finally a new pattern :-) will be available soon!!!
Archive
we organized a little screenprint workshop for the Dawanda event in Berlin and designed some limited Dawanda motifs for the tote bags .
photos credits: rehkönigin and Dawanda herself 
smil is looking for an intern for may and june, just before summer break
If you like smil and are creative yourself, know how to use scissors, iron and glue pistol - you’re at the right place!!!
You should be fluent in german or english and some of your tasks will be:
decorating window of the studio, selecting product of the month, sewing on wooden eyes of sausage dog brooches, cutting out things, packaging things, ironing and sewing (if talented ;), assisting screen printing, do some shopping…
3 days a week about 6 hours - this will definately help you gain insight in the work of a small label
apply here: nadja (@) smil.biz
here–> you find smil’s online catalogue. It’s the german version - english catalogue to follow shortly!!
birthday present for myself
Hello and welcome to mini interview number 10!!! This week’s featured artist is Tinee Häcker, formerly known as Tinee Kleinschroth. I admire her linoprints and collages, for their combination of classic and cute, witty and wise. But see for yourself
SiebenMorgen - printmaking//druckgrafik
blog: http://7morgen.blogspot.com
shop: http://siebenmorgen.dawanda.com
Hi, my name is Tinee. I am a printmaking artist living and working in Stuttgart, Germany.
When I was a kid I desperately wanted to win the annual cherry pit spitting contest
against my grandpa. He always cheated. And won, of course.
Today I wonder that you can buy cherries even in December.
When I’m stuck in a project I go outside my garden and chat with the
birds. Sometimes they talk too much, though.
I want to learn to have no fear.
Cake for breakfast makes me happy.
pictured below: these are some of the many paperdolls i made when i was like 8 or 9 years old. -me and my pink bunny souvenir from hongkong. -the red robin print is the latest linocut edition i made. - Apfelkuchen/ apple pie
this is my recipe for Apfelkuchen/apple pie (like my Mom makes it)
100-125g butter
125 g sugar
2-3 eggs (depending on egg size)
a little bit of salt
4 drops of lemon oil
200g flour
6g baking soda
1-4 spoons of milk
500-750g of apples
I love this apple pie, as it is sweet, juicy and lemony fresh all at once. Simple, but fancy 
mix the butter, sugar and eggs until they’re foamy, than add flour and milk and rest of ingredients.
mix well and pour into a round, buttered form. Peel apples and cut them into quarters, then carve them stripe-wise like a fan (see photo!). put them on the dough, slightly press them in. bake for 40-50 minutes at 175-200° degrees. After cooling add some powdered sugar on top. Guten Appetit!
inspired by superninon I wanna start a new mini series - favourite places in Berlin
first I want to show you my favourite part of Mauerpark - even in summer it’s not so crowded here and the perfect spot for having a picnic!!! map->
Good morning!! This week’s mini interviewis comes a little later than usually, I just got back from Amsterdam and had to rest a little
Hine first caught my eyes with her cute camera and phone cases. She also illustrates and makes little stop motion videos which you can check out here.
Hello, I’m a Japanese Illustrator, Crafter, PSMAVA (Puppet-Stop-Motion-Animation-Video-Artist) who currency lives in Vancouver, Canada.
website:
->Artwork ->Handmade stop-motion videos ->Flickr ->Etsy shop
Hi, my name is…..Hine [hee-neh] Mizushima
When I was a kid… I loved drawing, coloring, playing with paper dolls and collecting girls Manga notebooks.
Today… I still really love colors, paper, making felt dolls, and I am obsessed with buying pretty notebooks and paper products.
When I’m stuck on a project… I let it sit, wait, eat my favorite food, read a book, surf the Web and then try again. If it doesn’t work, I panic!
I want to learn… multi-color screen printing and pottery.
Wonderful designs and art, yummy food and my family …make me happy!
pictured below:
I moved a lot internationally, so I don’t have anything I made as a kid with me now (those things are at my mom’s house in Japan), but here is a picture of some notebooks, a paper doll, and a coloring set which I always loved when I was a little girl. I also included a photo of me with a (fake) “Here come the 123s” album. I worked on a video for a song from that album for They Might Be Giants. I also attached a still from a recent stop-motion video for my Camera camera cases, which I sell on my Etsy shop.
