Thursday, April 26, 2018

About hairy fish, a special tree, bucket bags and leather aprons!

Annual family reunion


We went to the family gathering last weekend at my daughters place: it felt so good to hug every one (the young boys evidently don't want a hug, a kiss is tolerated), to see every one and talk to every one. The whole family loves good food and nice drinks and we had plenty of that.

My sister in law, Gudrun, (from Conceptsmalle ) asked me to bring some of my leather jewelry along. I also chose some pieces I had designed for men and she like them very much for herself. Too bad they were too big, since they are a men's size. She especially liked an all cow hide bracelet with an odd shape, but too wide. This is an eye opener: I'll make some more (in my eyes manlike) of this kind but in smaller sizes for women.


LoveLea's cowhide bracelet
Not a hairy fish but a cowhide bracelet.


LoveLea's men bracelet in wrinkled leather.
LoveLea's (men) bracelet in wrinkled leather.


LoveLea's men bracelet in wrinkled leather.
LoveLea's men bracelet in wrinkled leather.


The family also loves to walk so we had a walk in the nearby woods and it was a very special walk! My sister Katrien lives in the States and lost her husband recently. At the family gathering, we had a little commemoration. Katrien had brought some ashes with her to scatter. My daughter took us to a tree her kids like to climb in and at the base of this tree, Katrien scattered the ashes. 


The chosen tree with the children
The chosen tree with the children (Photo courtesy of Conceptsmalle).

 Here is a picture of the family, my sister with her family, a nephew and niece are absent.


Family reunion April, 21st, 2018.
Family reunion April, 21st, 2018.

Bucket bags.


One of my favorite bags is the bucket bag! I am thinking about designing and creating my own bucket bag! I wrote "thinking" because I am afraid of starting the project and I have several reasons: my bag should be different from all the others, how will I realize the bag once I have my design, in what kind of leather shall I make my bag, hence  what material to use for the prototype. A slouchy bag looks relax and easy going but a bag should be easy to use in the first place.

 To me,  an easy to use bag is a bag that can stand up alone, that doesn't collapse and makes it difficult to find the stuff you need, hence I should use a sturdy leather. And I don't want to waste a whole skin, it has to be right from the start! Once this whole moving business is finished, I'll gather my courage and will start this project. Now I have spilled out the word, there is no going back and eventually I will have to come forth with a result.

Leather aprons, not only for blacksmiths!


I can't wait to start a total new type of project: an apron. I am a fan and partisan of aprons; when I cook I use an apron, when I paint, I use a vintage linen man shirt as apron, also to wash the dishes;  and I even have a fancy apron with lace to use when I have visitors. When creating I need an apron too to protect my clothing from dust, glue, sometimes paint and it gives me a professional look or so I think. I have a concept in my head, I only have to figure out the ideal measurements so my knees are covered, decide if I want a bib or not, make a paper pattern, position it on my chosen skin (I secretly want a pink leather apron, that would be very cool I think), cut the straps and put the thing together. I have some skins but maybe they are too rigid to make an apron and straps out of it.


Well, my apron won't be ready by next week: we have 15 m³ to unpack and more difficult: find a place for every item. If we finish off 1 m³ a day, the job should be finished in 2 weeks! Very reasonable. I'll tel you about the progress.

Hope to see you next week.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

A new future at 65? Gothic choker time!

It is done!


We had a horrible week, no 2 weeks! We went down to the summerhouse to empty it and make it ready to sell. The job of sifting through your possessions, deciding what you want to take back home, what you have to leave behind is very exhausting and physically and for your relation. We have had this process just to months ago when moving in Belgium to another slightly bigger house and now the same process all over again. But this page of our life is turned, ready for new experiences, ready for new possibilities: I am very excited and can't wait to see what life will show us from now on! 65: the start of a new future

Two weeks ago the movers came and loaded only our personal belongings (this means: no furniture) and we had 15 m³ that is being shipped now to Belgium. We donated another 5 m³ to charity and distributed another 2 m³ to friends! Unbelievable! And I thought we lived in a small house. We found a couple of lost items, discovered long forgotten things and came back by plane with 80 kg of luggage! I am dreading the moment the mover will arrive with the 15 m³.


One step back to progress/advance better


I am reunited with my work table, my tools, my scraps; I have gone through a lot of thinking and I am ready to start designing and creating afresh. A little bit of retreat gives energy, with a lot of retreat you have to start all over again. My mind is full of new projects, wait and see what comes out of it.


Gothic Choker time!


I am feeling Gothic: a bit rebellious, daring, bold. Spring has a lot to do with it AND the start of another chapter in my life. The weather is warming up and scarfs aren't covering our bare throats anymore: choker time. I created quite a few chokers, among them some Gothic chokers with a chain! Here I show you a few:



LoveLea's dark brown leather choker with chain, Gothic style
LoveLea's dark brown leather choker with chain, Gothic style.


