Kaffeslabberas

Well there is no direct translation of this word into English... sorry guys. The word is a description/event with lots of coffee, cake and small talking... you might even spruce it up with knitting, embroidery or crocheting

I often pick up some of the free newspapers and read them for inspiration. Last week was no exception, and I found a review of a new coffee table style book called "Til Kaffeslapperas".... designers who have dared some old biddies (Claire, you got me started on using this word for old ladies) to create something knitted.

For the past year the old biddies have been in the newspapers a few times, as they are knitting items that are sold in designer store - the payment goes to activities at a place for the elderly.... their labels is called kaffeslapperas :o)

Yesterday I bought the book, which is based on the talks between the old biddies and the designers - pair by pair (one designer teamed up with an old biddy) - some knitting patterns and photos from their lives. The book celebrates life and creativity in such a great way.... hope it could eventually be translated to other languages and sold to an even bigger audience.

Postcards From the World

Just a small selection of the postcards that have made it to my address during 2011

One of the coolest things I knew, when growing up, was when we received a postcards, that friends/family sent to us. My parents did not travel, so this was my meetings with destinations far far away.

Now things have changed, and I am travelling a lot - actually a whole lot considering my travel activity.

Today a Birdie told me about a request from an American teacher: To send postcards so her class can learn about the world outside Miami, Florida - a lot of the kids in her class do not even leave their neighborhood.

I will do what I can to send some of the world to their class room :o)

If you want to help out too, please go to Ms. Browns post - here you will find a picture of the kids in her class and the address, to send the postcards to.

The View

Just spotting this balcony and the thoughts rushed to warmer places: one of the countries along the Mediterranean or perhaps somewhere South America, the Caribbean… And then not because if you look closer, the characteristic shudders for those places are missing around this balcony door…

But one is allowed to dream or? :o) Or was is really my fascination of the color blue, that made my eye catch this photo opportunity?

After Babel - Installations Around the Written

Last night I coincidently stumbled across the exhibition After Babel - Instations Around the Written by Charlotte Grum and Nina Maria Kleivan that "...revolves around the quntities of fragmentary information of our time,with books, writing and language being in state of integration and change" - very last minute, that I found the exhibit as today was the final on display.

 Title: Everything I ever read

Did not know, that you can preserve the words in a jar? But mindblowing installation :o)

Pictures of letters, words, named carved into wood/bark - Who came up with the idea of photographing those words?! Great idea in my book - reminds me a little of Agnete Schlichtkrull's heartproject, and yet no comparison at all.

Loves to be surprised like this - venturing into an exhibit with no expectations, since I had not heard about it at all in advance.

Oh I Wish That Time....

would just stroll, like this little guy.

Wish I could slow time down a bit, otherwise I have to search the YellowPages for a time doubler, like the one Hermoine had in Harry Potter.



End of the Elephant Parade Copenhagen 2011

The elephants are no longer on Parade in the streets/parks/stores of Copenhagen - however From September 1st to 8 they will be showed together in one big exhibit, and just maybe I will be able to go there and photograph the ones that I did not "catch" with my camera while scattered all over the city.

For a few days my walks had a purpose: to find as many elephants as possible. My goal was 80, but ended up finding 75 since a lot of them ended up at "the hospital". On these walks I also captured things with my camera, that I have never noticed before in my city.

So which ones were my favourites?

Elephant Sound

He who walks with Silver on the full Moon

Isi Khulu (The Great One)

Mosha the World at your Feet

Sanctuary

But really much more are memorable, so this list could easily had been much longer ;o)

I can not afford to buy the real artpieces, when they get on auction on September 9th, so a purchase of a miniature replica was on my wishlist, but the one I really wanted was sold out. Will check the store on the website to see if it will be available again. In the meantime I will joy read in the artbook containing all the elephants on display in Copenhagen and treasure the bracelet, that I purchased.

A big THANK YOU to the artist who made our city extra colourful - Jane have already received pictures of her elephant as my thanks, as she discovered the parade pictures on my little blog :o) And you dear blog readers -  thanks for walking with me and leaving nice comments about the elephants on my blog....when I started posting these, I thought you were going "Oh no not another elephant again" but your enthusiam really make me happy.

Should you by any chance be in Singapore, when they are having their elephant parade, I can highly recommend that you check out those new artpieces that they are going to have.

Who Can Resist....

this adorable face??!!

She has totally won my heart and keeps me company while I sleep, so gentle and always purring. She is quite the hunter, and she has already presented lots of pray: mice, and never gets upset, if I will not let her into the house with her "snacks".

