Where the hell is Matt?

You have probably seen this video around somewhere.
I just wanted to post it here for those who haven't as I think it is just amazingly cheerful to start the week!
I have no idea if Matt is still badly dancing or not but I totally love the idea of doing some crazy dancing in all of these places! :)

Selfishness

When I sell feelings, I wrap 'em up in a bubblewrap and place 'em in a giftbox. Then there's always some room left which I fill up with a Belgian chocolate.
Nothing beats sharing the best of Belgium right?
I do have a confession to make...
When I buy the chocolates, there is usually a variety of 'em in the box: dark, milk, white chocolate filled with all different fillings.
And there is always only one like this in the box, and it's always mine. :)

I'm not that fond of white chocolate but this particular chocolate is divine. It has bottom of praline and the filling is strawberry cream and it goes straight to my mouth when I open a new box! LOL
What are you selfish about? :)

Uppercase 8

Uppercase issue 8 is all about letterpress, miniature, matchoxes and so much other cool stuff. So glad it's weekend so I can dive into it.

What are your plans?
Make 'em happy! :)

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.
We welcome three new members to the group this time:
Bethany at Dirksen Dabbles, Jen at Painted Fish Studio and Samantha at Vintage is for lovers. It will be lovely to get to know you better through the Merry-go-round. This months question was what our 5 favorite tools that you in your art/craft?
Aah, that's difficult as I have a few more then just 5 I'm afraid... so I'm going to cheat just because I can! :)

I made these many years ago from branches and nails.

Each and every one is used for specific textures for my work.My favorite pencil that I use for 'glueing' parts of clay onto clay with water or clay slib.
It's starting to get worn out and I'm already fearing it's end...

A rib tool with teeth for getting texture to the clay slabs I press in double moulds. After the slabs are in the mould, I use the rib tool to roughen the edges so that I can apply clay slib. And the big needle punches airholes into the bottom of the feelings.
From the thrift shop: potato knives for cutting my clay slabs.

I don't understand why these clay ribs have not grown onto my hands yet. They certainly are an extension of my body and I can't work without 'em. Some of 'em are plain creditcards, the blue and red ones are a bit hard and the grey ones are really soft ones. And those are the ones I love most as I use 'em to smoothen the feelings. I have two now but everytime I have two, always one gets lost...
My rolling pins for making clay slabs. All reclaimed: one from a broom, one from a rack from Ikea and one used to be a table leg.
Other tools I made myself after I had some wine... :)
Love using cork, pin needles and nails onto them. They are great for making textures into clay and are superfun to use.
I don't think clay tools are really exciting but I wouldn't want to do the job without these. I'll have to rephrase that: 'I couldn't do my job without these'

There are lots of other tools I love using but none of them are really indispensable and worth mentioning in the, ahum, 7 tools-that-you-love-using post! :)

Want to know what are the favorite tools of the other Merriers? 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 :)

Laura at Blue Terracotta
Monika at Red2White
Ruth at Birdland Creations
Kim at Vilt a la Kim
Sara at Crafts of Texture
Samantha at Vintage is for lovers
Mariana at Florcita
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent
Jen at Painted Fish Studio
Bethany at Dirksen Dabbles

Decay

After

Before

The tulips only lasted for a week.
They look rather sad today just like the weather.

I thought I'd share the results of the pinching-experiment. The pinched tulips seem to stay straighter to me (on the left of the vase) but perhaps it's just the shape of the vase that's doing that.
Kim mentioned in the comments that they will not grow so long if you pinch 'em as by pinching you break a cell inside so the stem can't strech and grow, so the tulip will not grown much higher. She said that you can also use a sharp knife instead of a needle but to me that doesn't comply with delicate flowers and I'd feel like a flower butcher! LOL

Loddelina said not to put 'em in much water so I followed her advise too and chucked most of the water out and phew, had to watch carefully every day so that they wouldn't be without any.

And Shellsea provided another great trick which I tried out right away. She mentioned an easier method for both making the tulips strand up straight and open slower is to put a couple of pennies in the vase. I think I like this method best as it's hassle free and no stabbing is involved.

