where did it go?

Summer is already over.
It just ended, quite abrubtly.
I do love the fall, but it came way too early this year,
I wasn't finished with summer yet...











This was just 3 weeks ago, on our summer island, Stora Kornö.
It's in the archipelago, on the West Coast of Sweden.
The weather was extremely dry and hot for almost two weeks, there was a watershortage on the island and our water pump decided to lay off just then. We went swimming several times a day and washed with salt water soap. Drinking water was fetched in buckets.
Evenings were warm and windless and we brought the grill along. Marshmallows were a must.

happy birthday Mattias!

I gave him a piece of art by textile artist Sara Lechner, whom we both admire so much. He was delighted when he opened the package (I too - I had no idea, didn't want to spoil the surprise). I was so pleased with his joy, he is not an easy man to buy gifts for - no special hobbies, needs or wishes...

Now we just have to decide where to hang this jewel!

morning plunge

The mornings have been lovely these past few days. Later during the day the sky tends to cloud over, so we woke the kids early yesterday and steered our morning dogwalk down to the lake. It was much too cold for Mattias and myself to hop in, so while the kids swam, we sat on the jetty sipping tea and eating bisquits. Asta was totally bored until she discovered the funny playmates in the water...

Lena Olson is a jeweller, and one of my best friends :) she now has a website (at last!)

Midsummer lunch

Midsummer has come and gone, the lightest day of the year is already behind us. The days will get shorter and shorter... :(

Well it doesn't go that fast, luckily. We celebrated a nice, laidback Midsummer, no dancing around the Maypole – the children are not amused of that any more (they never were actually, it was just us parents thinking they should be). We ate the traditional herring and potato lunch out back on our patio. Very nice.

Asta does not behave outside, she runs all over everybodys backyards, wild and crazy. I'm not sure they mind, but I do. I want a well-behaved dog (in my dreams...). We need to put a fence around our garden, but until then, she's jailed in, inside the house. Poor sweet.

violet wednesday

Bookbinding weeks final!

This is the last of the 7 different journals/sketchbooks I've posted in the past week.
These bookbinding projects I've had for a while, half-finished, are now completed. They are all bound in a technique called limp binding; the leather cover is sewn directly on to the bookblock. The bookblock consists of 64 blank, white or cream, pages.

I'm planning an Etsy-shop after the summer holidays. If you're interested in purchasing one before, just send me an email!

cloudy grey tuesday

This is bookbinding weeks sixth day, tomorrow will be the last bookbinding post in this series. This one is as grey as the sky was today...

The facts about this one:

limp binding
grey goat leather
greygreen endpapers
64 blank cream pages
15,5 x 22 cm (6.1 x 8.7 inches)

cherry monday

...bookbinding weeks fifth day... (hope you had a nice weekend!)

This is a cherry red journal suitable for sketching or writing.
Here are the facts:

limp binding (the cover is sewn directly on to the bookblock)
soft red suède cover
black endpapers
64 blank white pages
15,5 x 16,8 cm (6.1 x 6.6 inches)

blue suède friday

Bookbinding week continues on it's fourth day...

limp binding
dark blue goat leather, suède side out
grey endpapers
64 blank cream pages
15,5 x 22 cm (6.1 x 8.7 inches)

Have a nice weekend!

rose thursday

...bookbinding week continues for the third day.

This is a pink journal suitable for sketching or writing. Here are the facts:

limp binding (the cover is sewn directly on to the bookblock)
soft pink suède cover
greygreen endpapers
64 blank white pages
15,5 x 16,8 cm (6.1 x 6.6 inches)

charcoal wednesday

Bookbinding week continues...

Black goat leather
Grey endpapers
64 blank cream pages
15,5 x 22 cm (6.1 x 8.7 inches)

cognac tuesday

Welcome to bookbinding week here at my blog!

Last week I finished binding a bunch of journals. They vary in color and size, but they are all limp bindings (leather cover sewed directly on to the bookblock). The pages are blank, suitable for writing or sketching. I don't have a shop yet, but let me know if you're interested :)

Goat leather
black endpapers
64 white pages
15,5 x 16,8 cm (6.1 x 6.6 inches)

babouschka love

this weeks topic for Illustration Friday is baby.