Flickr Favorites Tuesday: tents

Flickr Favorites Tuesday: tents
Originally uploaded by Marian Florcita

We were supossed to go camping this week. Last thursday the car broke down, ended up in the shop the whole weekend + monday. Today we got it back with a huuuuuge bill obviously...
In the meantime, something got in my eye, couldn't get it out... this morning I went to the doctor to find out I have an eye infection...antibiotics and sun hypersesitivity...yay.
So, out teepee tent, the green one in this mosaic... is still packed waiting to be opened. My husband's vacation days are running out so we better shape up or no vacations at all!

All the credit to the photographers whom took these pics. Click on the mosaic to see it larger.
And if you want to join in the Flick favorites fun, visit Mitsy's blog! : http://artmind-etcetera.blogspot.com

balls for Seba's Birthday

ballssebs
Originally uploaded by Marian Florcita

Sebs is my son (short for Sebastián).
This week he turned 3 yrs old and this found me a bit shocked at how fast time passes but also juggling with a variety of task: birthday parties (at his kindergarden and at home), dinner with the family, preparations for our vacations and work. Anything else?? oh yeah, at the last minute the car broke down so, even though we should be leaving tomorrow on vacations...we won't be doing so until wednesday or so... hopefully.
It is tradition here in The Netherlands that when your birthday comes, you have to treat your friends with a cake or treats, little presents in the case of kids. Tired of all the cheap plastic stuff my son has received in these past months from some of his friends, I decided to make something myself. I do understand that not most parents are crafty and that it is indeed cheaper and faster to go and buy a bunch of plastic little cars or something like that (which will break within a few days and just add to the plastic waste in the world...) but I had no excuse. I could and wanted to make something.
For 3 yr old kids you don't have to go to extreme lengths. I made a batch of about 30 wet felted balls. Each with a different color combination and pattern. It was actually quite fun to make them and easy... it just took a couple of days...especially because wool has to dry and it does not stop raining here!

The balls were a success. Kids with eyes wide open rolling their colorfull balls and looking amazed at the swirls, dots and stripes. The teacher said to me that she hadn't seen this much excitment from the kids when treats were given, in a long time. Even happier.

I also made a few simple paper bags and labels with my son's name on it and an inscription on the back:
100% wool,
100% biodegradable,
100% enviorementally friendly...

We all have to work towards that, right?? what better opportunity to do so than on this ocassion, celebrating the life of my little son, who - I hope- will receive a better world...or at least I will try to make it better.

Whimsycal Ceramic bottles

Whimsycal Ceramic bottles
Originally uploaded by Marian Florcita

Unfortunately the ceramics studio where I go every week, is closing down. So we are all trying really hard to use up all rests of clay that we have with us so we can fire them up. I still have kilos left so I don't think I will be able to fire everything considering next week will be the last one.

These little bottles here, are some of the things I've been doing lately.
They were painted with slip or engobe and later glazed with transparent glazing on certain areas, so the texture of the surface changes. If you click on the picture it will take you to my flickr where in some of the macro pics of these bottles, you can see better all the cracks on the glazing. Pretty nice me thinks :)

While I was gone

I was interviewed by Sara from Sara's Texture Crafts for DIY city mag, an online crafts magazine which always has lots of info on new artisans, suppliers and do it yourself stuff. It is worth your time to surf around its pages.
In the interview I talk a bit about what I am already working on for the next season, a new line called "Retazos" which in spanish means "scraps"... other things ...you have to go and read it.

Thanks Sara for making it happen....


We did go to The Hague and later to Wassenaar to the beach. Lovely day we had under the sun and even though we used up half a bottle of sun protection, we still woke up the next day in colors ranging from red to...bordeaux! My skin always gets brown immediately but that is the latin gen speaking, my husband was fluorescent red!
It was great to swimm in the ocean again. I'm half fish half human :)


Anyway, interview here... have a nice weekend!

Sand, salt and water. And sunscreen...

I have to go visit the Argentinean Embassy here in The Netherlands today, which is in Den Haag (The Hague)...by the sea! If we survive the long and mean traffic jams and all the paperwork at the Embassy, we are spending the rest of the day at the beach. Sand on my feet, salt on my face.
Mr Husband is officially on vacations so I might be a bit gone. We have a few little trips -just around here- planned and naturally we have an agenda full with appointments and "things to do" for the next 3 weeks. Stressful vacations!
Oh yeah, I've been doing a whole lot of felting and for my son's birthday next week I'm planning to felt about 30 balls to give away as treats so... there is work being done after all! :)
Anyway, it might not be the pacific ocean or the caribean, but I'm going to the sea today. Sometimes you just have to wish for it, and things happen!

Flickr Favorites Tuesday: Where I want to be

Flickr Favorites Tuesday: Where I want to be
Originally uploaded by Marian Florcita

It's warm...27C, finnally!
But, you know how we humans are...we are never completely content, we always want something more. And yes, now that the warmth I've been asking for came...I wish I were somewhere where there is water, ocean.
I grew up by the Argentinean Atlantic coast and our summers meant inequivocably...ocean. My parents have a beach house there where a few adults and a whole lot of children could fit... so sibblings, friends, relatives... we would all spend time in a mass of kids, sand, sunscreen and ice creams. We were so happy with so little.
I love warm weather as long as I have a place where to soak my feet. In the middle of the city, no thanks. Swimming pools and man made lakes don't do it for me either... the water has to be fresh and smell natural not like chlorine! I guess I'm spoiled with all the nature I had around me as I was growing up.
So, that's my Flickr faves for the week.... where I want to be.... by the sea.

All the credit to all the fantastic photographers who took the pics. Do click on the picture to see it larger and to find the link to their owners.

If you want to join the fun, visit Mitsy's blog .

Ceramics Market in Maaseik, Belgium

Ceramics Market in Maaseik, Belgium
Originally uploaded by Marian Florcita

Yesterday we woke up early, like every day... 3yr old son doesn't understand "it's sunday, what are you doing up at 6am!" ...anyway, we went to the Ceramics Market in Maaseik, which is the first belgian city accross the border from where I live. The good thing about going that early is that we found parking space and it was somewhat easy to walk and look. By the time we left at 11.30 it was packed full with people and looking at things was not an easy task.
I really liked seeing the variety of styles and methods peope in the area (Belgium, Netherlands and Germany) use. Big stuff, small stuff. Statues and also kitchenware. Raku, engobes, oxides, salt and sugar glazings; fire pit ovens, electrical ovens and so much more.
A very nice market, worth the visit if you are in the area.
The city of Maaseik ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maaseik) is a very nice one too. Very old. You can see in the architecture that this was a very rich city once. Of course it is also the birthplace of Hubert and Jan van Eyck (15thcentury) considered -especially the second- one of the best painters of the time. It is said that Jan van Eyck invented -or improved- the use of oil paints.

Anyway, a nice way to spend a sunday morning, topped with a yummy belgian beer before heading home.

Yes, beer in the morning... almost noon... it's Belgium, it is mandatory to drink beer there! :)