kerli: little animals, handicrafts and recycling

Computer games for preschoolers? Of course!

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

If your child is interested in games and computers, there are plenty of free sites you can go to.
This is the place where we usually go to find the links to old favourites and new games, but I'll be adding a few separately as well.

Craymachine is a web toy created by Orange, it isn't really designed for kids, but Emily here likes it. Basically, every letter key makes a funny sound and a little animation/shape, like falling raingdrops, cheeping birds, drums etc. Press Ctrl and + (on number pad) together to make the square bigger (and Ctrl and - afterwards), before you click on it.

Paint like Jackson Pollock is a Flash animation created by Miltos Manetas, and it's incredibly fun and easy. All you have to do is move the mouse around the screen to see different splats appear (the faster you move the smaller they are). Click the left mouse button to change colour, and press Enter to refresh to a clear page. Also, press F11 to get rid of all the toolbars and have a full screen of "canvas" to paint on. Pressing F11 again brings toolbars back.

Few days ago we discovered a new page with games, the Fungooms. It's full of little simple games, but they do require mouse. There are 5 characters, each of them have their own "room" which has about 5 games in it. You can plant, water and pick tomatoes, play a big trombone-like instrument, tickle babies with a duster etc. Emily's favourite is the singing frogs one. Every time you complete a special action (click on all the water lily leaves) or finish the game (pick a basket full of tomatoes), you get a star. The music is nice and not annoying even after quite a long time, IMO. I really like this page. After just a few days, I have noticed that Emily's mouse skills have gone up quite a lot, and she has learnt to deal with frustration. Previously, if she couldn't get or do something straight away, she would start crying and run away, and sulk in a corner. Now she whines a few seconds and tries again. Definitely check this site out. :)

If your kid is very good with a mouse, or a bit older, you could try Octonauts games (they have a few printable colour-in pictures too) or Orisinal, full of beautiful, gentle, mouse-controlled games.

If you have a bit of money to spend, you could try I Spy or Can You See What I See? games. These are based on the book series, and are HOGs, hidden object games, where you have to find a list of items on beautifully set up photo scenes. Every time you click on an item, it will move and make a fun sound. You can get them from Big Fish Games, for example, where you can also download a trial and play free for an hour to see whether you like it. (If you decide to buy, don't forget to join the Game Club, which means you get 30% off every game you buy, plus daily deals etc. When you join, you get billed for one credit straight away, but you can cancel any time - straight after buying the game with your credit, if you wish. Honestly I'm not advertising them here for the sake of it. :)

Have fun!

tuskel,
sincerely

Petition against selling off Britains woodlands. Please sign!

2011-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo. Another way to save money and get us out of this recession - sell off Britains woodlands. That's what the Government is trying to do right now. News here.

Save our forests! There's a petition to sign here.

kerli,
sincerely

Fun little game: match colours!

2010-08-12T02:30:00.000-07:00

We have lots of gem dice in a little basket since DH used to play RPGs. Emily thinks they are simply some nice things to pick up and put in a box or bowl and sometimes she calls them with their colour names too. Anyway, a bit of matching fun to have here: I cut out circles of coloured card (I used her breakfast bowl as stencil) and one of white paper, so she could match all the dice with the right circles. Not hours of fun, but she did it several times and was very proud to have put them all in correct places. :)

Clever Emily!

I did it! I did it! (she really sais that :)

I'm sure it'll work with other little colourful things, like blocks or buttons etc.

kerli,
sincerely

In our house, we eat Dalek dip!

2010-08-12T01:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's actually been that long since I last posted here!

We've had quite nice summer, went to DHs paren't caravan near Bridport and had a lovely time. Also, went to Abbotsbury swannery, and now Emily calls all the lakes around here "swannewy". :)
Some pics:

Went to see the donkeys and fed them some carrots. Of course, Emily had to have one herself!

The caravan park is a bunny paradise! There's loads of them around any time of day.

After an especially tiring day...

Abbotsbury swannery. It was absolutely massive place. (Then again, why did I think it wouldn't be?) Also featuring Chesil Beach on the backround.

A cheeky blackbird in the swannery cafe.

And - guess where - in Weymouth.

Seagull posing in hope of getting some crisps from the people next to us.

Emily and Gran having some ice cream.

Oh, and Dalek dip? I made battered cauliflower few days ago (just with batter mix from shop) and since cauliflower doesn't taste of much, I also made a dip with soured cream, mayonnaise, some herbs and garlic (dalek :D). Emily loves garlic dip. She always eats loads whenever there is some. :)

kerli,
sincerely

And today´s the day when teddy bears have their picnic! :)

2010-04-19T02:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a few days ago actually. I got some silicone muffin moulds - I've been wanting some for ages now, a muffin tin really, but when I saw these, it was even better - and made some simple muffins with this recipe. I did replace on cup of flour with porridge oats. :)

And then we went into the garden to have a little picnic with Teddy.

Emily, cup-a-teas (as she calls them), muffins and squash. :)

Hooray! The muffin moulds have different colours! :)

kerli,
sincerely

Tutorial: Have butterflies flying on your ceiling!

2010-04-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

It's nearly Easter, a holiday that is connected to the spring. And spring to me means butterflies. Now, I know butterflies aren't strictly Easter decorations, but I like them and I thought it would make a nice change from the snowflakes. :P

I believe it would be great make for kids about 4 years onwards (Yes, even teenagers. It amazed me - I was a teacher for a year - how they, despite trying to act and look like adults, enjoyed simple makes.)

So, to make some butterflies you will need:
*Printer (well, in the end you can draw your own, or even copy them from the computer screen :P
*Some printer paper or thin card, either coloured or white
*Some coloured paper (especially if your printer paper is white)
*Pencils, crayons or felt-tip pens
*Scissors
*Hole punch
*A tub, like Vanish one or the ones they sell nuts in, or a bowl
*Glue stick
*Thread
*Some sticky tape and masking tape
*This template: (Click on it, let it load to its full size, then Right click -> Save Image As)

I printed the butterflies out to every coloured card we had here, so I had 10 sheets! :O

Colour some in and cut them all out.

Keep the left-over paper. It will be used very soon. Now you need your hole punch and your bowl. Take some bigger bits of the paper, fold them two or three times and punch holes into them. Put the little circles in your tub and keep them.

Use the little circles and other bits of left-over paper to decorate your other butterflies. It would be a good idea to turn some of them round, so the side you decorate will be clear.

Fold your butterflies gently in half, decorated side out, so that they look a bit V-shaped. Cut bits of thread, about 30 cm (12 in) or more long and tape one to each top wing of your butterflies. That makes them hang nicely so that all the decorating can be seen. I tried it with one piece of thread in the middle, but the butterflies didn't stand "up" properly. Even with two threads it's less fiddly. :)

Now use the masking tape to stick them onto your ceiling.

Happy Spring!

kerli,
sincerely

P.S. My litte girl here forces us to lie down on the floor and blow on the "byes" (or "futterbyes") several times a day! ;)

P.P.S. I didn't design the butterflies, I just found them though Google and put them together.
Thanks goes to:
*http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/TemplateMonarchPaintedLady.html
*http://lovebutterflies.org/templates.htm
*http://www.nfty.org/Photos/index.cfm?id=4867&pge_prg_id=11304&pge_id=2730
Sorry, but I can't find the page for the last one any more!

