Thankful Thursday!

I am always happy when I get an award but this one is very special; The Uplifting Blogger Award. designed and given to me by Lolo. I am honored that my name was on her list! Here is what it means: This award goes to fellow bloggers who visit frequently and raise my spirits with their kind words of encouragement, their beautiful images and their wonderful outlook on life. They make blogging a positive experience and continue to make my life richer. Please feel free to pass this award along to your friends. I ask that you do name them but you don't have to link to them. Just stop by their blogs and let them know you've given them this award. Here are my recipients in no particular order. Thanks to all of you who raise me up! xox Lots of my blogfriends were already mentioned but I add these in no particular order: Marja Muktha Diana Melissa Lisa M Griffin Kelly Kim Vic BT Mary and last but not least Emily I think I saw everyone else who is on my blog roll on Lolo's list. Hope I didn't leave anyone out, because you all make blogging fun and an uplifting experience for me!!!! Thanks Lolo! for this beautiful and meaningful award!

Rain!!!!!!

Well it is certainly rain season here......... Gives me time to visit my blogfriends read a book and make some ATC's Have a nice day or night............ Meanwhile in my country an accident disturbed our Queensday. A driver tried to hit the bus with our Royal family and killed 4 people and injured at least 12. What a tragedy!

Animal Wednesday (#10)

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(Sarah, Koekie and Droppie with their summer haircuts) Still in time for Animal Wednesday..... Just arrived in Panama. In Holland it is way past my bedtime, but here the evening has just started.

I have had a long day behind me and I really long to go to sleep.......

We decided that Sarah and Pomme will stay with us permanently. To be locked up there in one small room is a bad idea and my Mom can't really take care of them anymore......... She doesn't ask for them and is happy to see them when she comes over, so I guess it is alright. Sarah spends a lot of time in the garden and Pomme, who hasn't been outside in 10 years enjoys sunny weather outside again. She stays on the terrace where she feels save. She has lost some weight and walks a bit better, so all in all I think it is better to leave them now where they are. (pictures taken earlier this week) Happy Animal Wednesday!

Cactus Monday (#33)

Had no idea what to post for Cactus Monday..... Last week I bought a cactus at the garden centre. A small one, the same which I had as a child. Kind of sentimental journey. It had 5 buds ready to bloom, but now 4 dried up....... What´s this?! I can´t even keep a cactus alive! Looking for something to paint I googled for an image and found this page! In dutch, but you will enjoy the pictures, they are gorgeous. Happy Cactus Monday! Geen idee wat ik moest bloggen vandaag...... Ik had vorige week een cactus bij het tuincentrum gekocht. Een kleine , dezelfde die ik ooit had als een kind, sentimental journey. Hij had 5 knoppen klaar om te bloeien, maar 4 zijn er al totaal opgedroogd........Wat is dit nu?! Kan ik niet eens een cactus in leven houden! Op zoek naar iets om te schilderen kwam ik deze pagina tegen. Met prachtige cactus foto's. Happy Cactus Monday!

Mandala ATC´s

Here is my latest mandala ATC. I have uploaded and updated my ATC´s. You can have a look at all of them on my Flickr page. I followed a link on Fannie's page, who has posted some lovely mandalas today. You have to read her post defining the spirit of Aloha . The link lead me to Michelle (from My life on the XYZ list) who is hosting a mandala ATC swap. I want to join. How about you? Have a mandala weekend! Dit is mijn nieuwste mandala ATC. Ik heb alle laatste ATC's op Flickr gezet. Ik was op bezoek bij Fannie vandaag en zij heeft een leuke post over mandala's;defining the spirit of Aloha , die je moet lezen en bekijken. Daar volgde ik een link via Cheryl naar Michelle. Zij organiseerteen mandala ATC ruil! Ik wil wel mee doen! Jullie ook? Ik wens je een mandala weekend toe!

Gifts from dear friends!

TeeHee!!!! this was my absolute favorite! And now it is mine!

Soulbrush sent me 3 ATC's!!!!

Thanks Soulbrush!

They are fabulous, like you!

I also got a few awards lately:

This one from Yoon See!

Thanks dear!

This wonderful award I got twice;

from Lisa M Griffin

and from Diana

Thanks!!!

this one is from Diana as well

Thank you dear, the appreciation is mutual!

I am just not so good at choosing a few friends from my bloglist and following the rules attached to the awards, so consider yourself nominated! Because I know whoever is reading this right now is a dear friend or a blogvisitor well appreciated!

PS: And Thanks Lolo for this charming award!

Animal Wednesday (#9) / Earth Day 2009

Happy Animal Wednesday!

( ATC April 22 2009)

Happy Earth Day!

Eén dag per jaar staan we stil hoe we bij kunnen dragen aan het mileu en het welzijn van de aarde................

