Falushtain

The Wendy Challenge - Part I

2011-09-27T16:33:00.000+03:00

Wendy, thoughtful as always, took note of my newly discovered passion for refashioning and sent me (among other lovely b-day gifts) some of her old dresses to use for fabric, or whichever way I see fit. It was a wonderful surprise, and I decided to give myself the challenge to turn each of the dresses into something different. So... let The Wendy Challenge begin!

Wendy, grijulie ca intotdeauna, a observat noua mea pasiune pentru modificat haine si mi-a trimis (printre alte cadouri de ziua mea) niste rochii vechi pe care sa le folosesc pentru material, sau in ce fel imi va cadea bine. A fost o surpriza minunata, si m-am decis sa-mi dau eu mie provocarea de a transforma fiecare rochie (+fusta) in ceva diferit. Asa ca...sa inceapa Provocarea Wendy!

I seek permission to place before the jury...
Cer permisiunea de a supune atentiei juratilor...

Exhibit A:
Proba A:

Stripy dress, fits perfectly (turns out we're the same size!). It has pockets and a button-down back, which make it all the more awesome. The length is not very flattering, and there's a mysterious belly hole the purpose of which I cannot fathom. Ventilation? Showing off a potential belly button piercing? Modern design?
Rochie dungata, mi-e buna la fix (cine-ar fi zis ca purtam exact aceeasi marime!). Are buzunare si se incheie cu nasturi la spate, lucruri care o fac si mai faina. Lungimea nu e chiar potrivita, si are o gaura misterioasa deasupra buricului, a carei scop nu-l pot defini. Ventilatie? Posibilitatea de a-ti arata un potential piercing din buric? Design modern?

This has already been dealt with. You'll see the results in a future post.
Pe asta am rezolvat-o deja. O veti vedea intr-un post viitor.

Exhibit B:
Proba B:

White dress, doesn't tell me much. Probably fated to become embroidered tote bags.

Rochie alba, nu-mi spune prea multe. Probabil e sortita sa devina plase de cumparaturi, eventual brodate.

Exhibit C:
Proba C:

Full, flowy hippie wrap skirt. Fits perfectly and looks fine as is. Fine, but not breathtaking. Still thinking whether I should gently approach it with scissors or leave it alone.
Fusta hipioata larga si usoara. Mi-e numa' buna si arata OK asa cum e. OK, dar nu extraordinara. Inca ma mai gandesc daca sa ma apropii de ea tandru cu foarfeci, sau s-o las in pace.

Exhibit D:
Proba D:

A sort of jumper dress. Fits perfectly, but I don't really like the fabric. Should I dye it? Or maybe turn it into doll clothing?
Un fel de rochie-salopeta. Mi-e buna si asta, dar nu prea imi place materialul. S-o vopsesc? Sau s-o transform in haine pentru papusi?

Exhibit E:
Proba E:

Cute little navy dress, knee-length. This one fits fine too (dammit, I have too many dresses!). Not crazy about the gold thread and the buttons, but that's an easy fix. Very see-through, so it might require a petticoat of some sort. The fabric would be great for making flower-brooches, but I can't bring myself to chop it up. At least not at least after I've worn it a few times.

O foarte draguta rochita bleumarin, pana la genunchi. Si asta mi-e buna (la naiba, am prea multe rochii!). Nu ma omor dupa firul auriu si dupa nasturi, dar asta e usor de rezolvat. Materialul ar fi excelent pentru brose tip floare, dar parca nu-mi vine s-o ciopartesc inca. Cel putin nu inainte de a o fi purtat macar de cateva ori.

Exhibit F:
Proba F:

Very long, very full, very blue skirt. Looks a bit much for me, I wouldn't wear it. So that gives me heaps and heaps of royal blue velvet to use for...something.
Fusta foarte lunga, foarte larga, foarte albastra. Cam mult pentru mine, n-as purta-o. Asa ca am stive de catifea albastra s-o folosesc pentru....ceva.

And, because it wouldn't be a challenge if it didn't force me to do something, I will give myself deadlines for this refashionings. And, because I tend to be lenient with myself, since I'm all I've got, I will only "impose" upon myself one refashion a month. I will keep you posted with the evolution (or lack thereof) of the garments that travelled a long long way across mountains and oceans and rice fields, to begin a new life in Transylvania. And a big thanks to Wendy for providing me with the extra impulse I needed to venture deeper into the misty woods of refashioning.

Si, pentru ca n-ar fi provocare daca nu m-ar forta la ceva, o sa-mi dau date limita pentru modificari. Si, pentru ca tind sa fiu indulgenta cu mine insami ca doar numa' pe mine ma am, imi "impun" o modificare pe luna. O sa va tin la curent cu evolutia (sau involutia) obiectelor de imbracaminte care au calatorit peste munti si vai si oceane si campuri de orez, pentru a incepe o noua viata in Transilvania. Si multe multumiri lui Wendy pentru ca mi-a dat impulsul suplimentar de care aveam nevoie pentru a pasi mai adanc in padurea cetoasa a modificarilor vestimentare.

P.S. for my Romanian readers: Se pare ca Blogger a modificat marimea fonturilor, si cel "mic" e acum foarte mic. Il vedeti asa?

Green Monday

2011-09-26T22:35:00.001+03:00

Well, I have a couple of hours left of Monday, so here's my envy target today: Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson!

Mai sunt vreo doua ore din ziua de luni, asa ca iata tinta invidiei mele de azi: Elizabeth, creatoarea blogului Oh, Fransson!

She makes wonderful, bright, fresh looking quilts.
Face niste quilturi minunate, in culori vii si proaspete.

And she came up with the brilliant quick piecing idea which helped me make this quilt.
Si a mai avut si ideea geniala care m-a ajutat sa fac quiltul asta.

Her blog is worth a visit, there's plenty of inspiration to be found!
Merita sa-i vizitati blogul, e plin de inspiratie!

Mighty Pleased

2011-09-21T11:06:00.002+03:00

I recently had to make a baptism gift for a friend of a friend. I was told that a brown and blue combination would be nice, and that it had to contain a quote and the baby's name. But apart from that I was given total freedom... which is not always helpful.

Mi s-a cerut nu demult sa fac un cadou de botez pentru o prietena de-a unei prietene. Mi s-a spus ca ar fi faina o combinatie de albastru cu maro, si ca trebuia sa contina un citat si numele baietelului. Dar in afara de asta, am avut libertate totala...ceea ce nu-i intotdeauna usor.

I racked my brain trying to imagine what the baby's mother (Whom I don't know) might like, and after going back and forth a few times, I came up with the following. Quilt...

Mi-am stors creierii incercand sa-mi imaginez ce i-ar placea mamicii copilului (mamica pe care n-o cunosc), si dupa mai multe pendulari, am ajuns la urmatoarele. Quilt...

...cushion...

...pernuta...

... and somebody to snuggle up with them:

...si cineva care sa se cuibareasca in ele:

The fabric came from a total amount of 8 thrifted pillowcases (I used every single inch of them!). I must say I am mighty pleased with how it all turned out. I don't know what was the matter with me, but everything went so smoothly: perfectly parallel lines, no tangled balls of thread on the back, no twisted bias binding, no corner of the quilt being accidentally sewn under, no cursing...none of my usual quilting banes! Just placid, cheerful sewing.

Sursa materialului au constituit-o 8 fete de perna de la second (am folosit fiecare centimetru!). Tre sa spun ca sunt tare multumita de cum a iesit totul. Nu stiu ce mi se intamplase, dar totul a mers ca pe roate: linii perfect paralele, fara bile incurcate de atza pe dos, fara binding sucit, fara sa prind din greseala vreun colt de quilt in cusatura, fara injuraturi...nimic din problemele mele obisnuite cand fac un quilt.

I also employed a trick for easy piecing, which I found here, and which is total genius! Thank you, Elizabeth, for enabling me to come up with the best aligned squares of my life. :)

Am folosit si un truc de unit patratele, pe care l-am gasit aici, si care e absolut genial! Elizabeth, multumesc ca mi-ai dat oportunitatea sa fac cele mai frumos aliniate patratele din viata mea :)

The quote in Hungarian says "I have become God's child". I'm very pleased with how my letter applique turned out too.

Citatul in maghiara spune "Am devenit copilul Domnului". Sunt tare multumita si de cum mi-au iesit literele.