Tutorial: How to make play rice

2010-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

I happened to read someone's blog a few days ago, I got there through Totally Tutorials, and this lady had made little felt fish to "catch" for her 2 & 1/2 year old son. They were really cute. I read a few more of her posts and I found out that she was using Montessori method (I think she was also training to become a Montessori teacher) for all kinds of activities. It struck me how interesting and nice it was - even for myself, especially all the sensory games, so I will find out more about it and try it out.

I have started with something already, something I thought would be simple, yet interesting to my little daughter: play rice.

You will need:
* Some rice. I had open pack with about 150g of rice in it, which is absolutely enough to make a complete mess of the floor, if you let them! :D
* 4 cups (I used little glasses, but if your child is old enough, he or she might want to help with the mixing)
* Food colouring (Mine came from Tesco, as usual, cost about 80p a bottle, and it does last quite a long time. And you only need three colours: red, yellow and blue.)

* Some containers to play with - like plastic bowls, ice cream boxes, a funnel, a little beaker, empty yoghurt pots (in West Country we have Yeo Valley Organic yoghurt, which has cardboard sleeve around transparent plastic pot, you can take the sleeve off easily and have a see-through pot to play with)
* A wooden spoon (And a metal or plastic one for yourself to pick everything up :)

* Playmat or blanket (optional, but I found it easier to slide the spoon around the mat, collecting all the dropped pieces of rice)

How to:
* Divide your rice into 4 roughtly the same sized amounts into the cups
* Add a drop or two from each bottle to the first three cups - yellow, red and blue. Mix. Add a drop of yellow and tiny drop of blue into the fourth. Mix. Now you have all 4 primary colours. Alternatively, you could make 2 more colours, 6 altogether, if you wish, to maybe teach your kids how complementary colours can be made - orange from yellow and red and purple from red and blue.
* Let the rice dry for about 10-15 minutes, then stir with your finger to see whether it has dried completely.
* Pour the different colours into different plastic pots (mixing them up is added fun!), add 1-2 empty bowls and a wooden spoon.
* Give to your child and enjoy!

Emily was occupied for ages. 40 minutes from when I checked the time, and I am pretty sure we had been playing for at least 15 minutes already. She was pouring the rice from one youghurt pot to the other and to the bowl and spooning it into different pots. And she kept saying "mix mix!", laughing and stirring it in the red bowl. She was so busy that I couldn't even put her tights on and fasten her dungarees properly after changing the nappy! My job, of course, was to "drive" the spoon around the mat and collect all the pieces that had fallen out, and there were LOADS of them. It was kind of fun, but my lazy innter voice kept moaning "Why oh why oh why couldn't you be a bit more careful?!" She did say "Oh dear" in her little voice every time she dropped some, though. :O She should enjoy being messy! :D

We have played with it several times now and she is still really interested. I think she has started being deliberately messy and pouring the rice on the floor now. :P

Other ideas for the same type of play:
*Buttons
*Pebbles
*Pasta shapes (they dye quite well, too, only it makes a bit fiddlier mixing)

Have fun!

kerli,
sincerely

Cut the debt!

2010-03-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to the news about government cutting the spending on public services. Surely, the biggest public service is the government itself? When are we going to hear about discussions to reduce their own salaries and fat bonuses? They have f-d up massively, so why are we paying for them?

Everyone, vote for little parties and for none of the biggest ones.

Government should be like jury duty - random selection out of all citizens and NEVER EVER for the people who want to rule.

Kissell! Tutorial: How to make compote

2010-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

I love compote (kissell in estonian), it's quite a common dessert back there. Trouble is, it costs an arm and a leg to buy some here, so I make my own. It's not very hard anyway. (By the way, the word compote is a bit confusing to me, since "kompott" means kind of preservative, whole berries or fruit or slices of fruit preserved in their own juice/syrup, as opposed to jam, where all is mushed up.)

But back to our task: how to make some.

What you will need:
* A medium-sized saucepan or pot (Mine holds about 2+ litres)
* 2 glasses (about 500ml) of transparent not very overpowering juice, like apple or cranberry as opposed to for example orange
* Fresh fruit and/or berries and/or
* Dried fruit and/or berries and/or
* Tinned fruit and/or berries
* Some water
* Some sugar, app 2 tbsp (one tablespoon - tbsp = app 3 teaspoons -tsp)
* Spices, if you wish: 2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
* 2-3 tbsp of thickening agent, like cornflour, starch or ground arrowroot
* Some milk, whipped cream, toast, biscuits or creamy roly-poly for serving

How to make it:
* Add your juice to the pan

* Add chopped up fresh fruit (cut apples or pears in quarters, remove core, don't bother with the peeling, then cut in quarters again - to get about bite size pieces), berries, washed dried fruit/berries - about half a handful each. No need to soak. Don't forget raisins or sultanas, they're essential! :) I also love tinned plums in my compote, but I couldn't find any this week. In one sentence, add whatever you like and whatever you have. :) I had apples, dried apricots and prunes and some raisins. So, in they all went.

*Also, add your spices and sugar. Top up with water until it's 3-5 cm from the edge.

* Bring to boil (on the scale of 6 points like my hob has, I use 4) then simmer gently (on 1,5-2) under the lid until all the ingredients are soft and plump. That should take about an hour.
* Put 2-3 tbsp of corn flour/starch/ground arrowroot into a cup, add a bit cold water and mix until everything is dissolved, keep adding water until your mix looks like milk.

* Pour your mix into the pot while stirring, so that it blends well, then keep stirring slowly until you notice your compote thickening. It doesn't take long, just a few minutes.

* Take your pan off the hotplate, stir some more and let it cool down.
* Serve cold with milk, whipped cream, pieces of toast, plain soft vanilla biscuits or creamy roly-poly. Whatever you fancy, really!

Serves about 4

When I think about variations, I guess more spices would be nice around Christmas. Orange zest maybe? And eat it with gingerbread? I've never made compote with orange juice, but maybe it will be allright. Any brave experimenters? :)

kerli,
sincerely

I have things.

2010-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Why is it that during the day you get great thoughts and ideas to write about in your blog, and then, in the evening when your baby goes to sleep you are too tired to remember or even turn the computer on? :)

I made 2 pairs of earrings recently, kind of new wave in my creations. They are with paper beads and feature some extra twirls. Base shapes were made with peg board, I bought it long time ago, but only got round to using it now.

Haven't made up my mind about the names yet.

