Hopfaldera

The results are in

Remember I took part in a swap of napkins and placemats from the Bend-the Rules Sewing book? Well, this week the results were in.
Yesterday I got a big envelope delivered to my door. I was so happy to see what was inside. Beth from Maine in the US made these sets for us.



Don't the colors go well with our purple and green living room and kitchen. And I really like the design on the top fabric. I used to have some of that fabric in green and pink (I used it for a sheep and other things) and just last week I was regretting that I didn't have any of it left to enjoy. And then came my great swap package. I'm very happy with my placemats and napkins, and we'll use them often!

I sent the placemats and napkins I made to Shannon from Illinois. This is what they looked like.



I used a combination of fabrics for the tops and on the napkins I stenciled peppers using freezer paper.
Shannon already let me know she liked what I made for her. I was so glad and relieved. As I said before, swapping is fun but just a little nerve recking sometimes.

Jam report

This is what Emil and I did this afternoon:











Strawberry and raspberry jam. With labels by Emil. The labels also explain that we used our black pan and a wooden spoon.
The third, half full, little jar disappeared to Emil's room. He said he won't need any bread with it.

Almost

Our clematis is about to burst open with color.
Yesterday two flowers popped open and today I'm expecting a few more. Every year, our clematis starts from the ground. Usually it has been eaten down to the ground by one of our rabbits sometime during the winter when we weren't looking. We then think it's over for our clematis, but in April and May it starts to grow and grow and grow.
We try to lead the branches in as many directions as possible so that there will be enough room for the plant to display all its beauty and so that all our neighbors also get a few flowers. And now, this weekend, it is going to burst with its dark purple flowers. And then it is really summer in our tiny patch of backyard.



Something else that will hopefully burst with color soon is the embroidery I am making in a Stitch Along that was started on the Flickr Embroidery group. You can still join in if you want. The pattern is here, print it and start drawing with thread. I think it's fun. Very crafty!

New additions to my Etsy shop

New additions
Originally uploaded by doucepoints

This is a little mosaic of the new items I added to my Etsy shop.
A while back I turned my studio into a little factory and produced seven zipper pouches. The fun was to make each one a little different. After seven I had had enough as a factory worker though.

I also made these tote bags which have some green style added with freezer paper stenciling. That was a new activity for me. I had had the freezer paper for a while. I ordered it from the internet somewhere, I don't remember. When I got the book The Creative Family by Amanda Soule with an explanation of how to use the paper, I was persuaded to finally open the packet. It was fun to do. I also embellished some t-shirts. Maybe I'll add those to my shop too. Only if Damaris doesn't take them all.

P.S. Our football fever is running very high. The Dutch team is doing extremely well; they (or should I say we) are the winners in the most difficult group of countries (Group C with France, Romania and Italy). Of course this would not have been possible without supporters like these! We love Oranje!

Football discount on Dawanda

Football fever is coming on in Europe! I know in America it's called soccer, but I'll just call it football here. After all, it is played with your foot and a ball is involved. Plus it sounds like voetbal, the word we use in Dutch.
What about this football? Well, on Dawanda you'll get a discount of 11% (!) during the playing time of the football matches of the European Championship. Also on my products over there, so take a look!



I'll not be able to send out packages the coming week because of a mysterious school vacation, but you can still send in your orders. Also in my Etsy shop. I'll be very happy to send out your purchase on Monday, June 15.
Au revoir!

Obscure musical memories

As I have said before, I love YouTube! You can find just about everything there and see it as many times as you like.
I dug in my memory and thought of two songs from long ago that have always stuck with me somehow. They are the kind of songs that I was fascinated by: mysterious lyrics, performers that I have not (really) heard from since. I remember both songs so well I could sing with them right away when I found them and I had probably only heard them a couple of times when I was about 10 and about 5. Oh, how the mind works, it's fantastic! I must say I still don't understand most of the lyrics, my French and my Italian are not very good (this is a euphemism).

So here they are for you to enjoy (or not) and play over and over again. First, Lio with Amoureux Solitaires.

And now, Raffaela Carra (Damaris and Emil played this one more than ten times)

Good weather music

Some music to go with the warm weather we are promised for the coming days. I remember this song from when I was small. I'm not very good at French but it seems to be about my favorite city Venice and it has this great guitar(?)thing: tata tata ta tttttuh. I think it's a great song!
Here's Julien Clerc with Elle voulait qu'on l'appelle Venise.

Swap fun

After having had the Bend-The-Rules-Sewing book by Amy Karol for quite a while and having had so much sewing fun for myself from it, I entered the second round of the BTRSswap. This round they are making placemat and napkin sets and I'm going to join in the fun. You can enter until June 7, so go ahead if you have the book. This project is not that hard, only fun. You never know what treasure you'll receive!


Swaps are fun, a little nerve wrecking (will my swap partner like what I made?), but the results are usually great surprises arriving at your door.
I already took part in two Christmas Ornament swaps (photos from 2006 and from 2007) and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Take a break with focaccia

After a very full week (recovering from jet lag, recovering from back ache resulting from the long flight, celebrating Damaris' 10th birthday with 13 girls) it was time yesterday for some homemade focaccia. Whenever I need some relaxation I like to bake.
I used the recipe from good old Naked Chef Jamie Oliver (the first book), halved the amounts and added semi-dried tomatoes and garlic olives from the market (I cut them in pieces with scissors, so much fun!). For the kids I just added olive oil, Italian herbs and sea salt.
Emil asked if I would please make this more often!
Of course! Good idea!

Hey, we're back!

Band of four cousins
Originally uploaded by doucepoints

Look at how big they all have gotten!
We had a great time in China. Now, while we are still suffering from jet lag, you can take a look at some photos from our trip.