Re-structuring my blog

Now, that I’m spending much more time on my blog, I’ve found that some little layout things don’t really work out the way I would like them to. Therefore, between the preparing for my Etsy shop opening and life’s other stuff (…oops, there’s still something else out there??? *smiles*), I’ll be re-structuring and re-organizing my blog here and there and incorporate a few changes. Hopefully, you will like those changes, too.

Greenbean baby art

 Just on time before Valentine’s day, I discovered Greenbeanbaby’s blog and Etsy shop and *this* lovely~wonderful tutorial incl. (!!!) a template of Ellia’s gorgeous, delicate, sweet paper art for personal use.
So, since the person to receive my handbound notebook (remember?), is already familiar with *my* style, I figured why not try my hands on this template and share a wonderful find and some other artist’s work? I gathered my paper together and set to work….it was soooo much fun to do this. Ok, it was a looooooot of detailed and high concentration work to cut all these fine elements ….(deep breath)…and yet it is loads of fun and worth all the effort.


I’m realizing the picture isn’t really doing the real life colors justice….but instead of fiddling with adjustments, I’ll probably simply try to snatch another picture of the card soon. So, for now, the not-so-brillant-picture of an incredibly brillant artist’s template!

Be sure to check out her artwork – you will love it!

1 card in mind but 2 decided to be made…

Valentine’s Day

For a little watercolor greeting card for a very dear friend for Valentine’s, I tried my hands on this technique shared & demonstrated by Helen Williams  in a video tutorial on her blog (Thank you for sharing this great idea, Helen!). Be sure to check it out because this technique is really fun to use! I’m sure to work more with this technique. And beyond that: Helen’s ideas and layouts are fresh and very inspiring let alone that reading her entries is fun in itself….so hop over and enjoy her blog!So, after I had finished the watercolor painting,

 I set out to do the card. As it turned out though, there was yet another, a different card “waiting” for me to “set it free” — I just let it flow…and this is the result of card #2 (which I actually finished first) 

And this is card #1 (which was supposed to be finished first but only made it 2nd) featuring my watercolor hearts

Both cards in unison:

Have a wonderful day everyone & happy crafting! ;o))

Playing Catch-Up

Hello again everyone! How have you all been lately? Between the 8th and today, things kinda went a little crazy over here…or should I say out of sync? So, just as promised, here my attempt to catch up with what’s been going on on this end of the world lately. Get yourself a cup of tea…yeah, okay, coffee is fine too today ;o) …sit back, relax and have fun reading, there are some nice links to sources of inspiration for you in there as well….enjoy and HAPPY Sunday evening!!!

About 10 days ago, my computer system caught some sort of virus/ malware/ trojan. The anti-virus software found some entries and took care of it, but -surprise, surprise - couldn’t get rid of everything. Whatever my pc caught, re-installed itself over and over and over and….can you guess?….over again – even after I had deleted that stuff.

Apparently, whatever it was had already re-written part of the registry key of my operating system. So…what next? Saving files and folders and getting rid of that little sucker by formatting (=deleting) the main drive….what? “Partitions”? What’s that? Never heard of that cutie before. ;o)

Ok, so off I go….trying to clean up the drive by formatting it in MS DOS. Luckily, MS DOS was still a basic knowledge way back when I stepped into the world of computers. Forgotten quite a bit in the meantime, but the main thing: MS DOS is still sort of familiar to me and *that* was really helpful here.

So, here I am…booting the computer anew to hop into MS DOS before the operating system can even boot up. Guess what I’m finding? NO WAY to do this! XP doesn’t have MS DOS anymore! Yes, you do have the MS Dos prompt within the operating system…but that didn’t help me. Help…HELP!

Ok, I’ll save you the detailed torture & moments of computer crisis I went through. Let’s keep a 6-day-adventure-story short: everything I tried turned into a dead end. For 6 long days, I have done almost nothing but trying to clean up the pc drive  to get this baby running safely and smoothly again — by pure chance, on day 5, I’m taking this application & support disc that came along with the package thinking there’s only little tools on there but, hey, give it a try anyway….so it’s booting from the cd rom drive, listing 4 options to choose from. #3…MS DOS prompts…. (You probably must have heard my song of joy around the world… ;o)

I did what I had to do, PC is working, OS is installed, main settings back on, anti-virus software running (learning to handle this is a chapter on its own since it’s pretty detailed and complicated…ha, anybody calling my name?)

Time to catch up with things left undone during those 6 days. In the past couple of days, I’ve travelled from the depths of computer programming (things I didn’t care to dip into in the first place) to the heights of the total lunar eclipse on Wed. As I wrote in my last post: it was an awesome sight, beyond words really. I’m so very happy that I’ve spontaneously decided to stay up and watch the eclipse.

