Going Green

With spring at our doorstep, the gardening season ready to start and a need for something fresh, today is all about green. I especially like combining shades of green to add a bit more depth to it, sometimes green can look a bit cheap or dull if you use only one hue (and step away from the limegreen as an accent color, please!).

Clockwise from top left: Lamp Tall Tank by Established&Sons, Sony Cybershot, Notebook from GetFeltUp's Etsyshop, Cushion with buttons by Tas-ka, Butterfly necklace by bndesign on Etsy, Dutch bike, Sofa Kramfors by Ikea, Color inspiration by VT Wonen, Fabric Atticus Basil by ModGreenPod via Volksfaden.

Klas Ernflo

I just stumbled upon the fresh and supercool artwork of Klas Ernflow. Seems like he has a lot of talent and feeling for different materials and for both illustration and photography. The bottom drawing is part of a series he did for Apartamento magazine in 2008, the other two I saw on his Flickr stream. If you have some time to kill, go to his website!

Inspiration guaranteed.

Updating the shop

I'm busy this morning with sorting my buttons for the Etsy shop, like I was yesterday... There is so much.. and it looks so much better in the new box!

I really like the Etsy concept and how it is all set up. Playing around with Google Analytics is getting addictive, especially clicking on the map overlay to check where the visitors are from.

Circles and dots

Looking at my vintage buttons while sorting them to put them on Etsy, I was suddenly reminded of those color blindness test I took once while being examined by the school doctor.

The pattern is so beautiful, and the colors are so well chosen.. could be nice as a cool fabric pattern. I wonder if there are vintage posters or books for sale on Ebay with these prints...

Button up!

Since two or three months I have an Etsy account, because occasionally I buy things there. Yesterday I decided to open my own shop , because all the clutter was getting to me, and I wanted to sell some of the pieces I collected over the past 10 years.

This morning I checked the "shop" to see how it looked, and added two more items. When I tried to sort my listings there were two items missing, so I searched for them in my files and the yet to be discovered corners of Etsy. But what do you know: they had already been sold! I am so happy, a sale! (well technically TWO sales!)

So now the time has come to say goodbye to some of my (vintage) bits and bobs, but I rather see them with someone who uses them, than let them collect dust in the attic.

Painting by numbers

Browsing Volksfaden today, I found some funny fabrics by Erin Michael (pic 4,5&6) that are inspired by Painting by numbers. I loved it when I was a kid: real oil paint, creating a "masterpiece"... a simple but fabulous idea.

Browsing along, I found some painting by numbers look-a-likes (pics 1&7) at Knowoffhand. It has something to do with the technique and colours the artist uses in the process. Those colours...whoa!

The pineapples are by Jenny Wilkinson who creates all sorts off wallpapers inspired on Painting by numbers.

Crochet virgin

Playing around with the colour picker on Etsy, I found these great objects by Resurrection Fern. I recognized them immedeately, as they are frequently posted on my favorite blogs. (top 2 pics)

All things hand made are defenitaly a trend this year, and crochet was unexplored territory for me untill now. I love the Japanese crochet patterns called Amigurumi and the crocheted stones are also super inspirational, even though they are on the other end of the spectrum, style wise. (bottom pics)

Not sure wheather I will have time (or skills!) to do this, but this certainly triggers me to do more crafting.

Petite arrangement des fleurs

Inspired by a picture in the Belgian deco magazine "feelingWONEN" (top) and some on design*sponge (middle), I left home yesterday feeling very flowery en colorful. I took my small collection of white vintage vases of the mantelpiece and headed to the villages florist. He was not into my idea of "some random flowers grouped in three white vases" and tried to sell me a BIG AND VERY OLDFASHIONED AND SUPER EXPENSIVE bouquet. Sure, he's the florist, but it's my kitchen table.

So I stood strong and purchased only twenty orange and pink flowers. It's not a very professional flower arrangement, but I love it and it makes me very happy, see the result in the bottom picture.

Feast for the eyes

Well, how I actually found these books I don't remember, I think it was via a blog on knitting. From the first one I kept on finding links to other bizarre titles. It are books that show real ugly pictures or very strange recipies, knitting patterns etc.

I almost wet my pants reading the comments to the food pictures in the Regrettable Foods book, and I can't imagine people actually do this for a living..where can I apply??