Spoolicious!

The simple result of decorating a little wooden spool!

hoo hoo!

A little birthday present...

A friend needed a gift for a little boys birthday.

She asked me to make a name plaque for his bedroom door.

This is the result.

Happy Birthday Arun!

To keep my phone warm...

This is my first crochet attempt! A cosie for my mobile phone.

In two weeks me and a friend are participating a crochet workshop for beginners.

But having a look at www.carooltjes.blogspot.com I got so excited that I just had to start.

Well, if I can make this without any lessons, imagine what the possibilities are when I learn a bit more. I'm even more excited now.

To be continued.....!!!!

Go at a trot!

Oh, how exciting! My handmade creations have been selling in the shop!

Especially my crazy, funny softies go at a trot.

Here's a few of the lucky ones that found themselves a new home:

And to all of my Melbourne based followers:

We have a sale on in the shop! 25% discount on all products.

Sale ends Friday, so be quick!

118 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

I'm lost!

Starting a new life in a different country actually makes you aware of little things that you would normally take for granted. Going shopping for an example. I love shopping and discovering new, unfamiliar shops. But sometimes you just have something in your mind and you want to get it.
This is where things changed a bit for me. Because I just don't exactly now where to go yet. There is no H&M, no ZARA, no HEMA, no Bijenkorf....oh no!!! I'm lost!!! Where to go for a new skirt?

I found the solution: I made one myself! And it is actually the first time that I sewed a skirt. I didn't have a pattern. Just drew around one of my other skirts and went from there. Worked out pretty well, didn't it?

And to finish it of I made a little necklace as well. Looks pretty with the skirt I think.

Fairy

This is a little project I'm working on for my nieces bedroom.

Lets just say it involves fairies! This is one of them.

Yummy Appeltaart!

Today I baked a Dutch Appeltaart. Hmmm...not really exciting but it is actually the first pie I have ever baked... shame on me! One part is filled with apples and sultanas and the other half with apples and nuts.

I tasted it an hour ago. It was actually rather delicious and I don't feel the urge to run to the toilet or anything!?! So I think I succesfully baked my first 'taart' today!

Maybe I should try another piece....just to be sure :)

Tweet Sweet!

I bought these wooden birdies some time ago. I finally got inspired to decorate it, using scrapbook paper and acrilyc paint. Easy! Just wondering if I should make a little coathanger of it?!

More Lavender bags....

Beach Bike Basket!

This is my funky, blue beach bike. It's even more funky because I think it was an absolute bargain! I bought it for $180 AUD. In the Netherlands I paid even more (in Euro's) for a second hand bike at Central Station in The Hague! (And that bike was stolen 6 weeks later! Yep, unfortunately that's still is how it goes in The Netherlands!)

Anyway, I think this bike screamed for a nice basket at the front. But I wanted a basket made out of reeds, just like my mun used to have when I was young.

Easy to find in the Netherlands those baskets. But here in Australia the baskets you can find are like the German baskets... made from metal! It took me half a year to finally find one that was made out of reeds (and didn't cost me more then my bike!)

I bought it last week in a little hardware shop in Sorrento.
I'm so happy with it!

Today was the most gorgeous day since a long time (26 degrees!!! I couldn't stop jumping, smiling, celebrating!!)

Me and Sander drove our bikes to the South Melbourne Markets. We browsed around the market for a bit, had a drink in the sun and then I took my 'goodies' (Tulips...my favorites!) home in the basket.

Mommy and me

This fabric application is based on a funny image from a rub-on sticker sheet I bought.

On the sheet it comes with the words 'Mommy and me'.

A wise old owl sat on an oak;

The more he saw the less he spoke;

The less he spoke the more he heard;

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?”

Nostalgia...

This is a painting I made years ago. Unnecessary to say it was in the time that Anne Geddes was a big hype! It is painted with Oil Paint. I had a big box with half empty second hand tubes that my dad ones used (I still think you should pick up that old hobby of yours, dad!). I was so happy with it and carried it around every where I'd go! This is the first 'serious' painting that I actually finished with that paint.

Button it up!

Buttons, buttons, buttons! Last week we received a button maker at work. 'Not the most exciting delivery ever' I thought at first. But (ton)...... I have to revise that opinion!.

I have been creating buttons like crazy since then. I'm not really keen on buttons normally, but this button makers does not just make buttons. It makes little pocket mirrors and fridge magnets as well! You can use different materials as fabric and all kinds of paper, photos, etc.

Above you see a little collage of all the buttons, mirrors and magnets I made so far.

And for my sister I made a special one. She is (like so many) contaminated with the Pip virus. For those of you that don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Pip is a Dutch designer and her products are very popular in the Netherlands at the moment (I love her wall paper!!!). http://www.pipstudio.com/nl
My sis send me a Pip postcard the other day delivered in a beautiful Pip envelope.

From the envelope I made this lovely little pocket mirror. And for the mirror I sewed a Mon petit, Mon Cherry sachet! Et voila!

Winter depressions and happy cushions!

The last couple of weeks I have not been very inspired at all. Could this be my personal little Winter depression? Not that Melbourne Winters get as could as Dutch Winters...but weather here isn't very pleasant in Winter either. And after a year of Summer, my little Winter depression feels even worse then it normally does!

Of course, these are the moments that you miss your family back home the most.
We often get the question why we chose to immigrate and live far away from family and friends. And the silliest question would be; "Don't you miss your family?!".

We decided to immigrate because we like adventure, we want to experience other cultures, meet new people and enjoy a country that we both love dearly. And so far we are enjoying it very much!

That doesn't change the fact that I miss my family very much! They are very precious to me and it's not easy to continue the same contact as before. Although skype and webcams make it possible to chat with our family more often then we did when we were still living in Holland...hehe. But it's not entirely the same!

Normally when I'm feeling a bit sad I go to my best friend for a 'bitch' session (as we call it). Let's just say these sessions involve heaps of tea and chocolate. Now with both of us having busy lives it's hard to find a moment to skype together! I miss it very much.

Never the less, Since last week I'm feeling much better again! Spring is in the air and I have hundred of crafty ideas in my head again... I have been crafting most of today and I'm very pleased with the result. Just a cute, happy cushion!

Paper clips

These are giant cloth pins. They have a little hole so you can hang them on the wall and use them as a paper clip.

I thought they'd make an excellent clip for little kids artwork!