Saturday, October 23, 2010
Courage
Hello sweet readers,
First of all, I'd like to thank you so much for your heartwarming and kinds words on my last post. It made me realize that even though you're far, you're still close.
Since I didn't know any exact results, I did not want to go into details yet.
Last monday, my mom had to take a test in hospital. We didn't expect any too bad news as the bloodsamples that were taken a few weeks ago were perfecly ok. Apparently that's no garantuee for good news...
At the end of the day, the doctor came into the room to discuss the results with us and it didn't look good. They discovered a tumor and could not say any more as more tests were needed. So they ran more tests on Tuesday and Wednesday and we could come in for a consultation with the doctor yesterday.
I can't express how heavy my heart has been the last few days and the waiting was unbearable so it was a relieve to finally know the diagnosis.
My mom has been diagnosed with colon cancer and the tumor found is malignant. They also found tiny metastases on her lungs.
Our world seemed to fall apart.
Sadness, anger, fear, unbelieve, hurt, pain,... it all came together all at once.
But you know what? My mom is a fighter.
She has always been and even though we're all extremely sad that this is happening to her, she's not the person to go sit in the corner and let it all happen.
She'll fight it with all that she has and we'll be there to support and be there for her.
However, it will take time to accept the news and I hope that she'll find the courage to keep going.
She'll start chemotherapy on the 3rd of November.
I won't be back to blogging for a while. I need time too.
Time to deal with this, time to be with my family and time to take day for day...
I'm sure you'll understand.
Thank you for being out there, wherever you are...
Love,
Mitsy
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Blog break
Hello sweet readers,
Unexpectedly and due to personal circumstances, I'll be taking a blogbreak.
At the moment, my full attention will be needed for my family.
Thanks so much for understanding.
X
Mitsy
Unexpectedly and due to personal circumstances, I'll be taking a blogbreak.
At the moment, my full attention will be needed for my family.
Thanks so much for understanding.
X
Mitsy
Monday, October 18, 2010
Zipper proof
Taking a classic sewing class implies learning basic techniques.Exactly what I wanted to learn.
However, the course is set up in a real school and brings back secondary school memories. There is a bell that tells us when we have a break and we have to come at a certain time and can't leave class before it's finished. I don't really like the 'school' setting. Especially not when I compare it to my ceramic course that I took at the academy of fine arts. There we had lots of freedom and it worked so much better for me. No need to treat adults as secondary school kids but hey, I can't change the setting so I better adjust.
Not alway easy being the rebel I am...
Oh, and another thing that bugs me is that we have to stick to the pattern given. We're making a straight skirt at the moment but I only wear A-line skirts so this will look really funny on me.
I understand it's all about the techniques and all but when you make something, you would want to wear it too, right? Let's see if I will...
Anyway, enough of rambling as I wanted to show you some proof of the fact that I can do zippers! YAY! It's been on my wishlist since I decided to learn sewing.
Here's where the zipper will go:
And it's in! I even managed to add a waistband in the last lesson.
It will be finished much sooner then expected. I'm so excited about it! :)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Weekly happy stats
Things that made me happy last week:
- Learning how to do zippers! YAY!
- Getting my hands dirty in my studio
- Eating Brussel sprouts (nomnom)
- Lovely feedback on Etsy
- Receiving a book where I submitted photographs for
Friday, October 15, 2010
Guest post: Collaboration in art and crafts
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 Shauna Busto Gilligan and Annemiek Hamelink Part 1 of 3
Annemiek and Shauna met each other in Ireland over ten years ago. At the time they both worked in desk jobs. Since then Shauna has returned to writing and Annemiek felt the urge to create with her hands and found clay, glass and silver very satisfying. Similarly, Shauna's husband Xuan left the corporate world to return to his first career as a photographer. Photographs which Xuan took formed the basis of the inspiration for some short stories, they produced a book together and sent Annemiek a copy as a present. She read the stories and some inspired her. Xuan's pictures bear no relation to the creations Annemiek made in any way, but Shauna's writing brings the two creative outputs together.
