The white thread

It is interesting that I usually make lace or create other kinds of things in autumn and winter, but when spring comes, I just focus on other things in life. When days get longer and it gets warmer outside, I can’t sit at home, making lace. Last October I skipped my lace-making course because I could not afford it. Besides some of the Tuesday evenings were reserved for interesting lectures in the City Museum in Ljubljana. Luckily I found a group of lace-makers later, and although all of them are retired, they decided to let me join them.

So, I finished a napkin that I had started to make in 2014 (pictured), tried to make one in the Italian lace technique (I still work on it) and made a few earrings. I got a commission for another two pairs of earrings in different colors, which is a good start for my future projects. I have lots of plans for this year regarding lace-making but most of all, there’s still lots of work to be done, so that these plans, eventually, won’t just stay in my head or on paper. Besides, spring will be here in no time. 

Friday goodness

I should have done that already on Thursday but I completely forgot about it. I cut colorful paper into strips many years ago, so now each year in the Carnival time I just choose from this stock of those paper strips and make colorful chains. When I was later taking photos of one of the chains my camera didn't want to focus on them. I got, hmn, this:After lunch I knitted a little bowl, and put it into a washing machine in the evening.

It came out quite wrinkled and not completely felted. I think that it will need another treatment with hot soapy water.

Friday was kind of a crafty day and I was very grateful that I could be at home. Especially because I know that March will be a very busy month.

Sewing

My hands have been itching lately, my mind has been restless. So, it was time to sit behind my sewing machine and start creating. Here is a sneak peak of what I am creating at the moment: Sewing was difficult at the beginning but after putting together a few pieces it became much easier. I stuffed the pieces just before going to sleep. It is amazing how time consuming can a simple stuffing be! I hope to finish my project today, and I hope to show you the final product of my creativeness soon.

It is a pity that you can't see how beautiful that small dotted fabric really is. I just love its color!

Colors

I've been a bit creative lately. I desperately needed some rest after running around the country every weekend. I guess it would had been different in summer but in winter... no, absolutely this is not a time of a year I am fond of.I finally managed to find out how to knit a sock. I haven't taken a photo of it yet, and I am not sure I ever will. :) But I have given away some pot holders; I made one for mom and one for my friend. So, if you need the last minute gift, then you can crochet a pot holder. It took me about an hour to make one. Good for a beginner. :)I was also spending lots of money on felt again. The felt balls on the photo are made of wool I already had at home. I plan to do something with these balls... soon.And Valentine's day was just an ordinary day. I bought the book Love by Paulo Coelho. Lovely words for everyone, either in love or brokenhearted. Enjoy your Monday!

Knit knit, part 2

I wanted to write this post yesterday, but a colleague came, sat down and chatted, chatted, chatted... I wonder if people really don't notice that we want to go home, or are they just testing us when we will finally stand up and leave. I had to do just that; words about this that I had no time because I have a lecture later were ignored. Bad timing, unfortunately. I was knitting these past days. A hat. I look like a dwarf having it on my head, so I will probably have to knit a part of it again and use some other wool for a hat like the one on the photo. I have plans, but I am not so sure I will be able to make what's on my mind. First I will have to visit my mom to borrow some knitting needles from her. She used to knit a lot when she was in her twenties and thirties. I have come upon two great web sites with lots of patterns: Ravelry and DROPS Design. The latter has also some good tutorials. So, let's knit! :)

Knit knit

My blog has become rather boring these days... I am trying to rest a bit, past year has been very stressful. Although I should probably take a long vacation and go away from it all. Away from my life here, away from the people I know. But... not yet. I have piles of papers to sort and a load of projects to accomplish at work before I start my vacation. Maybe in spring then. (Sorry, I had to remove one of the photos...)

It's been cold these past days, so lately I've been thinking a lot about knitting. Not that my sock has become a sock... Judge yourself: Lucky me that I came across the Revelry site, now I just need some time to find the right pattern and time to knit. It is addictive, I tell you... This is also my new book about knitting:So, 2011. I spent the last days of 2010 in a company of people who all feel that things in their lives have to change. Me included. So, my word for 2011 is creative. 2010 was sort of a copy of 2009, and believe me that I do not want another year like that. I have changed a lot during this time, but obviously this is not it. I just wonder, what should I do? Because I, let's say so, lost all hope. Just be?