22 april; dag van de aarde

One video makes you happy and filled with hope , the other depressed and afraid of the future......

Choose hope over fear.

Happy Earth Day 2009!

Cactus Monday (#32)

(pre post)

The scientists brought back the cactus (see this post) and exposed me as a fraude.....

Well, it was fun while it lasted.........

Happy Cactus Monday!

Greetings from Nigeria! (I will visit you all Wednesday again)

Cats & or Dogs

This one is for Wednesday challenge, cats and dogs on Diana's Daily Art Stop .

I wanted to create something, but I guess I won't have time anymore.

Tomorrow I have to work and will be back on Tuesday.

But this mandala fits the theme I guess.

I used this mandala in my very first post.

Enjoy your weekend!

Deze mandala is voor het thema van Diana's Daily Art Stop .

I wilde wel iets maken, maar het is er niet van gekomen en morgen ga ik al weer werken.

Ben dinsdag terug!

Deze mandala past wel bij het thema dacht ik.

De mandala van mijn allereerste post!

Geniet van het weekend!

My Mandala

Have a nice weekend!

Prettig weekend!

Paying it Forward!

(ATC made in April)

While visiting Diana's blog (Back to the Drawing Board) I found this wonderful idea of paying it forward....this is all with something creative.....Here's how it works....The first five (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully: 1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get. 2. What I create will be just for you, with love. 3. It’ll be done this year (2009). 4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. Heck, I might bake something for you and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure! 5. I reserve the right to do something strange. 6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post. 7. Send your mailing address - after I contact you. IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own blog to pay this forward. This text was used from http://dianesmixedart.blogspot.com/Have a wonderful day.... Well who wants to play? Who dares...........

Animal Wednesday (#8)

Two old ladies enjoying the sunshine and each others company.

Minoes (at the left) is about 15 years old. I got her from the shelter 6 years ago.

Spook is about 10 years old. I came across an add on the internet 2 years ago, the owners were looking for another home for her because of allergy problems of the kids. I drove to the other side of Holland to get her.

They are such gentle spirits, so different to Sjimmie who is a real cat. Minoes and Spook are Sacred Birmans, I love this breed.

You don´t need to buy cats, a rescue cat is just as sweet. I think there are many advantages in taking a grown up animal, they are housebroken and they don´t destroy so much........

These two ladies have never killed anything in their stay with us.

Sjimmie caught his first mouse this morning and he killed a coot a while ago, he loves to bring worms inside.................

We call him the Black Chicken Murderer!

Sjimmie is fun, but he destroyed 8 leather dining chairs and our curtains (amongst others). It took quite some time before he was housebroken, strange for a cat........... he peed in every basket in the house even in the laundry basket.

If you want a cat, and who doesn´t, they are the most fascinating animals on earth, please visit your local shelter, they even have little black devils like Sjimmie, but wonderful old sweethearts as well!

Happy Animal Wednesday!

My Mandala (#7)

Here it is finished

04/07/1961 (dd/mm/yyyy)

All numbers added up equals 10 (=1)

An unbreakable chain with red hearts.

Want to know your Life Path number and what it means?

En hier is hij af.

04/07/1961

Alle nummers opgeteld geeft 10 (=1)

een onbreekbare band met 10 rode hartjes.

Wil je ook de betekenis van je lotgetal weten ?

Cactus Monday (#31)

Appearances often are deceiving.

~Aesop~

Happy Cactus Monday!

Happy Easter!

(PS: Thanks for all your ideas about the bristol board last week!)

The making of...........

As most of you already know I have painted a mandala for my dear friend Laurel (Studio Lolo)

Here you can see the mandala step by step!

It was a pleasure to paint this one, Laurel has very special numbers in het birthmandala, she has 2 masternumbers. I think it has turned out wonderful but that´s no surprise since Lolo is such a special person , to all of us and to every animal who needs her help.

If you want to read more about the meaning of this mandala please visit Lolo's blog, who made a wonderful post about her mandala.

I have been very busy the last few days and still will be the next 2 days, I have been visiting your blogs but had no time to leave comments, but I will next week or later today........

Have a wonderful Easter Weekend!

Zoals jullie bijna allemaal wel weten heb ik een mandala geschilderd voor mijn lieve vriendin Laurel (from Studio Lolo)

In deze video kun je de mandala stap voor stap zien !

Ik heb met veel plezier gewerkt aan de mandala van Laurel, ze heeft er 2 meestergetallen in. Heel bijzonder, maar dat verbaasde me niet echt, Lolo is een heel bijzonder mens. Voor ons allemaal , maar ook voor alle dieren die haar hulp nodig hebben.

