My creative space

Things have been too hectic around here & I need a break so today I'm taking my walking boots out. I need to absorb fall in all it's glory, seach for mushrooms, capture the colors & enjoy a brisk walk. I find being outdoors uplifting and healing.
I need some positive energy to get myself through busy times. I'll also take my camera to play a bit.

Want to show your space? Hop over to Kootoyoo's to play! It's fun! :)

Guest post: The deal that fell through

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

by Laura from BlueTerracotta

What would you do with fifty-odd black and white handmade fabric ornaments? Especially if you had them because a PR agency in London ordered them but never paid. Well, it happened to me, and I was so disappointed last year that I packed them away, carefully flat, all lined up in a bag and placed them at the bottom of my fabric basket. And there they lay until a few days ago.

It all started with a message on etsy last year from the PR agency, mid-November. They liked my nostalgic fabric ornaments printed with vintage lace. Would I be interested in creating about 50 bespoke ornaments for a gala being held for British interior designers on December 9? The client was a non-profit organization working to build awareness about saving energy in the design field. A well-known designer was associated with the project. A rock star in her younger days, she now creates clothes and home deco items in black and white lace. My ornaments were to match her style, and at the gala, the designers would receive one in their press packets.

I was already imagining the designers discovering their ornaments at the glamorous evening event in London!

Within the next two weeks:

• I received a brief for artists.

• I sent in a cost estimate and photos of samples.

• My contact person at the agency loved the samples, but I had to wait for approval from the client, who was considering a few artists.

• I reminded them that I'd have to ship by December 1.

• My contact person went on holiday!

• I phoned London and spoke to my new contact person who assured me the client would decide in a few days.

• I began sewing.

• I got word that the client loved my work and wanted them.

• I finished sewing them up.

• I sent a polite reminder that I couldn't ship without first receiving payment.

And then, just like that, no more word from the agency. December 1 came and went. Nothing. I think it was an honest miscalculation in timing on their part. They realized that the ornaments would never get there in time. But a message from them would have been nice.

So, I swallowed my disappointment, packed up my ornaments and put them away.

The other day, I found them in my basket and had a fun photo session with my daughter!

Regrets? Not really. I had a good feeling about the project and went with my intuition. It was for a good cause. I gave it my best effort, but it just didn't work out.

What am I going to do with black and white Christmas ornaments? Not exactly Christmas colors, you say?

Some ideas:

• decorate our tree this year in black and white

• give them as gifts

• put them for sale in my etsy shop

• make some orange ones too, and use them as Victorian-themed Halloween decorations

• create a line of black and white items to match

I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments section, and from the people that mention ideas, I will randomly pick 2 people who will receive a set of four assorted ornaments, shipped anywhere in the world. Don't forget to leave your name & e-mail address.

HURRAY SONJA & RAPIDMOODSWINGS FOR WINNING A FABULOUS SET OF THESE ORNAMENTS! :)

Flickr Favorites

1. startup, 2. Crossroads, 3. Untitled, 4. Morning news

Things are rather hectic around here. I have lots of stuff going on at the moment & time is flying through my fingers. I want to hold it and stretch it but somehow it's not working.
I believe that B.U.S.Y. is the word for what I'm going through at the moment.
I'm looking forward to some relaxing time with a nice blanket, a great read and a lovely cup of coffee. *sigh*

Next week is a themed mosaic week. So if you care to play by theme, I like to see what touches your senses, gives you goosebumps, makes you all gooey inside...

My favorite mosaic from last week felt like a brisk walk in the morning.

If you like to play this week, make your mosaic and add a link to your blogpost (NOT your blog please) or Flickr in Mister Linky (click on the button below and fill in your name with the link to your blogpost or Flickr picture)...

