Ruffled Bag

Finally it is hot and warm in the Netherlands this summer. I know you all in the USA has to much sun and a very dry summer but here in europe we desperately needed some warmth and sun. Finally we can sit in our gardens and enjoy the sun, sumer is already halfway gone before we could do that. But I also had to do some creatve things. I walked around for weeks with the idea of making a ruffled bag but couldn't find the tme for it. Always the same problem wih us creative girls... time. I made this bag using a lot of old and new lace, used my embroidery machine and make a lot of ruffles..haha.

Close up

I love summer flowers and every week i have a fresh bouquet in my kitchen. Can you smell them??

I wish you all a nice weekend.

A beautiful Gift.

It's a long time since my last post. I have been on vacation to France and after coming home it was very busy. Lots of hospital visits and beeing busy with my children and grandchildren. I love summertime but it can be very hectic sometimes. When i came home i received a most beautifl gift from Dorthe. She is so creative and makes the most beautiful Dolls and mixed media collages. Visit her lovely blog here. I couldn't wait to open the package and the first thing i saw was this beautiful card.

After opening the other beauiful wrapped packages i was really thrilled. Dorthe spoiled me with one of her unique angel dolls as only she can make them. She has a lovely friendly face and her dress is made from the most beautiful old lace. Even her wings are made from lace.

Look at her tiny lovely shoes

And if that wasn't enough she made this beautiful collage.

Look at all the nature elements she have used on this collage and that letter made from seashel. Beautiful!!!!

Dear Dorthe you are such a good friend and I am so happy with your beautiful gift. It has a very special place in my house. LOVE YOU. OXOXOXO Yvonne ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now something different. My little ganddaughter of 1,5 year needed a dress for a special occasion and i made one for her. My daughter asked me to use blue and bright colors. I made this dress and little purse for her. Front

Back

A challenge

I had to do this. Lilla from the blog Just Lilla placed this week the most beautiful french picture with the question - to us bloggers - to make something with it. I made this soap gift cover with two little lavender bags inside. For the outside i used the picture and for the inside old french linen. Thank you Lilla for giving us the possbility to use this beautiful picture.

Canvas

In October last year i started with a workshop from Nellie Wortman. This week i finally have finnish the project. For me making a canvas is a little outside the box but i loved doing this workshop.

Hope you have all a nice and creative week.

French Bag

I'm so happy. My sewing/embroidery machine is back. The first years it was working perfectly but the last half year it gave constantly problems. I brought it back to the dealer and he repaired it a couple of times. But two months ago it broke down again and that was enough. The dealer didn't know what to do anymore and sent it back to the manufacturer because my insurence was running out of time and he wanted a complete check of the machine. The machine was away for two months!! For that time he borrowed me an other machine but i had to learn working with it again and sewing was not so funny for me as it always was. But again the machine is back an it looke that it is working perfectly. Now I have to get back my trust in the machine again. Mmmmm... time will learn it. For a long time i wanted to make a bag and now that my machine is working i made this french bag to it try out. I made it from a french teatowel i bought on the market in a small town in france named Sarlat at the Dordogne.

This is the front or is it the back i don't know wich side i like more.

Wish you all i nice and creative week

Some pictures and a question

I've been busy in my studio the last weeks. I couldn't show it cause it was on his way to blopgger friends. And ofcouse i've been away for a couple of weeks. But it arrived so here it is. A little spring collage and a journal cover.

the pictures doesn't do any justice to the colors of the collage but i couldn't get it any better.

And a journal wrap for a blogger friend.

And the last picture. A little Smelling bag i embroidered on my machine as a label for another parcel. I loved the roses.

And now the question. Since i use the new blogger layout i can't place the text of my posts on the place where i want it. Blogger places evething behind each other without spaces. I can;t figure out why blogger is doing this. I use chrome as my browser. Is there somebody who can help me with this problem??

French fabric heart

After a couple of weeks in the Spanish sun I'll back again in the cold and rain of the Netherlands. Brrrrr.... so cold the last couple of days seems like the sun has forgotten us. But it is good weather to go to my studio and play with fabrics and lace. Made this french heart with fabric, lace and beads. Filled it up with some lavender.

Hope you all have a nice weekend

And the winner is!!!!!

I'm a little late today with this announcement. The reason is a wonderful sunny national holliday here in the netherlands. It's our Queens birthday and the whole nation is wearing orange to honnour her. All over the Netherlands people are out on the streets. In every town and village there is music and fleamarkets. The queen and her family visits two little villages and the citizens of that villages plays all kind of music and plays for her. Children are singng songs - it's just a great day for her after the terrible ski accident of one of her sons in February this year. Ok so far about our national holliday. And now the winner of my spring give away. My son picked a name out of the list and the winner is. ANNI - from Fabric and Mixed Media Art. Congratulations Anni, please contact me on my email addres on the right side of my blog and I will send you the collage right away.

A very special journal.

This week i received this beautiful "Bird Inspire" journal from my dear blogger friend Suzy. Take a look on her blog and see for yourself how she makes the most beautiful artwork. Visiting her blog is making a tour through a world of fabulous delicate fabrics, beautiful lace, old vintage dolies and colors. All put together in fabric collages, journals and other artwork of an unbelieveble beauty. I was totally blown away when this journal arrives. Dear Suzy i love your work and feel so spoiled by you sending me this journal. Here are pictures of some of the pages from the journal. Every page is made with so much love for fabric and lace and a candy for your eyes.

So rich

look at this beautiful delicate fabric with the rose on it.

Look at all this small detail.

And this beautiful pocket.

Sending me this beautiful journal wasn't all. With the journal Suzy sent me some beautiful fabrics, lace and a lovely tag. All wrapped in a wonderful old doily. It immiditaely gave me some inspiration for using it.

Dear Suzy i already thanked you but want to say it again. I love, love, love your journal. I'm now going back to my bed again. Have picked up a very nasty flu last week with very high fevers and a lot of couching. My Lung specialist gave me antibiotic today. Hope it will work soon cause i'm feeling so bad and have to fly very soon. Hope your all have a nice day

Spring Give Away.

More than 200 followers! A couple of years ago i started this blog just to share my art with my friends. Never expected that there were women outside that circle of friendsthat would like my art. But after a while blogger friends left me a comment and i was so proud! After that they became followers of my blog and left me even more comments. There are times that your comments keep me going. I'm so happy with my blogger friends and visiters, i realize that i never say that enough to you. Now spring is coming and my son is completely recovering from his surgery life is so wonderful. Time for a GIVE AWAY. I made this collage using my favorite colors blue and white. Old and new lace and fabric and ofcourse some buttons.

A close up

To get the change to win this collage you can leave a comment up till 30 April. On the first of May i ask my son to pick a winner and put the name on my blog. If your comment not shows up right away don't worry i'm going to Spain for 2 weeks and it take some time before u can update my blog.

Spring is coming!!

Spring is finally coming. When i look outside i see several singns of it. Bulbs coming out of the ground giving there delicate flowers in all kind of colors. Trees are showing fragile green leafs and little white flowers. I put some inside in a big bowl to enjoy them even when it's raining outside. Made a cloth bunny mamma with her baby to give my house a little spring touch. Have a nice time.

The last one for now

This the last doll for now. A Raggedy Annie with a little french twist. Made her for decoration in my house. The coming six weeks i'm busy with embroidery. I signed up for the embroidery class from Karen Ruane.I love her work and are so proud to follow one of her workshops. So i will be very quiet the next weeks-sitting in the back of the class and working hard. Love it

French Annie 36"- 90 cm