a wall of books

Adore this wallpaper I spotted at a thrift shop/café the other week. Awesome in every little detail and very uplifting.


PS Yes, yesterday's wordless post was about me trying pottery, at my friend's studio, when I returned the pots with knobs. It was great fun and I wasn't too shabby at it (yes the three little things incl the bowl was my work) but as it is rather hard on your hands I don't think I'll be a great fan of it. Although I would love making amalgamation of photography and pottery, there are som many fun ways of doing it these days! DS

to potter with pottery, part II

If your memory is really really good (exceptionally so actually), you might remember the collaboration I planned with my talented friend the potter last autumn? My very humble and seemingly simple contribution were to be making different, quirky knobs to the lids of her sweet pots.

Well, I sure did have ideas already back then -

which I always do, it's the follow through, actually turning them into reality that sometimes might be my stumble issue. These days I've come to the clever, ahrm, better late than never, conclusion that if I talk about it with others, involve other people there's really no escape to actually DOING it. Better late than never realisation, I guess you have to reach a certain point in life to go for the "little less conversation and more action" bit... -

but it never seemed the right time or situation to actually turn those knob-ideas into reality. Even if there was neither any time limit nor any limits to what I could do knobwise it just never felt right. And admittedly, not feeling the creative juices flowing, seeing the pretty pots on the shelf was a constant reminder of not fulfilling a promise, a nagging source of bad conscience.



But lately several really lovely things have happened - I haven't blogged about them because they are still not ready to be revealed, but they are truly happiness instigating and more than ever I think about that "when the stars align" thing, with opportunities happening in odd and fun ways - and I've felt borderline madly creative (but not to worry, all the best people are more or less bonkers, deems Alice in Wonderland). So just the other day it was time to feel creative urges for the pot lids.



The pink lid got a polka striped crocheted cotton string knob.

The green lid got a little wooden elephant and tiny shells on waxed linen string knob (elephant and shells I got in South Africa, apart from making a necklace once upon a time I haven't used them until now. Making that knob I realised how much I'd like to get back into making jewellery again.)

The white lid got a slithering snake kind of knob made of cotton yarn and glass beads.



Bobbaloo approved, enthusiastic little woolly thumbs up. Although at a time it nearly turned into a scary sequel of the curious incident with the cat in the daytime.





But thankfully, no bobbaloos were harmed by a little redhead in the taking of these pictures.



Do you have a favourite one
of these pots with knobs?

to potter with pottery

i'm going to spend my weekend with doing just that, trying to vamp the lids of a bit of pottery - them bobs are eager to get started, i'm sure they'll be a great help -

and also with twitterjunta.

thus i'm hoping for a relaxingly creative weekend. for me, for you, for one and all!

the granny pot

As previously mentioned (here and there) my granny (mother's side) was a wiz with yarn and fabrics, weaving and knitting, but with clay and painting, not so much.

Which this weird glazed clay pot shows. But I love it just the same, or perhaps more so because of that. It's a constant kitchen window reminder, a life lesson, to always keep in mind: everything in life does not have to be perfect to be worth loving.

Or rather, the imperfections are what makes things, beings complete, unique and therefore truly lovable.

concrete rhubarb

I've been meaning to get one of these lovely looking concrete rhubarb leaf for years, but haven't manage to find one completely in my taste (price and look in a pleasing combo). Until now.

I suppose it's meant to be a bird bath, but as I prefer bird in my garden to be of the high flying, apple hook nibbling kind, I think it'll serve as a simple befitting garden installation. It also has a very important feature, if not visible to every visiting eye, it has been meticulously loaf dog approved.

A Tiny Case of Retail Therapy

First of all, it's flipping crazy that one year ago on Lady Day a k a the Swedish Waffle Day it was sun, green grass, being able to eat those waffles on the porch wearing shorts... One year later it's freezing snow and slippery streets. Alas.

Now, with today's whine out of the way, let's continue with a slight case of retail therapy. Only very useful things of course. Must-have-things in the inexpensive price range. First out is a lovely little plate for tea bags - well, I consider it to be a teabag-plate, anyway - from the small Swedish Stockholm-based company/shop Yorrik. The name derives from Hamlet's court jester, the famous to-be-or-not-to-be-skull.

They mainly sell baby/children clothings but also household items and pottery. Small scaled, handicraft, ecological thinking, just the way I like it. My aim when entering the shop, which I'd thought of for ages, was to find a suitable gift for a friend's daughter - I opted for an adorable bright orange jersey Yorrik cap (much appreciated by the tiny gift-reciever). And then I stumbled over the pottery sale and ended up with this must-have-teabag-plate. You can never have to many of those. Period.

The Yorrik pottery range is made in collaboration with the pottery at picturesque summer trip islet in the Stockholm archipelago, Fjäderholmarna (fjäder = feather, holmarna = the islets). A lovely place definitely well worth a visit, and not only for the wonderful restaurants and the handicraft studios.

The other must-haves are simply towels. Size small. One colourful with chickens, perfect for the Easter kitchen. I'm not much for primming, but a new towel and some tulips, oh that's just a perfect touch. This one I found at the big department store, Åhléns, at a measly price.

The other two are perfect small terry towels for the toilet, with my childhood favourite Swedish cartoon character, the honeyloving bear Bamse, which I wrote a bit about here. Suddenly using the toilet-facilities is so much more appealing, when you can wipe your washed hands with either pink or blue smiling Bamse, don't you agree? These towels, and a whole range of Bamse-items, can be found at the Swedish home textile chain, Hemtex

Dalecarlia

One might say that the Dalahorse is the ultimate sign for the Swedish province of Dalarna. All handmade and painted in that special beautiful curbits style - remember the clogs from I so want to get? One of these days... - of the region.