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Weekend impressions

On friday I left for a weekend Amsterdam with my Etsy friends. In the evening we went to an Etsy meeting at the Lloyd hotel. What a fun crowd gathered there. I don't have any useable pictures of the meeting itself as it was dark and small in there but it was cozy and fun for sure.
Matt and Benedikta from Etsy's Berlin office were the hosts and they certainly spread the enthusiam about the conference for micro entrepreneurs next spring. Can't wait for this summit of awesome!
All these flowers were in the hallway of the toilets - a creation of Vlinder & Vogel Isn't it beautiful?On Saturday we went with a bunch to the Craftymarket. Even though the market was connected to a cultural festival, it wasn't really busy which surprised me. But being there with like minded souls, it was certainly the highlight of my weekend.
The weather was kind of weird: sunny, cold, cloudy, warm, rainy,... typical Dutch weather for this time of year...
My friend Vanessa came to visit me at the market. I hadn't seen her in over a year and she's not only an amazing Etsy-supporter but also a good photographer as I asked her to take some pictures from the stands. I'm so glad she spend the entire afternoon with us chatting. Thanks for popping by, Ness! :)It's fun sharing a stand with someone who's a fan of your work. Marta from Martice did a great job explaining my work to people with her never ending enthusiasm! Thanks Marta! :)Nicole from Babongohome hides behind her beautiful and ecofriendly mobiles.Swee is checking out ThongbaiTatong's work.Barry & Liesbeth from Pinipiru shared a stand with Annemiek from TwoTreesBelgium.Bai from ThongbaiTatong spoiled us with a beautiful pouch and Swiedebie gave me a plush apple pincushion which will be excellent in my sewing space. Thanks so much, supersweet, smiley ladies! :) I bought this cutie hat from Swiedebie for my nephew who turns 1 in 2 weeks. He will look much cuter in it then I do but I wanted to show you how awesome it is.
So happy I remembered his birthday when chatting with Swee while looking at her pretty stand! I'm terrible at remembering birthday's! ;)It was a fab weekend spend with friends & it made me forget a bit about the load of work I still have on my plate the coming weeks. Better get back to the to do-list now I suppose...
Have a great start of the new week everyone! :)

Great ideas come from great bike rides

When Lisa posted a link to this video the other day, I checked out the artist, Andrea Dorfman behind it. She has a wonderful way of combining illustration with words & music. Her video's are uplifting and powerful. Don't hesitate to check out some of her work, it's superb! :)

Weekly happy stats

Things that made me happy last week:

• Finishing a certain job
  
• Unexpected but fun visit
  
• A new dress
• Freesia's in my studio
• Finishing a book
  

Random happy pic by jennifer squires ross

Happy weekend, everyone! :)

Merry go round

Every last friday of the month, I jump on the 'Merry go round'. What is the Merry go round exactly? Each month, a group of craftswomen from around the world join together and give their reponses to the same question/challenge.I promised to show you the finished piece of the picture challenge last month but I didn't like how it turned out. As soon as I filled the holes around the bubbles to cast it, it looked more like a bunch of grapes then like what I had in mind. So I decided not to waste any time casting it.
So far for a failed experiment. Aah, don't we all have those?
I better move on to this months merry-go-round question: what's your favorite color and how it comes into your work?

My favorite color is probably not a surprise for you: lime green.
Lime plays a big role in my branding. I used to have a red avatar on Etsy but I had been told it looked a lot like Target's, a shop we don't have in Belgium so I had to check it out. And indeed, it resembles a bit so I decided to change the color as I didn't want to change the shape. I remember I doubted to choose between lime green and teal blue as I love both a lot. But lime won because it's so fresh, vivid and fun!
Since then, I bring the color into my packaging with adding lime ribbons or using lime boxes. I add lime happy girls to every order, unless I know it's a repeat order, then I add a different color.
I have been told that people can easily recognise me out of a whole lot of avatars in for example an Etsy chatroom as the color and look of it is consistent.
So I suppose I can't hide even if I wanted too. I like being 'recognised' by my color - it gives me a fuzzy feeling. :)

Want to know how the other merriers incorporate their favorite color in their work? Hop over to their blogs. Please bear in mind that the members will be posting at different times of the day, depending on which world time-zone they are in :)
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Saras Texture Crafts
Fabienne at Easterya Jewellery
Mariana at Florcita
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent
Lily at Lily Pang Art and Design
Ruth at Birdland Creations

My creative space

My space is full of stuff at the moment. I'm prepping things for my next fair this Saturday: the crafty market in Amsterdam. Things have been really hectic around here the past week and I kind of don't know where to start first. And I know it will continue to be hecic for a few more weeks so I better find a way to stay cool...
I'll be wrapping up things tommorrow and together with Annemiek we go to invade Marta's home for the weekend.
On Friday we have an Etsy meeting in Amsterdam - can't wait to see my Etsy friends again. The fair is on Saturday from 1pm till 9pm. It's my first outdoor market in fall and I just hope the weather gods will be nice to us.
Come see us if you're in the neighborhood! Would love to meet you! :)

Kirsty is taking a break but you can still take a peak at how her last week's space turned out.

Guest post: 4 Tips for Viewing Art: A Beginner's Guide

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Roger from hospitality management schools

Jean-Luc Goddard, famed Swiss French film director and critic once said, "Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self." Here, Goddard aptly noted what it is about art that makes us a appreciate it--it connects the work, the artist, and ourselves into a seamless unit.