Als je meer wilt weten over de betekenis van haar mandala klik dan hier. Lolo heeft op haar blog een mooie post over haar mandala gemaakt.

Ik heb het nogal druk gehad de laatste dagen en weinig kunnen bloggen, ik heb wel op jullie blogs gekeken, maar geen tijd gehad om commentaar te geven, dat doe ik later vandaag of deze week.......

Een Vrolijk Pasen iedereen!

My Mandala (#6)

The 6th circle: 1 red snake, the Ouroboros ; the snake biting or swallowing its own tail is a powerful symbol of infinity, and also of universal nature, of completion, perfection and totality, the endless round of embodied existence.

It also represented unity born out of the joining of opposites. The snake eats itself and feeds itself simultaneously. It kills itself and rejuvenates itself, moving forward only to return to where it began.

De 6e cirkel; de rode slang, de Ouroboros, een symbool van oneindigheid en vernieuwing.

Have a nice weekend!

Prettig weekend!

My Mandala (#5)

The 5th circle: 6 sea turtles .

I used turtles in the 1st mandala and I thought I would draw cats in this one. But before I knew it I was drawing the turtles again, so I guess the turtles were meant to be.........

I always paint/draw animals in my mandalas and I am so fascinated by all of them.

When I paint them I look up their meaning afterwards. In that way I follow my intuition.

Western cultures have long seen the tortoise as symbolic of patience and wisdom under duress. Aesop’s fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare” is a celebration of the tortoise’s steadfastness in the face of the speedy hare. The turtle’s ability to escape danger by retreating into its shell has made it a powerful symbol of protection, healing, and inner knowledge.

Want to know more about the meaning of turtle? A nice page can be found here.

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KJ asked me some questions about how and when I started painting mandalas and the answers can be found here.

De 5e cirkel: 6 zeeschildpadden.

Die had ik ook in de eerste mandala getekend en deze keer wilde ik katten gebruiken, maar voordat ik er erg in had was ik al weer met de derde schildpad bezig. Het moesten dus toch duidelijk schildpadden zijn.......

Ik schilder altijd een dier in mijn mandalas en ik ben gefascineerd door bijna alle dieren.

Meestal zoek ik naderhand de betekenins op zodat ik me laat leiden door intuitie.

De schildpad is symbool van geduld en wijsheid, iets wat zeker mijn les is in dit leven.

De schildpad kan gevaar ontsnappen door zich terug te trekken in zijn schild en is een krachtig symbool van bescherming genezing en innerlijke wijsheid.

De haas en de schildpad.

My Mandala (#4)

The 4th circle: 9 rainbow colored lotus petals.

The Lotus Flower symbolizes purity and divine birth. The unfolding flower embodies the endless ocean of creation. Because it has buds, blossoms and seed pods simultaneously on the same plant, it represents the past, present and future.

Want to know more about the meaning of Lotus ?

De 4e cirkel: 9 regenboog kleurige lotus blaadjes.

De lotusbloem staat symbool voor de ware ziel van een individu en staat voor puurheid. De Lotus groeit met zijn wortels in de modder via een lange steel door het water naar het licht. Deze wordt ook gezien als de menselijke groei. De mens groeit vanuit een onbewust leven (wortels in de modder) via zijn levenspad (de lange steel) naar het bewustzijn (de geopende lotusbloem). In haar hoogste bloei vertegenwoordigt de Lotus het zuiver spirituele. Het is tevens symbool van schepping.

Meer weten over de Lotus ?

Animal Wednesday (#7)

Just a quick ATC sketch .........

Today we have to continue with the fence, it is not raining.

Yesterday we did the dirty work, now comes the fun part.

Happy Animal Wednesday!

Een snelle ATC.....

Vandaag gaan we verder met het hek, het is gelukkig droog.

Gisteren het vuile werk gedaan, nu komt het leuke deel.

Happy Animal Wednesday!

My Mandala (#3)

The 3th circle: the millennium ring.

A red band filled with a chain of heart without a beginning and end.

The derde cirkel: de millennium ring.

Een rode band met een ketting van hartjes zonder begin en einde.

For Dad 06/04/1928

Cactus Monday (#30)

ATC on bristol board. I saw these ATC cards in Montreal and had no idea what it was so I bought it. Clear it is not meant for watercolor, what I used here....... Does someone know what Bristol Board is used for? Happy Cactus Monday!

My Mandala (#2)

The second circle.

This is my birthmonth, number 7.

I painted a purple star, somehow I love stars for number 7.

De tweede cirkel.

Dit is mijn geboortemaand, nummer 7.

Op de één of andere manier heb ik een voorkeur om voor 7 een ster te kiezen.

More stars?

Heptagram

Meer sterren?

Give Away!