In this series of blogs we track how Shauna as a writer and Annemiek as a crafter have found the "accidental" collaboration of photograph-story-bowl in terms of artistic process and tangible outcomes. Currently we are using this experience to formalise further collaboration using Annemiek's "story bowls" as the starting point.
Step 1: Photograph to Story – Shauna, the writer
Xuan’s took the photograph of the lighthouse (above) at an open day run by the Irish Landmark Trust which gave open access to the public. As a writer, I found myself interested in what was within the lighthouse while Xuan as a photographer, looked outward beyond the lighthouse. It was the domestic details which captured me like the a chair or a towel on a rail. The idea of a winding road, seen as disjointed vertical lines in the photograph led me to thoughts of journeys and why one makes these journeys. It was the going away from something that made me create a character who is seated on the chair in the photograph, anticipating the journey her man is going to make in his new car, waiting to glimpse the shine of the metal in the sun – like the lucky horseshoe on the car – at a distance on the winding road. Read the story.
Step 2: Story to Bowl – Annemiek, the crafter
Reading the story I got clear images and flashbacks in my mind, the winding roads and the rolling hills of Ireland. I did not know the picture was taken in Ireland. Some stories will not have the same film-like effect on ones mind and the images stay kind of blurry, but this came through clear. I could see the man in a shiny open sports car with long wavy hair flowing in the wind while driving; the winding road, the wife looking out for him. The scenery something like this:
Now to capture this in a bowl I had to boil it down to the essentials for me, so I kept it in my head and let it mature. What came out was the lone oldtimer-type sports car in typical red on a winding road. I choose the dark clay as it feels right, if I had choosen crisp white porcelain, the feel would be different entirely.
Conclusions: Shauna’s thoughts on the tangible creation
It was interesting for me to see what image Annemiek had picked to hone in on when she created the bowl. While the car was indeed one of the main images in the story, it was more of the texture of the car, silver, reflection of the metal off the sun that was the strongest for me. The change in colour from silver to red was interesting but in practial terms works much better on the dark clay than a silver one would have worked. Annemiek had picked up on the notion of speed and movement in the story and what better image than a red sports car to portray that.
In this “accidental” collaboration the end product is something which can be used. I now use Annemiek’s bowl with the red car in it to keep silver paperclips which hold drafts of my stories together....
by Shauna Busto Gilligan and Annemiek Hamelink Part 1 of 3
Annemiek and Shauna met each other in Ireland over ten years ago. At the time they both worked in desk jobs. Since then Shauna has returned to writing and Annemiek felt the urge to create with her hands and found clay, glass and silver very satisfying. Similarly, Shauna's husband Xuan left the corporate world to return to his first career as a photographer. Photographs which Xuan took formed the basis of the inspiration for some short stories, they produced a book together and sent Annemiek a copy as a present. She read the stories and some inspired her. Xuan's pictures bear no relation to the creations Annemiek made in any way, but Shauna's writing brings the two creative outputs together.
In this series of blogs we track how Shauna as a writer and Annemiek as a crafter have found the "accidental" collaboration of photograph-story-bowl in terms of artistic process and tangible outcomes. Currently we are using this experience to formalise further collaboration using Annemiek's "story bowls" as the starting point.
Step 1: Photograph to Story – Shauna, the writer
Xuan’s took the photograph of the lighthouse (above) at an open day run by the Irish Landmark Trust which gave open access to the public. As a writer, I found myself interested in what was within the lighthouse while Xuan as a photographer, looked outward beyond the lighthouse. It was the domestic details which captured me like the a chair or a towel on a rail. The idea of a winding road, seen as disjointed vertical lines in the photograph led me to thoughts of journeys and why one makes these journeys. It was the going away from something that made me create a character who is seated on the chair in the photograph, anticipating the journey her man is going to make in his new car, waiting to glimpse the shine of the metal in the sun – like the lucky horseshoe on the car – at a distance on the winding road. Read the story.
