good or not

There's no secret I love crafting, creating, making things. Like many other crafters I also like giving away some of the things I make. And I think I'm not the only one asking myself questions like "is it good?", "is it good enough?", "do I think it's cute just because it took me so long making it, or because it is cute?" etc. I don't ask that for every single thing I make, no no, and for the things I make for myself I don't even care whether it's good or nice or ... quite ugly, as long as I'm happy with it. The problem comes when I'm about to give someone something I've made.

Not everything I make is nice, or beautiful, or good, or cute. That's a fact, and it's not so strange. Some things does turn out better than other. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sometimes an idea seemed much better in my thoughts than in reality. However, sometimes it takes time to judge your own things, like you have to put it away for ... a year? at least! Sometimes I ask Magnus, but to be honest he isn't the best to judge either. I tend to appreciate handmade things - to recieve too - so much that I sometimes wonder whether I like them not only because I find them beautiful, but much because I know how much work and time there is behind them. When giving away something I want it to be something ... nice. Of course. But sometimes it's hard to tell whether the thing I just made is cute, or it just seems so to me but when I think of it I made something similar when I was ten and I didn't like it then but my grandparents did because I was ten and not ... almost 27.
I do know that some things I make are appreciated gifts by some people. Still, I'm sometimes afraid of giving away something I made. Afraid that they wont like it and either put it away where no one can see it or use it just to be nice to me. I can't blame them, not everyone loves handmade stuff, but sometimes I'd like to know will this little creature or this necklace be happy in its new home?. (Otherwise perhaps it could stay here with me.) If I put a lot of time and love and money in making something for someone, then I don't want them to hide it in their deepest wardrobe.
I guess the solution is to give things to people I know will appreciate it (but how will I know that?) and to give away only my best things (but then, again, how can I tell?). I'm sure I'm not the only one struggling with this from time to time, or are you all confident with everything you make, and that the ones you give it to will love it? Then, please, tell me the secret ;-)

link link

Since I'm not crafting so much at the moment, I'll give you some links instead. And by the way, not being able to craft as much as I want to always give me so many ideas. When putting all my craft stuff in boxes I find things that I haven't used for a while, or had almost forgotten about. I want to try this, do that, ... I have to be patient ;-)
Now, links. I'll begin with
Photos
*Have you met Eva? This blog is in Swedish, with photos of the nature and of her daily life in Bromölla (southern Sweden). Since she's a good writer, too, I guess this blog is more interesting for those of you who understand Swedish. But go check out it anyway ;-)
*More Swedish photos here: Annelito's photo diary, more Swedish photos and more cats and Monkeygirl's photoblog.
*Gregory Colbert makes beautiful photos of people and animals. That was a boring description, but I think you too will fall in love with the little boy reading to the elephant.
*If you haven't seen Tisha McCuiston's photon yet, you should do it now ;-)
*This group at Flickr, Íslenskir ljósmyndarar - Icelandic photographer, is a treasure.

No more photolinks today, now we need some crafty stuff, right?
*Gunnels blog. She's a quilter and an embroider.
*Sigga Sif, rndnrnd we knit :-D
*Izabella's Tattered Letters.
*Sparrowgoods' journal.
*angry chicken.
*Norththreads.

from his point of view

Today I'm feeling a little bit better, but this week I've been too tired even for crafting. All I've done is a little bit of crochet, in bed! I've been drinking tea, and tea, and tea ... Outside it's cold and every day it's been snowing. Zam, who loves snow, must think I'm the most boring person ever now, not wanting to play with him for hours in the snow ... Look how bored he is!

But we have looked out through the window together, I don't know what is so interesting, but interesting it is (if you ask Zam).

being at home

I'm home from work with a sore throat, fever and everything. Did I have time for this? No. But well, there's not so much to do about it, except resting in the sofa with hot tea + honey and a cozy dog (who, by the way, stole my pillow while I was making myself some soup for lunch). I'm reading a little bit, sleeping a bit, not doing so much else. Yesterday afternoon I had a bit more energy and painted/collaged a "sign". Today it's been snowing and quite dark so the photo is a bit dark and since I'm using my laptop ... well, Photoshop and this computer, they don't get along very well. So to say. Anyway, this painting-collage-kind of thing is a bit messy, but it was fun making it. It's an old saying written on it, a kind of rhyme, that my grandma used to have (and still has? I don't remember) over the entrance door of their house. I'm not good at translating, but it's saying something like "Be a friend of the house when you enter, and be in the same [state of mind?] when you leave" (sorry, my English isn't the best ...). I really like it and for many years I have had this message on my door (although I'm not sure anyone noticed). Now I made a big sign instead ;-)


