Tuulikki Titine

2012-01-26T17:28:00.004+10:00

While I was making this s-punky fish I realised that the fact that it is facing to the left side (the back is one colour fabric) gives me the feeling that it is going backwards and that if it faced the other side it would go forward. How weird. Is it because our mind is programmed to , for example, read from left to right, start looking, scanning things from the left to the right? Is there actually a forward and backward in the big wide ocean? Why are fish almost always portrayed from the side and not like people from the front.Questions that suddenly started popping up busying my head while I thought I was going to monotonously stitch away and think about nothing.

2012-01-23T07:17:00.005+10:00

'Happy Go Lucky' bracelets. A funky splash of colour to brighten up your day. Available at the KickArts Shop and soon some in my shop as well.

2012-01-18T10:36:00.008+10:00

How curious does this look? These are the seeds from the 'Desert Rose'. A seed pod, looking like a giant bean, develops on the plant and inside are these very fluffy seeds. Well, the actual seed part is not fluffy but the ends are and when you are not quick they 'float' away wherever the wind takes them. Somebody advised me ones to wrap the bean with a stocking to catch the seeds. I did but as I looked inside the stocking to check on the seedpod there was a little very hungry caterpillar happily munching away on the bean. No good. This time I kept a close eye on the development and managed to 'harvest' almost all seeds which means that now I have a lot of seeds. Because I like sharing I attached some seeds to a little card with instructions on how to care and grow this plant. It is a very easy plant to grow and if you would like to give it a try you can send me an email or just leave a comment to this post with your address and I will send it to you.

2012-01-08T13:31:00.007+10:00

Mixed media necklaces ready for the shop. The necklaces are made of recycled paper and fabric with an Italian leather cord.They are bold but at the same time elegant and of course very 'different'. The circles are padded and both sides have plastified paper sewn onto them with silver coloured thread. The necklace is very light to wear.If you see one you like please send me an email as it will take me a little while to upload them in the shop. The price is $59 Australian Dollars plus $5 shipping costs in Australia and Worldwide.(approx: 44.25 Euro plus 3.75 Euro, approx: 59 US Dollars plus 5 US Dollars).

Update: one in the shop here.

2011-12-20T18:51:00.000+10:00

I've been looking around for the first Christmas signs. Difficult to find. What I did find was a bunch of tree leaves with some beautiful light shining on them, an 'all over the place' flower which looked striking with it's little bits of orange and the neighbours' cat who I found snuggled up in a cozy corner in our backyard. She must have been closest to a christmassie sign I could find. Holiday mode.

2011-12-09T23:37:00.004+10:00

It's my birthday today and although far away from friends and family I had a very nice day. Thank you people at KickArts and Crate 59. I am following this blog now for a while and can't retain my tears. It reminds me to be grateful for every single moment I can spend with my loved ones and every single moment I am alive. Turning a year older really isn't that bad at all.

2011-12-08T06:29:00.004+10:00

My friend Sue recycles paper and has done this for quite some time. Next week she will showcase her creations in C.1907 here in Cairns from the 13th of December until the 23th of December.

2011-11-30T08:24:00.004+10:00

The pictures aren't very good but it gives you an idea. My work on the wall for the Christmas show "Precious 2011'.

2011-11-28T13:13:00.003+10:00

People change. Here is the result of my ceramic people after some 'leg mending' by me and their first firing. The girl lost both legs during firing and the boy's legs have changed length. As I already mentioned before my doctor's skills aren't very high but as I put these two pictures together I couldn't believe that I had it so wrong. Mmmm....something to think about. Shall we call it 'creative mending'? If you have a better idea please let me know. There must be something that can save me. Luckily there are pictures.

2011-11-23T08:00:00.003+10:00

This week is the opening of the KickArts Shop "Precious 2011" Christmas show. I have had a sneak peek and it looks fabulous. Caitlin has a great eye for composition and styling. I entered 5 mixed media necklaces and two have been sold already so I decided to make some more to not mix up the display. The small woollen necklace is also for sale in KickArts and will be available in my online shop soon.

Now on my way to the pottery club. I am excited because (after a little fright thinking somebody had thrown my little people out, I couldn't find them anywhere)the little people were cooling down in the kiln last week and today I will see how they have turned out after their first firing. Will they still be in one piece after my quick leg-mending session? I hope so.

2011-11-15T08:07:00.004+10:00

Yesterday's little project. I have decided that my shop is going to be different from now on. Only small edition pieces. I want to explore and be creative. 'Doing' was this year's resolution. 'Creating' will be next year's goal.

2011-11-11T07:02:00.005+10:00

These are the two paper-clay figurines I made at home. They dried and I was content. I took them, carefully wrapped, in my bike basket to the pottery club and when I undid them from all the bubble wrap they both had one broken leg. Arggghhh. I fixed it the best I could but my doctor skills leave a bit to wish for and now their legs are quite a bit shorter than before. The little guy on the right doesn't seem to be happy with the situation at all. Two hands firmly placed on his sides. As if he knew what would happen to him.
This week I also planted some herbs and vegetables. I put them in pots for now as I don't really have a green thumb and this way I can manage them better. Every morning they receive a little encouraging talk and a splash of water to give them a good start of the day. I hope that one day I can show you a picture of overgrown pots with thriving plants. You never know.

