Happy New Year!

2010 was a really good year for me, and looking back fills me with deepest gratefulness.
I wish you all and your families a very happy and healthy New Year!

Renate's Ornament Swap

(Fortunately curiosity didn't kill the cat in this case! This is Tomcat Bruno looking at the ornaments I have made for Renate and Stefanie)

It was November 29th when Renate of Put a little magic in your life came up with the idea of a little German ornament swap and asked me if I'd like to participate. Of course I wanted! I loved the idea and felt (feel) so very honoured and flattered!
Renate also asked Gaby of Colourful Adventures(http://colorfuladventures.blogspot.com/) and Stefanie of Stefanies Sammelsurium. Sadly, Gaby wasn't able to participate because she already had too many other things to do - but we all hope she will join us next year!
So we were only three, but that felt quite right regarding the little time that was left till christmas.

Creating the ornaments for Renate and Stefanie was so much fun to do! They are both adorable and incredible talented persons - reading their blogs is always such a joy, such an inspiration! To know them means really much to me. For the first time I have the feeling that I have arrived. I feel connected. It is like camomille tea for my soul.
From the bottom of my heart I wanted to give something back.

Last night we finally unwrapped our treasures.



Renates Ornament came to me in this lovely pouch she sewed out of cotton fabric and felt and decorated it with stars from old lace and sari silk.

Inside was this stunning, double sided ornament:



A genuine watch face Renate sealed with resin because of the very sharp enamel edges on one side...





... and this beautiful Madonna with child on the other side.



She paired the medaillon with czech glass beads, brass wire and a georgeous chandelier crystal. I'm over the moon with it. It is perfect. Can't wait to decorate our tree!




Stefanie sent her ornament in this cute christmas gift box!



I opened it, and out came... tadaaaaa... this teriffic resin paper ornament - the world's most beautiful cherub medaillon!



Stefanie loves to use vibrant colours, sari silk ribbons and other fibers in her creations.
Can you see the beads that are hidden between the fibers?



Isn't it just magic!

Please don't miss to visit Renates
http://putalittlemagicinyourlife.blogspot.com/2010/12/beginnings-of-ornament-exchange.html
and Stefanies
http://stefaniessammelsurium.blogspot.com/2010/12/beautiful-gift-ein-wundervolles.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+StefaniesSammelsurium+%28Stefanies+Sammelsurium%29
blog, too!

Dear Renate, dear Stefanie, I don't have words for what I am feeling. This was so much more than an exchange of ornaments to me. Thank you!

Boys we almost stand in fear of

"Ah, how often we read or hear of
Boys we almost stand in fear of!
For example, take these stories
Of two youths, named Max and Moritz,
Who, instead of early turning
Their young minds to useful learning,
Often leered with horrid features
At their lessons and their teachers.
(...)"

(Wilhelm Busch)

This morning, Mats (9) has designed this little fellow. His name is Max because he reminded Mats on Wilhelm Busch's Max and Moritz.
I love this picture and plan to print it on my coffee mug!

For my friend Kerstin

The day after tomorrow will be my friend's birthday. I know she loves the dragonfly buttons I sometimes use in my necklaces - especially the blue ones.
So I have made a necklace with a blue butterfly button, another Czech glass button (with swarovski crystal in the center) and some bright blue faceted glass beads for her birthday.
I think she'll like it.

Advent Calendar, Day 18

Look how Yola's Bracelets have grown since the second day!
Yola wears them all the time and is so excited about them! It's such a joy to see that!

One World One Heart

This is the 5th and last giant, worldwide "One World One Heart" Event. When the 4th OWOH was, I didn't even have a blog, so this is my first and last chance to participate, and I am certainly going to take it!
The rules are clear and simple and just seem to add fun.
To find out more, go to: http://awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com/a_whimsical_bohemian/2010/12/annoucning-the-fifth-and-final-one-world-one-heart-event-.html
I am really looking forward to it!

Winter Wonderland

Just wanted to share with you what I see when I look out of my window, today.

This morning I hopped over to Sharon Tomlinson's blog All Norah's Art (http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com) and found a link to a video on youtube of Misty Mawn (http://mistymawn.typepad.com) that gave me goose bumps and made my heart sing. Here it is:



If you are interested to sign in (now!) to Misty Mawn's online workshop, you can find everything about it on her blog.

Advent Calendar, Day 2

As you may notice, I have decided to write in English, from now on.
German is my mother tongue, so German words come much easier and faster into my mind, but bloggerland's language is English - 99,7% of the blogs I follow are written in English.
I felt more and more like a German tourist in a foreign country who insists on ordering German food in German language. If you really want to get to know each other, it's most important to understand each other, of course.
So, here we go.
The pictures show what my daughter Yola has found in her advent calendar, yesterday.

Türchen No. 1

Dieses Armband war heute in Yolas Adventskalender und ist jetzt an ihrem Handgelenk.

Sneak Peak

Diese kleinen "Krabbeltiere" sind mir heute im Garten begegnet. Weil es so kalt ist und ich Mitleid hatte, habe ich ihnen vorgeschlagen, dass sie dieses Jahr als Christbaumschmuck fungieren könnten - dann (hofffentlich) im Warmen.
Das Foto zeigt, wie sie sich darüber beraten. Meinen Vorschlag anzunehmen, würde nämlich bedeuten, dass sie sich trennen müßten, um in verschiedenen Teilen Deutschlands ihren Dienst zu tun.
Ich denke, ich konnte sie überreden.
Aber bis es so weit ist, liegt noch ein ganzes Stück Arbeit vor uns!