Moments like these are some of the reasons why I agree to look after friends' and colleagues cats - reminding me why I loved to own cats (not allowed to keep cats in my building)

Elephant of the Day #75

Title: Miss Japan

Artist: Pitakan Pangwarut

Location: Havnebadet

Elephant Parade's official website

I Would Never Have Guessed......

There is a great perk attached to remembering colleagues birthdays, to pay attention about their interests, so you can customize the card to them... maybe even bring home a little inexpensive something, that you know that they will value no matter what the price was.

One of my colleagues just came home from vacation and she was bringing something to my workdesk and said "Look what I found in yoghurt cans!"

She got me something from yoghurt cans??!! But something caught me eye and I could not wait to open those two wrappings.

You get these from eating yoghurt??!! Might persuade me to start eating yoghurt even though I doubt that my local brands will have some of these inside.

Big smile on my face when I saw the turtle - did you know that I have a thing for turtles?? Well I do. And the giver: she was so happy that I can use these to do something creative.

Rosemary, if you are reading this: I do know that Opus Gluei have a challenge "Oh I do love to be by the seaside...." ... but here is the thing: I do have an idea for the challenge using these stamps, but need some of the crafty stash at home to do it, and I am not staying at home at the moment *sigh*

Well this proves my theory about the fact that one can find creative ideas and supply the most unsual places from time to time - one have to keep the eyes open :o)

Elephant of the Day #74

Title: Whibe

Artist: Pimprara Damdej

Location: Havnebadet

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #73

Title: Quu6

Artist: Marco Evanstti

Location: CPH (Copenhagen Airport Kastrup)

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #72

Title: Baarsfant Copenhagen

Artist: Menno Baars

Location: CPH (Copenhagen Airport Kastrup)

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #71

Title: iPhant

Artist: Mette Rishøj

Location: Spies (travel agency)

Elephant Parade's official website

Different Sounds

Ever tried to be alone in new surroundings, where you have to get used to the noises, that that particular place plus surroundings make? Or perhaps the lack of noises if you usually lives in a place with much trafic, neighbours etc.?

If I have travelled far to get to a new place, I usually just pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow. But this place is not far away (though still a little distance from my apartment) so my mind is more alert to new noises - not that I feel insecure, but the subconsience needs to get familiar with the surroundings.

Did I mention that I have company while sleeping at this place? I am catsitting again and this cute little creature has seen it as it's mission to snuggle at night.

Elephant of the Day #70

Title: The Human Elephant

Artist: Kristian Funder-Nielsen

Location: Kongens Have

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #69

Title: He who walks with Silver on the full Moon
Artist: Coco Electra
Location: Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square)

Just look at those wonderful details - if she had made those as rubber/digi stamps, I would have purchased them in a heartbeat and used them on several cards :o) So glad this returned from the elephant hospital.

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #68

Title: Elephant for the Polder Kingdom

Artist: Sven Hoekstra

Location: Søren Kierkegaards Plads

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #67

Title: Bring It On Copenhagen

Artist: Catrine Bodum

Location: Vor Frue Plads

Nice to see one of the elephants, that has returned from the elephant hospital.

Elephant Parade's official website

Travelling

Always needing inspiration, when it comes to cards for men - sometimes the ideas are there with plenty of time to get the card finished, but most of the times it is last minute work.

This one was for one not last minute call, but inspired by a freebie from AiFactory.

I travelled with the recipient last year during the ash cloud, that suspended the majority of flights in Europe - we has to travel  long way by car to reach an open airport. During the car ride, we spotted several air balloons as they were not restricted by the closure of the airspace.

Paperpieced the stamp and used foam tape to attach it to the card aiming for a little 3D-effect

The recipient does not care much about sentiments, but this strip of destinations will trigger his travel memories :o)

Entering this card to the following challenges:

AiFactory August Challenge: Anything Goes

Cards for men: Anything Goes

Crazy 4 Challenges: C4C100 Monochromatic Coloring 



Elephant of the Day #66

Title: Elefantens hoveder (The Elephant's Heads)

Artist: Kristian Devantier

Location: Illums Bolighus (department store)

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #65



Title: Shaman-elefant

Artist: Jesper Knudsen

Location: Danish Architecture Centre

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #64

Title: Love Me

Artist: Mette Petri

Location: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #63

Title: Eagle Thon
Artist: Ekkawin Mahaekk
Location: Ovengaden Oven Vandet

Elephant Parade's official website

Went To A Crafts Fair And Came Home With A Cat

Okay what just happened? I am not allowed to have a cat in my building and I am away far to often from my appartment to even properly taken care of a small animal ??!!

I challenged the rain and went to the annual Crafts Fair - happy to see that a lot of people had chosen to defeat the rain just like me - large variety of different crafts at 123 stalls and I purchased 2 items - one I will show you another day, because I need to buy something for it's purpose.

