juanita tortilla

Hey Feb!

2012-02-01T09:27:00.001+01:00

One month ago, most people were watching the fireworks and making life-changing resolutions.

No plans for me this year; taking each day and month as they come.

How was your January of 2012?

I thought it was my warmest January, and did 31 days go by too quickly.

Are you looking forward to February?

I am!

Whatever you're up to, I hope it's going to be crazy-awesome, or awesome-crazy :D

Holiday Sewing #2: Burda Magazine 2009 E988 dress 5A.

2012-01-15T10:10:00.000+01:00

Introduction:

At the risk of sounding like an avid garment sew-er, I am presenting you another piece.
It is the last of my sewing experiment for 2011, I assure you.

Objectives:
1. Learn to Sew a Dress -- to watch and learn from this Craftsy online course!
2. Practice, practice, practice.

Materials and Methods:
1. Learn to Sew a Dress video
2. Lightweight cotton fabric, of which I had 5 Metres to play with.
3. Fifties theme easy dress pattern from Burda Magazine Spring/Summer 2009, E988 dress 5A.
4. 25" YKK Zipper

Results:

1. Learn to Sew a Dress video

This video course by Gretchen Hirsch took me through each step of the sewing process. The explanations were clear, and to say that I was mighty inspired is an understatement. There are about 15 segments to this course. After the 8th segment, I wanted badly to get on with some sewing :D

2. Material

Lightweight cotton being... lightweight, I double-layered the top bodice for more opacity.
The width of the fabric was narrow, hence a less voluminous skirt bottom.

3. Sewing Pattern
This was a French version of Burda Magazine 2009. I bought it while visiting Luxembourg. Nevermind about the language; diagrams are international.
This fifties dress caught my eye, as it was filed under the Easy category.
I lowered the neckline, as you can spot.

With this pattern, I have made my first fitted bodice + skirt bottom dress!

Discussion:
1. The Hubs said it looked like a school uniform :D
2. An invisible zipper would have been nice, but I used what I had on hand. Nothing a cardigan can't hide.
3. Garment-making is apparently all about technique and precision! After making this dress, I found myself searching for tracing wheels and papers.
Thanks to sellers on Etsy, I bought myself vintage tracing papers and wheels.
I can't wait for March (!), so I can finish the other 7 segments to the Craftsy course.

Man's Sweater, or Man Sweater

2012-01-12T18:37:00.000+01:00

I mostly enjoy knitting because I want to make things for myself. This, I have to admit.
After making many sweaters for myself ~~and being pestered endlessly~~, guilt kicked in.
So in November, I've decided to make a man's sweater.
Man's sweater. Not man sweater :D

And here's where I have to confess to one other thing:
I like simple knits. No frills, no patterns, no cables.
And another: I don't like seams.
And let me see what else I don't like...

That's it.

In addition to my fussiness, let's not forget about my recipient and what he wants.
He would like a turtleneck sweater.
It cannot be coarse sheep's wool.
It has to be black.
It has to be finished a.s.a.p., which I am in total agreement.

Long story short, I:
- found the perfect no-seam + simple + turtleneck + raglan knitting pattern, here!
- spent 2 afternoons yarn-shopping for that perfect wool to make a turtleneck
- used 15 balls of 80%-Merino wool, and therefore
- made, by my standards, my most expensive sweater ever
- got ~~so terribly~~ confused with the knitting pattern along the way, for which I had to unravel a great lot, then rework bravely with some improvisation. That caused a delay, so it wasn't ready for Christmas.

Still, can we say we have a satisfied customer?
Yes we can.

Image and pattern from here.

If you are interested to make this sweater, head to Drops Design! Their patterns are free.
I love trawling their patterns.
Now, back to knitting for me-self!

Holiday Sewing #1: New Look Easy 6359

2012-01-10T16:26:00.000+01:00

Introduction:
With school out of the way, I was eager to see to one of my goals for the year.
Sew a garment!
This was what I got up to in the first few days of Christmas/New Year's break.

Objectives:
1. Use a piece of batik cloth.
2. Sew properly, i.e. follow a sewing pattern.
3. Acquire a new technique with this project.

Materials and Methods:
1. One piece of batik cloth: 1.7m long by 1.2m wide.
2. New Look Easy 6359 vintage sewing pattern.

Results:

1. Material
The batik cloth came with size limitations. While it was too much for a blouse, it was just right for a short dress or tunic. I wanted to use as much of it as possible, hence the batik neckline, sleeve borders, and big pockets.
I have little bits of plain white scraps left, as well as some self-made biased tape of this purple print.

2. The Sewing Pattern
New Look Easy 6359 pattern was selected, as a tunic with sleeves would have been nice. It also let me use up as much of the batik material as possible.
With this pattern, I have learnt how to set in sleeves.

Discussion:
1. The resulting tunic -- of supposedly my size -- turned out too big. The pleats at the front and back of the neckline were the consequence. Perhaps I measured myself wrongly :D
It's still wearable. One of my following tasks would be to learn how to fix patterns.
2. The inside seams were all serged/overlocked and tidy. Hooray!
3. I am pleased about meeting all the Objectives of this project.

I'm not happy, so, something's got to change.

2012-01-07T08:30:00.001+01:00

I love diagrams. Isn't this an awesome diagram? It is.

My first week of 2012 was spent in denial.

I haven't even perfected the art of ending my dates with '11 yet.

Most of you may already know that I've been preoccupied with German classes since Summer.

What wonderfully precious Christmas and New Year's break... Did I not let each class-free day go by without getting my hands wrapped around a project! More about crafty news, later.

Yes, it's wonderful to learn a new language.

Yes, it is my responsibility to learn my host country's national language.

But, no... I don't ever use it outside of class. Never.
No, I don't like to be forced to sit for hours listening, as I don't necessarily learn the same way as the others in my class do.
No, I don't appreciate the stress of completing homework.

I'm not entirely happy, so, something's got to change.
My mindset and attitude, that's what.

I will see learning German as a hobby.
I do value this opportunity :D
And this will all be over in quick 7 weeks!

Diagram/image is from here.

Back to School Next Week

2012-01-05T09:19:00.001+01:00

Not how I would like to spend the last few days of my holiday, but there's lots of catching up to do.

School, for me, begins next week.

Say bye-bye, Freiheit.

That Fluffy Dog in Konstanz

2012-01-04T14:32:00.000+01:00

I was over in Konstanz, Germany, a couple days ago, and saw a crowd gathering around this big fluffy animal on the ground.
It was a dog that laid very still.

Nothing bad happened to the dog; it was performing, and no one could break its concentration.

That was one adorable fluffy dog. He's so fluffffyy...
I bet you can imagine how heartwarming it was to watch it walk alongside its master, very, very slowly :D

Hello 2012.

2012-01-02T17:15:00.001+01:00

My Morning Route in the City.

2011-12-12T13:42:00.000+01:00

Here's a peek at my morning route.

7:30 - 8:00:
Let's catch a ride with the Hubs and head into Zürich.

8:00:
Hop off the car, and start the walk, downhill. Easy, easy.

8:00:
It's a downward path through a mini tunnel and steps.

Here's a church I pass every morning.
Never figured what it is.

Down and down with more steps. Whoopee!

I steal 2 seconds to treat my eyes with these colours.
And then I remind myself that my Hobby Time will resume, one day.

We hit the heart of the city now: the Hauptbahnhof is up ahead.

But first, we cross a bridge.

What a glorious Friday.

8:00:
Now we face the sea of happy people.

8:00:
Hey look, we're on time, at 8:00 in the sea of happy people.

8:03:
We surface up onto the street, where commuters decide it is time for their cigarette.

Sometimes, I try to grab a 20 Minuten without disrupting the flow of traffic,
or walking into ~~an angry person~~ a happy person.