2011-11-09T08:21:00.003+10:00

Toiletroll recycling.

2011-11-07T07:41:00.002+10:00

My snowflakes/star decorations made it to the flyer for the 'Precious' show. The flyer looks really great and ...I almost don't dare to say it anymore.....colourful indeed. The mixed media necklaces are a little risky I guess because they are not very mainstream but they look fantastic on a dress and they do get people talking.
Recently I became a member of the Pottersclub (my mum asked if I need to wear woolen socks when I go there.... mmmm.....stereotyping) and bought some clay to practise. Last night I ventured into some simple little dishes. It really is wonderful to feel the clay transforming in your hands.

Some very original and affordable small presents for Christmas in Kim Welling's shop.

2011-11-03T07:37:00.003+10:00

I have made little tags for the christmas snowlakes so you can pop them in a letter or attach them to a present. To keep in line with my 'let it snow colour' theme there will also be some colourful wool strand necklaces in the 'Precious 2011' submission. Don't forget...the opening will be the 24th of November at 5.00pm and everybody is welcome to share some christmas cheer and a glass of 'bubbles'. I think 'bubbles' sound festive and joyful or do you think 'bubbles' sounds strange? Is it more appropriate to say 'sparkling wine' or 'champagne'? Sparkling is a nice word but would anyone understand what I want if I ask for 'sparkles'?

2011-10-24T07:31:00.002+10:00

New additions to the ring series 'rimbombante'. I have been calling them 'bullet' rings but I don't think that makes a lot of sense and it doesn't sound very cute either. How about 'in the rose' series?

2011-10-21T07:24:00.004+10:00

One of the products I am making for the 'Precious 2011' Xmas show in the KickArts Gallery Shop. No white Christmas for me this year, 'Let it snow colour' will be my moto.

2011-10-16T17:07:00.005+10:00

Working on some new pieces for the 'Precious' Christmas show in the KickArts Gallery Shop. It will be a very colourful Christmas this year. As it is getting hotter here in Cairns it is a little strange to have to start thinking about Christmas but I guess it is there before you know it. Has Christmas crossed your mind already?

2011-10-03T10:08:00.003+10:00

1. My favourite picture by far this month
2. Yesterday's view
3. If we ever decide to have a dog than this will be the one
4. My first ever home baked bread (no-knead and ready in one hour!)

2011-09-28T15:14:00.004+10:00

The shop is updated and had a big winter clean up at the same time. I've added two series of new necklaces. One series is with small beads and an odd wooden bead and the second series is with colourful felt balls. All necklaces are made with hand dyed cotton twine which creates a subtle and interesting effect when wearing it. If you like the type of necklaces but you are looking for other colours just pop me an email. Custom orders are always welcome. Stay tuned for more new products to arrive in the 'Tuulikki Titine' shop over the next coming weeks.

2011-09-26T17:07:00.000+10:00

A shop update is on it's way.

2011-09-18T19:31:00.005+10:00

The shelves are almost ready to be used. Phew...In all the untidyness I am happy to say that there is progress with new products for in my shop. First I will trial them at the Tanks market next Sunday the 25th of September. It's a good way to receive feedback and see people's reactions.

2011-09-08T07:49:00.002+10:00

I am still here and maybe soon a little bit more.

2011-08-30T09:59:00.004+10:00

We came across some rather interesting looking individuals during our trip...and no we didn't travel to Africa.We visited a wonderful Safari Park in the Netherlands.

2011-08-26T07:42:00.003+10:00

I am back in Cairns for almost three weeks now and I wish I felt a little bit more like these pigs in the mud. Slowly, slowly I am getting there though.

2011-08-18T05:58:00.003+10:00

We walked so many colourful streets in Europe with all sorts of street art and what a surprise to discover a Nuria Mora wall painting in real life. I am a big fan of Nuria Mora's work and I couldn't resist to have a picture taken next to her work. I was a very happy chappy.

Tonight is the opening of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF). A great opportunity to see works of Queensland's best Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. It is open to the public from this Friday until Sunday the 21st of August.

2011-08-15T09:01:00.006+10:00

We're back. Well actually we've been back for a week now but our jet-lag has been so bad this time that it has taken until now to finally be able to start organizing things. Our trip was marvelous. We visited lots of colourful places(amsterdam, berlin, madrid), saw our family and friends and some very cute new family additions as well. We drank lots of coffee's, wines and had our share of dutch apple pies. I just looked through my pictures for the first time and there are so many which makes it very difficult to choose but in the coming days I will do my best to show you some of my favourites.

One more thing: Happy Birthday little sister!

2011-06-19T16:43:00.003+10:00

Lots of things happening before our trip to Europe. Only one week left to finish all the odds and ends. I'll see you back in August with exciting things to share.

