Monday Chit Chat

Yes, I did some more rainbow doily crochet. This one I like much better! I designed it saturday, when I sat next to my little sick ckicky all day. (Yes, sick AGAIN). I love this and you?

I have a million things to do, but I just can't help myself. Sometimes I just need to design something new. Although I can think of lots of 'better' things to do, I cannot imagine anything BETTER than THIS...

I had to make some more Crochet Coasters for the Sunday Market next sunday. They tend to keep making me happy, because they're so pretty. And I always feel like making more in different colors.

I just made my first post for the Craft Cafe, a series on the lovely Heart Handmade UK blog that I contribute to. You'll have to be patient, since it's going to be published in August... But I will let you know by then.

Well, a short one this monday. It was so stormy and rainy today, but now the sun is shining! Oh how I love Summer!! Have a hooky day!

Friday Fun

Been taking some time off this week, from blogging at least. My man took my computer and I took this time to finish the Scraps Blanket and to do some fun projects.

I'm totally into Brian Tracy at the moment and how to manage my time and stuff like that. It's very interesting and effective and my life is getting more and more organized. I love it! My man and me are taking his 'lessons' together and we are much more productive and have more spare time. Isn't that wonderful!

Oh how I love orchids. I thought I'd use this opportunity to share these pretties with you. Don't you love the way flowers look in the light of summer? My dahlia's started blooming too. That always makes me happy...

The scraps from my Scraps Blanket. I will show you the results next week. I've also taken all the pictures for the tutorial. I hope to have it finished next week. Sorry for the delay, but this week just went a little different than planned. I enjoyed it very much though!

Been making these sunny doilies just for fun. I will make a few for the Sunday Market of july 6th. What you think?

I just used the pattern from my Flower Potholder and left it single instead of making it double. It's lovely don't you think. It could really brighten up a coffee table...

This is kind of a rainbow doily. It's not to my taste yet. I'm experimenting with the color scheme. I will make some more this weekend I think. But today I'm giving a crochet workshop in the school of my kids. We have a big summer party and the theme is 70's 80's. There will be more craft workshops, since it was so popular than, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I hope you all have a sunny weekend and that you get some hookin' done. Have fun!

Granny Square Blanket

This is what I've been working on. The so-called Mystery Project I told you guys about. I'm progressing quite quickly! I found a new way of being more efficient and it's working out well.

Remember this Granny Square Blanket? Well, I got an order last week to make this blanket, just a little bigger. I remembered loving making this blanket so much, that I immediately agreed. I can use the same colors and exactly the same edging.

So I started as soon as my other order was finished and am progressing rather quickly. I just need to join the squares and make the edging. Oh, how all these colors make me happy! And you?

But I thought, why not use this opportunity to make a tutorial for you guys. I got lots of requests to do so, and now I will. I hope it will be available in the Color 'n Cream Shop next week (maybe one week later... we'll see...).

I've also decided to sell at the Sunday Market at the Westergas Fabriek, on sunday the 6th of July. It's very exciting and I'm crocheting my butt of to fill a whole table of 3 x 1 meter. I must say, I've got my work cut out for me... But I enjoy every minute of it!

Anywho, it's almost weekend now and I'm preparing a big Thai meal tonight for a group of my friends and family. I really love to cook for others and love the Thai kitchen, do you?

Leaving you guys now. Have a lovely relaxing weekend!

Crochet Pattern Flower Square 8

Well, I must admit I took my time... But here it is!! The Crochet Pattern Flower Square 8. Isn't it lovely?

I think it works well in a cushion like this. If you'd like to make a cushion like this, you can also find my Cushion Cover Tutorial in the Color 'n Cream Shop.

This is a pastel cushion, but I think it will also look pretty with bright colors. Where would you use these squares for and what colors would you choose?

The Mystery Project is coming along nicely. I think it'll be done next week and I will finish the tutorial too. I also wanted to ask you guys, for the Mastering The Basics Series, is there something you need? Is there a basic technique you'd like me to explain. Like finishing off the loose ends, sewing squares together, stuff like that?

Anyway, hope you have a sunny day!

Work In Progress

I'm working on this project...

And am lovin' every step of the way. Can you imagine? Is it Color Bomb worthy???

Have a joyous day!

And The Winner Is...

And the winner of the June Give Away is: Natasha Rizhik! Congratulations! I hope your little one will enjoy the garland. 

I wanted to say I'm sorry about telling you guys to leave your email in the comment. Apparently this is not a good idea, because of spam. I really wasn't aware of that, so I offer my sincere apologies. It is best to write your email address out like this: colorandcream1 at gmail dot com, or put in spaces between letters, so it's still possible to figure out for a human being, but not for a computer.