Here:

Oh, I also bought a tripod finally. You can look forward to decent non-blurry photos in the future. Hopefully I will feel more motivated to manage my shop as well. Maybe not though. I am waiting for the spring and summer to go out to the garden and to the park with Emily. Happy times ahead! *touches wood not to jinx it*

kerli,
sincerely

Tutorial: Make an upcycled memory game

2010-01-15T05:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought what to do woth used wrapping paper? I feel terribly guilty when I throw them away, especially when some of them have great pictures on and sometimes the paper is thick and of good quality. Now I have found one use for them: Make a memory game for your kids. If they are babies, then this is a great way of teaching them some words, and they can help, if they are old enough (at least 4, I would think), and get more fun out of it! :)

You will need:
*Used piece of wrapping paper that has pattern with little recurring motives on it. It can be christmas one, or birthday one. You can even use several different ones to get more pairs. Try to choose bits that doesn't have many creases on them, but I don't think most kids care. (If you are planning covering the back as well, get another - different - wrapping paper)
*Scissors
*Some glue, PVA is the best, but some glue sticks work quite well too.
* Bits of light cardboard. I usually keep some empty cereal boxes etc in my kitchen in case I need some.

Let's make it!
*Cut out your motives. You can make as many pairs as you like (or as you can). I made 8 pairs - 16 pieces.

*Take your cardboard and put one of your motives on it, if the motives are of different sizes, then the biggest one. Draw a square round it, cut it out and use it as a template for other ones. My squares came from lasagne pasta and fish cake box.

* Glue your motives on your squares and let them dry. If you want to cover the backs to make a "proper" memory game, then this is the time to do it. Glue your squares loosely on a bit thicker wrapping paper, let it dry and then cut them out. Since my little girl is 20 months old, I didn't bother yet. It is a challenge enough for her to match all the pictures when they are the picture side up.

Your memory game is now ready. Happy playing! :)

kerli,
sincerely

Happy... the thing. Why I haven't blogged more recently.

2010-01-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

Actually, I don't have a clue.

I have done a bit of handicrafting, but Christmas was a busy time and as I have explained before, I have a busy time being a mum. Emily has learnt quite a few words now, and is enjoying interacting with us. Also, after the recent holidays she asks tens of times during the day: "Whe's daddy done(gone)?"

To be honest, I don't have an awful lot of interest of having an internet shop at the moment, I would like to do something easy, like designing and printing. I have been known to design some games (or at least redesign) for people's birthdays, and they have loved them. And I would like to continue with jewellery and recycled things. But I also like to knit.... Noooooo! :D

But at the moment I just came here to kill some time until music downloads to my mp3 player. I have wanted to listen to ELP version of Jerusalem for the whole day and I discovered that my cd/mp3 player is dead. Noooooooo! :D Why does it have to be so hard to get to my favourite music? I remember in Uni I had a year after borrowing some cassettes of ELP - and I did discover it then - and giving them back when I couldn't get it anywhere, and buying the stuff wasn't really an option. No credit card, you see. The I found a person with some cds and it was almost orgastic pleasure to listen to it again. It was great, like falling in love. Yes, I do like cd/mp3 players, they are much easier and faster to use than little plugin mp3 players.

And I would like to finish on another note: after watching the news and some other programmes on telly, I think that religion, as in believing in gods in any form should end. I have one argument: wars. All the wars in the world at the moment started because of religions and people disagreeing with others'. And think of all the wars and nastiness people did to each other because of it in the past. Why couldn't we just be humanist and nice to each other? Who is a better person: me, because I am nice to people because I want to or someone who believes it's the rule of some sky fairy and if they don't obey, they'll get punished? I guess may have "religious" beliefs of some kind which I don't think I do, but I won't go blowing someone up if they disagree with me. And to finish, I'd like to quote something I once saw on TV, in "Picket Fences": "Religion is like farts. Your own is all right, but everyone else's stinks."

Oh, I can go off and see whether music is on my player properly now. "And did those feet in ancient time, Walk upon England's mountains green..."

Take care and
"Make love, not war"

kerli,
sincerely

Tutorial: how to make paper snowflakes!

2009-12-03T04:32:00.000-08:00

Hello again and sorry I haven't posted for such a long time. I am sure you have all missed me immensely. :D

I entertained the thought of selling these snowflakes, but somehow I have ended up in the tangled web of computer games and abandoned my shop a little. But since it is December, finally, and Christmassy things are justified, I am going to show you how to make them. It's the way I was taught from pvery early age and I have used snowflakes as Christmas decorations ever since, one way or the other.

You will need:
Scissors - best are the longer and sharper kind, and remember to be very careful, and not to use the tips. If you have your kids making snowflakes, choose ones that are medium sized with round tips that open and close easily. It will make a difference. There won't be as many snowflakes cut in half. :D I use big Fiskars ones.
Paper - Now here's the good time to go through your paper recycling bag and find the white printer paper that is only a bit used, like printer calibrations etc. I have used old bank statements, junk mail that has printing only on one side, receipts from internet shops. (Also, I used blue tones from regular magazines etc to make Xmas cards last year.) The best kind of paper is still white printer paper, it is stiff and hard enough and relatively cheap.

The size you need your paper to be is quarter of A4. It will leave your snowflakes about 10cm in diameter. If your snowflake makers are kids, especially not very experienced ones, I would use half an A4 for practice. These bigger snowflakes can go on windows later and they will look very nice. :)

Now to make the template (and be prepared to make about hundred of them for yourself and your children, because the folding can be tricky for little hands, but cutting is sooo much fun! I used to pester my mother to fold more and more and more snowflake bases for me). :)

Take your pre-cut paper and lay it on the table. (I usually do everything up in the air, but table may be easier to start with).

Fold it in half (shorter sides together) and turn 180 degrees so that open ends are at the bottom.

Fold the left top corner over to the right corner and press down make a little fold for the middle. NB! Do not fold the entire length.

Now for the tricky bit: Judging by eye, fold the right corner down by a third. It helps a bit if you place your left thumb on the little fold you just made. (In your mind, note down a point about 5mm to the right of the bottom left corner and line the top right corner up with that point, it should be about accurate.) Don't worry if you don't get it immediately. Practice makes perfect! :) Turn over.

Now fold down the other corner (right one again), lining the corner up with the fold you just made.

Fold the whole thing in half and turn 180 degrees. That is what your snowflake template should look like. Can you see the the lines in the middle? This is where you have to cut off the top, and your snowflake template is ready!

Your snowflake should look like this. Discard the top and you are ready for the fun bit!

You can cut any design you like into your snowflake, but over the years I have found that triangles work the best - they are easy to cut, just straight lines crossing, and the result looks realistic. Edit: I also don't draw anything onto my snowflakes, I just "go with the flow", but you might want to try and draw something on for guidelines: see the photo with all my designs this year below.

I normally start with the top to give my snowflake nice pointy ends. Of course, you can cut just little lines to give it a fringe-y edge or not cut the edge at all.

The very clever bit which results sometimes in spectacular snowflakes is here: after you have cut out a triange, you can cut another triangle into the side of the one you just made!

You can also cut off the bottom tip, to make a cute little star in the middle of your snowflake.

Another double triangle...

And if we open it up... it will look like this. Maybe not the best I have made, but definitely allright.

If you wish, you can use these designs. They will end up looking like this:

Though they aren't in the right order or anything. The best bit of making a snowflake is the opening up bit! You'll never know what they're going to be like, and sometimes relatively simple-looking design can make a surprising result! :)

Happy snowfall!