Step 2: Story to Bowl – Annemiek, the crafter
Reading the story I got clear images and flashbacks in my mind, the winding roads and the rolling hills of Ireland. I did not know the picture was taken in Ireland. Some stories will not have the same film-like effect on ones mind and the images stay kind of blurry, but this came through clear. I could see the man in a shiny open sports car with long wavy hair flowing in the wind while driving; the winding road, the wife looking out for him. The scenery something like this:
Now to capture this in a bowl I had to boil it down to the essentials for me, so I kept it in my head and let it mature. What came out was the lone oldtimer-type sports car in typical red on a winding road. I choose the dark clay as it feels right, if I had choosen crisp white porcelain, the feel would be different entirely.
Conclusions: Shauna’s thoughts on the tangible creation
It was interesting for me to see what image Annemiek had picked to hone in on when she created the bowl. While the car was indeed one of the main images in the story, it was more of the texture of the car, silver, reflection of the metal off the sun that was the strongest for me. The change in colour from silver to red was interesting but in practial terms works much better on the dark clay than a silver one would have worked. Annemiek had picked up on the notion of speed and movement in the story and what better image than a red sports car to portray that.
In this “accidental” collaboration the end product is something which can be used. I now use Annemiek’s bowl with the red car in it to keep silver paperclips which hold drafts of my stories together....
Thursday, October 14, 2010
My creative space
Today will be mainly filled with non creative things. It's a bit sad as I have so much bubbling in my head.The other day, my neighbor helped me draft a pattern from my favorite dress & I bought fabric yesterday. I had my eye on this beautiful petrol bleu jersey/knit fabric & I hope that I can cut it out tonight after my sewing class. I want to sew this dress next weekend.
I'm way too ambitious when it comes to sewing I think - as I can barely sew a straight line... But then I think: if I won't try, I won't know if I can do it so I just go with my instincts! :)
Hop over to Kirsty's for more creative spaces and play along! It's fun! :)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Work in progress
The other day, someone send me an e-mail and asked me if I make the bags I use for my baking pearls myself. So here's some proof I do...
I think it's a great way to practise sewing straight and have something useful as a result afterwards.
But being still a slow sewer, it takes me forever to finish one! :)
I stamp the bags with a quick & easy 'stamp words' technique...
The fun part is that I can choose the color of the ribbon myself.
I do work in batches so I made a whole lot ready to be filled...
Hmm... I did not make enough ceramic pearls to fill 'em though. I hope there is a good movie on tv tonight! :)
I think it's a great way to practise sewing straight and have something useful as a result afterwards.
But being still a slow sewer, it takes me forever to finish one! :)
I stamp the bags with a quick & easy 'stamp words' technique...
The fun part is that I can choose the color of the ribbon myself.
I do work in batches so I made a whole lot ready to be filled... 
Hmm... I did not make enough ceramic pearls to fill 'em though. I hope there is a good movie on tv tonight! :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Flickr Favorites
It wasn't until saturday till I had time to look at all the moving mosaics form last week. So many fabulous compositions and the theme certainly was interpreted so different by everyone. I love it when that happens as it is always a surprise to me. Thanks for playing along with the theme.
If you ever want to initiate a theme, please don't hesitate to let me know!
This week I was inspired by the group 'Less is more'
Minimalism with a big 'M' for sure. The amount of captivating pictures in there will keep you busy looking at for a few hours... don't say I didn't warn you! ;)
My favorite mosaic combined powerful pictures with happy people. Love the combo!
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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Monday, October 11, 2010
How to make a spooky fingerpuppet?
These little ghosts are super fun to make for kids and adults.You can keep entertaining and silly conversations between all of your fingers or just use 'em as decoration for you home, table or as a prop in your product listings.
You can whip 'em up in no time and they make great companions so here's what you need:
Plaster of Paris, Vaseline, little bowl of water,
a permanent marker and a plastic bag to protect your table.
a permanent marker and a plastic bag to protect your table.
Cut strips of 2cm or 1inch of the Plaster of Paris. 
Cut a few squares too.
Put some Vaseline on a finger. 
Dip a strip of Plaster of Paris in the bowl of water.