As I wrote before I didn't embrace the province, despite many merits, but I still think there are many interesting things to see and do while there. And I do love all the plentifulness of handicrafts and not forgetting old, traditional methods while producing great design there.

One of my favourite kind of handprinted fabrics - which I vividly remember from both grandmother, old aunties and from my own home. And many of the very same patterns are still being produced! - can be found at Jobs Handtryck (Handprint).

I've always found these fabrics to be great gifts for sending abroad, as well as having myself of course. Since everything is carefully printed by hand it's also rather expensive. But so very beautiful, colorful, vivid and wonderful! The prints don't only come in fabrics my the metre but also in handbags, rucksacks, chairs, slippers, wallets, trays, coasters, vanity bags, children's clothes etc etc.

The prices still high, but considerably less so than in a "fancy" store in the city, when visiting the small factory outlet in Dalarna. I always get all starry eyed and salivating when looking at these fabrics, seeing all the wonderful things one might do with them... But I mostly settle for smaller items in the end *good girl*

If you're short for time and want to make the most of it, I'd say keep on the road around the lake of Siljan. Apart from Jobs Handtryck, you'll find several other interesting things both historical and designwise.

In the town of Leksand you'll find the beautiful manor and gardens of Hildasholm - which I wrote a bit about here - and also quite a magnificent church with intricate, beautiful details.

The small village of Tällberg offers adorable houses in quaint style and winding streets. But frankly, I did find it *a bit* too touristy and somewhat distorted for my personal taste...

An impression that got a bit mitigated by the fact that I had a rather wonderful fetacheese pastasallad with loads of lovely garlic tsatziki and freshly made bread at the little quaint Bagarstugan/Baker's Cottage...

And as I wrote, Dalahorses being the ultimate symbol of the province, of course one ought to pop by the tiny village of Nusnäs, where it all began once upon a time. One of the factories is Grannas which celebrate its 85-year jubilee this year. For that jubilee they've produces quite lovely black and white Dalahorses with silver/gold paintings. Myself I opted for really tiny pink and blue ones... *just what an already full home needs*

In the nearby small town of Mora you'll find the goal for the world famous ski marathon Vasaloppet - its looks kind of very non-glorious when seen in the summer... Well, that is if any kind of sports or therewith related issues can ever be considered glorious...

The sign says "I fädrens spår för framtida segrar" which translates something like "In the ways of the fathers, for future victories".

My victory in Mora must be considered finding quite a nice place, Wasastugan, which served quite the unusual thing for this region, Cajun food. And a nice vegetarian version of fajita was served on my plate.

Anders Zorn's - the famous Swedish painter who lived around the turn of the 19th-20th century, amongst all his works of art you also find portraits of three American presidents - house, Zorngården and the nearby museum with the Zorn collections.

Such an interesting man, with an interesting wife and an intriguing life. Definitely a must-see! He was also friends with another famous Swedish painter, Carl Larsson, but more about him and his home later. Many things in Zorngården and its garden is in shape of hearts and adorned with owls. The hearts was a wedding-gift to his wife and the owl was his favourite animal.

Zorn also collected old traditionally built farmhouses and apart from his art and paintings, one of his legacies to the world was an open air museum with the name Gammelgården, which can be found in the outskirts of Mora.

Close to Gammelgården you can see an example of very modern, but still with a Dalecarlian touch, piece of "art" - graffiti on an electrical station.

In the town of Falun you'll find mainly two places of undisputed interest, one is an UNESCO World Heritage Site - Falu Koppargruva/Falu Copper Mine -, the other is the wonderful home of the above mentioned painter Carl Larsson.

Let's just say I'm not very interested in old Swedish, or otherwise, industrial history. And some years ago I was more or less forced down that copper mine. But once down - with an elevator - it was quite interesting, and more than a bit eerie... Another must-see!

But my very favourite place is absolutely the home in Sundborn, just outside Falun, of Carl Larsson and his equally talented wife Karin. In Sundborn they lived and worked for many years, bringing up an extensive family and creating a home that's been and interior design inspiration and delight to many. Including yours truly.

It's such a delightful combination of old traditions and new thinking, and after reading books, seeing his paintings it's just wonderful to be able to experience it first hand! The home is not only very charming and homely, but also so innovative and modern in parts, making it difficult to grasp that it was actually created some hundred years ago. A place that makes you happy!

Froggy birthday gift in advance

Time flies, it's but a few months until it's little loaf doggie's 4th birthday...

The little, very compact built one with a liquorice nose that can sniff out e v e r y t h i n g is actually turning 4 years old...

He has already had that pure, unspoilt joy of getting a brand new water bowl for when fiercly and without mercy guarding the garden-premises - a gift that made him utter some strange, delightful sounds of mirth that only he can utter and excitedly wag his little furry banana-attachment at the back of his little loaf doggie body *just a bit of an exaggeration there* - yes he does have to share.

And yes undersigned do feel a *slight* pleasure when looking at that bowl and having the privilege to own such a froggy thing for the garden. But still, it is a sort of an advance 4th birthday gift for the loaf doggie, oh yes it is. No doubt about that. None whatsoever.

The bowl - which probably is meant to be a bird-bath, but since that obviously would be something similar to the death of Marat in my garden, it's going to be a very cute waterbowl for the fourlegged horde of the house instead - is from the Sturehof's Pottery.

I bought mine at furnishing store R.O.O.M, which is a pretty fun place to browse through now and then.