tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:20:05 +0000everyday lifephotographyartknittingfamilycraftsmake stuffoutdoorsreadingshop newschallengesketchy sundaydecorationhomeinspirationfindsa sketch a daypaintingfashionfoodwire artcrochetnature adventuresillustrationkid projectssewinggiveawaymixed mediacustom portraitstraveltutorialvintage + retroscrapbookingrecyclingcolor inspirationupcycling weekdrawinggraphic designexhibitionfeatured artistgreen livingmusicphoto interviewreviewparentingwe are the artsy ants, two sisters living an ocean apart, busy making art and crafting on our ant hills while caring for our colonies. we're passionate about paint on our fingers, lovely design, handmade decoration, thrift stores, photography, kissing baby feet and skype! this is the space where we share our artwork, d.i.y. ideas and tutorials, creative project news, artsy shop updates, inspiring online finds and anything else that inspires us in real life.http://www.artsyants.com/noreply@blogger.com (sylvia)Blogger843125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-2770228997195826016Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:57:00 +00002021-02-01T18:36:45.318+01:00craftsdecorationnature adventuresoutdoors I had planned to make ice art - ice wreaths, ice lanterns and the like - for many many years now. my pinterest boards are full of pins of beautiful ice crafts, but somehow, either the weather didn't stay cold long enough, or i simply forgot... but what is a lockdown smack in the middle of winter good for if not to get started on all these crafty to do lists... here is a quick how-to, http://www.artsyants.com/2021/02/ice-lanterns-and-ice-wreaths.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-3595958546857510707Thu, 27 Sep 2018 10:26:00 +00002023-03-04T20:45:47.786+01:00 http://www.artsyants.com/2018/09/art-craft-and-inspiration-by-2-sisters.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-8453222204812490883Mon, 11 Dec 2017 09:18:00 +00002017-12-11T10:18:55.069+01:00make stuff I'm always on the lookout for a simple craft that gives me the possibility to share what I made, if possible something useful. Handmade body care products are much more simpler to make than it might seem, and I had given a lemon hand scrub a try a few years ago. I think it's great to make plenty and then have gifts ready for family and friends. This summer, I grew lots and lots of http://www.artsyants.com/2017/12/gift-idea-homemade-calendula-salve.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-3976657412310764989Sun, 09 Apr 2017 07:26:00 +00002017-04-09T14:46:46.735+02:00nature adventuresoutdoorsphotography it is now spring of 2017 and the bullfinch couple along with many other bird friends are still visiting our feeder. i thought it might be fun to "revive" this post and give you a chance to download our simple, but fun backyard bird log. as my kids have grown we can add actual notes to the log, it's the perfect basis for our (sub)urban birdwatching adventures.  already when http://www.artsyants.com/2014/05/urban-bird-watching-adventures-mr.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-6736038546879398580Wed, 17 Feb 2016 14:43:00 +00002016-02-17T20:36:31.357+01:00craftsdecorationhomeinspirationkid projects the artsy ants were lucky enough to receive some free product a couple of weeks ago from Chalkola: a lovely set of 10 chalk ink markers and a pack of blackboard labels. the look of chalks and blackboards has left schools and classrooms a long time ago and has made its way into diy products, crafts, home decor and more. being a teacher myself, i know what actual chalk feels like, how dusty it http://www.artsyants.com/2016/02/product-review-chalkola-chalk-markers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-1571112716005504530Mon, 25 Jan 2016 19:24:00 +00002016-01-25T20:24:54.663+01:00artdrawingpainting while life has kept me busy, i have taken at least a few minutes each day to do some sketching. as a teenager i had a phase in which i really loved to draw with a ballpoint pen. it's a bit messy, especially if you have one of those leaky pens which put out too much ink which comes out in blobs, and it ends up smearing all over the paper and your hands. but i still thought it was fun. and i thinkhttp://www.artsyants.com/2016/01/recent-pen-sketches-and-paintings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (simona)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-9043315713893461168Thu, 03 Dec 2015 10:26:00 +00002015-12-03T12:40:09.936+01:00craftskid projects(i had written this post and taken the photos about 4 weeks ago, when we were still thick in autumn. but i couldn't find my cardreader, so the post remained a draft. just a few days ago i found the cardreader, tucked behind some sketchbooks in the shelf. so even though we are now actually in a whole different season, i thought i will still share what we did in fall!) fall and http://www.artsyants.com/2015/12/old-and-new-autumn-crafts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-1623500008199562615Tue, 24 Nov 2015 11:35:00 +00002015-11-24T12:35:17.355+01:00familyoutdoors long time readers of this blog will know that i am a big winter and snow lover, but unfortunately live in a region in germany that is not known for great snow winters (due to it's proximity to the ocean, which, i admit, is certainly a bonus we take