2011-06-09T08:32:00.004+10:00

The other day we saw this little scene: two children happily trying to catch an enormous mud crab. The mud crab was very clever (and hungry) and kept eating the bait of the line. A bypasser saw the size of the mud crab, got very excited and climbed down the rocks to get it. He did but didn't give it to the children who found the crab in the first place. He told them a story about a very old lady Doherty who loves eating mud crabs and because she was not going to eat a lot of mud crabs in her life anymore he was going to surprise her with this one. Mmmm........I really didn't feel that sorry for Doherty...

2011-06-05T16:21:00.008+10:00

It was blue, nice and relaxing at the Cairns Esplanade this morning...
until these cute looking red billed birds started to chase eachother in a mean way while screeching and carrying on.... but then when we saw this plane taking off we realised that it is only three weeks before we will be on our way to Amsterdam( a little happy skip followed)...

the fish in the Lagoon were very shiny against the beautiful blue sky... and if I had a small dog I would do exactly the same as this man...what a lovely sight.

A little bit a boring story I am sorry but I haven't really felt like taking many pictures lately or even write a post. It might be because of the excitement and nervousness now that Europe is almost a reality again. This time we will also visit Madrid which again is exciting but also a little scary as it is more than 5 years ago when we left. I have the feeling that the closer our departure is the more 'homesick' I start to feel and that is maybe because I know I can as 'the cure' for it will be there very soon. I am not a psychologist and it might not make a lot of sense at all but that is the way Ithink it works. What do you think?

2011-05-28T18:06:00.003+10:00

Treasure bags, 'happy go lucky' necklaces and crocheted headbands all for sale tomorrow at the Tanks market on Collins Avenue from 9a.m.-2p.m.

2011-05-23T11:52:00.004+10:00

These colourful crochet headbands are on their way to the Tuulikki Titine shop. They will also be available during the Tanks market, next Sunday the 29th of May.

*Due to very high shipping costs the headbands are now exclusively available in the KickArts Shop in Cairns.

2011-05-21T13:04:00.003+10:00

Today I visited the Cairns Regional Gallery and saw this work by Alasdair Macintyre.

2011-05-17T13:30:00.008+10:00

On Saturday we drove up to the tablelands and stopped at Lake Barrine, a crater-lake. It was a gorgeous day and we decided to walk around the whole lake, it ended up being a 2 hour walk in the rainforest. Fabulous. We saw so many interesting leaves, flowers, plants, trees, roots and numerous little shy 'musky-rat-kangaroos' who kept escaping from the camera. I also almost stepped on a black snake, a little one, but a story to tell. The purple waterlily was hidden away at the edge of the lake, it brought back fond memories of the dancing fairies inside the waterlillies in a famous dutch attraction park in the Netherlands which I loved as a little girl.

I have been listening to this Australian (story) song over and over again and it almost convinces me that Paul Kelly isn't such a bad singer at all. Don't give up after the first singer because Missy Higgins performance in this song is really worth waiting for: Droving Woman

2011-05-09T06:38:00.005+10:00

Dye-dyeing...I dyed the other day. My conclusion: English really is a very confusing language.

2011-05-05T20:16:00.005+10:00

After lots of attempts to get my hands on the extra edition from Frankie Magazine "Spaces" without any luck I walked into the Newspaper Agent this week and there it was, the last one, waiting for me. I thought it would be a nice production but in real life it it a lot more than that: no adds anywhere, only pages filled with beautiful pictures on nice feeling paper, inspirational spaces and great interviews. Well worth the wait I'd say.

Crochet really is relaxing and 'hiding' all the extra wool bits at the end is in a different way relaxing too.

2011-05-03T10:14:00.005+10:00

I like looking for beach treasures. 'Treasures' as found in my personal dictionary: small items, mainly from nature but sometimes not, textured, colourful, funny shaped and 'different' in my eyes which make me want to bend down, pick them up and then take home for a little play later.

2011-04-30T16:49:00.002+10:00

It's beautiful weather here in Cairns.I think that the wet-season officially has finished. Yippee!Wishing everybody in Holland a great 'Koninginnedag'(Queensday).

2011-04-27T18:53:00.005+10:00

Yesterday I looked through some of my old notebooks and found all kind of 'interesting' stuff. There is a little collage I made in 2003 when I visited Australia for the very first time. Anthony was going to show me his country and culture. All a little exciting and scary back then. I don't know exactly why the text "la mayor provocacion es ser tu mismo" (the biggest provocation is to be yourself) ended up in the collage (although I have a slight idea) but I still totally agree with it.

2011-04-26T07:11:00.001+10:00

I was not the only one who felt like dancing. What about this tree-trunk ballet?

2011-04-25T07:36:00.004+10:00

These Easter holidays are close to magic and Cape Tribulation is a 'must see' if you ever decide to come to Tropical Queensland. James Cook did.

2011-04-20T16:24:00.004+10:00

One morning last week . 7.40 am. Me and my bike.

2011-04-18T09:46:00.009+10:00

I am happy because on Friday evening the 'Cairns Regional Tourism Product Awards 2011' were announced and I won in the 'Cairns Botanical Garden' category with my design concept of the 'Flora Dott'. Together with Anthony I attended the launch but forgot to take my camera so no pictures of me shaking hands with the Cairns mayor Val Schier and looking a bit embarrassed in front of a crowd (but with a big smile).

