Tuesday 3 September 2013

belgium and crafts

I was supposed to write about customisation and up cycling but as I took a wee holiday break, I'd like to bring up how I spent my time in Belgium.
I went back to Belgium to spend some time with my family and friends. I took advanyage this opportunity to bring some stuff back: 15 kilos of books, paper, stamps, eyelets and other crafty bits. When I was not seeing a friend or my family, I plunged into my crafty world.  Even on holiday I have to keep my hands busy crafting. I made a few cards, some sketches for future realisations and I jotted down some ideas for my notebook collection (soon to come). I also put down on paper a sort of (business) plan defining how I want to turn my craft into a business activity (might take a while to realise though :-) but I'll sure share this later on).




While commuting from one friend to another, I made some stops in a few craft supply shops I used to go to when I was living in Belgium. Unfortunately due to the weak economy some gorgeous independant shops with lovely owners have closed down.  The big stores have remained, some have even expanded their business, offering huge diversity in craft materials. They also expanded their activities by running workshops from basic to more advanced knowledge for both children and adults.
Big craft stores in Brussels and Wallonia:
- Schleiper
- Creacorner
While having a look at the new trends, I was happily surprised to see that Doodles and Zentangles have reached the european continent and are getting more attention. I have been doodling for as long as I can hold a pen in my hand (like most children do!) and I still doodle as a final touch to add text, a border... Over the past few years Doodles and Zentangles have reached another level; it is no longer used as adding touch but as a design in itself. Some artists really developed the technique to its best and offer original designs/drawings with beautiful details.
Some examples and interesting links here:
www.creativebloq.com/illustration/doodle-art-912775
www.zentangle.com
www.tanglepatterns.com/zentangles

I hope this gets you inspired to grab a pen a start doodling :-)

The next post will be dedicated to customisation and up cycling.

Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message.

No comments:

Post a Comment