Take me dancing

Not that I've ever dealt much with the sewing machine (except for the handicraft classes at school), but I decided to make a dress anyway some time ago. 
Of course, I couldn't possible create it with fabric, but as the vast majority of my exhibition cards would be stitched ones, I wanted  to have at least a few on which I'd present differennt techniques. Among all techniques that came to mind, iris folding is one that is both flat (must-be characteristic for cards that are on display behind glass frames), and still gives a very unique result overall.

After some consideration, I picked the scheme of an elegant dress from my stash. I decided to work on it with a quite simple colour combination, using a red splash-patterned gift wrapping paper and a swirly embossed background paper in a very soft beige. 

As an iris folding card requires an aperture for the motif, I decided to use one of those tri-fold card bases that come with  an oval opening at the front. 
Of course, I would be working on the dess-shaped aperture in the embossed sheet, but the additional opening in the background made sure the overlapping paper stripes wouldn't pile up on the card itself. The tri-fold base, once glued together,  would cover up the iris folding nicely once the card was done, and at the same time, a tiny strip of the red background would give a frame to the embossed background paper.

Most importantly, I would get rid of at least one of those card bases that keep sittting in my stash for years. I've no idea why I bought them and no use for them either. Or maybe I should just start making more of thoe iris folding cards...

Anyway, once the dress was done, I decided to decorate the upper part with two tiny gemstones.

And as the card still looked a little too empty, I added another 3 gemstones in two opposite corners, and voilà - the dress is ready just in time for a Valentine's date.

A little contribution to the February collection of Create in Austria - artwork created by Austrians and/or in Austria.

And as red is such a vibrant colour, it is of course useful not only for cards, but also for traffic signs. Still, I'm not quite sure what this one is supposed to mean :)

challenges:
- 613 avenue create: ATG with optional twist "love"
- a bit more time to craft: ATG
- allsorts challengeblog: love is in the air
- brown sugar: Valentines day
- crafting with an attitude: ATG
- crafty calendar: 2 or more layers
- crafty catz: ATG with optional twist "love is in the air"
- crafty gals corner: ATG
- craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper
- creative inspirations: love
- creative moments: ATG
- cute card thursday: love
- deep ocean: love is all around
- everybody art: circle/square
- friendship challenge: party
- inspiration destination: ATG with optional twist "embossing"
- little red wagon: shades of red
- love to craft: ATG 
- moving along with the times: love
- my time to craft: love is all we need
- path of positivity: shades of red
- pennys papertake: ATG
- pile it on: 3D embellishments (gemstones)
- scrapping4fun: love
- crazy challenge: love
- through the craftroom door: ATG
- unicorn challengeblog: love/Valentines
- wortartwednesday: ATG
- worldwide open design team challenge: ATG

N for... Happy birthday!

Of all the cards I make, most are done for the sake of creating only, meaning they end up in one of my boxes once they are finished. I do give away some "just because" cards here and there, and of course a birthday card for mom each year, but I honestly can't remember when I've last sent one to my sister. 
With that odd paradox in mind, I stitched her initial letter for my exhibition last year, and planned to give it to her on her birthday. However, as it was on display longer than I expected, the birthday was long gone when I got it back.

Anyway, it's a rather simple birthday card: a golden N that overlaps a tiny blue flower, a couple of tiny pearls on the swirly background and a couple of rhinestones on the punched edges. To make the centerpiece pop out a little bit, I used 3D pads.

