Hopfaldera

Nuts, raisins and ceramics

The last couple of times at my Ceramics class, my class mates have started to bring cake and cookies to go with our coffee break. A good development! This Friday, I felt it was my turn to bring something sweet.
I turned to an old favorite recipe, Nut-raisin-tea bread.

It is a recipe I first used more than 15 years ago, when I organized a big afternoon tea birthday party together with my friend Monique. Back then we spent 2 days of constant baking and I enjoy every minute of it. I remember proclaiming that my life's ambition was to become a 'baking mother' (I think I succeeded in my ambition, although it took me a long time to realize that; just like realizing that all this art work is what I should be doing, but never mind...).
Back to the recipe (it is from Libelle magazine originally):
First brew
* 200 ml of strong Forest Fruit tea (I used Cranberry as you can see)
Then, in a large bowl, combine
* 150 grams of wholemeal flour (volkorenmeel)
* 150 grams of self raising flour (I used plain flour and used two tablespoons of the next ingredient)
* 1 tablespoon of baking powder
* 150 grams of light brown sugar (I used cane sugar, which apparently is more healthy)
* 250 grams of walnuts (broken in pieces with your fingers or roughly chopped)
* 100 grams of raisins
* a pinch of salt

Mix with the tea and
* 1 egg
using a wooden spoon. No dry bits should remain in the bowl.
Spoon the mixture in a greased and lightly floured loaf cake tin and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 70 minutes.

I believe my ceramics buddies enjoyed the bread, even though it somehow inspired us to have a conversation about worms in places you'd rather not think about.
This is what was left of the bread after we were done with our break (photographed at home with some of my ceramics, more in this Flickr set). Frederik was grateful!

I love this work

I'm back! The flu is as good as gone and I've already been up to some new work this week. Here it is:

This sheep and her blue-toned (and yet to be sewn together) friend will be in my Etsy shop somewhere next week.
And it's Friday, so I also worked on my ceramics:

I even had some finished and almost finished objects from the kiln this week:

Looking at these photos I realized: I loved making all those things. It is hard to express how happy it makes me feel that I am able to do what I truly love to do. It may not all seem very useful, or even part of one body of work, but it is to me. I learn something everyday: sometimes it is a skill, sometimes it has to do with inspiration, or work ethic (just to get on with it), or acceptance, or true expression of myself.  I try to value all those learning experiences. And I enjoy myself tremendously!

Easter ideas

Okay, easter is coming... Time to decorate the house with flowers and color!

Damaris and Emil have already worked on colorful decorations.

Some easter ideas for myself (and you, lovely reader):

Egg cozies from a pattern on Yvestown
Stuffed fabric eggs on Olive Juice and co
Easter bread (I usually make a bread with raisins and cardamom, but this WHO bread on Soulemama might also be a good idea)

Last year I embroidered napkins with easter drawing by the kids More on Flickr

Looking at that photo of last year's Easter Breakfast Table (with capitals) makes me happy. It gives me the feeling that we will be able to cheer up in time before easter if we surround ourselves with color and flowers.
We have felt very sad this week because the little daughter of friends died after only 17 weeks of life. This weekend we'll say goodbye to her.

Work in progress

Lots of work in progress this week! I'll show the results in later posts.
First of all, I was tidying up my work room.

I was looking for the right button to finish a machine embroidered Artsy Clutch (from the Bend-The-Rules Sewing book).

A top secret project for two people who are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary today (!) Update: Revelation on Flickr

A Soft Turtle Buddy from Bend-The-Rules. I did this to participate in a little Simul-Sew project with a photo group on Flickr.

Then today I went to my ceramics class, and found a whole new set of works in progress had just come out of the kiln.

More photos of everything (except for that top secret project) can be found on my Flickr.

Doucepoints on Etsy.com

Look, this is the new banner I put above my Etsy shop!
I've had the shop for a little more than a year and I have had some sales, but I would like to boost the activity a bit and thought I would try a more modern look and feel. I like it!
I made the banner with some help of a tool I found through the Etsy series on how-to improve your shop, which has been inspiring to me. Personalizing the banner was fun and I learned a few more computer skills, just like this blog is teaching me. I feel like a little html-wizard when I get something to look the way I want it to!

The latest art and craft news: I'm working on a new bag for myself. The previous one is in desperate need of replacement! I'll post about it soon.

From diertje to ceramic animal sculpture

diertje, originally uploaded by doucepoints.

I made the little animal in this picture in April last year. This is it still wet and gray.

Today I put the sculpture up for sale in my Etsy shop. Between April 2007 and now this animal went through several stages:

Already fired once and covered in oxides (iron and cobalt) and a little glaze, waiting to go into the kiln again.

After the second firing still in the classroom at K&O, where I go on Fridays to 'do' ceramics.

And now, in the shop. Waiting, wagging it's little rabbit's tail (or is it a dog?), ears neatly combed back, for a new owner to come along.