Put a few strips on your fingers. 
It will take about 10 minutes to set.Sit still and relax.
Take off the plaster fingers. 
Dip a larger square into the bowl of water.
Place it on top of the plaster finger.
Put the finger on the plastic bag and drape the Plaster of Paris a bit.Let it dry.
Draw with the permanent marker eyes and a mouth.
Draw with the permanent marker eyes and a mouth.
Your ghostly companions are ready for Halloween fun!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Guest post: Loves Ballet
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 Michelle from Road to Being
Since a young girl, I've written lyrics - tangles of words that described what stirred in my mind. I eventually realized that it was a great emotional release, to put what was inside, outside. Whether reading or writing it, poetry can be healing. It helps you feel grounded, connects you with feelings, and allows you to be expressive - to just be in the powerful, creative process.
I've always wished that I could be the next Van Gogh or Van Eyck, painting the images in my mind onto canvas, in ways that were breathtaking, magical. I've always envied painters more than poets. But with paper as canvas, and words as paintbrush, a poet can give my imagination inspiration that I think even Van Gogh would appreciate.
I hope you enjoy my poem.
Loves Ballet
At prides insistence
I whispered, in the distance
you’ll find yourself returning -
And bit my lip until it bled to stay tears that were burning
Gauzy love
was blowing through the air
while children ran round a fish-shaped fountain -
Then up red mossy stairs
And through my soft grey skirt
the coldness of the wall
was nothing like the sorrow -
Of the flight of love now stalled
As if they sensed
this tête-à -tête was of regret
the trees began to grieve -
Swirling round then floating down they cried a thousand leaves
And I
I longed to touch your face
My soul reeled from neglect and begged for one more taste
But while your eyes were lit lamps of concern -
The flames I used to see for me were now a fire that barely burned
And at guilt’s insistence
you said, in the distance
you might find the fog was clearing -
But that you’d spurned cupids pomp though it seemed your eyes were tearing
And the heaviness within my heart lurched against my chest
but I remembered vividly you said you thought it best
and I could try a magicians tricks but stubborn as you were -
To pull a talking rabbit from my hat to you'd just be obscure
I turned my face against an ill and chilly wind
I stood and one last look at you about did me in
My blurry eyes fell onto a hedge-shaped Queen of Hearts -
I longed to hide beneath her spongy cloak till you at last did part
Since now it seemed
the frozen ground
held an imaginary line, that I wanted to -
But dared not pass as we said goodbye
The children splashed in the fountain as I walked away
They snatched a plump orange goldfish but it made a grand escape
When I turned around, you were gone, and I wondered if you felt that way
Or if, like me, you were sad to see -
The death of Loves Ballet
By Michelle from Road to Being
Since a young girl, I've written lyrics - tangles of words that described what stirred in my mind. I eventually realized that it was a great emotional release, to put what was inside, outside. Whether reading or writing it, poetry can be healing. It helps you feel grounded, connects you with feelings, and allows you to be expressive - to just be in the powerful, creative process.
I've always wished that I could be the next Van Gogh or Van Eyck, painting the images in my mind onto canvas, in ways that were breathtaking, magical. I've always envied painters more than poets. But with paper as canvas, and words as paintbrush, a poet can give my imagination inspiration that I think even Van Gogh would appreciate.
I hope you enjoy my poem.