8:04:
Then I make a 5-second detour into this tiny greenery.
Seems like the only patch of the city where I'm not drowning in secondhand smoke, in the morning.

8:05:
Here's something unusual.
MacDonald's. (Kidding.)
Christmas stalls.

8:06:
Do people remember telephone numbers by heart anymore?

8:16:
First to get in class, and enough time to catch my breath :D

What's your morning route like?

Staying put, this December.

2011-12-10T10:05:00.001+01:00

Hello again!

The past few weeks have been hectic. One minute we're here, the next minute we're not.

For the month of December, it's nice to be home, and stay home.

I can't believe the year is soon over.

But where's this snow that I've been promised?!? It's way overdue!

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-11-26T09:34:00.001+01:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74955848/blue-ribbon-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75012910/retro-fun-necklace-or-choker

http://www.etsy.com/listing/74324907/wavy-purple-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63592334/diversity-necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65701026/kitschy-gold-from-switzerland

Just a few new, and re-made necklaces I worked on over this week, before packing everything up :)

See more Saturday Shopping at Zsazsazsu!

By the way, have you seen the GIVEAWAY section in my shop, as well as the Sale items with free shipping? :D
It's a crazy time.

Preparing For Craft Hibernation

2011-11-22T15:06:00.001+01:00

All packed nicely into this box are my beads and jewellery findings, save for the pieces that are up for sale.

You can sense that I am mighty pleased with myself.

I have learnt not to hoard.

In case you are wondering why "Craft Hibernation"...

It is what it is -- a self-imposed craft hibernation*.

The Crafty New Year, for me, will begin in March 2012.

Don't get me wrong, though. There's still some sporadic sewing and evening knitting/crochet I will involve myself with :)

There goes 2011. Weren't we just talking about last year's Winter and Christmas?
How will you be spending your holidays?

*I have plans to temporarily convert the craft space into a guest room.

Luzern. Lucerne.

2011-11-20T10:37:00.001+01:00

Are you shrouded by a mist, wherever you are?

Boy did we return from the hot and sunny other side of the world otherwise known as Australia, to this freezing mist.

Can you see Lucerne? :D

Hubs and I were really looking forward to hiking in the Luzern region yesterday, but for some reason, we changed that to a city walk instead.

It's nice to be home.

Not Much To Say

2011-11-17T07:00:00.001+01:00

How much of a personal life should one be dishing out over the internet?

Another colour block sweater, completed in Oct'11.

2011-10-28T06:47:00.001+02:00

This sweater was a Work-In-Progress since Summer'10. That's right, 2010.

I tried various self-made patterns; wanted to create a cardigan, but changed my mind. Then I worked on it for a pullover, but changed my mind.
Wanted so many other things, but kept taking it apart :D
"How many times do you want to take this apart?", asked The Hubs. I lost count. It must have been over 3 times.

Fed up with fussing with these 7 balls of yarn, I've decided to seek the pros at Knitty.com.

I saw this Holy Grail, www.knitty.com/ISSUEdf10/PATTmothed.php, and ran with it.

As I used bigger needles for thicker yarn, the result is this loose-fitting but stiff sweater. Having it loose-fitting was my aim, so I am really pleased with it, and happy to finally stop fussing over these 7 balls of wool :D

P.S. I am always creating colour-blocked sweaters, because I buy odd, leftover balls from the thrift-shop :D

Brussels! Day 3.

2011-10-26T08:03:00.001+02:00

Day 3 was a speedy one, though with plenty of time for a late breakfast.

Guess what was for breakfast?

For the 3rd consecutive time, we brought ourselves to Grand Place.It was nice to experience this square at different times of the day.

This morning was a Friday morning, with a few market stands, and manygroups of students on a school trip.

And am I happy to report that this time, we found our way using thetram service.
Needless to say, taking the tram was certainly the most cost-effectiveand time-saving way of getting around (as opposed to walking, ortaking the cab).

With our second, most satisfying Luikse waffles, we ended our shorttrip to Belgium.
Until next time.

Brussels + Ostend! Day 2.

2011-10-25T14:12:00.001+02:00

Day 2 in Belgium was certainly the highlight of the trip:

It required an easy, morning train ride out of Brussels to reach the 60km beach otherwise known as Oostende.

Brussels Sprouts aside, the real agenda was to meet up with blogger-friend, Sandra.

And waffles. I have my priorities.

Don't we all enjoy these from-internet-to-reality meet-ups?

Sandra is as cheerful and warm as she sounds.( I'm sure you all know of her, Sandra of zsazsazsu! )

We walked, we ate, exchanged gifts, talked about craft like most craft-bloggers do, and cats. Cats!

Sandra showing me around the tourist spots of Oostende was the bonus.

After an eventful day with Sandra, I made it back to Brussels for dinner.

That evening, was I on another mission: To hunt for the much-famed Manneken Pis.

The hotel we were in was flooded with copies of the Manneken Pis, but I really wanted to see the "real" one, just for kicks. After all, I had the license to be a tourist.

Day 2 in Brussels / Oostende:

1. Finally met up with Sandra, yay! It was from her that I learnt there are 2 types of waffles...

2. Taxi-ed to and from the Grand Place for dinner. My purse went 'ouch...'.

3. Saw the Manneken Pis. He's not the real copy, but I'm satisfied.

4. Plotted my next attempt for a Luikse waffle.

Brussels! Day 1.

2011-10-25T10:35:00.001+02:00

The Hubs had a meeting in Brussels last week. I've decided totag-along for 3 days.
I am cheesy; one reason was to have Brussels Sprouts in Brussels.Don't you see the fun in that? Of course you do.

At first sight, with Tintin movie posters all over the city ofBrussels, we started asking ourselves if Tintin had anything to dowith Belgium.
Does it?
Yes it does; Tintin is Belgian.

First night in Brussels:
1. Walked to Grand Place. Got interviewed by a TV station, about Tintin. (The Hubs,not me. I stepped away :D)
2. Had my first Luikse waffle! Yum...
3. Didn't have Brussels Sprouts.
4. Thought Grand Place and Galeries Royales St-Hubert were really pretty.

100 Sq-Meter piece of allotment

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000+02:00

As you might have guessed, this 100 Sq-meter piece of land didn't get used much. Needless to say, 12 months just zoomed by.

Much like moving out of the (Swiss) apartment, things have to be in tip-top shape.
Before handing it over to the gardening committee, we tried to "mow" this mini jungle. We felt quite pleased with our manual-mowing.
And you've guessed it rightly enough, mowing isn't enough.
The soil needs to be turned. Professionally turned, ideally.
So, here we go again, dipping deep into our pockets.

It makes one ask 'Why?'...
Is this allotment going to be used by someone right after me? No.
Will there be some gardening activity within these cold, few months? No.
Is Nature just going to take over? Yes.

But, I guess there's no point arguing with the Terms & Conditions in the Contract.

7 Little Things About Me

2011-10-13T18:48:00.003+02:00

Just winding this Thursday down with a glass of wine, and Annuk surprised me with this Blog Award.
Thank you Annuk!
It has been a long while since I did 'blog awards'.

This is how this award works. You have to:
- Thank and link back to the person who awarded you;
- share 7 things about yourself;
- pay it forward to 15 bloggers you like (but 3, 5 or any number is ok!);
- contact those bloggers about the award!

My 7 little things:

It's my birthday today. I forget how old I am, and Time is a real meanstress because I go "+*ç&!" when I calculate my age. Soon it is 2012. Remind me that. That makes me 33 today. +*ç&. And I baked - and gave away - cupcakes.

