On working from home

Working from home? yes I am ma'am! And many people ask me if I don't feel lonely, or if I manage to have the will power to wake up early and stay focussed. Well, I do! I can proudly say that I'm a very responsible person who (maybe out of guilt) manage to sit for +8 hours straight in front of this screen where I'm typing now.

Working for/by myself has many pluses:
- I don't talk rubbish with people I don't truly care about,
- I avoid the commuting, don't get other people viruses or
- I can have the temperature in the room to my taste (no more jumpers in summer! no more triple layers in winter!).

I sound like a "grumpy old cow" but no, I know I'm talking for many of you. I've improved my social life, I put more effort into it and have better quality time with my friends!

My workspace is decorated to my taste - YES I can have whatever momentums and personal items I want, thank you (I hate corporations).

Pluses also are that I have plenty of natural light and this brings me to the little anecdote I wanted to write about today: cheeky squirrels. Well, I was opening the curtains a couple of mornings ago and I saw this cheeky squirrel working through our rubbish. [note: it isn't actually MY rubbish but my neighbour’s, which actually is pissing me off cause they cannot be bothered to put it all inside the bins, below and hidden]. Anyway, to the point, so, I decided to take some pics cause it was all quite cute/funny. And then, feeling sorry, I gave her a bit of the yummy quiche leftovers from our craft sessions. That was even funnier, when she wasn't sure if I was trustable or not to come and approach me.. anyway - fun little break-times that can only happen when you work from home.

(click for a bigger view)

On the negative side of working from home is that the kitchen is right there! Few steps and is a heaven of food (and not-so-good treats too). So, as I stopped commuting, that means I walk a 5th of what I'd do in my office days and I am eating more. Consequences? you guessed it: bigger bottom!! So, I've decided to cut down on nasty treats (only buying dark chocolate now) and cooking healthy stuff. My mum would be so proud :-) I made a super healthy and yummy Japanese style lunch yesterday (cucumber & wakame salad with furikake + super food Kale and beans with rice and another type of seaweed paste). Pics don't make justice for taste!

oh! Another plus of working from home? I can have flowers around me all day long! (and.. not so glamurous but extremely practical.. I can do my washing whilst I work! no more late nights waiting for the washing machine to finish!!)

Simple brooch

Well, after seeing so many felt brooches, I had to try make one myself. So, who better recipient for it than Mari, who has already provided me with hours of pleasure (and exercise) with my new inherited bike! Anywhere here is my first attempt.. - colours were nicer than they appear in the photo, the blue is more of a turquoise, with a hint of green.. and the pink is a deeper pink. In any case, I had fun making it!

Just a quick one

Today I found this quirky thing. I love it!! Just cause it is soo different! What do you think? Corner frames from thorsten van elten!!

Third Session

Sunday was a very rainy day but the girls still made it to my place. We had new comers, which is always exciting: Rose, Carly and Caroline turned up to our 3rd session in London, N4.

I must say that I wasn't very inspired and for the looks of it, perhaps because of the weather (or maybe because of the previous late night out), we were all a bit less productive than usual on the craft side.

On the cooking (and eating) side, we managed to do so well!! Specially because the girls provided us with irresistible delicious treats. Caroline made an splendid and healthy quiche, Rose made her own version of Asparagus rolls with soft cheese (very tasty and with nice soft bread), Carly brought her latest addiction: cheese-non-fattening-pretzels (always loved their name, pretzels) and a super sweet and juicy pineapple, Helene spoilt us with a great selection of French cheese from La Frommagerie, accompanied by nut bread.. what else we need to be in paradise? oh yes.. my carrot cake!!

Half asleep I stumbled out of bed at 10 (after finishing our previous night's party at 3am) and made the cake. Just as I slided it into the oven I turned around to discover I forgot to chuck in the grated carrot!! Thankfully it still worked out adding them at this stage. And I followed Amy's advice and chucked in raisins and nuts (by adding my morning muesli).

Carly's capable hands serving up the yummy quiche

The day went well, with lots of gossip, background music (including Flight of the Concords), bit of crafts and the best way to spend a Sunday, with friends!

Anyway, this is what we worked on:

Caroline starting a knitted clutch, after deciding she will make some pillow cases
with her stunning kimono fabric (which I forgot to photograph!)

Rose decided to do an embroidery bookmark for her
granny, who apparently is a master embroiderer!
Here you can see her beautiful hands in action!
The beautiful necklace bases Rose found in a charity second hand shop in Islington, I should go try get some! They are so delicate and femenine, I cannot wait to see what she makes of them!Rose and Caroline in a thinking mood,

Helene is still working on her funky and original decoupage box (see detailed photo below)

My first attempt, I tried to make a cover for my nano-iPod but it just didn't work out,
I just couldn't see it... (note my new needles case, cute hey? from a matchbox)

Second attempt, more succesful, cute..
but I'm still not convinced... And I haven't got any pictures of Carly because she mostly did some repairing work on her clothes, which I envy cause I can easily list all the garments I got with about-to-fall buttons!!