Although we may not be artists ourselves, we can look at a work of art and recognize something profoundly true about an individual mind as well as about the human condition as a whole. That being said, anyone can appreciate art. But simply walking through an art gallery doesn't qualify as viewing art. Here are some tips to get you started on looking at art so that it moves you in an exciting way.

by restlessthings

1. Check preconceptions at the door.
Don't come in with any specific expectations. The best way to look at a piece of art is with a blank slate. Why? This is because when we approach something without any preformed ideas, we are approaching it with an open mind. Even if you've seen a particular artist's other works before, try to view as if viewing for the first time.

2. Spend several minutes taking in the piece.
While it is tempting to take one look at an artwork and move on to the next piece, you'd be surprised by how much you can miss if you leave too quickly. First just get a general idea, then move up closer and look for details.

3. Note how a piece makes you feel.
Although "feelings" and art are a rather vague notion that can't be properly translated into words, art appreciation isn't about "being cultured" or what have you. It's about your personal reactions. Viewing a piece of art and being aware of your physical and emotional reactions is what makes the process so rewarding.

4. Read the title and background information afterwards.
The other aspects of artwork aside from the piece itself can help you to gain some sort of context. While a good piece of art should transcend its historical context, it's good to get this other information in order to deepen your sense of where and under what circumstances the artist created the work. It also gives you better insight into what the artist was hoping to accomplish and convey.

Since viewing art is a highly personal experience, there is no one way to do it correctly. However, if you want to be methodical about it, these are only some general tips to get you started. Whatever you do, always remember that an artist put much thought and a lot of work into any given piece in order to bring you, her audience, pleasure or at least food for thought. Do the artist and art in general a favor by taking the time to look every work over carefully. Of course, there will be some that you don't quite understand or don't particularly like, but be sure to give each work a shot.

Feel free to drop me a comment or your thoughts at my e-mail (Roger Elmore).

Flickr Favorites

1. melhop-vogue-australia-6, 2. Negotiating the Curb,
3. more trumpets of spring, 4. Red

It's like summer is negotiating with fall if it should stay a bit longer or if it should go. I don't mind the lovely not-so-warm-but-still-some-sun-days.
The first picture in my mosaic is from Frances Melhop, a crazy photographer that currently resides in New Zealand but has the opportunity to be an artist in residence in Puglia, Italy for 6 months. However, that is if she makes it there as she's still trying to raise funds to get her ass over there. Read all about it in her blog and don't forget to check out her amazing work.
I'm in love with the idea of seeing photographs of bodies woven into ancient olive trees... clever girl and amazing artist she is!

I wish my favorite mosaic from last week would become reality.

If you like to play this week, make your mosaic and add a link to your blogpost (NOT your blog please) or Flickr in Mister Linky (click on the button below and fill in your name with the link to your blogpost or Flickr picture)...

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Sewing results

I have mentioned a few times that I bought fabric and to tell you the truth: I think I'm becoming one of those hoarders of fabric as some of it is sitting on the shelves already. But some of it has actually turned into something.

Remember the fabric for the loungepants that I showed a while back?
The fabric was very cheap (3 euro or 4,90 $/meter) so excellent to experiment a bit. I used a Simplicity pattern (3539) as a base. I haven't learned how to do zippers yet so I'm still afraid of them. I also didn't make the darts as shown in the pattern because I was using an elastic band around the waist. It worked out fine and they are comfy and fun to wear.
I didn't iron 'em for the picture - sorry! :)
As I'm an absolute beginner, I am a bit hesistant to buy expensive fabrics so I just keep experimenting with cheap fabrics. This fabric below was 5 euro or 6,50 $/meter so I wasn't really afraid to start sewing with it.I made a skirt out of it. I made a pattern of a knit skirt that I like wearing and whipped this skirt up in about an hour and a half. *pats herself on her shoulder*
I like knit/jersey fabric as it gives me the freedom to make zipperless pieces which is quite important when you're zipperanxious! :)
I think it goes really well with brown stockings and a brown shirt.Fall can come now...

Promise or not?

image by BigTallGuy

About a month ago, I announced on my blog that I wanted guestbloggers for my blog. Here is what I wrote at the end of my post:
I'd like to give back to the blogging community as I have received so much from it.
I hope this works and that you will all enjoy reading what the guest-blogger 'on duty' comes up with. I'm sure you will get to know a lot of awesome people this way. That's a promise!

Now I wonder if I kept my promise or not. I feel that guest posts bring more diversity to my blog and for me it's a wonderful experience meeting all these fun people that submit a guestpost.
But I do wonder: do you feel the same?
I'd like to know so please vote below to let me know...
Thank you & happy Sunday! :)

Weekly happy stats

Things that made me happy last week:

• A fun fair
• Reading a book
• Good harvest in the vegetable garden
• Prepping everything for the next fair
  
• Sewing an easy skirt from scratch
  

Random happy pic by andertho

Happy weekend, everyone! :)

Guest post: Jason's awesome underwater pics

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Lauriane from View from the 6th Floor

My friend Jason takes beautiful underwater photographs and videos. I love checking out his new ones every time he comes back from a dive. It exposes a whole world that I know nothing about and thus seems so totally surreal. Its appears to be so effortlessly graceful under the sea.
Need a break from land-lubber reality?
Watch a seal play with a seven gill shark, on his blog - the sound is relaxing too.