***Anyone interested in a short pottery course here in Cairns? Every Wednesday evening ,starting the 11th of May -15th of June, from 6pm to 9pm. It's an introduction to pottery on the wheel and handbuilding. The costs are 145.00AUD. It's at the Tafe campus and the course needs 12 people to go ahead. I really would like to do this course but there are still 11 places to be filled. Anyone? :-)

2011-04-13T06:47:00.011+10:00

This Sunday, 17th of April, the first Tanks market of the year is on. I am excited and hope that the weather will stay the way it is now. Beautiful blue sky and sunny. It's always a little bit scary but at the same time interesting to see people looking at the things you have made, to measure their reactions and have talks about what, why and how.

In December my friend Sue and I are going to have a two week show in the C.1907 artspace. They started with their poster campaign of the 'popup series' and Sue's mannequin is featured which was a nice surprise.

Easter is around the corner and that means only 10 weeks to count down for our trip to Europe. Yeah..don't tell anyone but I have been counting for a bit longer already. We will spend lots of time in Holland with family and friends but will also finally, after almost 6 years, visit Madrid again. How would it be to see everything that was so familiar when we lived there now in the eyes of a tourist? I can't describe the thrill that I feel by only thinking of it. There are also two little children of our friends who we only have seen on pictures until now, waiting to get to know us and that is very very exciting (and scary)too. How time flies.

-retro-mama easter eggs

*Now I cross my fingers and hope that this whole text doesn't come in one again. The problem I have is that as soon as I press the 'publish post' button the text looses it's white 'enter' spaces.

**Well well, is somebody playing a mind game with me...now I can't get small white spaces between the text....it skipps...%^*((&^%$$$#

2011-04-11T15:34:00.005+10:00

Saturday I went to a paper clay workshop by sculptor Anna Holan in KickArts. Anna currently has an exhibition with two other ladies in KickArts: The Black Pram Project. I had never worked with paper clay before and to be honest I thought it would be paper mache pulp but paper clay is clay with paper fibers. It's very easy to manipulate and doesn't dry out as quickly as normal clay does which is very good for people like me with warm hands. You can also air dry it which won't make your work brittle but nice and sturdy. The only disadvantage is that it shrinks more than regular clay. I can live with that. We had to make a baby and to me babies are not a real big source of inspiration regarding creative work so it was a bit difficult in the beginning but as I decided to make a 'Botero' inspired baby form it was all okay. A very enjoyable workshop with an interesting teacher and great fellow participants. A Saturday morning well spend.

2011-04-08T16:58:00.005+10:00

Friday! Already! Eeeeks...Yesterday we finished an unforeseen project. Finally. Well, actually Anthony has been very busy with it the whole week and not really me but then again it does feel as if I have been very busy with it as well. I will write a more extensive post about it this weekend. Now I am going to enjoy a Friday afternoon drink. Happy weekend everybody!

2011-04-06T19:00:00.006+10:00

Arghhhhhhh....something is going wrong with Blogger. Have no idea what I can do though. Hopefully it will go the same way it has come. So please don't mind the wonky text lay-out.

Have you already had a look at the poppytalk spring colours week flickr group? It's real fun to see all the different images appearing from everywhere every day. Jan, the founder of Poppytalk, puts at the end of the day a photo summary together which really looks great. So far we've had green and yellow and now you're still in time to upload your pink images.

Funny actually because here in Australia it is autumn and when I was looking up some Easter craft for children I came across all kinds of nice spring flower hats and other spring like activities. I know that autumn isn't exactly autumn either when you live in the tropics but the idea of an autumn flower hat with Easter is really still pretty strange.

2011-04-05T09:32:00.005+10:00

On Sunday morning on our way to breakfast we saw all these origami cranes displayed in c.1907 artspace. 1000 cranes for Japan. Anyone who folds thousands cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. Makiko in London who is Japanese is doing also something to help Japan based on the story of the 1000 cranes. She is a ceramist and is making 1000 ceramic birds for everybody to buy. All the money raised by selling these birds will go towards the recovery in Japan. -how to fold a crane

2011-04-02T16:14:00.007+10:00

I have planned a nice itinerary for you this April:

First we visit London where we stop at 'Bodie and Fou'. The next stop is in Rotterdam where Joey shows you his weekly pick of 'photo bliss' and from the Netherlands we travel to the magical world of Elsita in California. To get us back down to earth we have a coffee in Sweden with Hilda Grahnat who was one of the first people in blogworld to raise money to help Japan. During the last leg of our trip we take a look in the whimsical world of Lily Scratchy in France. Sounds quite okay doesn't it? Well, to make it easy for you, you can find this itinerary on my side bar under 'link like - April'. Don't forget to say hi when you arrive at one of these places. Happy weekend everyone!