I thought it would be a fun to let Sjimmie do the picking, but Sjimmie thought differently. For one moment he had one paper ball in his mouth.......it was Amelie's

So we called in Minoes, who normally is very interested in paper swabs but no.........

Koekie came to the rescue, but no..........

Come on girls!

Finally I called Felix and Pieter who was here for a sleepover and they got to pick each one.

Pieter picked Soulbrush and Felix Margaret!

So Amelie, Soulbrush and Margeret please visit my Etsy Store and let me know which one I can send you!

My Mandala (#1)

My second try for a birthmandala with my own birthdate.

Here is the first circle.

My day of birth is the 4th, so for this number I chose this (green) "Jade Heaven"

I found this symbol in a new book I got from Germain:"Sacred Symbols: Peoples, Religions, Mysteries" from Robert Adkinson.

When I saw this symbol I knew this would be perfect to use for the number 4.

An ancient coin from China made from Jade.

The circle (heaven) with a square (earth) opening in the middle.

I will show you the mandala step by step............

Mijn tweede poging om een geboortemandala voor mezelf te maken.

Hier is de eerste cirkel.

Mijn geboortedag is de 4e en daar heb ik deze "Jaden Hemel" gekozen.

Ik vond dit symbool in een boek dat ik pas geleden van Germain heb gekregen::"Sacred Symbols: Peoples, Religions, Mysteries" van Robert Adkinson.

Toen ik dit symbool zag wist ik dat het perfect zou zijn om voor het getal vier te gebruiken.

Het is een jaden amulet gemaakt naar het voorbeeld van een munt uit het oude China.

De cirkel (hemel) doorboord door een vierkant (aarde).Ik zal de mandala stap voor stap laten zien..........

Have a nice weekend!

Prettig weekend!

A game

(Montreal by night, picture found on the internet)

A little quirky questionnaire I picked up from Soulbrush:

http://soulbrush.blogspot.com/

Anyone else up for this fun little thing?????

Come on...let me know if you are so I can read your answers!

1. Do you like blue cheese?

NO

2. Have you ever been drunk?

Yes.

3. Do you own a gun?

NO

4. What flavor of Kool Aid is your favourite?

None

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?

No, not really

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I can live without them.....

7. Favorite Christmas movie?

Love Actually

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee

9. Can you do push ups? Yes, but I haven't tried the last 20 years

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

My trollbeads bracelets and necklace.

11. Favorite hobby?

Painting, blogging, renovating my home, tennis.

12. Do you have A.D.D.?

Yes.

13. What's your favorite shoes?

All shoes as long as they don't hurt me. 14. ) What is your middle name?

Anna, just like my favorite cousin!

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment?

Wish I had taken my book with me, or my ATC cards, or didn't went to sleep so early. Now I am awake at 04.00 in the morning..........

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?

Water, coffee and wine.

17. Current worry?

The economy and what the consequences will be for a lot of people. 18. Current hate right now? I never use the word h... I strongly dislike this word, so I guess the answer would be nothing then. 19. Pepsi or coke?

With a little whiskey I can drink both. 20. How did you bring in the New Year?

With DH and kids asleep on the couch and I woke them up 5 minutes before midnight.

21. Where would you like to go?

Tibet, Xian, Thailand and I would like to show my kids Petra one day.

22. Which friends will complete this?

I have no idea, I would say Soul, but she already has.

23. Do you own slippers?

A lot, Nikes are my favorites.

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now?

A violet nightshirt. 5. Do you like sleeping on Satin sheets?

Not all the time.

26. Can you whistle?

Yes.

27. Favorite color?

All. 28. Would you be a good pirate?

I think so.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?

I don't sing in the shower, even I can't stand my own singing. I do sing in the car though......

30. Favorite Girl's Names?

Kitty and Anna

31. Favorite boy's names?

Lars and Felix

32. What's in your pocket right now?

this shirt does have any pockets, but I always have coins in my pockets.

33. Last thing that made you laugh?

Burn after reading. The chase, made me pee in my pants.

34. Best bed sheets as a child?

Flannel. 5. Worst injury you've ever had as a child?

When I had my finger crushed between the teeter-totter.

36. Do you love where you live?

Yes.

37. What did you want to be when you grew up?

I had no idea. 38. Who is your loudest friend?

I do not have any loud friends.

39. How many dogs do you have?

Two, Koekie and Droppie.

40. Does someone have a crush on you?

No.

41.What is your favorite book? Crisis & the Miracle of Love by Mansukh Patel.

42. What is your favorite candy?

Chocolate filled with caramel.

43. Favorite Sports Team ?

None

44. What song do you want played at your funeral?

Whenever I say your name.

Animal Wednesday (#6)

2 statues...... How about the real thing!

Happy Animal Wednesday!