mini feeling: relieved

*sigh*

mini feeling: hate

This feeling might seem a bit obscure but it is not.
When I made the devilish feeling the other day, I initially called it hate but in the end it turned out to be called mean.
Ingermaaike said that hate would feel more like a 'spike from the belly' and then I thought: that's it indeed.
So thank you Inger for your input. :)
We have this expression that some feelings come straight from the belly.
This is usually said when feelings are extremely strong towards something or someone.
I think that 'hate' is such a feeling - it's ugly and it hurts and it is such a deep feeling that it can actually only come from the belly...

mini feeling: nervous

Know the feeling when you seem you are eaten little by little by nervousness?
Does it look like this? It does to me...

mini feeling: stuffed

This is a feeling that was suggested by Neawear although it also could have been a feeling suggested by Kreativlink! :)
I hope you girls can recognize yourself in this...

mini feeling: numb

lacking in emotion or feeling

mini feeling: betrayed

This feeling was made the reverse way: I made the Pinocchio nose first and then decided on what feeling it could be.

How would you feel if someone lied to you? Right!

mini feeling: restless

Know the feeling of having an unquiet heart and mind?

mini feeling: lethargic

According to the thesaurus of dictionary.com:
Main Entry: lethargic
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: apathetic, comatose, dull, enervated, heavy, inactive, inert, lackluster, languid, lazy, listless, sleepy, slothful, slow, sluggish, torpid

Mini feeling: untied

Ever feel like you are detached of something that it kind of feels like freedom?

Mini feeling: tied

Ever feel like you're attached to something that it's kind of painful?

Mini feeling: hurt

Emotional pain is hard.
These bandages make you feel like living in a coccon.
It's easier to hide then to face the pain.

These bandages were drenched in clay slib and put onto the unfired feeling. They will be fired together so the bandages will eventually become clay. I hope...

Mini feeling: pain

Pain can cut right through you.
But it can be stiched too...

This is not fired yet, but it will add stiches too it once that is done. Want to know how it looks? Look here: www.flickr.com/photos/artmind_etcetera/2213428337/in/set-...

Mini feeling: mean

Mean as a devil.

Mini feeling: frustrated

Things creep up on you. Nothing that can be done.
Things hold on to you. Nothing you can change.
It's frustrating.

Mini feeling: sad

This usually happens when you're sad.
It's OK to be sad sometimes...

Mini feeling: irritated

You know the feeling when you are itrritated little by little?

Mini feeling: curious

Feeling curious? You have to have the key...

Mini feeling: empty

Ever feel like you're all empty inside? According to me, it feels like this...

Mini feeling: silly

Chichiboulie inspired me to make a silly feeling. Thank you Chichi, you're so silly! :)

Mini feeling: angry

I have a whole list of feelings and textures that I add to the feelings. But sometimes I'm doubting if it's the right texture for the feeling. When I finished this feeling, I told my partner how I called it and he didn't agree. Then I called in the help of my feeling-friend Kreativlink and she suggested I would ask people what they felt about it. So I did. I posted the picture in Flickr and asked people to send me a convo to let me know how they felt about this feeling...
It's amazing how many different feelings this evokes to people. I found it very interesting too.
Like I can say it is this feeling, it will always be different for others.
Makes me think I should not give 'em a name perhaps? Just create and let people fill it in for themselves? Hmm... have to give this some more thought too...
These are the feelings they evoked to all the people who responded.

• vulnerable
• hurt
• tense
• scared
• stressed
• freaked out
• angry
• prickly
• grumpy
• anti-social
• defensive
• irritated
• hostile
• angst
• rebellion
• frustrated
• bristly
  

A few people did reply to what I had in mind for this feeling... and I think I will stick to that as it is 'my' feeling which I would call 'angry'. We have this expression in Dutch that 'the little hairs in your neck are rising of anger'. This feeling reminds me of that.
Like I said, this is just what it evokes for me, it can be anything you feel as there is no 'right' feeling for it, it's subjective and personal.
Thank you so much for your help, it's warmly appreciated!

Mini feeling: depressed

Little balls of clay were pressed onto the feeling. It's like the pressure one experiences which leads to being depressed...