Thanks so much for all the tips & tricks to keep 'em longer.
I love tulips but for my studio I prefer lilies or roses as usually they still look good after a week.
*writes down 'flowers' on the shopping list*

Flickr Favorites

1. 1.15.11 dreaming of a sunny day, 2. splisch splosch,
3. the road to awe, 4. Australian Gannet nests

Just some random favorites. I love pictures with quotes - that 'dream big' quote is very inspirational. I wouldn't mind a mug like that - preferably filled with coffee! :)
I love both art works in this mosaic, so subtle and vulnerable.
The Gannet nests make a fab texture and it does look like an artwork to me.

Next Tuesday is the first Tuesday of the month so we play by theme if you like.
Fancypants provided the theme for next week and suggested to make a mosaic around 'a collection of dreams'. I love it & I can't wait to see what you'll come up with! :)

Do you have a fun theme for next month? Don't hesitate to let me know!

Pincushion ring

Sewing class can be really boring as things are moving soooo slow there.
We started a pair of pants in December and it's still not finished.
The class is filled with too many students that can't sew so it's taking us forever to move along smoothly. The students line up for asking questions at the teacher so when it's finally your turn, the class is half over already.
There probably is no easier way so I bear with it. While I can't work on the stuff we're supposed to make, I do other things to fill up time with small things like making happy girls or do a tiny sewing project. I made this the other day & I love it.Tutorial can be found here.

Hello ETSY in Antwerpen: “Branding & Media”

This year, Etsy starts hosting activities in the Netherlands and Belgium.
Every month, there will be an event - mostly on monday's so keep your schedule free.
The events are divided into 'hello Etsy' and 'Etsy labs' and will take place either in the Netherlands or Belgium.

“Hello ETSY” meetings are there to support and give information for the micro entrepreneur. Themes as marketing, photography, sustainability etc. will be covered in different meetings.

“ETSY Labs” on the other hand are creative and cosy make-meetings where we create in company of artitsts, craftsman/woman or other creative spirits in a certain theme, technique or material.

For both events, everybody is welcome to join.

The first meeting is a 'Hello Etsy' meeting in Antwerp.

Launching your label and getting media attention is an important part of creative entrepreneurship. At the same time, this is not an easy mission and mostly too little attention is given to it. Matt Stinchcomb (first employee of Etsy) will share his knowledge on branding and media with all creative micro entrepreneurs that want to hear it. Knowing Matt, this will be an evening filled with information and fun.

I'll be there, and you?

In short:

What: Workshop Branding en Media, free entrance and open bar
When: Monday februari 21st, 7pm
Where: Antwerp http://www.bardoffice.com/ (in designcenter 'de WINKELHAAK' on walking distance from the central station) (Bar d’office Antwerpen |Dambruggestraat 29/31 | 2060 Antwerpen)
Language: Engels
More info and registration: rsvp here or mail Marta mpakovska@etsy.com

Slipper(y) sewing

A while back, I found a fab tutorial of Heather Baileys on the world wide web and I thought I could perfectly adjust it to my size. So I enlarged the pattern and it looked like this.I decided that I wanted an anti-slip sole so I used anti-slip material for the sole and soft towel fabric (don't know the word in English) for the inside.
Then I put my foot on it to see it doesn't work like this. I'm not blond but I just don't have cute little babyfeet... A whopping 39 (US size 9) is what I have so it didn't really work out the way it was in my head! LOL
But how cosy do they really look? I love 'em and I really wish I could find a fun pattern to sew my own slippers. These small Itty bitty booties will be for a special baby...So if you know any good slipper patterns that use fleece or other soft fabric, please don't hesitate to share as I really want to sew my own slippers. And who knows, perhaps I even make you a pair too! :)

Tulips

Spring arrived in my studio.And my co-worker told me that when you pinch a needle right below the flowerhead, the tulips won't open up so fast.
Worth a try but I don't know if it works, anybody heard about this before?
I did half of them with the needle and half of them are left unpinched so I'll probably know in a few days...

