23. and 24.12.

These three pictures are from my parent's home and always make me feel like Christmas!Merry Christmas everyone!There it is! My parent's house. Yes the red one, as you can see! And then you turn to the...You say what road?The outside pictures are from around my parents house. I might have mantioned in the past that I like snow...Well now I have it :)

22.12.

Weather has really been generous about the snow today!

21.12.

Are they cute or what!

20.12.

We're leaving to Viitasaari with Tahvo. Seeing that old swedish christmas card left me wondering: Could that pig-like creature, after all, be one of the first miniature pinchers? Tahvo says: What? Me!?

19.12.

Fine ladies here today,

enjoy the snow and say:

let there be peacefull weekend for you and me...

17.12.

This card is by Beatrix Potter and very sweet. White ice coating is all over the trees and, well, everything outside. So it's beginning to look like christmas ;) HAPPY! I also made a doll for the little girl that got name last sunday. I'm going to visit her (and her mother) tomorrow and we are going to make candy for little presents..."The unicorn went that way!"

(The doll is a very fine lady having her hair made out of scrap of upholstery fabric from a sample book, has her socks patchworked from numerous fabrics. Vintage lace from an old pillowcase as her petticoat and the collar I've knitted from some mohair blend I happened to have just a suitable, little clew.)

PS: the doll had a lot of misfortune while I was making it. This for example is her third head :D! The first one had woollen hair and it was ok, but then I accidentally painted the face to look like the Joker in the newest Batman movie and of course I was not aiming that. So desperate times were suffered. The next head wasn't much better. I also took away a pocket I had attached to the dress. It was too much and not so pretty. But conquered all this I'm stronger and more together person than before ;)

16.12.

Tonight I'm getting ready for the christmas holidays. I have no time to enjoy the fire ;)

15.12.

Slippery roads around here too!

14.12.

For some reason I've felt like that poor cat for couple of days. I have no idea why (It might be beacause the snow has melted AGAIN? What is this? A conspiracy to make me feel down?). It's like the earths attraction pover is too much for me (I so have sympathy for that little chap in todays card!) Well I did make a few cristmas cards for my lovely friends, so I'm not 100% paralysed . If I was more myself I would be all excited about the old rented house that the christening was held today. It's the only building in Mikkeli city centre that has been preserved from 1880 and has a really interesting inner courtyard with sheds and storehouse. I snapped a photo from an embroidered woollen fabric hanging on the wall.

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And look at that dot by the photo...I tried to make it disappear, but there it is, just laughing at my misery.

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13.12.

I like the childlike rhymes that are used in these old cards.

12.12.

This card reminds me of childhood (colours and design). More accurately my parent's comics from their own youth (like Charlie Brown and the Pink Panther). Merry weekend for all! I'll be at work tomorrow and on sunday at christening.

11.12.

Todays card has the most beautiful colors!

Then I found this funny-funny Eleonore Zuber from the Vicky Smith's blog. Hahaaa :D Her work is funny and makes me happy.

10.12.

A nice card alltogether; the children's clothes are cute, the wondering dog and the polite snow man are funny ;)

9.12.

This post is about supposed Santa's little helpers "gnomes" or "christmas elves". These two might all together be a different species, but I would like to talk about the myth of them watching children and reporting to Santa weather they've been good or not. You see, I have a different point of wiew. (Well this might due to not having any kids to blackmail)

My thoughts about this subject might be influenced with the gnome-book by talented illustrator Rien Poortvliet. When I was little, I was really taken by his knowledge ;) about these little creatures... (The picture is from that book)

I really don't see the gnomes as the Santa's little KGB and present making slaves. I see them living free in the forests and helping animals and I'm pretty sure they fear humans and their weird and greedy ways. I believe a gnome has never ever been seen in a city! Maybe a long time ago, when humans lived alone around the wildernes, gnomes used to make some pranks for them.

I don't take these believes really very seriously, but have you ever thouhgt that some parts of the song "Human Behaviour" by Björk is made from a gnome point of wiew... And you can see from the map with your own eyes that there are gnomes in the Iceland too!

8.12.

So small and wild these two! Throwing snow balls at you!

This has been an exciting morning for me, because I've teached a class of 9 year olds about comics for one hour. Jaakko (he is a real teacher) asked me to his work place as an assistant. And it went really well including the "premier" for my own comic "The Monster of The Forest"(look down). The kids were so little and few of them had somewhat hard time focusing... But they were really interested in comics and they were little bit shy because of me. Tonight I will get to see the comics ready in their school web magazine and that I think is the best payment. And I'll link them here ;)

7.12.

Waiting for merry christmas with this lovely lady from over 100 years back.

This cake picture is from yesterday night and I must say it was really good! It's chocolate cake with brandy (for moisture!) and plum foam (made out of cream and plum jam and unripened cheese).

This was the most stunning dress at President's Castle last night. It's the little pop-princess Anna Abreu wearing her friends design (Carla Ahonius). Only thing I would have done differently is that the "diamond" ornament on her shoulder would have been black.

6.12.

