric, buttons, yarn, lace, paper….) it’s also pretty crammed with stuff that are almost finished. The fact that I am a woman in lack of patience tends to add to the piles too.

Today I decided it was high time to get rid of some of the shelf warmers. I`ve been meaning to do some pillows for my country house bedroom for ages and even started out on some but never getting round to finishing them. No surprise there eh ? The truth is that I find it dead boring to make the actual pillow case, it’s just so much more fun with the pimping part. So what could I do for a short cut? I remembered that I had a lot of old pillow cases that I inherited from my parents in law. Beautiful old pillow cases with lace and embroidery but since I had a lot of them maybe I could use some of them for my new pillows? Said and done.

Two hours later I had four new pillows, two of them made from the vintage pillow cases and one from an old velvet pillow case I found in my fabric pile. The last one I made from an old t-shirt. I simply took different kind of finished objects that I had lying about and added them to the pillow cases. Dead easy and fast!

Oh I love short cuts.

This one is the quilt that I made out of my husbands shirts but never made a pillow of. ...

....and this is the embroidery I made meaning to add it to a pillow some day....The text is kind of a pun in Swedish and hard to translate but goes something like this "the one you make the bed for, gets to sleep with you"

This one is I pimped with flower fabric and an old kettle-holder…

….and this is made from an old t-shirt I bought at a jumble sale. I love the buttons, don’t you? Yep,it’s Boy George in case you were wondering…

Take care
Jeanette

Patches

2011-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last year I found this tiny little white patch on my right hand and when I visited my doctor I got diagnosed with Vitiligo. I had never heard about it before but the doctor explained to me that Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. The cause of vitiligo is not known, but the most widely accepted view is that the depigmentation occurs because vitiligo is an autoimmune disease -- a disease in which a person's immune system reacts against the body's own organs or tissues. He also said that unfortunately there was no cure against the disorder and you could never tell how fast it would spread.

He went on telling me that there is an association between vitiligo and the most aggressive form of skin cancer, melanoma. Individuals with vitiligo and with fair skin in general should therefore exercise extra precautions when it comes to sun protection. Daily application of a moisturizer with a broad spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or greater to sun exposed areas was recommended. Use of hats, sunscreen and covering up while outdoors, avoiding sun exposure between 10 AM-3 PM would be a good idea. Yeah! I got this picture in my head of me sitting in a sunchair with an ugly sunhat and all covered up in a blanket. I felt like weeping! I went out of the doctor’s office feeling sort of numb. I looked at the tiny little patch and could almost hear the pigment cells chewing off on each other.

For six month or so nothing much happened. The patch didn’t get any bigger and I kept a brave face telling myself that I most certainly didn’t have the aggressive version and as long as it didn’t spread to my face I was OK with it…. That was a big fat lie of course. I wasn’t OK with it, well the white patch didn’t bother me as much as the skin cancer thing. That had me trembling…

Four months ago or so it started spreading really fast. I went back to the doctor but he had no answer to why it was spreading so fast but there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. I still tried to keep the bravery up. It hadn’t spread to my face, I didn’t have skin cancer so it wasn’t lethal ( yet….) and although it was the same disease that Michael Jackson had I was almost certain that it wasn’t what caused his nose to fall of…. I worked really hard on convincing myself that this was no big deal. Hey, there is always make up….

Last week as I was in a shop buying a pair of jeans ( hate, hate, double hate) and was standing in this really, really tiny dressing room with it’s non flattering bright light trying to see whether my ass looked big in these ( which it always does) and that’s when I saw it – a pink patch on my chin. It had finally spread to my face.

I wept in the dressing room
I wept in the car back home
I wept for the rest of the evening.

Feeling sorry for myself and feeling that life was unfair. Why me I sobbed! The next morning I told myself to get a grip. So many people in the world were far worse off. So I might soon be looking like Yogi the Bear and so I would have to take extra precautions in the sun for the rest of my life but I still didn’t have skin cancer. I told myself that I had to focus on all the good things in life – my wonderful husband, lovely daughters and all my great friends. The country house, my creative work, my garden, my photography…. and it works. Most of the time.

But then there is the lonely hours at night when fear of cancer hits me big time but maybe there is a meaning to that too. Because otherwise I might get careless, not using sun protection, pretending that it will never happen to me...

…and come to think of it – Yogi the Bear is kind of cute!

Take care
Jeanette

Bird with yellow beak

2011-08-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hand carving is fun but the most fun part is to look for branches and pieces of wood that resemble something. That speaks to you…Today I made a bird of sorts.. …

Take care
Jeanette

Carving

2011-08-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have a busy period at work right now and do long hours. When I get home I am too tired to start any big crafting projects but try to do little tiny ones. I feel good when I create, it helps me relax. Yesterday I was tired of my knitting and went into my workroom instead.

My eyes fell on the pretty little heart that my friend Anna hand carved for me. That got me inspired and in search for a piece of wood but I had to make do with a cut of branch from my compost heap.

So bibidi

Bobidi

Boo

Done!

I am happy, relaxed and ready for another day at work.

Take care
Jeanette

It is all about dreaming

2011-08-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

I planted a new border this weekend. It lies next to the fields and is actually a homage to my beloved cat Nasse who is buried there. I planted clematis ( from my friend B:s garden) surrounded by roses (Summerwind) and lavender and also a little “wild corner” with Lupines and Foxglove. I tucked all the plants in for the autumn in nice fluffy raw wool to keep the rabbits and deer away.

It doesn’t look like much now but gardening is very much about dreaming I think. About how it’s going to be later on….. when the lupines and foxglove start blooming in June followed by cascades of tiny pink roses surrounded by bright blue lavender and in the middle of it all the clematis proudly reaching for the sky.

Doesn`t sound so bad eh? So what that it will take a couple of years – it’s worth waiting for. OMG I can’t believe that I am writing this – me – the woman in total lack of patience! Could it be the same woman that would spend fortunes in plant shops every year just to have the border ready at once…and then dig it up again next year because it didn’t turn out the way she wanted fast enough? The woman who now grow almost all her plants from seeds and save all the little tiny infant lavender plants she finds while weeding…..

Wow, gardening haven’t just got me dreaming it teaches me patience too!

Take care
Jeanette

Pillows

2011-08-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

I wanted pillows for my kitchen sofa and finally got round to using some of my jumble sale findings. I used scrap fabric and added an old embroidery, a crocheted doily and a kettle-holder from my kettle-holder collection.

The needlepoint field rabbit seemed to be the perfect choice for a pillow since I am surrounded by them at the country house. We have a sort of love & hate relationship, the rabbits and I, the amount of love I feel depending on how much of my flower buds they eat.

I am especially proud over the round crocheted pillow since I don’t actually crochet. I used a round kettle-holder from my collection and sort of just continued on it using different cotton yarn for a striped effect.

When I was finished I had to pinch my arm to see that I wasn’t dreaming – Wow, it was still round. Maybe not a giant step for mankind but certainly a great step for me. I can almost hear my wicked old craft teacher from school saying “are you sure no one helped you out with that”. She was one mean old lady and if there is any justice in the world she is sitting in a very warm place right now surrounded with tons of yarn that is all tangled up….

Sorry got carried away abit there....here is the finished result.

Speaking of school. The picture hanging over the sofa is an old school placard used in science classes in the 1940:ies. Needless to say it`s another jumble sale finding….

I love looking at it. The colours always makes me happy.

Take care
Jeanette

Berry picking

2011-08-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today I went in search for berries, black berries to be presice. I decided to try the little nature reserve not far from my house. It’s a beautiful mixture of oak trees, shrubbery and meadows. The only disadvantage is cows. I am not afraid of cows, although in flock they tend to be very nosy, easily scared and therefore running about in an uncontrolled manner all of the time…. No it`s their boss that I am afraid of. I have run into him a couple of times and he never looks like he is going to sit under a tree and smell the flowers any time soon.

But I am a courageous kind of girl ( Yep, Batgirl thats me! Bet you didn`t know that....) so off I went anyway, walking through the woods, humming a little tune, picking a berry here and a berry there feeling happy. The grass was full of little baby toads so I had to keep one eye on the ground and one eye on the berry bushes and while I was at it I kept a look out for the cows too. My superhero costume being at the cleaners you see....But afraid? Oh no not me!

Just as I stood pondering over the fact that the biggest and yummiest berries always are the ones that are out of reach I saw a green Tree frog.The green Tree frog is rare and I have wanted to see one in the wild ever since we bought the country house. So when the frog disappeared into the bushes that’s when I started to get sloppy….

I eagerly followed trying to spot him again. Walking around with my head closer and closer to the ground muttering to myself “come on you little bugger, I am not going to eat you". I went round a big bush, looked up and….. yikes....

...Cows.....and the mean guy ? I bet he was lurking in the bushes just waiting for his prey. I was frantic!

I stepped round a tree in order to avoid them, sunk to my knees in mud and fell headlong landing on the berry basket. I think it was right then and there as I was feeling the smashed berries slowly trickling through my sweater that I decided to call it a day.

This Berry picking thing is nothing for us superwomen anyway!

And by the way – I am not afraid of cows!

Take care
Jeanette

Ösregn/ Hard rain

2011-08-17T03:18:00.000-07:00

Sweden is a country where it rains a lot and this summer really sucks weather wise at least in the south of Sweden. I like bright colours and my firm belief is that rain would be so much more fun if you could wear a colourful raincoat. Still most of the raincoats that are sold here are black, dark blue or army green. I have red wellingtons so how hard can it be to make colourful raincoats as well? Hard apparently!

Today my heart made a leap of joy. I was surfing around in webb land and suddenly stumbled over the most beautiful rain coat. In turquoise with green lining. Cravings, cravings! After I had stopped drooling I read on and found out that the company was Swedish and called Ösregn. Which is a very funny and appropriate name if you are a Swede since it means “hard rain”.

All the coats had beautiful names like; Persian Turquoise, milk, strawberry cream, liquorice, Pompeian red and moss green. Makes your mouth water eh?
And even though I am not all that fond of black and green these looked great because they where made with a twist!

All photos from Ösregn

A raincoat to die for don`t you think? I cant wait to buy one!

Rainy days here I come!

Take care
Jeanette

I got gardening on my mind...

2011-08-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

.....all the time !

Right now most of my thoughts are in my garden. Unfortunately not just at my spare time ….It’s dead annoying when I should be focusing on my work and the huge amount of different project reports that I am supposed to be writing and the only thing I can think about is how to replant my garden borders. Gardening is kind of creative work too. Shall I have roses? And plant them together with lavender? Should I plant another apple tree and would it survive from deer attacks if I do?

I want to run away. Jump out of my office window right down into my wellingtons, grab a spade and my wheelbarrow and just get started. A bit like firemen do, having their clothes and stuff ready in case of an emergency.

