Monday, August 25, 2008

Red week


1. Illustration, 2. dress d-3 close up of fake tie, 3. Hearts, 4. you're just a click away..., 5. red arianie bag, 6. strawberries and mulberries, 7. Carl Larsson, 8. Junior Bazaar Cover 1954, 9. red, 10. silkie repaint- Bild Lilli imposter, 11. homegrown, 12. Yard sale - Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book, 13. red cottage, Oslo, Norway, 14. detail from the collar, 15. Strawberry, 16. Day dreaming.

How to make a mosaic:
1. Create a Flickr account.
2. Collect favorites (it's handy to choose from)
3. Go to Mosaic Maker.
First choose a layout, I always use square tiles, 4 columns x 4 rows.
4.Then I enter the URL's of the pictures I want to use: I open a picture in Flickr I like, then I copy its URL and paste it on the first line behind number 1. And I do this for 16 times, takes about half an hour.
I always do this with 2 windows open, one in Mosaic Maker and one in Flickr, and then I switch back and forth.
5.Then I click "create".
6.Now you see the result, sometimes it's necessary to move the pictures a bit. If you want to change something, click "Edit mosaic".
7. If you like the result, click on "Save".
8. Copy the HTML-code and post it on your blog (to give credit to all the photographers).
9. Upload the picture from your desktop (or wherever you have saved it).

This looks very complicated, but it's easy if you do it step-by-step.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

A new ripple

I was searching for a nice project for my holiday weeks, and since I like to crochet in the car (no, I am not the driver!), I started a new ripple blanket. This time in cotton.
My son is going to study in a city far away (sigh!), and I'm making this blanket for him.
I took these pictures in the garden of our rented farmhouse in France, it was lovely to sit under the appletree...


In France, you find a lot of craft books, and I bought this lovely little book. Included were a needle, linen and embroidery floss.

I already started making something, but more about that in a new post.

Blois-France

After 2 weeks in the Loire Valley in France and one week at the seaside, it's time to get back to reality.
A lot of ironing, cleaning, gardening and drawing to do!
But first a bit of blogging.

We went to see the castle in Blois, a mix of styles, quite impressive.


I'd love to have these tiles in my kitchen...

There was so much to see, here is a very small selection of things I liked.


Friday, August 8, 2008

Award


I was rewarded by crazy bird.. Thank you!
I pass this reward further with the next rules:

1. Please, put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

These are the people who get my reward:
1.Berlin's whimsy
2.Chicken blog
3.Pixie blossoms
4.My little loves
5.Cornflower
6.Japonisme
7.Turkey feathers
8.Bethgem

British books

I bought a few nice books for my library while in the UK.
This book, illustrated by Clarke Hutton. It was originally published in 1945, and I love the colours of the drawings.



The ultimate Peter Rabbit book was too big to scan properly, but it gives you an idea.
If you like Beatrix Potter, buy it!



And finally this one, all about houses in Britain.
It's a perfect inspiration for when I have to draw a cute house or cottage.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Been away...

My poor neglected blog... I've been busy the past month. First there was an unexpected trip to the UK, and then I went to France for a few weeks (more about that later).
There were visits of castles, Knole for example, enjoying a cider in the local pub, walking in beautiful gardens and villages, and so on...






This is a place I've wanted to visit for ages: "Charleston Farmhouse"". It was the summer house of Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf) and her many artist friends of the Bloomsbury group.



I bought this beautiful book in the museum shop and our guide (a cute old lady with a naughty twinkle in her eyes) recommended this book, an autobiography by the daughter of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.

And on the last (stormy) day, we went to see "Prospect Cottage", home of Derek Jarman. Weird place!