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. I tie some thread onto my snowflakes and stick them in the ceiling with some masking tape. ;) Looks great!

Big Fish

2009-10-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

I don't usually like advertising, but I absolutely LOVE Big Fish Games. I discovered Mystery Case Files quite a few years ago, it's perfect series for people who love puzzle and mysteries. :) Basically they are hidden object games, you move between different rooms and find objects listed on the right. The pictures are very clever, lots of different things hidden in plain sight. They have 5 games in the series now. I think I still like the second one best - Prime Suspects. If I only could combine this with the puzzles from the third and fourth ones... :)

Now though, I found another mad and very hard game: Little Things. The aim is to find a list of objects from a little cartoony drawing that is actually made up of lots of tiny things.

Try them:
Mystery Case Files: Huntsville
Mystery Case Files: Prime Suspects
Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
Little Things
NB! These links are not to direct downloads, just to the index pages of the games.

Kerli,
sincerely

Destash and upcycled supplies - is it worth it?

2009-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking to list some of my supplies... To destash. I have some yarns (little leftover balls as well), some plarn (yes, it is a word :) - plastic yarn), some old christmas cards, and I also have entertained the thought to sell snowflake kits - 20-30 snowflakes cut out from upcycled paper - like sheets that have had printing only on one side, plus a nice sturdy printed sheet with clear instructions how to make your own. All of these things would be somewhere around £2.50 max, with postage.

And I still have my calendar and a few card kits to finish! Waah! I need more hours in a day.

Anyone?

kerli,
sincerely

P.S. I have made some little socks, for size 4-41/2. (1-2 year old) They are made of Sirdar Fair Isle, and the colours are a bit like the sea -light blue, turquoise and mint and little black specks. Socks have always been a traditional Christmas gift in our family. But I didn't know how to knit them! Heels don't like me. So this pair is only my fourth I have ever knit. I have a feeling I want to do too much, but would it be worth it at all to list them? *is curious*

We have a big girl now. (Baby talk, not for men ;))

2009-10-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went and got a forward-facing car seat. It's for kids up to 13 years(!). We have to hope Emily doesn't break it before. :D She isn't awfully heavy yet, but she was getting too long and curious for the little baby car seat. It was wonderful to see her strapped in and looking around and being all excited when we came home.

Also, few days ago I sorted out some baby clothes to send to my sister (her baby is about a year younger than Emily, but grows like a bear, she's 4 months old and already in clothes for 6-9 months. So has Emily been. :D At least at home with all the little dungarees and trousers) and generally the shelves had been stacked to the point of bursting. After clearing out most of the things I found that most of the clothes were pink! AAAAAAAGHH! What's that all about? Me, who I promised before Emily was born that I wouldn't buy a single pink thing until she wanted some herself? There's just no escape, it seems. Oh well, I guess they aren't all things I have bought, there are some hand-me-downs and presents as well, but I love colours, and so do little children. So it seems that I have to get some Dylon. :B

And the third thing: We have been going out to the park in the last few weeks to run around and go on all the climbing frames and other things. Last week I noticed that Emily is really confident on her feet now. She doesn't stumble or fall almost at all any more. Fascinating. And she's just 17 months old now! How strange... You really don't know how wonderfully fast they learn and grow up before you have some of your own!

(Yes, I know I have been neglecting my shop a bit, but my lfe is just too interesting. I don't want to miss it, or feel guilty for not playing enough.)

Oops, gotta go! She's woken up and crying for some food!

kerli,
bye

Kittie Hat!

2009-09-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have finally added the pattern. :) (The explanation is probably for idiots. :D If you can come up with something better and easier, be my guest. :)

NB. There aren't actual numbers for stitches, you will have to calculate things to match the person you are knitting to.

What you will need:
*6-7 mm needles, either circular or dpn
*Some Wendy Fusion or similar yarn (I used 156 White Pepper and a bit of 155 Cajun)
*Tapestry needle

1. Measure the head of the person the hat is for. My little girl measured 51 cm.

2. Knit a little patch with your yarn and needles, 20 st and 10 rows. Measure, how many stitches you have on 10 cm (4 in). I had 11, so that's a bit more than 1 stitch per cm (or 2,6 st per in)

3. Cast on the number of st you need - multiply the number of stitches per cm (in) with the measurements of head: 51 x 1,1 = 56,1. You can add one stitch, just for good measure. :)

4. Divide onto 4 needles (if you use dpn). Join the ends - pull the bit of yarn that hangs off from the last stitch through the first one and tie the ends together - be careful not to twist.

5. Now all you have to do is knit in the round. You don't have to mark the beginning - there should be a bit of yarn hanging off from the join. :)

6. You can try it on after about 15-20 cm, there's no need to do it before. Knit until the two opposite sides of your knitting touch each other on the top of your (or your baby's etc.) head when you try it on and the bottom edge of your hat is a)in the middle of your forehead and b)covering your skull and touching the back of your neck. The knitting should feel nice and loose around the head.

7. Fold your knitting in half, leaving the beginning on one side. Cut the yarn, about twice the length of the top end of your knitting. Now you'll need your needle. Thread it (yarn it :) and start pulling the yarn through the stitches, taking them alternately from both front and back needles. You don't have to sew, just thread through the stitches as if you would be putting beads on it.

8. When you get to the end, make a tiny little knot. Don't cut the yarn. Insert the needle back into your knitting right next to the knot and draw it out about quarter of the way back on the top. Sew an "ear" onto your hat. Make the "side" side of the ear a bit shorter than the "top" side. (See photo) Cut the yarn. Sew an ear onto the other side as well.

9. Now, if you wish, you can add a bit of pink embroidery onto the ears. Stitch is entirely your choice. I tried to imitate a knit stitch, the little "v". You also may or may not add a bit of twisted cord. If you make twisted cord, I recommend you attach it to the hat with cow hitch knot. Just don't tie a knot into and cut off the closed loopy end.

Good luck! :)

kerli,
sincerely

Mittens!!!

2009-09-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for quite a while! I should start getting ready for Christmas sales, promoting myself and all that yazz, but all my mind is on at the moment, is mittens. I joined Ravelry and have been looking around for a week now. Gorgeous. I want to make EVERYTHING!!!! :D

My favourites.

Also, I remembered making my first pair of gloves in school. It happened while we were meant to be knitting lace, like doilies and such, but I decided to knit gloves, since I found a nice pattern for the backs. It was so easy and nice to make that long before the next lesson I was up to the point where I was supposed to divide for fingers. So my mum helped me to calculate the number of stitches for them and I completed the glove that night. In the next lesson I was happily showing my glove to my teacher, and she started asking me questions about how I had finished knitting it. And then, suddenly I realised that she was thinking I had cheated - let my mum knit the glove or sth. (Yes, people did that sometimes) I am not sure whether I was disappointed that she could even think like that. Probably a bit. It's a strange thing to remember now, though.

I wonder if I ever have enough time top knit 100 pairs of Nordic mittens in a year?
Hmmm....

