needle lace

 The Stitch Club workshop that I started again with
was by Bridget Steel-Yessop
(it was in fact the second one, but I didn't do the first)
Needle lace has a variety of different stitches
but she taught us one, and stuck to that.

We should first make a square, to learn and try the stitches
then do a more complicated work : an insect with wings !

 
Adding beads into the work was my own choice
and was really fun to do.

After the lace was completed it was taken
off the temporary background
et voilá : lace !

(my next piece is finished, but needs to be stitched on a canvas 
and then photographed)

*

For May I still had a task to do for the
BIBABO WILD MARATHON

Because I was late again I was looking for a way out :

no felting this time !!!

I took my wonderful Karisma colour pencils
and did the task for May :

an animal starting with the letter "H"

AND
extra . . . it hád to be in only black and white

This is an ENORMOUS  Hercules beetle,

the biggest, plus the "horn" that only males have
(which speaks for itself !)

is about 17 cm !!!!!
NO WAY I would pick that one up
. . . . .

But luckily I was just in time yesterday !!!

giveaway

Leap year

gives us an extra day

so a good moment

for something extra :

a giveaway !

My wonderful "Karisma" colour pencil box

has been waiting patiently in the cupboard for a long time :

I was busy with other things.

But this leap day

gave me the opportunity

to make a small special (mandala) drawing.

(the paper is +/- 20 x 25 cm) 

If you're interested

just leave a comment

down here

When there are more, I draw a lucky winner in a week

Have a FUN 

LEAP  DAY

And a happy birthday to everyone
who has this special birthday !!!

a new year

...

is just around the corner.

When I look back it has gone by quickly

but there were a lot of wonderful days in it.

And lots of new work.

I'm hoping to keep that up

in the year to come !

What remains on this late afternoon

is wishing you all out there :

a very happy

light

joyful

healthy

and most of all creative

2020

Love to all my friends,

Els

leap day mandala ... giveaway

What a special day !!!

I know a date isn't something "fixed"

It's just an agreement that we count the days like that,

and keep a bit of extra time every year,

so we once in a while cast in an extra day !

And that also isn't the samefor all the people in the world

(just take all the Chinese or Jewish people for instance

and there are many more others)

Ohhhhh

and what about :

if it's your birthday today ???

Once every four years !

(but then : you don't age that quickly  ;-) ...)

Like four years ago,

I thought something special was appropriate.

So I made a special

LEAP  DAY  MANDALA

and more :

it's a giveaway

You just have to tell me in a comment

why you think it makes a wonderful present for someone you love

(or even for yourself)

I'll draw a winner in seven days.

This mandala is made on heavy weight drawing paper (A4)

with pen, colour pencils and silver pen

last pink ribbon : day 31

This last day of October

will be the last day I will be making

a Pink Ribbon mandala

(for quite some time  ;-) ...) 

It has been a considerable task I've set myself.

Sometimes it was easy,

sometimes I really struggled

Though I must say that in the end,

even during the times it wasn't so easy,

I was satisfied with the outcome

(otherwise I would definately have made a new drawing !)

Now, with this last drawing, 

you can make your final choice to buy one :

(though it might not be to everyone's taste)

I'm sure that there are still people out there

who would enjoy to have one of my works on their wall !

On top of that :

you will have supported a very good cause.

The number of breast cancer patients is still growing, but ...

the chances to recover from it

are ever increasing when we know more about it.

That's why I started this activity,

to add my share to the fight against  breast cancer.

So, let's celebrate life,

live it to its full extent,

make a party of it

"let's dance"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala itself is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

sold

If you want this last Pink Ribbon mandala

for yourself or as a present for someone dear

(or one of the older drawings)

please send me an email at

[email protected]

This one costs  € 31, - 

(+ postage :  € 1,92 for Holland and  € 3,15 elsewhere)

Of course all the money will go to Pink Ribbon

A very good weekend to you all !

day 30

So sorry :

a very late start 

so it took some time before I finished my mandala today.

