A quick stop in today - just because I wanted to show you the new blanket my mother in law Sevim made.  I love it so much I couldn't wait until after the new year to show you! 

I've put in the shop - you can find it here if you are interested.  That's all from me today - I have been out of action for a few days sick, but after a trip to the doctor yesterday, and my lovely husband Senol staying home to look after Yashar while I slept all day, I'm finally on the mend!  I hope you all have a sparkly New Years Eve!

Verity

xo

Crafty Gatherings: Some crafty ideas to cozy up with over the next week..

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful Christmas and New Year!    Thank you so much to everyone that has stopped by and thank you so much for all your lovely lovely comments.  It means so much to me!    It has been a wonderful year and I am excited about what the next year might hold.  I'll be back after the new year...I might even pop in next week sometime too.  Otherwise, see you in 2011!

Well, it's just about too late for any Christmas making now!   But I hope that you and I both have some relaxing time over the next few days...maybe after Christmas lunch or the next day after eating leftovers!...to take a little time for ourselves to create.  Here are some ideas...

Mitered Baby Blanket -Chocolate a Chuva

Postage Stamp Coasters from Jessica via design*sponge.

Super Easy Baby Blanket - kits from Purl Soho

Lunch Bag Pattern - The Long Thread

Changes in the Light Garden including notebooks!

I have been planning to do this for a loooong time.    Now all the prints in my online shop come already matted and there are also some frame options to choose from in there too!

I had been wanting to change over to all matted, and with some frame options, but hadn't been totally happily with the local framer I had been using.  I'm pretty picky when it comes to framing.  I think it comes from all the times I would go over to my Dad's on weekends and help out with his framing work.    Usually I would cut the mounts, he would make the frames and Senol would cut the glass.  Then Dad and I would often carefully put them all together.  Always with lots of coffee breaks  :)

Finally I found a framer here to work with that had excellent quality workmanship, reasonable prices and had some frames that I thought suited my work.    I think that having them matted just looks more complete.  I also think it makes them more special for gift giving and makes for better display in stores.  Plus I have my new packaging 'ribbon' that sits nicely on it  :)

I have also made up some little notebooks and put them in the shop!   It was so fun to make them up...including stitching the binding!  I'm hoping these will be the beginning of many!

Ok, now I'm off to get working on the next project!  What have you been up to?  Any Christmas or Winter creating?

Making Mondays: Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids

On the weekend we had some of Yashar's playgroup friends over for a little Christmas Craftiness.  It was fun!  I put Christmas music on and then we made some more glittery pinecones (like we did last weekend)  except this time with even more glittery goodness.

And we also made some Clear Sparkly Ornaments and some Paper Christmas Wreaths both of which we learned to do at the lovely toddlerart classes we go to at LOLA.   Yashar loves those classes so much!  If by any chance you live nearby, I definitely recommend going (or if not, finding something similar in your own area) - it really has kindled Yashar's creativity. 

To make the Clear Sparkly Ornaments:

1. The night before I cut out large rectangles from contact (about 10 x 20cm).  I also cut out small pieces of coloured foil wrapping paper, cut out some snow flakes from a Christmas card from last year, punched heart shapes out of coloured paper from magazines and punched holes out of the coloured foil wrapping paper too.    You could also use sequins etc. 

2.  On the day, I gave each of the kids a contact rectangle (Mum's helped to peel off the backing)  Then the kids arranged some of the various bits and pieces over the sticky side of the contact. 

3.  Once they were finished we folded the sticky sides of the contact together (to make a square).  Then I quickly punched a hole in each and tied some ribbon on it, ready for hanging!

To make the Paper Christmas Wreaths:

1. The night before I cut out 'cardboard donut' shapes (about 20cm wide - you could use any small plates you have as a template - an perhaps a glass for the centre if you like).  I punched a hole in the top of each and tied some ribbon on the top of each.  I also cut out some simple leaf shapes from some wrapping paper, silver foil wrapping paper and some red velvet.  (about 15 leaf shapes total per child - plus some extras just in case)

2.  On the day I put a cardboard donut out for each of the kids and Mum's helped them spread some PVA glue all over one side.  I shared out the leaves and the kids arranged them on the wreaths.

I love how these turned out!!

I hope you're all having a lovely time in preparation for the festive season!

Collaboration with Treehouse! Turkce alisveris icin Treehouse ile isbirligi!

Some exciting news today!   I'm now working in collaboration with what I think is the most unique, interesting and beautiful children's shop in Istanbul!   If you haven't come across it, you should definitely take a look at Treehouse.  It is in Kemerburgaz and you can also shop online here (all of the shop images in this post are from their website).