New book

Ž was waiting in a line at the post office and I browsed through the selection of products offered for sale. Cook books were there, too. So, I was amazed at the low price of this one on the picture, as usually books are quite expensive in Slovenia. Mmm, nice pictures and mostly simple recipes. I might try to bake some cookies over the weekend. It is my name day on Saturday and Saint Nicholas will be leaving gifts in our homes on Sunday evening. Holiday time has begun, and I like it. It gets cozy these days at home and people seem to be happier.

Karma for today: You create your reality with your thoughts and intentions.

Stars, stars and more stars

It is that time of a year when I make paper stars. This week I made one red and one yellow for windows at home and a blue one for our window at work. I like this blue one, it looks more like a snowflake than a star.These days I've been finishing my last issue of the magazine, so next year I will have time for some other projects. I have learned a lot, but being an editor is time consuming and sometimes very stressful. And most often you don't make friends, asking people for articles and photos. Because nobody is paid for their contribution. Most of the time not even me... But I like the thought that I do something good for other people; for me this is more rewarding than having a full wallet.

Karma for today: Believe that life was given for joy.

It smells of holidays

Every year the Botanical garden in Ljubljana organizes workshop where people make their own Christmas wreaths. Yesterday I took part in the workshop and made this one: It doesn't look like the one made by Martha Stewart but it will be good enough to hang it on the door. Probably not mine, but my mum's. Usually I hang smaller and simpler wreath on my door. Beside making wreath I was sewing little felt birds again and I also managed to do some more cleaning around the house.

This morning the frost awaited us, with temperature -1,5 degrees Celsius. Winter is on its way! And tomorrow it might snow!

Karma for today: Welcome everything that happens to you.

Flock of birds

These are the felt birds I created in the last three days: Actually there's not much time to create, there are so many other things I have to do in between. Like cleaning the terrace before the temperatures drop below zero. Which will probably happen this Friday. Yesterday we swept the cobwebs off the surface of the house. We also met our new neighbors. This morning Ž and I went to the woods to gather some fir branches to cover the plants in the garden. I will clean the pots this afternoon and store them in the attic. So much to do, and not enough time to do it all.

Anyway, today is a good day. Not only because the sun is shining after many, many days again, but also because I have such feeling that I have already accomplished a lot of things this morning.

Karma for today: Consider the amount of time desire causes us to waste.

New things in my home

I've been creative, a bit... Good news, isn't it? :) I made a pillow cover from the Ikea fabric I'd bought months ago. Looks lovely, doesn't it? Fish likes it a lot. ;)Reading Pioneer Woman's blog, or at least browsing through the photos she shares with us, I couldn't resist not to have it - her new cookbook. I have it on my desk, and when I look at the cover, I always feel certain kind of joy. Flipping through the pages makes me feel like coming home. Maybe because I have always liked Wild West. So, for the end of today's post, let me announce the winner of my giveaway. The stamp will go to Emily of Paperseed. Congratulations, and I hope, as always, that the letter will arrive safely to the other part of the world.

Creative

I was creating again for a bazaar which will take place at the end of this week, before the St. Nicholas day. This time we were creating Christmas greeting cards. I liked mine and I liked all others. Every one of them was beautiful in its own way. I like these workshops because we get all the material we need and we don't need to take anything home if we don't want to. I am glad that I have such thoughtful neighbor who gives me a call a day before each workshop. I can hardly wait when we will be making jewelery. Probably once at the beginning of a new year. Let it come!

Creative?

Well, things have to be done sometimes... I made a fabric box the other day for my friend who is celebrating her birthday this weekend. She doesn't like birthdays, but I think that this pink box will match the pink and magenta colors in her living room. :)I had seen four Perseides yesterday in the evening before the clouds covered the sky. Just enough for the wishes I have...