advantage of!) there so many other winter delights we indulge in (frost!, ice!, the fireplace!, gingerbread!) but when the snow does make it tohttp://www.artsyants.com/2015/11/snow-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7385618804457715671Mon, 16 Nov 2015 16:10:00 +00002015-11-16T17:12:14.638+01:00outdoorsit's been way too long since my last blog post, and i don't really know how to go about this anymore. the biggest problem i always have is not knowing what to write, and after writing a few sentences i delete everything again. this is why i like simply adding a photo to our instagram account (@artsyants), because all i need to do there is write a tiny caption and i'm done. this past weekend i http://www.artsyants.com/2015/11/nature-walk-details-and-painting-wip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (simona)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-4951669361689666618Wed, 11 Nov 2015 10:02:00 +00002015-11-11T11:02:58.719+01:00knittingreading whoa, long stretch of not blogging... it is weird how busy my days have become. not in a bad way. just in a way that i mostly do not do stuff that i would blog about. but: there has been knitting and plenty of reading! i have tons of wip's, but this shawl is the one i am mostly picking up. the yarn is so incredibly soft, the silk and bluefaced leicester blend is such a treat. i have just http://www.artsyants.com/2015/11/yarn-along-slow-knitting-and-fast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7580606028648707737Mon, 05 Oct 2015 09:50:00 +00002015-10-05T11:50:08.993+02:00drawingnature adventuresoutdoors the vivid colors of fall keep inspiring me year after year. i am always ooh-ing and aah-ing over bright yellow, orange and read foliage and am often seen bending down to pick up some colorful leaves to add to my collection. imagine my delight when on a family field trip this weekend we spotted dozens of toadstools. i remembered a sketch i had made back in summer, and thought i might share http://www.artsyants.com/2015/10/autumn-discoveries.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-6615409174052570674Wed, 30 Sep 2015 09:23:00 +00002015-09-30T11:25:18.177+02:00knittingreading happy yarn along wednesday! so glad i get to join in today, too many wednesdays just went by with me remembering in the late afternoon that i might have posted... so, what's new on the knitting and reading front? i finished Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee and (as many others) have mixed feelings about it. the circumstances leading to the publication of this book along with the fact that it http://www.artsyants.com/2015/09/yarn-along-new-book-and-new-shawl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7593380114513404845Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:04:00 +00002015-09-22T18:06:16.434+02:00craftsdrawingknitting oh my, the weeks are just flying by. tomorrow is the first day of autumn, can any of you believe it? as most of you know, it is my favourite season. i am hoping for a lot of golden days, full of sunshine and walks in the woods with crunchy colorful leaves under my feet. right now, simona and her husband are here visiting. they haven't been in germany in over 2 years so it is quite a http://www.artsyants.com/2015/09/snippets-of-life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-3651496116398656766Fri, 11 Sep 2015 13:53:00 +00002015-09-11T15:53:15.176+02:00a sketch a dayartchallengedrawingeveryday life "When you play with new tools and methods, you will literally activate parts of your mind that have become hard to reach over time."  - from The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna. I have had this book for a while,  I am reading it slowly, savoring it. It inspires me to unearth my must and slowly work towards discovering where it can lead me. Just getting http://www.artsyants.com/2015/09/thrive-by-playing-with-new-tools.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7609602443061926946Mon, 24 Aug 2015 09:06:00 +00002015-08-24T11:07:00.097+02:00everyday lifefamilyphotography i have developed the habit of almost exclusively taking pictures with my phone. it is ok, having it with me at almost all times, very handy, quick to take out and put back into my pocket without much of an interruption in my day to day flow. also, it is easy to share special little moments and moments of ordinary beauty on social media. but there are times when i just itch to grab my http://www.artsyants.com/2015/08/a-summer-weekend.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-1420557890876158884Fri, 14 Aug 2015 05:30:00 +00002015-08-14T07:30:00.712+02:00artkid projects our summer this year has been interspersed with rainy days. i like a good summer rain, and we have actually been happily drenched a few times. it is a bit annoying having to collect things from the yard that are not supposed to get wet every few days. and one of my favourite things to do during summer evenings is watering the garden, but on many days this hasn't been necessary, as the http://www.artsyants.com/2015/08/rainy-day-doings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-6756313654694898417Thu, 13 Aug 2015 05:00:00 +00002015-08-13T07:00:05.496+02:00familyfoodoutdoors my garden updates have been sparse this summer, even though this is the summer in which we have done most in the garden so far. today i am sharing just a few corners that make me happy. two apples on our apple tree. no worries, we are going apple picking as every year... but i am debating if the neighbor's apple trees are enough or if we should get another apple tree or if it really ishttp://www.artsyants.com/2015/08/in-garden-in-mid-august.