Pudding & Pie

The scent of willow

2007-04-15T22:33:00.000+02:00

Today I went on my second day of a basketry course. Everything took longer than I thought and it was quite tough on ones fingers but the results were worth it. Not that the basket was perfect in any way but the fact that I could create a natural solid container without glue and bolts was awesome.

In the beginning the willows are tied together at the top so one can work ones way from the round platform to the top edge of the basket.

Buttons for Norway

2007-04-14T21:14:00.000+02:00

Finally I am back to blogging again. I have borrowed a good camera so hopefully the pictures will do it just.
I have joined the button swap organised by Sally Shim (shimandsons) and was partnered with Norwegian Magni. Can't wait to see what she has concocted. Here is the card I sent her. Beatrix Potter is one of my child hood favourites.

The 12 buttons gathered together before they were sent off. Found this great wrapping paper which I glued to cardboard.

The envelope was stamped with light blue ink. The stamp is constructed in such a way that one can choose a number of letters to form one word or several short words.

6 white buttons. Must be at least 30 years old.

4 red buttons. Notice the nice edges.

2 blue buttons. Unfortunately only two existed but they are a sweet couple.

I sewed an apron for my brother. One that only covers the trousers. Here is a detail of the ribbon. I love the coarse material with black rather than blue shade.

I went to the beach the other day and started taking pictures of the shells. Suddenly I thought of photographing this intriguing angle - wondering what treasures the shell might hold.

Northern images

2006-09-07T19:01:00.000+02:00

Here are lots of pictures from one of my favourite books. The title is Nordlys which means northern light in Danish. It can be found in German on Amazon.de and it can be found in Scandinavian book shops (saxo.com) but here they charge a lot for sending. Basically the book is a photo series of 14 Scandinavian interiors - i.e. real homes and not those set-up ones. They are very different and yet very typical for the culture. I have chosen random images from the books so as to give a fair idea. My photos are not super since photographing books is bit of a task for my kind of camera though I have bought a thingy to stand it on for stabilizing

And here towards the end of this post I would like to show you this perfect apple. It had rained and the red seemed redder than ever. I don't want to pick it - it seems a pity

I went to the beach 10 minutes walk from here and found these broken bits of ceramic plate. I always look for these but it is rare that I find such a nice pattern

This my dog Ronja. I don't like to include pictures of her because it would accumulate... but I find this picture attractive because the sun gives her an "aura". Wow, does she look skeptical! That is a facial expression she has had since she was tiny

I was surprised when I put my lens close to the berries because the little "windows" appeared. Looks slightly religious to me

September red

2006-09-06T13:37:00.000+02:00

I did something I rarely do - I bought flowers for myself. It was worth it because the rooms seem to come to life and when I wander by It is a repeated pleasure to study the details of the perfect petals. What you see on the right is the plaster negative shape of a large dog paw. Next to it is the tip of a plaster foot - mine actually. The foot can be seen in my very first post in July

The camera had problems capturing such a deep red. Too much of the good stuff

This is not a great photo but I wanted you to see the combination of colours on the cupboard top. The baby blue, the red and the dusty green (the plums) represent the colours of the fifties for me

This is a sportscar I once found and rescued. I actually sawed it in half so that I could prop it against the wall - it looked as if it has crashed through the wall. Though in a sorry condition I let it participate in the red set-up

It was ever so hard to get this in focus but I love the museum/putbehindglass/this is exquisite feel that goes with putting something under glass. The flower is sitting in an old tin biscuit form

This sign cannot be seen on the other photo because it has been fastened at the top of the mirror. I know some people would find it strange to keep something this tattered but to me the silver and the red fitted right in here. The sign reads 'emergency exit' or 'nÃ¸dudgang' in Danish

This flower is called bridal veil in Danish and is usually found in combination with other flowers but I like them all by themselves. The boxes are old bank boxes and the lids open halfway. They were one of my best buys. On the left is the headlight of an old car. It is sitting there because I am going to put a halogen bulb in it and hang above a full body mirror

They just don't make closing mechanisms like these anymore

Woolly matters

2006-09-01T00:16:00.000+02:00

I have been "reading" one of those great Japanese books and felt inspired to make a different kind of birthday card. It takes a couple of layers to make it sturdy enough but it is in no way a difficult project. Actually I think it would be fun to do for children as well.

And here in full body. I imagine making different animals - even some that don't usually have woolly backs...