2011-03-30T07:11:00.005+10:00

All set up to list these image blocks in my shop. They are multi-functional, small and cute. The 'cute' comes from a guy, so they really are cute... BUT they are also too expensive to ship. One block will cost 11.35AUD to Europe and 9.50AUD to the USA and 2 blocks costs a whopping 19.30 AUD to Europe. Really, what an enormous disappointment. There doesn't seem to be a way around it so for now they are only available at the monthly Tanks markets. If somebody out there would be interested to purchase some anyway (they make a great wall display), shoot me an email and maybe we can figure something out.

2011-03-28T07:11:00.018+10:00

*What just happened? I uploaded a picture of blue orchids saying that they would be great as an illustration for the Monday Blues but lthat uckily those blues were not around today. Well, something went strangely wrong everytime I tried to publish it. Because I really want to start the week on a good note I decided to delete the picture and use some pictures taken in the weekend. *When we went for a walk on Saturday morning we saw all these prawn trawlers lined up behind eachother. They look rather strange with the steel structures on top and I had never seen them before in the Cairns harbour. Who will eat all those prawns? *On my walk I was also 'hunting' for spring colours for the Poppytalk's flickr colour week which will start next Monday. Green, yellow, pink, lavender and white.

*Dudua; a multidisciplinair space in Barcelona. They really have fabulous workshops of all kind. If I lived closer I would certainly be a regular participant. Their blogspot and facebook page are already a treat, so imagine...

* now the main text won't show blank spaces and all the sentences are following eachother....ohhh...

2011-03-26T14:29:00.002+10:00

I am making 10 postcards and envelopes for the iHanna postcard swap. This time I banned myself from using circles and my inspiration came from Japan and their minimalism or better said what I think is Japanese minimalism. I always think that Japanese design is so fine and understated. My work is most of the time very colourful and busy. It was a challenge for me for sure and I won't even mention the gluing part. I will send the postcards in a homemade envelope with the print of a 'beehive ginger'. Busy, I know.

2011-03-22T08:50:00.005+10:00

There is not a lot to say but oh so much to see....

2011-03-19T08:34:00.005+10:00

This week I discovered a great picknick spot just outside my studio window. Happy weekend everyone!

2011-03-17T07:29:00.002+10:00

A snake puppet in process and some 'rimbombante necklaces' who all suddenly had a colourful little brother or sister circle joining them.
Tomorrow we are going to a concert of 'Nano Stern' in the Tanks.He's a young Chilean folk singer and I am really looking forward to hearing 'live' spanish. It always makes my heart jump a little. Imagine how it will jump when we visit Madrid in July.

2011-03-15T08:13:00.003+10:00

When does it stop? My heart and thoughts are with the people in Japan. There are lots of ways to donate. Have a look here and here.

2011-03-12T14:42:00.009+10:00

For some time now I have been working on an image block project. 48 images on small blocks which are mounted to the wall in a grid. Thursday evening Anthony installed them for me in 'Caffiend'. 'Caffiend' is a very nice cafe here in Cairns, hidden away in an alley. There is a great atmosphere, good coffee and yummie sandwiches. The istallation of the blocks was pretty meticulous work and I would not even have known where to start. Luckily Anthony does know. He lined the blocks up perfectly straight for which I am very thankful. The end result is a colourful patchwork of my images. I am very happy with the display and if you live in Cairns you sure have to drop in to 'Caffiend' to check it out for yourself and drink one of the best coffees in town.

Caffiend, 5/78 grafton st, Cairns (closed on Sunday)

2011-03-11T05:52:00.005+10:00

Yeah, the pillow covers are finished! Now waiting for some nice weather to take some pictures and they will be in the shop.

2011-03-08T09:01:00.003+10:00

The other day I went for a quick visit to the Flecker Botanic Garden. It's so nice to walk around there. It's like walking in a flower library. There is absolute peace and quiet and an enormous wealth of interesting flowers and plants. Normally I am not a fan of pink but when I saw these little wonders I immediately fell in love.

2011-03-07T09:06:00.007+10:00

I am excited to see all the new participants in this month's Poppytalk handmade market. Tuulikki Titine will be participating as well. This crocheted pillow is one of the new items in my shop.

I never thought I would write that I have seen a very cute snake but I do. Enid is the nicest looking snake ever.

2011-03-05T15:36:00.008+10:00

On my early morning walk I saw...
1...light. The light on this petal was just beautiful and as I came closer to take the picture the camera couldn't balance the colours and ended up magically making these beautiful contrasting colours.
2...patterns. This pavement with the green mould caught my eye because of it's repetition and texture.
3...funny creatures. This paper box was an eyecatcher as well and not because it was the only piece of rubbish on the ground during my walk but also because it looked like a little cute robot to me.

http://www.theperfectfive.com/ via Frankie Magazine.

2011-03-03T06:34:00.004+10:00

I am going to participate in the Poppytalk handmade market again this month. This is always exciting and to give a good impression I have been tidying up my webshop and have added some new features to my blogspot. In the side bar I have listed 5 blogs I recently discovered which are really wonderful. My Flickr account is still very new to me but I think I like it and guess what? I finally managed to take some product images that didn't take three weeks to work out. I am happy.

