Postcard Challenge 13

Ah, Friday again!

Can you believe we made it to week 13???

And as far as I can see my story isn't ending just yet... :)

Here you can find last weeks card! 

 

Emily had no idea how to contact Broes before Saturday so she went to the Israeli restaurant on her own but gave Broes a chance to bring her home after a wonderful evening.

As expected her dad was waiting up with the lights on so there wasn’t much space for a thorough goodbye and she definitely wasn’t ready to invite Broes in to meet her dad.

Her excuse was she had to get up early the next morning to go to the airport with her sister Daphne.

Daphne is always working hard and saving up her money to start her own hair-salon one day and Emily warns her she forgets to have fun while she’s still young enough to enjoy it all. Daphne is way too serious!

Emily is still surprised her sister agreed on this trip together under just one condition, something with a spa, manicure, pedicure, massages and so on…

Where better to go than an all-inclusive resort with a real Hammam in Turkey?

 It's a photo this week because I've been sewing lots! 

If you're curious just read the messages below from past week... :)

The back reads:

Thank you again for the wonderful evening at Ha'Carmel! I really had a great time. Hope we can do it again one day soon!

As you know I'm being pampered in Turkey now. It's so good to catch up with Daphne!

I'm thinking about travelling less and save up some money so I can get my own place.

It's really lousy to have your dad wait up when you're 23...

Hugs,

Emily

PS Please keep mailing to my PO Box.

Parents don't need to know everything... :) 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, I love reading all your wonderful comments on my cards and story!

Don't forget to leave your love at all the other world-travellers!!!

Teus is weer mooi

Tja, als je thuis moet blijven van juf omdat je de waterpokken hebt

maar er verder helemaal niet ziek van bent

kun je samen met mama leuke dingen doen!

When you have to stay home, 

ordered by school because you have the chicken pox

but you're feeling fine

it's time to do some fun things with mama!

Vrijdagmiddag scheen het zonnetje lekker 

en bedacht hij dat zijn haar er wel af mocht

want hij had wel héél veel op zijn hoofd...

Friday was a lovely sunny day

and Teus figured he didn't need his long hair anymore

since he has a Lot of hair on his head...

 

Hij had wel mooie krullen in zijn nek

maar ja, als je zeker weet dat je liever stekels wilt

dan knip ik je haar toch lekker kort...

He did have lovely curls in the back

but he really wanted short hair with spikes

so I cut his hair like he wanted...

En als je mijn haar nu dan buiten neer legt in de tuin

dan kunnen de vogeltjes daar weer een heerlijk warm nestje mee maken

toevallig...

Can you put my hair in the garden for the birds

they like to use my hair for to build their nests

just so you know...

Ach mannetje, wat ben je toch slim

en begaan met een ander

Denk je ook om jezelf?

Oh boy, you're so sweet

and thoughtful

Don't you forget about yourself?

Voor mij!

Jawel, helemaal voor mij!

Meestal als ik iets voor mezelf naai 

is het niet echt draagbaar...

Op één of andere manier voegt het nooit

For me!

Totally and completely for me!

Mostly when I sew something for me

it isn't really wearable...

Somehow there's always something just wrong

Henrike bestelde dat leuke jurkje voor Cato in mt36

maar hoe verander je zo'n klein patroon nu in een damesmaat?

Ik ging aan de slag met deze tutorial 

geweldige uitleg

duidelijke tekeningen

Dat kan ik!

Okee, de halslijn mag wat lager maar het is draagbaar en voelt lekker!

Henrike ordered the cute dress for Cato in a size 36

but how can I change a childrens pattern into adult size?

I went to work with this tutorial 

great explanation

clear drawings

I can do that!

Okay, the neckline could be lower but it feels nice and fits well!

En nu heb ik zomaar ineens een nieuw blouseje in de kast hangen!

Van een vreselijk lapje wat al jaren in mijn voorraad woonde

Ha, kom maar op UIU!!!

(Nog even een tip voor mezelf:
Koop geen glibberige stofjes! Wat een ramp...)

And just like that I have a new blouse in my closet!

Of a horrible piece of fabric that's been in my stash forever

Ha, I'm going to nail the UIU!!!

(Note to self:

Don't buy slippery fabric! This was gruesome...)

En nog een jurk...

Na zo'n proefjurkje had ik de smaak te pakken

dus naaide ik er nog eentje

een beetje langer...

I really had fun making Cato her dress

so I made another one

a bit longer...