*Crawls back to the den with needles and yarn*

Kerli,
sincerely

More things to feed my estonian pride

2009-09-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around in the net to find some interesting and nice yarns to knit things with, and especially these kind of earthly colours, browns, reds, oranges, and greens, which are especially rare here in our little shop. Like this series, which, they sadly only sell in USA and Canada. :S
Berroco Comfort And that: Berroco Vintage
Does anyone know where I could get it in UK?

But after browsing around in Ravelry, I found that quite a few people like Kauni and Evilla yarns, which, of course, are Estonian. Kauni - meaning Beautiful - is now a Danish company, but the wool is all estonian. Evilla - meaning e-wool - is based in Estonia and they sell their wool all over the world.

And now, Koigu. I've always felt that it sounds estonian. Well, Maie Landra, as you can read in quite a few places, emigrated to US after WW ii.

Nice feeling, you know. I don't think big places like UK or US even could feel such pride. You can claim the credit for almost anything, so it's just too common for you. Anyway. I might just try and buy some wool. :)

Kerli,
sincerely

Oh, and NATURALLY, Skype is estonian. :D
And the teeny tiny spy camera? Was invented by an estonian. Honestly. ;)

***

2009-09-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

I really really really want a flute. From now on I will start saving for it. Everything I earn here will go towards it. I need about £100.

Incidentally, I've noticed a lot of sellers in Etsy being from Istanbul, Turkey recently.Well, it has been when I've checked knitted scarves and shawls, they may simply need them there and create lots and lots of cute patterns.

I've started knitting a bit again, to use up my yarns. I'll see what comes out of it. I need a bit of thin pumpkin-coloured yarn now, for a matching hat and gloves for Emily. We got her some clothes in Mothercare fashion. :D While browsing around I found some really nice series of yarns, completely manmade, but they only sell it in America! Booo! :S

Also, send your good thoughts and patience to me, because I started making some brooch/hairpins with fabric flowers and fake pearls. Let's hope I can keep it up and make a few! :P

Kerli,
sincerely

Tutorials: Recipe of Beetroot Soup (Borsch)

2009-09-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

250 g minced meat - beef or pork. You can use just chopped meat as well, I am sure
1 stock cube of your choice
1,5 l of water
1 biggish carrot
1 onion
2-3 potatoes
200 g beetroot
150 g cabbage
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp vinegar
a bit of oil
1 teasp of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
herbs and spices of your choice, definitely add pepper or paprika - something strong. dill and garlic won't hurt either. :)

A good dollop of soured cream/creme fraiche/greek style natural yoghurt

*Heat the oil in the bottom of a saucepan or pot big enough to fit all the soup in. Brown the meat until juices run clean, and if you like well done meat, even more, until it starts slightly burn and goes dark brown on one side.
*While the meat is cooking, cut the carrot into thin slices or small cubes. It's because carrots and swedes take muck longer to cook than potatoes and cabbage. When the meat is cooked to your liking, add the carrot and also chop or cut onion to add in. (I usually just kind of half-slice the onion in my hand above the pot. It's quick. :) Cover with lid and cook until onions are slightly transparent.
*While that is happening, peel and chop your potatoes and slice cabbage. also, you could start chopping your beetroots into smallish cubes. Add water, potatoes, cabbage and stock cube to your pot and steam the beetroot on a different pan (preferably on a wide frying pan, yes) with tomato puree and vinegar. Add few scoopfuls of soup from your pot.
*When everything is nice and done, add the beetroot to your soup. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, adding salt, sugar and all your herbs and spices.

Let it stand as long as you can. Serve with soured cream/creme fraiche/greek style natural yoghurt. Believe me, it makes all the difference.

So there you are. Quite a bit of chopping, but it's nice in the end, really. :) If you live somewhere where there is russian/polish shop, then you can go and look for some real borsch as well. It's usually in 1l glass jar, you have to add water yourself, and it looks and reads kind of like this:

Look for the text. It is pronounced BOR (then the fourth symbol reads) CHTCH (though you don't really say it like this, it's just a quicker "sssh" sound; and fifth is just making it sound more palatalized http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatalization, so we add J)
BORCHTCHJ
:D

P.S. You can make it completely without meat, it still tastes nice. ;)

Kerli,
sincerely

upcycle treasury!

2009-09-08T03:57:00.001-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=80709

Kerli,
sincerely

New things again in my shop!

2009-09-03T13:56:00.001-07:00

I have been a bit busy lately, concentrating on my family. We had a lovely bank holiday weekend away at hubby's parents' holiday caravan near West Bay. It's a lovely place. I'll include a photo from last summer, the camp is between these two banks, and when we took a walk on Saturday we actually walked to the end of the closer bank and back. Rest for half an hour! Emily was very cute and quite well-behaved, and very interested in everything. :)

Now, a few things, most of them made last winter. Obviously, I was late. :D I didn't want to put them up to my shop in the summer, not many of them, but now that it is officially September and therefore, autumn, I've listed them. Feel free to check them out! :)

Well, here you are then! :)
These scarflettes are OOAK, well, maybe the rose one is not that much, but I am more than happy to knit more gloves and mittens, if you fancy some!

Kerli,
sincerely

falls over laughing

2009-08-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you have EVER edited photos in some photomanip program or simply seen street adverts or read magazines, then check out this. It's hilarious. I promise.

http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/

Kerli,
sincerely

Autumn is coming.

2009-08-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

I miss my homeland. Everything is so much more natural there. And I love going out for walks. Because I love the smells. Few days ago I went for a walk in the evening and on the corner of a house estate and a park I could smell something familiar. It was an apple tree.

Funny how smells trigger the flashes of memories. When I was pregnant I suffered really awfully from "morning sickness", which in my case was "all day sickness" for about five months. I couldn't eat anything but sweet things, like biscuits and fruit, I couldn't even look at anything fried or meaty and my hubby's preshave made me sick. The only place I could be that felt reassuring and familiar, was the bathroom. Because they smell the same, basically. A bit wet and soapy.

I miss proper colourful autumn. I don't know whether England has it - because I've spent the last two years indoors, basically. First time because I was too shy/afraid to go out and second time with a small baby. And I would like to see it this year.

I already got inspired a bit and made two shopping bags, for little people. :) I've felt so annoyed with the plastic bags in the shops, because they are so big and scrape the ground when I walk home. I found a solution. I made my own fabric bags. And now I've made a few for selling, too. All upcycled fabrics. Brown used to be a really sun-kissed curtain, which I dyed brown. Stripy and red fabrics used to be bed sheets we never used. I hand-embroidered the "nature's friend" text. It took me about 4 hours. :) Stripy one has a pocket on front and an orange flower brooch, because I felt that the red and purple stripes on the pocket missed something the bag had inside. Both are reversible.

Piccies:

Stripy Shopper

Nature's Friend - Autumn:

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. I swapped the table and the two bookshelves last week. If you could imagine the table being in the corner, full of all kinds of stuff, and the two bookcases next to each other where the table is now, you'll get the picture. ;)

Now we can actually have dinner around the table like a family. Our kitchen is tiny, only one person fits in at a time really!

