Inspirations: Now he changed to green! (Leipzig)

Some of you might already know the pink monkey. No, not pink anymore... He changed to green! And yes, I found him on my way to work. Am I getting a little bit paranoid? Hey, pink and now neon green monkeys! Who wouldn't? ^^

But he seems to be sorry...

And look! Here he is back again in pink! With a ballon....

He makes me smile every time I find another one of him :)

Lost ones... new ones...!

Some time ago I had a give away. I made a lot of tiny and bigger stamps (have a look here *sniff*) and send them over the ocean. Sadly as much as I love snail mail... sometimes snail mail and I, we don't go too well together. The stamps were lost somehow, somewhere on their way. Strange how much it hurts! 

But also there was one person waiting for the stamps she won... which never came. Also a really bad feeling...!

Therefor I carved some new stamps and send them on their way. Hopefully they'll arrive this time!

The tiny ones: Some numbers, tiny ornaments (look great if you make patterns with them!), a book, a tree... and time... everyone needs time!

The silhouettes for the swallow, the owl and the pegasus I got from Karen's graphics fairy :)

As you may see (the numbers are cm), it is not the smallest stamp :)

I changed the owl a little bit. I gave her some white "ornaments" ^^ 

My challenge for 2012 - stop being my own worst enemy!

This is one part of my challenge. A challenge which takes part at my social life, at work, but especially regarding to creating stuff! It was and is easier for me to make things for other people. Somehow I need some kind of social pressure and deadlines. Otherwise sleep is sometimes more tempting or duties more demanding... 

But I want to make things for myself. That keeps me sane, that makes me smile and yes, there is something special to have and to use the things made by the own hands. I also love the things which were made for me! It is hard to describe because no, because one of parts why I love to create is that keeping the things in my hand I don't only see the present but every moment which went into its creation. Starting just from the idea in my head...

They don't need to be perfect. I love to challenge myself, to learn more and new things... There is nothing like the feeling of mastering new methods and techniques, nothing more cool than overcoming own fears (like how to use a electric jig saw!) and even more, nothing like the moment when you jump in your own abilities! Take crochet: Going from charts to freeform... Take polymer clay: From simple forms to creating deep textures... 

As I already wrote some time ago: I tried to set myself some limits for getting new stuff. I allowed myself only to take things if I have an idea what to make out of them at that moment. You know what? Nothing trains the brain and also the creativity more. No, didn't worked out for reducing or limiting my stash but did wonders to my own imagination!

This year I want to make a lot things for myself. All the things I already planned, already have the materials for, already dream to have... but always put to the side. 

One of the things I wanted to do was to enhance my stichting abilities. I am so into all kinds of garnish and decoration! 

Also... a big pile of small fabric pieces lying around helps...

So I take part in the crazy quilt journal project 2012. It works for me like a social deadline... Yes, I try to trick myself and even knowing it is a trick, hey, it works for me! ;)

Therefor I started sewing crazy patchwork blocks out of my stash... so I have already a good basic for starting to stich. 

The heart fabric was painted by my little sister Lachafa years ago.. when she really was still a little one! ^^ I never had a use for it but I kept it all the time. You see the single heart I stiched? :)

(and yes.. I'll make some better pics with better light. But still the dark season here...)

I played with dyeing some fabrics. This white fabric with roses was my test object. And now the pieces came into use...

A little fabric piece where I started to learn bubbles with fabric paints... also kept in my stash for years... 

The january block before...

...and after. Still having a lot of errors but every one helped me :)

And some of the blocks for the next months...

Some with stamped fabric like the violett pieces...

And no... all not ironed ^^

As you may see at the colours: All made late at night. Too late for ironing!

All the blocks are about 30 x 30 cm...

...this stripe of fabric pieces in the middle was a leftover from a quilt I made... five?... years ago ;)

The wrinkles are not so bad like they look on this pic!

And in the end the blocks will be joined :) 

That's why I won't use beads for the embroidery. 

As lovely as they are, cuddling with them is not the best idea...

In the circus

Maybe it is going to be boring... but again: My new favorites! It is really difficult to choose at the moment which ones to wear! 

Some stripes, a little bit of black smear and stripes in red and cream... create a lovely vintage effect. And hey, elefants! Who can resist elefants?! 

I used crafting paper I got from a friend, while searching through her trash and materials and tools (Oh, I love to go through other work stuff!) I found a little paper punch for these elefants. I punched two elefants in the paper, cut out the circles, glued them on cardboard...

...and used a ink pad for stamping to roll the circles in the ink... and paint the elefants... Don't be carfeul at this step! The result will always look great and the smear effect is (at least in my opinion) important to create the whole effect!

You see, I am going to be a little bit more sophisticated with my paper earrings: I am using now metal for the holes! 

And last but not least: A thin layer of 3D laquer (glue). You can still see how the punched elefants pop out!

Bits of this and that (or how looks my table)

I thought maybe you would like to see some of my thousand UFO which lay around or in big piles on my desk! No, I don't show overall pictures, the mess looks even worse as a foto! ^^

The star is made out of real clay and "stamped" with some lace. 

Below you see some new carved stamps. I am just carving a lot of more new stamps because the ones from my giveaway never arrived their destination... (yes, I was surprised how much it really hurts to know that the stuff one made is lost...). So the new batch is nearly finished... hope I can send it at the weekend.

*sniff*

But back again to... stuff! Some pendant I am using as a experiment to play with all my 3D laquers. And pieces of a big cone I drilled a hole into (with my dremel! ;)). I also added a thin layer of silver with acrylic paint. I think it brings the texture better to the eye... 

And a button. Of course.

A lot more of plant material! Kasuarines, don't know what the yellow are and also the long one was something my family found being on Mallorca... (and of course they thought of me!). Also with some silver colour added....

Wooden stars... Still without holes. They also need a thick layer of laquer... or maybe more colour. Although the colour seems bright it is almost a little bit dull in reality.

The cover of a fraunhofer magazine. I love the little pictures, perfect inspirations for stamps! They captured the essence of the silhouettes in a great graphic way!

Old christmas decoration... turned to earrings. The metallic colour is great, shining but not too extreme.

Started scanning / taking pics of beautiful wrapping paper (small used leftovers). Oh, I would love to have fabric like this!

As soon as you put something new on the floor... (I want to paint or wrap the wood)

...the black shadows arrive!

Tape! I bought for christmas a lot for family and friends :) And one set for myself...

Some clay stuff... 

Just an example how the advent calendars looked like...

Still don't now what to make out of this tiny crochet flower. But love the beads!

There is more... lot more... but maybe I'll repeat this kind of impressions :)