I am ashamed to say that I have taken - and still am taking - German lessons. But on the plus side, I am glad it is remotely similar to English and it uses alphabets. And maybe once you've experienced German, everything else is a walk in the park?
I miss being in a cosmopolitan environment.
I treat my cats as if they are my babies. But you all know that already, so I shall have to provide a bonus point...
Don't speak to me before I've had my morning coffee. A shot of espresso with lots of foamy milk, thank you. (I am thankful for my husband.)
I procrastinate. A LOT.
Don't make me speak to a crowd.
(My bonus point): I don't drive, as I have no sense of direction AT ALL.

Let's hear it from these lovely people that have entered my life, virtually or in reality:

Der Zauberbaum

Della's Grace's Life

Made In Suisse

Wasted Fashion
The Spotted Sparrow

... just to pick blog titles off the top of my head.

Have a good evening.

Design your own Smartphone or iPod book-style fabric cover.

2011-10-08T07:28:00.000+02:00

You know, I thought I'd mentioned this before, but it appears that I haven't :)

Now you may design your own JuanitaTortilla Smartphone / iPod fabric cover!

Click here to order and for details

I am offering these few select fabrics.

These fabrics are of very limited quantity as they were once pre-loved items or remnants.

A JuanitaTortilla Smartphone cover is
* made by hand, so no two are the same
* designed with reclaimed vintage or repurposed fabrics
* fitted with recyclable cardboard
* unique and different

Enjoy!

For old times' sake: The Bent Spoon in NJ.

2011-10-03T16:03:00.001+02:00

A note on the window of The Bent Spoon that struck a chord with me.

Three years on, and I still remember it. Everything about this place looks, and feels, just the same.
Beautiful homemade ice creams and the cutest mini cupcakes, ever.

5 Hours in New York

2011-09-29T17:55:00.001+02:00

So, someone took 6 days off from German class recently to visit old friends and places that we missed in New Jersey.

If you must know, I was so, so, so ready to high-tail out of Zürich after a couple of nasty incidents that happened 2 weeks prior to the flight date. (Won't go into details. Don't want to dwell.)

A short visit to New York happened spontaneously.
Great city.

A little something extra to my smartphone covers.

2011-09-13T16:16:00.001+02:00

Etsy listing

These images look the same to you?

Yes, both are made from the same fabric. But there is a difference.

One is shiny.

Why is that?

I found a secret formula to making fabric waterproof! (Not really a secret, thanks to the internet.)

In fact, here's my first sample, for a Droid smartphone:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79279122/waterproof-samsung-galaxy-or-droid-cover

Exciting, isn't it?

I know :D

Maurmer Wine at Stall-Stube Maur

2011-09-12T17:14:00.001+02:00

Maurmer Wine

Who knew that a modest little place like Maur would be producing wine?
I didn't. We didn't.
Not until last Saturday when we headed over to a local barn-style restaurant called Stall-Stube Maur.

Image is taken from Stall-Stube Maur.

Website: http://www.stallstube-maur.ch/

The wine was lovely and the food was great too.
As the menu came in the adorable Swiss-German, I've learnt something new that evening:
Mistchratzerli
As my neighbour explained,
Mist = the dirt on the ground, (also Mist in Deutsch) and
Chratzer = to scratch (kratzen in Deutsch).

That was my dinner for that evening; an animal that scratches the dirt. Take a guess :D

A week now with Post-Event Stress Disorder.

2011-09-10T07:39:00.000+02:00

JuanitaTortilla items that have gone to good homes as a result of the Maur Chilbi.

It has a been a week! A week now of Post-Event Stress Disorder. (There's no such thing. I just came up with it.)
Post-Chilbi market stress, followed by relief and evaluations.
The disorder is evident; my work room is in a mess.

Will I ever stand at a village Chilbi-märt again?
I may have to have a serious think about it. It was not entirely bad, neither was it a success.

One thing's for sure, though. I have met and gained support from some locals, especially the neighbouring market stall vendors. On my right was Sandra. She makes and sells very fun polymer clay jewellery for children. I was delighted to discover that she has a blog, Der Zauber Baum.

A big huge Thank You to all the people who have lent their support and help.

I should be re-organising my work room and have all my things sorted out so I can start working again. But I didn't call this P.E.S.D. for nothing :D

Day 2 at Chilbi-Märt Maur

2011-09-05T13:49:00.001+02:00

Did it rain yesterday! Everything and everyone felt damp.
I had a late start, but it was quiet, so I took the liberty of switching the display around.

Despite the rain, 2 friends took the trouble to come see my booth. All the way in the boondocks.
And on a Sunday even.

Day 2 was quieter. Maybe due to the weather, maybe due to it simply being a Sunday.
Most visitors were passersby who wanted to have their lunch at the food tents, or procure their usual spices and goods from their familiar stallholders. This is a teeny tiny town where everybody knows everybody. (And not more than a handful own an iPhone. Neither do I.)

The words that I've picked up from this weekend were:
"Herzig" and "Nucki Taschli".

Nuckitaschli? These:

Or Nuckel Tasche / Nuckeltasche in German.

I shall name them Nucki Taschli, when I make them available in my online shop :)

Selling at this Chilbi was such an experience. I'm glad I did it.

Day 1 at Chilbi-Märt Maur

2011-09-04T08:08:00.001+02:00

Yesterday was my first all time ever opportunity to sell my wares at a market. And to a very Swiss public.
Assisted by my very lovely Swiss neighbour and Godmother to my ~~kids~~ cats; I wouldn't have done this without her (name not to be mentioned).

A big THANK YOU to all the fabulous friends, old and new (Hi Ally!), who made their way out to Maur from the city. Wonderful people.

Today is Day 2! Time to put on a bigger Money Smile :D
Will I see you today?

Chilbi-Märt flyer

2011-09-01T18:09:00.001+02:00

Earlier this week, we received this flyer in the mail.
Thought I should share it with you.

It looks like a grand affair, doesn't it?
Free shuttle bus!

I am actually looking forward to it; it has been months of anticipation!

The Chilbi-Märt is This Weekend, gulp.

2011-08-29T14:02:00.000+02:00

Taking the advice of friends that I should promote my Recycle + Hand-made ideology more,
and
advice from the Hubs about how the message should be put into a simple diagram,
I came up with this:

Perhaps a little description will be accompanying the diagram.

Here's a pseudo-Deutsch version, for good measure.
I don't know what language I speak anymore.

It's Chilbi Season.

2011-08-27T10:05:00.003+02:00

It's summer and Chilbi (funfairs) are springing up in villages and towns all over.
Maur's Chilbi-Märt will be offering over 60 booths of an assorted variety of stalls, including children's flea-markets, games and so on.
There will be food and live music, too!

I am excited - and very nervous - to say that I will be standing at one of the booths of Maur's Chilbi-Märt.
With just seven days to go, my preparations have only just begun :D

The JuanitaTortilla booth will be located at Mühlestrasse.
Samstag, 3. Sep., 12:00 - 20:00 Uhr
Sonntag, 4. Sep., 11:00 - 18:00 Uhr

I will be aided by my very kind Swiss neighbour. As we all know, I need a translator.

Here's my event page: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215775001804428

Also:

Full list of programme details can be found on this Gewerbeverein Maur page.
The Zürcher Öberlander. Information is available here.
Photos from 2010's Chilbi-Märt Maur.

If you happen to be in the Zürcher Öberland region, I hope to see you there!

August's Brocki finds

2011-08-20T08:28:00.004+02:00

August's Brocki finds, originally uploaded by juanitatortilla.com.

What I enjoy most about Brocki-shopping is finding good stuff. The 'unexpected-ness' of Brocki-shopping makes it a tonne more thrilling.

Recently, I've scored some pieces of faux suede, woven (rug-like) material, fabulous kitschy vintage prints, and velvety material. While these may have been someone else's toss out, they have given my head a good spin with plenty of ideas.

How I wish to have more hours in a day so I can simply sit and sew.

These material will be featured in my craft shop. Naturally, my crafted goods are of limited quantities.

Post Script Edit: What I call Brocki-shopping is thrift or charity shopping to others.

Etsy Fashion. Made it!

2011-08-19T07:59:00.001+02:00

So, last night, while peeking into my inbox, I scrolled to the bottom of my Etsy Finds newsletter and something caught my eye.
I thought I recognised it.

Could it be right?
It's my iPhone cover!
Mine!

Next goal: Be at the top of the newsletter :)

Balcony Gardening

2011-08-14T16:31:00.000+02:00

It was 5:30PM in the evening, and I thought it looked like a perfect evening sunshine.
Despite it being Summer, we haven't been having much sun, you see.
And because our balcony is not strategically located, the tomatoes get sun-bathed for about 3 hours, at most, on a sunny day.
I thought our little plants did well, don't you think?

P.S. I am avoiding talking about my vegetable allotment, as it has been severely, severely, severely neglected.
This long-distance relationship isn't working out. I am ending it in October :(

I have been away.

2011-08-06T07:31:00.000+02:00

Zermatt

Chateau de Chillon, in Montreux

Malbun, in Liechtenstein

Guilty. Guilty on all counts of Blog Neglect. But I have been away...
Away to a high place,
away to an old place,
away to a small place,
and generally just being away-away as I am seeing to one of my goals for 2011.
Let's just say that my craft room has been severely neglected too :(

As happy as a Ribena berry, woo!

2011-07-10T16:18:00.000+02:00

With about 1kg of currants from the allotment, I was not sure what I could do with them.
I scoured the internet for currant recipes. Currant jelly came up often. But I was not confident if I had any jelly or jam-making skills. (Never tried!)
And then a friend suggested Ribena!
Yes, why not?

Here was what I did:

To 600gm of currants (a mix of red and black) in a saucepan, I added 200ml of water.
I boiled them, mashing them slightly.
The currant berries disintegrated and the liquid thickened.
Then I strained the mashed currants with a cloth strainer, collecting the juice in another pot.
To the currant juice, I dissolved over low heat 1-and-half cups of sugar + a squirt of lemon juice (maybe 1 tbsp). I wasn't sure why I added lemon juice, but I did it anyway.

The taste test? "This tastes like Ribena," the hubs remarked.
That means I passed.

Garden update: Cleared up some wilderness

2011-07-07T18:55:00.000+02:00

Do I have an update for you.

I tackled a sore-eye patch of 6-feet-tall weeds all by myself. It had to be done.
Three hours of pulling and tugging resulted in this:

This was the before:

There's still much to be done:
- those deep-rooted clusters need to be dug up, and
- grass and smaller weeds.

But I'm just so happy that I can see the zucchinis and corn plants in plain sight now.

And as reward for all that work:

Fredy's Mechanisches Musikmuseum

2011-07-01T08:37:00.000+02:00

Fredy's Mechanical Music Museum is a privately-owned museum located in Lichtensteig, canton St. Gallen.
It is also said to be the first Swiss-German museum of such kind.

In an hour's worth of Swiss-German guided tour, we were guided through various rooms of musical instruments, beginning with the earliest inventions through to early 20th century instruments. From hand-wound classical musical boxes and bird-chirping mini boxes to self-playing pianos and humongous jazz machines, it was impressive to see how the mechanics have evolved through time.

While I could only understand about 10% of what was said, what I liked most was how it felt like I was visiting someone's home attic and basement, roaming into rooms and peeking into corners of works-in-progress. Definitely different from looking at exhibits behind glass panels, and these are all one guy's collection that started from his childhood.

For more information:

Pictures are my own.

Way Back Whensday

2011-06-23T06:48:00.001+02:00

'Juanita Tortilla' was born in 2004.
A Juanita Tortilla blog was not here with Blogger, though.
I only started importing posts - in bulk - to this blogspot from Multiply.com in October 2007.

Trawling for the earliest Wednesday post:
17 October 2007

I used to make many, many things, back then. And cupcakes, too.

For more Way-Back-Whensday posts, but go here.

Garden Update (picture heavy)

2011-06-21T06:37:00.001+02:00

Welcome to the Garden of Horror.

*scream* Yes, I hear you scream.

( source )

This was how we left it many, many weeks ago.

*scream* Now I'm screaming.

( source )

But wait, it's not all horrifying. Some nice things are hiding in there...

... itty bitty Zucchinis.

... a surprise Radish!

... these Tomatoes look promising

... a lonesome bunch of Spinach

... Raspberries and Currants

... and more Currants!

Now, these make my skin crawl. They were all over.

Cultivating organic vegetables is no easy feat (especially if you are as negligent as I am) --
all my Cabbages have been sacrificed to bugs.

Despite the bad news, we have our first harvest!

A bunch of Raspberries (that went perfectly with yogurt).

Could have been more if we didn't keep popping them into our mouths.

... and this single Radish.

(Those were my gloves. Sorry.)
Oops, forgot about the few leaves of Spinach. Oh well.

Let me remind you, once again, how a vegetable allotment should look like:

I know.
Shame on me.

To quote my neighbour's recent comment as I lamented to her about its condition:
"These gardens are for retirees."
That's true. I've seen them.

Winner of my necklace giveaway

2011-06-20T07:59:00.000+02:00

http://www.random.org/sequences/

... is Douces Laines!
I am happy that you won.

Thank you all for your interest. I may have a few other things lined up :D

Have a great week everyone!

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-06-18T15:07:00.000+02:00

Here's a little something not jewellery-related -- a vintage crochet doily table runner.
I just love the colour of seafoam green, and was excited to have found matching small doilies.

These doily table runners have got most crafters talking, or Pinning!

It is in my little Brockenstube :)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76213459/vintage-crochet-lace-doily-table-runner

More Saturday Shopping ideas are available, hosted by Zsazsazsu.

A Giveaway : necklace

2011-06-16T08:04:00.001+02:00

I am giving this necklace away to anyone who is interested.

All you have to do is leave a comment.
Leave 2 comments if you are a follower of this blog.
Leave 3 comments if you are a follower of this blog + have joined us on Facebook.
Leave 4 comments if you are a follower of this blog + have joined us on Facebook + is a friend on Twitter.
[ The list could go on :) ]

Winner will be randomly selected on 20.June, Monday.
Have fun!

Grindelwald and a spontaneous hike

2011-06-14T09:37:00.000+02:00

Did you know that in our 3 years of residence in Switzerland, Hubs and I never visited Grindelwald?
Over the last weekend, we decided to soak some sunshine with a spontaneous drive to Grindelwald, and to take a little hike from there.

Grindelwald is said to be the most tourist-ed mountain resort in this area, and it definitely looked like it.

After a quick look at the map over our morning coffee at a restaurant, the trails on the map suggested hours.
Little hike indeed.
We wanted to be spontaneous, right?
So we chose the trail that led from Grindelwald Grund to Kleine Scheidegg.

( Source )

Let's just say that if you want a good hike, you've got to plan and prepare for it.

We made it to Alpiglen in 1hr 30min. With another 1hr 30min to 2hr, we could have reached Kleine Scheidegg, according to the hiking signs. But we had a timed parking lot* waiting for us back in Grindelwald, so back down from Alpiglen it was.

*Grindelwald is the only resort that is reachable by car.

Grindelwald -- check.

Where to next month?

Links:

http://activityworkshop.net/hiking/alpinepassroute/grindelwald-lauterbrunnen.html

http://www.slowtrav.com/switzerland/hiking/grindelwald.htm

http://www.magicswitzerland.com/grindelwald.htm

Monday Moodboard

2011-06-13T10:17:00.000+02:00

I like to light up a stick of incense or scented candle after I've cleaned the cats' toilet, to take my revenge on their odour.

See more Monday Moodboards over at Star of the East.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-06-11T07:43:00.000+02:00

A new version. Have I told you about this already?

2 of such pieces are available now.

I have these 20 items marked for Clearance. They are in my shop section, here!

Monday Moodboard

2011-06-06T07:22:00.000+02:00

This Monday morning's pre-coffee mood:

What weather.

See more Monday Moodboards over at Star of the East.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-06-04T13:15:00.000+02:00

Quite a few new listings this week! These items are in my store. I thought I could finish the beads, but it turns out that the beads are magically refilling themselves. One more week, perhaps. We'll finish them. Yes we can.
By the way, I just created a blog to feature my items that are for sale. In other words, a blogshop. Please have a peek: http://juanitatortillahandmade.blogspot.com/ I hope you like it.
Submitting this post at Zsazsasu's for more Saturday Shopping ideas.

Just a few necklace makeovers, and MIDYEARSALE.

2011-06-01T10:28:00.001+02:00

From subtle to extreme makeovers.

My bead stash is slowly diminishing, yay!
This week could be my final week with beads.

P.S. If you haven't already heard, here's a 15% discount coupon for you to enjoy at juanitatortilla.etsy.com:
Coupon code is MIDYEARSALE. Easy peasy!

Pfannenstiel. Panhandle.

2011-05-31T08:26:00.000+02:00

Panoramic view taken from the tower @Pfannenstiel

Taken from the tower @Pfannenstiel

Pfannenstiel

@ Pfannenstiel

( Source )

Tower @ Pfannenstiel ( Source )

Had it not been for our very friendly Swiss neighbours, Pfannenstiel would still remain unknown to us.

It's a quiet and beautiful mountain spot that reminds me of Üetliberg, but a little more remote, maybe.
And yes, Pfannenstiel means panhandle.

There are Wanderweg trails, and I would love to return again to explore them.

Links worth visiting, or to find out more:

25.May.11 Yawn!

2011-05-30T09:00:00.002+02:00

25.May.11 Yawn!, originally uploaded by juanitatortilla.com.

This is how Pickle feels about my work.

Thanks.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-05-28T09:00:00.001+02:00

This week has been about being matchy-matchy.

More Saturday Shopping ideas, hosted by Zsazsazsu.

And coming soon to juanitatortilla.etsy.com:

Latest news in the village of Maur.

2011-05-25T12:39:00.002+02:00

24.May.11 Maur, originally uploaded by juanitatortilla.com.

The alpacas have lost their hair.

Have you any wool?

Tutorial: Make your own fabric labels

2011-05-22T14:23:00.000+02:00

This tutorial is a few years belated.

I have been asked before about my fabric labels...

These were the ones done years ago, on scrap pieces of cloth.

I recently made some new ones, and I didn't forget my camera this time.

The few things you will need to make your own fabric labels:

Iron-on photo transfers.
Your iron.
A printer.
Pieces of cloth or ribbon.

First, select a digital file of your logo/image.

This was my chosen one.

You will need to create a mirror image of it.
*Flip!*

Using this flipped image, re-size it to your preference, and make multiple copies of it.
I did this with Photoshop.
You can do this with a Word document by copying and pasting the image file. (Have yet to try that, though.)

Please note: A white background is transparent when printed.
(Rather, there is no white ink.)

Insert a sheet of photo transfer paper into your printer, following instructions that are usually provided with it.

I wanted little tiny labels, and here was my printed result:

I then cut the photo transfer paper into strips that fit nicely onto vintage cotton tape.
Facing printed side down, I heated the transfer paper with the iron, pressing and holding for 15-30 seconds (as directed by the photo transfer paper's instructions).

Let that cool to room temperature (very cruel moment for an impatient one like myself)...
Then peel the paper off with your biggest grin!

You just need to go crazy and have fun with it.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-05-21T07:43:00.000+02:00

Wow, we have 9 new items listed this week!

juanitatortilla.etsy.com

More Saturday Shopping ideas, hosted by Zsazsazsu.

Get trendy with Spring 2011 Colours.

2011-05-20T07:58:00.000+02:00

Remember those seed beads from my previous post?

Here's what happened.

A fantastic coincidence to fit this year's Spring fashion trend.

http://www.pantone.com/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20752&ca=4

These 2 original JuanitaTortilla makes are now available, here: juanitatortilla.etsy.com

Let's work on those seed beads!

2011-05-18T15:34:00.000+02:00

You know how it is when an idea pops into your head right before you sleep?
That single idea that could possibly lead you to thinking about other ideas and that you should just forget about trying to sleep?
No?
OK. I'll tell you mine anyway.

It involved those seed beads.

Stringing one bead at a time...
I was quite certain my hand wanted to cramp up.

And as always, the universe has a cruel sense of humour,
my crochet hook decided to break while I right in the middle of work.

Did I laugh?
Not really.
But I had back-up hooks, thankfully.

And as I was so (x3) pleased with the results, I pressed on and made a super-long version.

My eyes did not agree with me.
That much I can tell you.

Uuff! Well done, Eyes.

Also, you know how I want to finish my current lot of beads.
Here's the Before, dated 03.March.2011:

And now the After, dated 17.May.2011.

Getting there!

I can't wait to show you what I made with those seed beads, this Friday!

Meet Mandy the Mannequin

2011-05-17T10:30:00.000+02:00

She's finally here.

If only I had a teeny tiny waist like hers :D

Vintage Waxed Linen Cord

2011-05-12T09:53:00.000+02:00

In my latest Brocki shopping trip,
I found this handsome spool of vintage, Swiss made, industrial strength waxed linen cord.

What an opportune find,
and I knew right away what I was to do with it.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65701026/wavy-bracelet-7-inches-murano-glass?ref=v1_other_2

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73935114/just-sweet-necklace?ref=v1_other_1

May's garden report. (Picture heavy)

2011-05-08T08:32:00.001+02:00

You haven't heard much from me about my vegetable garden adventures of late simply because I have been away.

This was what 3 weeks of negligence and after 2 weeks of drought did:

And while I thought *everything* would have been dead, there were a few surprises.

1. Rucola.
They don't look happy, but I was surprised the seeds broke out from the earth.

2. A possible seedling of something...

3. What looks like potato seedlings.
I put some potatoes into the ground 3 weeks ago. Could they be it?

4. Baby lettuce!
Looking so fresh and full of life.

5. And red lettuce, almost drowning in weeds.

6. And here's a healthy looking Zucchini seedling.
Yay.

7. I turned my back for a second and saw this 'bush'.
Rhubarb? Awesome.
Never seen it before. It must have been a leftover from the previous 'allotment tenant'.

8. These broke the monotony of my frantic weeding:
'Pop' came out these little potatoes.

Now, The Ugly:

A heap of mess I inherited from the previous allotment user.

Uff... Where do I start?

I have my work cut out for me.

So I spent 2 hours tugging at weeds, displacing ants, and uprooting the most impossible clusters of Buttercups.

Just grabbing and pulling till the hands hurt.
If you know of a faster and easier method, please do tell. (Chemicals are unacceptable.)

You feel my despair, don't you? :D

I am only one woman with a bus schedule to follow.

That's OK. We can start all over again, and work at it slowly.

And here's another task:
Composting grass and weeds.

Any ideas?

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-05-07T07:57:00.000+02:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73578516/orange-wire-crochet-necklace-natural

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73578168/sweet-dance-freshwater-pearls-dangle?ref=v1_other_2

http://www.etsy.com/listing/73577769/peacock-wheel-freshwater-pearls-dangle?ref=v1_other_2

Been working on some pearls this week.

Hope you like them!

Now in my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/juanitatortilla

Saturday Shopping hosted by Zsazsazsu.