Offer of the month 'March'

2011-03-01T14:52:00.005+10:00

This month's offer are two of the first Tuulikki Titine owls. They have a unique handmade character and they would make a great gift for a baby's room. The owls look cute on a chair or as a hanging on the wall. They are available in my shop during the month of March .

2011-02-28T09:29:00.006+10:00

I have been testing out some different compositions for a project I am working on. This grid is made out of rectangular (yes I know, no circles this time) shapes cut out of random magazines to test how it will work on the wall. I like the simplicity of it.
I wouldn't mind having some photography classes from Anja Mulder. Especially her portraits are stunning.

2011-02-24T05:52:00.004+10:00

The little things count. Have you heard me say that before? Possibly because that's my strong belief.

2011-02-22T09:36:00.002+10:00

It's still a struggle to get good pictures of the 'tuulikki titine' pieces. I thought I found a way but even with white and more white the pictures don't seem bright enough. Is there anyone out there who has some good tips regarding light and atmosphere?

2011-02-21T07:38:00.004+10:00

I have to admit, I don't have 'green fingers' (I think in English this is called a 'green thumb') so as I planted this Bougainvillea as a little twig some years ago I never imagined that it would grow out to this wild Bougainvillea bush. I felt proud (I know plants grow by themselves etc. but a little illusion that I had something to do with this luscious plant...) During the cyclone it's weight made it fall down and we had to cut the Bougainvillea back to some bare branches. What a surprise though to see tiny cute leaves popping up everywhere only some days later and this morning as I looked out of the window I saw many more new and bigger leaves all over the branches. Mrs. Bougainvillea sure seems to be determined to come back bigger and better than before. What a delight.

2011-02-17T07:25:00.003+10:00

I uploaded these pictures, thought of a little description but now I am sitting here and forgot about it. My mind goes all places at the moment and doesn't really stop anywhere. I think my brain must look like the second picture. Wonky bendy wires (branches) everywhere. Hope they decide to straighten up a bit rather soon. How are you feeling today?

2011-02-15T08:28:00.003+10:00

In the beginning of the year I was wondering what shape would be favourite in 2011. I have to tell you that now I know. It's the circle again. I can't get away from it. Yesterday I cut out lots of circles. I only needed two but as I started I couldn't stop. The two I needed are transformed into the brooches you see on the top. A customer ordered these because she is tired of looking at the safety pin which she uses to hold her vest together. These brooches will look a lot better. I agree.

Nice eye candy: darling clementine's tumblr

2011-02-13T17:47:00.002+10:00

Red rings 'rimbomban-tini' now available in the 'Tuulikki Titine' shop.

2011-02-12T18:22:00.003+10:00

The red rings 'rimboman-tini' seem to be a favourite. I made six more and they will be for sale in the shop tomorrow. Each one is unique with their little piece of screen printed fabric by Lucie Summers in the middle.

2011-02-10T18:46:00.003+10:00

The crocheted pillows are still in the making. Three small ones and two big pillows. I love the crocheting part but the fabric part of it gets me a little nervous. It has to be all lined up and neat which is not always as easy as it looks and let's not talk about the buttons. I am taking my time but hopefully by next week I have some of them finished and ready to stock in the 'Tuulikki Titine' shop.

www.sunshinescarves.com: I think the look of this website is really nice. It's very different to this one which I like a lot too.

Offer of the month 'February'

2011-02-09T10:01:00.005+10:00

The offer of the month 'February' is this cute small handmade tote bag with colourful fabric bowtie shapes on both sides. It's a one of a kind 'Tuulikki Titine' bag great for you or your child. You will find it here.

2011-02-08T08:46:00.003+10:00

Cairns has been extremely lucky. Cyclone Yasi decided to go a little bit more south so we ended up with some gusty winds and that was it. The lead up to the 'cyclone night' was a rather scary experience which I won't forget easily. I can't start to imagine how the people in Cardwell, Mission Beach and Tully must feel after all the destruction they have experienced. It hasn't been a good year for Australia so far with mayor floods, a cyclone and now the bushfires in Perth. Nature is talking. We can't take life for granted.

2011-02-01T07:05:00.002+10:00

This is the new 'offer of the month - February' but I am afraid you have to wait a little while to be able to snap it up. I am going to close the shop for the coming days as cyclone Yasi is heading straight towards us. We are going to be busy preparing ourselves as the 'destructive winds' will set in tomorrow morning. I am very nervous and a little scared already. Waiting for a cyclone to hit must be one of the weirdest experiences. You know that something big and disastrous is about to happen but there is nothing more you can do than wait and hope it will be over soon.

2011-01-31T07:06:00.006+10:00

I have added new asymmetrical mixed media necklaces to the 'tuulikki titine' shop. The colourful parts are made out of plastified paper which is then stitched onto dark grey fabric circles with silver thread. The grey circles are hand stitched and filled with a light padding.
Customers seem to be happily surprised by the light and soft feel of these necklaces. In my experience when wearing the necklaces people are a little bit puzzled by what materials they are made of as the combination of paper and fabric seems quite mysterieus. The compliments about how nice and unique the necklaces look always follow.

*New 'offer of the month' tomorrow.