Two days ago then, on Friday afternoon, I was almost out of it. After the eclipse and 3 hrs of sleep, I only added another late & long computer night and another early start on Friday as I needed to finish this project by noon. Due to all this computer trouble, I was not only behind in my schedule but also wasn’t sure I’d make the dead-line in the first place. Everything worked out though. The project got finished by 2pm, so that’s actually pretty cool.  So here I am, totally brain crazed (does such a word exist?) and drained and tired…and at the same wanting to get going and catching up with blogging and my artwork and crafting…I hardly know where to start.

(Deep breath….)

I ended up sorting pix for my blog and preparing the big blogging spree today *big smiles*

Notes from before everything went (computer) crazy

*** Out of Sync ***

Disturbing & scary as it is to see Mother Nature out of sync at this time of the year (mid-Feb), I just can’t help enjoying the sun and all this light! Two week-ends ago, we have had a terrifically beautiful, sunny mild week-end … so energizing, vitalizing, … so soaking it up having been busy with this latest little project of mine – a Valentine’s gift for someone who luuurves the seaside, the ocean & the coast – a small hand-bound notebook including sheets of 3 different colors, a handy double-sided little bookmark as well as pockets on the inside of the front flap:

 

Before I started, I only had a very rough idea about what I wanted to do. But once I had actually started, it was simply incredible, everything started flowing & coming together almost by itself. I even – unexpectedly – found a matching elastic blue band…so much for the synchronicity around here! *smiles*

The sun, warmth & natural light have been great motivators, too. Really happy with how it turned out. And what’s been your latest project you’ve actually finished? Oh, and btw, this is a question from someone who seems to be really good at WIPs (and procrastination, too) *hahahha* – considering *this*:

 

  

(P.S.: …and this is only a teeny tiny part of my WIPs…if you ever looked behind the scenes…whoohaaaa! ;o)))

 

*** Weird ***

Okay, I have to admit: everytime I blog or am about to blog a post – which admittedly has not been all thaaat often since I started – it still feels kind of weird to me, this „putting it and yourself out there“ to audience unknown & unseen. Maybe that is actually what keeps me from blogging more. Right now, for example, I’m feeling pretty ridiculous about writing this blog post and about sending it out into the world shortly. Humh, if you actually read this, you will know I decided against deleting it altogether. Don’t you worry, I’ll get over it…. I guess … *chuckle*

Is this getting better by & by, is this feeling eventually fading the more you post?  

What has been your experience in your early blogging steps and/ or your blooming blogging life?

Looking forward to your comments!

 

*** Fabric ***

Just a note on the side: I’m getting pretty obsessed with fabric and the idea of sowing lately & I don’t have the slightest clue where it’s coming from…I don’t even sow….not yet, I should probably say. Because I can definitely feel it coming. Friends are expecting their 2^nd child in May. A perfect ”excuse” for me to get into sewing.  I’ve come across some cute cloth baby shoes -  and Joanna of Stardustshoes is so incredibly sweet to share the sewing instructions (for personal use only!) here: http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/2006/10/cloth-shoe-pattern.html 

(Thank you Joanna! So nice of you to share these with us!)

So, when (and if) I get around to try my hands on those shoes, I’ll share the outcome with you my lovely readers. Wish me luck! ;o)

What’s been your latest crafting/ art obsession?

Alright my dears. Time for a little break. Get yourself another cup, take a nap, get crafty and most of all: stay tuned. I’ll be back soon with more to share!

 

Moongazing in awe

What a sight last night! Our sky was cloudless and the Moon could be seen so clearly…it was amazing to follow. The colors the Moon took on during the eclipse were a lovely orange-brownish-yellow-reddish…actually it’s quite difficult to describe that color.

Just wanted to drop a brief post today to let you know that I’ll be updating my blog with the posts of the past couple of days shortly. Right now, I have to go. There’s a project I need to have finished by tomorrow noon. But after that: it’s blogging time, folks!! ;o) So, stay tuned for my latest adventures…crises…happenings & doings and also for the exciting news so happily announced in my last post ;o)

I’ll see you over the week-end then & to bridge the waiting time here’s just a little shot of the moon I was able to catch last night…or should I rather say “this morning” (here the eclipse could be seen between ca. 2:50 – 6:00 AM)? *big smiles*

Would love to hear how you’ve experienced this lunar eclipse…

 

Wishing you all a lovely day today!

Sun – Sun – Sun

See what happens as soon as the first rays of sun are peeking around the corner? These little duck dudes …

… have packed in the twinkling of an eye, just like that, and are ready to hit the road … and roll …. Shortly, that is. First, it’s time for a well-deserved sun-bath. 

I’m sure you’ll understand ;o)

P.S. #1: See how sunny & hot it has been around here – the air is all shimmering! You didn’t think the photo was unfocused, d*i*d  y*o*u?????????????

*sunny smiles*

Gearing Up

Oh my goddess…I can’t believe we have almost Valentine’s already and this is only my first post this year…my very first! Yes, so I have been away from Blogland for a while but here’s a little sneak preview for you for something exciting coming up very soon (stress ‘very’)! So stay tuned.

 

Happy week-end everyone!