Upcycle Tutorial: How to make little envelopes from used envelopes

2009-08-17T02:41:00.000-07:00

So I finally figured out what to do with my envelopes. I made little envelopes! I wish I'd figure out what to make of plastic bags. But until then I'll help you to make your own dinky envelopes! :)

1. Start with collecting and preparing old/used/unused envelopes: rip carefully off any windows and cut open all sides. You can tear off the glued sides - it will be easier to draw the envelopes later, but don't rip the top flap off (if it was glued on). I used envelopes that had had bills, junk mail envelopes and the ones they provide with addresses on and everything, only we rarely use them, do we? So give them a new life!

2. Carefully take a small envelope apart and copy its outline onto a stronger paper - old magazine cover works a treat. Or - just download this file: envelope It's a pdf file, so you'll need Acrobat reader.

3. Sort out your envelopes. You'll need A5 sized envelopes with windows or thin envelopes without windows for the template to fit. Naturally, if you have big envelopes without windows, use them, they are the best! :D

4. Lay out your envelope, preferably on some paper, not just on hard table, white side up. Place the template on it, so that the line between top and everything else is lined up with the fold on the envelope. (Sorry for the blurry photo, but I hope you see what I mean.)

5. Draw carefully around the template. Now you should have nice envelope outlines on the paper. Repeat with all your envelopes. Cut them out. You can now recycle the leftover bits, or keep them for other projects - I used some for making tags.

6. Now, the easiest way to fold your dinky envelopes nicely and neatly is to use a ruler. Take the envelope template and place a little thin ruler on one side, edges exactly lined up with the corners. Using your preferred index finger, fold the flap down and slide up and down the ruler. That should leave you with a nice straight fold. Repeat on all sides.

7. Now you'll have something like this:

But these are just guideline folds and you'll have to reinforce them. Preferably on hard surface, fold all the flaps down one by one and slide your finger on the fold. I'm sure you'll know how to do that! :) You'll envelope will look like this:

8. Put some glue on the edges of the bottom flap, about 2/3 of the way. Stick it on top of the side flaps.

9. And there you are - your own little envelope! And since you only glued 2/3 of the sides, you can slide the tip of the top flap under the edge of the bottom flap.

Thanks for looking! If you find any mistakes or a way to make explanations easier, please tell me!

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. You can buy a pack of 10 of these dinky envelopes in my shop.

Gosh! I'm so tired!

2009-08-16T16:15:00.001-07:00

I just listed a massive amount of things to my Folksy shop and I'm absolutely exhausted. Etsy will have to wait until tomorrow. :D And the tutorials...

Do check them out though!

I'll have some coffee now and watch an episode of Sailor Moon. I'm near the end now and it makes me a bit sad. :S

Kerli,
sincerely

Little update

2009-08-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry for being so quiet latey... I have been busy. With real life and handicrafts, I want to make 2 tutorials, and I have been editing photos today for three hours and listening to Woodstock film. It seems that when I get to this making mode, I can't get out, I somply get more and more ideas and I want to finish them, rather than come to the computer to upload them into my shops.

A little sneak peek: (I have some that aren't photographed yet, and some that are in progress, but should be ready soon.)

Little pencil tube

Triangular pencil case - I am quite proud of it (compared to the first one I made :D)

A few little envelope envelopes - they are all packed and wait for uploading into folksy and etsy. :)

All for now! Take care!

Kerli,
sincerely

More ideas... awful, innit? :P And do I have the time or even energy to try?

2009-08-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

*little pencil cases made from recycled materials - papier mache, triangular and easel-style
*maybe little bowls as well
*cloth book covers - double layers, with elastic on back, and ribbon for bookmark
*crocheted brooch thingies from plastic bags, embroidered and embellished with beads
*more gloves
*brooch/hairclips with fabric roses, and more necklaces

and I HAVE to list something now again :D

Maybe I can when Emily goes to bed for her daily nap...

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. I have an evil plan of swapping the book shelves and dining table in the corner... I'm tired of telling hubby to do it, I'm so annoyed now, I might just do it soon one day.

I saw something that was completely silly and a bit funny at the same time.

2009-07-30T14:20:00.001-07:00

We went to the shopping centre with Emily today, and as we were waiting to get on the bus afterwards, there was something quite idiotic going on. Now, see the drawing. It's of our bus station.

1, 2 and 3 are waiting pavillions and rectangles marked a, b, c and broken are supposed to be buses. As we arrived to the bus station 2 hours earlier, we saw the broken down bus, it was near pavillion 3 and there was an AA van standing behind it.

2 hours later it had moved to the place you can see on the drawing. Then bus a came in, dropped the people and went round again to park behind the broken bus for 10 minutes, because several other buses were meant to arrive and pick up people before it. That was the bus we were waiting for, and it was supposed to pick us up at pavillion 2.

Now, just before 10 minutes were over, bus b came in, stopped and let its people out in the middle of the road and just stayed there. Then bus c came in, as well as it could, waited a bit, then let people out. By now the driver from bus b came out and, not checking why the broken bus was there, I guess he knew, went to bus a and started shouting at the driver. Now, I do understand that he was meant to be where bus a was, but surely, everyone can see that bus a cannot get out. So what was the use of him shouting like a looney when at this moment HE HIMSELF was blocking everyone??!? Then driver from bus c came out and did some of this shouting and waving his hands as well, so bus b went and drove round, and others could finally get to pavillion 2. Bus c was meant to be there first anyway.

Over the 2 years I've been here and used the buses I have got on them all over the place. Sometimes they arrive all at the same time and just get in where they can. So what was such a problem that this guy couldn't drive on just a bit and let others through? And then go round again to take his right place?

I am still wondering why he did this. Was he so tired that he couldn't think straight, or wanted to let out steam or just an idiot?

Kerli,
sincerely

I have 100 fans in Etsy!!! :D

2009-07-27T18:08:00.001-07:00

Well, at least the word seems to be getting out! :)
I made a really brave move and went and showed off my earrings in Etsy forums as well.

And now I am so sleepy. Bedtime for me! :)

I bloody fancy James May.

2009-07-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

He just ticks all my boxes. Long hair, patient, a bit nerdy, a lot older than me. He reminds me of my ex's best friend and my flatmate at some point, who I had a crush on. And he looks a bit like my hubby (who is 41, I am 25, btw. bet you didn't expect that! :D), only his hair is more curly and he cuts it more often. Which I don't like, but he cannot be a hairy rocker where he works. Boo!

But, back to James May. I just loved Top Gear this time, with all the race and the silliness of the blonde model. Hee! But James was cute and patient and nerdy. I'd love to take him home and wash his hair. *shivers* *drools*

Kerli,
giggly

Recycled Jewels

2009-07-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

They do go to my shop as well, after I post this. I really think I'm onto something here... :) And they will be cheap, because it is only junk mail, thinnish silver-coated wire and little rocaille beads. I have named them after the papers I made the beads of, some phrase or title on them.

