Selasa, 07 April 2009

Spending 1.50 euro and having a perfect time!

Last Saturday I went here:
afgelopen zaterdag was ik hier: klik op de foto!


That enormous 18th century house along the canal once belonged to banker Simon van Gijn (1836-1922), who was a collector all of his life and decided that all his collections should stay together here in his house after his death. It now is 'Museum aan huis', that means something like museum in ones' house, like shopkeepers used to have shops in their houses.

This museum has bought the house next to it too. Here is the entrance and also a tearoom and a museumshop. So the house is kept like it was. When I was touring Dordrecht to see the behangsels, we went here too and I happened to see this showcase in the entrance:



To announce this exhibition:
Om deze tentoonstelling te zien:


Vergeet me niet = Forget me not= Don't forget me
an exhibition about mourning and remembrance.
So last weekend was the last chance to visit this exhibition. I went there, this happened to be museum weekend when you don't have to pay to get in. :-)
I love these kind of surprises.

The rooms in the house are still decorated the same way as Simon van Gijn has decorated them, but now there were additional items. A lot of rooms were filled with all kind of objects that were related to death, to mourning and to remembrance. Like mourning costumes, mourning letters and so on.
Of course it was not allowed to take photos in the museum.

But your reporter is a clever girl (a little more modesty would suit me fine...):
I cut out some images of the brochure and of the poster, kindly given to me by two doorkeepers and they gave me permission to take a photo of the showcase as well, as it's not in the museum but in the entrance, so in the house next door!

Ik mocht natuurlijk geen foto's maken, maar dat heeft uw reporter als volgt opgelost: ik heb wat uit de folder en de poster geknipt en dat opgeplakt:
rouwtrouwjurk of trouwrouwjurk:


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis

There were mourning costumes on dress forms as well as photos of mourning costumes.
Like this bride and groom in mourning, second half 19th century.


Collection Jans Brands rouwservies

There were special mourning tea sets and coffee sets. All black of course, I didn't know that something like these existed. This particular tea set was not in the museum, I found this on the internet in the collection of Jans Brands.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis rouwbroche

There was a lot of jewelry, like this brooch, with the typical symbolism of death; the grave, a willow, the skull. Too bad I couldn't take a photo of the lead collar. People in mourning used to wear this, to symbolize or perhaps better said to materialize the heavy burden that was resting on their shoulders.
Of course there was a time table in mourning too. The lead collar was changed for a lighter one as time passed.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
moderne armband 'In Memoriam I' Constanze Schreiber (2006)

There was modern jewelry too;
This silver electroformed bracelet 'In memoriam I' made by Constanze Schreiber in 2006.

and this one:


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
pinkring, vermoedelijk samengesteld uit verschillende geërfde sieraden. Zo kun je van meerdere dingen die je niet mooi vindt één ding laten maken dat je wel mooi vindt (vermoed ik). Trude Verdegaal 1995 zt.

A ring designed and made by Trude Verdegaal in 1995.
This one specially appealed to me. I once met a gold smith who made special objects of all sorts of jewelry pieces together. Sometimes you inherit a piece that just isn't you.
It would be nice to make something that is you and still has something of the original piece.
I presume that this is a piece like that.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
Krans van haarwerk. Zo waren er nogal wat snoeren gemaakt van haar, zeer kunstig, maar ook wat bizar, hoewel je de mogelijkheid tegenwoordig om as in een sieraad te laten doen net zo bizar zou kunnen noemen.

And there was a lot of jewelry made out of hair. There were ropes made out of hair that were meant to be used as a watch chain, which seem to be odd, but perhaps not much more peculiar than the possibility of putting the ashes of a beloved one in a charm.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis foto van overleden kind.

My blogging pal Stacey of Flotsam and Jetsam has a very interesting post about cemeteries. And she mentions this too. This is a photo of a mother with her deceased child. Tragic of course, but I think I would like to have one photo of my deceased child too. Zur Erinnerung is German for 'in remembrance'.

No, I don't have a special preoccupation with death and mourning, on the contrary. Though unfortunately it is part of life. This is the object that was in the showcase that made want to visit the exhibition:


Dit was de reden voor mijn komst; een rouwboeket gemaakt van visite kaartjes van condoleance bezoek.
Dit inspireert mij.

