19 September, 2015

Roses

Roses... It might be a cliché, but they sure are one of my favourites, no matter in what colour they come. Even if I have to buy them on my own :)
It has been a while since I made a rose-themed paper box featuring roses in different techniques. After it spend quite a while in my shelf, I decided to recycle it piece by piece. I've already used the cross-stitched rose and the decoupage rose of the box in card projects this summer, and managed to use the third now. It's a simple stitched card featuring stitchedroses, with very little embellishments. In fact, as the motif including the yellow frame hardly fits on the card, I had no space to add anything, exdcept of a couple of yellow pearls.
It has also been a while since I got myself a bouquet of fragrant yellow roses at the Ljubljana flower market. I even got a discount as the lady decided to temporarily close her market stand due to bad business in the middle of a heat-wave, and was trying get rid of the displayed flowers. Good thing about heat-waves :) 
On the other hand, the broght yellow/orange shades are a perfect starter for autumn, too.

 challenges: 
- 613 avenue create: ATG
- crafting from the heart: ATG
- crafty gals corner: ATG
- crafty sentiments: ATG
- dream valley: autumn colours
- fabnfunky: recycle/upcycle (recycled paper box)
- fan-tastic tuesday: ATG with a twist - bright and colourful
- inspiration destination: ATG
- mod squad: flower as the focal image
- word art wednesday: ATG
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14 September, 2015

Bugs

Third card for the craft-alnica challenge, one that might be a bit ahead of time. A simple Christmas/New Years' card with ladybugs which I picked from Mavelu for my win at one of the previous craft-alnica challenges. 
Most of the card is used up by the shamrocks on the background paper, so the only decorations I used to follow the sketch were pearls and white flowers, and the number "2016" instead of the sentiment.
Turns out I find myself missing winter a little bit. Colourful scarfs, the snow, the fog, silhouettes of naked trees. No need for it right now yet, but sometime in future it will be great to cuddle by the fireplace again. 

challenges:
- ABC Christmas challenge: R (red, roses)
- basteltanten: ATG
- C.R.A.F.T.: Christmas
- craft-alnica: sketch
- crafty cardmakers: floral embellishments
- crafty glas corner: bingo (punches, sentiment, bling)
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: festive trees/greenery
- craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2: ATG as long as it's Christmas
- cute card thursday: numbers
- robynsfetish: cards with numbers
- moving along with the times: cute animal (ladybugs)
- papertake weekly: things with wings
- christmas challenge: no stamp or digi
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Soft pastel

My second try with the sketch of craft-alnica: a card in pastel shades, featuring a trio of butterflies and roses. In the lower part of the central motif I additionally placed a row of punched hearts. Then, I decorated the card with a couple of pearls and again used stickers to form the sentiment.
It was a wonderful surprise to see the colours of the card in the sky today morning.

challenges:
- basteltanten: ATG
- clear it out: ATG
- craft-alnica: sketch
- crafty cardmakers: floral embellishments
- crafty catz: autumn colours
- fan-tastic tuesday: ATG with a twist: make it feminine
- ooh la la: feminine
- papertake weekly: things with wings
- scrapping4fun: name brand designer paper (Authentique paper)
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Magic

I probably shouldn't be crafting, but I couldn't resist the sketch at craft-alnica. My first try at it is made with a single sheet of designer paper and a matching blue background paper. 
I flipped the sketch and used the blue house as the central motif, combined with a silver swirl that is part of a scrapping4fun blog-anniversary package I received last month. From the other corner of the design paper I cut a stripe of flowers that might resemble a mysterious garden. 
Instead of the three squares in the sketch, I used three punched flowers which I embeded in the flower print. I didn't want to start my computer to print the sentiment, so I used silver stickers to form the word "Magic".

challenges:
- 4 crafty chicks: birthday
- basteltanten: ATG
- city crafter: feeling flat
- clear it out: ATG
- craft-alnica: sketch
- crafty cardmakers: floral embellishments
- crafty glas corner: bingo (punches, sentiment, bling)
- glitternsparkle: something beginning with G (gemstones)
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12 September, 2015

