Strange....

to find out how much you can miss the Internet! The last days we were out of Internet, TV and telephone until the Phone company found out the modem was not working as it should and changed it for a new one.........very annoying!!!!!

The good thing is that I read some books, heard lovely music and have started 2 new paintings!

Today I want to show you some ATC's I received and some lovely additions to my "Austrian" Crazy Quilt.These are the ATC's I received back in the Spring ATC swap on CQForNewbies, thank you Alice (2x), Beth, Genie(2x), Ira, Jocelyne, Lesa and Linda for your nice work.

As you might know, I love to visit collectors fairs. That's where I found these lovely additions last month. I just love the little spider brooch I have put on the spiderweb made of metallic Madeira yarn, ain't he cute? (As far as you can call a spider cute.....LOL)I was also very happy to find this vintage brooch made of beads and sequins, on top I have added a little organza bow.Also I found this vintage spider silkie, that came with boxes of cigars in the fifties. It's colors are perfect on this quilt. I have on and off been working on this CQ, made from Austrian fabrics I got from my birthday buddy Helen some years ago. She has the other half of the fabrics and has challenged me to make a quilt of them. I just fund out in an old blogpost that I started this CQ in september 2007 , think it is time to finish it soon!

Today I received this colorful felted postcard from Sherry from the USA. We are both in the Art4Mailgroup and participated in a Pot Luck swap. Thanks so much Sherry for your lovely work.

Exciting.....

Wednesday I already told you about all the pregnant sheep of our neighbours.

Yesterday afternoon I saw for the first time in my life the birth of a little lamb, here you see a picture of it 5 minutes old. It was very touching to see it stand up for the first time......

Half an hour later we came outside and saw a little head peeping out of mother sheep, our neighbour had to push it back and get it out again with the feet in front. The twins are doing fine,

there are now 11 lamb born and we are now waiting for one of the brown sheep to give birth.

Today there was an exciting envelope in the mail!

I won the give a way on Frauke's blog and got these beautiful fabrics she handdyed and printed. Of course I am very happy with them!

Frauke is a very talented quilter from Germany, have a look at her blog. If you live in the Netherlands, you can see 2 of her quilts on the European Quilt Championships next week in Veldhoven.

Spring has definitely sprung!

Today we had to watch the sheep of our neighbours because they had an appointment elswhere. This morning twins were already born, just like some days ago and probably 16 sheep in the meadow in front of our home are expecting. Until now nothing has happened. Here a picture of the first born sheep.I have just been walking around with the dog and made some pictures in the neighbourhood, if you look very careful to the picture above you see our house peep through the blossom. Beyond you see a view to the right from our home and to the other side of the street.

Fabric pages

This month I have started with a new round of fabric pages in the Fibre Fevergroup. We have to make a fabric page every month for a year long, the theme is chosen by the receiver.

As theme for this round I choose "Dragonflies".Today I received the first page made by Claudia in Austria and it is beautiful. Thanks so much Claudia for your lovely work!

I had to make a fabric page for Barbara in Germany, her theme is "View from inside to outside".

I appliqued a piece of fabric with a Tuscany landscape to a piece of sky fabric. Then made the window around it with "wooden" fabric, added some lace as curtain and did lots of French knots

to lighten up lavender and bushes.

TAST 2010

I joined the Take A Stitch Tuesday challenge 2010 from Sharon Boggon, but after week 1 life got in the way again. I hope to make up week 2 - 4 in the coming time.

I found it very difficult to make the Diamond Stitch of week 1, had difficulties to get it even, combined the stitch with some Lazy daisies but the result was bad. This is definitely not my favorite stitch!

This afternoon I could sit in the sun in the garden and did the stitches for week 5,6 and 7.

Here you see the stitches of week 5 Knotted Buttonhole Stitch and week 7 Rope Stitch.

I will try some variations later this week.

Also I did the Buttonhole Eyelet Flower. I made the first circle of stitches a bit big, the red one has petals made of 15 wraps and around that petals made of 20 wraps. The pink one has more petals, they are all made with 15 wraps also. I will have to practice more on these stitches to get them even.

New painting finished I hope you can see who this is, when you are above a certain age and love music I think you will know....... LOL
I find it sometimes difficult to find a subject to paint and must say that I have been strugling with this one because it is the first person I have ever painted.

Had a bit of bad luck on Easter Monday, fell down on the street and strained my left ankle very bad, it got twice as thick and got almost every color of the rainbow. Luckely it gets better every day now.