Kult

My source of information is mostly limited to the radio, to what my colleagues tell me, to those poster advertisements that can be seen on the streets, to the Internet, books, some magazines (yes, garden ones!) and to the Sunday newspaper that is delivered to my house. I used to read the newspaper each morning before I went to school or work when I was still living with my parents, and later with B. Weather forecast, last page news, events for the day, science, culture, sport, travels, international news pages and front page. Morning ritual. Cocoa milk, bread, marmalade and newspaper. :)

Since living in my own house, I read only Sunday newspaper. I still prefer paper to the screen, I hardly read any news on the Internet although there are (too) many. It is still a special feeling when I flip through the pages and read the news that editors have chosen for us. Sitting in my armchair with a cup of tea. Every Friday one of the Slovenian newspapers issues a few pages about design, fashion, travels, architecture, books, culinary and style under the name Kult. Right, you can guess yourself that this means "cult" in English. I love to read those pages and my mom always saves them for me. I am learning by reading these pages how to ask myself questions about simple things in life - like who invented toothpaste or Bazooka chewing gum, for example. Many times answers can be found on those few pages every Friday. Though, I don't think that there was an article about quilling published; yet. :)
I was creative yesterday, a bit. Of course, quilling was on the schedule again. I practiced some mathematics, too (it was fun!) and did my first poster in Illustrator (which was fun, too). I am looking forward to this weekend very much because work has become very stressful during this week. And I know that by tomorrow afternoon it will be finished, at least that unpleasant part of it...

Jack of all trades

And master at none. This the best description of myself I can give you. I lived all my life surrounded by people who rarely accomplished things and I've realized that I am more or less the same.

I become enthusiastic starting anything but soon I get bored with it. Longer I postpone with realization of the started project, worse it is. This of course doesn't mean that I don't finish anything; I do, most of what I start, but in the meantime I need to have some fun with other projects as well. I try things and move on. I wish I was different but you know how it is when you want to work on yourself - it is harder than you ever thought.Some time ago I came across quilling (type a word quilled in Google and you will get quill work of Native Americans in the results, too) and yesterday I saw another quilling project on Martha Stewart's blog. I tried it at home and it is very easy. I used a wooden toothpick instead of the quilling tool, to wind the paper into desired shapes. It is magnificent to see how flexible the paper actually is.

For quilled beauty, created by Yulia Brodskaya one needs more than just a steady hand; without imagination nothing like this is possible. Enjoy!

This and that

These past two days were full of everything and yet I feel that I haven't accomplished a lot.

Counting birds - this year I wished it was over soon. Thick fog, almost no waterfowl and deep snow. I forgot my camera and I was sorry. The details in the nature were beautiful. Snow on the branches created magnificent close-up views. I needed four hours for about 3-4 kilometers. This was my fourth count and each year the landscape is different. The count is done in every kind of weather, except when there is very thick fog. I always say that we are lucky when it doesn't rain.

It is still little bit messy in my living room, I was kind of creative, too. Wrapping presents (transparent flower is made by Jeffery Rudell's tutorial; I printed the paper pattern from LollyChops's blog - isn't she kind?) and trying some new tools created all that mess. And fabric lying around to sew another part of the curtain. Here is a sneak peak into my creativeness... Yes, I know, my hand is rather shaky but perhaps because of this an object created will get that special personal touch. :)
My new giraffe says hi! Finally it is in my home. I LOVE it! And my little tiger, too.

Finger puppet

While resting in my armchair during the holidays, I flipped through the printouts of different projects from blogs and other Internet sites that I keep at home. I can't give you the exact link from where I got the pattern for the felt finger puppets but I probably found it at Cupcakes for Clara. I made one of the lovely finger puppets myself. A little felt frog appeared in just no time. Ž rarely shows that he likes something but seeing this frog he just couldn't resist smiling and at last saying: "I like it, it is so cute."This little frog goes to my friend, but I will try to make other little felt creatures while these cold and dark winter afternoons still last. Maybe, if I make neat stiches, I will give one or two away. Here, on my blog. Soon.