You can watch it here! http://blip.tv/file/1677747
This is my recipe for….. Spaghetti Carbonara! I learned the recipe when I was living in Rome. It’s easy to make and yummy, but eat some vegetables with it too!
you need:
Spaghetti
Some eggs (you are supposed to use only the yolk, but I use some whites too)
Some slices of bacons
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
(Contrary to what you might think from visiting American restaurants, you don’t need cream.)
Cook the sliced bacon until it is crunchy, then crumble it . Saute the onions and garlic with olive oil until they are soft and brown. Cook the spaghetti (al dente!) and drain it. Mix eggs, bacon, onions & garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and salt & pepper into the spaghetti immediately. Voila! Bon Appetit!
hier ein paar Bilder von meinem Kurztrip in die Niederlande
the mini series continues!! This week’s participants are Melissa and JW from Littlefriendsofprintmaking, my screenprint super heroes and I’m thrilled, they agreed to take part in this 
website: www.thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com
flickr: www.flickr.com/littlefriends
Hi, our names are…. JW & Melissa Buchanan
When we were kids… JW lived in the country and Melissa lived in the city.
Today… was our day off. We went to the post office and to the movies. The snow is finally melted but now everything is grimy and mucky. We tried to take a shortcut through a baseball field and sunk ankle-deep into the infield dirt.
When we’re stuck in a project… we go on a bike ride.
We want to learn… to speak Spanish! We had an exhibition in Mexico City and could only understand a third of what people were saying to us. It was like being in a silent movie, and just like silent movies it was totally boring and slightly frustrating. We’re going to come back rolling our “R”s and conjugating our verbs and shock Mexico!
Spending time with each other …makes us happy
this is my recipe for…. Molasses Cookies (extra-spicy). This might seem complicated but the smell alone is probably worth it. If you don’t like to eat spicy things just halve the ginger.
¾ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup dark molasses
1½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup coarsely chopped crystallized or candied ginger
½ cup white nonpareils
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Set two racks, one high and one low, in the oven. Blend the shortening, brown sugar, egg, molasses, and fresh ginger. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and ground ginger. Stir in the chopped crystallized ginger and blend into the wet mixture until just combined. Using your hands, form the dough into 1½ inch balls. Dip the cookie tops into a bowl of nonpareils and place them on a baking sheet with a Silpat mat, about 1½ inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time on the lower oven rack for 6 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet and bake on the upper oven rack for 7 minutes more. Set the cookies out to cool.
Hello everybody, meet Teena, Pastry Chef to be and softie maker
I’m in love with her dessert creations, please have a look at her flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsme/tags/baking/
I am Teena, I moved from Germany to the Great Plains of North America 3 years ago and am still here. I love to crochet, sew and make my own stamps. I am currently on a crafting hiatus since I am trying to be a Pastry Chef!
website:http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsme/
Hi, my name is…..Teena
When I was a kid…I did not want to sit still
Today...I still do not want to sit still
When I’m stuck in a project…I go running
I want to learn…how to make great chocolate
Good food…makes me happy
RECIPE:
this is my recipe for…..Red Lentil Soup
3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large red onion minced
1-4 (depending on how much you like garlic) cloves of
garlic minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1-2 tsp ground cumin
about 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper
little bit of red chilie powder
1 liter vegetable broth
1 cup of red lentils
1 carrot peeled and cut into small pieces
for citrus lovers juice of one lemon
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1. heat olive oil and sautee onion and garlic until golden
2. add tomato paste, cumin, pepper and chilie sautee a
couple of more minutes
3. add the broth and 1 - 2 cups of water (depending on how
thick you want the soup)
4. add lentils and your carrots, bring to a simmer and cook
on low heat for about 20 minutes
5. With a blender puree half of your soup.
6. Sprinkle with cilantro and some lemon juice!
Time for a new mini interview!!! Every week I try to present someone new to you, an artist or a person, that inspires me. This week’s artist is Anke Weckmann, a german illustrator now living in London. I own various items that feature her lovely illustrations and just can’t get enough of it.
