Jingle Bell Rock

Happy X-Mas and a super 2008 !, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Holiday blessings to you.

Jingle bell rock - The Ventures

Nothing else matters

Yule, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Best wishes and happy holidays to all my friends and blog readers.
Wish you all peace and joy and lots of good times with the ones you love.

We had our celebration of the winter solstice last night.
It was a wonderfull night, together with our pagan friends. The yule ritual was joyfull and touched my soul.

I never know what I like the most; being with my friends, the ritual, the presents, the good food, the fire all night, the trance, the games we play, to see the sun come at dawn. So much to like...

The one thing I don't like is to always learn new songs, and the worst is that I have to sing them. My voice sounds like an old crow :-)
But I love very much to hear my friends sing.

***Wandering in the deep of the night

A thousand birds take flight
And our dreams are born on the wings of change
We are weaving the world tonight***

May all the weavers of the world be blessed and find joy in their work.
Love, Elisa

Nothing else matters - Metallica

Dreamer

Dreamer, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Last night I had this dream about cupcakes in Paris.
Made this little collage to remind me.

I'm just a dreamer, dreaming my life away.
Oh Yeah!

Dreamer - Ozzy Osborne

Waiting for a miracle

Daisy, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

...but nothing ever happens.

Waiting for a miracle - The Comsat Angels

You move me

You move me, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Sometimes life is more surreal than usual.

This week I had a visit from a sweet girl who saw my work and blog. She had a vision in church of a "little jesus" doll. She had big, wonder full plans, to make together with a group woman's from India a lot of them. Sell them, and give back a big part of the profit to people in need.
Sweet dream...

So optimistic and sure she's got help from above. To me, it was a joy to see, but I really wonder what the catholic church puts on 'the body of Christ' these days. Some LSD maybe? (not offending here, just a joke :-)

The surreal aspect was in the illusion of this world we live in.

She, a catholic, believing in heaven and hell. Dark forces, that can jump upon you if you do bad things like rotating a glass. Things jumping in and out of aura's.2012 as a year the world will change; energies on a higher level. Only see the light...

Things that sound like a mixture of church learned fear and buggery bullocks new age crap to me.

And myself, a so claimed pagan, member of a witches coven. Feeling divinity in all. Have a direct connection to it. Make up my own rituals,or even my own goddesses and gods. Draw down the moon. Not afraid of the dark more than the light. Both are equal valuable to me and to be found everywhere. I don't believe in a devil but I do believe in Pipi Longstocking. Use oracles and scrying whenever I feel like it. Protect myself on my bike with a pink chewing gum shield all around me. Meditate. Use a Egyptian Spell to make my own healing water.But most of all, do a lot of grounding practice. Roots down, branches up.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the strangest of us all?

We sure were two fine examples of the modern day spirituality.
I truly believe there are as much as religions as there are people.
I want to put my attention on the resemblance between people, not the differences. And we had some good laughs this afternoon, so I like to help her, by giving her design a shape.

The whole thing made me laugh like a Buddha, little silly humans.
Sweet dreams of dancing the global spiral dance to all wanderers.

You move me -The Comsat Angels

Shut Up

Pinocchio shadow, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

There is a big difference between inspiration and hard work and imitation!

My dear friend Sandra from Herzensart wrote a blog post about her designs being copied and sold on craft markets.
That makes me so mad. Her works are so sweet, wonderfully crafted, she gives them her heart and soul, her Herzensblut .

And then some stupid cow makes a bad imitation of it, and sells them.
That's so easy and cheap, surf a little on the Internet and copie.
This witch wishes the people who do this bad sex for the rest of their lives!

Just now, I'm busy to design some softies. And if you see the book with my design, you don't see the 50 little drawings I have made, the ten softies I have made before the right one is there. My attempts to write a pattern...
To make them for your own purpose is of course great, but to sell them... (remember: bad sex forever!#). This witch is one of my designs that is not going to be the one.