But I have to wait until the weekend comes. And then it will probably rain. Life`s a bitch!

Take care
Jeanette

Creative, happy & relaxed

2011-08-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Now that I am back at work I haven’t got so much time for doing creative work. I try to do something every evening because it makes me happy and relaxed but it’s mostly smaller stuff, the bigger stuff having to wait until the weekend.

This evening I made this wire angel for a friend with a heart inside because she is a very generous and loving person.

Take care
Jeanette

Mesmerized

2011-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

I always carry my camera with me. It`s my faithful companion. If I am without it I feel nervous, thinking that I will miss out on that special moment, that perfect photo opportunity…. Today as I was taking a walk along the beachfront I went past Stapelbäddsparken, a world famous skate park. The speed, movement and the energy of the skaters drew me closer and soon had me mesmerized. Luckily I had my camera with me ….

Leaving the Skate park area I saw a poster saying that next weekend the Malmö Ultra Bowl would take place with the world championships in freestyle. Me and my camera will definitely be going….

Take care
Jeanette

Like sun on a rainy day

2011-08-13T12:48:00.000-07:00

The rain we’ve been having these last couple of weeks are driving me insane. I can’t do anything in the garden and I long to start the autumn digging! But there is nothing like a sunflower to cheer you up on a rainy day. Luckily for me they grow all around my country house and I didn’t even have to plant them myself. The farmer who owns the land next to my house is taking part in a project to save the partridges, surrounding all his fields with a border of specially selected plants. Among them are sunflowers!

Lots of them!

I bet the farmer didn’t know he would save not just the birds but my sanity too….

Take care
Jeanette

PS The project is very successful. Mr and Mrs Partridge had 15 little ones, born and raised behind my compost heap.

We Felt United

2011-08-11T02:35:00.000-07:00

Last year my participation in We Felt United became a hasty one.. I stumbled over it way to late and had very little time. You can read more about it here and here . Right then and there I decided that this year I would give myself plenty of time to create something as well as time to enjoy the whole process from choosing a project to actually carry it out.

This year I would like to use some of my raw fleece and try out different dyeing methods. I would also like to make some kind of Felt in public thing. Right now it feels like I have oceans of time but you know how it is……shit eventually alway happens.

Why don’t you join in the fun too?

We felt united

FeltUnited - 3rd International Day of Felt
October 1st, 2011

Felt - intertwined, bound together, forever as one – United

This years colour scheme: Red-Purple-Blue

Take care

Jeanette

Preparing for autumn

2011-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

I like wirework, candles and things that are rusty. Here I combined all three to make a chandelier for outdoor use. It is big, about one meter in diameter and I had great fun making it. I plan to hang it from a tree at the country house to bring some light to the long dark autumn evenings that are lurking just around the corner.

I know it’s only the middle of august and a good deal of summer is still left but my vacation has just come to an end and that always feel a bit like autumn to me. I love the autumn though so it’s no problem for me. Autumn is like a new beginning - the colors, the crisp air, tulip bulbs to be planted and new borders to be planned well it sparks my creativity.

Soon Christmas is here – woohoo! Yep I am a Christmas freak too….

Take care
Jeanette

More windows

2011-07-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Promised to get back to you on the window sash project. So here goes.

For a while now I’ve been wanting something to hang over my bed at the country house, a picture maybe or a painting or some of my own photographs of the woods, animals and flowers in our neighborhood. I have never really gotten round to it mostly due to the fact that interior decorating comes rather far down on my to do list. High up is stuff like renovating the second floor, weeding and growing vegetables and flowers.

On my way back from the outing yesterday I realized that I had an old window sash that would be perfect for a picture frame. Once we got back I couldn’t wait to try it out.

I love the fact that it is old and a bit shabby....

and with rusty details.

I cleaned it up a bit and then I was eager to hang it on the wall. I didn’t have any suitable photos but you know me - I am a girl in lack of patience…..so instead of calmly wait and bring some photos from town I tore three pictures from a fashion magazine just to see how it all worked out….

In fact I quite liked the modern touch so I just might do a fashion shoot with my daughters as models ….in black and white I think. Until that is done these will have to do. I think I need a few pillows though so that just might be my next little project somewhere in-between carpeting and weeding!

Take care
Jeanette

Windows

2011-07-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love old window sashes. In my opinion windows are the soul of the house or the eyes if you like. The good thing with having a country house that comes with a big barn and an equally big stable is that you have a huge amount of space for storage! So I sort of collect window sashes. I have feelings for each and one of them and for me they all have different personalities. I like to go out in the stable and just look at them and dream about what I will create from them, a green house maybe, a cupboard or a shelf.

I once visited a shop where they had hung an old window from the ceiling. It hung in old ropes that was tied in each corner and made sort of a floating shelf. Ever since then I have dreamt of creating something similar, a floating shelf with candle lights on it in silver candle sticks. Can you see it before you? The glimmering lights reflecting in the glass, Oh the beauty of it all! I haven’t given up on the idea, I will just have to wait ( 10 years or so) until my old stable is converted into my work room / exhibition room. There the ceiling will be high enough.

This is what I would like my stable to look like in ten years time....A girl can dream can`t she....

Anyway, yesterday my husband and I visited Gorms Byggnadsvård at Dälperöds castle

A castle with a barn full of goodies!

It immediately became one of my favorite places. Why? Oh the window sashes of course! That the castle and barn was beautifully situated didn`t make it any worse either.

Are they not beautiful?

They also had a lot of beautiful old doors. Have I told you that I love doors too? I don’t collect them though. This is where my husband would say - not yet!

The car ride back home became a slow one due to …..hay.

So I started thinking about different projects for my old windows that wouldn’t require a high ceiling. But I will tell you more about that tomorrow!

Take care
Jeanette

Addiction

2011-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as yarn buyers anonymous? If there is, I need it – badly! I have SO much yarn. I do NOT need anymore. So what happens? I enter the Salvation Army jumble sale in search of an old cupboard for my country house kitchen but what do I leave with? Yarn of course. I just couldn’t resist it! I blame the fact that it where color coordinated and that the poor bright pink, green and orange/red in the ugly plastic bags simply cried out to me – "bring us home please! "

Usually I get an idea for some creation or other immediately when I see yarn at a jumble sale and that sort of makes me think that it is OK to buy it. But this is cotton yarn. What on earth am I to knit or crochet with that? Granny squares? Suggestions are highly appreciated!

My name is Jeanette. I am a yarn buyer.

Take care
Jeanette

New inspiration

2011-07-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

Taaadaaa (drumroll please) Jeanette proudly presents 5 new Blogs added to my Blogs that inspire me - list today. Meet Alisa, Ann, Karin, Cathy and Frida - five talented ladies with great blogs that always inspire me in my craft!

Go and meet Alisa Burke, an amazing artist from San Diego that always inspire me when it comes to color, patterns and fabric.

Ann Wood, New York based artist making birds, owls and spiders from vintage fabric.

Brodösens Blogg, Karin Holmberg a swedish embroidery artist who uses old embroidery patterns in a totaly new way. Her blog and newly published book is a constant source of inspiration to me.

Cathy Cullis, one of my favorites when it comes to embroidery, mixed media, poetry and paintings. Her work is amazing!

Kurbits, Frida Arnqvist Engström with a swedish blog about trends in craft and design. Inspirational and always with a twist!

So if you are seeking new inspiration why not go pay them a visit! A word of warning though, once you have been there you are hooked!

Enjoy!
Jeanette

A walk through the woods

2011-07-25T06:05:00.001-07:00

A rainy day got so much better with a walk through the woods. Bluebells make me happy and isn`t it amazing how many different colors of green there is?

Take care
Jeanette

For Norway

2011-07-23T13:10:00.000-07:00

I light a candle in my window. A candle facing north.

A candle for all those who have lost children, friends or family in this dreadful tragedy.

Jeanette

I carry you in my heart

2011-07-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I am not very good with colors. I never feel confident around them. I have this perfect color match in my head but mysteriously never can get it down on paper or fabric. I follow a lot of great mixed media artists for whom this seems to come naturally. I always envy them. Clothes, furniture, interior decorating, fabric, paintings or yarn – they just know what makes a perfect match. Or what doesn’t but looks great anyway!

Is this a natural skill or something that you can learn I wonder? I decided to give it a try though, to work on my color skills a bit. And what better way to do it than outdoors. So I could really slobber all over the place….

I used a bed sheet, torn in smaller pieces. I added a lot of water and then sort of poured the fabric paint over it. A bit like working with wet in wet with watercolors. Then I just hung it up and let the wind do the rest.

I like the result of the big piece best. I think I will use it to write on, maybe a poem by one of my favorite poets EE Cummings. I carry you in my heart….

Take care
Jeanette

Creative days

2011-07-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Ï never went to Stockholm. Well I flew there but then I spent wonderful and creative days in my friend B summer cottage outside Stockholm instead. We laughed a lot, talked a lot and created a lot. Something happens to my creativity when we meet – it multiplies by about a 100! We had so much fun!

I helped B pimp her old hammock and making it a little less ordinary….

Old roof

New roof

I also made a lid for her granddaughter’s sandbox. You know me, give me an empty sheet of paper ( or wood) and I have to draw something on it.

In the evenings we sat on her porch talking and drinking wine while I crocheted or made flower dream catchers.

We visited The Linné Museum in Uppsala where I took a serious amount of photos. There is something about taking photos of plants…. I just can’t get enough.

We also visited a whole lot of jumble sales and flea markets and I made one of my best finds ever – a granny square bedspread in different blue colors made of wool for just 4 euro. A bargain! I tried to keep my cool while asking how much it was and B said that my voice went all squeaky when I heard the price and said "I’ll take it” Unfortunately I had to keep the shopping down to a minimum since I was flying back.

We also visited Alsta Trädgård in Örsundsbro, a garden center with oh so beautiful old green houses.

They had a wonderful herb garden and I made a quick sketch of it on my friends Ipad to remember what it looked like. I think I want try making something similar at the country house.

They also had a lovely little garden table made out of rusty iron and concrete and I just might give that a try too….

Now that I am back home again I miss B terribly. She really is the best friend ever and I hate the fact that she lives so far away. Luckily for me she is coming on a return visit in august and then we just might build something….or make that rusty table….or....

Take care
Jeanette

New friend and stash no 3

2011-07-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last summer I got three big sacks full of raw fleece from a friend who keeps sheep. I meant to use it in my garden since it is a great way for keeping the field rabbits and deer at bay. They hate the smell apparently. As I was spreading the wool around my plants I opened one sack at the time and the last one contained the most beautiful white wool and I hadn’t the heart to use it for gardening.