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-5073867222377216524Tue, 28 Jul 2015 05:58:00 +00002015-07-28T07:58:23.617+02:00familyoutdoorsoh, we're having a very average summer here in northern europe (especially compared to last year, when we were truly spoiled). but there's something we can do, and we do it well. and that it is making the best of it. people around here know how to enjoy a good sunny day and not take it for granted.  just as much as they know how to savor a rainy day... of which we're having quite a stretch http://www.artsyants.com/2015/07/summer-days.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-3032121546356437052Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:44:00 +00002015-07-27T13:05:37.454+02:00familytravel a couple of weeks ago i received an issue of the ever inspiring newsletter by the girls of crafting connections. in it danielle described how she travelled with her kids for 17 days, and how she loved the simplicity of just having with her what she packed for these 17 days. and it made her think about how she could cultivate that same simplicity upon returning back home. that newsletter http://www.artsyants.com/2015/07/travelling-with-kids-more-freedom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-3493610972664848008Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:48:00 +00002015-07-22T14:48:42.421+02:00knittingreading the yarn from my frogged saco stripes tank (quince and co's sparrow) is now being used to make a nangou shawl. so, i am really not a fan of knitting with linen, but i hope that it will work up as a nice shawl. a had this book on my list for a while, and it turns out my mum owns a copy. i like it very much. simona and i visted guernsey at the end of the 1980ies with our parents, and we all http://www.artsyants.com/2015/07/yarn-along-linen-shawl-and-guernsey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7121458926899904496Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:51:00 +00002015-07-14T20:55:07.145+02:00outdoors these are just a few things i've enjoyed about this summer so far, and spending time outdoors. always something new to see and discover. the first picture is actually at a friend's house, we had a really nice going away party for some friends and i was in love with how the lemonade and infused water jars looked like. and the taste was fantastic as well! i hope you're enjoying yourhttp://www.artsyants.com/2015/07/summer-garden-impressions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (simona)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-7918290794254096786Wed, 24 Jun 2015 07:53:00 +00002015-06-24T09:53:12.044+02:00knittingreading happy yarn along wednesday! about the beginnings of the saco stripes tank that i had started 2 weeks ago: i frogged the whole piece on the weekend. i detected a mistake that could not be undone and was kind of surprised about the sense of relief i felt when i started ripping. it felt so good! i had not been convinced of this garment from the start, our summers being rather mild and short, i http://www.artsyants.com/2015/06/yarn-along-shawl-and-reading-about-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-4038219950686616930Tue, 23 Jun 2015 05:30:00 +00002015-06-23T08:15:11.503+02:00familytraveli never really shared parts of our roundtrip back in april when we were in the states. most of what we experienced are family memories, which are documented in other spaces. it has been such a longed for and long awaited extended travel opportunity, that at times i cannot believe that it is actually over, and we're here again, post-travel. i will share some more details about my take on http://www.artsyants.com/2015/06/sisterly-exploring-in-nola.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-32994947254676015Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:36:00 +00002015-06-11T09:36:37.866+02:00green livinghomeoutdoorsi thought it might be nice to chronicle some of our gardening adventures here on the blog, as last summer i think i managed just one or two gardening posts i thought this year i might get an early start. let's start with the front of the house. our restorated wagon is still looking beautiful, i used the idea with the old rainboots which adds such a playful touch i am thinking of placing a http://www.artsyants.com/2015/06/in-garden-in-mid-june.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3970602023726350617.post-4421543380229739447Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:32:00 +00002015-06-10T14:32:04.891+02:00knittingreading i finished the juvel cardi last week and am pleased with the way it turned out. i guess i could have made the sleeves longer after all, but this way it is the perfect summer cardi that goes well with short sleeves and long sleeves underneath. great for layering on these chilly summer mornings in which we check on the garden. i now cast on a saco stripes top in quince and co. sparrowhttp://www.artsyants.com/2015/06/yarn-along-finished-juvel-cardi-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (sylvia)7