Little effort, great effect

This project was on my to do-list for a while. I would have made this fabric tape sooner if I had known that it was so easy. Tutorials here and here. A good reason to keep even the smallest scraps of fabric.

Happy birthday, mom!

Yesterday my mom celebrated her birthday and she asked me to make some sweet snacks. The cakes were a lot of work, tasted fine but didn't look great. But the chocolates with pepper berries did. Recipe: Just heat 300gr of white chocolate, 100gr mascarpone and 50gr butter au bain marie and stir. Take from the heat and mix in 1 table spoon of crushed red pepper berries. Take a tin or bowl (±15x20cm), line with baking paper and poor the mixture in it. Straw with two spoons of red pepper berries. And put in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cut in cubes and roll the cubes in icing sugar. Mmm...

Patience

When I re-opened my stamp-shop for two months I never expected to get so many orders! From all over the world. From Brazil to Australia, from Finland to Canada. Sometimes my arms hurt when I have been cutting another batch. Not much time and energy for other crafts these days...

Lasting

Actually I needed a lounge chair and a bar stool. But I came home from the second hand store with these beauties. The screenprinted girl on the green wooden piece is not entirely stylish, but I liked her anyway. Plus the colour matches my new kitchen perfectly. The tiny piece of embroidery depicting a serious little boy will make a nice hanger. And the two glass frames look as if they were made for the small monoprints from Cathy Cullis (shop here or here), that had been waiting for a frame for over half a year.

Saturday morning

A. takes the girls to swimming lessons and balletclass. In the meantime I do groceries. So at half past ten we have done all the obligatory things. And then there's a lot of day left for fun things. Baking muffins for example. These almond-apple muffins are from the amazing book Home Made written by Yvette van Boven. Have a nice weekend!

For Emma

I asked my daughter whether her friend would like a make-up set or a sewingkit for her birthday. She chose the last one. For this kit I made one of the needlebooks from my last post. And a flower pin cushion after this tutorial.

Needlebook tutorial

You can probably figure out on your own how to make a needlebook. But it is easier when someone has done the math for you. You can find the needlebook-tutorial here.

The best

Yesterday my parents in law came to visit us to see the new kitchen. They brought some presents. I was moved to tears when I unwrapped the mon amie-plates (a design from Rorstrand from the fifty's). I told them a few years ago that I loved this tableware and that it was impossible to find secondhand. And now they gave me their own plates! So sweet! And just a minute ago, looking for a good link to show you the design, I discovered that Rorstrand took the design in production again in 2009. A small collection of a plate, a mug and a bowl. But not as refined as and not handpainted like the old design. But those mugs... maybe...

More cookies

I have been torturing myself by staying subscribed to the cookie-of-the-day newsletter from Martha Stewart during our oven-less time. But now it is a good daily mail to receive. While her sister was at the art-adventure-club, Neeltje and I made these peanutbutter-raspberry cookies. A good recipe to make with kids. Mixing, rolling balls and making the heartshapes with your fingers. This morning she gave some of the cookies to her teacher.

Birds singing

I know spring is close, when our girls come in with one bouquet after another. Although I tell them to look at the flowers instead of picking them, they can't resist. Here you see the snowdrops and crocusses in small vintage vases from Delfos on a Mara Skujeniece-plate.

Finally

I can recommand designing your own kitchen and have it made to your wishes. But it takes some effort and patience. After more than three months, we could finally cook in a normal kitchen again. What a joy! The first (chocolate-black pepper) cookies from our new oven were for my cousin Marieke with whom I had lunch today.

Before and after

I borrowed pins from a neighbour on new years eve and till now forgot to return a package. Today I bought a new set and printed them (again using my childrens' stamp kit) with the words 'tasteful' and 'mmm...'. A strip of paper and a piece washi-tape did the rest.

For Sanne

A present for a very creative seven-year-old. A small box filled with an embroidery-set, a knitting fork, a felt-kit for making a keyring hanger, a needle-book (I could write a tutorial) and a pincushion. All signed with her name, using my new toy. We're almost sure she will like it.