I kept it but wasn’t quite sure what to do with it or how to wash it. I knew I wanted to use it for my felting but how to go about it? I searched the net and tried different ways of washing it and have now found a method that works for me. I have also tried felting the raw wool and I am keen to try it out even more. I also want to try dyeing it and spinning it with a drop spindle.

This summer I would be getting even more wool from my friend. She is just interested in breeding you see, she keeps a special and very old, almost extinct race of sheep and don’t want the wool. In fact I would get ALL her wool! From 43 sheep!!!! On the first day of my vacation I drove down to collect it and made a very special friend….

This is Eleanor, my new BFF. She adopted me and so did her beautiful daughter Snowwhite.

She is very cuddly and wants you to scratch her behind her ears all the time. If you stop, she kindly nudges you with her nose just to say “you haven’t forgotten about me have you” .

All the sheep are very friendly and love their owner and she loves them right back. When she has to have any of them put down she drives them to the Vet in the back of her car crying all the way….

I spent all the afternoon together with the sheep but finally I had to leave and go get the wool. It was an absolutely silly amount of wool ...... Although I have already used a whole lot in my garden I still have plenty left.

So I have built up a new stash of woolsacks in my old stable.

Now I definitely will have to try other ways of using it - like dyeing or spinning. Lucky for me my friend Heather at Wool Love – functional fiber art has given me a lot of good tips. Can`t wait to try them out.

But first I am off to Stockholm to meet another BFF, my dear friend B.

See you all in a couple of days!

Take care
Jeanette

All in a days work - vacation project no 2

2011-07-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today I started on another vacation project. Not a fun one but a long avoided and dreaded task….weeding my big yard at the country house. I have managed to keep the worst at bay up at the house but outside the barn and the old stable it looks like a rainforest.
It’s a gravel stone yard and my husband does must of it by using a lawn mower with a sort of raking thingy at the back of it….Oh yes he drives it of course. Unfortunately the machine leaves about half a meter close to the house and that is where I come in……

But today was the day when my days of weeding would finally be over. I had a plan! I was going to clear the ground from weeds, cover it with a mulching sheet and then make a flower bed. So? Well, by making the flower bed a meter wide my husband would be able to drive the mower along side of it and hey presto, no more weeding for me. Woohoo, am I good or what?

Two hours, four wheelbarrows and an almost broken back later I was done! Now it was just the fun stuff left. Planting the plants.

This is when I went into denial folks; totally forgetting that under the gravel is an old cobble stone yard. I had 16 plants to plant. 16 not very big plants! It took me four hours to dig 16 freaking holes mostly using an iron bar lever. Some of the stones where so big and heavy that I actually wept from fatigue… The only thing that kept me going was the thought of not doing any weeding anymore.

Killer stones!

Here is the finished result.

I know it doesn`t look like much to brag of right now. But give it a year, then the Hosta will cover the mulching sheet, the Clematis will climb high on its pillar, the box ball will be bigger and the honey suckle will be covering the stones - hopefully. But best of all, next year I will do no more weeding !!!!

The white stuff along the stone border? Well that is raw wool used for damage control, keeping the field rabbits and deer from breakfasting on the plants! I meant to cover it with another row of stones but I just couldn’t manage to lift another stone ….. But tomorrow is another day….

Take care
Jeanette

PS Life in the country isn’t entirely bad. At the end of the day when I walk down my driveway enjoying the stillness and the insects settling for the night – then I feel blessed!

Vacation project

2011-07-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

I found this beautiful pillow case at a jumble sale recently. I love the pattern and the color! 1970:ies – you rock! The minute I laid eyes on it I knew I wanted to make a skirt out of it but being on the plus side made me in somewhat lack of fabric. So I decided that I would make a “striped” skirt using the pillow case for the front and back and adding brown linen fabric on the sides. Buying the linen I first meant to go for a purple one but chickened out and bought brown instead.

My daughters would have totally freaked out otherwise….Come to think of it, it`s not the linen that is the problem. It`s the flower pattern. So they will freak out anyway. Ha, ha!

Will keep you posted on the progress….

Take care
Jeanette

My stash – 2

2011-07-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here is another pile that is growing - my embroidery yarn. I inherited some from my mother in law but have also bought lots and lots at jumble sales. This is one of my boxes, I have two glass jars full too. I like to store them in jars so I can watch all the beautiful colors. That too gives nourishment to my creativity.

I also buy a lot of table runners with embroidery already on them. You can find them for practically nothing on jumble sales. Sad really, how all that hard work is sold for next to nothing. I like to “recycle” them and make something else out of them. Using them in a new way is a kind of homage to the ladies that once did the embroidery….

On these two I plan to add a message…

Normal people worry me

and

No shit Sherlock!

A little vacation project….

Take care
Jeanette

My stash - 1

2011-07-03T02:42:00.000-07:00

My pile of kettle holders is growing. You can get them at a bargain on every jumble sale and I just can’t stop buying them…. I think they are so lovely. The colors, the pattern, the texture – it all nourishes my creativity. Sometimes I just play around with them. Making different color schemes.

I plan to make a bedspread one day…..But I might start with a pillow cover, a patchwork kettle holder pillow cover. How about that eh?

I just have to figure out how to “sew” them together in a nice way. Crochet maybe?

Take care
Jeanette

Tin cans

2011-07-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Swedish tin cans are rather boring. Not like anything you can buy in Asia or America.- color wise I mean. Swedish tin cans have nice paper labels but once the label has come off they all look the same – grey metallic. That’s one of the reasons why I like to work with soda cans. They come in all kind of colors and patterns but not only that, they are so soft that you can cut in them with a pair of ordinary scissors. Another good thing with soda cans is that you don’t get those awful sharp edges. Working with ordinary tin cans sometime makes you think you are making Brazilian throwing stars…..

I like flowers and I like soda cans so today I made a flower wreath out of soda cans.

Why don`t you try it too? It`s fun!

Take care
Jeanette

Blank pages

2011-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Finally my vacation is here. 35 blank pages to fill with relaxing, creative and fun stuff.

Hopefully it will be days of felting

Sewing

Spinning

Creating

Watching sunsets

and flowers

or just hanging around

I will try and keep you posted.

Enjoy your summer & take care
Jeanette

Chandelier

2011-06-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

When I got home from work today it was such a lovely evening that I didn`t want to go inside. So I sat on my porch and made a chandelier for a friend. It is a sort of housewarming gift from me. She built herself a greenhouse recently you see, all on her own and I think that is very impressive and worth some recognition. I haven’t done any metal craft in awhile so I had almost forgotten how much fun it was. Even my tiny little vintage baking tins and mother of pearl buttons came to good use.

I hope she will like it.

Take care
Jeanette

Update

2011-06-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, I have neglected you. So sorry about that. It’s not intentional though, time just seems to go by so fast. My holidays are due in a week’s time but I can’t quite grasp the fact that it’s actually July. If you ask me I would swear that it is the beginning of June still….

So here is a quick update of what has been going on in my life since last time I wrote….

My youngest daughter graduated school. Next stop High School!

I knitted and wet felted a shawl for a colleague that is retiring. Do you know why I chose to make her a shawl? Well, when I was very young I worked at a nursery home during my holidays. I cared for an old lady there and she always told me “dear girl, live you life, spend all your money and have a ball. When you are old the only thing you need is you memories and a shawl to keep you warm”. So I decide that if I made my colleague a shawl she could concentrate on having a good time!

I celebrated Midsummer with my family. You know, the weekend when we Swedes drink aquavit, dance around a pole with flowers and sing obscure songs. Not aquavit in the daughters glasses of course….

I found a statue from Goebel that would be SO perfect for the country house. I will just have to convince the rest of the family….

Last but not least I have tried to enjoy the moment! Nature being so very beautiful at this time of the year.

Until next time....

Take care
Jeanette

D-day

2011-06-11T02:22:00.001-07:00

05.00 this morning my alarmclock went off announcing that it was time to get up and hit the road. Yarn Bombing Day was finally here. An hour later I drove me bike up outside my dear creative BFF Anna’s house and we were ready for some guerilla knitting. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and warm and we felt careless and free – two ladies on a creative mission.

First stop was Gustav Adolfs torg – the city square with its statue in the fountain. We decided that it was a good place to start since I would have to walk through the water to reach the statue and not so creative passers by might not share our opinion that a blue knitted bikini was the ultimate outfit for the statue.

Then we just kept going. Unstoppable in our wish to add some color and happiness to the urban landscape.

Two hours later with our mission finished we celebrated a great and oh so fun morning with breakfast at Systrar&Bröder. Planning new creative adventures.

Thank you Anna for a lovely day. My life would be so much less colorful and fun had you not been my friend!

Take care
Jeanette

Preparations for International Yarn Bombing Day

2011-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is D-day! Then I have to put my alarm on ultra early to sneak out in town and put all my knitted graffiti up. The sneaking part being a result of it being not exactly legal…. I know that there has been a discussion going on at various blogs whether or not you should ask for permission. Well I generally don’t but then I never put my stuff up where it could ruin something or cause damage. And it can be easily taken down just using a pair of scissors.

In-between my daughters’graduation, tons of things to do at work and visiting a whole lot of graduation parties I haven’t had that much time to prepare. Luckily I had a lot of really ugly knitted squares that I bought at a jumble sale which I could use for my knitted graffiti. I have made a few knitted messages to put up at different parts of the city ( Malmö, Sweden). I have also made a knitted "bikini" to pimp a statue in a fountain with....might need my wellingtons for that one.....

Here is some pics. Will take some tomorrow to. I am especially proud of the “kilroy” message!

If you want to participate in Yarn Bombing Day tomorrow but have nothing “knitted” here is a few last minute tips.

Slaughter an old knitted sweater and sew it on to a statue
Cut the legs off a pair of leggings ( preferably colored ones), cut each leg up at one side and sew them to a lamp post
Make a mobile out of old kettle-holders and hang it in a tree
Pimp a statue with mittens, a scarf or knitted cap left over from last winter

Hope you all have a fun and great yarn bombing day!

Take care
Jeanette

Graduation Day

2011-06-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

In august 2008 I watched her leave for her boarding school with a lump in my throat and a feeling that now everything would change for ever. Three years of education seamed such a long time….. and now here I stand watching her singing with her friends on the school yard celebrating that the years of hard studying finally are over.

What on earth happened to those three years?
They sure move fast eh?

Take care
Jeanette

Thomas

2011-05-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

My sister adores Tigers. So when she saw my deer head in paper mache she said “Oh that is so lovely but I would really love a Tiger head”. Any normal persons answer to that would be “ a Tiger head would look nice” and then think nothing more of it but since I am not one of those normal people my reaction naturally was – I will have to make one. I SO hadn`t the time for it but did that stop me? Oh no. So much more fun to create a Tiger head than starting on the preparations for my daughters high school graduation that is due soon. Especially since the preparations mostly means cleaning up the house....