And since we're starting another "ATG" challenge over at the Fadengrafik Challenge, you're kindly invited to play along again, or join us for the first time. You can link up any of your crafting projects, given you've used some kind of stitching on it. I can't wait to  see what you will come up with ;)

A little contribution to the February collection of Create in Austria - artwork created by Austrians and/or in Austria.

challenges: 
- 613 avenue create: ATG
- a bit more time to craft: ATG
- as you like it: favourite way to add stitching (to me, stitching is only supposed to describe things that are actually stitched, meaning the use of needle and yarn on fabric/paper... - therefore, my way of adding stitching is paper embroidery or fadengrafik)
- crafting with an attitude: ATG
- crafty catz: ATG with optional twist "for the girls"
- creative moments: ATG
- cute card thursday: ATG
- inspiration destination: ATG
- love to craft: ATG 
- path of positivity: shades of blue (birthday card for my sister. Even though we have always considered her to be a child of warm shades, she now has quite a lot of blues and purples in her wardrobe - and even a huge, blue kitchen in her new apartment which might sound strange at first but actually looks amazing)
- pennys papertake: ATG
- through the craftroom door: ATG
- tuesday throwdown: favourite colour (I don't really dislike any colour, but if I had to go for my favourite, I'd probably pick blue)
- wortartwednesday: ATG
- worldwide open design team challenge: ATG

Another lovely combination of blue and green. Honestly, even though we didn't have "real" winter yet this year ( because no winter without snow is real winter, and the sample size of snow we had doesn't count), I'm really looking forward to spring already. The first part of spring cleaning is done, and who knows, once summer comes along I might just be looking out for Adria's summer charter at Celovec/Klagenfurt airport again...

Illumination

It's been ages since my last calligraphy projects and equally long since the pictures of this gilded initial letter - a little commissioned work for a birthday - is waiting in my archive to be published.

According to the instructions, I first covered the letter with a thin layer of gold and added a border of red ink after that. In the end, here's a result that confirms I'll probably never master the art of illuminated calligraphy.

To imagine its real-life size: the letter itself measures about an A4 page. 

A little contribution to the February collection of Create in Austria - artwork created by Austrians and/or in Austria.

And a combination of red on a parchment-coloured background I like much better than the above one ;)

challenges: 
- 613 avenue create: ATG
- a bit more time to craft: ATG
- allsorts challengeblog: old favourites (calligraphy equipment)
- crafting with an attitude: ATG
- crafty gals corner: ATG
- creative moments: ATG
- cute card thursday: ATG
- inspiration destination: ATG
- love to craft: ATG 
- pennys papertake: ATG
- through the craftroom door: ATG
- wortartwednesday: ATG

Hvar part VI - Makarska

Another beautiful day, another long drive ahead. At first, we'd head towards the very east cape of the island, from where a short ferry crossing would bring us to the mainland again. 

Before that, however, there was still time to explore this rather neglected part of Hvar. 

In general, there isn't much to see in the small town of Sućuraj. A ferry dock, a small marina...

... the church of St. George...

... and a way that leads to the very last building - a charming lighthouse that is nowadays being used for tourist rental.

But why walk on the street when one can overcome the same distance by climbing rocks at the seaside?

Off we go! Ferry time again made my stomach cringe, however, I tried to remind myself it would only be a short crossing this time.

Also, the different shades of blue are a truly wonderful sight. 

And at some point, a little traveler proudly announced his discovery to everybody on board: "Mom, mom, look! Dolphins!" Turns out a playful bunch of dolphins actually decided to swim along for a while.

After a couple more hours on the bus, we finally reached our last major stop on the way home: Makarska, a popular tourist destination on the equally popular Makarska Riviera.
Again, we had some time off for lunch break and individual discoveries, which led me down the promenade and past the marina...

... towards the small peninsula of St. Peter. So much for "Old love doesn't rust". 

An interesting place for an (abandoned) beach bar, too. The stairs seem quite suicidal to me in broad daylight and being sober, I can't even imagine them in opposite circumstances.

Makarska, literally squeezed in between the sea and the massive Biokovo mountains in the background.

And what could that milling up the tree be? Turns out the squirrel has figured out a sophisticated procedure to peel the pinecones.

Final viewing of the day: the Franciscan church with a beautiful altarpiece...

... and a rich Malacological museum.

Last glimpses of the sea...

... and glimpses of the more and more familiar landscapes in the afternoon sun. 

Almost home - Kolpa in the dusk.

~ the end ~