To all stupid copycats, get a life, make your own designs, or no more magic in the bedroom!

And to Sandra, please go on with your great work, and you're a real artist. May your life always be full with magic.

Shut up - Kelly Osbourne

Stir it up

Stir it up, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Last night Paul and I had the best time in our favorite local pub. It's called Bluff. I visit it maybe once a month since I was 15 years old. So that makes like 250 great evenings (or more) in 23 years. Drunk a 1000 beers, smoked 10.000 cigarettes in there. (I like my numbers).

And had lots and lots of fun, cannot remember ever shed a tear in this place. It's small and friendly, with just the best friends. It's the place where I can go alone and feel safe and comfortable. And can have a nice talk with someone, great people, as colorful as we humans come.

Telling you about it brings back so many happy memories, I made a fool out of myself so many times there and did not gave a shit about it. And the people around me just smiled and liked me anyway.
Makes me feel really blessed to have a place and friends like this in my life.

Yesterday one of the best woman in town, my dear friend Anke was Dj SkankinAnk, great reggae and alike music.

I'll raise my glass high for all the people I had and have fun with, may you all be blessed and happy.
And shed a tear for Suzanne, know that your a shining star for ever in my universe.

Stir it up- Bob Marley

Staring at the sun

Opening night Kunstsupermarkt, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

The opening of the Kunstsupermarkt was very crowded and it was really hot in there.So much people, which is of course great but not easy to see and get a taste of the works. Lots of different things, overwhelming for me.I'll go back later this week to have a better look. We walked round, met nice artists and saw my works in different places amongst the others. I really like to make a world of my own, have a little corner or room (or the whole museum space with my show, dream on...).
This supermarket is just to get first impressions of what the artists do. Maybe buy a piece you like and remember favorite artist names, do a little Google and then discover new worlds for your soul.

The first photo shows some of the space and my daughter, who never wants her photo to be taken.In the second you see my fun time clock end up on the floor of a living room white space - in the supermarket!?

The little painting is from Tanja Ritterbex, we met at art school, she had her graduation show in the room next to mine. She is such a happy, funny girl and I totally love her joyful work. And a photo from the sweet girl herself. www.tanjaritterbex.com

The last two are from a big painting being made during the show. If you liked a part you could chose a frame, cut out the piece you liked. Pay for it and take home. Paul got himself a part of the cursing driver :-), for 5 Euro, he is now the proud owner of a original Erik Habets. I liked this very much, great project from Toon Verwegen, Francois Salden and Erik Habets. Smart young artists!

If you live nearby, check it out! www.stadsgalerijheerlen.nl

Staring at the sun - Wendy&Lisa

Smoke on the water

Kunstsupermarkt, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.
www.stadsgalerijheerlen.nl

Tonight is the opening of the Kunstsupermarkt. With works from 120 artists. The museum is turned into a art supermarkt .
I sneaked in yesterday, it was not all in place but it looked very nice.

Unpretentious.
Art made common, price tags on artworks.
All under 350 euros. Almost like art for dump prices.
Like a 1 euro store.
A western cave of Aladdin, treasures to take home.

Will I ever find the lamp and let the jinn out?
Turn the museum room into an enchanted place, the way I dream it to be.
Far far away from a capitalist world?
A place to dwell in wonder.

Sugar sweet dreams.

Smoke on the water-Deep Purple

In circles

crochet oracle, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Made little studies for crocheted forms. Let the circles grow in my hands. As I lay out the figures it looked like a crochet shamans oracle to me.
My underwater world has it own ways to speak to me.
Up to me to tell the story.
But my thoughts go in endless circles these days.

I'm busy to design some softies. But I will not show these in my Blog, you'll have to wait for the book to see them :-)
I like to think of characters and see how they become to life in little pieces of fabric.

Love from me on a cold and sunny day.

