Self protection

My schedule for next week and the week after next week: no appointments except for the shop meeting, fotoshoot and shop shift, no cosy coffees with friends, leave the smartphone and computer alone, no telly.
Why? To get myself to creativity and to really get some new stuff created to sell in the Eco popupstore. I've been busy behaving like a manager and shop keeper. It's been ages since I was at the sewing machine or printing patterns. That made me a bit unsatisfied with myself. (Well managing the shop is actually great, but you know...)
So please do point a finger at me if you happen to see me online.... I'll be grateful :)
X

Sweet pea

A lovely and real good Teuntje * look - alike by illustrator Tineke Meirink. Thanks Tineke, me and the girls love it!

* our sweetpeatinyheadkitten

Try out

Hi there! It's been a while, I know. We've been on vacation in Italy and a lot has happened on the business side. Our Eco popupstore is still alive and kicking in the Zwanestraat in Groningen city! After the over-successful first few months we decided to prolong the opening of the shop till now. We have prodcuts of several Dutch designers like Elke van den Berg's wonderful pastel porcelain ceramics and the new Story Tiles which are a new and nostalgic tile concept. So please come and have a look!

I took me a while to understand and fully comprehend that my cell phone is actually more like a computer. I finally realized, just this instant that I could use my -still a bit of a stranger  - smartphone for publishing on my blog! ... Duh!
So this post is a try out. How do the pictures of my latest creative outburst look?

Hope to post more frequently from now on! See ya!
Xsan

instagram

 

I'm sorry for not having been here for such a long time.
I have been busy and not busy.
I've been busy with the ECO pop-upstore which we decided to prolong its opening till the end of June. I've been busy with Marjolein to expand our Plustwee collection with beautiful felt baskets (I'll show you pictures of that later). And I have been working on some small new non-textile products for the pop-upstore.
I've been also NOT busy, simply because of illness, or boredom and of creative rut feelings, which occurs on a regular basis :(

Since I have a smartphone I realize how much work it actually is to maintain a constant update of this blog: catch my camera, upload the pictures to the computer, adjust size and shape in photoshop, then upload them into the blog and write something sensible.
Nowadays I mostly post on Instagram. The pictures above are the 'clean' unfiltered ones I recently posted on Instagram.
So... I invite you all to follow me on instagram (too) and I hope to meet you there!

Have a good day x
San

mobile

Recently they turned 17 and 14 ! I am so proud of them, having become such independent and nice people.
My 'new lap top' and mobile office during the Spring holiday, I like to stick around when they are home all day...
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last 2 pictures were taken by a smart phone... I'd like to have one too.

mixed up

When you work from home things tend to get mixed up, especially for me with little discipline....
A little cleaning here, some drawing there, coffee break with a friend is stretched to shopping for hours, sewing at night and mailing and surfing the internet in your PJ till noon....

(un)lucky buys

 

Some unlucky purchases in 4 weeks were these two (!) pairs of very expensive boots. The first one looked very promising but after one week I already sensed that we were not a merry couple. I like them still but I decided to buy another pair of a brand I have good experiences with, so I bought a pair of black ones in the same size as my oldies, unfortunately it appears suddenly my feet have grown or sagged :(  I give the latter another chance, they are on the draw-bench at the cobbler's, but the brown ones have to leave the house. Is anyone interested? They are size 39,  dark brown Panama Jack.

On the other hand...
I made 3 lucky buys from the thrift store in 2 weeks time and they were extremely inexpensive (!)  : green leather boots for only €10 - I chopped the shaft off so they weigh much less and fit even better, plus a new grey woolen upholstered twoseater for €15 and two wonderful green cups and saucers....

... and again my inclination and idealism is confirmed that expensive shopping is just no fun...

feature

Flow nr1, 2013,  p83  click to read

My S'WARM stools are featured in this month's Dutch magazine FLOW. 

Out of enthusiasm and gratitude stool orders are shipped free of charge* within the Netherlands in January and February. I'm happy to inform you on different colours and patterns.

* free shipping for package up to 10 kg.

And another feature!
Our ++ Plustwee cushions are in an inspirational artbook which shows the great diversity of textiles "Textiel Leeft" by Ellen Bakker. The book is available in Dutch, German and English here and in my ECO pop-upstore in Groningen (only Dutch version). I still have to take a good picture of our page, will post that later.

smiling ... gleaming....
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nice mailbox

Today I received this wonderfully decorated cardboard box. I was super surprised by the old Dutch stamps! I think this side of the box will make it into a nice mixed media collage one day.

Teuntje liked the box and the content as well!
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Xmas 2012

 

It's hard to let go of the Christmas decorations and the corresponding feeling ....

Happy New Year everyone!
and Welcome 2013... that many great things may come !