As for this little guy, I'm sure he and Kristof will become very good friends.

In ceea ce-l priveste pe asta micu', sunt sigura ca el si Kristof vor deveni foarte buni prieteni.

But above all, I loved working with this colour combination. I found it so soothing that I just couldn't stop staring at the fabrics. I must make something in these colours again.

Dar cel mai mult mi-a placut sa lucrez cu combinatia asta de culori. Mi se pare asa de linistitoare, ca nu ma mai saturam sa ma uit la materiale. Trebuie sa mai fac ceva cu culorile astea.

Stay tuned for more updates on my craftiness, coming soon!

Ramaneti aproape pentru alte noutati, in curand pe ecrane!

Probably this summer's best weekend

2011-08-09T09:03:00.011+03:00

...at least so far. I think I'm not alone in the belief that the fair was quite a success. For three days, the garden was filled with colourful smiling people. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a higher concentration of happy people per square meter before.

Cred ca nu sunt singura cu impresia ca targul a fost un real succes. Timp de trei zile, gradina a fost plina de oameni colorati cu gura pana la urechi. Sincer, cred ca in viata mea n-am vazut o concentratie mai mare de oameni bucurosi pe metru patrat.

The crafters of Mures had been so ready for this to finally happen, so eager to be part of it, and so satisfied once it was done. However, the satisfaction will not be complete unless this becomes a regular event.
Artizanii din Mures erau atat de pregatiti pentru un astfel de eveniment, atat de insetati sa faca parte din el, si atat de satisfacuti la final. Totusi, satisfactia nu va fi completa decat daca acest targ devine un eveniment periodic.

We're hooked. We need more. We can no longer go on without associating with other creative people and exchanging ideas and marvelling at each other's talents and working together.
Am devenit dependenti. Mai vrem. Nu mai putem merge mai departe fara sa ne asociem cu alti oameni creativi, sa schimbam idei, sa ne miram unul de talentul celuilalt si sa lucram impreuna.

I believe this fair is going places. But until then, I'll leave you with a (small) selection of pics.
Ii prevad un viitor stralucit targului astuia. Dar pana atunci, va las cu o (mica) selectie de poze.

Also, make sure to check out Wishes in Motion (who were part of the fair) and their ambitious project.
Nu uitati sa treceti si pe la Wishes In Motion (care au fost prezenti la targ), sa le vedeti ambitiosul proiect.

Last, but not least...
Nu in ultimul rand...

P.S. Special thanks for some of the pics to Raluca & Peter.

Hai la Targ!

2011-08-02T10:49:00.002+03:00

Imi face placere sa va prezint primul targ handmade din Targu Mures!
I am pleased to present to you the first handmade fair of Targu Mures!

Te asteptam sa admiri, sa te miri si sa cumperi.
Come admire, marvel and shop!

The Saga of the Twice Made Quilt

2011-07-26T11:28:00.000+03:00

I promised you the story of how this quilt came to be, so here it is. This was the largest quilt I've ever made (130cm x 190cm) and also my first man-quilt.
V-am promis povestea facerii acestui quilt, deci iat-o. Asta a fost cel mai mare quilt pe care l-am facut pana acum (130x190), precum si primul quilt de barbati.

I had the idea in a flash of genius: hey, I could stencil those little dancing people he likes so much on some fabric, then turn the fabric into a quilt! His favourite colour combination being green and black, I went to search for some green fabric. The one below was the only green I could find that was cotton, and large enough. I wasn't crazy about the shade, but I figured it might look different once it was covered in LDPs (= little dancing people).
Ideea mi-a venit intr-o strafulgerare de geniu: hei, as putea picta omuletii aia care-i plac asa de mult pe un material, iar apoi sa fac un quilt din material! Combinatia lui preferata fiind verde cu negru, am plecat in cautare de verde. Singurul verde pe care l-am gasit si care sa fie si bumbac si destul de mare a fost cel de mai jos. Nu ma omoram dupa nuanta, dar m-am gandit ca va arata altfel odata ce va fi acoperit cu ODi (omuleti dansand).

I had a forest green fabric paint which looked quite nice, and I made stencils out of a plastic cover from one of my uni folders (what, it was all I had on hand at the time). And I started painting.
Aveam o vopsea pt textile de un verde-brad care arata bine; am facut sabloane din coperta de plastic a unui dosar pe care-l folosesc la scoala (ce, aia aveam la indemana!). Si m-am apucat de pictat.

1270 done, 2348 to go....
1270 gata, mai am 2348...

To be fair, I estimate about 5 LDPs per block, so that would mean I stencilled approximately 250 of them.
Pentru corectitudine, am estimat cam 5 ODi per bloc, deci asta ar insemna ca am pictat cam 250 in total.

As we all know, Murphy never sleeps! I soon ran out of fabric paint. I ran to the store to get some more, but it was that exact shade that they had run out of. I decided to take the next closest shade. I mean, it was just one number down, how different could it be? This different!
Dupa cum stim, Murphy nu doarme niciodata! Mi s-a terminat repede vopseaua pt textile. Am fugit la magazin sa mai iau dar exact nuanta aia n-o mai aveau. Am luat nuanta cea mai apropiata. In fond, era diferenta de doar un numar, cate de diferita putea sa fie? Asa de diferita!

I mixed it with white and yellow and brown and light green and blue and purple in an attempt to get it closer to the original shade, but what I ended up with was a sort of rancid furry mold colour. Oh well, I went on with it, waiting to see what it would look like when cut into blocks. I ended up with blocks that had both shades, and some blocks that had only one of the shades:
Am amestecat-o cu alb si galben su maro si verde deschis si albastru si mov in incercarea de a o aduce mai aproape de nuanta originala, dar am ajuns la o culoare de mucegai blanos ranced. Ma rog, am mers mai departe, hotarata sa vad cum va arata odata ce mterialul va fi taiat in blocuri. Mi-au iesit blocuri cu ambele nuante, si blocuri care aveau doar una din nuante:

I laid out the blocks on the bed...
Am pus blocurile pe pat...

...and YUCK! Nothing worked: the three greens smashed together, with the black border, it all looked awful to me. There was no way I would offer this as a birthday present. Maybe to a half-blind dog to sleep on.
...si BLEAH! Nimic nu se potrivea: trei nuante de verde trantite impreuna, cu marginea neagra, arata groaznic. N-aveam cum sa ofer asa ceva drept cadou de zi de nastere. Poate unui caine pe jumate orb, sa doarma pe el.

Not sure what to do, I left it aside and went to look for fabric for the other presents.
Nu stiam ce sa fac, asa ca l-am pus deoparte si am plecat sa caut materiale pentru celelalte cadouri.

And what do I find? A huge, oh-so-soft sheet in the perfect shade of green! I'm sure Murphy was snickering down at me while I was standing in the shop, wandering if I should laugh, swear or just buy the damn sheet. I bought it.
Si ce gasesc? Un cearsaf mare, super-moale, in nuanta perfecta de verde! Cred ca Murphy se prapadea de ras in timp ce eu stateam in magazin, intrebandu-ma daca sa rad, sa injur sau sa cumpar naibii materialul. L-am cumparat.

So off come two more plastic folder covers, to be turned into larger stencils, and the process begins again. This time, though, I decided to pre-cut the blocks and only put one large LDP in the middle of each, to save me some time. Also, no more green paint. Black will do, thank you very much. Here's what the first blocks looked like:
Asa ca sunt sacrificate inca doua coperte de dosare, pentru a fi transformate in sabloane mai mari, si procesul reincepe. Insa de data asta am decis sa tai blocurile dinainte si sa pun numai cate un OD mare in mijlocul fiecarui bloc, ca sa mai economisesc timp. De data asta fara vopsea verde, e bine si negru. Iata cum au iesit primele blocuri:

Excited about the obvious improvement, I almost forgot the drudgery of having painted and ironed another 45 LFDPs (little friggin dancing people). I got some pretty well aligned seams too:
Entuziasmata de imbunatatirea evidenta, aproape am uitat efortul si plictiseala de a fi pictat inca 45 de OND (omuletii naibii dansand). Am nimerit si cusaturile destul de aliniate:

Being such a large quilt. I had nowhere to stretch it out in my house. So off I went to take over the landlady's porch: (don't worry, I swept and mopped it 3 times before laying out the quilt)
Fiind un quilt asa de mare, n-aveam unde sa-l intind in casa. Asa ca am ocupat terasa gazdei: (fiti fara grija, am maturat si am mopuit de 3 ori inainte sa-l intind)

Sandwich, pin, quilt, border and the quilt was done in the nick of time.
Straturi, ace de siguranta, quiltuit, margine, si quiltul a fost gata la tzanc.