Happy Easter to all of you!
This week I received a lovely prize from Nicki, as I already told you she has started a webshop (www.RavioleeDreams.Etsy.com)
I was 1st Runner Up in a contest on her blog and I am very happy with these lovely fabrics and handdyed laces, once again thanks Nicki and I hope we get the chance to meet next year in Connecticut!

April 1th...
This lovely card I bought on a collectors fair last week. It is

really shiny, so it is difficult to take a good picture of it. The text says as I remember well in French: You wouldn't want to refuse this beautiful fish and my kisses. There were more cards with an April 1th theme and they all had fish on it. Does anyone know what is the meaning of this??

As you must have noticed last Monday was my birthday and I received this beautiful postcard from Ati in Norway.

I had a nice day, in the morning I had to work, in the afternoon my mother and MIL came for tea and cheesecake and in the evening we went out for dinner with our son and his girlfriend, friends and my mother, which was really cosy.
I have received lovely presents, some canvases to paint on, paint, brushes, books and a DVD, also I received these beautiful tulips.

I have received four more fabric postcards for my birthday tomorrow.

The Crazy Quilted vintage lady is from Maureen in Australia, the next three are all from Dutch fibre fever members, the one with the coloured squares is from Marja, the one with the papercut is from Margreet and the one with the gold on it from Janny.

Thank you all for your wonderful work ladies, they are all so different and bring so much ideas for future fabric postcards I want to make!

Now I am going to make a peach/orange cheesecake for tomorrow!

A little bit of Spring!

Today we had lovely weather, the sun was shining and it was 20 o Celsius. Doggie Daisy was enjoying herself very much in the sun!
Now it is raining again...

Last week I got mail from Ria who liked the ATC's on my blog and wanted to swap. I have sent her one Staphorst and one Spring ATC and received these lovely ATC's in return.

I have received two more beautiful postcards for my birthday next week. The one with the roses is from Helina in Finland and the other one from Helga in Germany. Ladies thank you so much for your lovely work!

Next week is my birthday and I have already received two lovely cards from ladies from the fibre-fever group.

The first one is made by Marja from the Netherlands, it is felted and embroidered, I like it very much and I'd love to learn that technique!

The beautiful crazy quilted postcard is made by Ritva from Finland.

Also I have exciting news. It is still far away but I am going to the USA next year april to attend an Adventure in Crazy

Quilting in Hartford, CT. If you are interested to know more about this meeting, you can click here.

There will be 3 wonderful teachers, think everyone who is Crazy Quilting would love to get lessons from them, Sharon Boggon, Betty Pillsbury and Allison Aller.

This week I have finished 10 Spring ATC's for the swap on CQForNewbies, so I can sent them out tomorrow. They were fun to make.

Also there is a lovely Give away on Nicki Lee's blog. She has started an Etsy shop with wonderful dyed laces and embellishments for Crazy Quilts, go and have a look if you're interested.

Antique Crazy QuiltSome time ago I bought 2 small Crazy Quilts on Ebay (the other one I'll show you later this week)and I am very happy with it. I just love the stitching on it and it's Victorian look. Also it is always nice to discover stitches you have never done before. I will make a try to sew the lace on again on the right side.This little Angel Annie redwork block I made for a quilt for a dear listmom who lost her DH some time ago, now that she has received the quilt I am allowed to show it to you.

Crazy Quilt Give a way and some postcards finished

Dörte from Germany has started a blog and to celebrate that she has a great CQ give a way, so go and have a look over here.

Last week I have finished these fabric postcards I'd like to show you. The first one is made with pieces of traditional fabric from Staphorst, the second one is a bit of Holland for a friend in the USA and the last one some Spring that is so hardly needed!

These are the first four ATC's finished for the Spring ATC swap on CQforNewbies. There are around 30 participants and I don't think I'll manage to make one for all of them but I hope to get at least 10 finished, due date is April 1th.

Next tuesday a new round of Sharon Boggon's TAST (Take A Stitch Tuesday) will start, she will publish a stitch to explore every tuesday until the end of the year, you can find more information here (see Febr.23th).

This is our dear doggie Daisy. I have made the painting during the last 2 weeks. It measures 40 x 40 cm, 16" square.
I am very happy that I am back to painting again. As I told you already I am not well the last months, in December I was diagnosed with PTSD and my concentration span is only around an hour. Luckely I am feeling better bit by bit and next monday I am going to try to work again although I may start with only an hour at a time.

Today I was searching for some fabric when I found this UFO (UnFinishedObject). It is from a libraryblockswap from some years ago, I hope to get it finished soon. Also I want to show you a little sampler that I bought some times ago, think I can use some of the stitches on my Crazy Quilts.

Today I want to show you some ATC's I made this week from traditional Dutch fabrics from the town of Staphorst.