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??

Wool and the gang

I am researching for a consultancy project on wool, and through a friend I found this website/shop. Wool and the gang offers a series of DIY knitting projects, including all the materials you need. It looks very fresh and fashionable, and what I really like is that they produce their own "crazy sexy wool" in Peru in a few dashing colours.

New products online soon!

Finally I have some time to update the website with some supercool new products that I will be selling in Belgium.

First (bottom pictures) tableware from WISE-departmentstore by Geke Lensink and Bas van Wayenburg from Amsterdam. With their designs they want to emphasize on craftmanship, short lines and honest production. The range contains espresso, coffee, tea cups and mugs, napkins, a bowl and olive wood salad servers.

Second the textile designs of Marlies Spaan of MeS Textiles, recycled blankets and designer fabrics combined in a colourful patchwork collection. I really love the way she uses colour and the combinations she makes.

Soon I will travel all over Belgium with these products, Brussels had a first glimpse and the store owners loved them! I'm working on the website now, and hope to finish this part today!

Tiny people

A while ago we cleaned the house of my boyfriend's grandmother, because she moved to a home for the elderly (she passed away a few weeks later). We brought a few items with us to our home, to prevent them from being thrown away. One of the things I could not leave behind were a small family of tiny people serving as cocktailparty-food-stick thingies. (Top photo)

I love that someone put so much effort in making and painting these, and they remember me of the little "good fortune" puppets you can buy at what we call "wereldwinkel" (a shop were you can buy gifts from around the world, produced with care and for a fair price, called Fair Trade).

This morning, while I was *enjoying* a cup of instant coffee (I really have to go to Brussels to buy the GOOD stuff again) and scrolling through one of my favourite blogs, I came upon the Etsy-shop The Small Object and found these! (bottom photo)

I want to have, have, have them!

SPRING!!!

Here, in central Belgium, the spring starts to take over from winter. More and more sunny hours during the day, and shorter nights. I am busy with a lot of projects, including design for a website, consulting on e-commerce ideas and reselling Dutch Design.

Finally life starts to be a bit more normal and although I work from home, I have a certain flow in the workdays now.

Generally I feel a lot better than the first few months we've been here, and this is also reflected in my urge for more and more colour. I copied the picture from the website of VTwonen, a dutch interior and decorating magazine. The combination is so spot on Spring for me..

scarf mania

With spring peeking around the corner, I really want to buy colourful things. Because I don't want to spend the all of the little money I earned while in Belgium, scarfs are the solution! I just bought the green one at H&M, and when the Bijenkorf magazine fell on the doormat this morning, it fell open on the scarf page! I think I will pay them a visit asap, that means I "have" to go to Amsterdam soon, yohoo!