Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday is my day: LucieTales

Jaa
Hello everyone! Today we will go to France to visit Lucie. She creates wonderful jewelry and accessories, which you can see in her shop lucietales.etsy.com. Enjoy and happy weekend!


So, here I am, Lucie, at 9:00 a.m. after breakfast, at the kitchen table.

I'm checking out my emails, reading my favorites blogs and the last pages of the european street team thread. I'm near the stove, a tea mug at hand and my cat in my lap (it's very important for her psychological wellbeing to start the day being cuddled).

Then I prepare the orders that are to be sent today : today I'm packing a vintage soap box purchased from my vintage shop (LucieTalesVintage.etsy.com) by Stephanie aka Petitplat :)

Now it's time to finish my last hand knitted cowl, I want to wear it now!

Today I won't be alone for my daily walk to the post office and then on the shore... On my right you can see Lily, my faithful model, she won't come today with me, she has some little difficulty walking....and on my left, here is the man of my life, who is always willing to go walking.

We're going out through the garden, looking a little sad in winter... and there's not much to do there at this period of year, except feeding the birds.

Let's walk! We're going straight to the sea, or more precisely the estuary...this is just down the street!

This is the promenade on the sea front, and the big man fighting the eagle is the american memorial. Our town was a busy scene during the WWII.


We could walk on the promenade but I always prefer strolling down the beach, exploring and looking at what the last tide brought up.

Now the tide is low...sometimes we can observe some migrating birds having their breakfast there.

It's lunchtime now: an homemade veggie soup and a beef steak, vitamins, fiber and proteins!

After lunch, I go straight to my studio.....Well, there is a sofa in my atelier, how practical! With a full contented stomach, I'm a little dozing...

Here is my photo studio in a corner of our library : behind the windows I have sometimes some beautiful light to take pictures of my jewelry. Here I'm trying to photograph my last urchin brooch pined on a scarf to list it in my etsy shop.


Back in my studio - where I also work sometimes - not in the sofa but at my beading table this time!

After bending over my table and hammering at my bench, I need some stretching now... Am I being watched?

After dinner, I enjoy reading a little by the stove. She loves being read aloud that one!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Friday is my day: dualchocolate

Jaa
It's time for a trip outside of Europe! Today we go all the way to the USA to visit Eslin of dualchocolate.etsy.com. Her Etsy shop is full of knitted and crocheted goodies, from adorable bears to jewelry and more. Enjoy!




Hello 2011. Storm and all the Ice.
I am Eslin, artist, poet, woman. I share my life with my two shining stars: my husband and our two-year old boy.

By the beach. Jersey Shore last summer.
Together we share the adventure of life by the beach every single day: season in and season out.

Our daily routine stays pretty much the same through winter, summer, fall and spring, with sunny days, rainy days and lazy mornings and evenings.
In between morning rush and afternoon naps I stitch the day away.
I do not have 15 hours to crochet or knit back to back. I’ve master crocheting and knitting projects only after juggling daily personal activities, and while tackling down a fulltime mommy schedule. I do stay creative around the clock, no problem!
 
5 am: Early morning and early Etsy “Addictivity”: from the crack of dawn ‘till late nites.
I wake up before the world to curate and comment some treasuries, get the lastest EsEtsy and Etsy news , because the regular world can wait.

9 am: Breakfast Time: Ready Set Go Mommy Go:

I prepare a homemade gourmet vegan breakfast, for my family. This marks my second part of the morning. Sun is out and shining.

11:40 am: Is time to go out to get some sun and snow.

Around 12 pm a scheduled trip to the post office. The Post Office is not an everyday nor too often stop. I walk to drop orders to the local post office in any type of weather. Which is a nothing short of a prowess after a blizzard, plus a mild winter storm . We have streets covered with snow on top of ice, of course. And it is so cold there is no possible beach adventure, or any big outdoor adventure for that matter.
How we long for spring!

11:50 am: Walking to the local post office, I find an amazing freeform ice sculpture at the corner garbage can.

How would believe this way is to the beach. Five blocks and sand and clear crystal water awaits.

12:30 pm: Lunch Break. Is time to slurp some natural smoothies!

1 pm: Knit Mommy Knit. This is when I go out to knit purl knit at Yarn Carriage. A local yarn paradise.