Check out her Portfolio and I urge you to visit her etsy shop as well (or Dawanda, if you’re living in Europe)
www.linotte.net (portfolio)
ankeweckmann.blogspot.com (blog)
Hi, my name is Anke Weckmann. I’m an illustrator and I live in London.
When I was a kid I liked drawing, reading and playing outside with my friends. I remember I always wanted to do creative things, building little huts, making little books and I always tried to find people that would teach me crafts.
Today I still love to do the same things. I love to draw, especially characters.
When I’m stuck in a project I make a lot of grumpy faces, make a cup of tea and just carry on.
I want to learn how to speak Swedish and how to do some amazing acrobatic yoga & pilates postures. (Well we’ll see how that goes)
Doing what I love & spring & going running with my boyfriend makes me happy.
RECIPE
This is my recipe for the most amazing simple Tomato/Pepper Salad.
You need three tomatoes, a red pepper and a bunch of chives. Cut
everything into small pieces (I think it’s best if it’s all in small
squares) and mix together. Prepare a dressing of a little bit of
oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.(You really just need a little amount
of dressing, as it’s already so tasty!) Mix with the salad. Instead of
chives, you can try parsley as well!
Bon Appetit.
Today it’s time for a new interview in my mini series and I happily introduce you to Paola from Colombia:-)
I found her collection on flickr and I am intrigued by the aesthetics and bluntness of her drawings!!!
website: www.flickr.com/photos/powerpaola
Hi, my name is Paola Gaviria
When I was a kid i thought the taxis on USA have different colors.
Today i draw all day.
When I’m stuck in a project i draw things that are in front of me.
I want to learn how to drive a car.
Music makes me happy
pictures below from top to bottom:I drew this when i had 12 years old watching tv instead of do my homework. I love to make fanzines and comics. I don’t like to show my face on Internet.I love to draw all the time in my sketchbooks.
RECIPE
This is my recipe for taboule my best friend (Yette) in France teach me:
500 grams of couscous
2 lemons
1 small spoon of salt
200 grams of mint
200 grams of parsley
4 small onions
4 tomatoes
2 garlics
Olive oil
Cut in small squares the onions and tomatoes. Cut the garlic, the
parsley and the mint in small pieces and mix everything with the
couscous, poor on it lemon juice, 1 small spoon of salt and olive oil.
Mix with energy, then let stand in the fridge for few hours or one
night (between 4 et 10°C)
time for a new mini interview and this time it’s with Lala
She is originally from Argentina and I had the pleasure of meeting her in person, while she was traveling in europe.
Hi, my name is…..Lala
When I was a kid…i had a painted rainbow in my wall room
Today...i have a cat (not painted)
When I’m stuck in a project…i wake up really happy
I want to learn…percussion
makes me happy the plants, the baker’s shop and the friendly people
pictured below: my portrait, a drawing I made when I was 4 years old and some recent work.
Recipe
this is my recipe for…..chocolate truffles (in spanish)
romper en pedazos muy chicos galletitas de chocolate
mezclar las galletitas con dulce de leche
antes de hacer bolitas pasar la mezcla por chocolate fundido
después de hacer las bolitas cubrir con grana de color
llevarlas a la heladera un tiempo y listo
Here’s comes mini interview #3 with Like Rabbits, a crafty family business, whose shirts I’ve been eying, since i first discovered them at flickr
Likerabbits is a big family (Samuel, Guillermo, Margarita, Quique,
Paola and Lucas) that loves to stitch and embroider.
One day we wanted to make something new with all the clothes we
didn’t use anymore so we started to hand stitch some designs on new
t-shirts reusing, cutting and stitching our old fabrics. We started
started by selling them in a shop specialized on kid’s
clothing in Newtown (Sydney), at the Kings Cross street market and
through the internet as well. Clothing for adults and children with hand sewn recycle elements.