Sun Drops

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Pretty Paisley

New Grass

Mediterranean Meditation

Day On The Beach

Kerli,
sincerely

Update about life. (A little one, don't worry! :)

2009-07-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Emily is walking. Another big milestone reached, and my life is about to get even harder than it was before. :D

We went swimming with her yesterday, the first time. The whole family. I've been wanting to go for ages, but haven't got round to it, especially because there was refurbishment and they redid all the changing rooms and pools and stuff, and t is generaly quite tricky to get around with a small baby in the pools. Anyway, I am happy to say Emily quite enjoyed it. At first she wasn't quite sure and bawled away while I was changing her, probably because it reminded her they weighing clinic. But in the actual pool she was quite soon happy and talkative and splashed and played with her frog.

Also, the last time we went to the toy shop we saw some hand puppets, and she was quite interested in them, moving around and tickling her. They were so expensve, though, I thought I make my own. Of course, all went horribly wrong and didn't come out at all like I had wanted it to, but Emily seems amused by it. Anyway, more of them will be on their way and I 'm sure they will improve. :)

Here we are, our mad dog. :P

Kerli,
sincerely

Progress

2009-07-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I was approached by a fellow Folksy seller Songbead to make a birthday present for her sister. (I wonder why she didn't make it herself, her stuff is gorgeous! :)

But here are the pictures of progress, because it is finally ready, as much as I can make it (well, I may have to make miniature alterations) but I have to get her approval now. :)

Kerli,
sincerely

And the winner is....

2009-07-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

I had a blog giveaway few days ago, and the task was to guess how much did we pay for the pile of books from Bookbarn. Well, the answer is exactly £100. Nope, it was not a bargain. :P

So the winner is Mollimoo, who guessed exactly right. I will send a "second prize" to Glue and Glitter, because she did kind of guess right... It will be a little surprise. :)

So you can start waiting for little parcels! :)

Kerli,
sincerely

I have stuff.

2009-07-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking what to make of these envelopes I have collected for a few weeks now. Don't get me wrong, there are quite a lot of them. There would have been even more, but I didn't think about it last year or whenever I tried to tidy up (It's pointless anyway, mess appears quicker than you can tidy it up, sadly. It's the consequence of living with hubby and children. :P)

What I've managed to come up with so far are:

More envelopes!

(Only little ones)

And

Labels!

Well, I did try to make labels covered with different things. Envelopes and crosswords worked a treat, maps not so well, and crinkly chocolate cover had bits coming off it, though I managed to cover them with paper flowers. This stripy wrapping paper wasn't too bad, I just have to be more careful with it in the future. I like the chocolate one, but sadly Emily grabbed it and ate it right after I took the photo so I had to throw it away. Maybe she thought it was real chocolate! :P

The strong cardboardy paper I used as base came from an old calendar notebook and looks like this:

I am not sure whether to put them into my shop... seems that there is enough of this kind of recycling already...

Kerli,
sincerely

About Life, The Universe And A Blog Giveaway

2009-07-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

After a few days I actually have some time to post again. Well, I have to write about the parcel I received in the destash swap.

It is very cute! All the browns and greens are exactly my taste and I would gladly marry the corduroy! :D And cute ribbons... I don't even want to use them! :) I've never had a pair of handbag handles before, but they have definitely given me a few ideas now. Thanks, DinkyDaisy! :)

We went to Bookbarn on Monday and got loads and loads of books! We spent there 5 hours, I think! Emily had fun as well, crawling around between the shelves like in a big maze! Oh how many exclamation marks there are now! :O Here are all the books we found and took with us to give them a new home:

And as you can see from this picture, the pile is almost as tall as Emily is! :P

Yes, you can tell we love science fiction. All the Clifford D. Simak books were picked by me, but I quite like Poul Anderson, so I'll be nicking them off hubby! ;) I recommend Far Side to everyone, and the book about boxes is just too cute.

And now to the giveaway: Guess how much the pile of books cost, comment and you can win these three beauties:

I will soon have them in my shop too, or at least some that are very similar, since they are handdrawn.

You have time until 19.07 23.59. :)

Kerli,
sincerely

It seems I have to do it finally as well...

2009-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

My blog is officially cute. I can't understand how - because I haven't posted mych yet, but my blog has been awarded twice now, by Christals Creations and Silver Moss Jewellery.

The rules of the award are:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

My favourites in no paricular order:
haptree and me
chiyo
glue and glitter
sew scrumptious
print and pattern

fabric nation
paper and cloth
lauren ceramics
see the woods and trees
jolicious

leigh shepherd designs
mollimoo
nifty thrifty
half an acre
sew recycled!

If I was to do all the lovely blogs justice, though, I would have to list at least all of the blogs I follow...

My God... Cbeebies is so surreal!

2009-07-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

Watch this... PC Plum's Clue song from Balamory in the style of Queen... :D

When I saw this the first time I almost wet myself...

Kerli,
sincerely

How To Post A Parcel My-style And Pink Things

2009-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

*watch Diagnosis Murder and Doctors after Emily has gone to sleep at 1.30*notice the time suddenly, get up and start packing and changing 2.20*shut down computer*go upstairs and have a wee* put clothes on*discover that you haven't added last bits to the parcel and it is not taped shut*tape the parcel shut*discover that you need the address*turn computer on again*put baby sling on*check the watch*it's 2.35*write the address down*check all bits are in the bag*and money*try to put the parcel into the bag, fail, because it's too tiny*shut down telly*miss Diagnosis Murder, because it's been bloody Wimbledon for whole two weeks*run upstairs*take Emily straight from bed and tuck her into the sling*put a little hat on her*put the parcel in the Lidl bag awkwardly*run outside as well as you can*walk quickly to the bus stop*wait for a few minutes*get the money out and get on the bus*sit down and relax*

Yes, well. Finally I managed to post the parcel. And I went to drop-in clinic, because Emily has not been eating well since she was 6m old. She just didn't want to. :P And I was too scared and depressed to press on. But. Now. Thanks to me kicking my fat arse finally properly and the discovery of baby porridges she had gained a whole half a kilo since the last time (about three weeks ago). Hooray! She now weighs 8,54 kg. :)

And something so cute can be discovered in Tesco: :)

I have no idea what I am going to do with them, but I won't be using them as simple napkins. At least not all of them. :D Note the little teeth marks in the corners, by Emily.

Also featuring the thingie I was embroidering when I watched the telly: :) Latest in the series of Zygon Jewellery. :P

AND we have next generation of artists growing in our house (notice the very sophistically and strategically placed piece of cucumber):

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. The quality of photo editing in blogger drives me mad. It's absolutely rubbish. At the moment it even didn't resize the photos after I put the dot in section "small". Oh my dear LJ...

P.P.S. I got an email from ebay to sign their petition... Boo! :D

P.P.P.S. Can you click on the photos to see bigger versions? I seem to be able to do so, but only in my own blog... Hmmm...

Oh Dear, Oh Dear, How Very Late I Am!

