17 June

....for 6 weeks !

I will share my thoughts from there in a few days....

Lotta

20 May

07 April

well, well…so spring finally find it’s way here to the far corners of brooklyn…( or summer rather : 90 degrees here today.- unbelievable ! ) I got my favorite sandals out last week and I now have SO sore calf and shin muscles. Those muscles have been hibernating for the last few months I gather.

The trees on my street are blooming, bursting with white flowers. Simply so great. Everything is popping and bursting, even on our small balcony: thyme and rosemary survived the dire winter, as well as a small little violet…how did that happen?
This weather and all the flowers are truly like conditioner for my soul.

I have had a lovely week: I have been working on my column for a japanese magazine called “Giorni” . In this issue I am reporting about my favorite places to shop and visit here in my neighborhood. I had a lot of fun reporating; bopping around, snapping photos and visiting shops. ( on days like these I really love my job ).

One evening last week I visited Martha Stewart’s offices for a sewing party. We drank elderflower drinks with prosecco and made pincushions in the shape of tomatoes. ( my friend made a great pincushion, while mine looked very saggy and odd…I blame the prosecco ) With us home we recieved a heavy bag, filled with thread , scissors, batting and a real brick of a sewing book ; jisses: there are a TON of projects in that book !!!!
It is nicely put together, and some projects are so lovely and cute but some projects are so overwhelming and time consuming ( not my kind of “teacup”). I am very happy I went and I do recommend you to take a peek at her latest sewing book !

The big sale news went out to you all last week, and honestly: we did NOT expect such a massive response ! The orders simply poured in, which was great, but it also meant that some of you did not get what you ordered. I am sorry about that, I hope you are not cross. We did our best, and packed orders like crazy. The dust has still not settled in the studio. Thank you everyone for your support.

I have had a very nice easter weekend: we bought and discovered easter egg bread from the local Italian bakery. August loved the sprinkles and I was fascinated with the whole concept. I also had no idea how you actually eat it, since the peel is still on…interesting ! Sunday evening was spent on our little balcony, grilling lamp chops and drinking wine.A perfectly dignified end on the weekend.

And that’s it for now folks…tomorrow I’m off to Paris ! whoop whoop !!!!

22 March

Ahhh., what a wonderfully sunny weekend I have had. The warmth and the sun came to Brooklyn for a few days. Nick and I decided to take a trip out of the city, to find trees, get some fresh air and to feel the earth. The woods are also perfect for a stick loving 3-year old. We really needed to “get out” to nature, to get away from the pavement and the grit of the daily city life. I have been missing nature so much lately.
I grew up surrounded by trees and lakes, grass and flowers all around, so to have to actually DRIVE somewhere for minimum of 45 minutes to be in a forest can be a very frustrating concept for me. And : I am so happy we finally did it.

Together we walked trails, jumped on rocks, discovered pine cones, heard the sounds of little streams, spotted birds, collected sticks and made “troll soup” in water poodles. We also brought a lovely picnic with prosciutto, olives, chardonnay, couscous salad and gingersnap cookies. I forget how great and tasty it is to have picnics. ( why does everything taste so good when you eat it outside?! ) I promised myself that we MUST have more picnics this year. -There is simply no reason not to.

I also managed to get my sketchbook with me and jotted down some lines, inspired by those “pinecone things” that August and I collected. Feels good to sketch in the field…more of that too please ! All and all is was such super day, made all of us feel good and calm- just what the doctor ordered.

18 March

I have now read the two books you have written
( in record speed ) I enjoyed them so.

Can you PLEASE write more...soon !!!

Thank you

10 March

I recently got back from a short and very lovely trip to Jamaica.I spent 3 days with an abundance of sand castles, jerk, water sliding, sunscreen and rum drinks -lovely !

The real surprise on this trip was all the craft and creative activities the hotel had planned for the kids. Everyday at 2:30 pm the kids did tie dye, on t-shirts mostly, but people ( some parents sneaked in too)
were encouraged to bring their own items to dye- one lady even brought a bed sheet to adorn !

I did do some shibori dye works back in community school a hundred years ago, but I had never tried to do tie dye before. I was very excited to make a t-shirt for August -a hand made souvenir from Jamaica. It was real easy and real fun to make this t-shirt, We simply tied the shirts up with rubberbands and then we painted on the dye with different colors. I could have stayed in that craft department, making t-shirts all afternoon long.

Well, as it turns out, I can see that there are more and more tie dye influences in fashion and design right now, interesting ! I think now when I am back here in Brooklyn I shall try some more tie dye, maybe with some colors that suits my personal color palette more…maybe I can find a workshop somehow?

10 February

Today I am on the last stages of planning my new website-criminy...it is SO much work ! I am almost there though.

It is snowing like crazy in Brooklyn today, I should be under the covers. Here is my view from my window !

07 February

Had a most lovely day yesterday:
First I went to my ceramics class for a couple of hours, started to work on some mugs. Then I zipped over to Flower School.