Please scroll to the bottom for some information in Turkish - since one of the things I'm so excited about is that you can now shop online for my work in Turkish!  Sorry - it's not a direct translation of this post...my Turkish isn't that good!   Asagida sizlere Turkce yazmaya calistim- cunku artik sizlerinde  internet uzerinden alisveris  yapacaginiz Turkce sitesi oldugu icin cok heycanliyim!  Ozurdilerim, herseyi Turkce ceviremedim ve de anlatamadim - Turkcem okadar iyi degil  :(

My cards and a small number of prints are in store now and you can also buy a wide range of prints that can be personalised and/or framed from the Treehouse online shop.  We thought it would be perfect for people looking for a unique and personal gift this year.   If you are in Turkey, you can order them through the site up until the 20th for delivery before Christmas, and up until the 27th for delivery before New Year.  

Apart from my cards and prints, you can also buy a perfectly curated selection of high quality imported toys, furniture, bedding and clothes...including items from Dwell Studio, the gorgeous bla bla dolls and lots of other things you won't be able to resist.   I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be working with them.  Especially because of their committment both to social programs and the environment.  If you are interested, you can read more about that here. 

A little in Turkish:

Bugun heyecanli bir haber vermek istiyorum! Simdi Istanbul’un en guzel, en ilginc cocuk dukkaniyla calismaya basladim. Eger simdiye kadar gormediyseniz lutfen Treehouse’in web sitesine bakiniz. Isterseniz online alisveriste yapabilirsiniz. Asagida Treehouse tarafindan yazilan aciklamayi sizler ile paylasmak isterim:

"Hala o en güzel hediyeyi mi arıyorsunuz? Hem de herşeyinin olduğunu düşündüğünüz birisi için mi?

Onları düşündüğünüzü bileceği bir hediye mi arıyorsunuz? Treehouse listenizdeki herkes için sizlere bu konuda yardımcı olabilir!!!

Sizlere Verity Heysen-Kizek tarafından hazırlanan "The Light Garden" markasını tanıtmaktan mutluluk duyarız. Bizler, bir araya gelerek sizlere bu Noel ve yeni yıl arifesinde; çevre dostu tebrik kartları ve resimlerden oluşan özel bir koleysiyonu sunuyoruz. Resimleri isteğinize göre kişiselleştirilebilir, hediye olarak çerçeveletebilrsiniz.

20 Aralık Pazartesi'ne kadar siparişinizi verirseniz, Noel öncesi teslimatlarınız sizlere ücretsiz olarak ulaşır. Ayrıca 27 Aralık Pazartesi'ne kadar sipariş verirseniz de, Yeni yıl öncesi hediye paketli olarak teslimatınız ücretsiz olarak sizlere ulaşır. "

I hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

Verity

Cute!! Felt animals from Central Asia

Seriously, where has the time been going?   I feel like I have been running around doing so much...but what have I got to show you...hmm nothing much at the moment!   Lots of things that are in the works...and lots of not as exciting things, like updating the images for the shop, and the wholesale pages.

But I did manage to buy some of these adorable felt animals!    That mouse looks like it is whispering something cute to the horse.  They are from a lovely business called Tribal Arts, here in Istanbul.  They have a shop in the grand bazaar, but I bought these at a stall they had at a fundraiser at one of the colleges here.    They also have a website here.

They are handmade by women in central asia using eco friendly materials and are so cute!  I'm hoping to add to the collection each year.   Yashar picked out a lot of these.  I especially like the camel he picked out when the owner told him he could pick one as a present.    The hand work is so beautiful.

Making Mondays (ahhh Thursdays): Quick Christmas Crafts for Toddlers

**edit - oooh I forgot to mention that tomorrow (the 10th) is the last day to order from the shop to ensure your package arrives before Christmas - (December 16 for within Europe and December 20 for within Turkey.)**

Well, I'm sure I started writing this on Monday...anyway, it's about time I had some more things to make with toddlers on here!  These are some very quick and fun Christmas decorations that Yashar and I made on the spur of the moment over the weekend.

On our way out on Saturday we saw these interesting shaped pinecones had blown down in all the windy weather we've been having.  We brought them in and they dried out a little.  Then, with some inspiration from the pinecones we made last year and the pinecones over at Maya*Made.  We painted ours with a little white paint and sprinkled lots of glitter on them.    Yashar and I LOVE glitter!  So pretty and fun  :)

Then on Sunday we made some little heart shaped decorations.  This straw came with the eggs we bought from the market this week...and my husband knows me well...asking if I wanted to use it for an art project before he threw it out!  This is how we made them:

1.  I cut out two larger shaped hearts and two smaller hearts out of some white card.

2.  Yashar was then in charge of putting glue, using a glue stick, all over the two bigger hearts.

3.  Then we set them on a piece of paper and Yashar piled up some straw on each of them (he was very excited about that!)  Then we pressed the little heaps of straw down a little to make sure enough of it had stuck down.

4.  Next, Yashar put glue all over the smaller hearts and we put them on a piece of paper.  Then he shook plenty of glitter on them.

5.  We shook all the hearts a little to get any loose pieces off then I stuck the smaller heart to the middle of the larger heart using double sided tape.

6.  Then I punched a hole in the top of each, put a little ribbon on them.  Finito!

Chest of Drawers: Before and After

I bought this set of drawers at a local second hand place because I liked the size of the drawers - long and thin - to store lots of papers and prints in my studio.  But apart from the size of drawers they were pretty nasty!  Lots of missing handles and those that were there were not pretty, and lots of tape stuck over the front.

