Eén vierkante meter

What can you do with one square meter? That's what the title means, 1 m² in Dutch and it a new concept for a different way of bringing arts and crafts to a larger public.

logo by Karen Vandelaer

Mitsy from Artmind and I co-organise this event. We had talked about organising something together well over a year ago and let it simmer for a while, until Mitsy came back with this concept. We refined it and are now looking to fill the wonderful space we found with all sorts of people who have a passion for arts and crafts in the broadest sense. 

So what can one do with just 1m², therein lies the challenge to be as creative as possible with this minimal space. We hope to find people who will sell there work, but not only those. We do hope even more to find people who want first of all to demonstrate their passion in a different way from just another booth at a fair. We love to meet musicians, artists, writers, cooks, backers, gardeners, masseurs, fruit growers, juice makers, beer brewers,  crafters, in short people who work with their hands, with passion and possess a skill which is unique to them. Most of all we are keeping it small to give everybody a change. Not everyone, especially when you're just starting out, can fill the usual stands of several meters. So a challenge for established artists to work with just 1m² and the freedom for newbies; not be scared by the size ;-) 

Has this inspired you please contact us at eenvierkantemeter{@}gmail.com or follow us on facebook, twitter or read our blog.

Last but not least, it takes place in Hasselt, Belgium on the 22nd of April 2012 from 10am to 5pm. Hope to meet you there either as a participant or as a visitor!

Reblogged: zsazsazsu: The Lolly pop-up store in Antwerpen !

You find the original blogpost here. A big thanks to Sandra for writing this wonderful post and I'm happy to share and spread the word. I went there last Tuesday too to fill up my shelf-space, Sandra had been there before me and her work looks tempting as ever, not to mention the work of others slowly pooring in. It will be well worth a visit, ideal to get a Valentine's gift or any other :) and there will be free beer, Belgium beer!

The Lolly pop-up store in Antwerpen !

Last Tuesday I went to Antwerpen to fill the shelfs I have rented at the Lolly Pop-up store.  .

A cute little shop right in the center of Antwerpen.  Not all shelves were filled yet, but

by tomorrow, all will be in as it is Grand Opening for the press and

for the public on Saturday.

A shop filled with original handmade items. Most of the participants do have an etsy-shop too.

A big 'thank you' to An and Heidi for making this possible !

You can read all about this shop coming to life on

their FB page.

Hope you will share this message and get us the all the publicity we can get to make this into a big succes !

Have a look inside with me

How to get there : click here

Sweet Saturday - Grown Up Chocolate Mousse

With my inlaws I'm rahther famous for my chocolate mousse, so I was asked to make the dessert for Christmas dinner, than I made my regular one. For new years eve, it was just hubby and me and wanted something more, so I made this chocolate mousse with some pimento in it and we really liked it.

Ingredients:
40 gr of dark chocolate with pimento
60 gr of dark chocolate
100ml of cream
1 egg
2 table spoons of icing sugar
2 table spoons of sugar

Melt the chocolate Au-Bain-Marie.

Separate the egg white and the egg yolk. Beat the yolk with 1 table spoon of icing sugar till, the mixture is lighter in colour. Mix this mix with the molten chocolate.

Beat the egg white with 1 table spoon of icing sugar till it's really stiff. Fold this mixture in with the chocolate mixture. You need to fold it, to keep as much air in as possible.

Beat the cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar, until stiff, than fold under the chocolate mixture.

Divide into individual servings and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

This makes enough for 4 portions.

The new tree pimento chocolate which I used also has flax seeds in it, which adds to the texture.

And so sorry no picture of the result, perhaps that's proof of how nice it was, gone in a jiffy ;-)

Mini Donkeys

In this Christmas break we have been house hunting again.  We want a house with a bit of land cause we want to keep some animals; our cats of course and some chickens, but also some mini-donkeys. We read about them on the internet, but one has to see them in real before making such an important decision. So today we visited Falcoo Farm in Damme near Bruges were they breed mini-donkeys.

They have 34 mini-donkeys, from grey to dark chocolate brown and all as cute and fluffy. 

They are when fully grown only 75-82cm tall, so about as high as your hip. They love to be cuddled.

 They have such a sweet character, so now we're sure; 

we would love to have 2 someday ourselves. 

Decemberwinkel 2011

Today this years edition of the Decemberwinkel opened it's doors. It's the second year I participate and it's the 3th edition. It always somewhere in the area of Kalmthout, this time in the village Heide, north of Antwerp and not far from the Dutch border.  I took some pictures so you can have a sneak in the shop, but I do hope you will go and see for yourself if you have the opportunity. There really is something for everyone, perfect place to do some Christmas shopping.

All info, links to artists websites, opening hours, map of  location, go to the Decemberwinkel website.

Secret Santa 2011

There was a knock on the door this morning, it was the postman, he had a parcel for me :-) 

Always nice to receive parcels, especially if you don't know who they're from or what it is. I guessed it would be from my Secret Santa Swap partner and it was :-)  

For those who wonder what a Secret Santa Swap is; it is organised among the members by the Etsy European Street Team, who can sign up to send and receive a gift. You than receive the info about the person whom to send a gift too. And you receive a gift from another member.

This tumbled from the parcel:

A lovely postcard with sweet Christmas wishes, some nice chocolate and marzipan and last but not least a lovely handmade bag.

The bag has all these tiny pockets for organising ones jewellery.

Curious who send me this gift? It was send to me by Isodora, Eloise and Maria Angeles, who run this wonderful etsy shop. A big thanks to them for this nice surprise!

Sweet Saturday - Soda Bread

Soda bread is so easy to make and nice with some (salted) butter, honey or cheese. I learned about it and bought it often when I lived in Ireland. It takes less than 40 minutes including baking.

Ingredients:
450gr of plain flour
1 teaspoon of soda (sodium-bi-carbonate)
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
400ml buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 190°C and butter a tin.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, add the buttermilk and mix until you have a moist dough.
Transfer the dough to the tin and bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
To double check if it's ready, it should sounds hollow when you tab it.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!