last post of the year

We are going to Italy for the holidays.

Thank you, Papier Mache, for the mention in your 10th digital issue 

Deborah Beau has opened her shop, it's full of treasures like her blog.

Good times to you all.

The shop will stay open, orders will be dispatched after the 3rd of January.
I will updated it at some time in January. 
Thank you.

at home

I tried hard but I have no words for this post.

It's been a strange week.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays...

(The doll on the third photo is from Mieke Willems, I bought it for myself at the Atelier Solar Shop 
;^)

Brussels + Antwerp

Hello I'm back with a big smile on my face!

The talk went very well it was fun, the exhibition, something you must see if you are in the area (ends the 31st of January 2012) is fantastic: so well curated and full of amazing antique pieces, clothes and embroideries.

I also managed to go to Antwerp and finally met Renilde. to do some shopping at the Atelier SolarShop which I really liked it, not only for the beautiful products they sell but for the fact that the people there are so super nice too. Shame I couldn't stay longer. But still I did most of the things I wanted to do, thanks to Leonor who took me to one of the nicest area in Brussels crammed with beautiful independent shops and here to make the evening even more special for us.

THANK YOU,
Leonor, the director and the kind staff at the Museum, 
the people who came to listen to us and my friends Gordon and Sonia.

Sorry, the photos are quite snapshots but there was too much to do and very little time to think!
Brussel
The Lillicup Cafe

with Leonor 
*photo by Leonor

The making of the Xmas window at Boucle D'Or

Little Circus

Antwerpen

the Railway station.

Atelier Solarshop

to start the week

Monday starts with a rose flavour 
I have the suspicion that is not quite natural
;^)

To knit or to crochet? 

"Like a butterfly in your home" 
came this morning and brought other sweet flavours to this morning.

I'm getting ready to go to Brussels (and possibly to visit Antwerp).

Leonor and I will participate to a talk in occasion of the exhibition
"Handmade" at le  Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle, this Thursday (8/12) from 5.30pm.

Hope to meet you there!

the little apprentice

I've been waiting for this moment since the day the sonographer told me I was expecting a girl! 

She's quite keen and it's nice to have company in my solitary knitting. 

It was the same for me, my mum taught me. I started to knit and crochet when I was around 6 years old and at 7 I was selling my crochet pot holders and doilies to the ladies in the neighbourhood. My mum and I spent a lot of time knitting together, that was my play time with her. Most of the knitting things I know I learnt it from her and from her friends. Knitting is a staple of my life, something I never stopped doing no matter if it was fashionable or not.

Now I can knit without even watch it: the "nonna" of a friend of mine used to knit all day sitting outside in the balcony (in warm weather of course) and looking over us play in the backyard. I'm quite fond of those memories.

black stars white stars  textile surgery project

Ra Fa Kids clouds pillows everywhere :)

new scarf

I'm making scarves and other knitted things for the shop.

The old white clouds are here.

jung jung amazing crochet work (via Maria)

random

today.

tomorrow new old white clouds in the shop.

new doll

Lillibet in the shop.

Have a nice weekend

the winners

Afternoon update: TA-DAM! Anita picked up... 4WINNERS!!! (I couldn't stop her)

CONGRATULATIONS to:

Kristina

Arctic mum

At swim two birds

Kay loves vintage

If I haven't stopped her she would have kept picking up!

Please  send me your address and tell me (if you haven't done it yet) which print is your favourite.

/

Ana (thank you for the postcard*)

Fanja

Kerry

Victoria and Albert

I was in London yesterday, after I spent a morning in Purgatory (to me, the Italian Consulate) I finally managed to escape from there ( without haven't done all the things I needed to do, because of the inefficient Italian bureaucratic system...not too far from  them) to meet lovely Kerry and Bertie (which is adorable) for the first time at the V&A.

Sadly, we didn't have much time, we also got lost in the huge museum in search of the cafeteria...we definitely have lots in common!:D

"The power of Making" exhibition is quite cutting edge, I will definitely go back with my family.

Eloise cat on "Another magazine/ loves": yay!