End results:

a much improved night's sleep
lots of leftover rancid mold coloured paint
lots of ugly LDP quilt blocks I don't know what to do with. Any suggestions?
most of my uni folders now have no covers
I don't want to see another LFDP for a long long time
painting polka dots on a square of fabric suddenly doesn't seem such a big feat anymore

Rezultate finale:

un somn imbunatatit
o gramada de vopsea de culoarea mucegaiului blanos ramasa
o gramada de blocuri urate cu OD ramase, si cu care nu stiu ce sa fac. Sugestii?
majoritatea dosarelor mele de la faculta nu mai au coperta
nu vreau sa mai vad nici un omulet dansand pentru foarte foarte multa vreme
brusc, pictatul de buline pe un patrat de material nu mi se mai pare asa mare lucru

Green Monday

2011-07-25T19:52:00.008+03:00

Dear hypothetical readers,
Dragi cititori ipotetici,

As I've been discovering more and more crafty awesomeness in the blog world of late, I have decided to revive the Monday of envy.
De vreme ce in ultima vreme tot descopar minunatii in lumea blogurilor, m-am decis sa reinviu lunea invidiei.

Today's envy target: Tilly and her buttons :)
Tinta de azi a invidiei: Tilly si nasturii ei :)

Reason for envy: I'm never going to be able to make such professional-looking clothes
Motiv de invidie: Niciodata n-o sa fiu in stare sa fac haine care sa arate asa de profesional cusute.

She didn't even discover this hobby that long ago, and look what she can do already!
Nici macar nu si-a descoperit hobby-ul asta foarte demult, si deja uite ce stie sa faca!

I mean look at this! Pockets lined with pretty fabrics, and truckloads of buttonholes, and scalloped edges and....
Pe bune! Buzunare captusite cu materiale frumoase, si stive de butoniere si margini rotunjite si...

Not to mention she's so cute.
Ca sa nu mai zic ca-i draguta foc.
Darn!
La naiba!

Little people dancing on my brain

2011-07-19T11:40:00.016+03:00

Somebody used to complain of the thermal inadequacy of the bedding available at my humbe abode.
Cineva se tot plangea de ineficienta asternuturilor puse la dispozitie in umila mea casa.

Somebody also fell (a little bit obsessively) in love with the design of a plate belonging to our friends.
Cineva s-a indragostit de asemena (un pic obsesiv) de modelul de pe o farfurie a unor prieteni.

So I, the generous, creative, patient and thoughtful person that I am, had the brilliant idea to combine the wish and the complaint into one dancing-people-themed birthday present.
Asa ca eu, persoana generoasa, creativa, rabdatoare si grijulie care sunt, am avut ideea geniala de a combina dorinta si reclamatia intr-un cadou pe tema "omuleti dansand".

I started from the design on the plate, turned it into stencils of various sizes, and stenciled the living daylights out of everything that came my way. Thus, somebody received the following:

Am inceput de la modelul de pe farfurie, pe care l-am transformat in sabloane de diferite marimi, dupa care am pictat tot ce mi-a picat in mana. Astfel, cineva a primit urmatoarele:

A little-dancing-people quilt. This is actually the second one I made, as I hated the first version. I will give you the entire saga in a future post.
Un quilt cu omuleti dansand. Asta e de fapt al doilea quilt facut, nu mi-a placut deloc prima versiune. O sa va povestesc toata saga intr-un post viitor.

A little-dancing-people cup. This was funny. I handed it to him casually to drink from, he uses it just as casually and, about an hour later, goes "wow, check out that awesome cup! Where did that come from!?" Duh! Talk about a man's spirit of observation!

O cana cu omuleti dansand. La asta m-am distrat. I-am dat-o foarte nonsalant sa bea din ea, el bea la fel de nonsalant si, dupa vreo ora, zice "uau, fii atent ce cana faina! Asta de unde-i?!" Poftim! Spirit de observatie de barbat!

A little-dancing-people scarf:
Un fular/ esarfa cu omuleti dansand:
...as well as other things which (miraculously!) did not have any dancing people on them.
...precum si alte chestii care (in mod miraculos!) n-au omuleti dansand pe ele.

After a silly beer-and-popcorn party, somebody had a very good birthday sleep:
Dupa un chef zapacit cu popcorn si bere, cineva a dormit foarte bine:

The making of a friend

2011-07-14T15:32:00.003+03:00

Last month I caught up with an old friend from highschool, come to spend a holiday in Romania, together with her English husband and in-laws. And it was a lovely holiday, except for the car crash they had on the very last day. They were not very seriously injured, but the accident kept everyone in the country longer than previously planned.

Luna trecuta m-am intalnit cu o veche prietena din liceu, venita in vacanta in Romania, cu sotul si socrii ei englezi. Si a fost o vacanta minunata, cu exceptia accidentului de masina din ultima zi. N-au fost raniti foarte grav, dar accidentul i-a tinut in tara mai mult decat era planificat.

Which gave me the chance to spend more time with Maureen, who is a quilter! Can you imagine that? A real, flesh-and-blood quilter, who owns sewing machines and buys fabrics, organises tea parties and is part of several (several!) quilting and embroidery clubs. Such a character might sound like a myth to someone living in a country with no fabric shops and no "quilt" in the dictionary. But mark my words, my crafty Romanian sisters, they do exist!

Ceea ce mi-a dat ocazia sa petrec mai mult timp cu Maureen, care face quilturi! Puteti sa va imaginati asa ceva? O persoana in carne si oase, care are masini de cusut si cumpara materiale si organizeaza serate englezeti si face marte din mai multe (mai multe) cluburi de quilt si broderie. Asa ceva ar putea parea un mit celor ce locuiesc intr-o tara fara magazine de materiale si fara cuvantul "quilt" in dictionar. Dar luati aminte la vorbele mele, exista!

She was kind enough to spend an afternoon at my place, and we talked and talked. I actually used words like "mitre" and "bias binding" and "applique", words which I knew but had never uttered in my life, for lack of anyone who would understand them.

A fost draguta si a petrecut o dupa amiaza la mine acasa, si am vorbit intr-una. Am apucat sa folosesc cuvinte cum ar fi "mitre" si "bias binding" si "applique", cuvinte pe care le stiam dar pe care nu le-am rostit niciodata in viata mea, pentru ca nu aveam cui.

Talking to her for a few hours was a sensory overload that only reading 5 new craft magazines at the same time could give you.
Vorbind cu ea cateva ore m-am simtit de parca as fi citit 5 reviste de craft noi, toate in acelasi timp.

This miracle made me decide to revive my Green Monday, so from now on I'll do a post every Monday, expressing my envy towards those more craftily endowed or fortunate than me. All in good humour, though! :) (more or less).

Acest miracol m-a determinat sa hotarast reinvierea Lunilor Verzi, asa ca de acum inainte voi posta in fiecare luni, exprimandu-mi invidia fata de cei/cele mai inzestrate sau mai norocoase decat mine din punct de vedere al craftului. Totul in mod amical, desigur! (mai mult sau mai putin).

In the beginning, there were pyjamas

2011-07-03T18:31:00.005+03:00

It all started with pyjamas. I needed some. I found these and instantly loved the design and colour.
Totul a inceput cu pijamaua. Imi trebuia una. Am gasit-o pe asta si mi-a placut imediat modelul si culoarea.

But, while walking home after having bought my new happy pretty jammies, I had...
Dar, in timp ce ma intorceam acasa cu proaspat cumparata pijama, am avut...

Revelation 1: Hey, this fabric is way too nice to only be worn in the dark. Is there a way to turn this into something wearable outdoors too?
Revelatia 1: Hei, materialul asta e prea fain ca sa fie purtat numai pe intuneric. Oare exista vreo cale de a transforma pijamaua asta in ceva purtabil si afara?

It turns out there was, and this lead the way to my first ever refashion: the PJ dress!
Se pare ca a existat, si asta a condus la prima mea transformare vestimentara: rochia pijama!