(click for more details)
This is a mourning bouquet. It is partly made of the calling cards of those people who came by to pay their respect. I love it! These are the things that inspire me. I want to make something like this out of ephemera. There was a wreath like this inside the museum too.

If you ever visit Dordrecht do visit this museum.
Just click on the first photo to visit the website and to see the address.
I will make another post of the museum in due time.


Na het museum bezoek, dat gratis bleek te zijn tijdens het museumweekend, toch natuurlijk nog even bij Pandora binnen en ik kocht dit geweldige boek uit de jaren '70 voor 1,50!
Biking back to my home, I popped in at Pandora's where I found this book:
Nederlands Familiealbum = Dutch Family Album.
It dates from the nostalgic wave in the 1970ties, when I caught the bug.

170 pages filled with these:

170 pagina's met dit soort foto's. Ik was helemaal gelukkig!
I paid 1,50, that even makes it better!
I think I'll post some photos from this book in due time too.
So stay tuned!
Thanks for giving so many nice compliments in the previous post, unfortunately the studio doesn't stay that way :-(.
Thanks for visiting me,

xoxo LiLi M.

Bedankt voor je bezoek en de complimenten voor LiLi's ateliertje, het blijft niet lang zo hoor dames. Een bezoek aan het museum Simon van Gijn, museum aan huis is een absolute aanrader. Waarom? Ik zal daar nog eens een post aan wijden. Ook zal ik nog eens wat foto's uit dat boek plaatsen. Mmm voor de Pip kamer zal gewoon geen tijd meer zijn. ;-)
Tot ziens, xoxo LiLi M.

Spending 1.50 euro and having a perfect time!

Last Saturday I went here:
afgelopen zaterdag was ik hier: klik op de foto!


That enormous 18th century house along the canal once belonged to banker Simon van Gijn (1836-1922), who was a collector all of his life and decided that all his collections should stay together here in his house after his death. It now is 'Museum aan huis', that means something like museum in ones' house, like shopkeepers used to have shops in their houses.

This museum has bought the house next to it too. Here is the entrance and also a tearoom and a museumshop. So the house is kept like it was. When I was touring Dordrecht to see the behangsels, we went here too and I happened to see this showcase in the entrance:



To announce this exhibition:
Om deze tentoonstelling te zien:


Vergeet me niet = Forget me not= Don't forget me
an exhibition about mourning and remembrance.
So last weekend was the last chance to visit this exhibition. I went there, this happened to be museum weekend when you don't have to pay to get in. :-)
I love these kind of surprises.

The rooms in the house are still decorated the same way as Simon van Gijn has decorated them, but now there were additional items. A lot of rooms were filled with all kind of objects that were related to death, to mourning and to remembrance. Like mourning costumes, mourning letters and so on.
Of course it was not allowed to take photos in the museum.

But your reporter is a clever girl (a little more modesty would suit me fine...):
I cut out some images of the brochure and of the poster, kindly given to me by two doorkeepers and they gave me permission to take a photo of the showcase as well, as it's not in the museum but in the entrance, so in the house next door!

Ik mocht natuurlijk geen foto's maken, maar dat heeft uw reporter als volgt opgelost: ik heb wat uit de folder en de poster geknipt en dat opgeplakt:
rouwtrouwjurk of trouwrouwjurk:


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis

There were mourning costumes on dress forms as well as photos of mourning costumes.
Like this bride and groom in mourning, second half 19th century.


Collection Jans Brands rouwservies

There were special mourning tea sets and coffee sets. All black of course, I didn't know that something like these existed. This particular tea set was not in the museum, I found this on the internet in the collection of Jans Brands.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis rouwbroche

There was a lot of jewelry, like this brooch, with the typical symbolism of death; the grave, a willow, the skull. Too bad I couldn't take a photo of the lead collar. People in mourning used to wear this, to symbolize or perhaps better said to materialize the heavy burden that was resting on their shoulders.
Of course there was a time table in mourning too. The lead collar was changed for a lighter one as time passed.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
moderne armband 'In Memoriam I' Constanze Schreiber (2006)

There was modern jewelry too;
This silver electroformed bracelet 'In memoriam I' made by Constanze Schreiber in 2006.

and this one:


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
pinkring, vermoedelijk samengesteld uit verschillende geërfde sieraden. Zo kun je van meerdere dingen die je niet mooi vindt één ding laten maken dat je wel mooi vindt (vermoed ik). Trude Verdegaal 1995 zt.

