On Sunday’s I teach an art class to Emil, Esben and three of my friends’ kids, Karina, Rachel and Lauren. There is a big age span from 5-12 years, so finding suitable assignments isn’t always easy. The older kids are able to learn a bit of technique, while I want the younger kids to just draw or paint whatever they are inspired to do. Last week we made sculptures from aluminum foil, a great way to get them into sculpting without all the mess of clay – and with five kids and a distracted art teacher that has to be a consideration. While the kids get into it, we mommies sit around and commiserate to a glass of wine. We are all European women married to Taiwanese men. We would probably commiserate even if we were married to European men … Tim wisely goes and spends time with his second wife, his computer:-)
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Watercolor Paper
I have set up my painting studio in the brightest corner of our home with linen curtains filtering the light. A little while back I was in a real bind because I could not find the paper I use for watercolor painting anywhere here.
I use Windsor & Newton Hot Press, 300 lb sheets, because the ultra fine smooth surface is best suited for scanning the images I use in the flash animated ecards. Tim frantically called a long list of stores, but each store said the distributor had stopped carrying the paper. Finally he convinced an employee at the distributor to go and dig around in the stock room. Low and behold he found 200 sheets! Yeah, we bought it all, and stuffed it under our bed. I would have been better to have all the money we paid for it stuffed into the mattress, but hey, at least the paper should last a few years I hope …
I refuse to be practical
Yesterday I finally got around to sewing an apron (after ruining several shirts while cooking). I admit it turned out slightly fanciful – Tim’s exact words were “myyyyy, it is sooooo girly”, but hey, who says aprons have to be purely practical – with this apron I might actually get in the right mood to cook more often and look pretty darn cute doing it 🙂 Since I didn’t have a pattern available I just started with a two square pieces of fabric, that were stitched together to make the front and back of the apron. I then rutched the top hem and the waist to give the apron some shape.
The result is a fully reversible apron – hey that IS practical come to think of it – the other side being made entirely from the blue fabric used for the contrasting edges and strings on the “front” of the apron. Tim took some snaps as the sun was quickly setting this evening – the pictures don’t reveal how hot and humid it actually was.
I had used the same blue fabric a little while back to make a hem for our mosquito net and had a little left for use on the apron. After we bought our poster bed, I realized it was impossible to find a net that was the right size, so I made one from silk chiffon. But the chiffon is so light that without a heavier weight hem, it flutters too easily with every tiny breeze.
While the net might be purely cosmetic in some places, here it is a must. So now we can lie in our little cocoon, looking at the world veiled in silk chiffon and imagine the university right next door did not start building a huge ugly monster of a concrete building, obscuring the beautiful view of the cow farm we originally had from our balcony. The alternative was that the city would seize the land using eminent domain to build a highway. We are very happy we merely have to put up with a little temporary construction for the building instead. On weekends the kids still come into our bed, not so much for a cuddle anymore as they are too busy reading comics.
I am FINALLY blogging
I have been meaning to write this blog for a really long time, but I guess there is no time like the present!
After some back and forth experimentation and almost two days of work I have settled on a new look for the homepage of the site. I wanted to update the information and the look, make it slightly more compact, without altering it so much that our members might not recognize it. I haven’t decided which of these last two options I like best, but I guess you will find out soon, because Tim wants it ready pronto.
I am in a creative phase (read: driving my husband crazy, making a creative mess, forgetting to eat and pretty much being unable to fall asleep at night because I am still not finished with whatever project I started at 10 pm).
It Costs More to Send Mail in US
Enjoy your Day, A New Mother’s Day eCard
I have just put the finishing touches on my latest card, created with Mother’s Day in mind. Being a mother of two active boys, I know that sometimes it is hard to find a moment to just put your feet up and enjoy the view, so my inspiration for the card was my very own “castle in the sky” place that makes for the perfect quick escape.
Cats on the other hand seem to have the right idea, they won’t be hurried or distracted by the demands of motherhood or anything else for that matter – even a whole litter of kittens! Pots of fragrant lavender, terracotta rooftops and rolling green hills – I know if I could be there right now, that is where I would want to be …
Enjoy and have a great Mother’s Day!
Earth Day or Triage Day?
Today is April 22 – Earth Day, a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. Some people say that every day should be Earth Day. But Joseph Romm from Climate Progress says that maybe we should dump Earth Day and change it to “Triage Day”.
Free eCard for Earth Day – Blue Planet
We have added a new card, “Blue Planet”, to our selection just in time for Earth Day April 22nd. It features a happy and up-tempo Brazilian chorinho musical piece by Anne Lenoir, Carlos Oliveira and Alex Calatahud, who have graciously offered their music for this card. If you are not familiar with this style of music, the card includes some information about it and the musicians.
Inspired by the music and the diversity of Brazilian flora and fauna, I set about creating a card that would inspire us to take a little better care of our planet – for our own sake if for no other reasons. The wildlife in the card, especially our intelligent counterparts below water, the dolphins, have an important message to deliver. And although intended for Earth Day, I think it is also ideally suited for cheering anyone up or saying congratulations.
Joining last year’s card, “Roof of the World”, this one is this year’s card that is available free of charge for a good cause. So please join us in celebrating our blue planet and Earth Day on April 22nd along with billions around the world.
Easter & Spring eCard, Hyacinths & Snow Drops
We recently added a new card for Easter and Spring called “Hyacinths & Snow Drops”, the little messengers of spring, Easter and the hope that spring has always symbolized to me – all served up in a rather unusual fashion in this card.
Or pick from some of the other cards we offer on the site for Easter and Spring, including the very popular card “Enchanted” featuring hand painted tulips or “Gift’s of Spring” which has also been a huge hit so far!
Here are a few more choices of cards or you can follow this link to go directly to our Easter/Spring selection of cards on the site.
Best wishes for a Happy Easter!
St. Patrick’s Day eCard
We have added a new card called “Tree of Life” for St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th). It can also be used for many other occasions as well0. It features a pair of grey partridges, which are highly endangered in Ireland, tying a silver love knot to a heartwarming Irish tune.
Wishing you a happy St. Paddy’s Day filled with love and luck!