I started out by spending some quality time in front of my computer but this time I googled Tiger template instead. I found this great Japanese site or at least I think it was Japanese, I couldn’t read a world it said but it had a step by step instruction with photos of how to make a Tiger head. A Bengali Tiger even! On the page was blue button and I hopefully pressed it and hoped it meant down load pattern …and what do you know – it did!

I cut out all the pieces and started gluing it together by looking at the pictures. It was a perfect fit! My salute to the person that made the template. I so wish I knew his or her name.

I mounted it on a piece of foam core covered with felted wool. Naturally I had to make a tongue out of felt too and some whiskers made of fishing line.

Here he is. I know he looks like he is on an acupuncture treatment but that is just while the glue is drying. I think I will name him Thomas the Tiger and naturally he will have to move to my sisters…..

Take care
Jeanette

International Yarn Bombing Day

2011-05-23T04:31:00.000-07:00

June the 11:th is the International Yarn Bombing Day. I plan to celebrate it by adding a few knitted objects here and there in my hometown of Malmö, Sweden. Hopefully together with a bunch of friends, a picnic basket full of goodies and sunny weather. If you want to read more about the event or how you can improve the urban landscape one stitch at the time visit the Yarn Bombing webb site.

So I better start knitting…….or maybe I’ll finally find a good use for the seriously ugly knitted squares that I bought at a jumble sale….

Take care
Jeanette

Sorry for going all Julie Andrews on you

2011-05-22T01:50:00.000-07:00

For a while now I have wanted a deer head on my living room wall at the country house. Being an animal lover and pacifist the thought of getting the real stuff haven’t been that tempting. But still…..I just couldn’t let go of the feeling that it would look absolutely perfect!

What to do? Well dead easy really - I had to make one of course. But how? When in need you google! So I googled deer template and got a lot of strange hits but finally hit the jackpot. The Chronicle Books Blog with a great template I could use. I had first planned to make one just like the one in the blog but then decided that I wanted mine to be more like a real stuffed deer head minus the fact that you had to kill a deer to get it so to speak.

This is how I did.

I cut it out in 1 cm thick foam core and assembled it.

Then I started to cover it with paper mache to give it a real animal look and more rounded features.

As I was sitting there happily applying glue and torn news papers to the foam core I suddenly went all Julie Andrews and started humming to myself

Do a deer , a female deer.
Re a drop of golden sun
Mi – a name I call myself
Fa – along, long way to run…..

Time for some psychiatric counseling or what…..

Now I am half way there. ( Not to the counselling that is but to the finished deer head...)

I haven’t quite made up my mind yet wheather to cover it with wet felting or one of my recently bought vintage embroideries. I am leaning towards the embroidery though….

Will keep you posted!

Take care
Jeanette

PS Some of you that have been reading my blog since I bought my country house back in 2007 knows that the animal lover and pacifist part has not always been easy to live up to....

So much to do and so little time

2011-05-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Spring is always hectic at work and this year I swear that the weeks only consists of Mondays and Fridays. At home all my plants had to be replanted a the same time – about 200 of them…and my daughter’s high school graduation is coming up soon and the celebration needs a bit of planning. Here she is ready to go to the graduation ball, but first a quick waltz practice with her grandad on the school lawn.

So I have neglected you my dear blogfriends. In fact this could be me right now. I sort of feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland all the time, running around and mumbling to myself “things to do- places to go”.

I also have neglected my creative work and although my head is full of new ideas the only thing I have time for is to write them down or do a quick sketch in my sketchbook as a way of not forgetting. As a mantra I repeat to myself
“ vacation in seven weeks time, vacation in seven weeks time, vacation in seven weeks time”.

Please bear with me. I will be back! But right now I have to rush …

Things to do – places o go…..

Jeanette

Hitting a jackpot

2011-04-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

After taking one look at my thrift store findings my daughters declared me officially deranged. I on the other hand was extremely satisfied. Ever since I was in London and saw all the exiting stuff made out of vintage embroidery I have been on the look out for some of my own. Today I got lucky, so lucky that I got a bit carried away buying most of the stuff they had. It felt like hitting the jackpot on the slot machine……My youngest said “ Mum, what on earth are you going to do with all the stuff. Some of it isn’t even finished”. But that’s the thing you see – I have a plan! A perfect plan!

These two are going to be a wee bit slaughtered and made into patch work pillows. They will be perfect in my vintage armchairs in front of the fireplace at the country house.

With these four I can’t really decide whether I want to slaughter them too and make pillows or reframe them and hang them on the wall. Hanging them on the wall would look so ugly that it would be kind of kitsch….

I fell madly in love with these two gigantic unfinished embroideries. I like the fact that they are unfinished. They are more interesting that way. Especially the piece of yarn hanging from one of the flowers like someone just left for the loo and would come back any minute to continue their work again. I want to make a mannequin out of them and plan to make the “torso” out of wire netting and then cover it with the embroideries. It would look just perfect in my country house bedroom.

More findings! Two new small table cloths with embroidery that I want to add some text to.

Maybe something like

Same shit, different day

or

I learn from my mistakes and is thinking about making some more

or why not

Normal people worry me

You can’t have too many wall hangings with sayings in your life. That’s my motto anyway.

Finally a nice big stack of knitted squares in really, really ugly colors. I am thinking about making a throw by crocheting them together and adding some flowers, buttons and pearls. Ugly goes kitsch once again maybe….

Speaking of kitsch. Had to let this little guy follow me home.

I`m going to glue him to a lamp!

I think that’s when my daughters lost it….

Hope you all have a great weekend
Jeanette

Happy feet

2011-04-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Easter is around the corner and the weather forecast say that the lovely warm weather we are having is staying over the holidays. My heart is filled with joy and my feet are happy….

….on my garden lawn covered with lilacs.

…..on my walk through the woods filled with wood anemones

…..and at my daughters school together with real live bunnies.

If you think my daughter looks happy….

….then just take a look at me!

Six tiny little bunnies only five weeks old, all cuddly and warm and not afraid at all. They just fell asleep in my lap all six of them. They belong to a friend of my daughters and are part of her school project. How come I never had that kind of project in school? I remember we had to desecrate frogs at my biology class. Uck. That’s about as far from bunnies as you can get.

Do you remember when your kids where young and wanted a pet saying “please mum, can we have one. We promise to take care of it” ? My daughter took one look at me holding the rabbits and said

- No Mum, the cats would eat them for lunch.

Guess she is not a kid anymore eh?

Anyway, me and little Miss Bunny wish you all a happy Easter!

Hope you have a lovely holiday!
Jeanette

PS Thanks Martina for letting my cuddle them!

Books, Bunnies & Cards

2011-04-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

I dabble in a lot of different art forms. I am easily inspired but also easily bored and I will probably never stick to one type of thing and become really skilled at it. But I like it that way. Just about anything around me can spark my creativity and I love to visit exhibitions and fellow bloggers but also nature, animal life and the city streets are a constant source of inspiration to me. The craft department at Waterston really got me going. It was terribly hard to choose but I finally settled for four books.

Radical lace & subversive knitting by David Revere Mc Fadden
Indie Craft by Jo Waterhouse

Altered Art – techniques for creating altered books, boxes, cards & more by Terry Taylor
Kaleidoscope – ideas + projects to spark your creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis

I have just had the time to take a quick sneak peak but this weekend I plan to spend a great deal of time on the couch with a cup of tea and my books. Oh joy!

Remember my bunnies? I got started on the painting yesterday evening. Some have already got there faces on and gotten a personality but some I have yet to figure out who they are. I give them names too. Guess you can figure out who Dottie and Jack Sparrow is?

While I was in London I received four more cards from the DIY postcard swap. From Cynthia in the US and Dusty in Canada. Both so beautiful and they gave me a nice spring feeling.

The other two cards was from Melanie in the UK and Marie in the US. I just love the colors!

Thank you so much all of you. I loved them!!!

Take care
Jeanette

London highlights

2011-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

I went to London with my twin sister and although we were only there for two days I’m amazed of the amount of shops we managed to cover without feeling totally stressed out. My feet were killing me though but that’s a small price to pay. We even had time for a long walk in Green Park and to relax in the sun chairs enjoying the sun and an ice cream.

Here is some of the highlights

Anthropologie on Regent Street. An amazing boutique filled with beautiful clothes and home design. The shop is fantastic in it self with beautiful displays and a wall entirely built of plants – 12 000 of them I think.

I fell in love with this Sari throw made of recycled saris and linen yarn in vibrant colors. It was a bit to expensive for my wallet but very inspirational and got me thinking that maybe I should try knitting something similar, a sweater maybe, made from my old thai silk scarves and linen yarn.

Photo by Anthropologie

I also fell head over heels in love with this elephant. Made out of old news papers. Me want!

The furniture floor at Liberty
Extremely expensive but oh so inspirational. How about this Elk lamp? It is called Moo and designed by Trond Svengård and Ove Rogne. Me want that too!!!

They also had a lot of furniture made with recycled embroidery or wall hangings. They where similar to these chairs although these are made by Swedish designer Johan Lindstén . A homage to all the old ladies that once put so much work into the embroideries. Now that is something I would like to try out myself. Guess if I am looking for wall hangings at this summers jumble sales…..

Photo by Sköna Hem

Or beautiful redecorated armchairs and sofas made of “quilts”. If I only had more time I would love to make one of those too.

Photo by Designers Guild

And last but not least….

Waterstone`s bookshop at Piccadilly Their craft book department is to die for. I spent a fortune in there but still a lot less expensive than in Sweden and above all - way more titles to chose from. I`ll show you some of the books tomorrow.

Take care
Jeanette

London

2011-04-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am back from a two day trip to London. I landed late last night. My heart is filled with the joy of spring and the hope of summer!

Just when I was about to give up.....

Tell you more about it all tomorrow!
Jeanette

Bunnies & Cards

2011-04-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

I bought three different types of paper clay the other day and last night I decided it was time to try them out. First I was planning to make Easter eggs but I just couldn`t get the shape right. How hard can it be I mumbled to myself. Well damn hard. They kept getting either too round or too oval but since Easter is just around the corner I was quite determined to get that Easter feeling going….hm what to do, what to do? Ah, I can make Easter Bunnies. So I did! Dozens of them.

Or not actually Bunnies more like tiny Bunny heads. I made them very fast and without focusing on getting a real rabbit look. I was just trying to get the feel of the clay and let the clay take me where it wanted to. I had so much fun it was hard to stop.