In circles - Einsturzende neubauten

Afternoons & coffeespoons

halloween crochet, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

One of my dear coven sisters send me this cute card this week. She wrote some incredible sweet words on it. I was so happy and made these Halloween style potholders for her.

I just sat with the old witches around the table, drank some tea and we had a great time, crocheting and laughing about my struggle to be a fine artist.
To come out of an impasse, just crochet a potholder !

And there are three more serious projects on the way;

* Making things for the December expo of gallery Wansinki in Teuven,
* Participating in the Kunstsupermarkt in the Stadsgallerij Heerlen in November 2007/January 2008,
* designing a softie for a craft book!

Enough work to do for a happy lady,
Pumpkin blessings for you.

Afternoons & Coffeespoons - Crash test dummies

Natural Mystic

Needle voodoo, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

The only way I know to really heal my soul is to create, it's my way of praying.
By working with my hands, drawing, crocheting, sewing;line by line, stitch by stitch.
Making repeating moves with my hands I go in a meditative state. Where thoughts and judgements do not matter anymore.
Only movement, and slowly it becomes a form, a sculpture.
The creating holds the divine.

I'm making some 'book bags' at the moment, from the cutest fabrics.
Beats plastic bags from the shops by far.

And this voodoo doll is a fun way to store my needles!

Natural Mystic - Bob Marley

Rehab

Kwan Yin's friend, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I want to share my sculpture "Kwan Yin's friend" with you,
and the last words of the Charge of the Goddess (version Starhawk/ Doreen Valiente)

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold- all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.Let there be beauty and strenght, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Blessings and love for you readers.

( I maneged to go alone for a walk today, afterwards I sat under a blanket shivering for an hour. But I'm making progress towards a better way to handle life, so I'm a bit happier tonight.)

Rehab-Amy Winehouse

Oblivion

Underwear, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

These days I feel naked and vulnerable more than I consider normal for me. I stay in my house almost the whole time. If I have to go outside I feel very uncomfortable. As if I was walking in my underwear on the streets. And be sure that is not a thing I would do without a gun against my head :-)

But this gun is inside my head, feelings of insecurity, incapability.
Being a too small creature in a big fearsome world.
I'll have to go on a quest to find my inner brave knight. So we can concur the dragons inside and outside together.
Or invoke Pippi Longstocking very quick.

Wish me luck and good times, and that I may find a lot of compassion for my self image. A broader view and lots of courage.

The title of this blog entry refers to Macy Gray's Oblivion.
I'll try experimenting with song titles as blog titles. Because I love all this songs in my head that my inner DJ plays, and like to remember them. I'm a lyric girl, lyrics are more meaningful to me in a song than the music.

Time to dream again

corner of my expo, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Feel like a queen of boredom is not the way I like to be.
There's is always a treasure to find if you search, a friend to play...
Maybe because I have a little flu, my head is full with grey clouds and shivers run over my body. My time to have fun is not there.

Take a warm bath, have a nice meal (pasta with bacon and cheese sauce, mmm...) and tomorrow will have raindrops on roses, polka dots and imagination again!

Sleep well under a warm blanket this night...

Kingdom of boredom

Hoppies, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

We have some hop growing in our small garden. They are two female plants, one dark green and one light green. At the end of summer they make this bells.

I've used some to make sleep pillows, with lavender it gives you a good night's rest. But a glass of home brew beer would do the trick even better, if I knew how to make it...

And I must admit it attracts some strange insects to it.
I'm feeling really bored these days, maybe that's why.

Love and blessings from the Queen of Boredom.

Bag Lady

Bag Lady, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

One of my secret fears is to have to live like a homeless bag lady.

I can't even imagine myself living out a backpack for more than two weeks. My home is my shelter, my safe haven, my hiding cave.