Loves Ballet
At prides insistence
I whispered, in the distance
you’ll find yourself returning -
And bit my lip until it bled to stay tears that were burning
Gauzy love
was blowing through the air
while children ran round a fish-shaped fountain -
Then up red mossy stairs
And through my soft grey skirt
the coldness of the wall
was nothing like the sorrow -
Of the flight of love now stalled
As if they sensed
this tête-à -tête was of regret
the trees began to grieve -
Swirling round then floating down they cried a thousand leaves
And I
I longed to touch your face
My soul reeled from neglect and begged for one more taste
But while your eyes were lit lamps of concern -
The flames I used to see for me were now a fire that barely burned
And at guilt’s insistence
you said, in the distance
you might find the fog was clearing -
But that you’d spurned cupids pomp though it seemed your eyes were tearing
And the heaviness within my heart lurched against my chest
but I remembered vividly you said you thought it best
and I could try a magicians tricks but stubborn as you were -
To pull a talking rabbit from my hat to you'd just be obscure
I turned my face against an ill and chilly wind
I stood and one last look at you about did me in
My blurry eyes fell onto a hedge-shaped Queen of Hearts -
I longed to hide beneath her spongy cloak till you at last did part
Since now it seemed
the frozen ground
held an imaginary line, that I wanted to -
But dared not pass as we said goodbye
The children splashed in the fountain as I walked away
They snatched a plump orange goldfish but it made a grand escape
When I turned around, you were gone, and I wondered if you felt that way
Or if, like me, you were sad to see -
The death of Loves Ballet
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Happy note
Today I finished an order for Tokketok. It was heaps of fun to work on even though I was a bit stressed towards the end as the deadline of sending it is today.Joke from Tokketok does high quality letterpress designs and sent me a beautiful pack of happy notes together with a lovely metal stamp to use to make porcelain labels for her.
I love happy and I think the world is definately in need of more happy notes! :)
Joke also asked me to make a mould of letter alphabet cookies. Since she needed a few sets of the word 'Tokketok', I decided to make 'em in plaster and varnish 'em with a matte finish.
I love the fact too that I got to eat the left over cookies... :)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
My creative space
A while back, I thrifted loads of these little sew on buttons but didn't find a use for 'em right away. I knew they would come in handy some day & I'm glad I can use 'em now to close little pouches I made. Will be sewing on buttons today.And on another note concerning sewing: today we will learn how to do darts and zippers in class. Can't wait! :)
More creative spaces at Kootoyoo! Play along, it's fun! :)
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Mold on moulds
Fluffy mold on my moulds. Eeeek! Looks a bit weird.They are having a bad hairday, just like me today.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Flickr Favorites
1. i will find a way, 2. First in Flight Brooch,3. There might be plenty more Pebbles on the Beach, but I like this one., 4. no words
This week we play by theme if you like. I like to see what touches your senses, gives you goosebumps, makes you all gooey inside...
For me it's a challenge to capture that in a mosaic as I'm a very sensitive person.
Lots of things move me: artsy pictures, beautiful objects, textures, words or simply no words at all...
I can get all teary-eyed watching a grandparent spending time with his/her grandchild, I smile when I see an elderly couple walking hand in hand and I get goosebumps when I hear a touching story.
I think it's an amazing feeling to be moved by something or somebody, absorbing and taking it all in. It gives me energy and it inspires me. It makes me jippety jappety happy.
I'm also looking forward to see the mosaics of you all and I wanted to thank you for all the kind words on my busy mosaic from last week. Feels good to be supported - one more busy week and then I'll curl up on the couch with my blanket, a good book and a nice cup of coffee! :)
My favorite mosaic from last week is about something I detest...
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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Monday, October 4, 2010
Guest post: A is for Art
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 John Fidler from Scribblz n' Doodlz
by John Fidler from Scribblz n' Doodlz
A couple of years ago, whilst idly doodling, I hit upon the idea of using a letter as the starting point for drawing absolutely anything - almost!
The letter was 'A', as in 'A is for Art', coincidently the title of a little book that I've put together that details easy step by step instructions for drawing people, animals and machines.
I found that by using slight variations of an A, it was incredibly easy to draw something that looked like what it was supposed to.
One of my colleagues is currently using the idea to coax a very reluctant writer, but an able drawer, into producing simple, illustrated texts.By using this method you won't necessarily become the next da Vinci and the resultant images obviously lack photographic realism, but you will find yourself able to quickly sketch out a recognisable picture.
If nothing else, it will at least add to your doodle repertoire and take you beyond random squiggles and shapes. Happy drawing!I have one copy of 'A is for Art' to give away to a randomly picked person who leaves an alphabet related comment!
The give-away is now closed and the winner is Tash! Congrats on your brilliant comment and winning the book! :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
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