Guestpost: Guest Bedroom Design Inspiration

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 Greg from StylishHome

Interior design inspiration can come from almost anywhere—a photo, a story, a movie or a design catalog. Today we’re going to use Vincent van Gogh’s “Bedroom in Arles (Amsterdam)” for inspiration and our decorating starting point. We chose it because we really like the colors, simple lines, and the era portrayed by it. We thought it would be great if we could replicate some of the feeling in the painting in our guest bedroom.

Since Vincent van Gogh (born 1853, died 1890) painted during a time when most things were still handmade, we thought it would be interesting to furnish our bedroom with as many handmade items as possible.

Before we started looking for just anything handmade, we used the color palette maker at StylishHome to create a nice design palette based on the painting’s colors. We’ll use it for reference as we look for furnishings. You can see Vincent van Gogh was a master with the RYB color wheel!

To start furnishing our guest bedroom, we found a beautiful handmade nightstand ($400) made from reclaimed barn wood. It feels as though it could have been used by van Gogh himself. It was made by an artisan on Etsy.

Even a simple guest bedroom needs a mirror and we found these two ($85) from an Etsy seller. We also found several other nice handmade wall mirrors here from Etsy artisans.

The deep red hues and weathering on the mirror frames are fantastic.

Of course we want our guests to sleep comfortably and we found a really unique set of handmade headboards ($725) made from upcycled shutters. This will get your guests’ attention.

No guest room is complete without a coat rack ($24). Made from reclaimed barn wood from the 1880s it adds real character.

We think guests would appreciate a nice area rug to keep their feet warm and make the room quieter. We liked this beautiful hand-woven rug made from upcycled cloth. We found a number of other blue handmade indoor rugs from Etsy artisans in various sizes which would also look great.

What about the pictures on the wall? Well, we’re thinking of framing a print of the Van Gogh that provided our inspiration. It’s a portrait of Van Gogh’s own bedroom where he hung his own work on the walls. It would make a terrific conversation starter, “You’ll be staying in our Van Gogh room.”

Flickr Favorites

1. Untitled, 2. Cores, linhas, 3. asian paper, 4. Yellow house wall

Sometimes I wish I lived more in the south of Europe where lots of houses have colored facades. I wonder why it is that in warmer regions, houses look happier. Where I live, most houses look grey, red or black and boring. When I see a brightly colored facade, somehow my heart jumps a little. I couldn't resist adding some happy colored paper and tablecloth. For me, bright is happy.

If you like to play this week, make your mosaic and add a link to your to your blogpost (NOT your blog please) or Flickr. Click on the button below and fill in your name with the link to your blogpost or Flickr picture. I'll try to pop over to have a look at yours.

There's a flower in my pedal

By Andrea Dorfmann

M.I.A.

Just before the weekend ends, I'm quickly popping into this space to let you know why I've been a bit M.I.A. (missing in action) here... I finished all my orders and I decided it was time to wind down a bit and it's doing me good. Spending time at home, taking walks, going out with friends, and I'm still working too but there is no pressure and it allows me to chuck in some stuff I've been wanting to do for a long time. Like sewing for example... I quickly want to show you the skirt and dress I made. I bought the fabrics in sale and they are both knitwear/jersey. My favorite fabric as I don't need to do zippers! :) The skirt is my own pattern - an A-line skirt from one of my favorite skirts.The dress is a pattern from Knipmode (November 2010) and attaching the shoulders wasn't really explained well so I had to inform with my co-workers who are sewing wizards and they helped me solve the mystery. I was so happy when I finished it today. Yay!
Hope you had a fun weekend and I wish you a wonderful start of the new week!

Me time

Yesterday I cleaned up my table with all my clay mess and decided it was time for some sewing. An evening me-time and instead of using the already bought fabric, I bought some more...
I made a jersey skirt and cut out a dress. It was too late at night to finish it and I don't really understand the dress pattern so I'm going need some help with that.
This morning I quickly sewed a needle book from some left over fabrics. Just to use in my sewing class as I never seem to find needles when I need 'em.

I found some really cool needle cases on Etsy too. I especially love the wooden needle case by The small object & the pretty hedgehodge cases by Namolio.