This bag I've made from fabric scraps given to me by a sweet neighbor. I love to recycle and have a new bag once in a while.
My friend Yoeke does read Lady's bags, you can learn a lot of yourself by the things you drag around. (www.yoeke.com)

Earth Path

Earth Path workshop, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Last weekend I was in sunny Amsterdam, for a Reclaiming workshop.
Had a great time, very inspiring and fun. I love to listen to Starhawk, she knows so much about spirituality and nature.And tells great stories from her political/magical activism. Of course we talked a lot about the state of the earth. And how we can be earth healers, instead of destroyers.

And learned things about the powers of toadstools in nature. My love for them turned out to be more then just a romantic fairytale creature :-) They can be very helpful in cleaning diluted soil and lots of other things.

We did an observation exercise in a beautiful canal house garden. I got dazzled by the beauty and fragile patience from the spider's and their webs.
Admiration for their patterns and durability.
website from the garden: www.museumgeelvinck.nl

I loved the trance we did, everything is interconnected, everything moves in cycles...

Saturday evening I spend in the Vondelpark with some dear coven members, and loved to stay at my friend Saskia's house. She is so sweet and a true activist.

For my ever lasting insecurity I've taken home a very good way to deal with this; if your not sure; act as if !


More websites;
www.reclaiming.web-log.nl
www.starhawk.org
www.reclaiming.org

Toadstool and house love

toadstools love, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Still dreaming about the wood house...

I have been making some embroidery lately, little houses with roots. Maybe I need more grounding in this time of my life?
The idea that houses have roots is something I want to figure out for myself. And I wonder in what way I will see rooted houses back in my artworks.
Making art is no straight line to me, I meander around.
If things really are important to my soul they come again and again in the curves of the river I'll follow.

Dream House

Huuske, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

This house is for sale, Paul and I looked at it today and fell in love with it.
It is so cute and has small rooms, like a fairytale house.

These houses were build as temporary houses in the 1950's. Today they have not lost their charm. The surroundings are so great, the trees, the birds. To me it's super cute and romantic.
Inside it has half the space we now have. My studio would be so tiny and in the whole house storage space will be a real challenge. But the outdoor space is magical .We looked for houses like this before but they were already sold or far to expensive. Maybe this time....

19-11'07 Update after our visit inside: the garden was so beautiful and it really has the potential to be a magical house.But it would be way to expensive for us to bring this house to a nice state. And for my artworks I really had to rent a bigger studio. I have to find a pirates treasure to buy this, so I it will not be our new home after all.We will stay happy in our spacious city house with our small garden.

Magic love broom

Jump over the broom, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

My friends Yoeke and Jan jumping over the broom at their handfast ritual. My first time at a handfast ritual, it was so touching my heart and soul. And saw this feelings in the others to.
Yoeke told me afterwards she's got reactions from non-pagan friends like "O, is that what you do in a magic circle, that was just beautiful...". She, being her great self asked what they thought we we're doing. " Well strange things..."
And that's the way it is with pagans and witches. From the outside it may sound strange, but if you join in it only feels more natural. Pure Joy.

Visit Yoeke's website: www.yoeke.com

My little film

This is the parkstad mobile live item, almost 7 minutes, item about my art and show from the Parkstad atelierroute june 2007.
So now you can see me move around in my studio, and hear me talk :-)

I had a good laugh watching myself, it looks so serious. And all I really want are playfull times and fun art. But I love it, it shows my studio from the heart, with this great music from Bjork.

One more day to go...

RD4 thrift shopping, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Yes, I counted the days this week.

One more day in our holiday and on Monday work and school starts.
Seven weeks of spending almost no time alone in my studio, almost no work done makes me a bit itchy. Time to get my head and hands on a new project. During summer I just see my soap bubbly ideas floating on the far reach of my view. I want to be able to focus again.
No complains though, I loved this quite and mild summer, the nice times we had together.

One of the things I really love is thrift shopping, this is my treasure from my last trip,for four Euro I had lots of fun in the store.

And it's so funny that I love these kitsch, things I really hated as a girl and young adult. Now I'm on a quest to find out what the magic in kitsch is all about. There is a part that makes me like it.
And buy them for inspiration, and I always can use little things in an installation, can't I?