Looking at them now I must admit they all look a bit grotesque staring at me sort of accusingly with their chopped off heads. Not quite the cozy Easter feeling I was going for. More like the Chinese terracotta army but with rabbits instead. Or a single ticket to the loony bin....

I plan to paint them in all kind of different colors though and that will put a smile back on their faces again I am sure. Or at least on mine....

I got two new cards in the post today. They both were very beautiful. The top one is from Corinne in Canada and the bottom one from Judy in the US. Thank you both. I loved them!

Take care
Jeanette

No bills in sight

2011-04-05T11:03:00.001-07:00

Getting the mail is fun these days. For once I actually get letters that are meant for me and not just ugly brown envelopes containing bills. Today I got three letters and I still have seven to look forward to !!!! All thanks to iHanna and her DIY postcard swap.

The first one is from Ann in Sweden. A cool embroidery postcard. Thank you so much – I loved it.

…..the second one is from Caatje in Netherlands. Since LIVE, LOVE & LAUGH is what I try to live by her postcard with the word love on it was perfect for me. Thank you Caatje!

…and the last one was from Kara in the US. I love butterflies – how could she know? Thank you Kara it was truly beautiful!

Will there be a new one tomorrow I wonder?

Take care
Jeanette

Battle of the unfit

2011-04-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today I am suffering from a severe attack of gardening induced muscle ache. I feel like I have been run over by a truck. I walk like I am 80 going on 95. Absolutely everything hurts – even muscles that I didn’t even know existed. Why this ache you may wonder? Well I spent the entire day yesterday working in the garden at the country house. Clearing out winter and say Hello Spring!

Weeding, raking and digging up the vegetable garden for 8 hours non stop is hard work even for the fittest. Not that I am – fit I mean. I am as unfit as you can get!

This morning my husband took one look at my pain filled face across the breakfast table and then told me to order one of these. The Wunda Weeder! A solar cell driven planting gizmo!

It just has to be American right? Wrong. It’s Australian. Anyway I could never order such a thing. Even an unfit lady has her dignity.

As I was raking up leaves in the front yard I accidentally woke up this little dude. A salamander.

He was a cool guy just waved at me with one of his tiny little toes and then he went on sleeping in the palm of my hand. I made a nice and cozy bed for him out of new leaves, put him down, told him a bedtime story and said I would wake him up in a month or so.

Animal life and flowers, now that is the fun thing about gardening!

Take care
Jeanette

Snailmail

2011-03-27T08:31:00.001-07:00

I like sending postcards and letters. In a world full of e-mail and text message where everything is sent and received in an instant I think we tend to forget how nice it is to long for something. Or someone. Don’t you think it is so much nicer to receive a handwritten note that says I love you, maybe even with a faint sent of the writer than a text message accompanied only with a beep? I do anyway!

That’s why I am attending ihannas DIY postcard swap and that’s why I have been making postcards this weekend. Ten postcards for ten different persons from all over the world and I will receive 10 in return.

I used handpainted paper with vintage lace, buttons and photos. I had so much fun making them! I will start sending out mine tomorrow and they will be sent to the UK, Australia, USA, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Japan.

I don’t know what I enjoy the most – sending or receiving? But what I do know is that I will enjoy the waiting very much!

Take care
Jeanette

The year of the Tiger

2011-03-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

There is a Sewing, Yarn & Fabric convention in Malmö this weekend. I had planned to go but when I left work today I didn’t feel like it at all. I’ve had a long hard week and all I wanted to do was to get home to a glass of wine and some serious amount of chocolate. As I drove by the convention center on my way home I suddenly changed my mind. What a heck, a tiny peak just might cheer me up and it wasn’t like I was going to buy anything!

I entered the convention center determined just to look around – no buying. Nope not me. Not a single ball of yarn was to accompany me home. Ha bloody ha. It took about ten seconds before I had bought my first ball…..and after buying that first one everything was sort of lost anyway and I just kept going. Two wonderful balls of spider web thin mohair in red and orange, a beautiful cotton yarn in mixed green colors and a funny green mohair kind of yarn with tiny pieces of silk ribbon added to it. Just when I told myself that it was ENOUGH I found a woven fabric in the same color as the red and orange mohair that would be just perfect for a spring skirt and three pieces of wool perfect for making some brooches or wrist warmers. I looked at my watch and saw that I had been there for exactly 20 minutes. Way to go Jeanette!

Then I turned round a corner and stopped absolutely amazed. I saw the most beautiful and colorful quilts. I had never seen anything like it before. Quilts with a twist, filled with embroidery, buttons, bottle caps and with so many details that you just looked and looked and still found something new that caught your eye.

I turned around another corner and that’s when I got really lucky. I found the artist herself, Ulva Ugerup. We had a long chat about her art and she was just as interesting as her art pieces. It turned out that she also held classes and I would really, really like to attend one of those. She was truly inspirational!

Her she is standing by a piece that almost brought tears to my eyes. In my mind I call it the year of the Tiger but I am not quite sure that it is what it was actually called. Ulva told me that everyday a Tiger is killed. Her quilt is a calendar with 31 different beautiful and colorful Tigers on it.

You start the month with all the Tigers showing but everyday you turn one Tiger around and on the back is a sad and dark Tiger with a cross over it. A sad homage to the Tiger that had died that day.

Just think about it. A tiger dead each day makes 365 dead tigers a year. That is so sad!

Thank you Ulva! Your quilt was a real eye-opener to me!

If you want to see more of Ulvas work you can visit her blog

Now I am going to have that glass of wine and some chocolate and then I better get started on my postcards for ihanna DIY postcard swap.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend

Jeanette

Lazy weekend

2011-03-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday at the countryside. It was cold but sunny with spring desperately trying to win over winter but not quite succeeding. As we drove slowly through the landscape I sat watching the birds. A kite flying low over the ground looking for its prey and three cranes resting on a field or maybe they were hiding from the big hawk that was circling over them. We saw deer everywhere gracing on the fields. They all looked so content. Probably happy that the deep snow was finally gone and they could eat grass again.

Today I did some spring cleaning in the garden raking up old leaves and drank my first cup of tea in the greenhouse. I also finished the “Dala häst” embroidery that I am making for T & B in New York and made a ATC for i hannas ATC embroidery swap.

A long and lazy weekend!

Take care
Jeanette

Get that creativity going…

2011-03-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

As many of you know being creative is a necessity for me, as important as breathing, eating and my heart beating. Without it my life is grey and boring, my days long and my future bleak. I am always looking for new projects and eager to get started when I find them. So eager that I more often than not forget the project I am currently working on for the joy of starting something new. A deadline is therefore always a good thing and gives my creativity that extra dimension of a competition against myself! LOL!

Today I found the I hanna blog and two new creative projects, a postcard swap and a ATC swap. Both with a deadline. Wohooo! The last day for signing up for the ATC embroidery project is today but the DIY postcard swap is open until the 18:th of March. If you are interested go check it out.

Now I have to get started….

Take care
Jeanette

Playing with icons

2011-03-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

These are two Swedish icons - the Dalahäst ( Dalahorse) and the tube of Kalles Kaviar ( Kalle´s caviar). They are more Swedish than the Swedes themselves.The caviar tube is for the Swedish family what Campbell’s soup was to Andy Warhol. Sort of.

Today I combined the two by making a Dalahorse out of a caviar tube.

I also used the Dalahorse pattern for some wet felting.

Here it is hanging to dry. I am making a pillow case and plan to add a whole deal of embroidery to it when it has dried. It is going to be a gift for two American gentlemen - a small thank you for bringing gingerbread cookie dough ice-cream into my life. An ice-cream to die for!

Now I have some tedious waiting to do before the really fun part starts – the embroidery!

Take care
Jeanette

Teletubbies & Team work

2011-03-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard about a Onepiece?
My daughter came home yesterday and said she wanted to make one and I looked like a gigantic question mark. So she explained what it looked like and I said
- why do you want to dress like a Teletubbie? You didn’t even like them as a kid?
Luckily for me my daughter has a sense of humor and wasn’t offended. Instead we made a deal. If I cut out the pattern and the fabric she would make her homework – deal!

Cute fabric eh?

I think she will look very cuddly in it when it’s finished.

I will keep you posted on the progress.

Take care
Jeanette

Paperwork

2011-02-27T06:38:00.000-08:00

The word paperwork has a bit of a negative ring to it hasn’t it? A pile of paper, deadlines to make and a very high stress level is what the word usually means to me anyway. But today I did some paperwork that was entirely to my taste – paper mache!

I spent this Sunday afternoon making tiny teacups in paper mache after finding a great pattern at Ann Woods’s blog. Ann Wood is one of my favorite artists and her blog is a treat. She makes the most exquisite little birds in vintage fabric not to mention her owls. She names them all which I think is a very nice way of bringing them all to life. Go make her a visit!

After making three teacups I had so much fun I just had to make tiny little saucers to them too. Now I have to wait for them to dry before I can add paint and other embellishments. No problemo my friends. Not for a woman with my kind of patience. You didn’t buy that ? My luck then that you can’t see me standing here with my blow dryer…

Hope you had a lovely day too!

Jeanette

Paper & cloth

2011-02-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

…..and some embroidery.

As I have said before I am completely hooked on embroidery. I try to manage to do some everyday even if it is only for a couple of minutes. The feel of the fabric under my fingers and the needle going up, down forming a pattern almost without my thinking is so very calming and relaxing after a stressful day. Lately I have done tiny embroideries of women – strong women! I have made them with a friend in mind and I have a nice little pile of them now.

I wanted to find a way of combining them and this weekend I tried different ways of sewing my embroidery on to paper. I also wanted to add a “vintage” feel to some of the linen fabric I used so I colored it with tea.

I first sew each piece of embroidery on to a book page, the text of each page matching the woman’s character in some way.

Then I sewed them all on to a big aquarelle paper. But first I painted that too with tea to get a nice beige color for the background. I wrote a few messages here and there and added a drawing. I don’t know if I am entirely finished yet but I am slowly getting there…. and I have great fun while doing so!

Take care
Jeanette

Hope

2011-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

It has been freezing cold the last couple of days and winter is still holding Sweden in a firm grip. I am getting almost desperate and I long for spring something awful. Today something had to be done if I wasn’t to loose it completely. So when in need….visit a florist or a nursery. I bought lovely spring flowers for all my windows and a serious amount of seeds.

I actually have a plan for what to grow this year and I brought a written shopping list to the shop. The list is amazing in it self but more amazing is the fact that I actually stuck to it!!! It could have something to do with the ridiculous amount I had allowed myself to buy…

I now have seeds for both vegetables and summer flowers and the flowers annual as well as perennial. Boy will I have a full green house in a month or two.

This is what it looked like last year. Then I just planted about 1/3 of this years amount but on the other hand I didn`t have a proper green house then just these two tiny "tents".