I chopped the pants up and re-assembled them into skirt panels, shortened the top, added some lace and satin here and there, as well as a tulle underskirt and I was quite pleased with the result!
Am taiat pantalonii si i-am reasamblat in segmente de fusta, am scurtat maioul, am adaugat niste dantela si satin pe ici pe colo, precum si un jupon de tulle, si am fost foarte satisfacuta de rezultat!

This first success lead to...
Acest prim succes a condus la...

Revelation 2: Hey, I can do this refashioning thing too! Let the dull and the ill-fitting come to me, and do not hinder them.
Revelatia 2: Hei, se pare ca pot si eu sa fac chestia asta cu transformatu'! Lasati plicticoasele si nepotrivitele sa vina la mine!

I saw my shopping horizons instantly broadened: now I could buy things that didn't quite fit, simply because I loved the fabric. I could always turn the item into something else. So I got onto my second ever refashion. I had had this shirt for a while, thinking I would use the fabric for a quilt or doll dress. It was blah: bulky, uncomfortable and not very flattering, with the hippie pointed collar and all:

Mi-am vazut orizonturile comerciale largite instantaneu: acum pot cumpara si lucruri care nu-mi sunt bune, doar pentru ca-mi place materialul. Pot oricand sa transform un obiect de imbracaminte in altceva. Asa ca m-am apucat de a doua transformare. Aveam camasa asta de o vreme, gandindu-ma ca voi folosi materialul intr-un quilt sau o rochita pentru papusi. Era bla: mare, incomoda, si cu un guler ascutit, hippie:
So I cut and pinned and rounded and almost dislocated a shoulder in the process of trying to work on the back of the shirt while actually wearing it, but I finally ended up with this:

Asa ca am taiat si am prins cu ace si am rotunjit si aproape mi-am dislocat un umar in procesul de a lucra la spatele camasii in timp ce o purtam. Dar in final mi-a iesit asta:
Short puff sleeves (I think that's what they're called), rounded collar (that was a lot of work to transform!) and a more fitted waist. Easy to integrate in a respectable teacher's outfit:

Maneci scurte, guler rotunjit (am lucrat la ala, nu gluma!) si o talie mai stransa. Usor de incorporat intr-o tinuta de profa respectabila:
And thus begin my clothes-altering adventures.
Si iata cum incep aventurile mele pe taramul transformarii hainelor.

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful frenship... :)

Baby stuff

2011-06-29T17:41:00.006+03:00

I'm expecting a baby.
Astept un copil.

Well, it's not mine, but that doesn't mean I can't expect him with all the crafty goodies I think he might need or enjoy. Oh yes, I plan to be an exemplary aunty! Here is some stuff I made for he who will be born tomorrow.

Ma rog, nu-i al meu, dar asta nu inseamna ca nu pot sa-l astept cu toate minunatiile facute de mana si care m-am gandit ca i-ar trebui sau placea. O da, planuiesc sa fiu o matusa exemplara! Iata niste chestii pe care le-am facut pentru cel ce se va naste maine.

Silly onesies are a must:
Era musai sa aiba hainute caraghioase:

Stylish cloths to vomit on are also very important (since we don't have burp cloths in Romania, I took the liberty to coin the term "vomitowels" -much more suggestive, don't you think?):

Carpe elegante pe care sa vomiti sunt si ele foarte importante:

Si, pentru un somn lung care sa-i ofere mamei pretioase momente de liniste:
And, for a long sleep which will provide mum with precious moments of peace:

I've been wanting to make a chenille blanket for a long time, but I didn't have a good enough reason. Well, now I did!

De mult imi doream sa fac o patura in tehnica chenille, dar niciodata n-am avut un motiv destul de bun. Acum am avut!

Baby furniture - check
Bedding and clothing - check
A healthy amout of panic - check
We're ready for you, little guy!

Love critters

2011-06-20T22:41:00.003+03:00

It seems that, even though the frenzy of spring is over, love-time for mucklor starts now. They get all silly and pursue their potential mates with such tenderness and delicate care!

Se pare ca, desi frenezia primaverii a trecut, anotimpul iubirii de-abia acum incepe pentru mishumaci.
Incep sa se prosteasca si isi curteaza potentialele partenere cu atata tandrete si delicata atentie !

They bring flowers and sweets and precious shiny things. They sing and dance and brush their tails neatly.

Aduc flori si dulciuri si alte pretioase lucruri stralucitoare. Canta si danseaza si isi periaza frumos cozile.
They say sweet things and do their best to look their best.

Spun lucruri dragute si fac tot posibilul sa arate cat mai bine.
But never do they lose their funny-shaped heads entirely!

Dar niciodata nu-si pierd caraghiosul cap in totalitate!

Another kind of craft (or this is not your grandma's baking)

2011-04-26T15:12:00.004+03:00

I don't cook often. Bake, even more seldom. But every once in a while, I get into a cooking frenzy in which my monumental enthusiasm is only equalled by my monumental lack of skill. This was the case with Easter Eve.

Every Easter since I returned from NZ, I planned to make hot cross buns. For one reason or another, it never happened. However, I decided that this year would not be bunless.

Being a spur of the moment decision, some ingredients had to be improvised. I also used soy milk instead of cow milk and oil instead of butter, but it looked promising even at dough stage:

Some recipes said cut the tops in a cross shape, others didnt mention cutting at all. I cut. deeply.
Which is why my buns ended up looking nothing like the original ones, but tasting di-vine!

Now on to the egg story. Seeing that I was such an ace in the kitchen, I decided to dye my own eggs too. But not with the easy chemical store bought dyes, oh no! Natural stuff: beet root, spinach, blueberries, onion skins... It went like this:
*upon seeing Brigi's beautiful red eggs, with stickers*: "Bah! Plastic, chemical, consumerist, cheapo lazy-people eggs! I'll dye mine the natural way!"
*After 2 hours,pulling eggs out of the natural dyes and seeing the breathtaking array of colours ranging from beige to stone grey to rotten duck-egg brown*: "Brigiii... can I borrow some stickers?"
These were the liveliest coloured ones:

All in all, Easter was a lot of fun. Look here to see how we spent it.

Daca n-ai buline la casa, sa-ti...faci!

2011-03-16T15:18:00.006+02:00

Last week I received an order as unexpected as it was challenging: a doll inspired from Tim Burton's Alice; she had to be goth-ish but cheerful, and polka dots were a must have.
Am primit saptamana trecuta o comanda pe cat de neasteptata, pe atat de interesanta: o papusa inspirata din Alice in tara minunilor (varianta Tim Burton), care sa fie gotica dar vesela, si sa aiba musai buline.

I found this pic of Alice on the net.
Am gasit pe net poza asta cu Alice.

The dress seemed easy enough, but a quick glance on my fabric shelves (and bags and drawers and under the bed) revealed that I undoubtedly did not have a suitable blue fabric. Much less with the right polka dots. So off I went looking for light-blue-with-polka-dots. After a long walk through all the shops I knew, I found the right shade of blue, but plain. So I returned home, resigned to the fact that I would have to make my own polka dots. Which I did for an entire evening: one by one, a hectare of painted dots.

O scurta aruncare de privire pe rafturile cu materiale (si in pungi, si in sertare, si sub pat) a revelat fara indoiala faptul ca nu aveam materialul albastru potrivit. Cu atat mai putin bulinele potrivite. Asa ca am purces in cautare de material albastru deschis cu buline. Am umblat tot orasu' si pana la urma am gasit nuanta potrivita, dar fara buline. M-am intors acasa resemnata cu gandul ca tre sa-mi fac propriile buline. Si o seara intreaga asta am facut: una cate una, buline pe un hectar de albastru.

I think I'm ready to start engraving grains of rice now! :D
Once the fabric was dotty enough, the rest came easily: a little black lace, a little embroidery, a big bow, an innocent look and there was Alice:

Cred ca de saptamana viitoare ma pot apuca de sculptura in bob de orez! :D
Odata materialul rezolvat, restul a venit de la sine: un pic de dantela, un pic de broderie, o funda mare, o privire inocenta, si iat-o pe Alice:

The dotty box in which she would travel to Bucuresti also contained the essential props: the little bottle and the slice of cake:
In cutia cu buline in care urma sa calatoreasca la Bucuresti am pus si recuzita esentiala: sticluta si prajitura:

A little owner is going to receive it today and hopefully love her to bits (but not literally!)