Then it wasn't simple to make a good picture after dark.

I used my day light lamp in the end

(better then flash light)

I made some fals starts

then there was this mermaid ...

A mermaid I thought ... why ?

Hmmmmm it's not always very nice and clean

to swimm in the oceans nowadays

NO !

We are dumping 

LOTS OF CHEMICALS AND PLASTIC WASTE EVERYWHERE

that finally ends up in our oceans

Right now sea life is duped

.....

in the end 

WE ALL ARE !

(so another awareness)

This is my Pink Ribbon mandala for day number thirty

"plastic soup"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala itself is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

If you want this original artwork

you can send me an email at

[email protected]

It costs  € 30, -  (+ postage)

Psssssst  :

the little one was very busy today

writing on Grandpa's shopping list !

(so good when they are helping out

... and on such a young age !)

(see you tomorrow,

on my last mandala day of this October

breast cancer awareness month)

day 29

What a drizzly day it was

just a normal October autumn day

(only we had so few of them that we forgot ...)

I started the day with a LOT of autumn colour :

a friend needed her hair dyed with henna

and I don't mind applying

...

After that I had time to make my drawing.

I dreamed this up yesterday :

two figures sitting back to back

with birds over their heads.

I remember when I was little, what fun it was,

standing back to back, arms hooked into each other

and rocking from one to the other

(till one fell over, most of the time)

My Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-nine

"joy"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter 

sold

If you would like to have this original artwork

you can send me an email at

[email protected]

It costs  € 29, -  (+ postage)

Though it was a dark day

the autumn colours are wonderful

lovely reds and yellow

(the oak it not from our garden)

the leaves didn't rub off  :

that was the henna

;-)

(see you tomorrow)

day 28

Another baby-sitting day

but my mandala for today 

was well underway

yesterday.

So I just needed to finish it

(and with the little one in bed ...)

This time I wanted to portray one of the cats.

In fact they are our daughter's cats

(we had two exactly like them years ago)

But since her appartment is too crowded already

they are our semipermanent house guests now

(daughter and the children miss them though :

always extra hugs when they are here !)

What do we day dream about ?

Things that we want to happen ???

And what might cats day dream about, if they do ?

Hmmmm a lot of wishful thinking 

for all of us probably ...

Here is my Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-eight

"day dreams"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper

the mandala itself is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

If you want to have this original artwork for yourself or someone dear

(don't forget Christmas and "Sinterklaas" are getting closer)

please send me an email at

[email protected]

It costs  € 28, -  

(+ postage : € 1,92 for Holland and  € 3,15 elsewhere )

These are big brother Bagheera and little sister Bella

(enjoying the warm afternoon sunshine !)

(see you tomorrow)

day 27

I don't know why ...

It is a perfect sunny autumn day

and yet

there was a fierce wind blowing in my mandala today !

Might be why there's not too much colour in it.

(are we getting storm soon ?

don't think so

but ... you never know)

My Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-seven

"autumn wind"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

If you love the fierce wind, you can have this original artwork,

 you just have to send me an email at 

[email protected]

It costs  € 27, -  (+ postage)

To show you that it really is a nice sunny day

look at this picture of our garden this morning :

quiet sunny weather.

Though Autumn is really there !

(see you tomorrow)

day 26

October 26 

is a special day in this house

hmmmmm

forty-seven years ago

.....

and still going strong !

;-)

Today there's a lovely creature in my mandala :

hasty, swift, careful

and with a LOT of fine reddish hair ...

yes, I love 

squirrels

The Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-six 

"gatherer"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala itself is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

If you want to hang this lovely agile fellow (girl) on your wall,

or you want it as a present for someone who loves the woods

then please send me an email at [email protected]

This original artwork costs  € 26, -  (+ postage

€ 1,92 in Holland and  € 3,15 elsewhere)

Some people might ask why I don't have the artworks framed ?

That would be rather difficult and expensive in the mail.

And you might have a different taste for a frame than I have.