Virtual labs

From time to time, I attend Etsy's virtual labs. It's great fun as you get to meet other Etsians and see some lovely work being discussed or get information about certain topics. Among my favorite labs are: Monday craftnight, the Newbie chat, Show and Tell and On-The-Fly critiques. Last monday, I attended the Show and Tell after being alarmed by Twitter that the labs were starting.
I'm glad Twitter warns me otherwise I would forget probably. :) In the Show and Tell you can show what you're working on. Showing your work in progress before putting it on Etsy is a good way to get feedback and ideas about price and marketing. I showed some of my mini feelings and was quite tense to hear people's thoughts about them. I'm glad they all approved! :)
At the end of the labs, Danielle showed us some new goodies from the Etsy labs. If we let Danielle know by convo what our favorite X-mas greeting cards were, she'd send us some stickers.
YaY! Thanks Danielle, I love 'em! :)

Mini feeling: cute

When I saw this picture, I knew I had to make a cute feeling...

Mini feeling: ambitious

Today I asked on Twitter how people felt.
Renate from Kreativlink felt ambitious.
'Though one' I replied.
She said she was going to wear a tie today.
I bet she looks as cute as this...

Mini feeling: sick

No comment.

Mini feeling: oneness

This feeling is inspired by work of someone who cares. Thank you, Monika!
If you would like to see what inspired me, look here...

Mini feeling: tense

This mini feeling has a little red elastic around it's tummy. It's tense.
I will add the elastic after firing of course, this is just to show how it will look...

Secret Santa has style

As part of the Secret Santa questionnaire I sent out a few weeks ago, I asked the participants what their home decoration/style was. So many people participating results is many different decorations and styles...
Want to take a peek into the homes of out Streetteammembers?

• a mix of modern and older
• am into french country at the moment, but this changes a lot
• art
• baroque meets design meets colorful kitsch
• Bohemian
• Budget and space-related - sorry. If I had it my way, it would be a mix of colour and wood/bamboo.
• classic modern
• Clean but pictures are everywhere
• clean design, a mix of modern with vintage
• comfy modern midwest and old fashioned meets modern. (I like anything decor8-ish)
• contemporary modern, retro
• contemporary, light wood
• cosy, simple, scandinavian style (Ikea)
• cottage style
• country
• do we have a style??? Ikea-stylish
• don't have any style. eclectic, chaotic :P but I'd love to live in a museum - clean, big empty space :)
• ecclectic found items with beautiful pieces from murano,recuperated tables... rough wood bookcases on bricks... blood red as accent colour or olive green
• eclectic
• eclectic, white walls, grey paint, chestnut floorboards, Indian wallhangings, modern art prints,
• Everything is black or white except some wooden furnishings, they are made out of oak.
• Functional
• hi tech, modern
• I love country and ethnic style
• IKEA-style, simple and practical, lots of pot plants, some South American wall hangings and family photos
• Medieval/Gothic
• minimalist
• minimalist, modern
• Minimalistic to natural materials
• mix&match
• modern
• modern mixed with antiques
• modern,colorful,crazy.In my living room the curtains are an american flag i bought on ebay,and a flag with the jolly roger of Captain Herlock is hung behind the sofa.In our bathroom we have clay handmade crazy fishes glued to the tiles,and the kitchen is a super bright apple green!
• my walls are all white, but I like having artwork everywhere, whimsical? I love colour even if I don't like to wear it too much.
• no frills kinda messy
• Not my home yet :( But I like minimalistic houseware, or vintage looking things
• plain Ikea style....LOL
• practical and cosy
• relax, cool, modern, hippy
• Rural, bohemian
• Rustic
• scandinavian
• shabby chic, country style, Indian style
• Simple
• simple, elegant, cottage---jewel tones, except in kitchen, where I have bright red, yellow ochre and dark green
• trompe l'oeil, much colors, thousands of handmade things
• try to keep it personal in a modern mix of cozy and minimalistic way…with a touch of high lights in old style and colorful.
• vintage + modern mix
• vintage and recycled
• warm modern. vintage and industrial stuff
• warm Scandinavian
• whimsical... design mixed with vintage - but I love also some type of shabby... - I don’t love so much ethnic style
• white, white, white!i love bright spaces, and contrast with colorful details. I have so many plants
• white, yellow, grey and beige, a lot of light, antique woods (but not too much antique furniture), a mix of old and new.
• wood, colour, off white, books, pillows, mix of moroccan, indian, south American

Mini feeling: torn

It hurts when feeling torn.

Mini feeling: courage

These scratches are made all over the bottom of the baboeschka letting them get lighter and lighter at the top until they fade completely.
These represent physical and emotional scars as they fade going upwards because of the desire to keep the courage on going.

Mini feeling: patience

I started making this a long time ago... and only finished it now. It just stood there as I left it and I think I only just now had the patience to finish it...