Look at these wonderful stoneware frogs - I took the picture with the designer's permission (the designer does not have a homepage to show more of these) as I am going to show this to a friend who is absolutely crazy about frogs, and she already have two stoneware animals in her garden, so this will be very tempting for her. Wished I had a garden, where I could place one of these - and they sadly won't fit into my little appartment. The designer is Ragnhild Dalsgaard Pedersen and love the way she displayed her wonderful frogs at the fair.

Ohh I mentioned a cat, didn't I? Ok ladies, meet Miss Kitty :o)



The Danish word "mis" translates to pussycat, so with that adorable face she easily inspired the name Miss Kitty - and see, she has already conquered her place on my couch. She is soft, always seems happy and can help keep one warm :o) I could not resist that little lady when I saw her at Signe Emdal's stall.

Elephant of the Day #62

Title: Ridderelefanten (Translation: The Knight Elephant)
Artist: The Prince Consort of Denmark, Prince Henrik
Location: Rosenborg Castle (July only, as this will be a wandering elephant - a new month, a new location)

The elephant order is the highest order in our little kingdom, and the decoration of this elephant is inspired by this order. The artist is also the patron of our city's version of the Elephant Parade.

The location the elephant had in July seems very appropriate, as it was looking at the entrance to Rosenborg Castle, where the Danish crown jewels are kept. Almost looks like this elephant is guarding the castle.

Elephant Parade's official website

Blog Award - Maybe Even For You Too

Have been MIA a couple of days - needed sleep since noisy next door neighbour has resumed his very loud rutines again in the middle of the night, where they rest of us only wants to get our sleep..... it resulted me getting late to work and since my body needs its sleep I got an offer to borrow a friends appartment for a few days, while she was away.

Earlier this week, Anne-Marie awarded me with this - bestowed on those she considers to be true followers and who often leaves comments on her blog. Seriously how can we not leave comments on her blog?! Her card creations are great and when she show us her cards she always attach an hilarous description of the card making process.

Along with the award came a requst that we passed it on - see this is a boomerang 'cause it needs to go right back to her from me, as she often gives me great comments......there might be double awards here, but Birdie, Claire, Petra and Maria....you'll get it from me as well (have not checked their blogs yet, as I need to do a bit of catching up due to my MIA)

More followers are to receive this blog award, as they often leave comments and have great blogs themselves - Please grab this award and place it on your blog :o)

Judy at Peace be With You

Karen at Meandering...One Moment Please

Denalee at Silver Strands

Kim at Stuff Could Always Be Worse

Rosemary at Free Advise Worth Any Penny

Elephant of the Day #61

Advertising, that there is an elephant inside of this shopping mall for you to see.

Title: Det øjet ser (translation: What the eye sees)
Artist: Kristian Vodder Svensson
Location: Frederiksberg Centret (shopping mall)

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #60

Title: Isi Khulu (The Great One)

Artist: Robert McLean

Location: City Hall, Frederiksberg

Lots of details to be admired - just look at this tail:

Elephant Parade's official website

Elephant of the Day #59

Title: CAN Carpet
Artist: Can Family
Location: CIty Hall Frederiksberg

Elephant Parade's official website

August Tea Swap

The other day I was quite flabbergasted about Dori receiving my tea samples + cards in just 5 days - it went from little Denmark in nothern Europe to exotic Hawaii.

yesterday - well it felt like autumn already: windy, cool temperatues, rain and thunder causing a lot of colds everywhere you turn.... got soaking wet on the way home since I had forgotten the umbrella and thought about nothing but going home to a steaming cup of tea.

Noticed that there was a thick envelope in the mail when I put it into my bag - and it took a while before it sunk in, that it might be the swap from Dori.....but with the rain I waited until I got home to have it confirmed. The unexpected rush service seems to have worked both directions :o)

When I opened the envelope I got the feeling of victorian tea party meeting Miss Marple - a very elegant touch leading to an admiring stare for several minutes...

The details inside are inspiring and have already fuelled some card ideas for the future. Tea from Hawaii is an absolute first for me - and I received to samples of it: Hibiscus Honey Lemon Green Tea and Pineapple Strawberry organic green and white tea.

As I write this post, I am sipping the pinable tea - SCRUMPTIOUS - with big smile on my face.

Just look at this detail(!): the center has a fold perfect for holding a written note (or if that idea is ever used, if I draw a blank when buying somebody's birthday present: to hold a gift card)

Dori, to quote the sentiment you stamped inside this card: "you're tea-riffic" - Thank you soo much for this gem :o)