IKEA (HEMA in Holland) or any Art supplies store

have simple and good quality frames

for anyone's taste.

(it's not difficult at all to put a drawing in a frame !)

(see you tomorrow)

day 25

On some days I have a clear plan

about what to draw,

on others I just 

let it grow

out of the first few lines.

I then usually don't know what I end up with,

like today.

The Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twent-five

"moon beams"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala is 14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

.....

dark and light

light and heavy

life is full of contrasts

one isn't there without the other

they balance each other

.....

sold

If you like to have this original artwork 

for yourself or a dear friend

you can email me at [email protected]

It costs  € 25, -  (+ postage)

The money will all go to Pink Ribbon

Have a nice weekend

(see you later)

day 24

Autumn

.........

A day with clouds, a drizzle,

so not very bright outside and rather dark inside.

That should not be a problem :

when there IS no sun

you can imagine one  !

That's why there is a lot of sunshine in my mandala today.

The flowers are inspired by a warm Indonesian batik.

(ha ... also put on yellow clothes)

The Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-four

"my favourite star"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala itself is  14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

If you need a bit of long-lasting sunshine

you can buy this original artwork.

Just email me at [email protected]

and we'll arrange the rest of it.

It costs  € 24, -  (+ postage)
All the money will go to Pink Ribbon.

I liked the quote I saw today :

Logic brings you from A to B

imagination brings you everywhere

(Einstein)

(see you tomorrow)

day 23

Because of the autumn break 

our daily routine looks a bit different from the last few weeks :

no baby sitting today.

I first made a start on today's mandala

and then went to our local yarn shop

to do some chatting and knitting :

the mandala and the yarn shop were connected today.

This is the Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-three

"yarn story"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)

the mandala itself is 14 cm  (5.5")  in diameter

(the colour of the photo is a bit off : no sun at the moment,

the yellow is much brighter)

If you would like to buy this original artwork for yourself

(or a knitting friend)

you just have to send me an email at [email protected]

(or you can leave a comment here)

It costs  € 23, -  

(+ postage  : Holland  € 1,92 or € 3,15  elsewhere)

The money will go to Pink Ribbon

(see you tomorrow) 

In the meantime : keep knitting ...

;-)

day 22

For the last ten mandalas 

I will take a bigger piece of paper.
No particular reason really

but to make it somewhat different for me.

(besides ... the A5  size paper

can easily be put into a bigger frame

with some passe partout around it)

It took a long time today,
made some simple sketches,
than decided on this one.

The Pink Ribbon mandala for day number twenty-two

"the wind blows ..."

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A4)
the mandala itself is  14 cm  ( 5.5")  in diameter

Zephyros (west wind) or Oya ... ?
in Holland we rarely have a day without wind.

If you want to have this original artwork for yourself
or for someone as a present
(don't forget that Chrimas and "Sinterklaas" are near)
you can send me an email at [email protected].
It costs  € 22,-  
(+ postage : in this case € 1,92 for Holland
and € 3,15 elsewhere)
The money will go, as you all know, to Pink Ribbon
for breast cancer research.


(see you tomorrow)

day 21

This morning the friend I thought about 

when I made yesterday's mandala,

came and took it with her to her sister in the hospital.

The operation took more than seven hours

but all looks very promising.

X fingers it stays that way.

(I'm só glad it went there !!!)

This week is autumn break so we had

three grandchildren today "to look after"

When the little one was taking his nap

it was soooo quiet :

everyone drawing

;-)

When I din't exactly know what to draw

I discovered in the very wet garden

some very brave Nasturtium

fighting the wind and heavy showers ! 

This is Pink Ribbon mandala number twenty-one

"the last bits of summer"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala itself is  12 cm  (5")  in diameter.

If you want to have this original artwork 

(or if you want to make it a present for a garden friend)

please send me an email to [email protected]

The price is  € 21, -  (+ postage : €1,28 in Holland

and € 2,10 elsewhere)

The money will all go to Pink Ribbon

for breast cancer research

My brave inspiration !

