Father duck asked me to craft something for his blog ( www.povesti-absurde.ro ). A mascot if you will.
I thought about it, and thought about it and i can up with, what father duck calls, Little Nero. I hope you like him.
Smart baby clothes
Before I forget that the Baby Duck was ever a baby, I want to share with you my list of fav newborn clothes. Every baby is different and so are you, mum 
, but maybe this will help you 
First
- New clothes must be washed before you using them;
- Hand-me-downs are the best, because the fabric is softer and the clothes have been washed a lot. This means that all the dyes and other chemicals should be gone by now;
- Small baby:light colors; older baby – go color, to hide all those food stains that you will never get out no matter how much you wash them;
- An overdressed baby is a stressed baby. Don’t do it;
- Only cotton, bio cotton if you prefer;
Lets talk size
- Don’t buy for “right now”. They grow so fast during the first 6 months;
- Skip a size: 62, 74, 86, 98….(you skipped 56,68,80,92);
- Depending on climate, don’t buy summer or winter clothes too soon … you should not trust the weather. You may have a short summer or a very long autumn
.
Final words
- How to judge utility: how fast can you be out the door if you had to dress your baby like that? How often will you use it? How much does it cost?
- After your baby has outgrown them, give them away;
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Footed pants
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Kimono jacket & Kimono body
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Baby Swaddle Blankets
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Baby Bundler
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Images from :
http://www.babybebeboutique.co.uk
http://www.johnlewis.com
http://www.kaboodle.com
http://www.miracleblanket.com/
Like this:
Fabric wreath
Now that SPRING is finally here I was in the mood for a new wreath. So I recycled the old one and made this.
I used the foam circle from the old wreath, strips of fabric (IKEA) and a glue gun (my brand new glue gun – Thank you father duck :-* )
Like this:
Years by colors
2012 – Pantone 17-1463 TCX – Tangerine Tango
I really like this color.Our home likes this color too . It is warm and full of energy. Nice choice for 2012.
2011 – Pantone 18-2120 TCX – Honeysuckle
I LOVE pink. Any kind of pink. This shade is delicious. A good color for any year and any mood .
2010 – Pantone 15-5519 TCX – Turquoise
Let’s talk about Turquoise. A difficult, but beautiful color. It’s difficult because it doesn’t seam to like other colors. You could only match it correctly with White. The color of CRAZY SUMMERS.
2009 - Pantone 14-0848 TCX – Mimosa
Oh the SUN. Summer, fun, hot days at the beach. A powerful color, full of life and promise.
2008 – Pantone 18-3943 TCX – Blue Iris
Well…just not my color. It’s overpowering. Not really blue, not really purple … I am confused.
2007 – Pantone 19-1557 TCX – Chili Pepper
How can you go wrong with this shade of RED? After the quite color of 2006, there was a need for PASSION.
2006 – Pantone 13-1106 TCX – Sand Dollar
2006 – a calm and peaceful year? I can’t remember. I enjoy this shade. My wedding dress was almost like Sand Dollar. A little lighter..
2005 – Pantone 15-5217 TCX – Blue Turquoise
Pantone must really like Turquoise. Another natural colour, Blue Turquoise is calm and cool, evoking a tranquil sea.
2004 - Pantone 17-1456 TCX – Tigerily
And orange..
2003 – Pantone 14-4811 TCX – Aqua Sky
After Cerulean in 2000, they came back with a soft color, full of hope for clear skies.
2002 - Pantone 19-1664 TCX – True Red
After the events in 2001, there was a need for a color to honor those fallen. “True Red was a color symbolizing hope and love, the lifeblood of a nation in recovery.”
2001 - Pantone 17-2031 TCX - Fuchsia Rose
“Fuchsia Rose is a sexy and stimulating colour, perfectly capturing the spirit of confidence and optimism of a world entering a new millennium and looking forward with renewed energy to a new era of creativity to be shaped by designers across the globe.”
2000 – Pantone 15-4020 TCX – Cerulian
“Cerulean Blue suggested serenity and inner spiritual peace during a major turning point in human history.”