My first bag ever

2011-02-15T10:33:00.006+02:00

Only now do I realise I had never made a bag before! This is my first. It was born as a group project. Along the line of our contact and collaboration, each of us had received fabrics hand dyed by Betty (who is extremely talented but alas, does not have a blog). Last year she came up with the idea that we should all make a bag using fabrics we had received from her. And this is mine!

Abia acum imi dau seama ca asta este prima mea geanta. S-a nascut in urma unui proiect de grup. De-a lungul legaturii si colaborarii noastre, fiecare din membrele grupului a primit materiale vopsite de Betty (care este extrem de talentata, dar din pacate nu are blog). Anul trecut, Betty a venit cu ideea sa facem fiecare o geanta folosind materialele primite. Si aceasta este a mea!

When I started working on it I realised I didn't have as much fabric as I thought I had, so I kept the structure the same, but made each square a tad smaller.

Cand am inceput sa lucrez la ea mi-am dat seama ca nu aveam chiar atata material cat crezusm. Asa ca am respectat structura impusa, dar am facut patratele mai mici.

I quilted it on all sides, and used a thick piece of cardboard to keep the bottom flat. I'm curious as to what will happen to it when the bag gets washed, haha.

Am matlasat-o pe toate partile, si am folosit o bucata groasa de carton pentru a pastra fundul drept. Sunt curioasa ce se va intampla cu cartonul cand va fi spalata geanta, haha.

I actually love how it turned out. But my friend took possession of it with an enthusiastic "mine! mine! pleeeease" even before it was finished, so our love affair was short lived.

Chiar imi place cum a iesit. Dar, cu un entuziast "te roooog, da-mi-o mie!", a fost adjudecata inca dinainte sa fie terminata, asa ca povestea noastra de dragoste a fost scurta.

I will soon post a link to the rest of the bags.

O sa pun in curand link-uri spre celelalte genti.

Have a sunny weekend!

Papusi intre ani

2011-01-19T09:16:00.003+02:00

These are this year's first dolls. Or last year's last dolls, I'm not sure. I had to finish them by December 31st, as I was meeting the "victim", Mircea, and his sneaky girlfriend, Laura, at the cabin for New Year's.
Acestea sunt primele papusi ale anului. Sau ultimele papusi ale anului trecut, nu-s sigura. A trebuit sa le termin pana in 31 decembrie, pentru ca urma sa ma intalnesc cu "victima", Mircea, si cu prietena lui, Laura, la cabana de Anul Nou.

Why sneaky? Because Mircea's birthday was only on the 6th of Jan, and we had to find a way to justify Laura leaving the cabin with a rather large and festively wrapped box in tow.
Dar a trebuit sa ne furisam, pentru ca ziua de nastere a lui Mircea era abia pe 6 ianuarie, si a trebuit sa gasim o cale de a justifica faptul ca Laura pleaca de la cabana cu o cutie mare si invelita frumos.

But the conspiracy was succesful, the surprise was unspoilt, and I hope my two new friends and their mini-me's will get along well.
Insa conspiratia a avut succes, surpriza n-a fost stricata si sper ca noii mei prieteni si sosiile lor in miniatura se vor intelege bine.

As these are meant to be travelling dolls, I'm looking forward to pictures of them in action!
Si avand in vedere ca acestea sunt papusi calatoare, abia astept sa vad poze cu ei in actiune!

For pics of the freshly-unwrapped dolls, go to Mircea's blog, here.
Pentru poze cu papusile proaspat descoperite, mergei pe blogul lui Mircea, aici.

Xmas Gifts Roundup

2011-01-09T20:51:00.008+02:00

Happy New Year everybody! I hope your holidays were at least half as good as mine. I'll start the crafty new year with a round-up of the presents I made for Christmas. Almost everybody received something made by me, and all that did seemed to be rather pleased about it. So here are the products and the proud recipients:

La multi ani tuturor! Sper ca ati avut niste sarbatori cel putin asa de faine ca ale mele.Voi incepe noul an cusatoresc cu o recapitulare a cadourilor pe care le-am facut de Craciun. Aproape toata lumea a primit ceva facut de manuta mea, si se pare ca toti au fost multumiti. Asa ca iata produsele si mandrii lor proprietari:

Scarves and brooches...
Esarfe si brose...
...and their new owners:
...la noul purtator:
...soft cotton hankies with snot already included...
...batiste noi de bumbac cu mucii gata inclusi...
...a very feminine pink neck warmer for skiing...
... un feminin "incalzitor de gat" (are nume in romana?) pentru schiat...
...dignified owls on phone cases...
... bufnite demne pe huse de telefon...
... some lazy pyjamas (the top says "5 more minutes")...
...pijamale lenese...
...spats gone wrong...
...jambiere cusute aiurea...
...everything packaged in little cotton sacks made from an old sheet and embroidered with the receiver's monogram:
... totul ambalat in saculeti de bumbac facuti dintr-un cearsaf vechi si brodati cu monograma celui ce urma sa-l primeasca:
So this was the quick overview of a handmade, eco-friendly, and satisfying Christmas. Hope Santa was generous with you. :)
Cam acesta a fost conturul unui Craciun facut de mana, ecologic si multumitor. Sper ca Mosul a fost generos cu voi toti! :)

New tenant in the house

2010-12-12T22:30:00.002+02:00

I have a new tenant in the house! This is the new lamp I bought yesterday from the antique fair. He looked so cute and ugly and pitiful at the same time, that I had to have him. The man who sold it to me said he was made in Austria at the beginning of the 20th century, so that would make him 90-100 years old. Maybe that's why he seems so so tired. Or maybe he's just suffering under the weight of his own kitschiness :)

Am un nou chirias in casa! Aceasta este noua lampa pe care am cumparat-o ieri de la un targ de antichitati. Era asa de dulce si urat si demn de mila in acelasi timp, ca n-am putut sa-l las acolo. Domnul care mi l-a vandut zicea ca piticul a fost facut in Austria la inceputul secolului 20, astfel ca ar avea 90-100 de ani. Poate de-aia pare asa de obosit. Sau poate sufera doar sub povara propriei kitschioshenii :)
Even if his history were all a fake (which is quite possible, I'm no Austrian gnome expert), I would love him no less. He gives the room a very nice mood.

Chiar daca istoria lui ar fi cu totul falsa (ceea ce e foarte posibil, nu ma pricep la pitici austrieci de ceramica), nu l-as iubi mai putin. Ca sa nu mai zicem ca face o atmosfera foarte faina in camera.

The Crafty Christmas Club

2010-11-20T20:20:00.004+02:00

Those who know me also know I'm one of those Grinches who don't look forward to Christmas for any reason. This year, however, I am planning to go at least 90% handmade in my gift-giving. So far, the making of presents is progressing nicely, but it's frustrating having to keep my creations secret.

Sooo... I'm pleased to announce I have just been invited to join the above-mentioned blog, where I hope to find inspiration, receive suggestions and share what little I know or have done.
I must admit this is making Christmas just a little bit exciting for me (but don't tell anyone!)

Oh, and those of you who expect presents from me this Xmas..., don't look on this blog, ok?

Chocolate anyone?

2010-11-12T13:36:00.006+02:00

This is the result of another group project, entitled "Cafe ou chocolat". It was meant to produce quilts using materials we all received from Smaranda (thank you, they really were lovely!) and keeping to the theme "cafe ou chocolat".

Acesta este rezultatul unui alt proiect de grup, intitulat "Cafe ou chocolat". Acesta a avut scopul de a produce quilturi, folosind materialele primite de la Smaranda (multumim, au fost chiar frumoase!) si pastrand tema, "cafea sau ciocolata".

The choice was easy for me: absolutely chocolate! So this is what came out:

Alegerea a fost usoara pentru mine: absolut ciocolata! Si iata ce a iesit:
An 80x60cm large box of chocolates, which I dedicate to Teodora, without whose black Ikea pillowcase I couldn't have completed this project. Thank you! :)

O cutie de ciocolata de 80x60, pe care i-o dedic Teodorei, fara a carei fata de perna de la Ikea nu as fi reusit sa termin acest proiect.