Everyone  drawing :

Man his new colouring book for grown-ups,

grandson making his own comic strip

and granddaughter discovered "zentangle"

(and couldn't stop anymore !)

(see you tomorrow)

day 20

What a lovely party we had :

with lots of family and dear friends,

Though I must say, it was like always, when you give a party yourself :

you're running around with coffee, tea, cake

with beverages, chips, olives, cheese and crackers,

and in the end with soup, rolls and salads,

and you don't have time to make good conversation

with any of your guests ...

but, they're having a good time !

Ahhh ... I'm really not complaining :

I had a good time too

:-)

So I slept in a bit this morning

and had some quiet time

drawing my mandala

(thinking of a friend who's sister is having major surgery;

I hope all has gone well !)

This is the Pink Ribbon mandala for day twenty

"I'm holding you tight"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala itself is  12 cm  (5")  in diameter

sold

(and on it's way to the hospital)

If you want this original artwork

you can send me an email at [email protected]

it costs  € 20, -  (+ postage)

and the money goes to Pink Ribbon

Take care of each other

(see you tomorrow)

day 19

Just before the guests will be arriving

I have the time to post this day's mandala

(made early this morning)

Pink Ribbon mandala for day nineteen

"tree of life"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala is  12 cm  (5")  in diameter

If you want this original artwork for yourself

or to give away as a lovely present

please send me an email to [email protected]

It costs  € 19, -  (+ postage)

And all the money will go to Pink Ribbon

for breast cancer research

Having a party,

see you tomorrow !

day 18

I started drawing my daily mandala early this morning

but I could not finish it, 

I had to go to Rotterdam.

I took with me mandala number seven

for a friend of the Stitch'nBitch group.

That was easy : special delivery by hand  ;-)

(sorry I can't do that to all of you)

And another one was sold too !

I missed the boat I wanted to return on,

so I payed a short visit to a friend

who lives downtown

(and nearly missed the next departure !) 

There were still some preparations for tomorrow's party

so I only just finished the mandala.

I made the picture with the daylight lamp

I use for stitching on dark rainy days

.....

but here it is

the Pink Ribbon mandala for day eighteen

"starry starry night ..."

Karisma colourpencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala itself is  12 cm  (5")  in diameter

If you love this original artwork you can buy it for yourself 

or somebody else. Please let me know by leaving a message at

[email protected] (or here in the comment space)

It costs  € 18, -  (+ postage)

The money goes to Pink Ribbon breast cancer research

(see you tomorrow)

day 17

Ahhhh, a lot of cleaning-up to do today

so I'm early with my mandala drawing.

There was a piece in this drawing

that came into my mind 

when I was lying in bed and almost asleep :

the two blue wave kind of things.

So that's what I started with

and ended like this.

Pink Ribbon mandala for day seventeen

"going with the wind"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala is  12 cm  (5")  in diameter

If you want this original artwork for yourself or someone else, 

please let me know at [email protected]

it costs  € 17, -  (+ postage)

All the money will go to Pink Ribbon

Ha, a lot of water again, like yesterday's drawing ...

(see you tomorrow)

day 16

It's not easy to draw a mandala

when there's a small boy

who tells you to help him with building 

a big tower of the LEGO blocks,

or wants to make a drawing together

or sit on my lap when I am drawing ...

But I managed,

he was playing and building next to me !

The Pink Ribbon mandala for day sixteen

"I'll show you the way"

Karisma colour pencils on heavy weight drawing paper  (A5)

the mandala itself is 12 cm  (5")  in diameter

sold

If you would like to have this original artwork or you think 

it would make a nice present for someone dear,

please let me know at [email protected]

It costs  € 16, -  (+ postage)

The money all goes to Pink Ribbon

for research on breast cancer.

I LOVE circles (that might be obvious by now ...)

and I LOVE stones

(in my kitchen)

So much fun being together

(he will be waking up from his afternoon nap soon)