Get Eurofied

A few weeks ago, someone in the European StreetTeam launched the idea of selling sampler boxes for promoting your work. I had never heard of them before and did some research on line. It seems that they are pretty popular and fun. As I haven't been doing much promoting it seemed a fun idea to join. The 'Get Eurofied' sampler box will contain samples from independent crafters & artists from Europe. You can have a look at 'Get Eurofied' to see all the participating artists and read more about it.
I won't tell yet what I put in as a sample, you'll just have to go and get yourself a box as soon as they get on sale on December 1st. :)

Secret Santa loves accessoiries

As part of the Secret Santa questionnaire I sent out a few weeks ago, I asked the participants what their favorite accessory was. When matching the people I got a bit worried as it seemed that lots of European Streetteam members are bag ladies... accept for Daniel of course. Just imagine him with a bag! :) We don't have that much bagmakers on the team but luckily there were lots of others accessories being summed up so that it wasn't too hard to match people...

• A cuff made by me
• A nice long vintage bead necklace
• Backpack
• Bag
• Bandana
• Barrett
• Belt
• Boots
• Brooches are fun
• Clochehat
• Crocheted red flower brooch
• Earrings
• Fingerless arm warmers
• Glove/mittens
• Hat
• My Dr. Martens 10-hole boots
• My wedding ring
• (my own) jewelry
• Neck “things” or neck details
• Rings
• Scarf
• Shawl
• Wristlets

Mini feeling: purity

This little feeling is inspired by some pictures of unicorns I made the other day. You can find those pictures on my Flickr in the set 'I love...'

Mini feeling: invincible

The other day I saw this little child wearing a very bright jacket. It immediately drew my attention as it was a very fun jacket. It was a yellow dragon jacket! I'm sure I would have loved wearing that as a kid. I only saw it a fraction of a second but I was instantly inspired to make a dragon feeling! :)

Monday morning surprise

When I opened the mailbox this morning, I found a wonderful surprise.

Frances Melhop is one of the most enchanted persons I have ever come across.
I think her middle name is fairy or elf. In my imagination she lives in this this deep, dark wood underneath a tree and is surrounded by gnomes who cook for her as she's a terrible cook herself.
She also has a pair of fairy wings on her back.
The gnomes also do the cleaning. She loves that!
Sometimes she goes out in the real world to take photographs of people, places and things.
Her work is among the most amazing I have ever laid my eyes on. It's fascinating and astonishing.
It captures worlds we humans often dream off.
I invite you to go and take a look in Frances' world. She has two great shops on Etsy: Matchstickgirl and enchantedpond
Be sure to take a look at her website too as there you'll be in for even more enchantment.
She blogged about the 'strange hearts' the other day - I loved reading that blogpost and I'm delighted to be the owner of one of the 250 hearts she made!
Besides, if you want to get your own 'Harriet against the flow' ACEO, click on one of the two pictures above & you'll be redirected to her shop. Thank you so much for this lovely surprise, Frances! :)

Challenge of the week: Africa

My contribution to this weeks challenge will be a blogpost. I know, not exactly a creation but still... I haven't been creating much lately but I'm sure that soon I'll be on the right track again. I just need some time to regain much lost energy. So my apologies to the 'bosses' of the past challenges when I didn't make it. I did find this very cool site through stumble upon the other day. I thought: 'that will be my entry' LOL
Please click on the picture to see more human creative painting.
Boss for this week is Creationsbyeve. She is a multitalented lady who has so much creative veins that you'll be envious of it if you look at her shop. You can find all the items made for this challenge in Eve's blog: http://www.creationsbyeve.blogspot.com/

Secret Santa collects

As part of the Secret Santa questionnaire I sent out a few weeks ago, I asked the participants what they collect. Reading all the answers was extremely fun as it seems that some pretty weird things are collected in the European Streetteam like snowballs (?) and cats (this wasn't Dina if you were wondering).
So much great stuff that people collect and can you believe that there were several people who don't collect anything? Read and chuckle... (click on the picture to enlarge for reading)

Work in progress: hurt

OK, it didn't turn out the way I had in mind. I was really dissapointed when I took the bandages off. You can click on the photo to see the imprint better. There is too little left to show what it was meant to be. Next step I'm going to do is drench the bandages in liquid porcelain clay and put them on the feeling again. I will fire the bandages on the feeling in the kiln and I'm crossing my fingers that it will come out the way I had in mind. And if that doesn't work, I just put bandages around it so that it looks like this again! :)
I do love this feeling although it is a bit sad...

Secret Santa's favorites part 3

As part of the Secret Santa questionnaire I sent out a few weeks ago, I asked the participants what their favorite Etsy shop was. I asked them not to be naughty and only list one, but some of them couldn't resist while others just couldn't decide.
I'll be posting all of the Secret Santa participants favorites in here. Please click on the pictures to see which Etsy shop is behind it. This is the last one in this series.