Domo Arigato Mari-san

Today I had to post this. I got a new super-uber-duper-cool new bike inherited from Mari! Who, sadly, is going to Japan. She is like a sewing guru. Everything she makes, as I mentioned before, has such good quality!! Not only in the design, and materials (mostly silk from old kimonos) but also the execution. So I'm hoping she will one day open a shop and sell out!! Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm so happy and feeling so spoiled with this gorgeous red devil!!

And, for inspiration, today I opened this box of pencils that my dad bought me ages ago, when I was studying design. He went for a trip in the US and brought me back these and a super cool electric pencil sharpener that I used to show off at uni. Everytime I look at all these pencils I just want to draw and some of the colours are just so unreal!

Internet discoveries

Today I received a couple of links from Maya and then.. I got hooked again. I really must limit my time browsing through lovely blogs because I keep jumping from list to list and this is a never ending activity! In any case, I'm happy because I found two really inspiring girls who make the cutest things in top quality! I'm seriously considering undoing my edgar scarf (see post below) and perhaps do the Drop scarf (even though its name is pretty ugly) - see what Lolita made!

Some more things I've made

Sorry for the long posts. I'm trying to archive somewhere all the images of things I've made. If it is boring, just scroll down quickly ;-)

In any case, I hope this inspires you to make more things!!

Some vintage buttons I bought in Akaroa's flea market, I love them so much I am waiting to make something really special with them!

And these wonderful ones I've got them in Amsterdam

This is the first scarf I made. It is very very soft and warm, like baby whool. And is very very long so I can wrap myself on it on windy days

I made this scarf for Anthony with grey soft wool and a pair of an old suit's trousers. It is very long so that he can do the French knot with it (his favourite way to wear a scarf). And I made it looking smart so that he can wear it with his suit to go to work. But I didn't make the sewing, that was a difficult one so I got extra help for it! (cheater!!)

This is the Edgar Scarf that I'm working on. Even though the pattern is great (got it from Maya), I'm not sure I'm using this wonderful Noro wool in the best way to show off it's texture and colour. So I've paused the project whilst I think of it... The pic is old, so I've gone way further now, almost double the size.

I'm thinking if working with this pattern instead, a sweet big bow-scarf

Some knitting things I've made

I've been taking photos of things I've done throughout the last year. I got into knitting and started making things, always without pattern. Until I was brave enough to buy one and make a scarf for my brother (funny enough, haven't got a pic of that one). Anyway, these are some of the things I've made. Knitting is so much fun! I got many ideas but not enough hands and time for all of them!!

A bracelent I made for Mari-san
(she's got magic hands sewing and makes the most beautiful things,
with great choice of fabrics - most of them from Japan)

A bag for my childhood friend Sakura-chan
(from Japan but living in Barcelona for a bit,
we went to visit her and her husband last year)

Bag for my friend Sophie, in Sydney
(she made me my first hand-made knitted scarf!!)


Bag for my friend Amal in Sydney,
also a very creative buddy!

Bracelet for Carly, it's all on the buttons baby!

This was going to be a scarf, but the wool (donated by Bev- Anthony's mum) was bit rough to put around your neck, so I made it into a bag.

the lining has been made with the shirt that Anthony wore on our first date :-)
I love the contrast with the bright green ceramic buttons

I made this bag with some left over whool I had, similar to Amal's one

It is the first bag I've made with lining

Tissue holder made for Bev. Bev patiently taught me many tricks for knitting and also showed me how to use the sewing maching for the first time too when we were visiting in NZ.

Big Lebowski outfit accessory

We had our friend Ben's b'day party at Bloomsbury Bowling. That was good fun, some people made a good effort (Check Carly's great hair thingy!! - she won best outfit prize, of course!!) and as I had a candy stripe dress I never get to wear (obviously, where am I gonna go with that?), I took it out of the wardrobe and decided to make some hair clips to accompany it!



These are my first felt made things. Felt is such a great thing, so easy to use, quick and flexible and rewarding :-) I love my new hairclips, and cannot wait to the summer or another party to be able to wear them again!!

Lex, the rabbit

My dear friends Catty, Francesco and little Joseph (or Giuseppe, Pepe, Peppone...) came to visit from France. So I made this little finger puppet for Pepe. I wish I took some pics of him cause he is the cutest boy, so awake and curious (like most kids at his young age). Can't wait for Catty & Fran to finish their house so that I can come and visit in Lake Annency!

Second Session

Yes! More girls adding up to our group. Helene and Amy joined Mar and me last Sunday and the result was a few good sunny hours making lots, chatting lots and... eating lots!!

Bought these for the first time and they disappeared very quickly! They are from Bon Mamman.. tastyyyyy!! and the sweet's were just for colour inspiration ;-p

Amy in action...

And Amy finished! proud and happy!
Funny, her work matches her clothes!!

Camera shy Mar's hands in action. She is GOOD!
And one of Mar's two very pro looking things, the door stopper


Helene, having a snack whilst working on her super collage box.. still working on it
Helene shows proudly her work on her super cute new top,
with matching shoes (I should have taken a pic of them!)

a detail on the "Klimt-esque" look of the top of the box

and me...
took me a loooong way to get here, after meassuring, drawing and cutting, cutting and cutting! This is the outside of my new bag

Before
And after, with the lining... (still unfinished)