This is the book I am talking about. It is strange to open it because the index and introduction is at the back. So I now read it from left to right... When in Rome. The other Japanese books I own are not like this. The ISBN is 4-579-20947-8 and the title is "paper paper"

In the book they only show a brown and a beige sheep with wool spun around their bodies. The book contains many more projects but the quality varies I have to admit

At a flea market yesterday I bought this bowl. It's from Royal Danish Porcelain but did not cost more than 25 kroner (about 4 dollars). It goes perfectly with two big milk jugs I have in the cupboard. One is shown here in the middle of a small stream

At the same market I found these white matte balls. My question is: what have they been used for? They are probably made of marble but they white surface is easy to scratch with metal or something equally hard

I have a thing about rescuing flowers. These were obviously not going to live very much longer but I think they still radiate transient beauty floating around among themselves in an old battered tin cup

A guided tour

2006-08-29T14:54:00.000+02:00

I have a little balcony which I call my oasis. I will show you some of the details if you want to come along?
I have a thing for succulents. First of all they seem to survive pretty much everything and they don't need flowers to look interesting

Most succulent flowers look strange and exotic. I am surprised every time this plant decides to flower because it happens so fast. From afar these flowers look insignificant, I think

On the right side a box has been planted with herbs. This one is the thyme leaning on weathered wood

Another great thing about succulents is that they are willing to make lots of babies. I just cut these off and stick them in earth. The next thing you know is they are growing on their own

Recently I bought lavender and planted some of them in these metal pots. Grey metal seems to go well with the faded greens and the soft purples of lavender

My favorite flowering plant is the geranium. Here the Queen Ingrid as it is called in Denmark. It is amazing that the earth stays inside this pot but nevertheless it does

This was a new plant for me to have in my collection. The green colour is almost artificial. It forms the shape of a pillow if it is healthy enough.

I took some of these from my mother's garden and they seem quite happy now. I have taken an ultra close-up picture of the leaves because they really don't fill out the pot yet

This is the same type of plant as mentioned earlier but in a different kind of container. I don't think baskets are meant to survive outside but I like the rustic feel when it gets older

On my walk this morning I picked some wild black berries. There weren't many and they were really tiny but it just meant they were all the more treasured

New uses

2006-08-29T14:01:00.000+02:00

Today I have lots of photos as promised. I went to an artists market a while ago and there I saw these cute buttons used as rings. I have made my own as you can see. I would like the metal to be thicker but then it would not be able to get through the button holes.

This button ring is smaller and looks a bit like the ceramic jewelry which is so trendy now.

I bought an old spirit level at a flea market, painted it white and got my handyman to put it up in the bathroom. It is very useful and since it is not very wide it does not bother the person occupying the toilet!

The holes and dents that came with the level are very practical. I have never known where to put the scissors but that problem is now solved.

This is where one can see whether something is leveled. This level however is so old that the 'bubble' jumps back and forth and therefore did not provide any guidance when screwing it onto the wall

I found this - whatever it is called - which used to sit on the poles keeping electrical wires in place. Now it is living a life as a hook for my mini ironing board. I am, however, considering painting the rod white where the red rust is most predominant

Small time sewing

2006-08-28T21:36:00.000+02:00

I had taken lots of pictures of other creative projects but the light had disappeared and the pictures were a tad dark. This one was taken earlier today and shows a sun glasses pouch I finished yesterday. It is not complicated to make at all but it is very functional. The glasses are "retro" style i.e. very big and therefore do not fit into normal pouches. The bottom part is sewn together so the glasses cannot fall out. The string keeps the pouch together. The loop at the top is for hanging.
I like the fact that the pouch is made out of a pot holder.

Sleeping in protest

2006-08-24T20:33:00.000+02:00

The dog decided that when nobody was going to put the beloved carpet back on the floor after cleaning she was going show her dislike through self torture - that is - lie on the tiniest little pillow (35cm times 40cm) half under the washing. Time and again I find her acting more like a cat than a dog. Where did we go wrong? More creative projects are on the way!

My corners

2006-08-21T15:38:00.000+02:00

I have little "shrines" around the apartment. They are mine to decorate and I aim to include new flea market buys, things from the past, candles, similar textures or colours. Each display may stay the same way for a day or for several months. Sometimes it is impossible to decorate the whole house according to all ones wishes but little corners seem like a suitable mouthful. Here is the top of my favorite cabinet. In the background is an old mirror. Leaning against it rotor blades (I think). Beautiful stones from the beach in shapes suitable for resting chopsticks on. A vase just recently bought which is why there are no flowers yet. A group of metal pastry bag tops. A silvercoloured candleholder. Metal letters bought this weekend cheaper than I had hoped for.

The clockhand has temporarily been separated from its clock. I like the way its fine details are mirrored.

Here a close-up of the pastry bag tops. I suppose they must be made of part tin to gain such a colour. There is something about grouping many of a kind. A calm to the repetition.

On my dining table - which is tiny - some thing usually accumulate. I liked that the same brown appeared in both vitamins and in mother nature's own fruit.

I took this picture later in the evening and thought it was interesting how different the cabinet looks - a mysterious aura about the whole thing. Now ferns have been added to the vase. It is getting to be autumn here...

Vintage button swap joy

2006-08-18T23:30:00.000+02:00

And today I received Cathys vintage button swap package (say that fast!) and I was not disappointed. Everything was cute from the inside out as you see in the following photos. I think I am supposed to put these photos on flickr but I have yet to find out how. This first photo is of the items as they looked when I took them out of the bubble wrap envelope.

One cannot wait to open such a secret looking roll...