I cut up said pillowcase in (more or less) equal squares. I then used acrylic fabric paint to make the golden chocolate wrappers:

Am taiat sus-numita fata de perna in patrate mai mult sau mai putin egale. Am folosit apoi vopsea pentru textile pentru a face ambalajele aurii:
When all squares were dry and extremely well ironed, I put the chocolate shapes within each wrapper. I played around until I got the positioning I wanted:

Cand patratele au fost uscate si ras-calcate, am pus formele de ciocolata in interiorul fiecarui ambalaj. M-am jucat pana am ajus la pozitionarea cea mai buna:
I used a double layer of batting underneath each chocolate shape, to make them pop out of the background.

Am folosit un strat dublu de vatelina sub fiecare forma de ciocolata, pentru a le face sa iasa in relief fata de fundal.

After the chocolates were all in place, I proceeded to quilt around the chocolate shapes, in the most uneven and haphazard manner known to (wo)man, and which I will not show you here. Still, the end result was not as bad as I expected.

Dupa ce formele de ciocolata erau toate la locul lor, am purces la matlasarea lor, in cel mai inegal si haotic mod posibil. Cu asta nu va voi arata poze. Totusi, rezultatul final n-a fost chiar asa de rau pe cat ma asteptam.

If you would like to see the other group members' interpretation of the theme, go here.

Daca vreti sa vedeti interpretarile celorlalte membre ale grupului, mergeti aici.

Old debt

2010-09-08T08:49:00.007+03:00

It is time for me to finally present the results of a group project involving dolls. Each of the participants recived a surprise pack with materials that she had to incorporate into a doll or softie of her own choosing and design.

E timpul sa va prezint in sarsit rezultatele unui proiect de grup avand ca tema papusile. Fiecare dintre participante a primit un pachet surpriza cu materiale pe care a trebuit sa le incorporeze intr-o papusa sau intr-un animalutz ales si proiectat de ea.

At the end, the creations were revealed and everyone got to see what her materials had turned into. So here goes:

La sfarsit, creatiile au fost dezvaluite si fiecare a avut ocazia de a-si recunoaste materialele si a vedea in ce s-au transformat. Asa ca, iata:

The Mirunosaur made by Miruna:
Mirunozaurul:
Elena's Milixina, set on stealing the heart (and life savings) of old Mr. Cotartza:
Milixina Elenei, hotarata sa-i fure inima (si economiile) domnului Cotartza:

Daniela's ET and his delicate flower:
ET al Danielei, si floricica lui delicata:

Mariana's Dolly:
Dolly a Marianei:
Iulia's cute ladybug:
Buburuza simpatica a Iuliei:
Nusha, Carmina's hilarious hen:
Nusha-gainusha haioasa a Carminei:
My respectable Mos Cotartza:
Respectabilul meu Mos Cotartza:

And the guest star, not part of this project but an active part in the exhibition of Craiova, Cici:
Si invitata surpriza, Cici,care nu a facut parte din acest proiect, dar a jucat un rol important la expozitia de la Craiova:
I hope everyone had fun and realised that making a doll is not rocket science after all. Definitely easier than making a quilt, at least for me! :)

Sper ca tuturor le-a facut placere, si ca toate si-au dat seama ca realizarea unei papusi nu e chiar asa mare lucru. Cu sigurantza e mai simplu decat sa faci un quilt, cel putin pentreu mine! :)

Doua surori

2010-07-28T10:56:00.004+03:00

Let me show you what I made before going on holiday. Two dolls for two blonde blue-eyed and very cute sisters.

Sa va arat ce am lucrat inainte sa plec in vacanta. Doua papusele pentru doua surori, una mai blonda si mai dragutza decat cealalta (surorile, nu papusile).

New cutie on the block

2010-07-01T10:07:00.005+03:00

I made a new cutie doll for a friend's little girl. I used Swedish fabrics for a half-Swedish kid. :)
Am facut o papusa noua pentru fetita unei prietene. Am folosit materiale suedeze pentru o copila jumate suedeza :)

The pics are as good as I could get them on a rainy day, before rushing out the door to deliver it.
Pozele sunt cat de bune puteau fi intr-o zi ploioasa, facute in graba, inainte sa fug sa livrez papusa.

I'm eagerly expecting to find out what she will be named.
Abia astept sa aflu cum o s-o cheme.

Update on my talents

2010-06-27T22:42:00.004+03:00

Just thought I'd show you a mismatched array of things I have produced in the last month. First of all, I found a calendar- teatowel at a thrift store and loved the image on it,

Ma gandeam sa va arat o colectie haotica de lucruri pe care le-am produs luna asta. In primul rand, un prosop de bucatarie cu calendar pe care l-am gasit la un second si a carui imagine mi-a placut f mult,

...so I bought it, cut it and turned into a little quilt. I'll hang it in my kitchen as soon as I decide upon the location.
...asa ca l-am cumparat si l-am transformat intr-un quiltuletz. O sa-l pun pe perete in bucatarie, imediat ce ma hotarasc unde.

Secondly, I made a gift for my godmother. I knew I wanted to make some jewellery, but that was the only thing I knew for certain. So after drawing about 10 necklace versions, deciding on the winning one and starting to work on it, the new (and infinitely better) idea came to me, so I dropped what I had begun and started on this:

In al doilea rand, am facut un cadou pentru nasa mea. Stiam ca vreau sa-i fac ceva bijuterie, dar asta era singurul lucru sigur pe care-l stiam. Asa ca, dupa ce am desenat vreo 10 variante de colier si m-am hotarat asupra celei castigatoare, am inceput sa lucrez la ea, cand mi-a venit brusc noua (si infinit mai buna) idee, asa ca am lasat din mana ce lucram si m-am apucat de asta:

I had never done beading before, but with the help of a free book (discovered by Teodora), I managed a final product that I'm very proud of. It took me about 24 hours of solid work but hey, what are nights for? To me it looks Indian, to others it looks Egyptian. What do you think?

Anyway, I'll definitely make more stuff with this technique...but possibly less shiny :)

N-am mai lucrat cu tehnica asta inainte, dar cu ajutorul unei carti gratis (descoperita de Teodora), mi-a reusit un produs final de care sunt foarte mandra. Mi-a luat cam 24 de ore de lucru dar pentru ce sunt noptile? Mie mi se pare ca arata indian, altora li se pare egiptean. Voi ce credeti? Oricum, sigur o sa mai fac chestii cu tehnica asta...probabil mai putin stralucitoare, totusi :)

And last but not least, I made my very first item of clothing! Which took the shape of some very simple wrap-around pants, but I love them and have worn them a lot already. I'll be back with less pathetic pictures; here I had to edit out the messy room behind me.
Si nu in ultimul rand, am facut primul meu obiect de imbracaminte! Care a luat forma unor pantaloni petrecuti foarte simpli, dar pe care ii iombesc si i-am purtat mult deja. O sa revin cu poze mai putin jalnice; aici a trebuit sa tai afara camera dezordonata din spatele meu :)

Hot sexy...Pops

2010-06-11T13:26:00.007+03:00

Ladies, let me present to you the most eligible bachelor of 2010. On his street at least, anyway.

Doamnelor, dati-mi voie sa vi-l prezint pe cel mai ravnit burlac al anului 2010. Ma rog, cel putin pe strada lui.

Mr. Octavian Cotârţă, or Moş Cotârţă, as kids on the street call him nowadays, has been retired for a couple of years. He now fills his spare time by reading scientific papers and looking after his garden.

Dl. Octavian Cotârţă, sau Moş Cotârţă, cum ii spun copiii de pe strada, e pensionar de cativa ani. Acum isi umple timpul citind lucrari stiintifice si ingrijindu-se de gradina.

And of course, looking for a lady to share his retirement years with. After all, he's still going strong and is still rather handsome and well groomed, isn't he?

Si, bineinteles, cautand o doamna cu care sa-si imparta anii batranetii. Ca doar se tine bine inca, e chipes si ingrijit, nu?
Sure, he has the odd ache here and there, but so do all of us.

Desigur, il mai apuca cate o durere pe ici pe colo, dar toti suferim de asa ceva.

I must not forget to tell you that Mr. Cotârţă is not just any old pensioner. He used to be a reputed ornithologist in his day. Yeah, don't look at me like that! He even had a new species of bird named after him. The moşcotârţă is a medium sized water bird with interesting dotty plumage. Unfortunately, Mr. Cotârţă's thesis on the bird was just as dotty, which lead to Oxford University's repeated refusals to publish it.