I'm trying to get a bit more organized right now. Since my business is growing, it's becoming more and more important to manage my time smartly. That's why I have a big new pin board and all new sticky notes (from HEMA). Aren't they pretty? This makes planning much more fun! I especially like the ones in the left lower corner. And the arrows too...

This is part of my pin board. I decided to just use a soft board, from ceiling to floor, since that takes up less space of my white wall. I really LOVE it a lot. Oh, and soft board is crazy cheap. It only cost me about 8 euro's...

So that's what I'll be doing the next few days. And working on my custom order blanket (and making a tutorial on that during the process...). Oh yes, and I've almost finished the next Flower Square Tutorial! It''ll be in the Color 'n Cream Shop this week! 

Have an anything but blue monday!!

Doily Love

I've finished the first custom order I ever had!! What do you think? The lady in question really liked my Pink Coasters, but she needed something bigger and asked me to design a doily that would suit her pink kitchen (!!!). It was a real challenge, because I don't have much experience with doilies, but after pulling everything out over and over again, I got better at it and this is the final result!

I am quite proud of myself and always love to learn new skills. Learning really keeps my mind fresh and excited. I particularly loved this order, because of the pink, as you can imagine... I really LOVE pink!

On the same day I received this order, I also received another custom order (go figure, and normally I don't even do custom orders...). A lady from Missouri asked me for a bigger version of this Granny Square Baby Blanket. I so enjoyed making this blanket that I said yes. I'm working on it now.

It's gonna take me some time, but that's ok. It's so uplifting to work with all this color.

So, that's what I'll do now and the rest of the weekend. The camping trip is off, because the little one is not herself right now, so I've got lots of time to kill!

Have a summery weekend!!

Craft Room

The light is soo beautiful today! Although my photography doesn't really show... I couldn't resist to take some photo's of my craft room. I painted the peach wall white after all... It turned out just the way I wanted and doesn't leave a peach glow on, well, everything!

And this is what my table looks like today. Some fresh flowers, some crocheted flowers, some yarn and a doily I'm working on as a custom order. How do you like it?

It's so much fun, but still quite difficult. I keep on pulling everything out, until it looks just the way I like it. Making doilies isn't my specialty. That's kind of why it's extra fun! And you all know how I LOVE pink...

I'm actually toning it down a little bit. I was crazy stressed these last few weeks, because of the market, the shop and my little one, who, turns out, has Lyme disease. As some of you might have noticed, she gets sick a lot. But we finally know why. And we are treating it, but it will take some time. She is home a lot and only attends school for half days. That kinda blurs my attention on the Color 'n Cream part sometimes.

But as much as I can, I seek refuge here. In my lovely Craft Space. I turned everything around and it is starting to end up the way I like it (you know I might change it again tomorrow...) I made a big pin board (not in the pic's yet) to get some more clarity in what needs to be done, to reduce the stress a bit.

For the ones interested: the Cotton Yarn Pastel Color Combo is available right now in my shop. There will be some more combo's available later this week, or maybe next week.

We are going camping this weekend, for the first time in a tent. It's exciting and I'm looking forward to it a lot. I hope the weather will be just like it is today!

Have a sunshiny day!

Crochet Cushion Tutorial

As promised, today my Cushion Cover Tutorial is finally available in the Color 'n Cream Shop. This is the pretty example I've used in the Tutorial. Isn't she a beauty? I actually love this small cushion. I think I'll make more. They are sooo cute! If you're interested in the cushion itself, keep an eye on Facebook. I'll let you know once it's available.

And of course, this is what all the ado is about. The back... I might even like it better than the front. What do you think? And the fabric is to die for! I bought it in Chiang Mai 2 years ago and still have some meters left.

I got my first custom order this morning. I'm so very excited!! I will keep you posted on this one. It's gonna be lovely and something else from what I did before, but still very Color 'n Creamy.

Ahh, how I love this cushion. If you would like to make your own, check out the Crochet Pattern for the Flower Square, and use my free Joining Solid Squares Tutorial to make the front panel and back strip.

I totally forgot to tell you about the Amsterdam Maker Festival!! I made these coasters to take along with the others, last week. I really love the pink pretties...

Yes, these will shine on my own coffee table too. Aren't they sweet? The festival was fun. I met a lot of nice and talented makers and saw some beautiful and original stuff. I especially liked the work of Renske Versluijs. Beautiful leather and knit accessories! And her pastel color pallet... I stopped and stared at all that beauty.

Sadly, it was very quiet in the visitors department, so I sold close to nothing. But, I had a wonderful day and met some great people. Oh and did I tell you I was invited to attend a Craft Market in Sweden??!! More about that next week!

For now, have a color and creamy weekend!