Back on track

While my collaboration partner Anna from LilaRubyKing is still recovering from the second (!) operation on her hand, we took the opportunity to lock ourselves up in a chatroom on Etsy and make new & exciting plans.
It will involve quite a bit of testing but it is so, so, so exciting to finally be able to work on new things & I hope that once it's ready for revelation you will love it as much as we do already - and we haven only just started!
A bit more then a year and a half ago we started our collaboration and it's really unbelievable that we have not met each other yet.
Jip, we do all the communication via e-mail and it's working out really well and I'm sure we will meet each other one day! Then we'll have some ice cream together, no doubt about that! :)Did you see Anna's new collection 'Form' with beach pottery & her Myka necklaces line? Check it out, it's different, unique and stunning!

In the mean time, stay tuned for more updates on our collaboration work.

Flickr Favorites

1. ., 2. 108 Daisies in April Explored,
3. Rainy Friday, 4. Untitled

For this weeks mosaic, I browsed through my favorites and got attracted to bright and happy pictures. I love how children can be so full of play and totally be absorbed in their own world. I try doing that too when I'm claying but I'm easily distracted by thoughts in my head. I start one thing and half an hour later I think of something else and try that too etc. etc. It's a vicious circle and it is frustrating as I get less done this way. It's the restlessness in me that causes this... too many projects too little time! :)

Next Tuesday is the first Tuesday of the month so we play by theme if you like.
Jennifer Rose suggested the theme 'shiny' which I find a real challenge & I hope you do too! Thank you, Jennifer for the fun theme!
Do you have a fun theme for next month? Don't hesitate to let me know! :)

The Easter bunny exists...

It has been a long time ago that the Easter bunny came to visit me & the older I grew the less I believed it all of course. Especially when I once saw my dad hide the eggs again that I put in my basket so that I kept searching for ages. I think I was 8 or so. He cheekily told me he was teasing me & I probably believed it the first time but the second time I knew better of course.
I still smile when I think of that & when I was older, I used to do the same with my nieces and nephews. :)

Today, while I was busy trying out a new recipe, my partner came inside with a package for me. He said the Easter Bunny brought this and drove off by car right away. When I opened the bag, I read the card that accompagnied the package first and it said: 'no chocolate eggs for you this year, but something you can probably use really well' It wasn't signed with a name but when I saw what was in there, I knew immediately who the Easter Bunny was that dropped by my house...It was the same person who left some really cool texture books at my home last week after we spend a really fun day in the studio together. That already made me mighty happy 'cause as you might know I can get really excited about textures & paper.
But the package contained an even bigger surprise: vintage letterpress stamps.
You have NO idea how surprised and happy I was! Such beautiful font and a perfect size too! Love love love 'em!
Jippety jappety happy with this new toy and I can't wait to make & create with these.Thank you so much, Ann for making me believe in the Easter bunny again! ;)
Ann has her own artsy studio called 'De Zilverij' where she gives lots of workshops in Silver Art Clay. Check out her work, it's beautiful just as she is! :)

Happy easter!

Image by Lego-LM

HAPPY EASTER everyone!
Wish you lots and lots of chocolate eggs! :)

Handpicked

As a kid, I used to pick flowers for my mom in the fields. Exactly as the taller ones in the little vase. I'd go out of my way to get to them, creep under the barb wire of the pastures filled with cows and gallivant the way back home to proudly hand over a tiny withered bouquet of flowers. When I saw these flowers the past weekend on a walk, I just couldn't resist! And they smell so lovely.
It's the small things that make me happy...

Flickr Favorites

1. Cuba Gallery: Cat / pets / animals / eyes / kitten / cute / photography, 2. It is not down in any map; true places never are, 3. peeling, 4. Bouquet d'octobre

I realize that I often fall back on the same color scheme for my mosaics. Don't really know why that is and I hope you don't get bored of my minty mosaics! LOL
Actually, I planned to do a mosaic around cats but I got distracted when I saw the mint in the color sheme of the cat's picture.
Today I have someone come over who is afraid of cats. We have one cat and she is very shy and anxious when there are people at home. When she hears the doorbell, she can't be fast enough to run upstairs and not come out for the rest of the day. She is supersweet but oh so demure and only comes out when she hears familiar voices and feels comfortable vibes.
For example, she will never come out when my family is here as they dislike cats and I think she feels that. She usually stays upstairs all day anyway - the only difference now is that the door is closed but she won't even notice as she sleeps all day! So it won't be a problem at all for her to be locked away for the day and she'll get extra cuddles at night.

Guestpost: celebrating and Making Sakura

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

image by photographybykarina

Where I live we are having a late spring, but the cherry trees have just come out in full bloom. We have them throughout the city and they got me to thinking about their deep and rich history, particularly in Japan.
In English, “sakura” refers to the Japanese flowering cherry and “hanami” is the centuries-old practice of picnicking under a blooming sakura tree. Today, millions visit parks and gardens to see the sakura and celebrate. The sakura is a cultural institution in Japan and can be found in art, décor, clothing, and gardens. Most Japanese schools and public buildings have sakura trees planted outside. The cherry blossoms have come to represent the ephemeral nature of life. Their beauty and short life are often associated with our own mortality. The beautiful trees really make you stop and appreciate life, especially in light of the recent natural disasters in Japan. In that spirit, 100% of proceeds from the above sakura photo will be donated to Japan via the Swedish Red Cross. Who wouldn’t want to picnic under one of these beauties?!

Top left: Called “Down the Rabbit Hole,” this looks positively enchanting.
Top right: Morning light on a row of cherry trees.
Bottom left: Cherry trees in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
Bottom right: Classic pink cherry blossoms with a great film look.

A picnic wouldn’t be complete without a nice cup of tea. Why not take several teacups with you and enjoy the afternoon with friends.

Top left: Ceramic clay teacup to keep your tea warm on a cool spring day.
Top right: The sakuras are hand-painted by Japanese artisans.
Bottom left: Very delicate hand-painted cherry blossoms.
Bottom right: Small bird and sakura with gold accents.

Feeling relaxed and rejuvenated yet? What a perfect time to put your skills and energy into your own beautiful sakura creation. You can create elegant décor items with sakura fabric. The blossom patterns are beautiful all year round. What will you create?

Top left: This Yuzen Chirimen silk fabric is gorgeous. Made by a kimono-dyeing artisan in Kyoto.
Top right: The rubber stamp material is imported from Japan.
Bottom left: Bright and classic sakura patterns.
Bottom right: A tonal yarn reminiscent of cherry blossoms.

Five ways you can help earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan.