Friday, January 26, 2018

Flow and Valentine bracelets (for YOU)!

The flow.


If you are a designer, a writer, a composer, flow is important, necessary, vital and  I was wondering about my flow, was even a little bit anxious; when I am busy designing, ideas keep flowing into my mind. I have a notebook at hand where I write down how I made something or how I think to make something and also new ideas or concepts that come to my mind and want to work on. Because of the moving I haven't found time to  sit down & design and I was afraid the flow would dry up.

My tool to restart designing and to pick up creating is by making easy things like ear bells or key chains: it doesn't involve much calculating or thorough thinking and while my hands are busy, my head starts working again.

This time, I have 2 tools: the said before and Valentine! This tool gives me a direction to go because there are  some obligate ingredients like the color red, hearts or heart shape figures which makes things easier. I only have to worry about not falling into commercialized ideas but come up with some fresh ideas. I am not a Gothic person but I like to create in a mild or soft Gothic style. Even Gothic people must have a crush on somebody and must want to declare this feeling. Thus my first creation is a soft Gothic bracelet made of black leather and a small "LOVE" plate. The message carrier in the picture is authentic and may easily have been used to carry love messages from a wealthy man to his secret love. This is why I like old and used things: they have a life of their own.


LoveLea's Gothic Valentine bracelet.
LoveLea's Gothic Valentine bracelet.

When I designed the bracelet (picture below) in white leather with a red metal heart and small red tassels flanking the love plate, I had a young teen girl in mind; by summer the bracelet will be a little roughed up and when she 's wearing it to the beach, the white leather will show off her tan skin. LoveLea, 😃 ! Remember, all jewelry is available at LoveLea's Face book shop.



LoveLea's white/red love plated bracelet.
LoveLea's white/red love plated bracelet.

The clothes line. 


Our new house has a garden and our garden has a clothesline. I haven't used a clothesline in ages, a laundry rack is easier and movable. I had washed pants and long sleeved shirts and those "big" things are easier hanged on a line; I don't have to worry if the bottom of the pants touches the ground. So I was hanging a pair of pants and since the line is quite high, I had to look up and, to my amazement, I saw the sky and a white pigeon was crossing over; hanging the next piece, there was a small plane coming from the east and then I saw a seagull. What a delicious experience!. I think from now on, if the rain will stop, I'll only use the clothesline.


If you are reading this post and you love crafts or you have to make with music, painting, sewing and thus are depending on inspiration, please tell me how YOU restart or keep up the flow! What are your methods? What are your tools? Do tell me via the COMMENTS box at the bottom of the post or through the CONTACT FORM in the left column. I will be delighted to know!

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Will my table open the flow? (or is my inspiration gone?)

For about a week we are living in the new house; in fact we are still living out from boxes; and my son tells me there are 10 more banana boxes stored in his house. I can't believe this is true. I'm feeling trapped in quicksand ! I'm feeling drowned! But this is a good feeling: it tells me I am on the right path, the path of releasing, letting go!

And I found a solution for my table: it is still lying on its back with its legs in the air, like a dead animal. But I figured out how to get this beast back to life. The table is assembled by its top with pegs and holes and with hooks and eyes but this is not enough, the table will collapse. While doing the dishes and ironing, (this tasks are stupid, but great opportunity for thinking) the table is always in my thoughts. The slats that carry the extension pieces are missing but their trace is visible. But this slats should be twice the size of what the traces lets see to carry the weight of the extensions and the weight of the table!! Today, Monday, we went to the sawmill and bought 4 slats of 91.8 cm from which 46 cm will be attached to the table and the rest will float, 2 on each side of the table. I do hope my theory is correct and the table will stand up!! and hold!!!. Hopefully we'll attach the slats tomorrow  and then I can start designing and creating again! For almost 2 weeks I wasn't able to create! I can only feel the flow of creation feebly! I hope that just the fact of sitting at the table I have been longing for to use and sitting on a super nice chair will get everything flowing again!

2 days later, Wednesday, we attached the slats, made the table stand up and everything is fine! The table stands up, proud and is waiting for me to use it.

My table stands up and my chair is waiting for me.

 But sadly it will still have to wait a couple days. Tomorrow, Thursday, I am visiting the city with my daughter! This will be super, I hope so, just the 2 of us; no lets go over there, no I'm bored, no I'm tired, no I want to go home. Meanwhile, if I can not work, I can prepare my table: I can put my cutting board with a heavy duty mat and on top of that, my self-restoring cutting mat in place. Maybe I'll have to move the table in the other direction since I want my antique daybed upstairs. In the afternoon, I might take a refreshing nap!

My table is waiting for me to design and create!

I am anticipating working there, I can hardly wait! what all Lovelea stuff I 'll design and create, very special and unique pieces!

You will have to wait a week to see the results. See you!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Be careful what you wish for!

I wished for balance in my life and this week, I got plenty of occasions to apply. I had beautiful antique furniture in a depot  for 8 years and for 8 years I have been dreaming of using them in my home and NOT ONE OF THE ITEMS FITS. Last Thursday me, my husband and our son with his van went to the depot to retrieve the furniture. I had a very handsome chest of drawers, at least 200 years old and a big, long, nice oval table with 8 ladder-back chairs all in light oak.

I had seen myself using this long table  upstairs as a worktable for my leather creations, for sewing and for writing. I asked the movers to take the table to the attic; the movers grabbed the legs, heft the table but after 3 or 4 threads it was obvious that the table wouldn't get through, to no avail, the legs were to long or the table to wide. Mind you, the table was decomposed in 2 pieces and still wouldn't pass. With a hammer and a crowbar we took off the legs, brought the legs and the tabletop separately upstairs, pasted and nailed the pieces together and the table lies now upside down waiting to dry.

The magnificent chest of drawers was meant for the guest room on the first floor but we didn't even try to get it upstairs!  We put it temporarily in the living room and it looks superb but in this room we need a lunch counter. There is another vacant wall but the chest is too bulky and won't leave space to move about in the living room; I choose this chest when my parents died and we divided the furniture.

In the "old" house, I used a mahogany linen closet; I love this closet because it has a hidden drawer in the bottom, a more obvious one at the top and in the inside there is a third drawer. My mother stored her bonds and important papers in the bottom drawer, secret and save. I had planned to use it in the bedroom for storing sweaters, t-shirts etc, but the closet didn't go up either, just ONE tiny cm too large!!!


The lesson to learn.

This are facts, circumstances, the most important now is how I handle all this. When you read eastern philosophy and they tell you to be  detached, I never liked this idea;  I kind of glanced at the words and continued reading, ignoring the message. I like stuff, possessions a lot, especially nice things. Isn't it my right to live surrounded by nice things! Isn't it an obligation as a human to surround you with beautiful things? Live is telling me: like it or not but possessions are  futile, fleeting, furniture is only furniture! O.k. life,  you tried to teach me the nice way, I didn't heed you and now you force this on me. I can only bow my head and accept your lesson! But how do I go on? First thing that came into my head: I won't visit any antique shop again! I won't enjoy any flea market again! Never, ever. I won't buy  any beautiful stuff again!

This are childish and immature reactions, off course. I am in a continuously process of growing and this is a big step, no a huge step I am forced to take. Does life tell me: do speed up, please? Your time of taking baby steps is up, take some strides! I told myself: Hilde, you also wanted to be creative, here is your chance: what else is there to see at antique shops?  I still can go to antique shops, flea markets but I"ll be looking for other things like old leather tools, vintage beads etc.

This is a big blow; I have to recover, come to my senses and find a new direction, shift my thinking, accept this situation!

Life goes on


Today, Sunday, I put all my leather stuff in boxes and since my workshop and table aren't ready yet, I won't be able to do any designing or creating. Designing might be possible, I don't need a worktop for that, I can think and write anywhere. Before gathering everything, I made a choker, meant for Valentine's day. Here comes a picture:

LoveLea's red and purple "love" choker.
LoveLea's "love" choker.