Beneath is a picture of the same choker but with a matching cuff, definitely Gothic with dark or black nail polish.

LoveLea's dark brown leather choker cum cuff with chain, Gothic style
LoveLea's dark brown leather choker cum cuff with chain, Gothic style!


I love this dark brown color of the leather,  dark like 78% chocolate, my favorite chocolate, Belgian chocolate of course!


LoveLea's dark purple leather choker with chain, Gothic style
LoveLea's dark purple leather choker with chain, Gothic style


 And this choker (picture above) looks a lot like the dark chocolate one, but this choker is in fact in a dark purple leather; you can see the chain in close up.

And finally, here is my niece showing you a bright choker in red leather. This choker is Gothic in style but color wise not entirely. It looks very fresh and bright.



Family reunion!


This week end we have our annually family reunion at my daughters place. I haven't seen my brothers and sisters with their children, my cousins in almost a year. I long to hug them, see them, talk to them, joke with them, eat the same food and hearing the latest news. I'll tell all about it in next week's post.

I am publishing this post a bit early because I have to catch a train to my daughter's place to help her out with the preparations of the reunion.

See you next week!

Thursday, April 12, 2018

About cuffs, feminine or sturdy; Seville and tasting the smell of roses.

Leather cuff time!


It seems that I am associating what jewelry I want to wear with the weather! It does make sense: after all what is the use of wearing a nice cuff if it is hidden underneath your sleeve. It only makes you uncomfortable because the sleeve keeps hooked on your cuff. Temperatures are rising a bit, we can wear 3/4 sleeves and you can show off your cuff and in the mean time, it will keep you warm!
Here comes a very feminine leather cuff and it will become cooler while wearing: the fringes will become more distinct and pronounced.


LoveLea's pink leather fringed cuff.
LoveLea's feminine pink leather fringed cuff.

If on the other hand you like a more sturdy look, this cuff, made of 2 layers of leather, is perfect for you. It will roughen up while wearing! Leather is such a beautiful and versatile material!


LoveLea's brown leather fringed cuff.
LoveLea's brown leather fringed and sturdycuff.


And this cuff, my dear reader, is a synthesis of the 2 others: pale blue and very soft leather balanced by  5 sturdy, metal studds!



LoveLea's pale blue leather cuff with 5 metal studds
LoveLea's pale blue leather cuff with 5 metal studds



My breakfast nook reminds me of Seville.


A couple days ago the mandarin blossoms that perfume our outside breakfast nook ( read my previous post)  reminded me of Seville, Spain. We visited Granada, Seville and Cordoba a couple years ago around this time of the year. We were ecstatic about this 3 cities but Seville wins it because of the orange trees that were blooming. Almost every major street is lined with orange trees or bitter orange trees. It smells heavenly! This picture sums up what Seville is about: drinking sangria, eating tapas next to a wall of the Royal Alcazar seating under a blooming orange tree!


Having sangria under an orange tree in Seville, Spain.
Having sangria under an orange tree in Seville, Spain.

The Royal Alcazar of Seville.


Besides the Royal Alcazar, with its magnificent Mudejar plasterwork and polychrome tiles in the Don Pedro Palace and a beautiful park,


Mudejar plasterwork, Alcazar, Seville, Spain.
Mudejar plasterwork of the Royal Alcazar, Seville, Spain.


View on the garden, Alcazar, Seville, Spain
View on the garden,of the Royal Alcazar, Seville, Spain

The Cathedral of Seville.


is the Gothic Cathedral with the Giralda Tower more than worth visiting.


Giralda tower, Seville, Spain
Giralda tower, Seville, Spain.

The inside of the Cathedral holds among other things a breathtaking 20 m high altar piece with 45 scenes featuring the Virgin de la Sede.


The 20 m high Altar piece, cathedral of Seville, Spain
The 20 m high altar piece, cathedral of Seville, Spain


Detail of Altar piece, cathedral of Seville, Spain
Detail of Altar piece, cathedral of Seville, Spain

and the tomb of Christopher Columbus.


Tomb of C. Columbus, Cathedral of Seville, Spain
Tomb of C. Columbus, Cathedral of Seville, Spain

How about the grief and pain of this Madonna? How real she is! Not the sugary expression you see on most statues!


Grieving Madonna, Cathedral of Seville, Spain
Grieving Madonna, Cathedral of Seville, Spain.

The Royal Tobacco factory of Seville.


Everybody knows Bizet's opera "Carmen". Beneath is a picture of this sumptuous building that actually is a tobacco factory;  it is here that most of the action takes place. (Looks more a palace than a factory to me.)



