Arachnophilia

Guess what I found when I went into our little garden today! A bunch of very special spiders enjoying the spring sun, crawling around on flowers and bushes.

Ok, ok.
Although it would have been fun to discover a new species, I have to admit that these little crawlers are in fact my own creatures. Please imagine now how I throw my head back and break out into a mad scientist's laughter.
I had these tiny, just half an inch long carved face cabochons in my stash for more than two years. I took them out of their little bag, put them back, took them out, but I knew it wouldn't be easy to make a bezel for them without hiding any facial features.
This time I was game to try it in the wire knit technique and add some beads. When I had finished the first one, I suddenly had the idea to make a spider. After finishing the first spider then I couldn't stop myself anymore ... and now I want to make a whole army of spiders and take over the world, mwahahaaaaaa! ;-)

Zibbet finds of the week - Spring, oh spring!

Spring unfurls her ribbon blue,
makes it stream in vernal breezes;
sweet, familiar fragrance pleases
with a touch the land anew.
Violets, dream-bound,
will be soon appearing,
- Hark, from far a silver harping sound!
Spring, it must be you!
You I have been hearing.

Translated by Bertram Kottmann

In 1829 Eduard Mörike, a Swabian poet, wrote this poem, one of the most quoted spring poems. Spring does special things to people. Of course for me that special thing is usually spring fever. I have no problems to jump from hibernation to spring fever in a second.
In my area we didn't have a real winter this time, there was only a bit of snow once, but I know that others were almost buried in snow, so I'll dedicate this to you.
Now it's time to head over to Zibbet and look for spring things.

What would spring be without

... the first butterflies?

Blue beaded butterfly necklace by Enchanted Craft

... bees buzzing in our gardens?

Honey soap with a bee by Sky Rain Soap

... the first colorful flowers?

Spring Garden handbag by Beautiful Bags Etc.

... warm rays of sun?

Sun gourd bowl by AngelsGourden

... the first ice cream of the year?

Vanilla ice cream hairclip by Hair Ribbon Boutique

... fresh green leaves?

Mini photograph print with leaves by Amelia Kay Photography

Happy spring!

Quote of the week

What would you do if your plane crashed in the middle of the Sahara, without much hope to be found, limited water supplies and about 100 miles from the next oasis?
Easy. Let's hear what passenger Heinrich Dorfmann has to say about it to Captain Towns and Navigator Moran.

Dorfmann: Gentlemen! I've been examining this aeroplane. 
Towns: You have?
Dorfmann: Yes. We have everything here that we need to build a new one and fly it out. Now if you would like to have a look at my calculations. I don't know whether you can read my handwriting.
Towns: Are you trying to be funny?
Dorfmann: What did you say?
Towns: I said, are you trying to be funny?
The smile disappears from Dorfmann's face.
Dorfmann: That is precisely the reaction I would have expected from a man of your obvious limitations.

What do you think they will be doing? Really build a new plane?
I recommend you watch it yourself, the movie is worth it.

The Flight of the Phoenix, USA, 1965

Zibbet finds of the week - Easter dance

Remember Snoopy dancing with the bunnies? Today I'm going to try and make you dance when you see all the Easter related goodies I found on Zibbet.

Obviously there wouldn't Easter without THE Bunny. Bunnies can be sweet, they are fluffy, they can be human sized as in "Harvey", but have you ever seen one like Count Buncula? I bet not.

Gothic Easter bunny Count Buncula by twistedpixelstudio

Another Easter must are chicks. As much as I think it would be a bit of a shock to have a chick come out of your Easter breakfast egg, as much I love this little one coming out of its polka dot egg shell!

Hand cut Easter chick in egg card by Bethies Cards

This little quilted bowl is so perfect for Easter, not only because it shows little bunnies and eggs. Can you imagine colorful dyed eggs in there? Or a chocolate bunny and eggs? Maybe you could even cover a glass bowl with some spring flowers with it?

Quilted bowl Easter bunnies by Cedar Point Designs

Meet Lola. She is one of the cute bunnies I told you about before. Such a sweet smile!

Bunny Lola by MonkMama

Pysanky eggs are not only an old craft, they are also beautiful. It was hard to pick just one color from this shop!