The hard thing now will be not to plant the little buggers too early. But since I am a tower of strength this will of course not be a problem. You can sense some irony here huh?

Take care
Jeanette

Tadahhhhhh - drumroll..

2011-02-16T21:00:00.000-08:00

The winner of my OWOH doorprize is ......

Susan

from Threads of Inspiration

Susan has a fantastic blog so go check it out.

A funny thing is that Susan also had a heart as a doorprize over at her blog. Not just a heart but a Swedisk looking one too - design wise that is. And now a heart from Sweden is heading her way....I lovely coincidence of OWOH.

Congrats Susan! I will be contacting you about where to send it!

Jeanette

Not on Valentines Day

2011-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

I am not very fond of Valentines Day. I don’t like anyone – tradition or not – to tell me when to celebrate love or how to do it for that matter. For me it is important to show and share my love everyday.

I like hearts though and also crafting with hearts as a theme. Today I just played around with different ways to create a heart shape.

Key to your heart

A letter of love

Sent with express delivery

Message in a bottle

My love is all buttoned up

With love to you all - not on Valentines Day but always

Jeanette

Rasta goes skiing

2011-02-12T11:59:00.001-08:00

In about a week’s time my husband and the daughters are going skiing. I am so NOT going! Ever since my childhood I have had this hate relationship with anything that is slippery under my feet. My dad and twin sister were both very good at ice skating and skiing but I spent more time hitting the ground hard than I care to tell you about. Luckily for me neither of my daughters has inherited my fears – they gladly ice skate and ski, use skateboards and rollerblades (eeek) and last year my youngest tried snow board and was hooked. This snow board thing comes with a certain kind of fashion I have been told…by my daughter. So a couple of days ago she put in an order for a multi colored cap to match her newly bought bright blue skiing pants. Did I knit one? You bet ya! Much more fun than my husbands socks which by the way I haven’t finished yet….

Bibidi

Bobidi

Boo

This is a picture of me ice skating. It is three years ago I think and the last time I tried. Ever! It will NEVER happen again. The red blurry thing flopping desperately with its arms is me. The beautiful grey girl holding me in a steady grip is Johanna my eldest. Sorry about the lousy photo quality. It is not due to the speed I am having though. Emma, my youngest was laughing so hard she couldn’t keep the camera still.

Take care

Jeanette

A word of wisdom

2011-02-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is a note I have on my bulletin board.

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

I hope I have a whole lot of WOO HOO left in my life!

Take care
Jeanette

Another kind of art

2011-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

As I cycled home on my bike through the park yesterday I saw a strange looking tree in the distance. When I came closer I saw that it was a kind of exhibition done by very young artists. It was a pacifier tree.

Small children that had “outgrown” their beloved pacifiers had hung them on the tree as a way of saying good bye to them. There was no children around at the time but being a parent I could see the picture so clearly in my mind – the mum or dad telling the child that he or she was to old to be needing a pacifier, encouraging them to choose a branch and lifting them up so that they could hang them there themselves.

The pacifiers where all very beautifully displayed

and some had even hung a tiny little good bye letter together with the pacifiers.

I had a lump in my throat as I stood there looking at the tree and remembering my eldest daughters tears when she put all her pacifiers in a big envelope sending them off to one of our friends newborn baby. Saying that she was a big girl now and the baby needed them better. I also remembered how I found her later the same afternoon hiding under her bed and joyfully sucking on a pacifier she had found under her pillow. It is no easy thing to be a big girl!

As I continued my ride home I was thinking that it was a tree of love and that art is all around!

You just have to keep your eyes open. Both for the art and the love.

Take care
Jeanette

Inspirational Sunday

2011-02-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend I visited two exhibitions with embroidery as a theme. The first one was held at a Gallery Krets in Malmö. A small gallery but with interesting art and never ever mainstream. They have an ongoing exhibition - Baldness Pleasure with French artist Isabelle Boinot. Open until February 27.

Why bald men? This is the artists answer on the gallery homepage

”I really like men with baldness. It's for me a sign of virility, but it's not very pleasant for them and their ego, so it's a perfect mix of hero and anti-hero, strength and weakness. Also, as I like contrasts and ambiguity, I find it interesting to let those guys play together.”
I found the exhibition extremely inspirational – red and blue the way you do traditional embroidery but with a whole new expression. As some of you know I have done a few embroideries’ in red based on my sketches already and this exhibition really inspired me to go on and explore that further.

I know most of you don’t live in Sweden and can visit the Gallery Krets but if you like to see more of Isabelle Boinot work do visit her homepage

Do you remember my vintage altered wall hanger I had at my exhibition last summer? Sorry about the lousy photo. Took it with my cell phone.

Anyway, I suppose that was why I felt right at home at the second exhibition. It was held at Gallery 21 and was called “Welcome to Hell by the artist Ella Tillema.

She uses vintage wall hangers and table runners and gives them an embroidered message which is far from their first cozy appearance.

Like an embroidered surveillance camera for instance! A whole wall was devoted to wall hangers with all kind of ironic messages.

Oh you want a translation do you? Well, here are some of them:

“Think about death”
“Time is money”
“Shame on you”
“Global break down”
“The party is over”
“Sex and violence”
“Thanks for nothing”

Now wouldn`t you like to wake up every morning and read " Think about death". Guess that would brighten up your day some eh?

I had a great sunday! Now I can’t wait to get back to my own embroidery. A pity the weekend is almost over.

Take care
Jeanette

Going to knit my own sandals eh?

2011-02-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

My husband wanted a pair of new socks for his hiking boots for Christmas. He wanted them in 100 % wool. I went in and out of shops not finding one single pair that didn’t have some percentage of synthetic fibers in them. So for Christmas I gave him wool, a pattern and a promise of me knitting them….

I have knitted a lot of things and would call myself a rather experienced knitter but I have never knitted socks before. Mittens yes but socks know. Why? Well I never really got the hang of the heel knitting thing. I started on both pair of socks and knitted as far as the heel…..then it was time to call in a professional – Anna!

This is Anna. She is one of my best friends, a fabulous person and a great creator of all kind of stuff among which is knitting socks! So when I sent up my smoke signals there she was spending an entire afternoon trying to teach me. We sat side by side knitting a sock each taking one step at the time.

- Now you have eight stitches left on your fourth needle Anna said.
- Eh, nope. I have nine…..I said.

Big sigh from me and laughter from Anna and then we had to start all over again. She has patience my Anna but then she used to be a teacher. 3 hours, a zillion cups of tea later and by the time Anna had to leave for home both heels where knitted. Now I can continue on my own.

Anna you rock !!!

In my last post I wrote about being a full member of knit your own sandals brigade. The meaning of that is sort of different of course but if you where to take it literally well I wouldn’t produce a lot of sandals would I. For obvious reasons.

Have a great day!
Jeanette

PS Sorry that I am being a bit low on the blog posting level right now. I am flying on the wings of OWOH and I’m kept busy with reading fantastic Blogs. See you in a while…

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-30T05:54:00.000-08:00

Dear visitor welcome to my blog!

So glad that you came by. Busy day? Why don’t you take a seat and rest for a while. OWOH can really keep you busy don’t you think?

Oh I haven’t introduced myself. How very impolite of me.

My name is Jeanette and I live in the south of Sweden. I share my life with my husband, two teenage daughters, two cats and many, many friends. I am a creative person and a manic collector of creative stuff. My work room is filled with wool, fabric, buttons, vintage lace, yarn, embroidery yarn, paper, old books….you get the picture right? I also collect things that many people would call “trash can stuff” like bottle caps, plastic bottles, tin cans, metal scrap and soda cans. I am very much into recycling and I have the most fun when I bring something very usual and ordinary into something unordinary. I know that it might sound like I am a full member of the knit your own sandals brigade but on the other hand what’s so wrong about that?

I love DIY and bloggers all over the world are my constant source of inspiration. My head is constantly spinning with ideas and I want them to come alive fast (my husband says at once…) so I am more of a fast & failure kind of girl than one with a neat plan. For me creativity is more fun that way.

I am also a keen amateur photographer and that’s why I started my first blog in 2007 - as a way to share my photos. Now I am on Blog number 3 and share my creative everyday life instead. Through my blogs I have met so many fantastic and talented people and made many friends all over the world. That’s why I couldn’t resist to participate in OWOH and have the opportunity to meet new and creative bloggers.

Dear visitor, I know you have to run along to the next Blog but how about a sneak peak at the door prize before you go?

I wanted to have a heart theme so I made a white linen heart with silk embroidery. It is 12 cm tall and fit perfectly in your hand. Can be used as a creative muse perhaps? I call it Sleeping Beauty. The name inspired by the fact that I think that all people are creative and have a talent but for some this is still sleeping within and yet to explore.

OWOH is open to all active bloggers worldwide.

If you like to win the heart, please leave a comment. Make sure that there is a way for me to contact you if you have won but also because I would really love to visit your blog.

The winner will be announced Feb 17th and I will email the winner as well as post it.

Take care
Jeanette

Snow gardening

2011-01-29T12:06:00.001-08:00

Today my husband and I drove down to the country house. I haven’t been there since before Christmas, the snow making it impossible to drive down. I went round the garden dreaming of this….

….but this is what I got.

1,5 meter of hard packed snow almost covering my poor apple tree. Spring seemed very far off.

The garden is surrounded by a hedge of Sleeping Beauty proportions. We never got round to cutting it this summer so my husband decided that we might as well do it today. It felt strange raking on snow….

When I got home I finished the knitted shawl that I started on last week. I did some embroidery on the wet felted flowers and crocheted a border in red. It is going to be a gift for a friend.

Now I have to start on the door prize for this year OWOH that starts on Sunday night. Not much time left but as many of you know – I work best under pressure.

Have a great weekend

Jeanette

Fear

2011-01-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have a security alarm on my house and as I was getting out of my car today I heard the alarm ringing. So I went up to the house, unlocked the door, punched the code and silencing the alarm, took a quick survey of the premises and then phoned the alarm company asking them to call back the security guard. Then I sort of freaked out. I still had to check the garage and the attic and no way was I going to do that on my own. So I sat at my kitchen table with a beating heart listening after strange sounds and waiting for my daughter to get home.

Gotten this far in my story I know that a lot of you are asking yourself why on earth I made them call back the guard. Well, this has happened before you see. A few weeks ago the alarm went off without any reason and they sent out a guard who discovered that it was because a spider had swung in front of the alarm detector. I had meant to check the other detectors for spiders and spider web but never gotten round to it….. Still, there I was sitting at my kitchen table thinking that maybe it wasn’t a spider this time. Maybe it was a giant size lunatic just waiting for me to come looking for him.

