My creative workspace

lots lots lots to do,
Thursday is a day in the week I got a little bit more time for myself and my crafting job, I don't have to drive the kids anywhere and at noon they at eat school, that makes 7 hours all for myself!
But where to begin????

First of all: off running again! I have to pick up that, I know I have to run three times a week , and that it will take months to reach that 'runners high'. But I really need it mentally, (especially for my creative mind) so now going trough the hard times of training ;-) and I treat myself with a home made smoothie after the hard work!

Get organised
I got these in my postbox. A while ago I won a giveway on the blog of RikrakStudio , and I chose these two beautiful pouches out of her collection! (she was featured on etsy, check it out here.) They sure will help me to collect and organise all my bank, shop and creditcards, and I have a lot , as you see!!!

Dreaming of new designs
For a while, I've been collecting little old keys, I want to use them in new creations in my Fairy-tale collection.

Cutting Flowers

You may have noticed that I like cutting those flowers, it's easy, the fun is: I can do it everywhere, when the kids are playing outside I am sitting on the terrace with a cuppa, a pair of scissors and some leather scraps..., in the waiting room of the doctor, in front of the TV...
I hope to make lots of accessoires with them: bracelets, bobby pins, brooches,...

you find them here in my shop.

No time left to...

craft with this DIY package, I bought it a while ago in this shop, but don't know if I will find the time today...

well, I'd better start working , I spend too much hours to this blogpost!!!!

Find other creative workplaces on kytooyoo's blog!

Repurposed and recycled

I love working with used and vintage stuff lately. My mother brought me a big bag full of old silk ties and I try to go once a week to the trifth store to find old leather bags or clothes.
And Ingermaaike, A lovely Est friend and an amazing felt artist sended me an envelop full of leather scraps.(find her shop here)
I love to put my scissors in the ties, bags and scraps to make something completely different out of it. With the silk I make silk beads to use in my necklaces, the leather and suede is used for the little flowers on my bracelets or necklaces.

And guess what: I've been featured on Cosa Verde Blog. Cosa Verde showcases independent artists and craftspeople from around the world, providing you with one destination to find top-quality handmade, environmentally-friendly goods.

Search for the tag repurposed in my shop, and you'll find my newest eco-friendly creations!

my flickr Favorites

1. Leaf scarf d, 2. Bird Mobile, 3. miss purple brooch, 4. purple tights blue dress

Artmind stareted a new weekly feauture on het blog and I decided to play along .

On Artminds blog you can find other beautiful Flickr Favorites, or you can post your own!

FAIR TRADE

9th of May was the International Day of The Fair Trade.
For years me and hubby have been volunteers in the Fair Trade shop in Belgium and were engaged in all sorts of campaigns and demonstrations for development Cooperations with the South.
Oh, where are those days??? We have a bit calmed down on thes issues the last few years, having 4 kids and getting older :-))


Once my hubby let shave all his hair off for a campaing for the Tobin Tax .
Well, I did not go that far in my engagement!

So it's no surprise I do try to use Fair Trade supplies in my creations. It's all about suporting women in the South. I do not only try to recycle and repurpose things (into jewelry), but I do try to use stuff that gives a better live to those people from poor continents!

I use for example the Fair Trade silk that comes from Vietnam. (I bought it at Sjamma's, a fair trade shop in Ghent) The silver beads come from Ethiopea bought by my Hubby to local people in Jima and Addis...

And these are the results! New Silk Diva Necklaces

If you want to see more creations of Fleurfatale with Fair Trade supplies used in it, go here.

LAST DAYS FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING...

Mother's day (10th of may) is the last day I offer free worldwide shipping in my shop.
So, go ahead!
Click on the pics to go to my shop:

La Lune Turquoise

Verdigris-Lilac flower ring

La Fleur Bleue bracelet

Jolie Louise necklace

Inspired by a movie

The last movie I saw was 'Slumdog Millionaire':
A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. It's a movie that gives you a real happy feeling because it has a happy end: A poor boy becomes rich and meets the love of his life, the bad guys are death or punished....the Bollywood Dance at the end of the movie is hilarious.
It is a brilliant movie and it has been awarded in Hollywood with 8 oscars!!!
But when I left the cinema I had this thought: "how can these oscars ever change the faith of millions of Indian people living in poverty and without any expectation on a better future,...."

I found these beautiful Unicef cards with screenprinted Indian Sari motives on it, and let me inspire by them to make a little collection of 'Indian Inspired' earrings, and this is my entry for the European Street Team Challenge, hosted by Leelabijou, with the theme : inspired by a movie. Find the entries of my European friends on leela's blog here.

You can find these Indian Inspired creations in my shop.

And this is also a great way to introduce you to my Belgian Etsy friend Silvia who has an Etsy shop full of Beautiful Etnic and Indian inspired jewelry!! This is her blog and this is her shop!

My creative workspace today

I am working on my 'silk Diva necklaes' a combination of felt and repurposed silk handmade beads.
Available in my shop and still FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING ;-)
Click on the pics to go to the shop

Find more creative workspaces on Kytoyoo's blog!

Meron shows her homemade birthday sweeties cake! (I'll post a tutorial soon)