And now I can re-read the Trojan war, maybe I learn some tricks to feel more powerful as a little woman in a big-big world.

Love and loud rock music for everybody, with a bit of sparkly glitter.

Loreley

elisa en tara op kamp, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

During the last three summers, I joined the Loreley-witch camp. )( /www.reclaimingloreley.com/

These were great times, made a lot of friends from all over the world and learned a lot, about the Goddess,elements, magic, tools and rituals. Did a lot of inner work, danced by the fire, laughed a lot and cried a bit. Magic weeks in my life.

This year I won't be there, but will be sending lots of love to all my friends .

And I really enjoy our holiday at home, today we went on a day-trip to Leiden.
We visited the National museum of antiquities. (www.rmo.nl)

That was so impressive, to see all these beautiful crafted things from thousands and thousands of years ago. So much magic there, Egyptian and Roman ritual tools and offer plates. Altars for the dutch Goddess Nehalenia, the Hecate-vase, all those Gods and Goddesses. The believe of people in an other world behind death.

The knowledge and civilisation in the near East, so long ago. Long before a civilisation in Europe, I so much wish we could live in peace all over the world. And see the beauty in each other and love and care for our Earth.
It is possible, I know.

Handfasting Yoeke and Jan

Broom Yoeke and Jan, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Yesterday my friends and coven members Yoeke and Jan had their handfasting ritual. I wish them lots of love.

It was a beautiful ritual, priestessed by Rosemary. And they jumped over the broom, for it I made a cover with all their personal luck symbols and names of family members. Drawn on hearts, because love is to me the most important thing in a relationship.
Love is all.

The weather was great, we had a very big circle with lots of family and friends. Very nice food and fun.
It was great to see all my coven friends again. We live spread out all over the Netherlands and I live in the far south part of the country, besides our coven meetings there is not much opportunity for meeting.
It gives me so much joy to be together.

Blessings for all the lovers of the world.

Off to Harry's world.

Off to Harry's world, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Cleaned the window at kunstencentrum Signe today. The acrylic paint was easy to remove, most came of as a thin skin. Lucky me!

And I bought a copy from the last Harry Potter, (and the Deathly Hallows ).At 11o'clock the bookstore had only four books left!

It's the first Harry Potter book I'm going to read in English,the other's in Dutch. Because I'm to curious to wait for the dutch translation, and it's good for improving my English skills.
Me blogging in English, it was always my worst language in high school, that's really an encouraging thing for me to do. Give praise for the spell check button!

My crochet turned out to be a witch hat, and now I'm off to Harry's world. Later on I'll be working on a special broom, hope to get some magic in it.

Bye, bye to all you Muggels.

Home

Home, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I can't tell how much I love my home.

Never get bored in it,
always feel loved in it,
a shelter, a hiding place,
to love, laugh and cry.

It silently absorbs my emotions,
and through the old walls feeds them to my beloved Mother Earth.
Giving me space for new feelings with gratitude.

Imagination

crochet in melisse WIP, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Still working on my crochet skills.
Not knowing what this will be; a witchy hat, a sculpture, or a tree for next yule?

I love this kind of work, crafts work. It gives me time to think or even meditate while working. For me it's sometimes easier to do than just sit still.

I'm thinking about the border line between art- and crafts work.
The difference lies not in the materials or techniques the artist uses.

The difference between art and crafts can be found in the autonomy of the work, the purpose of the work, the artist who made it and the place where it is shown.

But under this all there is something more to me.

The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge made an distinction between imagination and inventions.
Both free humans form daily experiences and perceptions, but imagination comes from spiritual truths, as inventions are the source of fantasies. The inventions may be exciting, they don't have real meaning. They come from the part of you, you call "I", your talking self, thinking self,shining body, your mind or however you may call it.
It means nothing on a deeper subconscious level.