My handmade iPhone covers? They love it.

2011-05-05T08:54:00.001+02:00

These comments are found on: http://www.etsy.com/people/juanitatortilla/feedback

These kind words keep me going.

Thank you.

Refashioned Men's Shirt #1 : the Green one

2011-05-03T16:03:00.002+02:00

A very subtle makeover.
And I have a story for you.

Once upon a time, there was an XL Men's shirt.For many, many years, it was never loved.'Save me! Save me!' it cried.
One day, This Housewife rescued the green shirt - along with other shirt friends - from the closet, and took them into her craft room.

Now, This Housewife had a friend who once bought her many vintage sewing patterns.It was the beginning of a new hobby.

This green shirt's transformation was not left unsupervised.No. Never.

After several hours of unpicking stitches,ironing seams,overlocking seams,and attaching sleeves,the green shirt started to take on a new form.

'Hmm... You are not ready!' This Housewife thought to herself.
So snip, snip, snip, This Housewife continued.

Finally, there was no more cloth left to snip.This Housewife added a few elastic friends to the neckline and sleeves.They looked really happy to be there in the Green Shirt!

This Housewife smiled.The Cat smiled.Everybody smiled.

The End.

Yup. Yours for 5.00 USD.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73365168/refashioned-green-womans-tunic-loose

A Month Ago in Maur

2011-04-29T08:06:00.000+02:00

Just wanted to share some pictures with you taken from my neighbourhood.
These were taken 3 to 4 weeks ago, when Spring finally decided to wake from her long slumber.

Purrfect Model

2011-04-27T08:35:00.000+02:00

Images are taken from Elle Magazine Singapore

I love it.

I wonder if Pickle and Fluffy would care to lend me their natural talent...

But most importantly, how will the rest of the world --non-cat-crazy-lady normal people-- think?

Winner of EuropeanStreetTeam 'Hills and Lakes' Challenge!

2011-04-12T08:30:00.001+02:00

Thank you all for participating!

You all rose to the challenge and came up with some wonderful things.

As all entries were fabulous, I sought the help of Random.org.

Selected by the Random Number Generator,

the winner of past week's challenge is number 2!

Congratulations Creationsbyeve!

We look forward to you hosting the next challenge.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000+02:00

Black Caviar bracelet or necklace

Pink Fairytale super long necklace

Bold Buttons necklace

Green Genie

These are the new makes for the week.

Now in my shop!

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Thank you.

Because I'm Kooky, let's have a sale!

2011-04-08T08:25:00.000+02:00

There is an "On Sale" section in my shop!

Prices have taken a 20-50% dip.

Thank you all for encouraging my kookiness and my kooky knitting taste :)

Is the world ready?

2011-04-07T08:03:00.001+02:00

Is the world ready for my insanity?

Making this crazy sweater took months!

Collar was too loose. Did not like.

Did not like it, still.

It's alright.

But let's finish all that green yarn!

Done! And it was off into the washing machine...

You know how much I like Brocki shopping (thrift shopping).

This sweater was made up entirely of mohair yarn that was thrifted.

A wild mix of odd balls of yarn = this crazy woman's fancy.

The Hubs asks, "Not to be worn outside (of the apartment), right?"

Why? Can the world handle it?

LOL

2011-04-04T12:19:00.002+02:00

Saturday Shopping Day.

2011-04-02T08:57:00.001+02:00

Hills and Lake - recycled zipper pouch

Two-sided Tie- recycled zipper pouch - wristlet

Leafy Pillow - Recycled vintage fabric patchwork fold over clutch

Flip top moleskin style cover for iPhone 4 with card pockets - fabric hardcover - Book 20

Brown and Blue - Recycled Fabric Zipper Pouch with vintage buttons

It wouldn't be right if I hosted a craft challenge party and not be part of it, right?
These were all created last week -- hills and lake inspired :D
Have you made anything for this EuropeanStreetTeam challenge yet?

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Thank you.

My creative space

2011-03-31T08:32:00.000+02:00

Right now, my work desk is piled up with lots of greens, blues, and some browns.
Why don't I have more of these colours?

More creative spaces and works-in-progress @Kootoyoo

Why Hills and Lakes?

2011-03-30T10:08:00.002+02:00

The motivation behind my 'Hills and Lakes' theme for the craft challenge was clearly driven by the view outside my window.

To stir your creativity, I've just made up 2 Treasuries just for this :D

Hills and Lakes, Part 1

Hills and Lakes, Part 2

Inspired much?

European Street Team Weekly Challenge

2011-03-29T10:08:00.012+02:00

Etsy crafters,
have you heard of Handmade Europe and its Etsy European street team? It is an awesome team, and they have Weekly Challenges that will inspire you to create.

- - - - - - - - -
The Weekly Challenge is a sort of Billboard – contest hosted by members of the Etsy European Street Team, Etsy sellers from all over Europe.

One member of the team, the winner of the previous week, selects a theme and publish it in her/his blog. The other team members who would like to participate, send him/her a photo of a handmade item specially made for the challenge, or one that meets concept of the selected theme. After a week, or sometimes 2 weeks, the host of the challenge selects a winner from all the entries submitted and published in the blog. Then that winner continues the thread.
- - - - - - - - -

Last week, Zsazsazsu hosted the challenge with the theme 'Seeds and Pods'.
I especially made up a zipper pouch for the challenge, and it won really unexpectedly :D

As a winner, I get to host a new challenge.

The theme I have chosen is going to be inspired by Europe's paradise: Hills and Lakes

The mosaic below are a few lovely images of the attractive Switzerland.

1. Switzerland, 2. Switzerland-Gottschalkenberg_12.02.11,
3. Lake of the Four Cantons - Lucerne Switzerland, 4. Lake Lugano

What will one see...
What will one find...
What can one do...
What will one feel, when you are surrounded by hills and lakes!

A play of colours, textures or items and images...

I look forward to your interpretations,

and I am sure I will be surprised by your creativity!

How to submit:

Leave a comment here with your Etsy item listing; or
Contact me via Etsy juanitatortilla.etsy.com

Entries will be added below, so do bookmark to check-in and see.

Closing date: night of 11.April Monday, Swiss / Paris / Berlin time :D
Winner will be announced on 12.April Tuesday.

P.S. At the end of this challenge, I will create a Treasury with your listings :)

- - - - - - - - -

Entries

- - - - - - - - -

1. Flowers By The Lake, by amoronia

2. Colorful mixed materials statement necklace, by creationsbyeve

3. Hills and Lakes necklace, by zsazsazsu

4. Beach at the Lake, by sexyhandmade

5. Green Mountains Earrings, by LeelaBijou

6. felted bangles, by At This Shore

7. Dark Teal Green Stacked Squares Beaded Bracelet, by cyberwezz

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-26T07:57:00.000+01:00

Last week, my neighbour and I had a chat about quilting.

Feeling inspired yesterday, I

1. Made a patchwork.

2. Found a thin foam padding in my stash.

3. Sandwiched the foam padding with thin fabric, and started hand-stitching the layers.

I must say, it was fun!

Hats off to those who sew a bed-size quilt by hand :D

May I present you the latest purse to JuanitaTortilla's collection:

Bright Batik

Now available in my shop.

Fuzzy Pod zipper purse

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Thank you.

Scrappy issue

2011-03-25T08:34:00.000+01:00

Kitschy Coo is destashing! Did you spend time drooling over her fabrics? I sure did -- in a clicky-frenzy trance.

But suddenly, a little voice inside my head said, 'Why are you thinking about other's scraps, when you have your own ~~crap~~ scrap?!?'

OK. You caught me, little voice.

I should also be thankful for having my own work space.

Need an early start this Friday morning, as there are guests coming over tonight.