Half an hour later my daughter got home and armed with a knife and a baseball bat we went round checking the house. Opening cupboard doors, checking under beds, behind the shower curtain (eeeeeek - Hitchcock warning) the garage and up on the attic. We looked everywhere including silly places where absolutely no one could manage to slide under and hide if not being 15 cm tall and covered in olive oil. But fear isn’t rational right? Needless to say everything checked out fine except for some spider web in front of one of the detectors…..Sigh!

Guess who is bringing out the dust rag?

Take care
Jeanette

At the speed of light

2011-01-24T08:03:00.001-08:00

As I was waiting for the shawl to dry I thought that I might as well finish the pillow cover I was working on. You know, the one I was making from my husbands shirts? If there is any new readers - please don’t worry, he meant to throw them away. No act of revenge on my side I assure you.

As I have written many times before – I am not a woman in possession of great patience. I am more a fast & failure type of lady. As you can see this also goes for sewing pillow covers. I swear that the squares had the same size to start out with but somehow they still ended up varying in size when they were sewn together. I also swear that I had organized the colors very methodical but still the same colors mysteriously turned up side by side.

On the plus side however – I sewed it together at the speed of light! And there is nothing a little embroidery won`t fix right?

Take care
Jeanette

PS I went for the love theme it being my husband’s old shirts ;-)

Knit & felt

2011-01-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

Do you remember this? The beautiful vegetable yarn I got as a gift from a friend? Well today I finally got started on a project using it. Well saying today is a bit of a fib because I knitted the shawl last week but I started on the creative process today. I placed wool roving on the knitted shawl in a flower pattern, added hot soap water and gently tapped the wool in place.

Rolled it into a roll and then it went for a spin in the spin drier. This is what it looked like when it got out….it is still wet.

Now I plan to add some embroidery and maybe a crocheted lace in a different color as a border. Have to wait until it’s dry though which is a trying experience for me. I want to get on with it at once. Sigh!

Take care
Jeanette

Four brothers singing Barbershop

2011-01-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Lili`s comment on the sisters I made another choir – male this time. I enjoy making these little clay heads. I sort of make them without thinking. They just happen. These for instance suddenly all had a receding hairline and some serious looking sideburns….scary.

Anyway, it’s all very relaxing.

Hope you have a great weekend
Jeanette

Three sisters singing a sonata

2011-01-20T08:37:00.001-08:00

New little clay heads for my collection.

Jeanette

A shirt is a shirt is a pillow

2011-01-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

When I was away on my business trip my husband had a wardrobe makeover and cleaned out his closet. No, no he wasn’t planning to leave me and standing with his bags packed in the hallway when I got home.....he just felt like some spring cleaning. Amazing isn’t it? I would have been a lot happier had the spring cleaning included the garage too but I guess you can’t have it all… Anyway, he had left most of his clothes to charity but some were a bit too worn and those he planned to throw away. These where high quality cotton business shirts, a bit shabby on collar and sleeves but OK otherwise. Guess who saved them? Yep, yours truly. I am going to make pillows for the country house. They will match my bedspread perfectly.

I used three of the shirts and an old linen bag. I just might add some embroidery and maybe I will use the tiny washing instructions for embellishment. We’ll see.

Still a lot of material left!

Take care
Jeanette

Necessities

2011-01-16T12:20:00.001-08:00

I am packing my bags to go away on a two day business trip. I am always very indecisive when it comes to what to pack and always leave it until the last minute. I lay all kind of stuff out on a table trying to decide but always end up with throwing all of it in the bag getting way too much clothes and still nothing to wear. I may have had problems with what clothes to bring but one thing went down the bag without a second thought – my embroidery kit. Nice to know I have it with me to help me relax. There is nothing like a few stitches on a linen fabric to help you wind down after a long and intense day.

Now am I addicted or what?

See you in a couple of days
Jeanette

Paint & portrait

2011-01-15T11:21:00.001-08:00

Today I painted the clay heads. Quite a gruesome trio don’t you think? They where four you say? You are so right. But I dropped one of them on the floor so now I know that they are easily broken too. First I had planned to use vintage photos and decoupage to make their faces but I decided against it. I quite like the simplicity of a hand drawn face. I was inspired by the clay heads to do an embroidery too. Sort of a tiny portrait. It measures only 4x5 centimeters. This time I filled the entire “picture” with stitches. Thinking of doing a series maybe…. Or turn it into a brooch.

Take care
Jeanette

Paper clay

2011-01-14T12:35:00.001-08:00

Today I started to work on some heads in paper clay. I haven’t worked with that type of clay before so I wasn’t prepared for how fast it dried. I had to sculpt them really fast because the surface was dry in just a few minutes. They are really tiny, only 5 centimeters and featureless. I plan to paint them and use vintage photos for their faces. Have to wait until they are entirely dry though. I am not sure whether or not I will make fabric bodies and turn them into dolls. I’ll take a step at the time and see how they turn out.

Take care
Jeanette

Sketch no 5

2011-01-13T12:05:00.001-08:00

Yesterdays sketch and today’s embroidery – alone.

I was inspired by a tattoo that I saw on a website and it matched my mood perfectly. It’s strange isn’t it how you can stand in a crowd or a room full of people and feel totally alone. Yesterday was such a day when I went round feeling vulnerable, sad and all alone a bit like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh with a cloud of rain hanging over him.

Yes, an Eeyore day, that’s what it was.

Take care
Jeanette

Sketch no 4

2011-01-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

Last nights sketch and today’s embroidery – safe.

Over the past days I have come to the conclusion that embroidery is addictive. Especially these tiny ones that I am making since they don’t take more than one hour from start to finish. First I was tempted to go on and on and fill the entire silhouette with stitches but I am glad that I decided against it. I like the way the embroidery stays a sketch but on fabric instead of paper.

To do something creative everyday is as important as eating and breathing for me. When I don’t find the time I get this hollow feeling inside. I like to do something creative everyday and this year I will try to stick to “tiny” projects during the week and then I can get down to some serious creative stuff on the weekends.

Today I bought some paper clay and I am planning to use it for tiny daily projects. I am thinking about dolls….maybe mixed media with a vintage twist…. The good thing about paper clay is that it dries in no time so you can actually both do the clay object and paint it on the same evening. Suits me perfectly!

Take care
Jeanette

Don`t do this at home

2011-01-11T11:02:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I think I ought to get my head examined. I don’t know where I get all my silly, strange or insane ideas from. Today as I was cleaning the tumble-drier from "fluff" I suddenly got this brilliant idea – what if you could use it for felting? I say brilliant because I really thought so at the time. ….I stood there in front of the tumble- drier having a Heureka moment and just knowing that in a matter of minutes I would be self providing with felting material and kissing expensive wool bills goodbye. Most people would have stopped at the thought but oh no not me. You have to try if it works right? Wrong! Well it didn’t - work I mean.

I went about the felting like had it been wool but the only thing I got out of it was a grey lump looking disgustingly close to a cat produced hairball.

Yuck!

So don’t try this at home folks – it’s no damn use!

Take care
Jeanette

PS I think I could use it for making paper clay though…..expensive bills for that too….

Clay

2011-01-10T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today it was back to work for me after the Christmas holidays so not much time for embroidery. Played around a bit with clay when I got home instead. Thought that you just might have had enough of the angel stuff…..

Take care
Jeanette

Sketch no 3

2011-01-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Last nights sketch and todays embroidery - joy.

What’s with all these angels you might wonder? Well I am not entirely sure myself. I am not a religious person, I don’t believe in god, so angels have no religious meaning for me. I like them that is all. And I am fascinated by all the different kind images of angels that you find in literature, photos, art and magazines. I am mostly fond of the not so angel looking ones -the ones with smudges on their wings from playing in the rain or with their cloaks slightly askew from a flying competition…..One of my favorite books is by the Finnish author Arto Paasilinna who writes about a guardian angel who messes up every mission he is sent on. This guardian angel even gets his wings caught in the swinging doors at IKEA. Now that’s an angel of my taste!

Take care
Jeanette

Sketch no 2

2011-01-09T05:31:00.000-08:00

Last nights sketch and todays embroidery – thoughts.

I am deep in thoughts at the moment. Have been for a couple of days actually. I am not desperately seeking answers or anything like that just a bit more thoughtful than usual. It probably has something to do with the fact that I have a whole new year ahead of me – all fresh and new, a clean slate. What will life be I wonder? So I sit here with my embroidery and my tea and let my thoughts wander. It is peaceful and nice. I will cherish this moment.

Take care
Jeanette

Sketching

2011-01-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

I keep a sketch book on my bedside table and I have decided to try and sketch something every night before I go to bed. I’ll like to try and capture the day in a sketch and a single word. I am no good at sketching so it’s sort of a challenge to me. Yesterday the word that came to my mind was – free and the sketch became a silhouette angel. Today I started on an embroidery inspired by the sketch. White linen and a soft silk yarn thin as a sewing thread. I found the yarn and the linen in my mother in laws work box. It was left to me when she died ten years ago. She was a very talented woman and made the most beautiful lace. I miss her.

Take care
Jeanette

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Today as I was surfing around in Blogland I came across the Whimsical Bohemian blogg and Lisa Swifka. There I read about the worldwide event for bloggers that Lisa is hosting called One World One Heart. The event runs between January 30th with the final day being February the 17th. 2011 is the fifth and last year that Lisa will be hosting it so I am so glad that I found it in time.

This is Lisa`s description of the event:

"One World One Heart is a worldwide event for bloggers only. It gives all those who blog a chance to meet and mingle and form connections with those they may not have otherwise met from all over the world. In the past 4 years this event has grown to over 1,000 participants with lasting friendships (and even one love connection) formed along the way. Think of it as a GIGANTIC open house allowing you to travel without ever leaving your home........going from blog to blog(in various countries) seeing the wonder each one has created and meeting all the fabulous people behind those blogs. As a bonus each blogger participant will offer up a "door prize or prizes"....just for dropping by, saying hello and seeing their world. It's really that easy. "

I think it`s a great idea and I am very impressed by all the work that Lisa is putting in to this and making it all happen. I have made so many friends throughout the world since I started blogging and it is always fun to get to know new bloggers. So I will most definitely try and participate.

On January the 30th I will post my OWOH post with a presentation of myself and say a warm welcome to visitors new and old. I will of course also show a picture of my "door prize".

Why don`t you too hurry over to Lisa`s blog and check out how to participate.

Take care

Jeanette

My stash

2011-01-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

The thinnest and loveliest of alpacka wool

More wool but thicker this time good for felted mittens and slippers

Wool , and cotton yarn in all kind of colors

Linen yarn that I bought last autumn meant to be a sweater and a tunic – still left in the bag from the shop…..