That's the big challenge for me, to be able to make this distinction between fantasies and truths. Between good and bad art. I wonder if I can ever see this.

On the other hand, I remember a teacher say; "I'm not interested at the truth, I want to see a good image."
That's also very true, so a lot of skills come in the process of making art to.

There was also this teacher who said to me: " Elisa, don't think to much, just work."

And that's the advice I take for today; Frohes schaffen, Happy crafting!

Limburgs museum Venlo

Limburgs museum Venlo, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

This is a photo from the outside of the museum we visited.
I like museums a lot, small or big, contemporary art or history.

There are always one or two things I keep in my mind and maybe one day I can use ideas, forms or ways of presentation.
It's one of my favorite ways to spend time, walking, looking, learning and have a lot of fun.
To see how things are made, what materials were used. See the paint stripes, the stitches, the fabrics, the decorative holes someone made in clay thousand of years ago makes me feel connected to the makers.

That's a very good feeling.

I can fly

Witchy, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Visited the expo about witchcraft in the Limburgs Museum in Venlo. It was interactive, you could use you're magic wand to activate things and send a photo home dressed up as a witch. So I did. It was a nice expo about witches in books and movies, fear of witches in old times, burning 40 people accused of being a witch in Venlo and about witchcraft in modern times. It was nice but I like to go to Boscastle to visit a real witchcraft museum.

Blessed be and may no witch ever be burned again. So mote it be.

First crochet thing I've made :-)

First crochet thing, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

This is what I made yesterday. I'm just learning to crochet and dream of sculptures 2 meters high.
For now, all I could use it for was this 'bike saddle cover'.
I love to ride my bike. ( and hate to ride a car, I have my drivers license but never drive.)

I wish I could fly.

Light

lamp at my front-door., originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Sometimes it's easy; if it's dark, turn on the light.

Fill the light with hope, love and compassion.
Breath the light in, breath love out,
learn to crochet, do it for hours,
go to sleep and see the sun shine in the morning.

Raindrops on Roses

Madeleine, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Tears on Madeleine cupcake cookies.

I hear birds sing, and feel caged.

Sad

vogeltjes en stam, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

No words to say what I want.

Flappie

Hannah's Elephant, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Hannah send me a letter after she visited my studio. She enclosed some nice Oilily writing-paper, because I like Oilily. So sweet of her.

Today she came to make her own soft toy, and Tara made a shy penguin.
It was a great day, they draw their own designs. Chose some nice fabrics. And for Hannah it was her first time ever to work with a sewing machine. She was a natural talent with it, Oilily would be glad to have her as a designer.

To me, it's great to buy nice things, but it satisfies me more to make my own nice things. And help other people to feel this way to.

Killer Queen

Killer Queen, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Last Saturday I made my first public art work. In between exhibitions the gallery Signe. ( www.kunstencentrumsigne.nl ) asks local artists to do a window piece. I've painted with black acrylic paint on the window. She was inspired by my flower bulb children. It took me all day, and in my head I heard Freddie Mercury sing; 'Just like Marie-Antoinette, she is a Killer Queen...
The masks are a bit to much like glasses, but I like the threefold Goddess aspect of her. Next time I'll do a Kali. :-)

Abundance ritual

Abundance ritual, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

My private abundance ritual this week. It was time for me to do that, spending to much money on nice things lately.

Later that day, I've got asked to make a little window installation for Signe. This Saturday I'll start working on it.
And a nice shop wants to sell some of my work for me :-)

That's true abundance to me, to be able to do the things I love.
Try new things, explore new worlds.
I just love to live my life.

It's Oh So Quiet

Waiting for parkstad mobile live tv, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

It's a grey and moist day. In my head there are heavy fluffy clouds, it's fine with me as long as I can stay inside my cosy studio. Instead of sleeping I've read a novel last night ; Elizabeth Noble - The reading group.
A group of five women in a little English town, and their life drama. It's well written and a nice read. And I love the beginning of each chapter with excerpts from the novels the group reads. How I love to read in books about books.