Have a good day!

Bye for now.

Fuzzy Pod -- theme inspired

2011-03-23T16:45:00.003+01:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70621196/fuzzy-pod-recycled-zipper-pouch-wristlet

Sandra has offered this craft challenge themed 'Seeds and Pods'.

As I felt up to the challenge, here's what happened:

I gathered some fabric scraps.

And did a literal interpretation of 'seeds and pods', using cloth and beads.

With seeds and pods done, it came the fabric and zipper hunt.

And I finally found a use for the knitted, scrappy, fuzzy I-cord I had lying around!

That was how Fuzzy Pod came to life.

See the Etsy's European Street Team challenge blog entry here.

There are 8 wonderful participants' creations before me.

Sandra is going to have a tough time selecting a winner.

Incidentally, other Germany Street Team's work-in-progress can be seen here.

Too many Etsy teams I'm in. Oh dear.

Let the planting begin.

2011-03-21T16:17:00.000+01:00

Today is the day I begin my ~~post-Winter exercise~~ planting season.

The garden allotment is a 6-minute bus ride + 15-minute walk away.It's wonderfully quiet at 9am on a Monday. But awfully windy and cold, too.

Here we are.So meticulous, so tidy.

Look at our very modest plot.I made up a planting guide and stuck them onto bamboo sticks.A little theoretical homework before coming out to do the ground work.

As I planned on companion planting, I've started 3 groups:
Group A:TomatoChilli PepperMixed LettucesSpinach (in the future)Radish (in the future)
Group B:Eggplant / AubergineCarrotRadishSpinachLeek
Group C:Rapa / Brassica RapaChinese CabbageLeekSpinach (in the future)Mixed Herbs (in the future)
I am slowly working on other companion groups that will begin in April, or summer.

It's not pretty, I know.I hope it works!
P.S. Some caterwauling interrupted my concentration.

I wonder if this cat pays rent to sleep here.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-19T06:45:00.000+01:00

Turquoise Blue necklace and earrings

Cool blue braided necklace and earrings

Did not get much crafting done this week.

But when I did, it was all about blue and matching sets :D

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Editing photos to meet the Trend

2011-03-18T08:19:00.003+01:00

Warm, dark, Polaroid-ish beige photos seem to be the trend these days.
Personally, I love grey.
However, grey does not seem to make me or my items any more popular.
(Never was popular, anyway!)

Should I present something in its natural grey form?
Or should I conform and adulterate my images, to suit what is trending?

Separated sister necklaces

2011-03-15T08:24:00.002+01:00

You might remember this necklace from a few weeks ago.

I added extra braids to a skinny necklace.

BEFORE

Guess what?

I think it looks better now that they are apart.

Caracao- braided necklace - multiple strand - seafoam peppermint green and blue

Sea Shapes - chunky necklace - multiple strand - seafoam peppermint green and blue

These 2 separated sister necklaces are now in my store, http://www.etsy.com/shop/juanitatortilla?section_id=7160070

Thank you for looking!

Giving this away: iPhone cover with card pockets - Book 11

2011-03-14T08:04:00.002+01:00

This is a genuine giveaway happening in my Etsy store.
The link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/69741423/giveaway-flip-top-moleskin-style-cover

Thank you.

P.S. It is a $1.00 giveaway.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-03-12T07:26:00.002+01:00

This week, the iPhone covers received a little upgrade.
They now have card pockets!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/juanitatortilla?section_id=7666016

And on another happy note, I woke up this morning to a sale.
Only 2 pairs of ceramic earrings left.

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

I want waffles!

2011-03-10T08:27:00.000+01:00

Photo credit: 1. waffles and nutella (+2), 2. Waffles & Waffles, 3. Waffle, 4. waffle

This has been driving me crazy for over a week.

Waffles.

I. Want. Waffles.

Where can I get a decent waffle in this country?

I haven't had a waffle in ages. Pancakes are just not the same.

Do I really need to buy a waffle iron...

Shrek Forever After. Waffles. @ Yahoo! Video

Another Pakistani Tunic Makeover

2011-03-09T09:59:00.000+01:00

Orange tunic, size L versus Maroon tunic, size S.

How much bigger? This much, on each side.

The visual plan...

Cut the sleeves, and interfaced (stiffened) the edge bands.

Because I find pleating easier*!
*Easier than making small gathers.

Hmm. To shirr or not to shirr a waistband...
I had some elastic left that was perfect for the job.

NOT loving the collar, after all that was done.
So, off with it.
And there's lots more leftover sleeve to spare.

Tada!
All in a day's work!

I know how repetitive and obsessive this must look,but the orange tunic was bought on impulse.It finally saw the light of day!
And I know, a large size, what was I thinking.But all the more material to work with.
Not to worry, you won't be seeing any more of these strange-coloured tunics;I just have these 2.Phew, right?
So, yay oder nay?

Pakistani Tunic Makeover

2011-03-08T08:01:00.000+01:00

It's time to spring-clean the wardrobe!

Not really. But I do have a few makeover ideas.

This one was simple:

I wore this tunic once.

But because the sleeves were at a length that I did not care for, I never wore it again.

So I cut the sleeve...

Thought I could make a thick edge with it...

(What slippery material it was to work with.)

Decided that I wanted the sleeve to fit closer around my arm...

And I put everything together with some supervision :D

I like it!

But, you know what this means?

(What?)

My arms are not allowed to get any fatter.

Oops.

Saturday Shopping Day. Lots of Red.

2011-03-05T07:20:00.002+01:00

If you want to know,

when it comes to necklaces,

I like them around the neck and bold.

Do you feel the same?

Here's a chunky, multi-strand Red necklace.

Big Red - multistrand crochet beaded chunky necklace

... and matching earrings too.

Red Twist earrings

Like a latte, I am happy to offer a skinny version :D

It looks great as a bracelet too.

Delicate Red - necklace or bracelet

Finally, something monochrome.

Mercury Petals

More coming up in the next few weeks :)

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Creative Space. 03.March.2011

2011-03-03T06:57:00.001+01:00

A slight makeover. What do you think?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64363846/sea-shapes-necklace-one-of-a-kind

Also, this week saw the use of tiny seed beads.

This was last week's status.

23.Feb.11 Beady status, week 1

And here's today's.

03.Mar.11 Beady status, week 2

You'll see what has become of the missing seed beads, soon!

See more Creative Spaces in kootoyoo and Etsy Germany Street Team.

The Fourth Kind.

2011-03-02T15:41:00.002+01:00

Photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Fourth_Kind.jpg

Photo source: http://movies.about.com/od/thefourthkind/ig/Fourth-Kind-Photos/

I asked for a scary movie, and I got a scary movie.
This made me lose a night's sleep.
No more scary movies for me.

Have you seen it?
If you want a real good scare, watch it without any online research, like I did :D

( Now I do feel silly for being scared in the first place. )

Hornbills

2011-02-28T10:05:00.003+01:00

Rhinoceros hornbill

Wrinkled hornbill

Have you ever seen, heard, or experienced the majestic flight of these great birds?
The slow and dramatic whooshing of a pair of hornbills in the sky would stop you in your tracks and make you feel giddy at their wonder.

Have you seen these birds foraging freely in the tree canopy?

Such news upset me.
Slaughtered great hornbill by soldiers raises ire [warning: graphic image] by Jeremy Hance on mongabay.com

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-02-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

Spring Flavour
(click image for details)

On the Dotted Line
(click image for details)

Oh wow, another week gone by.

Shame I only have 2 new necklaces to show you all!

For more shopping ideas, please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted by zsazsazsu, here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Amphibian Eggs versus Something Boring

2011-02-25T08:00:00.002+01:00

Photo credit:
1. American Toad Eggs, 2. Leopard frog eggs, 3. Frogspawn reflection 2..,
4. 20100423_05 Frog (or possibly newt?) eggs in a pond (Gothenburg, Sweden)

Fascinating things, these amphibian eggs.

