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Not a good start of the new (blog) year. I was really sick in the beginning of December. A fever, an enormous headache and so much snot… I thought it was over but apparently it wasn’t. I saw the doctor last Friday and it seems I have had a sinus cavity which I didn’t take good care of, so now it was here again. On Monday I got more and more headache, feeling so shitty, I returned to the doctor and now I’m on antibiotics. It’s helping!!! Now I’m hoping and praying it will stay away.. So much weeks of headaches, snot and not feeling 100% isn’t very pleasant and I really, really, really, really hope it’s over now.

Anyhow! How about these fabulous boots!!!?? I bought a crochet book a few weeks ago, mostly because of these boots. I love them and definitely going to make a pair, someday. I made pictures of the instructions (although in Dutch, you can read the diagram and assembly chart) so please feel free to make a pair!!

(you can click on the picture too enlarge)

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I just got the message that everything is okay with mom and her newborn son.
I’m so happy for my friends, who got a healthy son, last night.
I truly believe that a handmade present for a newborn is the best gift to give. It’s from the heart, so personal and (as the baby) made with love. I love these sweet little yellow moccasins, or this little knitted jacket with hood, make a name with fabric letters or a sweet knitted toadstool rattle.

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I didn’t made any of these but crocheted a bunting. That was the pre-work, now I need to finish the bunting with the little guy’s name by making a felt letter on each flag. But in order to do that, it’s handy to know the little guy’s name.. Have to have some patience..

(clicking on source/link will get you to my pinterest,
click on the picture there to go to the original source!)

Tania from Little Things Blogged shares so much sweet and gorgeous crochet patterns on her site. She makes lovely amigurumi but also these lovely, lovely slippers. And she’s such a sweetie to share this pattern too. I find the colour combination, she used here, very smashing.

I have to say that I love crocheted (or knitted) slippers but I always have my doubts in making them because of the slippery soles. Guess I’m going to try this one (it’s a pretty simple pattern) and do some experiments with making it not slippery anymore. Any ideas maybe?

picture belongs to Little Things Blogged

fall felt leaves by dana made it

Fall is making her entrance. The wind is blowing harder, colours are changing, more rain, a fall sun and a earlier darker evenings. Lots of leaves, in the most beautiful colours, are falling of the trees. The forest is full of toadstools, pinecones and chestnuts. Lots of materials to work with. Here some very nice fall craft inspiration. Enjoy!

fall craft inspirations with leaves by kokokoKIDS

painted sticks heart by makesomething365

apartment therapy: egg shell roses, jewellery display, art board, stylish maps

family fun: paper flowers, tin robots, carton & paper dollhouse, jug heads

Sometimes someone tells you something or gives you feedback without knowing the power of those words. I guess you know what I mean, don’t you? Today I got such a powerful message that hit me in my heart and will make me smile for the rest of the week.
I got an email from Stephanie, an volunteer librarian in the Seattle area. She wanted to thank me for creating the diy and craft page with lots and lots links to good craft sites. And off course SOIL tries to find lots of recycle craft links. It helped her teaching her class on the importance of recycling.
That gives me such a good feeling. My goal with SOIL isn’t just to sell handmade products, items that are sustainable or made with recycled materials. I want to inspire too, tell the world to think about the things you buy, think about how it’s made, where it’s from, how much we waste, how fun reusing and recycling is, how beautiful it is.. So if someone on the other side of the world finds my site, gets inspired and finds help in learning kids about recycling, I feel very happy!

One of Stephanie’s students, Mary, found a new great resource on recycling. Here’s the link “Recycling and Paper Arts and Crafts for Kids” Mary found. All the recycle crafts in this post are links that come from this site. It’s a very good resource page with lots of information on recycling and ideas for recycling crafts. Thanks so much Mary for finding this page!! And thanks Stephanie for making time to email me and letting me know.

apartment therapy: kids craft with toilet rolls; napkin rings, changing faces dolls, bird feeder, car

How sweet, how cool and how crazy original! So I love this turtle back pack. It’s a design by Julie Lapalme and for sale for only 3,50 USD on ravelry. Get the link to the pattern here, but remember you need to have a Ravelry account to sign in (don’t have one yet, request one! it’s free and worth it!)

(oh and thanks Libby and Mads for your sweet responses!! I feel better. not there yet but better.. thank you!)

I’m working on a (light) yellow and camel coloured crochet project. It’s a bag project for Handwerken zonder Grenzen, the magazine I’m writing for and off course I can’t show anything. This will be in the October issue, so be patient. Meanwhile working on a lot of (crocheted) cupcakes and in my free-five-minutes a day I work on a mustard coloured vest, for myself.

I need some colour!! Okey, the cupcakes are very colourful but working on the base, is also just working with brown or yellow. So I need a ‘splash moment’ and made a inspiration  board with colourful crafts. Just some random inspirations from my pinterest. Just making the inspiration board gives me a happy, bright feeling again. Ohh how I love colours.. Enjoy your weekend!

non of these images are credited as mine, check here to find the original artist or tutorial

Ohh my Goodness, how I LOVE this idea!! (Dad, I know you can’t read English but I will explain it and we will make these together!! So you know!) The idea is very very simple. Just drill a hole in your table or into a shelf and attach a jar underneath. Place a single flower for minimalist perfection. I will make this one! Made from a large slice of old wood (my dad has so much wood) and with two or three jars. Can’t wait to make!
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On facebook I saw my childhood best friend again. So nice to read/see her again after 20 years. She, and her husband, are moving back to the place we grew up and last week they opened a new lunchbar/cooking school/wine school/ delicatessen shop.
I find it so cool for them and I so hope (but know) everything is going to work out fine. But whatever happens, they got my respect. Opening a business in these crisis times mostly result in a lot of comments.. I know from experience when I started SOIL a year ago. So my deepest respect. But then again I know they will make it..

Made a pop-up card for them to congratulate them on their business. It’s a Martha Stewart idea (can’t find it back anymore but check the martha site for great tips to make the pop-ups). I made mine with a thick a4 (folded) paper, paper scraps and I did some stamping to complete the card. Loved to make this card and I love the result. Very happy and bright. Want to make a card like this? My tip: have time! It seems easy done, and it is but it requires a lot of time. Mine was done in about 2 to 3 hours. Worth it.

But where ever the journey is going.. it’s moving forwards! Haha (see last post)! My new circle wrap is almost done. I need to crochet one more row with circles and then I can continue working away all the (420!!) loose threads. It’s going to be a beautiful wrap! I made these earlier but they sell very quick. I have a reasonable price.. but a price that doesn’t compare the work. Maybe I have to make a DIY package sometime? There’s a lot of questioning about the pattern.. Mmmhh, maybe for the future. It’s a journey, isn’t it?!