Polymer Clay: First Steps

Just two polymer clay pendants I made today. They are far from perfect but it was my first time, so please be gentle in your comments. Also, I really liked making them so there will be many more in the future. After all, practice makes the master.

Doilies Galore

I love making doilies. The repetitive work that leads to development of regular pattern, visible only at the end of work, has something zen-like to it. I always think about them as mandalas of crochet art. Unfortunately they don't fit my house decor so I lack reasons to make them. And that is why I was so happy recently when I got an order for a few doilies.

So let me brag about a few finished and unfinished projects:

Eggs, eggs, eggs...

Easter eggs galore. It is traditional in Poland (and several other countries) to ornament eggs for
Easter holidays. I usually use onion peels to colour my eggs from light yellow to dark crimson and leave it at that. But I thought you might like to see what my mum does with eggs from Easter:



The two eggs below are ostrich egg! They are bigger and much harder to break but the surface is also porous so it's harder to paint.




The next two eggs are coloured by boiling in onion peel. My mum uses a small knife to scratch the images on the shell (that's some skill, no?). It is good to use goose eggs or white chicken eggs because the greater the contrast, the better the pattern looks.


To see a few painted eggs from previous Easters, have a look at my flickr account. And now I am back to the kitchen, where everything is ready and smells so good :D I wish you all a very Joyful and Happy Easter.

Earth Hour 2010: 27th March 8.30pm

The Earth Hour is tomorrow! And it's going to be the third time I participate in the action. Of course, Earth Hour is not enough to preserve the environment but it is a great way to raise awareness and spread some good feel around the globe. It is also a fantastic way to feel connected with the global community of people. Here is what Earth Hour website says:

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Read more on the website and switch off your lights tomorrow!

Circle of Friends Award

What a fantastic beginning of my Friday. I woke up to see that I got this very sweet award from Amy of Ruby Mountain Beads. Have a look here to see what Amy loves and while you're over there, don't forget to check the fantastic jewellery Amy is creating.

Ok so here is who I pass the award too:
1. Victoria of Donauluft
2. Fiona of TizDuster
3. Snowbell of Snowbell Jewellery
4. Petronella of P8 Buttons and Fabrics
5. Jessica of Jess Gets Crafty

I should also tell you about 5 things I love...and it's hard to choose the top 5. Let's see:

1. I love Mr P. also known as my_soon_to_be_husband. I love him for all of the right (and a few wrong) reasons but mostly I love him cause we laugh together a lot.

2. I love spring! The air here is finally warm and sun shines more and more often. I even washed windows to get ready for more light. And of course with the coming spring I also love Easter holidays. They are always so clean and bright (despite the religious background) and there is loads of delicious food.

3. I love travelling. I haven't had a chance to do so much of it recently (except for our holidays on Gran Canaria). But at the same time Denmark is my fourth home (I was born in Poland, lived in Germany and studied in the UK) so I am in some sense a constant traveller.

4. I love crafting. That's not much of a surprise. But most of all I love finishing projects. There is nothing better than the feeling of job well done.

5. I love reading. Or maybe more precisely, I am addicted to reading. One entire wall in our living room is covered with books and I usually have 3 or 4 books started and laying around my apartment. I cannot go to sleep without reading at least a few pages, no matter how tired I am.

Warm Coffee and Croissants

Doesn't it look scrumptious? The green cozy is my first really finished knitted project. I am so proud of it and I think it looks fantastic. I know there are several design flaws but I ignore them and stare at my coffee pot instead of drinking it.

And by the way, I am sure you all know it's Etsy Euroweek and I've been featured in this lovely European-themed treasury!

Spring Paper Project

Spring has been shy so far in this parts. Despite a few really sunny days at the beginning of the month and the temperature steadily rising it is still very grey outside. So, one of the evening me and Mr. P had a nice, crafting session and came up with this lovely origami cranes to put in the windows.



Now we have a nice flock of blue, green and yellow birdies, flying together around the apartment. The day feels brighter right away.


Most of the cranes are hanging in the window. But I am also thinking about bringing some young willow branches from the nearby forest and making more colorful origami decorations to hung on them.

What do you think about it? Do you like to decorate your house? Is origami your thing?