Free friday - wild veggies

3 comments

One of my fave things (apart from my job) is cooking, especially with homegrown veggies. Even better is cooking with free veggies found in the wild.

Because I'm not a expert on foraging I joined a one day workshop on local wild food.
The lovely Maaike (who's also a great yoga teacher here in Ilpendam) and Ellen, took us into the fields to find our own food adn explained where they come from, when to find them (seasons) and how to use them.

Together we then made quiches, bread, pesto's, a salad and cookies (these were also made from handmade ricotta cheese, fresh from the cows in the same field) with our finds.
Now when I'm weeding in my garden, I put lots of little plants aside (instead of throwing them away), I now know they're edible!

Pictures are made by Ellen of organic farm Achtervennen.

Fresh stock of printed china!

3 comments

I restocked my store with printed china. This is my fave, I'm having a hard time letting it go... but I just can't keep everything for myself, can I? ;-).
You can find the teapot and more (including new bowls with sleeping foxes) here.


A new book in town!

9 comments

Ingrid (from ing-things.blogspot.com) has made a very inspiring and cheerful book called 'Kringloopgeluk' (thrift-luck). Today I went to her book launch party.

What a feast it was! Not only was it lovely to meet Ingrid in person, the whole party was so inspiring! There were yummy pies, tea or coffee was served in pretty vintage cups (you could take home afterwards) and Ingrid made little gifts for every visitor.

The party was held in a cute vintage and home deco design shop 'Zublim', the perfect location if you ask me (specially with the nice weather)! While there I bumped into a few fellow-bloggers and friends like friend Ellen and Nikki. All together the prefect sunday!

Free friday

Leave a Comment

Two favorites to spend a free friday with....
M's Lentil soup and the rug I'm making for our bedroom (M call's it 'The big bang').

Have a good weekend!

Bookplates

3 comments

My illustration students made bookplates (ex-libris) for their lino print assignment.
It had to contain their name (full or just initials) and an image that represented their personality. I think they've done really well!

Thank you so much!!

2 comments

I'd like to say a very big thanks to everyone who participated in the green-seeds-swap: THANK YOU!
So many lovely packages arrived the past two weeks from all over the world, it made me smile big time. Some of the seeds have already been put in the ground, others will wait till warmer days.
This has been a great start of spring!

I'd like to dedicate some extra lines to Judith, who made the amazing seeds-booklet in the first picture. It was a absolute delight to receive such a well made gift! Also big thanks to:

-Patricia who gave me some magic fertilizer liquid to give all plants a boost.
-Joanne who send me a diversion of interesting seeds from California.
-Evdokia for her lovely package from Greece
-Evelyn for (among others) the pretty borage
-Annemiek, who gave me almost more seeds than I can plant!
-Mirjam (the aardbeimelde is already popping it's first leafs above the ground!)
-and to everyone else who has joined me in my veggie-madness ;-)

You have made my (gardening) day(s)!

Free friday - question

1 comment

Another free friday question! Patricia asked:

How frequently do you contact the shops where you have pieces (in consignation*). Do they contact you every month to tell you what you sold or do you contact them? Also do you write an email or do you contact them by phone?


This all depends on the shop!
Some shops are very accurate with their bookkeeping (these are my fave!) and will inform your every month by email on what they sold and where you can send the invoice.

With others you'll have to ask yourself. In this case I would only contact them every three months, by email. Ask them if you have sold any of your goodies and if they will email you a list of the sold items. Also ask if there is anything they need to restock and if they noticed what sold very good and what didn't. 
By this information you know which products you should produce more and what you should drop.

A few more tips:

1.
Be sure to keep a clear list of what you have send and when to every shop. With this you can check what's sold and know what's still left in every shop.

2. 
After 6 months, check what's still left (if there is any) in the shop. Ask the shop owner if they would like to keep it a bit longer or if they want to send it back to you. This also can be done by email.

3.
Talk to the shop owner about what they would love for their shop, what are their idea's and what's missing? Maybe you can make and sell it, it might be the cherry on their shop's pie!

* having your products in consignation means that a shop does not buy your products in wholesale but is just selling your items for you. You get a percentage of the selling price for every item sold (normally between 50% and 70% is for you).

In the picture: the entrance of Shop Trunk/BonbonBoutique in Amsterdam

The Ugly Truth

12 comments
 
 

Blogging, facebook and other social media, it always seems to show the perfect and lucky in life, the beautiful and organised. But when did we all get so peachy? Don't we maintain a 'perfectionist and comparing culture' by doing so?
Workwise I have the comparing-thing mostly under control (keep in mind you see your work every day, but to others it might be new and fresh). But then my private life...

Let me tell you something: I am NOT that kind of person that can do multi things all day long, from appointment to appointment, creating, doing some housekeeping, cooking, gardening and so on.
If I have a full day planned, I get stressed just thinking about it. I need at least two hours a day doing nothing but hanging on the sofa with a book or mag. And I feel very quilty about it, not to mention lazy!
I have never been able to keep up with the rush of daily life, like others seem to. Or am I just thinking they can?