Here is where I usually take a break from my regular Mommy life. This is my latest and newest local discovery.
I love sitting around a table talking while knitting and learning for everybody else’s experiences and projects. A new day brings a new stitch, a new pattern a new joke! Life is great!
 
My day begins early, snow adventures and sightseeing, it closing time by 9pm.

Tomorrow we’ll wake up to a totally different window of opportunities.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Friday is my day: zsazsazsu

Jaa
Today we visit Sandra in Belgium. She creates gorgeous and unique jewelry, which you can see at zsazsazsu1963.etsy.com. Enjoy and happy Friday!




Hi I am Sandra and I spend about 4 days a week at the travelagency where I work since 25 years. The rest of my free time is shared with my family, 3 cats and lots of beads!

Around 6 o’clock I am jumping out of my bed. Days are already very short, so I like to make the most of it. Can’t leave the house without a shower and a daily hairwash.

I get up earlier then I should, just to be able to have a healthy breakfast, blog, read mails and when time is left, surf.

On working days you can find me from 9am till 6pm at the travelagency. Here we have the principle of "clean desk"... On these days I am the lucky one that goes and have lunch at my mothers home, she really spoils me with good food, every day.


On my day off at work I like to do the groceries, wash, iron, clean in the morning and spend the afternoon on creating, crocheting, knitting etc...



Creating jewelry can’t be done on a clean desk , I need it rather messy, that gives me the most of inspiration. I always have a real fan that needs a lot of attention, and sometimes really sits on the work I am working on. Say hello to Minou, the cat we brought home from our travel to the Provence.

My creations are made with beads, threads and materials out of nature.

I live the the Northsea so every now and then I take a walk to find some materials such as stones and driftwood at the shores.

Today I am making labels for my packaging out of shrinking paper.

Around 6pm I start making dinner. Try to make it healthy with lots of vegetables.

At the end of the day I love to sit in the couch, my 3 cats nearby and a crochet work. It’s a pity I don’t see very well, that’s why I wear 2 pairs of glasses.

I am an early riser, but I go to bed early too... around 9pm my eyes are getting heavy already.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Friday is my day: Nancy van den Boom

Jaa
Hello everyone and a Happy New Year 2011! This is Maria (also known as Morrgan) posting. As Heli mentioned in the last post of 2010, I will look after this blog while she is taking a break. Thank you very much for this opportunity Heli, and best wishes to you and your growing family!

On this first Friday of the year we're travelling to The Netherlands to meet Nancy, painter of beautiful art that you can not only place on your wall, but wear as well! You can visit NancyvdBoom.etsy.com to see her work. But first, take a peek at Nancy's day!




Lazy waking up around 10.00 checking my email!

I enjoy this day "off" which means preparing for a creative day! Despite the beautiful weather I will stay in, just to paint all day.

My beloved studio and Eva is already waiting for me (but needs to clear the chair soon).

This 12 square meter is the best place in the house. All mine, Cor built it for me. The skylight providing me beautiful natural light. Only when it gets bit darker in the afternoon in winter, I need the daylightlamp. On the floor beautiful Italian tiles which Cor placed. This place is built with love and it helps me very much creating with a very good feeling.

But first I have to check Keesje in the living room. He seems to be alright! He never comes into my studio. He's waiting all day for me on the couch and hoping I will lay down with him. But I dont have time for this. Well, I choose not to lay down on this creative day. Perhaps later this day, when I am satisfied with painting and enjoy being with Keesje all evening, with him, sleeping on my lap!

My palette is alright too, allthough it might seem to be a mess. A lovely oil painting mess! Precious colours. Some colours I have to refresh, but most of them I can still use.

The view from my studio into the street. The silhouette of the witch is keeping me company!

The brooches and earrings are drying just fine here, in my room. The reds and blues, I love them so much.

Such lovely hours in my working jacket, painting for wearable art!

Time for a short break of 15 minutes at 14.00 hours: Hubby Cor has prepared some tea for us. Today I received my new stamp from www.designandink.etsy.com and I like to play with it! Did I really put green paint on that chair??

Look Cor, isn't this a beautiful stamp with my name and address! Cor agrees. Beautiful work from Design and Ink - Angi!

Closeup of the printed stamp! A combination of calligraphy and printed letters. I can use this for businesscards, envelopes or ...invoices!

I want to get back into the studio and mess with oil paint and have a great time!

Lady with Poppies is the result of a wonderful creative day!

Hope you did like to see my Friday is My Day!