Today is the Independence Day of Finland and it's also nice crispy weather and of course everybody has a day off. That little Swedish girl in that card by Jenny Nyström, is obviously giving us flowers beacause of our big day

I've had a slowly morning and I'm looking forward to night when the President starts the celebrations (on TV) and I'm having cake and salty pie with friends. Then we watch the ceremonies from telly and estimate the dressing of the guests of honor (allways joking weather next year we will be invited).

Actually this fall someone (= criminal genius) sent false invites to the Presidets Independence Day festivities. I was naturally quite evil, but I cannot help grinning thinking of the poor people who actually were exited for a while about the invite... And how would you know it's a false invite if you never ever have seen the real one?

Today is a big day otherwise too, because I've changed the title for a winter version. I hope that the wintery weather stays. And for the last here is a comic about those weird little creatures featuring on the title:The comic is about a lonely imaginary friend, but with a happy ending ;)

5.12.

This card really melts my heart!! The text mostly does it: "Once we were not very good, But that was a long while ago". Who of you couldn't agree to that?!

In the miniature frontieer I must show you this :) It's not my own, but from a talented miniaturist Nanna, who has many good ideas that I wish to make myself.

4.12.

This picture is actually aprint for fabric. I Think it so beautifull I replaced todays card with it. I didn't got the manufactures name, but I found this from the web page of an American lady who makes aprons from it.

I also made some miniatures last night. Wanna see? Jeee! So I was in a mood for christmas baking... for my doll house! Christmas pudding (that we actually don't eat in Finland), gingerbread and other pastry. One candle and a jack-in-a-box:

I made the food from Fimo and I used cardboard for the box of the jack-in-a-box. It has a real spring from an old pen.

3.12.

The weather here surely favours bikers. Because of the warm weather almost all the snow has melted and the black pavements are... well REALLY black and wet... But soon I hope there will be cold and white again!

This card has light colourd and mood so it's perfect for this rainy day. I have no idea how old this card is and whose it is. I would like to see other works from this illustrator. I like the style!!

2.12.

The text on this Rudolf Koivu's card says "Peaceful Christmas". Candles, northern lights, stars and other lights play an important part on my winter. I think that in this card the bunnies wonder what that beautiful light might be. "Is it a fallen star?" Maybe the squirrel fetched it from a lantern for all the creatures of the forest to enjoy?

Light is a happy thing in the darkness of the northern hemisphere winter. After all, we live just a few hundred km's (Actually 656,3 km says the route service) south from the polar circle. I've sometimes joked that it would be really useful if we could use darkness as a fuel like the sun light is used somewhere... (Damn those people in Florida!!)

PS: For all you didn't know Rudolf Koivu is a famous Finnish story illustrator. His works are really beautifull and special, because I'ver been read his stories when I was little girl.

1.12.

I think this is one of the weirdest coloured christmas card I've come across, but I like it. Birds always suit for these cards. (In Finland it is important to remember to feed little birds during the winter season). The style of the card takes me back to childhood altough I presume this one is older than the 80's. And ofcourse snow is a good illustration idea. If only I had it outside too. Because the warming of the weather almost all of the snow has melted :(

Very lazy weekend

I've been relaxing the whole weekend and planning the "christmas calendar" of this blog. I've found a beautifull vintage card for each day. I just love christmas! (though I'm not a religious person). I like the idea of giving, good food and calming down, reading books and being with your loved ones. I'm hoping that the snow we have doesn't melt (like it looks like now), because one important part of Yule-tide succes is snow and pure white land scapes of my home town. And skiing and sleding!

Just getting to the mood with a little help of (I believe a French) band called M83 (as you can see for yourself;)). Must say I didn't like the music as much I loved this PERFECT cover art...

Important things

I'm so sorry I don't remember where I got these gems, but they suit my state of mind. (I've seen the film "Miss Pettigrew". And what a fine film it was :)

Ready and on their way with the best wishes

Hats for the triplets (my workmates daughter is going to have) are ready and earlier today I gave them away. I packed them with a card that has removable red bow, because she hopes at least one of the babies to be a girl.

PS: on the background you can see my new living room curtains. I found the fabric from flea market and I believe it might be originally from Ikea. I LOVE IT!!! The colors are so refreshing. I've been looking for my perfect curtains a long time.

More knits and snow

This one made me smile!!! Thanks to Megan Reardon.

Really beautifull neck warmer from the blog "Viiniä ja villasukkia". Like the buttons that are assorted :)

I like big knit coats and this design from the Twist Collection web magazine. I suggest that you check this and this other gem too "Amber". I'm knitting the old ones like the knitting needels were on fire ;) so I could start something new!!! I'm actually dreaming of the green one I found from this blog: It's crocheted and looks pretty fast to do (the yarn looks really thick, I believe Novita's Mambo would do). I think it would be nice to wear to a christening we were invited last night. (You know I really don't have anything to wear! Must make something!)

I'm waiting for my friend to arrive to the bus station so I can fetch her and then we're going to have a relaxing weekend of leisure. I have to get going in a half an hour. And outside there is a winter wonder land waiting for me (I took this picture a few hours ago):greetings from Tahvo - Wuh!