Scrapefoil or Scratch paper art
Scrapefoil or Scratch paper art means creating a drawing not by using a pen, but by scratching a painted surface. By scratching the paint off, you are reviling the underlying layer. This layer comes in two colors: silver or copper.
You can buy blank canvases or a Scratch set (like paint by numbers).
All you need to creat your drawing is a “scratch pen”, a damp cloth and the Scrapefoil. I find it very relaxing and the end result truly surprising. Give a try
Like this:
Will spring ever come…
In the spirit of a season that doesn’t seem to want to show up … I was in the mood for green
The tragic end of the “Fimos”
Friday I tried to bake my Fimos, and I failed. The “after” photos were too disturbing, so I deleted them all.
There were no survivors. They were burned beyond recognition. They were supposed to be a gift for all the girls/women in my family (“Martisor”).
Lessons learned: never trust your oven, test-bake with one piece first, never trust your oven 
Like this:
Counting sheep
Lunch breaks can be very fun when you have molding clay, toothpicks, nail polish, white corrector fluid and paper glue.
Hoping for spring
Read this post to learn how to make the paper flowers:
Like this:
5 tips for better baby photos
As soon as my little duck was born I was snapping pictures of him. He got so used to it that he started to pose. I have a lot of photos of him, but only a handful that I consider beautiful (I may not be objective, but I am allowed. I am a mum ).
Here are some tips I try to follow every time I do a ducky photo session:
1.Do not use FLASH (built-in)
It is said that flash light is not harmful to babies. Their eyes are fully developed and can handle it. Plus they will immediately let you know if it’s bothering them . But why use it?
What’s a built-in flash? It’s the flash built-in the camera. Most digital camera can support a mounted flash, to which you can modify the direction of the flash (like the ceiling or a wall, not the subject)
Experts say: “A baby is soft and round, and when you use a flash, all that depth that your eye sees, all the subtle nuances of how the light is hitting your baby, it all just goes away.”
You also run the risk of beautiful red eyes and harsh shadows. Furthermore, bright light makes baby squint and you don’t want that.
I have a Canon 40D camera with a Canon Speedlite 430EX II external flash.
If you have a compact camera and you do want to use the built-in flash, use paper to deflect or reduce the power of the flash.
2.Natural light
Experts say: “You don’t want harsh direct light but soft light that’s coming in from one side. That’s basically the light that Rembrandt built a career around – that beautiful, dramatic, soft light.”
You can use sunlight coming through the drapes. If you are outside try to take photos when the light is soft like morning light or late afternoon.
3.Background
When photographing babies, think soft: soft light, soft colors and soft textures. Pay attention to background. Furniture, toys and pets can distract from the main focus –your beautiful baby. So keep it simple.
Use what you have at hand. A plain soft colored bed sheet or soft blanket makes a nice backdrop for your photos. You can add a favorite toy.
4.Color or B&W
Both options are ok, but if you take B&W photos you are free of the risk of a messy color scheme that can shift focus off your baby.
Experts say: “Sometimes babies, especially newborns, look a little jaundiced or blotchy. Black and white makes them look angelic.”
5.Timing
Plan this time when baby’s happiest-.rested, fed, clean (you know the routine). Gather everything you’ll need in advance, then add baby at the very last minute to ensure a successful photo session.
To sum it all up…
- Bring yourself down to their eye level. They will appreciate to see your face.
- Photograph your baby when he/she is not looking at the camera
- Timing: gently squeeze the shutter, rather than sharply jerking it down when the photo opportunity presents itself. Also be aware of any shutter lag your camera may have.
- Consider using a telephoto lens occasionally so that the baby or child is completely unaware of your presence
- Get close up. People looking at the finished picture don’t want to see your couch or the carpet. Focus on your baby’s face! Also, take some close up pictures of your baby’s toes, hands and other tiny features.
- Take lots and lots. Professional photographers never take just one picture. Watch out because soon you will have a computer full.