I'm not feeling a bit better now than in the morning - actually it's getting worse for each day - so I'll have to stay at home from work tomorrow too. Today I've been too tired to craft, but maybe tomorrow I can knit a bit? I hope so. Zam is still on my pillow, dreaming 'cause his legs are moving. It's not fun going out in the snow for a dog walk when having the fever, but it's worth it because he's the best company when I'm home and tired all day.

how to bake

1. Mix all the ingredients. Try not to step on or fall over your dog when you move around in the kitchen. Ignore the dog eyes that say "I soooo want to taste". Ask the dog to move a bit while you put the muffins in the oven.

2. Make the frosting. Taste it. Ignore that your dog thinks you are unfair not giving him anything. Tell him to walk on four legs, not on two. Tell him to keep his tongue in his mounth.

3. Okay, okay.

the mess in here

Busy busy ... our flat looks like a ... complete mess. Boxes, bags, things, things and more things ... everywhere. I have a lot of crafty ideas and projects, for me and for you, hopefully in springtime there will be time for it.

iceland

It was winter 2003 and I shared a flat in Reykjavík with an italian and a french girl. I studied Icelandic and literature at the university (Háskóli Íslands) and during the weekends we rented cars and went to see the amazing Icelandic nature. It's already four years ago. I made new friends there from all over the world, some of which I've lost and some of which I'm still close with. I took a lot of photos and yesterday I decided to scan some of them. The quality isn't the best after scanning with my scanner, but here are some winter days in and outside Reykjavík.

I was crafting when I was there. I couldn't bring any stuff for crafting, but close to where I live was a paper shop where I bought scissors, glue and some paper so that I could make birthday cards. I used to sit on the floor in my room, listen to music and have a cup of tea and make my cards. What I did the most, however, was to knit. It was in Iceland my passion of knitting begun ;-) Not that I had never knitted before, but it was in Reykjavík I fell in love with all the wool yarn they had. I even went to the Álafoss factory & outlet, though I didn't bring much home since I already had too much to carry and Icelandic yarn can be found in the shops in Sweden as well. I remember I knitted a scarf and a number of hats. But the best thing was the "knitting café" on Monday evenings when I met some women from Iceland and other parts of the world (most of them were in Iceland because they had married an Icelandic man or because of their job). I was the youngest. We were there to learn how to knit a lopapeysa (you can see some here and here), there were one or two Icelandic women there to help us out.
Here I am (+ a friend), knitting at the café. The last Monday we met we had been baking cakes and cookies that we brought, that was a sweet buffé I can tell you ;-) (Now when I think of it, it seems a bit strange to bring cakes to a café, but well, we did.) Anyway, there's nothing I can be so nostalgic about as my time in Iceland.

more necklaces

I made some changes with my blog, I hope it doesn't look too strange now. It's Monday afternoon, Zam is next to me in the sofa, on the table is a cup of tea. Little Ia is in another room, I think she didn't notice when I left. Outside the sky is grey, the weather is cold and boring. But it begun in a beautiful way. I was out on the fields with Ia and Zam just before the sun rise over the tree tops. Everything was frozen, the trees white and covered by ice. We were all alone. Ia didn't want to walk, Zam wanted to run ... so I had to carry one dog and let the other one run free ;-) It was so beautiful when the sun finally came over the tree tops, the fields and the snow bathing in sunlight, the shadows so long and blue and the few colors that were (like the red color of my dog) were so intense. Magical moment. But I didn't have my camera so now I show you some necklaces I made a little more than a week ago.

one of four necklaces

Like a sunny day in springtime.
Or like candy.

a beautiful morning

I do have some necklaces to show you, but today ... it was such a beautiful morning. I have to show you ...


The snow, the fog, the sun rising over the trees. Zam and I went out for a walk in the very right moment.


The "river" which is partly covered by ice and snow.


The little bridge over the river.




Zam enjoys the snow ;-)