Barkin Time

I started this blog and have been posting since 2012

and I just can't believe it has been 13 years already.

Time flies!

The last year has been a 'turbulent' year for me.

The blog disappeared to the background. Life can 'absorb' you.

But then someone reminded me of my blog (merci!)

When I checked the statistics today, I was blown away.

All time 234 K

Last 12 months 52 K

Last 30 days 8 K

Last 7 days 2.81 K

Last 24 hours 776

 

Most views from Singapore, Vietnam, Brazil, Austria and Germany.

A big thank you to all of you  ♥︎

Especially to those who come back to have another look.

I could really use some extra motivation and energy.

Some how I want to continue where I left off. 

My blog became some sort of diary or external memory to me (smile).

The big gap has to be filled now (wink).

 So several new posts with old news will be antedated to 2024.

Please be patient with me and in case you're curious, scroll back to 2024.

There will be posts about sea visits, walks, design and art soon.

Hopefully my blog inspires you to see beauty in simple things,

enjoy wildlife and spend more time in nature.

Or perhaps it will inspire you to visit a museum, the cinema,

a concert or, even better, make time for your own creativity. 

It provides the best medicine to our stress and busy lives.

Perhaps you already support or protect wildlife. Chapeau! ★

 

harvested white willow and 'noisetier rouge' bark

The Earth has a lot to offer.

I think we should treat it with respect and be careful with what we take.

The trees and shrubs in our garden need pruning and pollarding regularly.

Instead of stacking the wood for wildlife, I harvested some bark form the cut branches.

I don't want to take the risk of damaging a tree or shrub.

Rolled up and dried, the bark can be stored for a very long time.

My intention is to gather enough material and use it for a bark weaving project.

I will keep you posted so to be continued...

Art Nouveau

In the company of a good friend I visited the Art Nouveau exhibition in The Hague.

I just love to be surrounded with beauty and it was certainly worth the visit!!!
Below some of my favourite objects...

Jurriaan Kok - sugar bowl and Mocca pot (1902) painted egg shell porcelain

Theo Nieuwenhuis - clover and clover with roots (ca. 1900) paint on paper

Chris Lebeau - pike perch study (ca. 1900) pencil and ink on paper

Chris Lanooy - vase with underwater scene (1906-1907)
painted earthenware with luster glaze

Theo Colenbrander - four-piece garniture Day and Night (1885)

Cornelia van der Hart - vase (ca. 1903-1907)
glazed earthenware with sgraffito decoration

and another work from
Chris Lebeau - study after a cross-cut of a red cabbage (ca. 1896-1899)

this study resulted in a gorgeous patterned corduroy textile and bench...

you can find my earlier visits tot he museum here and here

Long Gone

I'm not thinking about the smaller details right now,

just want to fill lots of boxes to bring asap to charity.

In the dead of winter my biological calendar is way off course 

or the minimalism virus is taking it's toll (big smile).

You just have a nice and relaxing weekend!!!

Wise?

I bought this little owl at a thrift shop for a friend of mine.

 She has a weak spot for owls. I hope she likes it.
She can have it and in return I would like a comment on this post ;)

Birch

About 6 months ago I got this idea of some slender floor to ceiling birch trunks in our living.

One of my facebook friends answered my call. He would be able to help us.

Now the trunks are drying outside waiting to be fitted in our house.

I think Nim will love these trunks :)

Too bad only one of them has the floor to ceiling length we will be needing for the living.

But the other two can still be (partly winded with rope) functional.

Nim's scratching posts :))

Little House

Little house on the prairie table :)

The raku houses were made by my mother, the wooden ones by Marion from BasicHus.

Christmas Decoration

With Nim around..... a beautiful christmas tree with glass ornaments is just no option.

These houses from basichus are a beautiful alternative.

Now we'll have to find us a tree :)

Vintage

We have been trying to buy a vintage object for our christmas tree each year.

This year we bought a large owl adornment.
It's probably an (Oehoe) Eagle Owl  :-)

Finds

Big Bone

Arty

 I wanted you to show another photo of our Ibo mask.

The previous photo was a bit out of focus.

But then again this one looks a bit arty-farty :-)

Floats

These are glass fishing floats.
 15 years ago I bought some floats in a small brocante shop and a couple at a flea market.
I just held on to these little ones, the ones with the nicest colours. 

Bowl

I bought these bowls for Christmas at Analogue Life.

Deco

I'm really fond of shells, fossils, sea weed, sea urchins, stones, twines, seed heads, 

So you can find these all over the house.