*The winners of the give-away will be announced tomorrow evening,you still have time to enter, if you like!*

2 years + giveaway

I totally missed la casita birthday! hum...well it's OK, it's never too late!

2 years after the first post, let's have a give-away to celebrate.

"UP" or "on the beach" prints the prizes for 2 winners (one print each winner, just let me know which one you prefer).

So, don't hesitate, leave a comment here (if you tweet or facebook or re-blog about it, it will be counted as double entry).

Ah and THANK YOU: for your support, encouragement, inspirations, nice words, friendship, tips and hints, images, artworks, craftworks, blogs and most of all for the amazing job that many of you do adding beauty to this mad world!

Oki doki now, let's play!

Oh I almost forgot...the winners will be announced WEDNESDAY 24, Anita will do the draw (she doesn't know yet)

Update: If you don't have a blog, play anyway, you can choose the button anonymous (remember to write your name and if you win, send me your email) or you can link your email to your name if you have a goggle account.

Thank you all, for your good wishes and to play here with me ;)


UPDATE 24/11: the game is over :) the winners will be announced later. Now I have to (painstakingly) write down all your names!!!

it started from here 

a lampshade

I've been making lots of stuff lately. I've almost finished to re-decorate the living/dining room.

I had to make space for a piano for A.

I made a DIY project, a lampshade.
For some in-explicable reason there are two lights at a very close distance to each other, but none on the other half of the room were is needed, I bought a long cable and made a a lampshade  with Liberty fabric, it's red, I never do reds, sometimes happens.
I purchased a lampshade kit from Helen Rawlinson , she makes pretty textiles and lampshades, I found  her shop via Kerry.  
I bought it ages ago and then let it in a corner until I knew exactly what I wanted. The idea was to put something on the ceiling to hang the lampshade on top of the table but we realised that the ceiling is made of "cardboard" so we (or he, the husband) wisely decided not to do it. Hence the lamp hang there in a stupid position really. Aaanyway, to make the lampshade was much easier than I thought, it only took a while to tuck the fabric in. What do you think?

I added few more vintage stuff in my shop (I will add more the next week).
Also, I'm working on some new handmade, woollies goodies to be precise. 

There's only one pink cloud left but I'm making some off white ones...let's see the result.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Hackney London

Good Monday,

we spent the weekend in Hackney (London), were we stayed at friends who just bought a house there.

Really, it makes me (badly) want to move back to London, not only for the London buzz but for the fact that most of our friends live there.

Anyway, they live in a beautiful Victorian Terrace house, with their cat. They are doing lots of DIY to get rid of strata of ugly previous decorations and the result so far is beautiful.

The weather was great and so we walk all day on Sunday, Columbia road is not so far and we spent the morning, browsing the market and shops and eating delicious Italian food in a gastronomia (deli) called "Campania" (highly recommended).

Today I'll paint the living room white, finally :)

Have a nice day. 

meeting

Oh hello there,

yesterday I was in London to buy fabrics, wool and some paper (and a long wish list made by Anita: sweets, cards, little toys, anything japanese food and possibly a Totoro doll ;)). This is the kind of shopping I do, when I'm not rummaging through antique/vintage market stalls or thrift shops.

I wasn't in London for that though, but to (finally) meet Leonôr:  we talked non stop, it was super nice!

That's Leonôr (in the pic) looking at the fab window of the Cloth House shop in Soho.

I will see her again in a month time, in fact, I'm quite chuffed to tell you that I've been invited to the Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle for a talk at the Night Opening for the "Handmade" exhibition,  which will be held the 8th of December, more details to come. If you are around and interested would be lovely to see you.

Thank you for stopping by my shop, for your comments, for your emails and thanks to Deborah of Kickcan and Conkers for her post. 
I'm so glad I started blogging, so many wonderful people and things came with it.
x

shop update

I haven't being much on your blogs lately,  I've been busy with my webshop:

it's open again, please have a look here.

More items will be added soon.

This time there are also some vintage findings and my prints.

Thank you, hope you like it :)

Goodnite and Good day