I signed up to Sarah’s and Coletttes workshop about a month ago after reading about it on Sarah’s very entertaining blog. I don’t read blogs that often, but I find Sarah’s very funny and entertaining:and she shares beautiful photos of flower arrangements that she has created. Sarah is one of the owners of “Saipua”, located in Red Hook here in Brooklyn. At Saipua they create nice soaps and arrange wonderful florals . They recently opened a new space that looks very interesting and unique. I decided I should go there, take a class and immerse myself in “Saipua land” for a couple of hours. Besides, I don’t know much about arranging flowers at all - time to learn this !
In the classroom , in the back of the house, Colette and Sarah had filled buckets and buckets of wonderful florals and blossoms. They casually, (but very informative) shared facts and tips about the flowers and how to arrange them. We ( 10 students) then got to play and experiment with all the lovely flowers. I really liked it, somewhat hard to think in 3d for me at times, but the whole process or arranging was surprisingly meditative.I very much enjoyed that. The session finished with prosecco and cheese.-Very civilized !
I walked home with a lovely arrangement (see below), a pair of clippers and with a real nice experience.
www.saipua.com

That same evening me and my significant sweetie had a brilliant meal.Do try this restaurant as soon as you get a chance : www.thefarmonadderley.com

05 February

August brought home a fabulous, and rather inspiring dino
from daycare a few days ago. I beleive we named it “momo”
I think of paper plates in a different way now.
-maybe “momo” can become a pattern one day?…we’ll see..

Oh, and tomorrow I will go to flower school…can’t wait

31 January

I spent most of saturday making things in the clay studio.
I feel that I could spend days and days in there right now, it is so calm and nice to be there, simply making and making.
Turns out I still know how to center on the wheel, but my lower back is not into that process right now: so I have discovered how many lovely things you can make with slabs of clay.
I lugged a small chunk of clay home and today August and I got messy and had fun with it. August mostly made snakes and cakes, and I made some sort candle luminary thing...we will see how that turns out.

One more thing : had dinner at an ABSOLUTELY charming and most delicious restaurant. I can not recommend it enough !
vinegarhillhouse

28 January

Today we have been packing up all of our brown wool bags, ready to ship out to our kind donors.

Last Tuesday we had a real exciting afternoon here at the studio. We asked all our friends in our mailing list to donate any sum of money, to help us make a generous donation to Haiti. Every person who donatedreceived a wool bag as long as our stock lasted.

It took 22 minutes to raise $1501 dollars and for all of our bags to find an owner. WOW, I say it again: WOW!

We have some really passionate and generous friends. We are truly so excited and grateful. I would like to THANK everybody that participated, so very much ! It was a real wonderful event that added such a happy high in our afternoon.

100% of the donated amount goes straight to Stand With Haiti!

Please continue to give, make a donation to Partners in Health directly. Thank you .

22 January

A snapshot of what is on my inspiration wall right now
( it changes all the time: I am grateful for the japanese washi tapes,
that are not so super sticky ). I am currently creating stickers for japanse magazine, testing stencils and I am real into “neckerchiefs” .
Now I am off to a café to go through an edit of another book I am creating: due out 2011.

Wishing you a good weekend!

20 January

YES, I just booked a ticket !!
I am going in April- ( couldn’t resist )

I will travel with my friend Breck and the goal is to collect inspiration. (and most likely some other things as well, you know: a pair of shoes perhaps ?) - and to eat as many baguettes with gruyere as I possible can muster.

I am very excited, it has been 8 years since I visited Paris and I feel that I am terribly overdue.I shall share my findings and experiences with you here, so do check back in …April !

Also; I am certain many of YOU have brilliant tips and experiences from Paris. Do you want share them with me ? Email me your “must do’s, must see and must eats” to questions@jansdotter.com. I would be so grateful - Merci !!

08 January

I found a Saturday morning class .The class started in December, but I was lucky and they accepted me “mid term “ . The clay studio is located just around the corner from where I live, rather convenient. I am excited and a tad nervous: it was 10 years sinceI last worked with clay
( far too long)
- can I still throw? ..can I still center ??

07 January

Very cold in the studio today.
The heater is on and all of the heat goes straight up
to those high window ceilings, oh : well, they are beautiful .

Made an attempt to organize some of my piles and piles of magazine pages I have ripped out and saved. Oh dear; there are so many.

Well, inspiring for sure and exciting to look through, but
I better do this organizing project in phases otherwise I will be here all nite.

03 January

making invitations. august will have a party.

01 January

and resolutions:

-go camping, at least once this year

-go out dancing with my husband..at least once !

-pick up after myself, put things back in its place when I am done with them.

-drink more water

-write, and make, more cards..(and actually send them )

-take more works shops ( get back into clay )

-crochet with scrap fabric

-try to slow down ( this is a hard one )

-not swear in front of August

-travel to Paris or Buenos Aires ( or both )