Sightseeing

Sometimes it's good to look at the most familiar places with new eyes. Walk one street further than you normally do and you'll find a hidden gem! I found my dream house (not in these pictures). Of course it was not for sale and even if it was, it would be out of my reach. But it was worth finding!

Yesterday

Dinner in candlelight during Earth Hour.

Somehow the candlelit evening helped to get tired earlier, go to bed an hour earlier and helped to get adjusted for the morning that came an hour earlier.

The giveaway wasn't really a mass magnet, but I could still make a draw. Thanks for your comments! Sarene, please send me (contact details on the sidebar on left) your address to get the gift!

Slowly but surely

The lazy gardener in me (who also happens to be very allergic to apples) left the apples on the tree in the autumn. Even the neighbour became curious because the apples would hang on to the tree all winter long and no birds would touch them. "What did you do with your apple tree?"
Nothing. I did nothing. And I still haven't.
But then came the birds, the Bohemian Waxwings, who, in a split second had eaten almost all the apples.

Snow is melting, hanging and dripping. Turning into slush and water and then disappearing in the air.
Slowly but surely spring is showing it's force.

Slowly but surely I'm welcoming spring. I think it's time. And it's been a good winter.

Winter camp

We had winter camp this weekend. 

Plenty of snow and mild temperature were perfect conditions for snow soccer!

How it all begun and a giveaway!

This is how it started.
I was 4 years old. Dad taught me how to knit. I've never seen him knit other than when he was teaching me. But he has always liked to do woodcrafts and to build stuff - he's even built the house where lived in back then, and where that picture was taken.

Mum on the other hand did handicrafts, and grandmother even more so. She's the one I've taken after the crafty spirit, especially sewing. I always used to stand next to her sewing table and watch her sew clothes.

About the same age, 4 or 5, I made myself my first skirt. But it turned out half too small, because I hadn't realize there had to be a front AND back piece.. I learned my lesson and have never made that mistake again! After that it was Barbie clothes and then all kinds of clothes and other crafts.

Do you still remember how you started with something you still do on your free time - or even as your job? Share your story in the comment box by March 25! By doing this you'll have a chance to win something I made!

In transition

It's very much winter still.

But the sun is doing its best, 

and looks like the moon is trying to help out, too!

Back then...

I've spent a long weekend with good friends. We go way back. At some point we lived quite close to each other, but for years there's been a 4 hour trip between us. Even though we don't see each other that often, we can pick up from where we left the last time.

"I am your friend", said the 2-year-old when I arrived. Friends, young and old, are a blessing. The little ones are great because they say exactly what they mean. We could (and should) learn from them.

These clothes are a small percentage of all the clothes I've made for my little friends during the past years. They weren't photographed earlier, because some of them were made at a time when you had to count your photos carefully - which 24 moments are worth photographing? 

Last summer a 10-year-old was really amazed when she heard about that sort of "limit". "Why didn't you just upload them on your computer after you'd taken all your 24 photos??" Then: "What's a film spool?" How do you explain a negative then? Or developing  a film..? As much as I love the possibility of snapping hundreds of photos without thinking, there was something special about going to the shop, then once outside opening the envelope to see how your photos had turned up... That was exciting!

Anyway (sorry about the off-topic rambling), 

The football bag proved to be large enough to carry all the essential gear:

Ice and snow

Craft it forward

As I was tidying up my sewing room I found this. One of my first craft projects.

I think I made it when I was 6 or 7 years old.

Lately I've been feeling crafty. Not that I have been very productive, but somehow inspired by many things and many people.

I tried some printing on fabric today - had the wrong kind of paint.. didn't work out.

Remembered I'd done some printing with some printmaking colours (for etching and engraving prints) - couldn't open the colour tube.. So that didn't work out, either.. 

I even tried some smoke printing which I've done on paper earlier and that worked out a bit better. Although I would have wanted the snow flakes to be white.. 

Materials: Recycled tent

For the print: a candle, olive oil etc, a tile, a paintbrush or a swab, a stencil.

¨ ¨ ¨

In the midst of all this I stumbled upon the challenge (here at v a l o) I have skipped several times this year thinking I won't be able to pull it off. But.. this time I decided to participate. After all, I have almost a year to execute this..

Craft it Forward 2011 rules: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment here... They must in turn post this on their blog and send something they make to the first 5 people who comment. The rules are that it must be handmade by you (sewing, painting, pottery, photography, whatever!), and it must be sent to your 5 people sometime in 2011.

First, write a post on your blog with a link back to wherever you heard about the idea first.

On the road - on ice

The ice road goes from the mainland to the island over the frozen sea. 

In the sun

Gorgeous, sunny day. Everyone seemed to be out skiing, ice-fishing, snowmobiling or dogsledding. Just enjoying the bright sun and the start of the holidays. 

Football for the player

My little godson has turned 8. He's not so little anymore. His new sport is football. In a few days he'll put his football and football shoes in a football bag.

Football bag

Pattern: Own

Materials: Recycled tent, zipper

Not just yet

Since the night of the Aurora I have been staring up at the sky when walking or driving the car - even in the bright daylight. Which is actually good for my own safety (as you can see). 

The spring is here, there's no question about it. And I'm freaking out a bit. I'm not ready for it. Not just yet.
I'm not ready for the loud voice of the snow falling down from the roof.
I'm not ready for the slushy roads where your car gets stuck in.
Suddenly today the main road looked the same as in the summer.
Give me a couple more weeks of cold weather.. Frost needs frost. Pretty please!

A dream come true

Ordinary Tuesday.
I was driving home from work around 8 pm - was probably singing to myself in the car like I do - when I looked up and saw something greenish against the dark sky.
A U R O R A !
Finally!
I couldn't drive the last 500 meters home but instead parked my car and was so thankful that for once I had my camera with me! No tripod, though, but it didn't matter. For years I've dreamed of photographing the Aurora.

I eventually drove home, put on some more clothes, took the tripod and headed back. The last three pictures were taken literally on my doorstep. What more can one hope on an ordinary Tuesday?