Het is echt een appeltje-eitje jurk!

Heel goed als je even een ego-boost nodig hebt...

Het kan niet fout!

It truely is an easy-peasy dress!

If you need an ego-trip you should try to sew this one...

You can't go wrong!

 

Stofjes genoeg in mijn enorme voorraad

en ach, wat neemt het nu helemaal zo'n klein jurkje?

Een halve meter van beide stoffen?

Hoog op!

Fabric enough in my ginormous stash

and what does it really take, such a small dress?

A half meter of both fabrics?

At the most! 

Dat snoetje maakt je dag toch helemaal goed?!

Doesn't this face make your day?!

 

En zo heeft Cato dus zomaar twee nieuwe jurkjes in de kast hangen! :)

Wil je weten wat ik het leukste vind?

And just like that Cato has two new dresses in her closet! :)

Want to know what I like best?

 

Mijn nieuwe labels met mijn blognaam!!! Ha!

't Zijn tenslotte de kleine dingen die het leven zo aangenaam maken!

My new labels with my blog-name!!! Ha!

In the end it are the small things that make life great!

Nieuwe jurk

Gister was niet alleen Teus thuis met zijn waterpokken maar had ook Cato dikke koorts.

Ze heeft het grootste gedeelte van de dag op de bank liggen slapen...

Anouk kwam 's morgens gezellig samen naaien en daar begon ik met het snijden van Marilyns Slim Fit Peasant Dress.

Yesterday not only Teus was at home with his chicken pox but Cato was running a high fever.

She spend the majority of the day sleeping on the sofa...

Anouk came by so we could sew together and there I started cutting Marilyns Slim Fit Peasant Dress.

Zo'n dag met de jongste twee thuis kan ik ten volle benutten.

Het kost me zo'n 2½ uur per dag om heen en weer te fietsen naar school.

Nou, die tijd kost het ook ongeveer om dit leuke jurkje in elkaar te zetten!

On such a day with the little ones at home I can do a lot.

Normally I spend about 2½ hours per day biking up and down to school.

Well, that's about the time you need to sew up this cute dress!

Ik kon haar niet helemaal opmeten omdat ze ziek op de bank lag maar kwam uit op maat 3T en lengte 5T.

Qua breedte is ie goed, maar hij had nog wel 2 inch langer gemogen...

I couldn't messure her laying sick on the sofa but ended up on a size 3T and length 5T.

The width is perfect but the lenghth could use an inch or 2 more... 

 

 Geeft niks, dit is tenslotte maar het proto-type! :)

(En alle stofjes van de Handwerkbeurs zijn nu weer gebruikt en dus kan ik weer verder met de UIU!)

No problem, this is just the proto-type! :)

(All the fabrics I bought at the Handwerkbeurs are used now so I'm still in the UIU!)

Ik kreeg nog steeds een dikke Hoera! voor deze jurk vanmorgen.

Laat de zomer maar komen, wij zijn er klaar voor!!!

I still got a big Hurray! this morning for the dress.

Let the Summer arrive, we are ready!!!

 

Postcard Challenge 12

This week Darcy decided to send us to Israel.

The first thing I thought of was when Dana won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998

She was born a boy... Pretty smashing, right?

~click and play~

But that didn't help me a bit on how to let Broes go to Israel...

The guy sells milking devices to cow farms. How hard could I make it for myself?

And so I decided to stay home, in the Netherlands for another week! :)

 

Another week went by and another card arrived. Broes is so happy with Emily’s last card. 

She wants to meet again!

Well, he’s not going to let her have second thoughts about it and decides they need to go to dinner together so they can talk for a while.

But where to go? He doesn’t really like to eat meat himself, not that he’s a vegetarian but he just likes the cows and horses walking in the fields much better…

And what does Emily like to eat besides chocolate?

Looking at all the postcards from Emily and the places where he’s been in the past months he notices they haven’t been to the Middle East. It’s been a mess up there for years and he wouldn’t visit there soon without a very good reason so why not go to an Israeli restaurant. It’s not a place where he comes a lot but the idea of ‘glatt kosher’ seems nice.

Broes almost skips to the Post Office to mail his invitation. If only he knew where she was staying, he would just go there and take her somewhere by surprise…

 I know, I should do something about my terrible photographs or stop giving my cards 3D-elements so my scanner can handle them... (Any advice? Feel free to throw it in!!! :))

This card really has the most wonderful purple color!