Tobacco factory, Seville, Spain
Palace like Tobacco factory of Seville, Spain.


Rose water drinks?


yes, rose water drinks! Some rose bushes flower multiple times and they are at its very best in spring. This kind blooms abundantly now and they smell at their best too. Besides two rose bushes, we have only perfumed roses in the garden. Roses are my favorite flowers (and wisteria, and peonies): you can admire them from a distant place and when you come closer, you smell their divine perfume and when they have bloomed and haven't lost their perfume yet, you pick them and eat them as rose jam or drink them. The smell and the taste are the same; you are actually tasting a smell! My husbands aunt used to make rose water and I've learned it from her. You make it in spring time and you sip it out off a beautiful glass in the summer sitting in the cool shade of tree. If you want the recipe, click here. The recipe for the jam is for another time.


Rose water drink
Decanter with rose water.
 



Wow, this has become a long post with 3 leather cuffs to choose from, lots of info about Seville, Spain and a rose water recipe for you if you click through to my landing page.

Any questions, ask them through my contact form in the left column; want to get the new post in your mail box, subscribe by leaving your email in the right column. See you next week!


Thursday, April 5, 2018

Leather summer bracelets, Bento bags, a bit of philosophy and what to do with citrus blossoms.

Winter is almost over


I love the spring season with the promise of new life, the hope for new flowers, new fruits and the necessary rain. But spring makes me long for the summer, summer makes me long for swimming. What does represent all this better then seashells? I created some colorful bracelets that I adorned with sea shells. And not any shell but a Kauri shell (Cypraea moneta). Once they were used as exchange means in Africa. They look delicate but they must be sturdy. I love this dark chocolate brown leather cuff with its 3 sturdy and expressive Kauri shells.


LoveLea's dark chocolate brown leather cuff with Kauri shells
LoveLea's dark chocolate brown leather cuff with Kauri shells

This narrow red bracelet with a row of white beads would look lovely on the wrist of a teen,


LoveLea's red leather bracelet with white beads.
LoveLea's red leather bracelet with white beads.


or this narrow blue bracelet adorned with 1 Kauri shell? Which one do you prefer?

LoveLea's blue leather bracelet with Kauri shel
LoveLea's blue leather bracelet with Kaur

Longing for the summer? get yourself this chocolate brown leather cuff with the Kauri shells or the narrow blue bracelet? The vibrant red of the narrow leather bracelet will give you an instant boost!


About bento bags


A couple months ago, I wrote a post about furoshiki bags. I had a colorful piece of cloth that I cut down to a square of 90x90 cm, (you need a square cloth to knot your bag). I was left with a long strip and since I love the color and the flowers so much I decided to make a bento bag out of it. Your fabric's length should be trice the width and then like origami, you fold and stitch till you have a bento bag.


LoveLea's bento bag
LoveLea's bento bag


If you are interested in making a bento bag and a leather handle, use the contact form in the left column to let me know and I mail you back.

It is a small bag, but just big enough for my cell phone, credit card wallet, my beloved cat eye glasses and there is still room for other things. I made a leather handle from a piece of leather, sew the long side by hand and attached it to my bag.


LoveLea's bento bag with leather handle.
LoveLea's bento bag with leather handle.


I love this simple but ingenious and elegant style! When I am back from the summer house and have caught my breath again,  I plan on making a tuto about sewing a bento bag and how to make the leather handle!


Spring is in the air!


We are still in the summer house. Some days the weather is soft enough to lunch outside at the back of the house. Why there? It is more sheltered AND the mandarins are blooming! and the wind carries the smell till the table. But your nose gets used to the smell and after a while you have to leave and come back to smell this delicious perfume again. Yes, you get used to nice things and don't see, hear, feel, experience them any more. Leaving and coming back is the best thing to do to appreciate your own stuff again.


Breakfast table with mandarin trees.
Breakfast table in the line of mandarin trees.



Citrus trees makes thousands of blossoms! Impossible all this blossoms turn into a fruit. I red that 90% of the blooms go to waste! But I don't waste them. I pick up all the blossoms that fall down and are still whole, intact and have preserved their smell. I put them in a perfectly closing container and deep freeze them. When I bake a cake, I add several of them to the dough and my cake tastes like heaven! or you can add 1 of them to your morning tea, to a sweet bread, cupcakes or  make an exotic jello. I am not a dessert eater nor a baker but if you are a baker I bet you could think of a lot of use for the blossoms.



Mandarin tree blossoms
Mandarin tree blossom.
 


If you use blossoms, flowers in your baking, desserts, salads, let us know, write a comment, I love to learn, expand my knowledge.

By next week, our perfumed roses will blossom; wait to read what you can do with rose blossoms.

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...

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