In my deepest darkest hours that's one of the things that keeps me going; the knowledge that there are thousands of great books still to read. Beside good sex, chocolate and my lovely daughter :-)
And art, I keep on thinking about the diamond skull from Damian Hirst. Money wise it's such a incredible thing, I like it for being over the top and still so spiritual. Such an ode to the love for life and the divinity within humans to me.

From tonight until Sunday night on a local tv-station (Rtv Parkstad Limburg) there will be a six minutes item about my art and me. The photo above was taken last Wednesday while waiting for the team to arrive. I already saw the trailer, it was really colourful and I must say I look sweeter on film than I imagined :-). It's not that I say deep thoughts about my work, but as a first acquaintance to my work and me it's alright. And so nice they made it, if it's possible I'll put the trailer on my blog soon.

Love from my fluffy head and joyful heart.

Parkstad Atelierroute 2007

House with studio and poster parkstad atelierroute, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I'm participating in the Parkstad atelierroute for the first time. Last Friday night was the opening in Kunstencentrum Signe. I had a fine evening, and met some nice artists. There are 61 local artists, and in the gallery you can see one piece of each. My green fluffy eye-plant is there.

I really liked the first weekend, there were about 40 visitors, they seemed to be nicely surprised about my art and the studio. And enjoyed the products of my new hobby; backing.
One visitor called my art joyful and naughty, that's the way I like it ;-)

www.parkstadatelierroute.nl
www.kunstencentrumsigne.nl

Insomnia

Just turn around and the hole story changes..., originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

During one or two nights in the month, I can't sleep. Mostly around the full moon. To much ideas and energy bubbling in me.
I like these nights and mostly spend my time to make some drawings. This embroidered wolf man is a result from a hot sleepless summer night. The Little Red Riding hood figurine at first stood in front of it on my home altar, one day I turned it around, and the whole story changed...

Spring Fish review

Spring Fish review, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

The show is over now. I had a great time, talking with Lisette and playing with Flip her dog. Lots of people came, and we got a lot of compliments for our work.
All the talking took a lot of energy from me, I'm not used to be surrounded by so much people.
And for now I'm really happy to have some time alone with my muse. The muse is amused by me, for good behaving. So now it's time for my private party at home with the muse, we will dance along Macy Gray's oblivion;
"solution
the next time you're alone
you can
create a world of your own
make it magic
give it love
make it all you're dreaming of
everybody
in my underwear
sometimes i visit there
oblivion
ignorance is bliss
don't know nothing but this
oblivion
forget"

Kunst is een feestje at the Spring Fish show

Kunst is een feestje at the Spring Fish show, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

My flag from my final year in art academy, it is made as a spell.
Wanting to invoke more light-party-feeling into my art world. I've missed the fun part so much in school. Art became so serious and heavy. The black spectacle people's way ;-)

Art is a party,
By the powers of three times three,
This spell bound around shall be,
By Earth, by Fire, by Air, by Sea
No harm no one
As I will so moted be

And it is!

We had another great afternoon at the show.
I've even made my first sale and I'm so grateful to present my work in this atmosphere. It feels so natural.

Party on tomorrow !
Shiny Love, Elisa.

Pink Galore in my little towngarden

Pink Galore in my little town garden, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I had a busy week, helped preparing the school play . It's tradition in the last year of primary school. Tara's class has a funny musical about Snow White and seven gangsta-dwarfs. She plays one of the dwarfs, Yo !
There was my coven meeting, which always involves a lot of traveling-time. That's OK with me, I read a lot in the train. It was great, we cleansed and spitted and swear all stupid things away, gave each other golden beads, had a good laugh and ate strawberries with cream. Blessed be my sisters.
Yesterday we went to the flower market and made our little town garden look pretty again. Today I can hopefully do some art work, and tomorrow the show will go on again...

I have the feeling there will be a lot of visitor's this weekend, I'm so excited about it all.
Pink Blessings, Elisa.