Sa nu uit sa va spun ca Dl Cotârţă nu e un pensionar oarecare. A fost mare ornitolog la vremea lui. Da da, nu va uitati asa la mine! Exista chiar si o specie de pasari numite dupa el. Moşcotârţa este o pasare de balta, cu un penaj interesant, bulinos. Din fericire, tot de balta au fost si cunostintele prezentate de lucrarea Dlui Cotârţă, care a condus la refuzurile repetate ale Universitatii Oxford de a o publica.

Oh well, life goes on. A nice lady to make tea and watch birds with would be nice though... Any volunteers?

Dar asta este, viata merge inainte. Ar fi frumos totusi sa aiba o doamna draguta care sa faca ceai si cu care sa se uite la pasari... Se ofera cineva?

P.S. This man-doll is part of a group project with my online quilting group. I will post all the dolls as soon as they are all ready.
P.S. Acest papusoi e parte a unui proiect de grup, cu grupul Peticelul. Va voi arata toate papusile imediat ce sunt gata.

Expo Craiova

2010-06-04T13:39:00.004+03:00

My online group is currently exhibiting their work in Craiova. Over 40 original, pretty and very well received quilts. Just thought I'd brag. :) More pictures here.

Grupul meu virtual, Peticelul Romanesc International, are o expozitie la Craiova. Peste 4o de quilturi originale, frumoase si foarte bine primite. Voiam doar sa ma laud. :) Mai multe poze aici.

Daca aveti drum prin Craiova, mergeti si vedeti, e deschisa pana in 11 iunie.

First tenants

2010-05-11T13:28:00.006+03:00

As soon as the tree was firmly in place, fixed with four bolts and meters of double sided tape, some living facilities had to be provided.
Imediat ce copacul a fost fixat bine pe perete, cu patru suruburi si metri de banda adeziva, trebuiau furnizate si locuinte utilate.

Built around a solid reinforced cardboard core,
Construita in jurul unui miez de carton armat,
...and benefiting from all mod cons like electrical wiring...
...si beneficiind de toate facilitatile moderne, cum ar fi instalatie electrica...
...this treehouse provides a modern, comfortable living space.
...aceasta casa-in-copac ofera un spatiu de locuit modern si confortabil.

At the same time, it blends into its environment through the clever use of quilted faux-bark walls...
In acelasi timp, se armonizeaza cu mediul inconjurator, datorita folosirii ingenioase a peretilor quiltati din imitatie de scoartza...

...and natural leaf roofing.
...si a acoperisului natural din frunze.

You must agree that this unique combination of features makes for an irresistible dwelling.
Trebuie sa recunoasteti ca aceasta combinatie unica de trasaturi concura la crearea unei locuinte irezistibile.

And it seems like I'm not the only one to think so. Look, somebody has already moved in!
Si se pare ca nu sunt singura care crede asta. Ia uitati, cineva s-a mutat deja in ea!

Tree

2010-05-05T10:58:00.011+03:00

I have not been completely idle lately. Close, but not quite.
N-am fost cu totul lenesa in ultima vreme. Aproape, dar nu chiar cu totul.

Do you remember this project? It was in September last year that I started it. I appliqueed and painted and turned it this way and that and it still didn't look like anything. On the one hand, it was way too big to handle. On the other hand, no matter what I did to it, it still looked like a torn sweater stuck to a piece of curtain. The "customer" was getting restless and pushy. She wanted her tree. And she was right to, I mean, it's been 7 months!
Va mai amintiti proiectul asta? L-am inceput in septembrie anul trecut. Am aplicat si pictat si l-am tot intors pe toate partile, dar tot nu arata nicicum. Pe de o parte, era mult prea mare. Pe de alta parte, orice ii faceam, arata tot ca un erseu rupt atasat de o bucata de perdea. "Clienta" devenea nerabdatoare si insistenta. Isi voia copacul. Si normal, doar trecusera 7 luni!

So finally, one morning at the beginning of April, motivated by my friends' encouraging remarks (and I quote: "You do realise that rag will never become a work of art?") I decided to start over, but this time with a whole new approach. So, here we go!
Asa ca intr-un final, intr-o dimineata de la inceputul lui aprilie, motivata de remarcine incurajatoare ale prietenilor (si citez: "Iti dai seama ca o carpa ca asta n-o sa ajunga niciodata o opera de arta?"), m-am hotarat sa o iau de la capat, dar de data asta dintr-un unghi complet nou. Deci:

How to make a tree meant to cover up a mouldy wall area:
Cum sa faci un copac care sa acopere o suprafata de perete mucegaita:

Step 1: Chop up the old project! Ooh, that was liberating.
Pasul 1: Se taie tot ce s-a facut pana acum!

Step2: Realise that you now need a new lot of fabric. Go and buy a second hand cotton sheet.
Pasul 2: Se daseama ca acum iti trebuie alta bucata de material. Se merge si se cumpara un cearsaf de la second.

Step 3: Sketch the outline of the tree on paper, then transfer it to the sheet. Cut out and sew onto cotton batting.
Pasul 3: Se deseneaza conturul copacului pe hartie, apoi se transfera pe cearsaf. Se decupeaza si se coase pe vatelina.

Step 4: Apply the same technique to the branches and roots. Sew them onto their stumps. Swear a little when you realise that, despite your careful measuring, they do not match up. Sew everything, right sides facing, onto a backing (which incidentally is the old green curtain you chopped up at step 1), turn and iron. Do not get discouraged when your father says it looks like an albino polyp.
Pasul 4: Se aplica aceeasi tehnica radacinilor si crengilor. Se cos de cioturi. Se injura putin cand nu se potrivesc, in ciuda masuratorilor precise. Se coase totul pe un spate (care se intampla sa fie chiar vechea perdea verde pe care ai taiat-o la pasul 1), se intoarce si se coase. A nu se descuraja cand tata zice ca arata ca un polip albinos.

Step 5: Give it some colour! Enjoy getting yourself covered in paint. Love the result. Gloat and say "who's an albino now!"
Pasul 5: Se da niste culoare. Se face mizerie cu vopselele. Se adora rezultatul. Se umfla in pene si se spune "acuma cine-i albinos!".

Step 6: Give it some texture! Throw everything you have onto it (lace, knitting wool, decorative threads, felting wool etc) and cover everything with black tulle.
Pasul 6: Se da textura. Se arunca tot ce ai pe copac (dantela, lana de tricotat, fire decorative, lana de impaslit etc) si se acopera totul cu tulle negru.
Step 7: Quilt with variegated thread to create a bark effect. Love the result even more. Sew on some bits of the previously chopped sweater to complete the bark effect. Rip the tulle in various spots and pull out the felting wool, to create a moss or lichen effect (green on the branches, brown and grey on the roots).
Pasul 7: Se quiltuieste cu ata in degrade, pentru a crea un efect de scoarta. Se adora rezultatul. Se coase niste bucatele din jerseul mai sus mentionat, pentru a completa efectul de scoarta. Se sfasie tulle-ul in diverse puncte si se scoate lana, pentru a crea un efect de muschi sau licheni ( verde pe crengi, maro si gri pe radacini).

Step 8: Wait until 10pm, the day before Nora's birthday. Sneak into the room when she is not home, attach the tree to the wall with double sided tape (nothing too permanent, she might hate it and want to take it off immediately). Put double sided tape on every single leaf (previously cut out of the old project, plus some old shirts) and attach those to the wall too. By now it will be past midnight. Enjoy the result for a minute, then go home.
Pasul 8: Se asteapta pana la 10 seara, in ajunul zilei de nastere a Norei. Se strecoara in camera cand ea nu e acasa, si se lipeste copacul de perete cu banda dublu adeziva (nimic prea permanent, s-ar putea sa nu-i placa si sa vrea sa-l ia jos imediat). Se pune banda dublu adeziva pe fiecare frunza (taiate si astea din vechiul proiect plus niste bluze vechi) si se lipesc si frunzele de perete. Acum va fi deja trecut de miezul noptii. Se admira rezultatul un pic, apoi se merge acasa.

Step 9: Receive an excited phone call the next day, expressing in many ways how much she loves the tree. Feel relieved that the whole overdue tree issue is no longer threatening your friendship.
Pasul 9: Se primeste un telefon entuziasmat a doua zi, in care Nora exprima in multe feluri cat de mult ii place copacul. Se simte usurare ca problema copacului intarziat nu ne mai ameninta prietenia.

Step 10: Blog about it.
Pasul 10: Se pune pe blog.