Each piece is a unique design.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/like_rabbits/
Hi, my name is…..Like Rabbits
When I was a kid…I liked the easter egg hunt with the other rabbits
Today…I’m not a vegetarian bunny
When I’m stuck in a project..I keep on stitching.
I want to learn…Japanese
Jumping, jumping…makes me happy
pictured below: Santa Clause by Lucas who is 4 years, the Like Rabbits family and a shirt design
Recipe
this is Adrianas recipe for…Cheese Cake
Pre heat oven 180C
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
500 gms philadelphia cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup sugar
1 yellow lemon zest
1 tbs of butter
1 cup Digestive (brand digestive) cookies
PROCEDURE
1.First you crumble the cookies and mix them with the butter, then you
put them in the oven for 10 min in a round not very deep baking mold
2.In a big container you mix the 3 eggs,lemon zest,sugar and cream
cheese until soft
3.Pour the mixture on top of the cookies that are in the baking mold
in put in the oven for 45 or 55 minutes depending on the oven
4.After 45 minutes you can introduce a knife in the center of the
cheese cake and if it comes out clean then is ready
5.Let it cool down and put your favorite jam on top
6.Put it in the fridge and get it out 10 minutes before eating it
TIP
If for example you use strawberry jam you can cut some strawberries in
pieces and put on top for decoration
Here comes the second mini interview and I’m glad to introduce you to Maria Esaiasson, a Lund based illustrator, whose quirky line drawings I stumbled upon at flickr.website: www.esaiasson.se/blog (blog)
www.esaiasson.se (portfolio)
www.sodraesplanaden.se (my studio)
Hi, my name is… Maria Esaiasson.
When I was a kid… I wanted to be an Indian with long black hair hiding in
the woods.
Today… I’m still very fond of the great outdoors.
When I’m stuck in a project… I turn to any of my freelance collegues in
the studio, I read blogs for inspiration and I practise African dancing.
I want to learn… more languages! French, Polish and Japanese, but it might
take some time.
Traveling… makes me happy and is a great source of inspiration for me.
Next stop is Luxembourg in March!
Pictures: A painting of a house I did as a child (not dated though), a photo of me during a show in Tokyo last year, an illustration I made for an article about good and bad disturbance while studying.
Recipe
Here is my recipe of all time, it’s fast, easy and delicious!
Garlic soup
4 pers.
6 big cloves of garlic
5dl water
1 dice of vegetable bouilion
1 bay leaf
5 dl creme fraiche or cream
1 teaspoon tarragon
some grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
some white bread to make croutons
bacon
1. Fry the shredded bacon so it gets crispy. Dice the bread and fry it in the same pan (don’t clean it inbetween). Put them on a piece of kitchen paper to dry off and get crispy.
2. Peel the garlic and cut rough. Put the garlic in a pot with the water, bouillion and the bay leaf. Let it boil for 20 min.
3. Take the bay leaf out and mix the soup (if you have a handmixer). Add the creme fraiche/cream and let it boil. Add spices and it is ready!
Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.
I’m starting a new series of mini interviews and practiced with myself
Hi, my name is Nadja Girod. I’m an accessory designer from Berlin (www.smil.biz) When I was a kid I secretly practiced walking in midair. Today I’m still afraid of the dark. When I’m stuck in a project, I visit flickr, read my favourite blogs, clean the kitchen or play guitar. I want to learn how to cook. Surprising myself with new ideas makes me happy.
below: a drawing I made when I was 5, me iceskating and some recent design.
RECIPE
This is my mother in law’s recipe for “Herring salad with sour cream souce”
It’s really simple and tastes delicious!!! My all time favourite.
you need:
1 cup of capers,
1 cup sour cream,
1 big onion,
2 apples,
pack of herring fillets, marinated,
1 cup of pickled cucumbers,
10 walnuts
Cut everything into bit-sized pieces and put into salad bowl.
Pour the sour cream over it and mix well. Put 2 hours in the fridge.
Gives one big serving. Serve with boiled potatoes.