1. Saw See Sew Wooden Needle Case Holder
2. Small linen needle book - Hedgehogs

3. Mouse pine needle case
4. Mini needle case

Flickr Favorites

1. 1 wagtail 3 spots, 2. Memo, 3. embrace,

4. Wong Tai Sin Temple * 02

I feel a bit pink today. Must be the sun that is starting to come out and making me happy. Went for a nice walk yesterday and it made me feel refreshed. I love seeing nature coming to life again. I'm afraid the cold days are not over yet but I try to grasp every little ray of sunshine out there! :)

If you like to play this week, make your mosaic and add a link to your to your blogpost (NOT your blog please) or Flickr. Click on the button below and fill in your name with the link to your blogpost or Flickr picture. I'll try to pop over to have a look at yours.

Feeling native

I collected these feathers last fall.
I put 'em away & knew they would serve a purpose sometime.
In the beginning of January, I got a request to make a native feeling.
When I saw the drawing, I knew the feathers would add the perfect touch.
But of course I couldn't find 'em so I had to show the example with an eucalyptus leaf.Last thursday we went for a walk in search of feathers but of course, it's not the season to find feathers. So this weekend I searched high and low and yay, I found 'em.
It looks so much better then a eucalyptus leaf.
He's called Injun Joe.
And so is his brother...
So two Injun Joe's.
They look alike but they are a bit different due to the handmade nature.
I hope they will be loved as I loved making 'em! :)

Perhaps...

Well Dang Me! It's Upside Down Grommit by Mystic Ed and Fluffy's

... try to look at things from a different angle this weekend...
Make it happy everyone!

Guestpost: 2 Types of Simple Poetry that Inspire Creativity

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 Maria Rainier of onlinedegrees.org

If you’re a writer, you should write very day to keep your creativity flowing – but sometimes, the very idea of daily writing can kill any creativity that might have been trying to work its way to the surface. When that happens, it’s important to have a few tricks in your back pocket to help you get back into your creative writing mentality.

And even if you’re not a writer, writing one of these poems is fun and can help you get creative with any other medium, such as music or visual art. You can unlock some fascinating sounds and images with words, so creative writing is a great tool for any artist. These poem types both have strong scaffolding in the forms of syllabic and word count structures, so all you have to do is supply the words. If you’re suffering from “creator’s block,” try putting on your writer’s hat and tackle one or both of these poems.

Fountain pen story by beatricdihn

The Etheree

This poem consists of ten lines – not scary at all, even if you were that kindergartener who couldn’t write your name correctly. The first line contains one syllable, the second contains two, and so on until you’ve reached the tenth line with ten syllables (see examples here). You can even tack on a reverse etheree, starting the first line at ten syllables and ending with one. This gives a fun shape to your poem and provides some good structure for your creativity – as all artists know, creativity can get out of control, but you don’t have to worry about that with this type of poem. If you’re struggling to get started, try focusing on your first word as something you want to describe, such as “art” or “muse” and go from there. Just remember to count the syllables in every line to make sure you’re writing your etheree correctly, and you’ll have a poem to be proud of – maybe even worthy of the refrigerator.

The Diamante

For this type of poetry, you’ll get a few more guidelines than you did with the etheree. The diamante has seven specific steps for you to take, corresponding with its seven lines:

Line 1: Noun or subject

Line 2: Two adjectives describing the first noun/subject

Line 3: Three “-ing” words describing the first noun/subject

Line 4: Four words: two about the first noun/subject, two about the antonym/synonym

Line 5: Three “-ing” words about the antonym/synonym

Line 6: Two adjectives describing the antonym/synonym

Line 7: Antonym/synonym for the subject

You have a choice here as an artist – do you want to end with a synonym for your subject or an antonym? If you choose to use an antonym, you’ll get a fun “transformation” effect from the first line to the seventh, but a synonym will give you a more subtle and relaxed poem. Whatever you choose, you’ll have to get creative and get back to being your usual artsy self.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Today...

Getting the porcelain ready to fire.
Work on my long list of feelings to make...
Iron.
And go to sewing class.
All fun except ironing! :)
What are your plans today?