So slow

Hello again, out there. Everything around me feels just like a blank canvas which needs to be filled, same way as with this blog which I have been slightly neglecting during the past few days. Posting was postponed because we are (still) figuring out and building a new workspace for me - besides throwing some new paint onto the walls. All my stuff has been crammed into a tiny corner, so that I won't be crafting anything anytime soon. I'd like to show you our 3D Tetris (for those who still know this game - it was one of my favorites ...) - literally piles of boxes and boxes - but, ahem, my card reader is somewhere in there ... So, no photos for now, maybe later.

I also will show you some fabric printings I have been doing before the *big chaos* started which were inspired by the fabulous Elizabeth Hartman from Oh, Fransson! I so much want to bring more color into our home, and her new quilt along would be just perfect to do so, only, I am lacking all those bright colors. So I came up with my own solution, but more of it (hopefully) next week ;)

For now, I will be taking a break - at least from crafting - diving back into the fumes of freshly painted wood and walls.

Have a nice weekend everyone, Denise.

Sorting and shibori

I am currently sorting all the stuff in my *studio* to fight the overwhelming mess and chaos - it is quite chaotic even for me. And anyway, isn't it a good thing to start the new year sorted and tidy? Unfortunately, I started with those embroidery threads - something I don't even use that often at all ... All of them were tiny bits and pieces left from mums old or never finished projects, knotted into one (yes, really one) big mess. But since the mess was a gift, I can't complain, right? I did cut all the paper spools to size to fit them into a small drawer of a well known little IKEA chest. And I sorted them by color to finally know all the threads I now own. If anyone had told me it was that much - I guess I never would have believed it. Luckily, I am close to finish with the threads ... So, just the rest of the *studio* left ...

In-between all the sorting, I simply had to do something *more creative*, so I crabbed a simple piece of white cotton fabric, one of the threads I was sorting and dyed the piece with things I found in my kitchen. I dyed the fabric in very hot water, to which I added some concentrated vinegar and ground curcuma - et voilá - bright yellow. Although the fabric is not ironed yet, I think the result is okay for the very first try to dye things like this. I don't know yet, what I am going to do with it, but since I am a *fan* of japanese art and culture, it is always interesting to actually learn new things related with this culture.

The contrast of the original white and the bright yellow is not very hard, but I don't mind, because after all, the yellow really brought a dash of color into my day as a contrast to the snowy white outside :)

Looking back

Again, another year has passed by far too fast with all the small and big changes, it brought for all of us. One big thing for me was that I discovered - and still am discovering - the joy of bookbinding. Having put bookbinding away for nearly one and a half month now, I am trying to motivate myself to resume it by reminding myself with all the books I made in that past year. And yes, it's really for self-motivation ;) since I tend to be easily carried away with different and new things I am learning and discovering (prooved by the accusing looks the unfinished bookcovers are always giving me when I see them on my shelf o_O). However, I think bookbinding is the ideal project to combine so many different aspects of paper work, drawing, painting, sewing... within one object of not only decorative but also funtional purpose one can actually use every day.

Beginning with a quickly done book with nearly no knowledge of what I was doing back at the end of July and ending with - hopefully - better ones in November ...

If you are interested in the appropriate links, just klick below.

Back... or: How I have been kissed by a car and turned 18...

Hello out there. I admit I have been a little bit absent lately, but I still exist ;)

The past two weeks gap of posting was not really planned it just happened as days passed by...

The first week was spent at my parents home - I was visiting them for the whole week because it was my mom`s birthday and I had not been there for nearly half a year which made me realize how incredibly fast and unnoticed time flies by. This week was full of non-adventures and an out-of-service access to the internet, therefore getting kissed by a car was literally the *highlight*. Don`t worry, nothing serious happened, but when the grandpa who maneuvered his car precisely into the front of our car just came up with a tiny "Oh, I am sorry, but I can see no damage, do I really need to give you my address?" my "Yes, you need to do so!" included a little bit more than just a polite request for his address - although I wouldn`t have seen any damage myself, too, if I had tried to - dark as it was and with his bad eyes and such strong glasses - however, he also had not seen us in the first place when he was driving and went into reverse for whatever reason (with us lights on and standing still 2 meters away from him...). But enough of complaining...

Well, nevertheless, I was not totally lazy that week and did more than just watching TV and enjoying family ;). Since I had wisely taken some fabric and my paints with me, I managed to paint some more bookcovers.

Well, unfortunately, the last week back home was way less productive than I had hoped it to be. To tell the truth, I did nearly nothing due to a stupid but persistent cold/infection/whatever. Although my stomach still feels like it is enjoying endless private rides on a rollercoaster, I am much better... :)
Being slightly ill also seems to make me look way younger than I actually am (and unfortunately: feel). When I did some daily shopping I added a bottle of wine to the list - and guess what: I was asked if I am already allowed to do so!?!? Buying such things is restricted to matured persons of the age of 18 and above in Germany, so I would not have mind it anyway if I were 21 or even 25. But since I already turned 18 quite some days ago (ahem, more than a decade.... ), I really thought she was kidding me. No joking, the lady was serious!

Well, the moral is that it is at least way better to remain in a youthful stage than to hurry to look your age, isn`t it?