2011-01-29T15:04:00.003+10:00

...so, when we arrived at the Mossman Gorge swimming hole we couldn't believe our eyes, not only because of it's beauty in the sunlight but because there was no single other person but us which is pretty unusual. I find it very difficult to capture the beauty of Mossman Gorge. The colours are so magically composed and maybe the reason why the camera doesn't seem to be able to find a clear balance but I am sure you will get the picture.

2011-01-27T16:16:00.004+10:00

To arrive at the gorge you have to go through some rain forest first which is always a great pleasure as I love the sunlight shining on the leaves and through the trees. We also saw this beautiful little bird happily flying around. I think it must be a family member of the Kingfishers. It looked like a tiny kookaburra with different colours, it didn't laugh out loud though.

2011-01-26T19:28:00.006+10:00

It was a beautiful sunny day today. A perfect day to go for a swim in Mossman Gorge. We jumped in the car and went on our merry way. This drive always makes my heart skip and this was just the beginning.

2011-01-25T07:16:00.003+10:00

There is still some work to be done before these pillows can get comfortable in my shop but as you see they are on their way. Can you tell they are going to be very colourful?
There are also new a-symmetrical mixed media necklaces eager to get a nice spot in the Tuulikki Titine shop front but after 1 million photos (maybe not 1 million but it does feel like it...) there is still not one that pays justice to their uniqueness or could it be that they are just not photogenic? I am starting to wonder.

2011-01-23T11:19:00.004+10:00

It's funny sometimes when you are testing out things. At the moment we have a flip-flop hanging on the wall. Well it's not really hanging but more leaning on a wooden block to see if the block doesn't fall of the wall with a little bit of weight on it. I like the sight. I also found some tiny swap-works I did a while ago. Very colourful and working with paper is great.

Don't forget the January Offer. This green 'rimbombante' ring. There is only one week left.

2011-01-20T20:43:00.005+10:00

When I uploaded these pictures I had to think about this quote " The more you strive and search for HAPPINESS ,the more you overlook the possibility that it is there already" which I read yesterday on this blog (via Debi van Zijl). These pictures were taken last weekend during our walk on The Cairns Esplanade.

2011-01-18T07:03:00.003+10:00

I have found the perfect 'weight' to put in my mixed media necklaces. A necklace with a secret Australian lucky coin. You don't see it on the outside ofcourse but now you can think of it as a mixed media necklace with an Australian spirit and that's good I concluded as you can read in my previous post. Who owns a necklace with a hidden platypus inside? Okay, nobody yet because the necklaces have to be finished first but they will be up for sale soon.

Mecano sings 'hijo de la luna'. A beautiful song about a gypsy woman who asks the moon for a child.

2011-01-15T13:33:00.004+10:00

It's nice to play around with nature but it is a lot less enjoyable if nature plays around with you. After seeing all the devastation caused by the floods I am amazed how resilient the australian people are. It's really remarkable and I think that 'Australia Day' should be called 'Australian Spirit Day' from now on because it is something to be very proud of.

Offer of the month 'January'

2011-01-11T17:54:00.005+10:00

I have decided that I am going to have a new feature in my shop. You might know already what it is as the header to this post doesn't really hide anything, does it? An 'offer of the month'. What does that mean exactly? Well I choose one piece each month and reduce it's price drastically. The editions are limited so if you see something you like don't hesitate. Each piece will only be on offer once. To start of January I have chosen this green ring 'rimbombante'.

I can't write this post without mentioning the dramatic events that are happening here in South East Queensland. River banks have broken and 'inland tsunamis' ,as they call them, are devastating everything. Lives are lost and homes are swept away as if it is nothing. People have spent the night on the roof of their house, they are being caught in their cars or have lost everything. Brisbane, the third largest city of Australia, is the next city to go under. It truly is a natural disaster of unknown proportions. Looking at all the images that have been shown today makes the stomach go weak and it is hard to believe that it's not an action movie that we are watching but a real life happening. The SES is doing everything they can to help and save lives. The Queensland government has launched a flood appeal. All donations big or small are very needed.

2011-01-10T07:27:00.004+10:00

Will this year be one of circles as well? I am not sure yet. No doubt it will be colourful though.

My cup of tea: Marian Bijlenga

2011-01-08T13:51:00.004+10:00

Almost back into 'busy-ness'. I will be sorting pictures for a photo block display wall in a bar here in Cairns. Work on promotion material for my Tuulikki Titine pieces and go for a big drive to Brisbane to contact stockists in person. These are only my short term plans as some long term goals are still brewing. What are your plans for 2011?

Stunning: Natalia Milosz-Piekarska's work

2011-01-04T15:09:00.005+10:00

A new year means new opportunities, fresh goals and challenges. Where to start. Well let's play with my old friend 'Procrastination' for a while because the new year brings also chaos in the head. Where to start. I made two dresses in the last couple of days. It's easy on the mind and relaxing. However, no escaping. The moment has arrived. Think.