Mother's Day

another Mother's Day gift., originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Tara made this collage for me, so funny.
She is so creative with the PC, and learned everything by herself.

It was just a perfect day, a nice breakfast with croissants and fresh orange-juice.
The spring-fish show in the afternoon was great, so much nice visitors. So many compliments and good-luck wishes.
And tonight we ate, with my parents, at a lovely Italian restaurant.

I feel so grateful for my life and now all I want is to lie in my bed and wait for the sandman to arrive.

Exit light, enter night, take my hand, up to neverneverland...

Atelier Wansinki

Atelier Wansinki, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Yesterday, Lisette and I prepared her lovely studio/gallery-space for our show. We had a calm and nice day.

I like the way our works look in this space. It's honest and joyful art, in a corresponding place.
Outside there is a flowering garden and a breathtaking landscape. All together it made me feel like a happy Hobbit in the Shire. And her dog Flip seems to like my Tuttebel, at least her carpet.

Don't let the hair on your toes ever fall out,
Love Elisa.

Fear

studio, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

Tomorrow is the first day of the spring-fish show, today I'm trying to work in my studio. I'm so grateful about my cosy studio, and to be able to make this kind of work, have the time for it. But there is also much fear in me, it's so hard to believe in myself and my work. See myself as an artist and my work as art.
I have in me this little gnome that wants to hide in a toadstool and never wants to be seen.
But today I will listen to my fairy, that says : there is beauty and joy in you and your work, share and shine.

Shiny blessings, Elisa.

Air bubble

Fake cream puffs from the Efteling, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I remember one of the firts things 'they' learned me about art was that's not about romance or nostalgia. Decoration is not desirable.
That was 25 years ago, and I liked Jeff Koons blown up kitsch objects, and cuckoo clocks.

Today I believe that 'cute' can be great art. These cream puffs are from the Efteling, and I just love them. Looking like kings and queens dancing until dawn.
Make them 3 meters high, and let them shine in a museum of modern art.

What I think about 'them' today? The art world has too much fried air.

I'll go sit in the sun and blow some air bubbles, enjoy your day !

Flower bulbs in the studio

Flower bulbs in progress :-), originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I'm working on these now, and realize how much I love things that sprout. ( and polkadots ! )
All the greatness of everything is already in the seed.

Organic, round forms make me feel protected and comforted, they feel like home in a way.
I believe that Hundertwasser once said that the straight line is a crime. I don't know if it's true but to much straight lines feel like prison to me.

Let me walk on the little winding footpaths, with the possibility of a wonderful encounter around every corner. No straight lines needed for Mother Nature :-)

Walk in beauty today, love Elisa

Queensday

Me on the frontpage of the local paper today, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

In the local paper my picture, from yesterday's Queens day in Limburg. First I help with face-paint the children, they have a decorated-bike parade. Then we take a walk over the free-market. I bought a second hand book, ( Een zomerzotheid van Cissy van Marxveld. ) A girls book from 1927, I have never read before but it has to wait for a more quite day. The money for the book went to the world nature fund. So great from the girls to give the money away.

The plastic hat is from a lottery, and I really don't know if I like this picture. (smoking, spending, stupid hat)
And I'm definitely not an "Orange Babe". For me the monarchy is superfluous. I like democracy with a lot of room for anarchy and freedom of speech :-)
Tonight I'm having my little private Beltane celebration, with my lover. That beats Queens day and is a great time to clean our relationship of petty disharmony's.
Love and blessings to you all.

Spring fish

upcoming show, originally uploaded by Tuttebel.

I'm busy as a bee preparing for this show, very happy bee.
It's the best time for me, working on my art, and surprise myself about what is coming to life.

My ideas are like bubbles, floating in me, sometimes I grab one.
In my creative-productive moods, the bubbles join together, and make new and unexpected forms.
Little presents for me :-)

Brightest Blessings.