These last days before Christmas

Saturday - rain

Sunday - rain

today - rain

tomorrow - rain

Wednesday - rain

Some say that 12 days before Christmas tell what kind of weather there will be in the next year. So, if I believed into this prediction, there would be bad weather in the first few months of 2009.

However, sometimes it feels so good when you just stay at home and do the things that have been waiting to be done for many months. I thought of doing some Christmas shopping but there is something wrong with my car, so I stayed at home (living half an hour away from the first bus stop is not such a great fun, especially not if only one dangerous road without pavement leads there). My neighbor mentioned a workshop that is organized almost every Saturday for the creative people living in my neighborhood, and I joined her there. We were making tree decorations. Lovely group of people and so many great ideas. I was also making paper tree decorations on Friday, for our still not existing Christmas tree here at work. There will be a party on Thursday and I hope one nice man will bring a tree. I just wonder if there are any nice men around... :) I have put some spruce and mistletoe branches into the boxes outside on my window shelves. It looks good and at the same time neighbors won't be able to stare directly into my living room, which is good, too. In the evening I was making caramels by a recipe I found in a Sunday newspaper but they are too hard and I am not sure we will eat them at all (probably I cooked the mixture too long). I started to make Christmas cards but then I ran out of a proper paper, which means that today I will be spending my money again in that gorgeous shop with craft material. My to do list is still very long.

I will not be behind the screen next week and I might be away also this week, I am not yet sure. Whatever happens, I hope you all have nice last days of 2008!

Ornament

It looked good, so I had to try to make one. Paper ornament. Origami wreath. It is done in no time, so if you like it, I encourage you to make some. After I finished it, I looked at it but I couldn't really imagine it hanging on my Christmas tree. I am sure it would look good on a tree like Leslie's, she also chose nice paper for hers. Maybe next year, then. I was thinking of sending some instead of Christmas cards but I am still pondering over this possibility. I used plain color paper for this project. It folded nicely and when finished, the ornament kept its shape.
I also received a note, telling me that a letter has been waiting for me at the post office; the letter, coming all the way from Mexico. I will tell you more about this when I open an envelope. I can hardly wait!

Days of thunder and lightning

There's been lots of noise around here for the last couple of days. It is getting warmer, and nature is doing its part in reminding us about it. Thunder and lightning.

It was a pleasant weekend, it seems like the last few weeks are those good ones in this year for me. I have never been surrounded by so many real friends before, and I have never before received such positive feedback to what I do or write. I hope it lasts, at least for a little while longer.

I visited Waldorf fair on Saturday and it was crowded like it is every year. I bought some vegetable seeds and books about gardening. It felt so good again to be among those beautiful colorful walls. I used to have such walls in my home, but now I still look for an inspiration. I have some other plans but no energy to make them true. Hopefully someday I will be able to show you colors in my new home.
It was a plan to join Julija at her birthday party yesterday but after all we stayed at home. It happens. I spent half of Sunday creating, making little felt sea creatures. Alice Merlino kindly offered the tutorial on her blog. It was fun, but very time consuming. Especially cutting out the patterns and felt. I usually draw the pattern on a transparent paper and save it for later. It will be easier next time, if I ever make them again. I didn't take a photo of the finished project, because light was so bad in the afternoon when the mobile with super cute sea creatures was finally finished.
Now, when I have some color transparency paper at home (yes, I was spending money on that again!), I made Waldorf lantern. I had been trying to find a tutorial for this folded lantern for a long time but had no luck. I also asked one of the bloggers to share it with me but I have never received an answer. So, speaking some German helps sometimes, and using German words on Google, I immediately found it. Here it is, if you want to make one yourself. I saw many of them on Waldorf fair the other day, for about 3 Euro each.And books, I have a few new books! One is about the flowers, the other one about animal tracks and then there are two for children that I got for free. I am indulging myself, don't you think so?

I hope that you did something for yourself this weekend, too. If not, it is time to do it today. Because tomorrow you will have to do it for somebody else. :) Happy Monday!