I try to though, keeping the house shiny and designer perfect, meeting my friends often, having a good relationship, illustrating and teaching in between, being a kind an good person, cooking healthy and yummy, growing my own food...
But somehow when I hop around on other blogs, it seems there is always one, or a lot more things I fall short on and in the mean time try to be perfect about my life to the outside world as well.

I had a confronting reality check last evening. I was talking about affirmation to two of my students and proudly proclaimed that since I say to myself every night 'I easily fall asleep, I sleep well and deep and wake up refreshed', I do sleep very well.
That night I was still awake at 1 pm, 2 pm, even 3pm. I affirmated my ass off and finally (finally!!) fell asleep around half past three. The morning wasn't pretty though, and even my bangs seemed to have had a rough night (oh ugly truth! I do not wake up shiny and pretty...) 
So I started this new day with the thought in mind that it was not gonna be a blogger perfect day and I'd like to show you the cracks and ugly in my life by the above pictures:

1. 
on the left: Seb the Bunny thinks it's good clean fun to tear away our white wallpaper and by doing so exposing layers of old wallpaper. Not to mention the hideous blue carpet I still want to get my hands on.
on the right: This is what my bangs looked like this morning, no stylish hairdo here!

2.
Some clutter (not the moped!) that has to be collected someday soon by the garbage men but meanwhile is tucked away behind our shed for weeks already (and more in the attic).

3. 
The aloe vera plant I drowned.

4. 
I stashed the stuff I still have to sort out in my man's yoga room. 
(Yoga room sounds nice right? But don't be mislead, it's also where the dishwasher and washing machine live).

Ok, now I'm gonna hide onder a rock for a few days... ;-)


Black and white landscapes

Leave a Comment
 

The students of my Illustration and Digital course made with handmade black/white structures and patterns illustrations in photoshop. They could choose one these themes for their illustration:
+ trip to the mountains
+ into the country
+ bright lights, big city

Here a few results... 

Pottery

2 comments

Every year, if I can find the time, I'd like to do a creative course myself. But what to do this year?
After some searching I found Marjan de Voogd, a ceramist who teaches ceramic courses in her wonderful light and inspiring studio in Amsterdam (Jordaan).
I was very keen on learning how to make things on a potter's wheel, so that's what I started learning today.

Tricky business this technique is, especially to keep the clay from deforming and going all over the place. Marjan threw in some tips and advice and by the end of the morning I was the proud producer of two tolerably decent mugs. Can't wait to learn more next week!

By the way, Marjan mentioned there are still a few places on the other wheels left (monday morning and tuesday evening), so come join me and let's make pots together! ;-)

For more info: ceramics studio

Free friday - the simple life

2 comments

This year I'm preparing for a veggie garden XL. I started sowing seeds weeks ago and the whole house is slowly turning into a greenhouse. The more seedlings go into the garden, the more I feel healthy and good, just by planting the first spuds!

I enjoy the thought of being able to grow my own food, it makes you dwell on the good things in life, the easy and uncomplicated. It's funny... the last few weeks I've come across lots of articles, blogs and information about making your life easy and simple (not to mention the poster I made for the 'Simplify your life book' by Flow magazine). It's almost like this 'movement' is finding me, instead of the other way round.

Might it be possible that some 'outer force' knows I need this, after the busy and stressful weeks of moving and getting used to my new residence? Or maybe this is my own intuition taking me by the hand? Anyway, I'm enjoying this new way, it makes my mind at peace, my shoulders light and my thoughts free.

The same joy I feel when growing food, I feel when baking. So to share the joy (even if you're not a kitchen goddess, you can make this cake), here's my fave cake recipe of the moment:

Zucchini bread (it's actually a cake, why do they call it bread?)

Ingredients:
3 cups* of flour (I prefer wholemeal, but you can use plain flower)
2 1/4 cups brown sugar (or palm sugar, a more healthy version)
1 cup of sunflower oil
2 cups grated zucchini (this is about one normal size zucchini)
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, whatever you got)
3 eggs
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of baking soda (not baking powder, but baking soda, in
                                     the Netherlands you can buy this at the toko)

Mix everything together with a spoon (make sure the baking soda is well mixed into the batter)
Put it in a buttered baking tray or tin and bake it in the middle of the oven at 170 C** for about 40-60 minutes (just check it now and then, it's ready if, when sticking a knife in the middle it comes out clean).

All done!

*1 cup = 240 ml
** 170 C = 388 F = gas oven mode 2

------------------------------------------------
A few 'simple' links:
slowyourhome.com
bewuste-eenvoud.blogspot.com (dutch)
degroenemeisjes.nl (dutch)
soulemama.com
------------------------------------------------

Have a simply delicious weekend!




New Comfort Boxes for sping

4 comments

These new Instant Comfort Pocket Boxes spring designs are now available in my webshop!

Illustration course - black and white stories

3 comments

My students made these little booklets, out of the structures and patterns they painted last week. The assignment was to tell a little story on your daily life.

---> this little food-design by Malin put a big smile on my face!
all content on this blog © Kim Welling unless stated otherwise. Powered by Blogger.