I photographed it in an antique soap box, but you could easily use the box to store your jewelry.


Have you had a similar blow? Has life tried to tell you some truths? What happened? You can leave a word in the comment section, right here below.

See you!

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Balance is what I need!

From stole to bracelet


My grandmother had a fur stole that she wore to church in winter. It had legs dangling from her back and on the front side, the stole had a flat head with glittering eyes; I was very afraid of the beast. Her stole is mine now and I am not afraid anymore; on the contrary, I love the beast because it keeps me warm. Unfortunately the legs are disintegrating, falling apart in little pieces. I am not able to throw away something, I keep EVERYTHING and good I did: I used this pieces to garnish a bracelet that otherwise would have been very plain.


LoveLea's fur bracelet in dark leather
LoveLea's fur bracelet in dark leather

I didn't have any clams then and I made a button myself out of 2 layers of hard leather; it was a hard job cutting through the leather. The layers are  kept together with a big vintage turquoise bead; a slit functions as a buttonhole. I made a similar bracelet in pale brown leather; they look very "steampunk".


LoveLea's handmade button
LoveLea's handmade button.

Bye bye 2017.


It is done: we said goodbye to 2017 and welcomed 2018; nothing much, a little celebration between  my husband and me, too tired to throw a big party. Besides, only 3 days before, the 29th, we celebrated our 42 th wedding anniversary and a second celebration so close felt too much this year.

As I am writing this words, it is the first day of a whole New Year; in front of me is a clean slate, a blank paper that I can fill in as I want. I decided to pick "balance" as theme for this year. Do you remember my thyroide story? You can read it here. It is obvious that I am not well balanced and I want to do something about it. The whole of 2018 will be dedicated to find my balance. Most urgent and important is the balance between my hobby and my family life and husband! In a lesser degree I should find my balance between earning 4 figures or 5 figures, between reading and working, between sleeping and working, between working and relaxing. It is the coffee that keeps me going, urges me to continue, drives me to do something and I only drink two cups a day. Even knowing that, I can't let go of drinking coffee; surrogate is not an option, I want the real thing! If it is really too bad, I only have 1 cup a day and then I'm balanced again.

Valentine's day is coming


The next celebration in line is Valentine's day and I want to design something for young people. Usually I don't pay much attention to this commercialized celebrations; in this case I think Valentine's day is good for shy people. It is a shove in their back, a move into the right direction, it is a golden occasion: now or next year. It is nice and sweet if gifts, as a symbol of  feelings, are given or exchanged in the intimacy of 2 people. Two years before I retired, the principal introduced Valentine's at school. If I recall right, the last hour of the school day, the seniors were free, free to give the beloved classmate a red rose. And when the last bell rings, euphoric students are running in the hallway, a bunch of roses in their hands, others a couple of roses and the biggest part has their  hands empty!  That's a punch in the face of this students.


LoveLea's best friend bracelet in red leather
LoveLea's best friend bracelet in red leather

I had this metal plaques with "love" and "best friend" laying around for almost a year and I felt like it was time to use them! I designed and created this cute bracelet in red leather, love's color with a little yellow accent to match the metal and the clamps. I wonder who will wear this bracelet!

We are now in the middle of the moving, half of our belongings are in the new house and the other half here. Friday, the van is coming and we'll move all the big, old heavy  furniture; maybe we'll sleep in our new bed by Friday. But first I have to make sure we have gas and electricity, telephone and internet and this won't leave me time for designing and creating. And I owe you a picture of the still empty workshop. As you can see, like the new year, a blank paper, a new begin! If this is not a coincidence or synchronicity!

Our empty atelier!


Please, let me know what kind of New Year resolutions you made, you could inspire me, one never knows; what do YOU think of Valentine's day? Do you love it or hate it? Leave your comments right below, please.

See you next week!

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The event of the year Last Friday it was my daughter's birthday and it was the first day of Suikerrock, a 3 day rock festival in our...

The event of the year (in my town), Pro's of having a dog, How I excorcise inspiration; My revamped