Happy New Year

We still have a few minutes to go til 2015, probably time to draw the line for 2014.
There have been great and bad moments, moments of joy and moments of shock, moments of hope and moments of despair, of things that went well and things that could have been better. But, I tend to consider the passed year to be history and prefer looking forward to the new one.

I'm not one to make resolutions, there are a couple of things I'd like to do:
- nail a couple of exams to finish my studies as soon as possible
- get some curves... plus 5-10 kg would be fine ;)
- spend part of my internship in Switzerland
- visit a couple of cycling races & paint the roads for our boy Jani
- craft, craft, craft - paper, beads, wood, and try some new techniques, too
- go on my first flight
- and maybe, watch out for that other half to complete me... even though I think when it comes to Mr. Right, things just happen without you watching out

And as it is the season of wishes, my wish for 2015 could be summed up with this Irish blessing:

May your blessings outnumber

The shamrocks that grow,

And may trouble avoid you

Wherever you go.

May it be a healthy year, full of luck

love

colours

new perspectives

rainbows after the storm

friends to share the happy times

shelters when you need them most

many sweet surprises

and times when you can forget everything around you

Here's to a magical 2015 ;)

(post)Christmas greetings

I guess I'm not the kind of person who posts holiday greetings on time ;)
I actually intended to do so, but after an afternoon walk by the lake, I ended up covered in blankets by the fireplace. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I hope it's just a tiny bug and I'll be back to normal soon. Maybe it's just crafting withdrawal as all my crafting supplies stayed in Ljubljana? :)
Therefore, just a few impressions from the lakeside of lake Vrbsko jezero/Wörthersee.

View from the promenade at Celovec/Klagenfurt towards Maria Loretto

The huge Christmas tree is great at night when it's enlighted, but it fits perfectly by daylight, too. View towards Pyramidenkogel with the new observation platform

Mr. and Mrs. Swan wish happy holidays

Harbour of the Wörthersee shipping

Fairytale in blue and white

Ducks on the misty lake

Lonely boat on the lake

Pyramidenkogel in the haze

Promenade in the sunset

Remains of summer

Christmas idyll

Cheers

I had to use my crafting mood (or make more than one card once the mess on my table was there), so I finished another card that I started a while ago. Actually, I stitched this bottle of champagne a while ago only to put it aside for a while, because I didn't know how to use it.

Now, the sketch at completelychristmas seemed to fit perfectly

I combined the stitched and coloured motif with an embossed background paper that reminds me of bubbling champagne ;) a creme paper that fits the beverage and a piece of blue paper that makes a contrast to the white and beige shades.

In the end I added a few pearls, and this is the result:

I for myself don't usually drink alcohol, but on special occasions like Christmas or New Year I'll probably have a glass of bubbles with my family.

- completelychristmas: sketch
- robynsfetishchallengeblog: winter cards with glitter
- craftycardmakers: Christmas
- thatcraftplace: Christmas
- craftycatz: last minute Christmas
- crafts4eternity: Christmas
- hollyjollychristmaschallenge: anything goes Christmas
- tuesdaythrowdown: family Christmas
- craftysentiments: Christmas
- fabnfunkychallenges: Christmas
- acreativeromance: anything goes
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: anything goes as long as it's Christmas
- comeandgetitchallenge: merry Christmas
- glitternsparklechallengeblog: glittery, sparkly Christmas
- dreamvalleychallenges: Christmas
- useyourstuff: anything goes
- allwayssomethingcreative: merry Christmas

Winter angel

Although it's mid-December already, and I can't believe how time flies, Christmas feels far away for me. Well, there are Christmas decorations in the city, but nature doesn't seem to be in winter-mood yet. I can mainly walk around without gloves, which tells you a lot if you know that I'm cold all the time from October to March. Even though the mountaintops are covered with snow already

I just discovered primroses in the backyard of our apartment building!

However, it's rather the books that keep me from crafting than the warm weather.
Might be a reason why this card is a quick one, featuring a simple angel. I followed the sketch at C.R.A.F.T. challenge, but it took me quite a while to chose the papers.

Finally, I took one with a winter scenery, which is topped with glitter here and there. The blue-grey-white colours are fascinating, but they made it hard for me to paint the angel in a fitting colour combination. What I wanted was an angel in soft shades of blue/grey and white, brown hair and a red heart, and the outcome is nothing like it.