Here are the trims Cathy printed with her stamps. Does anyone know the name of the type of trim at the bottom of the photo?

The buttons themselves are so beautifully arranged that I have decided - of course - to keep them like that. The buttons look very old as if they are somehow handmade - I will have ask Cathy. The fabric reminds me of carefree girls dresses from times past. I guess it is also to do with the whole purple theme. Nothing better than colour coordinated packages!

Notice the needlework here. As they say it is all in the presentation.

Here are the cards Cathy sent with the package. They show different animals (which she knows I love) printed with her homemade stamps. Much better than the cards one can buy in the shops. See Cathys projects on http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathygaubert/

Simple food for the eyes

2006-08-04T00:03:00.000+02:00

I promised pictures of the Japanese book I was inspired by when I made the stamps. So here goes all in a jumble but with the front page as the first one. The ISBN is 4-391-12991-4 and my copy was bought at yesasia.com. I can recommend the book just because it has so many cute images one can copy

Another dinner picture. What is this with food? But it does look good and it did taste good. On one side it is potato slices with thyme and some other herb I don't remember the name of (fresh from terrace garden) and on the other side tomatoes with smoked ham. Underneath is mozzarella. I seem to make healthy good tasting food when I am alone. Maybe because I am willing to wait for it...

Stamping away

2006-08-03T00:09:00.000+02:00

So I started making stamps after I received this great Japanese book. I will post a picture next time for those of you who do not know it. My tools were not good enough so the details were hard if not impossible to scratch. Anyway, here are pictures of the ones I did make. This one is a purse though I have heard other interpretations - you know who you are!

This one is good for envelopes. I just write the address between the lines. Very cute

This was actually the first one I started one - oh so many small details

This one does not look enough like a children's shoe. This is also made on a different kind of rubber. Harder to work on

Here I managed to make some wrong cuts but I was getting tired...

Rabbit teddy try

2006-07-30T13:02:00.000+02:00

Here is a try at handsewing a minirabbit. Next time I dont want the sewing to show on the edges. Now I know what to do when making a "real" rabbit. This is the back of the rabbit. Like the tail

Here is the front - obviously. I will go with the green eyes in my next try

Flea market joys

2006-07-29T19:58:00.000+02:00

I went to a flea market in Copenhagen today and found some things worth mentioning. So here are quite a few photos.
I have collected some of these tin boxes - the one on the right is the new buy

A lady was not going to let me buy these small (very small) pieces of cloth. She used them to wrap her china. But she caved in. Unfortunately they are very dirty and some stained.

It was so hot that I changed into the dress that I bought. It will need some changes at the neck but that will have to wait a bit

Everybody knows these bowls with pooh but I wanted them for the dog. Why do dog bowls have to be plain and predictable?

I bought this scarf too. A bit outside season but its good to think ahead. I think it would look good with a modern ceramic pin

I have a brown dress so I thought these would fit and they did. Interesting netting in the middle

All in all a good pile of things added to the household - what has to go then??

Calm sea

2006-07-29T00:00:00.000+02:00

On rare occasions I make food that turns out really great so proof is needed. This is filodough rolls with chicken, vegs and herbs inside.

Here they are ready to go in the oven. The unfortunate thing is that I wanted photograph them fully baked but we went and ate them all. Forgot all about photographing in the ummhh and ahhs. We actually consumed (2 people) what was meant to be starters for 8 people!

I went on a two hour long walk today along the northeast coast of Denmark where I live. This of course is loyal Ronja who is always up for play on the beach

A bit of summer night atmosphere

The fisherman coming in after a whole day of work

button aesthetics

2006-07-27T20:16:00.000+02:00

Here are the buttons I sent to Cathy in Louisiana. I decided to be part of shimandsons vintage button swap and fully enjoyed the process of making the buttons look nice. Am definitely looking forward to seeing Cathys buttons.

Here is the close-up which shows the butterfly I stamped onto the fabric.

This is the card I sent with the buttons. It is cut out with the fiskars shapecutter. I am never satisfied with the edges if I have to follow a line with the scissors. The ducks are punched out. I ended up liking the idea of a round card (or rather two stringed together).

I thought the envelope should indicate what was inside so I sewed the buttons on to create an old fashioned closing. It is surprisingly easy to open and close and keeps together very well.

I am sorry to say that the photos did not turn out very well but this is due to beginner's troubles.

Oh at the end you should see my dog feeling it is a bit too hot

My first foot

2006-07-23T00:59:00.000+02:00

Lets face it. We like sharing with others what we have created. Ever since I made that strange ceramics horse on an island for my proud parents I have known that creative projects dont have to be 100% functional as long as they are interesting, original or thought-provoking. As a child I loved the way my father criticised my art pieces because he didnt just say they were beautiful but asked questions and offered ideas for moderations. And for me thats the whole point of blogs - its not just about praising each other but about inspiring each other - however cliché it sounds.
Well, down to business. Here is a photo of my left foot. Or rather the copy I made with a mould.