The inside reads:

Dear Emily,

I would never leave you alone just like that!

Like I said before I'm truely interested and I can't wait to see your new hair-do. It sounds like a lot of fun!

I took the liberty to book a table for us next Saturday at a lovely Israeli restaurant where they play live music and serve delicious food.

I really hope you can let me know where you're staying now you're in the Netherlands for a while.

I only have your P.O.Box and I would love to pick you up this Saturday!

Otherwise I'll just have to wait patiently and hope you will show up...

Looking forward to see you again,

Broes

Restaurant Ha'Carmel, Amstelveenseweg 124 ~ 20.00h ~ March 24, 2012

Thanks for stopping by, I love reading all your wonderful comments on my cards and story!

Don't forget to leave your love at all the other world-travellers!!! 

Edit:
Look what Picasa can do to my photo!!! Thanks Margaret!!!

 

Arme Teus...

En terwijl ik bijkom van mijn avondje met de 3JS en mijn weekendje weg waar ik standaard te kort slaap, stuurde ik Teus gister naar school met drie muggenprikjes.

Kom ik hem om half 12 ophalen, zit hij er helemaal onder!

Huh, muggenprikjes vermenigvuldigen zich toch niet zomaar?

Nog eens kijken...

Op zijn voeten, benen, armen, buik, rug, gezicht, werkelijk tot ín zijn onderbroek!

O, o... Maar dat kan niet...

Hij heeft de waterpokken toch al gehad???

And while I'm trying to wake up after my night with the 3JS and my crafty weekend where I'm always sleep deprived I took Teus to school yesterday with three small bumps, like fly pricks.

 But when I pick him up at 11.30h it's all over his body!

Now, since when do these things multiply this fast?

Let's have a better look at them...

On his feet, his legs, arms, belly, back, face and even in his underpants!

Oh, oh... But that can't be...

He already had the chicken pox, right??? 

Nou, niet dus...

En dus kijk ik vandaag naar dit hoopje op mijn bank en kijken we samen Phineas en Ferb

want daarvan gaat het over.

Of niet, maar dan hebben we toch mooi gezellig samen op de bank tv gekeken!

Wrong, obviously...

And so I spend today watching this little heap of misery on my sofa 

and we enjoy Phineas and Ferb on tv 
because they make him better.

Or not, but then we still had this pretty great time together on the sofa!

Hoe gezellig ik het ook vind...

Word maar gauw weer beter, kereltje!!! :)

No matter how much I enjoy our quiet time together...

Get well soon, sweetie!!! :)

3JS in Hoorn

Klik en luister terwijl je de rest leest! :)

Mijn favoriet van de nieuwe cd en live echt... Kippevel!!!

Click and listen while you go through my post! :)

My favorite song from the new cd and live... Goosebumps!!!

Gisteravond pikte ik mijn broertje op en gingen we naar de theatertour '4 Elementen' van de 3JS.

We hadden niet echt hoge verwachtingen, ik wilde ze gewoon een keertje zien...

Ik heb alle cd's en ze staan ook op mijn MP3-speler omdat ik de stem van Jan ontzettend mooi vind maar om nu te zeggen dat ik een enorme fan ben, niet echt...

Yesterday evening I went to the theater with my brother to watch the tour '4 Elements' by the 3JS. 

We didn't have high expectations, I just wanted to see them once...

I own all their cd's and all the songs are in my MP3-player because I really like the voice of Jan but to say I'm a huge fan, not really...

Mijn hemel, wat zijn die gasten goed!!!

Mocht je de kans nog krijgen om er heen te gaan,

ik zou zeggen: DOEN!!! :)

Wat een geluid...

Wat een sfeer...

Wat een humor!

Ik denk dat we voortaan de theatertour gaan bezoeken! 

Wat was dit genieten!!! :)

Oh my gosh, these guys are good!!!

If you get a chance to go to the tour,

my advice: GO!!! :)

Marvelous sound...

Lovely vibe...

So much fun!

I think we'll visit their tours from now on!

This was such a wonderful night out!!! :)

Weer thuis...

Ik heb het weer overleefd! :)

Het was weer ontzettend gezellig, vreselijk gelachen en zowaar ook nog wat gedaan!

Home again...

I survived my crafty weekend! :)

It was so much fun, laughed so much and even made some stuff!

'Ons' hoekje!

Ik kom net weer aanlopen...

'Our' corner!

I'm just walking in... 

De hele groep dames...