I even thought of printing and colouring it again, but then I thought maybe it's ok to add a contrast to the grey background scenery (or, to be honest, I was too lazy to do it all over again;)).
The rest was easy: considering the winter landscape, snowflakes were a self-evident pick, and to make the whole thing shimmer a little more, I added some silver rhinestones.

To match the sketch, I took a white ribbon, a sentiment saying "Happy holidays" and a silver sticker that I used to make the required circle. A full moon probably?

challenges:

- C.R.A.F.T. challenge: sketch
- robynsfetishchallengeblog: winter cards with glitter
- craftycardmakers: Christmas
- thatcraftplace: Christmas
- craft-roomchallenge: photo inspiration (snow, trees, red flowers)
- craftycatz: last minute Christmas
- crafts4eternity: Christmas
- hollyjollychristmaschallenge: anything goes Christmas
- tuesdaythrowdown: family Christmas
- craftysentiments: Christmas
- justinspirationalchallenges: anything with wings
- fabnfunkychallenges: Christmas
- modsquadchallenge: frilly Christmas (2 or more die cuts)
- chocolatecoffecards: Christmas
- fussyandfancychallenge: snowflakes & ribbon
- acreativeromance: anything goes
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: anything goes as long as it's Christmas
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2: urgently needed Christmas creations
- craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper: background paper
- comeandgetitchallenge: merry Christmas
- glitternsparklechallengeblog: glittery, sparkly Christmas
- dreamvalleychallenges: Christmas
- useyourstuff: anything goes
- allwayssomethingcreative: merry Christmas

edit:

that angel card didn't let me in peace for the past days. I got used to the colours, but something else disturbed me - the ribbon! I searched all my ribbons when I made the card, and picked one that seemed to fit best, but still... Then, I sorted things that I bought in the store on the same day I made the card, and there it was - the perfect ribbon.

Turns out when I made the card it was probably so new that I simply forgot that I had it! *isn't it a bit too early for dementia?* Never mind, I glued the new ribbon over the old one, and I think the card looks better now. The glue shines through the lace, causing those yellow-ish spots, but I think now it really is time or me to stop complicating - they might as well be there to fit the angels' dress :)

 

Festive Ljubljana

Christmas really must be coming closer and closer now. On December 3, the Christmas lights went on in Ljubljana and they since that add to the festive feeling. After weeks of fog and clouds, we even got to see blue skies again in the past days :) Yay!
Enough reason to go for a walk through the city center in the evening to see the lights.

A look up to the castle hill which appears to rise from a fairy-forest.

The Franciscan church of Annunciation is quite outstanding by day as it's painted in bright red. By night, it turns into mystic blue shades.

Starry night - view from the Triple bridge to the castle

Prešeren square with the huge Christmas tree and the monument of our national poet.
In the past years, the decorations were more space-like and I liked them very much. This year, they include a couple of scientific elements. I must admit I still need to get used to them, but for the moment being, they're not bad at all ;)

Franciscan church and castle hill later in the evening

Kresija Palace by night

A look from the Triple bridge towards the Central market and Butchers' bridge

View across the Ljubljanica river towards the markets and Cathedral of St. Nicholas

View from the once wooden Fishmarket footbridge Ribja brv, which was lately torn down and rebuilt in a modern way, towards Prešeren square

Angels music

Another card featuring the new sketch at cheerfulsketcheschallenge.

Again, I made a Christmas card, only this time I've chosen to work with warm colours. Matching to the vintage angels (found at vintagescrapbooking.blogspot.com) I've chosen a soft cream-colored background paper, a sheet with notes and a piece with embossed flowers. To complete the sketch I added a couple of pearls, roses and a sentiment.

This time, I even focused on the horizontal bar and put in in the right place :) However, it took me so much attention that I almost forgot to add the golden sticker as a border to the vintage print. The card would probably look good without it, too, but I can't help - my idea of Christmas angels includes a little bit of gold ;)

 

challenges:

- cheerfulsketcheschallenge
- fabnfunkychallenges: pre-coloured image
- papertakeweekly: anything goes
- basteltantenchallengeblog: anything goes
- fussyandfancychallenge: happy holidays
- fan-tastic tuesday: anything goes + embossing
- ladybugcrafts: winter/Christmas
- allwayssomethingcreative: Christmas
- jellyparkchallenges: ribbons/bows
- abcchristmaschallenge: X for Xmas music
- cutecardthursday: little angels
- C.R.A.F.T. challenge: Christmas
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2: anything goes as long as it's Christmas
- acreativeromance: anything goes