2009-07-02T06:18:00.000-07:00

Finally I've managed to sort out who should be sending their parcels to who... It took about an hour, and I am not sure everything is in perfect order, but I did the best I could. Now, notice that you may not receive exactly what you asked for, just because noone really offered it. But I will be sending your wishes to the person whose parcel you will be receiving, so they may be able to find something. Also, I did check your shops, so that you would get at least something you are familiar with. :P

So there they are, the result of my reasoning. :)

*Aleximo to chiyo
*averilpam to SophieCat
*chiyo to DinkyDaisy
*DinkyDaisy to kerli
*DonnaMarie to ZennithZark
*jacksknits to Aleximo
*kerli to DonnaMarie
*lillies to jacksknits
*niftythrifty to averilpam
*seethewoods to SilkyPrudence
*SilkyPrudence to seethewoods
*SophieCat to WoodenJewellery
*WoodenJewellery to lillies
*ZennithZark to niftythrifty

Phew! *wipes forehead*
Now I will send out emails to you today with the details of the person you are going to send your parcel to. And I will add their wishlist, so that you can alter your boxes a bit if you find it necessary. So good luck and happy crafting! :)

Kerli,
sincerely

P.S. Don't forget sweeties! ;)

Right.... The last day!

2009-06-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Last day to join our swap! Tomorrow I will try and pair people so everyone would be happy.

Take care! :)

Halliste apron

2009-06-26T05:34:00.001-07:00

Right... Someone wanted to know what is Halliste embroidery. Here it is then - an apron for a married woman's celebratory costume.

More here:
Arhaic Estonian embroidery set

Kerli,
sincerely

How to add...

2009-06-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

* These links with piccies, like "My shop in Folksy" and "I'm in Coriandr!"?
* A funny clock
* Thingie where you could see all your friends updates?

?

I am not used to blogger at all. LJ has been my blog environment for 2 1/2 years...

Kerli,
still sincerely
and sleepily

Cat in the Hat (and nappy cover)

2009-06-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

Here we are then: I didn't take all her clothes off though. :P
Pay no attention to the rubbish... *hides*

And profile: :)

The tail is stuffed and the cover itself attaches with velcro.

One more for good measure:

I'll try to post the pattern for the hat in a few days...

Kerli,
sincerely

Destash swap, anyone?

2009-06-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Come on, you hoarders, yes, you know who you are! Let's air our cupboards/shelves/chests! :D And make space for some more things. :)

I have lately discovered quite a few things I once bought but haven't used at all (or very little) so I've decided to organise a destash swap. Are you in? Think and look around for a few days and then tell me:

Your name and address with postcode (of course!)
Your email address
Your destash discipline (that would be the things you have the most to give away)
Your receiving discipline (if it is any different from the things you give away)

For example, I don't use much paper nowadays, but I have lots of scrapbook and handmade paper to give away, and I have never done anything with big glass beads. I would like to get some textiles - ideally upcycled, so get your rag bags out for me! :P

Then start fillig your boxes! :)

Ideas:
Buttons, interesting pictures/ papers/ pages from books, pieces of fabric, odd balls of yarn, embroidery thread, postcards, doodles, sequins, something you have made, sweets to help with thinking (who doesn't like chocolate?), beads, ribbons, embellishments, patterns, whatever you find lying around and think your swap partner could use, really!

My address is vintage.paperdoll at gmail.com

Let's give it a week or so (let's say until 30th of June) and then I'll email you with the name and address of your swap partner. I think there might be some three-way swapping as well, since things you give and receive may not be of the same discipline.

Take care and tidy up your house! :)

Kerli,
sincerely

More things I want to make.

2009-06-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

* Textile jewellery with Halliste and Muhu embroidery
* Necklaces made from papier mache rings
* Papier mache boxes, shaped like houses, but cool-looking, not like these cottage house teapots :D
* Necklaces and brooches from things in my antique book, like fans etc
* 2 necklaces with beads made of a pair of earrings. They are big flowery ornament things I never used after buying. I could actually make something nice of them! :D
* More pendants/brooches with buttons - finish
* Tags/cards from upcycled materials

Kerli,
sincerely,
going back to ACTUALLY make something now. :D

I want to make so many things.

2009-06-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

I am always looking at things and thinking how I could use them. I don't want to throw things away and whenever I can, I recycle them. Now I have had a fair amount of ideas over the months, and most of them are probably lost on pieces of paper around the house. But I do remember some, so.

* Coasters with Halliste and Muhu embroidery motives, from reclaimed fabrics
* Cards with my little animals, hand-drawn, every one different (I really have to make more things with the animals!)
* Shopping bags for little people like me, with upcycled dyed fabrics and primitive printing
* Candle/tealight holders from baby food jars, they are so cute! I may try and make some for christmas
* Doll house furniture from papier mache
* More jewellery made from cardboard - earrings, pendants, brooches/badges. I have to get into line design again...
* Coasters from floppy disks covered with paper (maps, envelopes etc) and enamel
* Papier mache bowls (yes, I do like papier mache, and there's neverending supply of junk mail. :D
* Paper bead earrings. More designs. I am getting into it already.
* Small pincushion/keyfobs from recycled fabrics, with machine freehand embroidery/fabric pieces
* Things for kids, like toys and clothes - I'll be definitely making these, since my own girl will be needing stuff. :)
* Painted mugs and plates with my animal designs
* Game quilts and cushion covers with pockets
* Play food, but not from felt
* Silk scarves with my animal paintings
* I would like to try freeform crochet, but it will most likely stay just an idea.
* Chunky crochet cushion covers from clothes
* Bath mats/little rugs from recycled plastic bags
* Should knit more scarves, floves and mittens
* Bow ties from reclaimed fabrics
* Cravats? :)
* Pencil rolls
* Things that have lots of buttons sewn onto them. :)
* Weird things.

Uhh. All for now.
Don't nick my ideas. ;)

Kerli,
sincerely

Things that I am doing at the moment:

2009-06-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

* More fabric flower necklaces + I'd like to make some brooch/hairclips with them as well

** Crochet roses for PaperFish (hooray!)

*** Custom order for Kidography, hats and nappie covers. I've finished the kittie hat which you can see on the left (meet Emily!). The design is so easy and cute that I'm thinking of posting a make of it. :)

**** A few new designs for the "Recycled jewels" earrings.

I think that's all for the moment, next thing has to be the stuff I WANT to make in the future sometimes.

Hmm. I feel weird now, making my first silly posts and trying to get it going somehow... with so many things to catch up suddenly. Plese be kind to me! :D

Kerli,
sincerely

Hello! steps in and stands shyly in the corner * waves*

2009-06-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems I've finally joined Blogger. Mainly because I do want to do better with my handicrafts shops in Etsy and Folksy. Not too well though, because my little daughter is just over a year old and growing cuter and cleverer every day, and I don't want to miss it.

I do want to make a bit of money - for myself, to feel a bit independent - and also to be able to let my husband quit his work which is really running him down. We'll see how it goes. :)

I want to start posting my ideas and makes here, just to keep track on them (with loads of pictures, of course!), because now I write things down onto different pieces of paper and notebooks and I keep losing and finding them. I am bubbling with ideas, but I never have enough time to make everything. That way I will be at least able to see and develop the thoughts.

My favourite things at the moment... My paper bead earrings (and the fabric roses, but I've made so many of them in the past), because they are fun to make and it is a new thing to me.

Keep in touch!

Kerli,
sincerely