Interesting: Nathalie Lete

2010-12-31T09:07:00.010+10:00

Today is a day of reflection. The last day of 2010. It has been a good year. My 2010 resolution of 'doing' has definitely been achieved. There is a lot to look forward to and I will jump into 2011 with a big amount of excitement. My main resolution for the year to come is to continue 'doing' and even a little more.

I am wishing all of you a wonderful 2011 in good health and great spirit!

2010-12-25T17:52:00.003+10:00

Merry Christmas!
This was our tropic Christmas lunch today. Prawns, bugs, ham, turkey and homemade Christmas pudding with brandy butter. Yum!

2010-12-21T15:19:00.003+10:00

I didn't vacuum the house nor did I work in the garden or bake that promised apple pie. I just didn't feel like it and there seemed to be better things to do. Procrastination you could call it but I procrastinated this time by making another unique necklace 'rimbombante-+' which isn't really procrastinating, is it?. I saved myself. Phew.

On another note I want to have a little whinge about Christmas in the tropics. Nothing to whinge about really. I know it sounds great(palm trees, jump in the pool and fish for Christmas lunch) and didn't I want to be in another country every single Christmas while in Holland to avoid all the Christmas hassle? Yes no denying but it seems that I have this strange kind of Christmas sickness at the moment. I want family, cold, foggy windows, candles and Christmas coziness. The grass is always greener on the other side.

Here just a reminder Christmas song that there is really no reason for complaining and now that I am at it why not bring the cold, foggy windows and candles on right now. ( I know, I know, youth sentiment has set in as well.......maybe a good time for vacuum cleaning after all.)

2010-12-19T14:13:00.004+10:00

My giveaway price from Inaluxe arrived a little while ago. The woodland giclee print. Retro colours and beautiful print paper. Thank you Kristina and Jason. Sandra Juto had a print sale to raise some extra money for her move to Berlin in the new year. I couldn't resist. I think the sale is on till the 22nd of December. Two for the price of one. A real Christmas treat.
On the second picture you see my first ever etching print. It looks pretty awful but it was a good and fun learning experience. However, I think I better leave the printing to the experts for now.

As promised the 'one of edition' necklace 'rimbombante' is listed in my shop now.

The ITcrowd

2010-12-16T18:12:00.005+10:00

This new version of my necklaces 'rimbombante' will be up in my shop this weekend. I have hand printed the fabric with little black dots and ovals. The necklace hangs asymmetrical with the blue circle being the centre. It looks fresh and colourful and it doesn't almost weigh anything which makes it very comfortable to wear.

2010-12-15T07:06:00.003+10:00

Somebody was looking for something.

2010-12-13T06:49:00.002+10:00

There was a great offer from Bigcartel in collaboration with Moo for Bigcartel shopkeepers. 50 free Moo business cards. They arrived this week. I really like them, they feel very smooth and elegant. Thank you Bigcartel and Moo for this wonderful opportunity!

2010-12-11T14:00:00.006+10:00

I like this pallet Christmas tree from Greg Hatton as featured in the Inside Out Christmas edition. No needles and plenty of room for presents.but I also love this little 'paddle popstickle' tree with glittery pipe cleaners and different beads which you can easily make with children. I put it in this little bowl but it is also very nice with some wire so you can hang it in the Christmas tree.

2010-12-08T21:54:00.006+10:00

The image below I saw in the Christmas edition of the Inside Out magazine. It is an advent calendar hanging made by Deborah Thompson for her daughter. Some of the accompanying text says: "if you make your own decorations they have soul and meaning, and can become family treasures" and also " It sums up the loveliest aspects of Christmas: tradition and sharing". I got inspired and had a lot of fun making this advent calendar(above) filled with 24 small presents just by thinking what a surprise it would be for my sister in Holland. I send it away on time but because the postmen in Holland were on a strike the package didn't arrive until yesterday. My sister called me to thank me and to tell me that she didn't mind that she had to open the first 7 presents at once.

2010-12-07T17:22:00.004+10:00

Don't get me wrong. I am not a big fan of Bart Simpson and his wicked family. Anthony does like them though so as my first present for him in his 11 days advent calendar( 11 days because we can) I put this hanging I made from some Bart Simpson's family pieces I bought yesterday.

2010-12-05T15:20:00.004+10:00

Yesterday I went to an etching workshop in the Djumbunji Printmaking Studio with Elizabeth Hunter, Djumbunji's master printmaker. I thought I take my camera to make pictures in between the different stages but it didn't happen. Another proof that I just can't do more than one thing at the time. The whole etching process was new to me and to be very honest I really didn't have an idea of what etching exactly was until I started following Elizabeth's instructions and still it was a little mystery to me. The possibilities are endless but you do have to know what they are. There are lots of fumes and chemicals involved by preparing an etching plate for printing and you do have to be very tidy and clean which in my case is pretty difficult. Elizabeth compared etching at one point to the process of cooking. She has never seen my kitchen after I bake a simple cake that's for sure. Anyway, I had a very nice time, learnt a lot and met some wonderful people.
My final prints are still at the studio. I will pick them up this week and maybe show you my first ever etching print. It was an adventure.

2010-12-02T06:15:00.002+10:00

Twinkle, twinkle woolly wonder star...