A ring designed and made by Trude Verdegaal in 1995.
This one specially appealed to me. I once met a gold smith who made special objects of all sorts of jewelry pieces together. Sometimes you inherit a piece that just isn't you.
It would be nice to make something that is you and still has something of the original piece.
I presume that this is a piece like that.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis
Krans van haarwerk. Zo waren er nogal wat snoeren gemaakt van haar, zeer kunstig, maar ook wat bizar, hoewel je de mogelijkheid tegenwoordig om as in een sieraad te laten doen net zo bizar zou kunnen noemen.

And there was a lot of jewelry made out of hair. There were ropes made out of hair that were meant to be used as a watch chain, which seem to be odd, but perhaps not much more peculiar than the possibility of putting the ashes of a beloved one in a charm.


photo courtesy Simon van Gijn museum aan huis foto van overleden kind.

My blogging pal Stacey of Flotsam and Jetsam has a very interesting post about cemeteries. And she mentions this too. This is a photo of a mother with her deceased child. Tragic of course, but I think I would like to have one photo of my deceased child too. Zur Erinnerung is German for 'in remembrance'.

No, I don't have a special preoccupation with death and mourning, on the contrary. Though unfortunately it is part of life. This is the object that was in the showcase that made want to visit the exhibition:


Dit was de reden voor mijn komst; een rouwboeket gemaakt van visite kaartjes van condoleance bezoek.
Dit inspireert mij.

(click for more details)
This is a mourning bouquet. It is partly made of the calling cards of those people who came by to pay their respect. I love it! These are the things that inspire me. I want to make something like this out of ephemera. There was a wreath like this inside the museum too.

If you ever visit Dordrecht do visit this museum.
Just click on the first photo to visit the website and to see the address.
I will make another post of the museum in due time.


Na het museum bezoek, dat gratis bleek te zijn tijdens het museumweekend, toch natuurlijk nog even bij Pandora binnen en ik kocht dit geweldige boek uit de jaren '70 voor 1,50!
Biking back to my home, I popped in at Pandora's where I found this book:
Nederlands Familiealbum = Dutch Family Album.
It dates from the nostalgic wave in the 1970ties, when I caught the bug.

170 pages filled with these:

170 pagina's met dit soort foto's. Ik was helemaal gelukkig!
I paid 1,50, that even makes it better!
I think I'll post some photos from this book in due time too.
So stay tuned!
Thanks for giving so many nice compliments in the previous post, unfortunately the studio doesn't stay that way :-(.
Thanks for visiting me,

xoxo LiLi M.

Bedankt voor je bezoek en de complimenten voor LiLi's ateliertje, het blijft niet lang zo hoor dames. Een bezoek aan het museum Simon van Gijn, museum aan huis is een absolute aanrader. Waarom? Ik zal daar nog eens een post aan wijden. Ook zal ik nog eens wat foto's uit dat boek plaatsen. Mmm voor de Pip kamer zal gewoon geen tijd meer zijn. ;-)
Tot ziens, xoxo LiLi M.

Kamis, 02 April 2009

Studio tour!

Hello everybody, Hoi allemaal!

I hope you are all enjoying spring, we are having some marvelous days over here. If you are inside your house already you probably want to join me on a little studio tour.

This is where the spring cleaning has been done already. I forgot to take 'before photos', which isn't too bad, as I still had my 'before' photos of last year.
Come on let's start:

Iedereen klaar voor een kleine rondleiding na de voorjaarsschoonmaak in mijn kleine atelier?



Het begon zo, voordat ik aan een uitdaging meedeed ergens in mei 2008, bleef het gewoon nooit opgeruimd.

This is my little studio BEFORE anything happened. The problem was that how hard I tried it was never tidy. Main problem; too much stuff , secondary problem I couldn't find anything because things just didn't have a place of their own. So I joined a challenge. Reorganizing your study in a couple of weeks, last year.