On the Dotted Line, in Etsy

'Amphibian Eggs' would be a cool name for a necklace, wouldn't it?

My Creative Space. 24.Feb.2011

2011-02-24T07:27:00.000+01:00

23 Feb 2011

Earlier in the week, the doctors had given me the green light to do whatever I want.

( Yes, my retinas look like they are staying put for a while more. )

As soon as I heard that, I got home and tore open my bead stash.

( Freedom! )

Let's watch beads disappear,

as you know, one of my goals this year is to finish them.

13 January 2011

The waste bin is next to me. But, I will not cheat.

See more Creative Spaces in kootoyoo.

Waves Fold over / Fold top messenger bag. Saturday Shopping Day.

2011-02-19T08:27:00.000+01:00

May I present you my bag project of the week:

'Waves messenger bag'.

It is a fold-over (or fold-top) style bag,

which I was really pleased to discover-while-I-make-it.

And ta-da, there are large pockets at the front.

Straps are modestly made from scratch,

and adjustable too.

This is the last of this batik print that you will see, I promise,

as I have no more of it.

And, because I know how we all love behind the scenes,here's some:
Playing around with the scrap, and cutting some linen up along the way.
Decided on a button, and I was to make a long, adjustable strap from scratch.
The overlock machine (serger) was put to good use,as it neatened and reinforced the interior of the bag.
Figured the way to make the straps join to the bag,followed by making of the bag lining.

Tiny pieces of batik did not go to waste.These were the finishing touches!
Hope you like it!Now in my shop, http://www.etsy.com/listing/68356296/waves-messenger-bag-fold-over-fold-top
Please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted by zsazsazsu, here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Three Skirts & I

2011-02-18T08:21:00.000+01:00

Drowning in 3 skirts.

How poofy?
This poofy.

As I was wearing the brown one that day, no pictures are available. Sorry.
Three skirts from 3 one-yard cloths!What an obsession.

My Eye Report: 2 retinal tears found and lasered.

2011-02-13T10:10:00.001+01:00

So I did find an eye centre to go to.

With the eye exam, the Ophthalmologist discovered 2 retinal tears in my left eye.

One big and a smaller one, she said.

Why the cause?

To say it simply, some people with myopia are just unfortunately prone to it.

( My myopia is not that 'intense',

neither was I ever punched in the eye, suffered an infectious disease,

or know of anyone in my family with this history. )

Maybe we can blame it on bad genes.

The tears were 'stapled down' with laser the same afternoon.

Like so:

Image from UWHealth.org

The Ophthalmologist has done what she could.

There are other degenerations in both eyes

and need to be checked up by a Retinal Specialist.
I meet him in a week's time.

Despite the horror, I know I am in good hands.

Let's hope he has only good things to say.

This is the eye clinic I'm going to:
Tazz. http://www.tazz.ch/TEAMTAZZ/tazzteam.html

A bag called Waves. Saturday Shopping day.

2011-02-12T08:35:00.001+01:00

An art bag, a book tote, a beach bag, a shopping tote...Diaper bag even?
This must be one of the biggest bags I've ever made for the shop.http://www.etsy.com/listing/67897813/waves-large-shoulder-tote-burlap-linen
It started out without a plan, as usual.Below are pictures from behind the scene.

09.Feb.11 Nice prints that were too good to waste.
Let's make a bag!

Burlap linen + long zipper + trim + patchwork of scrap + binding tape
= a huge pocket.

10.Feb.11 Tried to create a pattern for Body of bag.
It was going to be a huge bag!

Finally decided upon Body and Straps for a type of bag it was going to become.

Hand-stitching a buttonhole

Hand-stitched with vintage cotton thread.

10.Feb.11 Bag is finished, after 2 days!

Please see more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted by zsazsazsu, here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

Wardrobe Crisis = Time to Make New Ones

2011-02-11T08:09:00.000+01:00

There will be 3 skirts!

I love pockets in my skirts.

This sedentary lifestyle is causing a wardrobe crisis --

trousers and jeans don't fit.

Clothes don't lie.

Perfect opportunity to break out my fabric stash,

and feed my elastic skirt obsession, anyway!

I will show you the completed works, when *someone* moves out of the way.

P.S. Pickle didn't help. Do you think she approves?

A little tour of my craft space.

2011-02-07T08:50:00.000+01:00

Normally my work room is in a mega-size mess.

But I knew you were coming, so I tried to put everything in its place :D

Come, come.

Have a little tour, please.

Saturday Shopping Day

2011-02-05T08:21:00.000+01:00

These are the items that have been featured in Etsy treasuries this week.

Treasuries are collections hand-picked and curated by fellow Etsy members.

See more Saturday Shopping Day posts hosted by zsazsazsu, here: http://zsazsazsujuwelen.blogspot.com

juanita tortilla

Hey Feb!

Holiday Sewing #2: Burda Magazine 2009 E988 dress 5A.

Man's Sweater, or Man Sweater

Holiday Sewing #1: New Look Easy 6359

I'm not happy, so, something's got to change.

Back to School Next Week

That Fluffy Dog in Konstanz

Hello 2012.

My Morning Route in the City.

Staying put, this December.

Saturday Shopping Day

Preparing For Craft Hibernation

Luzern. Lucerne.

Not Much To Say

Another colour block sweater, completed in Oct'11.

Brussels! Day 3.

Brussels + Ostend! Day 2.

Brussels! Day 1.

100 Sq-Meter piece of allotment

7 Little Things About Me

Design your own Smartphone or iPod book-style fabric cover.

For old times' sake: The Bent Spoon in NJ.

5 Hours in New York

A little something extra to my smartphone covers.

Maurmer Wine at Stall-Stube Maur

A week now with Post-Event Stress Disorder.

Day 2 at Chilbi-Märt Maur

Day 1 at Chilbi-Märt Maur

Chilbi-Märt flyer

The Chilbi-Märt is This Weekend, *gulp*.

It's Chilbi Season.

August's Brocki finds

Etsy Fashion. Made it!

Balcony Gardening

I have been away.

As happy as a Ribena berry, woo!

Garden update: Cleared up some wilderness

Fredy's Mechanisches Musikmuseum

Way Back Whensday

Garden Update (picture heavy)

Winner of my necklace giveaway

Saturday Shopping Day

A Giveaway : necklace

Grindelwald and a spontaneous hike

Monday Moodboard

Saturday Shopping Day

Monday Moodboard

Saturday Shopping Day

Just a few necklace makeovers, and MIDYEARSALE.

Pfannenstiel. Panhandle.

25.May.11 Yawn!

Saturday Shopping Day

Latest news in the village of Maur.

Tutorial: Make your own fabric labels

Saturday Shopping Day

Get trendy with Spring 2011 Colours.

Let's work on those seed beads!

Meet Mandy the Mannequin

Vintage Waxed Linen Cord

May's garden report. (Picture heavy)

Saturday Shopping Day

My handmade iPhone covers? They love it.

Refashioned Men's Shirt #1 : the Green one

A Month Ago in Maur

Purrfect Model

Winner of EuropeanStreetTeam 'Hills and Lakes' Challenge!

Saturday Shopping Day

Because I'm Kooky, let's have a sale!

Is the world ready?

*LOL*

Saturday Shopping Day.

My creative space

Why Hills and Lakes?

European Street Team Weekly Challenge

Saturday Shopping Day

Scrappy issue

Fuzzy Pod -- theme inspired

Let the planting begin.

Saturday Shopping Day

The Chilbi-Märt is This Weekend, gulp.

LOL

Another Pakistani Tunic Makeover