walking

 The last two week took me walking 
photographing
and mark-making
for  STITCH  CLUB

Shelley Rhodes
gave a wonderful workshop that I liked very much !
But because my legs (knees) are not what they once used to be
my walk was just a small "around-the block" kind of walk
that's why I thought of a special way to depict that "block"
by making a square instead of the
suggested long strip.

After preparing and drawing my marks
with different materials
I could start adding stitch
which resulted in my final piece
that I then framed in a deep frame with glass on both sides.

some details of the stitching

I added some real alder seed cones
in the middle.
The fun thing is that in Dutch
the alder tree is called "els"
so what better way to make this really mine

:-) 

day 15

This is a very sunny Sunday !

We had to go out on a little bike-tour.

There were lots and lots of people

that had had the same thought :

wonderful weather for a visit to the windmills !

Earlier I was at the sewing machine

and later there was just enough time

to finish today's jewel.

The PINK RIBBON Textile Jewel for day 15

A spring green hollow wet felted brooch

with a small crochet flower inside,

outside stitched with cotton and some beads,

green and a touch of turquoise

(6 cm)

A really joyful coloured brooch

for you to wear, or give away

to someone dear.

For a donation of

€ 10

SOLD  !

this brooch can be yours.

Just send me an email at

fiberrainbow@gmail.com

and we'll arrange the rest

(bank, Pay-Pal  etc. it can be send all over the world)

All the money goes to the Pink Ribbon Fund !

"GO GREEN"

*

A lovely tour

(beautiful Holland !)

See you tomorrow with another Textile Jewel for

PINK  RIBBON 

a tiny bit of flu ...

No, it's not very bad

but no appetite at all

and lots of sleep

...

so only a little of January

that was left

We had ice !!!

Though not very thick

so NO big tours

(that's what a LOT of Dutch people LOVE)

And of course we had our bird guests :

*

Made just a few stitches for

"a year of stitches : 2017"

*

Some new zig-zag socks

And you might have problems transporting your

W.I.P socks when you use small sock needles :

this solves that problem !

(so I made a few more of these pouches)

(hmmmm making it an early night again)

friends and family in summer

We have a summer that is wetter

than we hoped for .....

but days with friends and family

are always good !

Two months ago a loooooong time friend from Germany

said she could make a bus trip to Holland

if we were home then ...

YES

We met in Austria when we were 12 (!)

and both with our parents on holiday, camping.

Our parents kept the friendship alive

for as long as they lived ...

and we are still going strong !

(the last time we saw each other was ten years ago)

Lots of rain earlier last week

but guess what : we had sunshine on Sunday

after we picked her and a friend up in their hotel

and took them home with us  ;-)

We had so much to talk about
but
of course we had to (re)visit the windmills.

It was a magnificent day !

(we promised not to wait thát long again

to see each other )

*

In this week was the last day of elementary school
for our biggest grandson,
so we took an extra day off
to go to the  "Efteling"
For the youngest is was the very first time.

We went in at five past ten  ;-)

And after some time together, our ways separated ...

Hmmmm ..... everything lóóks real .....

but : isn't !
(that was a problem for the little one sometimes)

Pinocchio ...

And THIS is not my kind of pleasure !!!!!
(brrrrrrr)

*

The week before last daughter and I
made the last window paintings
(perhaps two more next year, because of some changes in school)

*

Today we visited some good friends in Schoonhoven
the "silver" town of Holland
I took a plant from our garden ... and got one in return,
and took the felted jewel I made for her birthday

(ha, I just see the magenta Geranium I took with me
for them, is in this picture too !)

These friends are both professional artists
and I always come back inspired by them !
;-)

spring days

 

Yes, these are wonderful spring days

and we have to make the most of it

(while they last  ;-) ... )

 

So, after daughter and little grandson

picked me up this morning

 

we went to the local yarn shop to do some knitting

with a lot of others ...

(a lot of talking, knitting, crochet-along

coffee, tea and sweet stuff

and a quiet little boy getting lots of attention) 

 

.. and on my way home

 

 

I made a little detour

in our lovely surroundings.

 

Rapeseed colours the roadsides beautifully bright yellow

 

 

 

And these windmills (21 together on a rather small spot)

attract lots of tourists from all over the world

when the weather is good

(and even when the weather's not so good) 

 

Later in the garden I still had plenty of time

to enjoy the sun and ...

 

give my second box tree a much needed "haircut"

 

The Ginkgo is still barren but the Prunus  is a pink joy,

the Malus is almost at his best "red",

and in a week or two the trees on the other side of the water

will totally hide the appartment blocs behind them :

a green oasis