Wonderful vegetable colored wool yarn – a gift from a friend

These pictures might give you a hint on why I don’t need to visit a yarn shop until 2030 – at the very earliest. I am ashamed to tell you that I wasn’t even aware I had half of it until I cleared out my work room and my gigantic America trunk with hidden treasures that I keep in my closet. In it also found the equal amount of fabric……

Well some people collect stamps – I collect fabric and yarn. So sue me!

Take care
Jeanette

Kimono shawl

2011-01-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

I very seldom finish something that I knit. It is much more fun to start on new projects. The ones that I actually do finish I very seldom wear. This year one of my New Year resolutions is to not buy any more yarn until I finish the yarn that I have already got. This will probably keep me from the yarn shops until 2030.

Today I had a knitting urge....but I didn’t want to break my resolution already on day 3 ( diet resolutions I usually break on day 1…..) so instead of running off to the yarn shop I finished a piece I started on a “while” ago – my Kimono shawl.

Bibidi

Bobidi

Boo

I needed something to keep the collar in place so I knitted a little flower to use as a brooch.

I quite like how it turned out.

Well it’s one down and a heck of a lot more to go!

Take care
Jeanette

Getting rid of X-MAS

2011-01-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

Today I got rid of Christmas.

What, already you may wonder? Well, yeah I know I said that I am a total Christmas freak but it’s the planning, the decorating and the “making” of Christmas that I like more that the actual Christmas so come Boxing Day I am ready to throw out the tree and get the decorations back up on the attic. I usually try to hang on to the Christmas spirit until New Years Eve though but then it is definitely over.

So today when the sun was shining and the snow was slowly melting from the roof I cleared away every trace of Christmas down to the last needle. Then I celebrated with a cup of tea and the tiniest of peaks in a flower & vegetable seed catalogue. Now spring can come….

Take care
Jeanette

Endings and beginnings

2011-01-01T01:40:00.001-08:00

Maybe 2010 was a fabulous year for you, a once in a lifetime year, filled with adventure, joy and love. Maybe it was a terrible year, a sad year that you just wanted to get rid of as fast as possible. Or maybe 2010 was just one of those years that seemed to pass without anything special happening. A year with no rollercoaster rides.

For all of you out there I wish that 2011 will be your best year so far! Not your best year ever though for what will you do 2012 then?

May 2011 be a year filled with happiness, laughter, sadness, contentment, anger, joy, brilliant colors, rainy days and true beauty – all those things that life is about!

And may it be the year that you realize that every day is a first day!

Lots of love to you all!
Jeanette

Thoughts from the sofa

2010-12-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

photo by lovethatcat.com

These past few days I have put creativity on hold and mostly been lying on the sofa doing nothing. Having the Christmas countdown in December meant that I focused on creative stuff almost all the time. Not just creating things but also, thinking, reading and surfing the net for input on new creative ideas. I needed a rest.

Lying there on the sofa I have been thinking about creative things all the same. Not so much in terms of “how about you get out of that sofa and start doing something” as which course I would like next year’s creativity to take and how I could best make time in a busy schedule for doing so.

The exhibition I had last summer taught me that I am not an “exhibition kind of gal”. It is important for me that my creative doings have a goal but I much rather create something for someone than create it for showing it at an exhibition. Coming to terms with that felt very nice and almost relieving so that is one thing I know for sure that I won’t be pursuing next year.

When I did the DIY Christmas count down I tried to use stuff I had lying about at home or could get hold of in the woods or the garden. That is definitely something I would like to explore even further next year. I already have an enormous amount of fabric, yarn, lace, buttons, paint, paper, wire, tin cans and wool but still I go and buy even more at yarn shops, jumble sales or thrift markets. I am thinking that maybe I should put a stop to that in 2011 and just allow myself to use what I have already got. Now that is a challenge eh? Especially when it comes to not buying any more yarn. We are talking HUGE challenge here.

Other things I would like to do more of in the future is free embroidery on clothes (clothes I have already got of course) and wood carving. I would really, really like to try and turn a big wooden log into a statue using a chain saw. We have a chain saw at the country house and one thing on my Christmas wish list this year was that my husband would teach me how to use it. He gave me wood carving knifes last years so I thought it wouldn’t be entirely hopeless…..

I don’t usually give any New Year resolutions but how about I give some this year? OK here goes. In 2011 I will:

Not buy any new yarn – yikes, that’s a tough one.

Focus on making creative stuff using recycled materials – now that’s an easier one.

Embellish my blue velvet “Mao” jacket with some free embroidery

Learn how to knit socks – well only the heel actually. I know the rest. Then knit some using yarn I have already got

Do at least one wood carving project using my knifes

Give the chain saw a try.

Be better prepared fot FeltUnited in october and maybe do a class in felting to celebrate it.

Wow, 2011 will be fun, I can feel it!

You are all very much welcome to tag along!

Take care
Jeanette

Christmas Eve

2010-12-23T18:15:00.000-08:00

The count down is over and 23 DIY later Christmas Eve is finally here. I`ve had so much fun these last couple of weeks and thanks to you I`ve had a really creative december. I have no DIY for you today though just a wish. So...

From me
to you

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jeanette

DIY 23

2010-12-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

Wrist warmers
Almost all of Europe is covered in snow right now. It’s cold, very cold and mittens, warm sweaters and long johns are sold out in all the shops. I bought the last pair of long johns in one of the shops today and believe me there was nearly a fight over them…..It’s even cold indoors. Wrist warmers is a great way of keeping warm when you have to sit still and work at your office and the heater has gone to heater heaven warming the wings of the angels instead of your cold feet.

How about making a pair of wrist warmers? It is fun and fast and makes a nice gift too.

The best of it all is that you get to use the beautiful wool sweater that your husband accidentally machine washed…..or you can use felt like I did. You can embellish it with basically anything that you find beautiful. I used fabric, embroidery yarn, glass beads, vintage lace and did some needle felting too.

This is how you do it:
Cut two pieces of felt that fits around your wrist. Pimp them - get wild and crazy if you like. Sew them together – done!

If you have an old sweater it is even faster. Cut of the last 20 centimeters of the arms of the sweater, embellish – done!

Here is some that I have made.

Have fun

Jeanette

DIY 22 - GUEST APPERANCE

2010-12-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

Recycled Christmas tree ornaments from Lili M

Today I have a special treat for you. My dear blogfriend Lili from Lili M is making a guest apperance with a DIY. She is making the most fantastic ornaments from light bulbs. Guess what I will be doing tonight?

Here in LiLi M.'s houshold we love to recycle, now what can we do with light bulbs that don't work anymore?

We'll take the bulbs, some wire, wire cutters, glass paint, relief paint (optional) and paintbrushes.

These are the kind of paints from the craft store I used.

Now this is a great activity to do with kids. I think my daughter was about 10 when she did the bulb on the right. We both painted the bulbs in a transparent paint.

My daughter painted both of these.

You can use other shapes too of course.

When you have finished painting you attach some wire in a loop.

Look here are your recycled Christmas bulbs!

Now this I really have to try out. It came in very handy since my elctrical christmas window lights fell to the floor this morning.....lots of lightbulbs to recycled there.

Thank you so much Lili! I loved it !!!!!
Jeanette

DIY 21

2010-12-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas tree ornaments

Today I wanted to make some Christmas tree Angel ornaments. I used vintage photos - lovely freebies from the talented Teri Karhs at Pringle Hill Studios , paper from a vintage book, card stock and glitter glue. Well you know me, you simply can`t have to much glitter glue in your life!

I cut out a photo with my scissor and also cut out a pair of angel wings using the vintage paper. I glued the wings on the back of the photo and then glued the "angel" on a piece of card stock for stability. Then I cut everything out. Added glitter glue to the wings and a small tread on the back for hanging.

This is the finished ornament.

Once I got started I had so much fun that I just kept going.

If you don`t want to use them as ornaments for your tree they make lovely gift tags or christmas cards instead.

I will finish this DIY with a hot tip. If you want lovely vintage photos then you can hurry over to Lisa Vollrath. For the fifth year in a row Lisa over att Ten two Studios and Go Make Something is counting down the days to Christmas with printable image sheets. They are freebies to use in your own art work! Very generous !!

Take care
Jeanette

DIY 20

2010-12-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ultra fast Christmas pillows

Have you noticed that the last posts have been fast and easy stuff? I think it’s due to the fact that I sort of woke up yesterday and realized that Christmas is basically just around the corner. I have this red dude breathing down my neck all the time going Ho, ho, ho. It`s strange isn’t it that in beginning of December you think you have all the time in the world until D-day or C-day as it may be. But as the days past you get that sinking feeling in your heart that you won’t get round to Christmas this year either. I thought I had a fabulous plan with this count down DIY thing but I just might have fooled myself a tad about the amount of time I would have on my hands. Remember DIY 5 ? That was a whole day of creative work. Now I am down to the 10 minute stuff. Sorry!

So, do you want to give your living room a ”christmassy” feeling ultra fast? Why not make a few pillows for your sofa? This may not sound so fast to you but if you use the shortcut over some old pillows that you’ve already got and some Christmas table runners from the jumble sale you are done in no time.

This is how you do it.

You need a pillow. I had two red ones that got coffee stains on them last year and was meant for the garbage can but were luckily forgotten on the attic. You also need some table runners, any pattern is OK but I chose some that had Christmas inspired pattern. Add some embroidery yarn and a needle and you are all set.

Place the tablerunner on the pillow.

Stich it on with your embroidery yarn. I used cable stitches. Fast and simple.

Done!

I bet it didn’t take more than 10 minutes. So why not make some more while you are at it.

Jeanette

DIY 19

2010-12-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Reindeer garland
How about another easy, fun and fast peoject?

When I was out at IKEA the other day (yeah, I visit it a lot….) I saw they had reindeer Christmas tree ornaments. Since I have a crush on reindeers I found them extremely cute but I left the shop without them thinking I could make some of my own. Unfortunately I happened to forget that I suck at drawing! But when in need – google! So I googled reindeer template and I didn’t just find a template but also a great blog. Don’t you just love the internet?

Visit the blog here.

This is what I made

I chose some lovely red paper with different patterns.

Traced the template to the paper and cut the reindeers out with a scissor.

Here they are hanging on the wall just waiting to be hung in the Christmas tree.

Have fun!
Jeanette

DIY 18

2010-12-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

Button heart

You know the jumble sale findings that I told you about? Here they are, all 800 of them.

Today I managed to use a few while making a heart. Want to know how I did it? Welcome to tag along.

You need: wire, flush cutter, pliers and buttons. Any size and color will do.

Bend the wire in the shape of a heart.

Attach the buttons to the heart by using thin wire or ordinary sewing tread. Work your way around the whole heart.

Done.

Easy, fast and fun!

Enjoy!
Jeanette