Bedankt voor de gezelligheid!!!

The entire group of ladies...

Thanks, I had heaps of fun!!!

 En de onthulling... Dit is de kaft van mijn boekje voor de Postcard Challenge!

Ik vind de titel helemaal geweldig, Imagine... Stel je voor...

Dan kan mijn verhaal gewoon nog lekker alle kanten op want we hebben nog ruim 40 weken te gaan en ik heb werkelijk geen idee waar het gaat eindigen! :)

Tadaaaa.... This is the front of my book for the Postcard Challenge!

I'm completely in love with my title, Imagine...

Since I have no clue where my story is going to end, which countries are coming and there are still 40 weeks left to let Emily and Broes fight, kiss, meet and mail I can't imagine a better title! :)

Dit is helemaal niet mijn normale stijl, 5 of 6 lagen papier over elkaar, 3D-roosjes, distressen enz. 

maar jee, wat heb ik genoten van het maken!

This is not my usual style, 5 to 6 layers of paper, 3D-roses, distressing and so on

but gee, I had so much fun creating this! 

Hier zie je nog wat pagina's uit mijn boek. 

Ze zijn helaas nog niet af maar het weekend was gewoon te kort! :)

De rechterpagina heeft een landkaart van het land waar we zitten en daar wil ik nog een uithangbordje op maken met de naam van het land.

En een gleuf om de kaarten in te stoppen.

Op de linkerpagina's gaat het verhaal verder zoals ik het voor de kaart op mijn blog zet.

Here some sampler of pages from the book.

I haven't finished them, the weekend was way too short! :)

The left page is the story as written in my blog before I show my card.

The right page is a map of the country of that week with an opening to slide the cards in. 

I still want to add a sign with the name.

Ik heb ook nog een ATC-tje en een kerstkaartje gemaakt maar vergeten foto's te maken...

Ik ben nog nooit zo moe geweest na een weekendje weg!

Het waren hier twee heel chaotisch en hectische weken met als afsluiter dat ik vrijdagavond onze pleegzoon voor altijd terug naar zijn moeder bracht. 

Het is goed zo, maar je hecht je toch aan zo'n mannetje en het is emotioneel wel even zwaar...

I also made an ATC and a Christmas-card but forgot to take a photo of these...

I haven't felt this tired before after such a weekend!

We had two crazy and hectic weeks which ended in me taking our fosterson to live with his mom from now on on Fridaynight.

It's okay, it's just emotionally hard to detach now...

No matter how hard we say we won't attach since it's a foster-child, they still manage to take a place in our hearts!

Postcard Challenge 11

And once again it's Friday...

 Welcome to my humble country!!! :)

I can't wait to see what you all come up with and I'm pretty sad I have to wait until Monday because I'm off this weekend doing nothing more than being crafty and chatty with 30+ other lovely ladies! 

Yay!!! :)

Emily is once again on a train, back home for a while!

The handsome German guy wanted way more in return for his snowboard lessons than she was willing to give and as usual she ended up running away...

Honestly she's a bit tired of running around and wonders if it really was so bad at home. She knows it's time to visit her family, to really feel what they taught her about standards and values!

She picks up her mail at the Post Office and is surprised to find the beautiful card from Broes.

The message brings tears to her eyes.

He could have died in Canada!!!

And she would never have known and that's what makes her feel... terrible!

In doubt if she could just visit him she decides to buy one of those terrible tourist-y postcards and send it to let him know she really does care about him.

The question is how much?

I used an old rubber stamp sheet... I guess it's name was Ready2Stamp.

Colored with my Derwent Coloursoft pencils.

 

The back reads:

Oh broes, did you really almost die in Canada?

I can hardly belive your message. If that happened I would heva thought you were done with my mood-swings.... (don't worry, I'm used to it!)

And I would never have known the truth...

Isn't that sad?

I'm home for a while, can we meet?

-XO- Emily

PS My hair is black with orange bangs this week! :)

Don't forget to leave your love at the other lovely participants in this challenge!!!

Postcard Challenge 10

Here you can find last weeks card!

I'm sorry I haven't found the time to comment on all your cards... It's partially because of the weird words that appear when I want to place my comment. I have a very hard time reading them...

Besides this was a crazy week! I have started my card just yesterday and spend this morning finishing it... Oh, how wonderful life is, right? :)

Broes jumps in his car and rushes off to the airport again and hits the brakes at the last moment to check his mailbox. Again...

