The Creative License -

Giving Yourself Permission To Be The Artist You Truly Are.

This is the best book I’ve read in a long while and the book I really need to read. Mr. Hummmlan gave it to me as an early birthday gift. Thank you! Me and my pencil hasn’t been the best of friends for a long time now and I need to get a kick in the butt to get started.

Quote from the book:
“Somewhere deep inside, we all have a longing to make things – be they drawings, music, hand-knit sweaters, or loaves of bread. Then why do so few of us consider ourselves CREATIVE?”

The Creative License - Giving Yourself Permission To Be The Artist You Truly Are
Author: Danny Gregory
(ISBN 1-4013-0792-2)




[Pictures: www.dannygregory.com]

More quotes from the book:
“When my daughter was about seven years old, she asked me one day what I did at work. I told her I worked at the college – that my job was to teach people how to draw. She stared at me, incredulous, and said ´you mean they forget?´” – Howard Ikemoto

“THERE ARE NO BAD DRAWINGS.
Drawings are experiences.
The more you draw, the more experienced you’ll get.
In fact, you’ll learn more from BAD or unpredictable or weird experiences than from those that go exactly as you’d hoped and planned.
SO LET IT GO
Release your ego’s desire for perfection.
Take risks
Stretch
Grow
CREATE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, WHENEVER YOU CAN.

Visit Danny Gregorys website
More pictures from the book

The curtain is up!

Did some sewing last night. I think the curtain could have been a bit longer but our window is very tall. In a “normal” window the curtain would be perfect. Bought some tulips, it’s always nice to have new fresh flower when you put up new curtains.

[Picture: hummmlan]

My pincushion

I don’t know for how long I had this pincushion but I got it when I was a child. It has followed me through the years and I’m quite convinced that it will follow me for the rest of my life. I love it!


[Picture: hummmlan]

Timotei has done a lovely pincushion using a glass jar.

At flickr you can see a lot of pincushions!

Lampshade

Finally I did some sewing this evening! I haven't had the time to be crafty for a long time now. I sewed a lampshade for the kitchen. It was very easy and didn’t take too long time to do. Hopefully I can sew a kitchen curtain tomorrow in the same fabric, if I find the time…


[Picture: hummmlan]

Shadowscapes

I really want you to discover this great artist, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and her website Shadowscapes. She is extremely talented, I wish I could paint with watercolours as she is doing! She paints faeries, creatures, angels and much more and they are so colourful and vibrant. Take time to go through her gallery, you can sit for hours and just dream of lands beyond…

[Pictures: ©Stephanie Pui-Mun Law]

Baby Cool

This book I bought a couple of days ago. I love to redo things and that is what this book shows you how to do. A t-shirt can turn into a pyjama or a cool dress. I think I will try to do a dress for my daughter. Maybe a summer dress…

Baby Cool : Sy nytt av gammalt
Authors: Lindén Ivarsson, Anna-Stina, Sandström Hallberg, Nina
Alfabeta, Sverige, 2006 (ISBN 9150106848)

[Pictures: hummmlan]

The last day of Christmas

Today it is in Sweden something we call “Tjugondedag Knut”. It is 20 days after Christmas and we dance the Christmas out. We take away all the Christmas decorations and dance around the Christmas tree and eat candy.

[Pictures: hummmlan]

Illustration Friday (buzz)

What a suitable topic for me! Because I’m a bumblebee and I love the buzz!

Here is my logo


… and here is a self-portrait from my sketchbook

[Pictures: hummmlan]

Posy

I thought I should share some of the things I find on the Internet with you. I’ve made a new category named links where I will post interesting and cool sites.

First out is Posy. She has a blog where she shows her home, things that she makes and lots of other stuff. Visit her, you will not be disappointed!

[Pictures: http://posy.typepad.com/posy]

Happy New Year!

I wish to thank you all that have read and comment on my blog the past year. It’s greatly appreciated!

My sister’s birthday was a couple of months a go but she got her gift from me yesterday… It’s our grandmother’s buttons and laces that I’ve used. My sister’s initial is K.

[Picture: hummmlan]

A beautiful name…

I’ve sewed my niece name on a sweater. She got it as a Christmas gift. A couple of months ago she came home from day-care and cried: “They say that I’m nice and all that, but no one ever says that I have a beautiful name!” Poor little girl (3 years old)… Fanny, now you have the sweater to show everyone your beautiful name!

[Picture: hummmlan]

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a nice Christmas!

[Picture: hummmlan]

Wrapping

I’ve started wrapping all the Christmas gifts. But I don’t think they look so good… Does anyone of you have some tips or links to share of how to make beautiful or cool wrappings?

Tomorrow we are going to decorate the Christmas tree, yippy!

[Picture: hummmlan]

Gingerbread biscuits

Last week we baked gingerbread biscuits. It’s one of my favourite Christmas sweets. We had some glögg (mulled wine or hot wine punch) to the gingerbread. Yummy!

Have a nice week and don’t stress too much! Take it easy and take care!

[Picture: hummmlan]

I’ve sent them!

All the Christmas cards have been sent, and I hope they arrive before Christmas. I’m always very late with these things. And you who expect a Christmas card from me; act surprised!!


[Picture: hummmlan]

Christmas Card

I’ve done a Christmas card in a shape of a tag. I’m obsessed with tags ;-)
The stocking have I painted with watercolors and the text (Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year) is done in Photoshop.

At the blog Lantliv i stan (Country life in the city) it is right now a challenge to show your Christmas cards.

[Picture: hummmlan]

Printing on tags-tutorial

Someone asked me how I did the tags shown earlier, so here is a tutorial! I hope you understand it, if you don’t, just ask me and I try to explain.

Step One
Make an arrow on the printing paper so you know how to put the paper in the printer later. (I didn’t do that the first time I’ve tried it. It didn’t look good upside down…)


Step Two
Put the paper in the printer, arrow down.


Step Three
Now, print your logo or the picture you want on your tag.


Step Four
Put a piece of tape on the backside of the tag.


Step Five
Put the paper on a lighting table (I don’t know if it’s the correct English word for it) or against a lamp so you can see through both the paper and the tag. Can you see your picture? Good!


Step Six
When you are satisfied with the layout, make sure that the tag is fixed to the paper.


Step Seven
Make a line with a pen around the tag so you can see where to put the other tag you want to print. In that way you don’t have to use the lighting table or the lamp to get it right next time.


Step Eight
Now put the paper with the tag in your printer, arrow down and print.


Step Nine
Voila! There’s your good-looking tag!!Print, as many you want!

[Pictures: hummmlan]

Decorating for Christmas

I’ve been so busy so I don’t have enough time for Christmas decorating! But now I’ve started. It’s just a little candle and a Mrs Santa Claus so far… More pictures to come!

[Picture: hummmlan]

The Christmas market

This weekend I was selling my stuff at the Christmas market. On Saturday it was +10 degrees and the rain was pouring down. It was very few people that visited, but who can blame them? It wasn’t exactly what you call “Christmas spirit”…

On Sunday the weather was a bit better and I think I saw the sun for a little glimpse. It was many people at the Christmas market but no one was buying… Of course I got a few things sold but it wasn’t the quantity I’ve expected. It was fun to try it, but I don’t know if I will do it again. “Don’t give up, you have beautiful things!” one of the other crafters said to me. “Next time you maybe sell all of your things.” Maybe she is right, time will tell. I maybe set up a blog shop with the stuff that I didn’t get sold…

The old stable


My stand







[Pictures: hummmlan]