Hand painted and scraped Easter egg - dark brown by My Auntie Eva

I just can't get away from the eggs. If you like soft pastel colors for spring, these ones would be perfect. Aren't they pretty? You get a set of three.

Easter crochet eggs decoration by Handmade with Love by Natka

So, are you ready for your Easter dance now? ;-)

Quote of the week

I'm not an expert on weddings, especially not the big celebration kind. I once attended one of them as a guest and it reminded me that I'm not doing that well with big crowds.
That brings us to today's movie.
When Stanley Banks learns that his daughter Kay is in love, he is not prepared for the wedding, though. All he knows when he sees Kay and Buckley together for the first time is that things have changed.

"Right then I realized that my day was over. She'll always love us of course, but not in the old way. From here on her love will be doled out like a farmer's wife tossing scraps to a family rooster."

Ouch.

Father of the Bride, USA, 1950

P.S. I do like the remake with Steve Martin, but I love Spencer Tracy and the original will always be my favorite (I mean, just look at Elizabeth Taylor's outfits!!).

Tiles, tiles, tiles

First of all let me say that I know next to nothing about tiles, neither cement nor ceramics. I have admired them where I happened to see them, no matter if vintage or at a shop, but I never saw them as inspiration for my own work, mostly because I don't carry a notebook and usually forget right pretty quickly what I saw.

All is not lost, though, thanks to my friend Susanne. She lives in Spain, she collects cement tiles and does research if she gets a chance, and she has even written a book about José Maria Tejera, a tile producer.
Her blog about cement tiles can be found here, and there are pictures of wonderful and inspiring patterns.
She suggested that I should use tile patterns in my bead looming. For the longest time I didn't do that, for several reasons.
My brain is old and often unable to deal with the flood of inspiration. I keep forgetting that I wanted to try this or that.
A more practical reason is that Delicas and seed beads are not square, no matter what you try. Tiles are not only square most of the time, but also often radially symmetrical as Susanne told me, and that is something that I can't translate into a piece of wearable jewelry of an ordinary size, especially not for the complex patterns.

From Susanne's blog

What I can do is use the simpler geometric designs that also look good as rectangles, and change colors.

Lilac, eggplant and silver tile pendant

I can pretend to have used four tiles - can you see them in the pattern? - and use warm and earthy colors.

Tile pendant in oranges and reds

I can go wild with the colors and really make a piece shine ... silver lined beads all over ... and add matching dagger dangles.

Shiny red, golden and orange on grey tile pendant with dangles

And I can take a basic design and play with it until I get something different.

Opal white and blue tile pendant

I'm nowhere near being done with this. I can make bracelets, and I will try to find something that will work for earrings.

Let me bow to the tile makers and to Susanne for creating a new addiction. I hope this will be the beginning of a collaboration!! 

And here's the link to her blog again, it's in English, German and Spanish.
Cement tiles / Zementfliesen / Mosaicos hidráulicos

Zibbet finds of the week - I'm a collector #2

Last November was the first time I presented vintage items here that I had found on Zibbet. When I found one of my vintage hats still packed away last weekend, I thought it's about time to go vintage again.
Enjoy!

Knowing my love of beads it will probably not surprise you that this Walborg handbag made it onto my wish list. Isn't it pretty?

Beaded Walborg handbag at Hoopties Vintage Clothing and Collectibles

What is about miniatures? This is such an adorable little tea set. "Another cup of tea, Lady Alison?"

Children's silver plate tea set at Touching The Past

I never was much of a button fan, but the vintage ones might change that. This one for example is so beautiful, it is really tempting me!

Large Victorian jewel button at Heirloom Angel

Look at that shine of the pink rayon thread on these wooden spools! It makes me wish I could sew and do something wonderful with these colors. Maybe you can?

French wooden spools with pink threads at Lulu Fleur

Of course I had to browse a bit for old hats, after all a hat inspired this post, and I stumbled upon this beautiful Schiaparelli cloche which would be absolutely perfect for spring!

50s Schiaparelli designer hat with pink netting and flowers at Moon Walk Vintage

Vintage shoes - one of my dreams which is rather funny because I haven't ever seen any that are big enough for my huge duck feet *sigh* Such a pity if I look at these, they are so cute!

1950s black high heels at Sassafrass Vintage & Handmade

Did you have fun with this little ride back in time? I hope you will join me again next time then!