He was afraid Emily has stopped writing and he has no idea where he could find her.

The sun just pops up over the horizon and he is very surprised to find a card in his box.

Emily!

And she didn't sound all that bad...

Oh, how he wishes his next job is in Switzerland, too bad he is on his way to Canada!

Broes picks up a rental car at Toronto-airport and is on his way to a farm in Neverland or something.

He hasn't seen a soul in hours and is wondering if he ever arrives. Looking at the navigation system he sees he has another three hours to drive and he really doesn't like to see the sun go down.

He hates to drive in the dark, especially in unknown surroundings.

By the time he's off the highway and really in the middle of nowhere the car sputters and dies just like that... He's no mechanic and doesn't want to meet the wild-life and stays in the car.

He puts on all his clothes and starts praying he will make it through the night. It's around -20C and the snow softly falls. He doesn't recall a moment in time where it has been this quiet and dark.

Somehow he manages to fall asleep, thinking of Emily...

When he opens his eyes he looks into worried dark eyes in a weathered face. Not sure if this is saviour or the end, actually he doesn't even care anymore, he's so cold and stiff, anyway out is okay!

The man is part of an Indian tribe living nearby and they take care of him while they arrange to get his car fixed so he can go on to his final destination.

The young ladies are embroidering cards to sell on a market where they go once a week and Broes decides to buy one for Emily and tell her all about his latest adventure.

The Indian girl tells him it represents the Candian lakes, they have estimated there are 31,752 lakes bigger than 3km² in Canada.

This weeks card is a mini-quilt with couched DMC, satin ribbon and funny fiber.

Decorative machine stitching, handsewn lines and french knots and hotfix crystals.

  The back reads:

What a marvelous view. I truely hope you are able to enjoy it!

I'm on my way to a remote farm in Ontario, Canada but my rental car broke down and I ended up with an Indian tribe. They are very helpfull and I really think I would have frozen to death if they hadn't found me that night.

This card is made by the young ladies here and reminds me of your hair in Paris. I wonder what color it is nowadays.

Really hope you find your Mojo back soon...

Broes

Once upon a time, like February 22nd, 1999

a crazy couple from the Netherlands

went all the way to the Niagara Falls 

to fulfil their dream of a lovely little Winter wedding.

Temperatures were around -18C, during the day so it all was a dream come true!

Yes, that's us! 

And we're still very happy together and very  much in love with Canada.

We tried to emigrate but lots of things and children came in between...

I had a lovely week thinking about what to make to show my love for this beautiful country that carries a piece of my heart.

Hope you all had a wonderful week too!!!

Don't forget to check out the other participants at Art and Sole!!!

De man...

...heeft zijn eerste maaltijd er op zitten.

Het was even heel hard nadenken maar toen bedacht hij dat hij onze woensdagmiddag-lunch voor zijn rekening wilde nemen en dat hij pannenkoeken ging bakken!

Geweldig kind, dat doe ik niet zo vaak omdat ik het zo'n klus zonder einde vind...

The man fixed his first meal.

It was hard thinking but then he decided he wanted to take care of Wednesday-lunch and bake pancakes for us!

Wonderful idea boy, I don't bake them often because I feel like it's an endless job...

We lazen samen het pak, maakten het beslag...

Mag ik echt met de mixer, mam???

En hoewel het mij zelden lukt, kwam zelfs de eerste pannenkoek perfect uit de pan!

We read the box, made the mix...

Am I really allowed to use the mixer, mom???

And while I mostly don't succeed even his first pancake was perfect!

Heb je zijn haar gezien? Hier was het nog lang...

Hij was bij zijn neefje te spelen en de thuiskapper kwam langs en toen dacht hij dat hij zijn haar er ook wel graag af wilde....

Hij twijfelde al een hele poos en nu heeft hij het gewoon gedaan!

Het staat hem zó goed! Zó stoer!

Did you notice his hair? It was long here...

He went to play with his cousin and the hair dresse came by and he thought it would be cool to cut his hair into a small mohawk...

He was in doubt for a long while en now he just did it!

He looks só good! Só tough!

En terwijl hij pannenkoeken bakte, 

plaatste ik een tafeltje onder de nieuwe tv

en bracht wat voorjaar in huis.

Ik moet alleen nog iets bedenken op die ongezellige potjes...

And while he baked pancakes,

I placed a small table under our tv

and took some Spring inside.

 Now I have to think of something to make the jars look nicer...