So I gave then a good clean, removing the sticky tape and all the remaining knobs.    I took all the drawers out and stood them upright on newspaper and painted them with a white enamel paint.  Having them upright meant I could paint them with good thick coats while still getting a nice smooth finish (no drip lines).   I gave them two coats (with a couple of days to dry in between).     I managed to get these pretty handles on sale at Zara Home - yay!    I went to put one of them on after letting the paint dry for a day but realised the paint wasn't totally dry...ooops!  So I left it a couple more days before putting the rest on.  I left the outside as it was and I really like how it framed the white drawers.

I was so happy with how it turned out...and with how many of my things fit in them....

The Bazaar went really well  :)   And it was great to meet so many lovely people that were really encouraging about my work!  Thank you!    But...I can't believe I forgot my camera ...so no photos.  I was disappointed about that because I was so happy with how it all came together.  Oh well!  And I am way behind on my emails!  So sorry to everyone I haven't got back to yet - I will as soon as I possibly can.

Ooh!  And my new cards were featured on Print & Pattern today!  Yay!  Thank you so much Print & Pattern!

IWI Christmas Bazaar Tomorrow!

I will be having a table at the Christmas Bazaar tomorrow at the Hilton Hotel Convention Centre in Istanbul!  We had a great time there last year.  You can see a few photos in my post about it last year here.

It is open from 12 to 4 and the organisers net proceeds go to IWI charities.  They also have a raffle there with the most amazing prizes!!  I will definitely be getting some tickets.

Sorry for the late notice, but if you have a chance I'd love to see you, so come and say hello :)

And I'm hoping after that things will get back to normal around here...phew!

New Prints and Crafty Gatherings

I have added a couple of new prints to the shop!   (and don't forget...today is the last day for the blog reader discount - details here)

And Christmas is well on its way!  We have already made a few little things in Yashar art class to decoate the house with - so cute!  So I thought it would be a good time to share some gorgeous to make for this time of year that I have come across in my searching  :)

Vintage Inspired Arrow Decor  - Danielle Thompson

I thought these would make such a cute gift! Perfect for a boys room!...um ok, if they were in Yashar's room they would definitely have to be kept out of reach! 

Lovely Forest Quilt - the Purl Bee - pattern from Sharilyn Wright

Scandinavian Style Felt Bird Ornaments - Kits from PurlSoho

Cranberry Citrus Walnut Bread - Poppytalk (recipe adpated from ReadyMade) -  This looks delicious!!

Memories of ...

Late last week Senol's grandmother passed away.  So everyone is a bit emotional and exhausted around here.    Last weekend, Senol, along with many other family members took her back to Sinop for her funeral.  In a small village near Sinop is where she spent most of her life - Senol's family village.  Basically a few houses in the middle of beautiful forest.   She didn't know how old she was, but knew that she was alive when Turkey became a republic, which was 1923.     Since Senol's Uncle (her son) died 3 months ago, she was never the same.  She passed away surrounded by loving family.

She liked to look out of the window, watching the world go by - and especially liked visits to our place, where she could watch the ships sailing past.  We didn't talk that much, Grandma and I - with my accented Turkish, her hard of hearing and speaking Turkish peppered with Georgian it was an uphill battle!  But I remember her when we first met, squeezing my hand so tightly and giving me a look that I knew was kind hearted and meant 'you are welcome here.'  Once she told me about one of her children - they all went out together to a wedding together and when they got home her child died and they didn't know why.  More often she would tell me about when she was young, how she loved to ride horses and pick the chestnuts from the trees.    We'll miss her a lot, but we know that she is at peace now.

Beautiful Blanket, Blog Readers Special Deal and a Bloesem mention!

Lot's of Bs in that title!  Totally unplanned...and totally unpoetic!  Oh well...  thank you all so much for your lovely messages about my new cards and tags and for Yashar's birthday.  That was awesome of you!   And I also hope that everyone celebrating Kurban Bayrami has had a wonderful week with family and friends.  Iyi Bayramlar!

  
This blog means a lot to me and I appreciate that so many of you stop by to read.  You guys are the best  :) So... a little thank you - I'm having a special secret discount for blog readers only. It will only run for the next 5 days (finishes midnight Wednesday November 24), so now is the time to get your Christmas shopping organised early!  If you purchase any item from the Light Garden online shop, you can use the code 'blogreader' in the 'shop coupon code' section to get 10% off from your purchase (excluding shipping) and you will also get some extra little goodies in your package.  Click here if you need help on how to use the code.    Yay!  Christmas time is on the way...my favourite time of year! 

And this is another amazing blanket made by my mother in law Sevim.  I love the colour combinations in this one!  I'm off to put it in the shop soon ...so it should be available there shortly.

And I was so excited when I found out about this!  My deer card was featured on the beautiful blog Bloesem in a post about '36 Papergoods ideas to give' !  Yeee!  You can see a peek of it there on the top left... 

Hope you all have a great weekend!