My creative space

Today I'm making a start on an order for Tokketok. She's up to some great things I think and I can't wait to see what she'll do with it all. She also send me a beautiful metal stamp to make my life a easier. Joke is a Belgian girl living in Portland, US and she's such a sweetie. I hope I get to meet her next time she's in Belgium as it doesn't look like I'll be going to Portland anytime soon! :)
She also made me make these and I think they are absolutely fabulous.

Want to show your creative space? Hop on over to Kootoyoo to play! It's fun! :)

Work in progress

I'm working on something fun.
But my first attempt failed.
I decided to move over from clay to plaster and made silicone moulds.
It's a bit messy.
But the result is as desired: white and detailed.
These are for Tokketok.
A few more to cast and then sand the bottom and varnish 'em.
Curious what she'll do with them once she receives them.

Flickr Favorites

1. apple 2 apple ™, 2. My MacBook Etching, 3. 2009-03-04-002 4. Martice

When I got back from the fair on Sunday evening, I received an e-mail about the Craftymarket in 2 weeks. Since I'm sharing a booth with Marta from Martice, I wanted to forward the information but the e-mail got completely stuck in Outlook. It blocked the entire program and there is just no way to get rid of it. Even Baa from Baahar jumped in with some tech support but the fact that all my settings are in Dutch didn't make it easy.
It made me realize how much I depend on e-mail everyday. I feel a bit handicapped trying to communicate via webmail as I don't have access to all my mails and addresses. So, in case you are waiting for a reply from me, don't dispair: I try to get back to you as soon as possible.

This will probably also speed up the process of buying a new laptop. Mine has been a pain nearly since I bought it. The noise it makes is unbearable and driving me, my partner and even our cat completely crazy. So I'm about to change drastically and move over from PC to MAC.
I don't have a clue what adventure I'm venturing into so if you have tips, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I really value all opinions as I'm useless when it comes to electronic devices...

My favorite mosaic from last week is beautiful put together and makes me wish I was still one...

If you like to play this week, make your mosaic and add a link to your blogpost (NOT your blog please) or Flickr in Mister Linky (click on the button below and fill in your name with the link to your blogpost or Flickr picture)...

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I spy with my eye...

Something yellow...
It's a huge bathtub duck.
It's designed by Florentijn Hofman and has returned back to our city after it was vandalised while being on tour through the province. They deconstructed the heavy vandalised duck and designer Michaël Verheyden made handbags from the pieces.
A new and more sturdy duck was made and is now back at the yachting area in our town.
The big duck will stay in it's spot until the 10th of October so if you're in the area and want to smile, don't hesitate to pass by the kanaalkom - you can't miss it! :)
Oh, and it's ony a hop, skip & jump away from the fashionmuseum. The fair there yesterday went really well. It was superbusy and I was supertired at the end of the day. I didn't take any pictures this time & I didn't even have time to browse the stands as I was alone and couldn't abandon my table.

Guest post: Tutorial: How to Make a Paper Spike Bow

Note: If you would like to guest post @ ArtMind please contact me (mitsy@artmind.eu) and I'll send you the 'how-to-blog@ArtMind' -info.

By Amy from amarshall

This fun little paper craft is something my grandmother taught me to make as a small child. I usually make one when I want to add a special touch to a wrapped gift. They also look pretty sitting on a shelf or turned into a fridge magnet.

Here is what you need:
Wrapping paper or craft paper, glue- any craft glue that dries clear,
a sharpened pencil, scissors, a cup or other circular object to trace around,
a damp cloth to wipe up the glue that you are sure to get on your fingers!

Trace & cut out several circles from your paper, 5 or 6 should do. Fold each circle in half, half again, and again (you will have 8 sections).
Cut on each fold line about 3/4 of the way, leaving the center in tact. Roll each cut section by holding the pencil at an angle to one corner.
As you roll the paper around the pencil it will make a cone.
Add a dab of glue near the end. If your paper is heavy,
you may have to hold it in place for a moment so the glue can set.
This is where I get glue all over my fingers and
use the damp cloth to keep clean. Now you are ready to assemble your bow!
Layer each circle one on top of the next with a dab of glue.
Be sure to off set each layer so the points land in between the
previous layer's points. When you get to the very middle,
use the eraser end of your pencil to stick the last layer in place. What a nice way to top off a gift!