Ik wilde opruimen maar:
geen plastic kratten in het zicht

Apart from reorganizing, I had my own goals:

* I didn't want to use any plastic containers (visible).
* I didn't want to buy anything new.
As there were more than enough high potentials living in the basement, waiting for a second life.

*This room is small but rather high, so I wanted to use that space:

en ook wilde ik niets nieuws kopen en
van de hoogte gebruik gaan maken.



The cupboard above the desk is a former mail divider from the post office in Vlaardingen, bought just before the challenge, with the intention to hang it up here.



desktop before...I only need a couple of square inches to work...



The sewing machine is next to the desk now, in front of the ladder, which I thought I was going to need in this room because of its height.



After a year the ladder has evolved into a display. I'm standing on my desk to reach the top shelf.
De ladder was eigenlijk bedoeld om ook bij de hoge planken te kunnen komen, maar na een jaar blijkt hij meer dienst te doen als bijzet tafel en ga ik gewoon op mijn bureau staan als ik de hoogte in moet.

ladder voordat...
I originally had only a couple of weeks to reorganize, so I decided not to paint everything, though some items couldn't escape a make over.



Like this too.






I wanted little knick knacks that inspire me in sight and not in boxes or cupboards.



Of course little LiLi M. the dress form doubles as a mood board.



Another of my main goals was to be able to find everything back again.
So I did quite a lot of labeling.
Omdat ik nooit wist waar ik nou precies iets gelaten had heb ik heel veel gelabeld.
Dan hoef je niet iedere keer al die koffers uit te pakken.



Now we are turning to the left. Here the 'before' left!



This corner was already a project done some months earlier, so tidying up would do over here.
But the gathering of buttons just goes on;



I am having much more filled jars than last June.



Now we are turning to the other side BEFORE.
The same mess over here.



I did a lot of labeling over here too. Hubby spray painted the office document cupboard white.


Deze dozen beplakte ik in 1985-1986 met behangpapier van de Hema. Grappig dat ze nu met vintage behang beplakt zijn!
I made these boxes around 1985-86, and used wallpaper bought at the Hema back then in the good old days, when they used to sell a lot of knitting wool and patterns over there too. I still like them a lot! Of course I had to change the labels.



Naturally I had to use the height at this side too. The rack above the cupboard started its life as a shelf, but I put all different kind of hooks on it, to hang things, but to be honest it is still too high to change often. The poodle was made by my daughter and me for a contest of the 'Bijenkorf', our most prestigious department store.



The shelf before, without the hooks.


Het enige dat ik vond waarvan ik niet meer wist dat ik het had!
Oude kinderbehangborders uit Duitsland.

One of the questions in the challenge was: did you find anything again?
Well, the problem with me is not that I don't know exactly what I have, the problem is where to find it. But I completely forgot these; 1920 children's wallpaper borders from Germany, still in the envelope, so I knew that I bought them on Ebay in 2004.



I have a revamped letter tray on this side. When the challenge ended officially (but the host wasn't ready and everything was postponed, postponed again and somehow I never heard from her again) this letter tray was still standing as I needed hubby to assist me to hang it to the wall.
Almost a year later, I filled the tray, but it is still standing. Without a challenge I don't feel any pressure.



As this one, still standing on the cupboard.



The corner when I just finished the room summer 2008.



The same corner after spring cleaning 2009.

My fabrics are kept in the basement in plastic containers, as well as the paints and the brushes.
This room has the potential of staying tidy, but I would need a little more space to keep projects that I am working on. We have a very large basement but I'd rather work here next to the television and computer room. Even when it is way smaller, it's more convenient to me to stay close with my family. Popping in and out of the family room while I'm working, I just love that.

Are you still there? I do hope you did enjoy this little tour. You thought it was to distract you from the Pip room, that probably isn't finished yet? Yes of course you are right!
Talk to you later!

xoxo LiLi M.

Ben je er nog? Wat dacht je: dit is zeker om ons af te leiden van die Pipkamer?
Ja natuurlijk! hahaha, tot de volgende keer, kus LiLi M.