Sunshine express

After a week of learning (who thought infectious diseases and public health could actually be interesting?) and exploring rainy Belgium, it was time to head home again. As my flight would only take off in the evening, and I have been disappointed by Brussels before, I decided to spend my last day in Antwerp.
Did you know you could be attacked by an ice-bear on the toilet, or that some people actually furnish public lavatories with Villeroy & Boch stuff? Well, if you can afford a golden shopping center... *rolling eyes in disbelief*

 As I'm not yet familiar with huge airports yet, I arrived in Brussels in the afternoon to make sure I wouldn't be in a hurry. Turns out I was far from hurry. Actually, I didn't know what to do with myself, except of watching planes and waiting for mine. Well...
After the check-in, the security control and some more waiting, it was time to leave Belgium behind.

A little refueling before the fun begins
All lined up, waiting for take-off clearance. Belgocontrol makes sure everything goes smoothly.
Off we go into grey skies
Climbing and turning, the grey begins to fade. Could it be... A glimpse of blue? 
Through the clouds into paradise
Heaven... A thick grey layer underneath, and nothing but endless blue above :)
Happy place
Traffic
Turning towards home, we even got a glimpse of sunshine. First sunshine in about time.
Sunset at -53°C.
Into the night with Adria Airways
Guessing the illuminated cities underneath, particularly interesting when flying over your hometown area(s). This one must be Munich.
Watching down on Ljubljana from a plane is far better than the other way round.  Tiny bummer: as it was pitch dark already,it turned ut to be a blind approach and landing for me.

Long story short told: flying is by far the most wonderful thing on earth and above. It looks like virus aviaticus has really hit me and I think I badly need a flight again. Not everyone seems to be susceptible though. I tried to explain plainspotting to mom recently and even though I thought I've done it pretty well, I'm not sure whether she got the point.

Me: It's people going to airports to look at planes and take photos.
Mom: Why would one do that?
Me: Well, there are different models of planes, different colours, big planes, small planes, special liveries... It's like oldtimers to some or collecting stamps to others. It's about taking pictures, identifying planes, looking for rare liveries or special visitors and stuff.
Mom (in cold blood): And who is going to do the housework?
Me: *almost peed my pants*

~ the end ~
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White beauty

One of my last impressions of Antwerp, and certinly one that fully deserves the "last but not least" saying. The huge white cathedral of Our Lady is probably the most prominent building in the city by the Scheldt, visible from about everywhere you go. I haven't been inside until my last day of summer school though.
I guess I got a little discouraged by the queque of people wating at the entrance every time I passed by. Maybe I even thought one gothic church more or less wouldn't really matter. In the end, it turns out the people were right and if there's a gothic church that is worth to have a look at, it might be this. 
3D maquette and a number of models that show the growth of the church from a small 9th century chapel to the huge cathedral it is today. Its size makes it hard to believe they planned to expand it to something a lot bigger. Turns out megalomanic plans are not an invention of modern times at all.
Huge stained glass windows, each decorated differently
Smiling Madonna
Red fabric and paintings on the gigantic pilars. The presentation is quite modest, but very effective.
Each row of pilars leads to a triptych by Peter Paul Rubens that can be considered one of the major artworks not only in the church, but beyond.
Triptych #1: The Elevation of the Cross. Huge. Beautiful. 
Triptych #2: The Descent from the Cross. Unlike the first one it is made of three different motifs, but again it is very huge and stunning.
Unlike many gothic churches, the cathedral of Antwerp is very bright inside
Main altar with another masterpiece of Rubens: Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Wood carvings around the main altar. With so many detailed ornaments, no wonder it took 40 years to complete them. 
Beautiful palisades
Side chapel of Saint Joseph
Wall paintings
Side altars in different styles
Fantastic wood carving
Some of the chapels that surround the main altar
Queen of Peace. Must be on holidays recently.
One of the doors, guarded by huge marble sculptures
Choir area above the main enrance

 Finally, it was time to leave, and I didn't expect saying goodbye to Antwerp would be so difficult. The city makes you want to stay, leaving makes you sentimental and upon realizing that it really is time to go - even a little sad.

~ to be continued ~
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