Below is my happy customer. I hate that the tree is so droopy on the right hand side, but she arranged it and loves it like that, so who am I to question?
Mai jos este clientul fericit. Nu-mi place deloc ca pomul e asa de lasat pe partea dreapta, dar ea si l-a aranjat asa si asa ii place, deci cine-s eu sa o pun la indoiala?

I have another surprise in store for her, something to attach to the tree, you know, to make it look more lived-in. :) I'm hoping to finish that soon.
Mai am o surpriza pentru ea, ceva de atasat la copac, sa-l faca sa para mai locuit :) Sper ca o voi termina in curand.

Sunshine Blog Award

2010-03-18T11:15:00.004+02:00

Am primit de curand acest premiu de la doua persoane diferite: Elena si Ortansa. Multumesc frumos! Acum o sa respect si eu regulile, adica astea:

SA POSTEZE PREMIUL PE BLOGUL PERSONAL,
SA-L DARUIASCA CELOR 12 PRIETENI ALESI,
SA AFISEZE LINK-UL BLOGULUI LOR,
SA -I ANUNTE PRINTR-UN COMENTARIU PE BLOGUL LOR,
SA SCRIE DIN PARTEA CUI AU PRIMIT PREMIUL.

... si o sa-l dau mai departe dupa cum urmeaza:

I recently received this award from two different people. I shall follow the rules and offer it to 12 other people in my reading list, as follows:

1.Dear Fii, for her colourful happy blog
2.Vintage Ricrac, for her beautiful doll-sagas and wonderful sarcasm
3.Fryd og Design, because she lives in a fairytale place
4.Colette Almai, for her incredibly beautiful creations
5.Luxquilt, for her very inspirational work
6.Peticel, because she makes me smile with every handbag she makes
7.SmaBla, for her cheerful writing and unusual creations
8.New Age Dolls, for her perfectly enchanting creepiness
9.Joyce Stahl, because her dolls are positively jaw-dropping
10.Ro Bruhn, for art I wish I could produce
11.Skellyton Art, for her amazing dolls
12.Peticelul Romanesc, to all my fellow group members who help, inspire, comment and motivate

Happy Day

2010-03-17T14:49:00.005+02:00

Stiti ce-i in poza asta? Un misumac care sta pe niste carti, desigur! Pe misumac il cunoasteti, pe carti nu. Asa ca daca sunteti curiosi, puteti vedea povestea lor aici.

Homeward

2010-03-07T23:28:00.006+02:00

Yay, finally finished! The first quilt I've completed in the last maybe 4 years. Part of a group project, it involved the use of 4 compulsory pieces of fabric. And it also had to be completed by March 8th, which means I am not late! Unbelievable!

Iee, in sfarsit am terminat! Primul quilt pe care l-am facut in mai bine de 4 ani. Parte a unui proiect de grup, implica folosirea obligatorie a 4 bucati de material. Si trebuia terminat pana in 8 martie, ceea ce inseamna ca nu am intarzia! Incredibil!
Two of the pieces became hills, the third was chopped up and incorporated into the sky, and the one with green became the roof of the house. I also cut out some "ivy" from one of the fabrics. What's a gnome house without ivy, aye?

Doua dintre bucati au devenit dealuri, pe a treia am taiat-o si am incorporat-o in cer, si cea cu verde a devenit acoperisul casei. Din cea roz am decupat si niste iedera. Ce-i o casa de pitic fara iedera, nu?
I quilted cloud outlines and various other incoherent squiggles on the sky:

Pe cer am quiltuit contururi de nori si diverse alte mazgaleli incoerente:
For the big hills, I followed the pattern of the fabric: stipple (with added flowers) for one, spirals for the other.

Pentru dealurile mari am urmat modelul materialului: stipple (cu flori) pentru primul, spirale pentru celalalt.

I've been dreaming of quilting circles like I had seen in many other quilts for a long time. The stones in the road gave me this opportunity. I now feel accomplished: I can quilt that pattern too! And the back didn't even look as disastruous as I had expected.

De mult imi doream sa quiltuiesc cercuri cum mai vazusem in multe quilturi. Pietrele de pe drum mi-au dat in sfarsit posibilitatea. Ma simt implinita acum: pot si eu sa quiltuiesc modelul ala! Si pe dos nici nu arata as dezastruos pe cat ma asteptam.
I left the most important detail of the quilt, the gnome, for last. Not a very wise practical decision, but I kept delaying it because I didn't know how to make it so that it would look like the image in my head. This is what i did eventually:

Am lasat la sfarsit cel mai important delatiu: piticul. N-a fost o idee foarte isteata, dar l-am tot amanat pentru ca nu stiam cum sa-l fac sa arate ca in capul meu. Pana la urma am facut asa:
I drew the outline on a piece of flesh-coloured fabric, and then I ironed adhesive on both sides. Then I cut out clothes and shoes and ironed them over the top.

Am desenat piticul pe o bucata de material de culoarea pielii, apoi am calcat adeziv pe ambele parti. Si apoi am decupat haine pe care le-am lipit peste.
Surprise! Due to a stoopid choice of colours, the gnome was almost invisible. I could have participated in the "Camouflage" project with him.

Surpriza! Datorita unei alegeri proaste a culorilor, piticul meu era aproape invizibil pe fundal. As fi putut participa la proiectul "Camouflage" cu el!
So I stripped him naked and re-clothed him, so that I would keep the colour scheme but provide a bit more contrast.

Asa ca l-am dezbracat si i-am dat alte haine, astfel incat sa pastrez aceeasi gama de culori dar sa creez si un pic de contrast.

And this was the story of my clumsy silly magenta quilt. And he lived happily everafter in his pink ivy-covered house:>
Si asta a fost povestea stangaciului quilt magenta. Si a trait fericit pana la adanci batranete in casa acoperita cu iedera roz :>

Inspirational crafting

2010-02-25T09:28:00.007+02:00

My vibe seems to be returning, (very) slowly but surely. I still don't feel like starting to make any sort of doll, but I have not been completely idle! I made some little goodies for a faraway friend in need of some causes to smile.
Se pare ca-mi revine inspiratia, (foarte) incet dar sigur. Inca tot n-am chef sa ma apuc de orice fel de papusa, dar n-am stat chiar degeaba! Am facut niste chestiute pentru o prietena careia ii trebuiau niste motive sa zambeasca.

First, there was Monica (she looks like a Monica to me!) and her inspirational quotes:
Prima data a venit Monica (are fatza de Monica pt mine!) si citatele ei motivante:

Then there were the bat clothes pegs, a team effort meant to become a new-house present.
Apoi carligele pt haine in forma de lilieci (carligele, nu hainele), un efort de echipa menit a deveni cadou de casa noua.

They looked so good up there next to my dark cloud, that it was hard to put them int heir box and send them away.
Aratau asa de bine langa norisorul intunecat, ca mi-a fost greu sa-i pun in cutie si sa-i trimit.

They carried with them a brooch...
Au dus cu ei o brosa...
...and detailed instructions for their use.
...si instructiuni detaliate de folosire.
All of the above were carefully packed with tasteful colours...
Toate astea au fost ambalate frumos in culori pline de gust...
...and placed in the care of Mimi, who took it upon herself to transport them safely to their destination
...si date in grija lui Mimi, care si-a asumat sarcina de a le duce in siguranta pana la destinatie.
Standing about 8cm tall, Mimi is such a cutie! Too bad she has to be unique, otherwise I'd make her a few brothers and sisters and cousins.
La cei 8cm ai ei, Mimi e tare draguta! Pacat ca trebe sa ramana unica, altfel i-as face niste frati, surori, verisoari, verisoare...

And here's a little preview of the next project on the agenda. Coming soon!
Si iata si o avampremiera a urmatorului proiect de pe agenda. In curand pe ecrane! :)

Poor little lazy me. Or how to get over crafter's block

2010-01-20T20:04:00.006+02:00

I've been sick. Very sick indeed. But, contrary to what I thought on those nights when I beat all my personal fever records, I have not died.

Am fost foarte beteaga. Dar, in ciuda a ce credeam in noptile cand febra mea a batut orice record personal, n-am murit.

However, I was left rather devoid of energy. I have a gnome stuck halfway through a story, and he will never get home unless I do something about it. And I have 3 baby girls who might not sleep at all until I make them their soft cuddly sleep companions. And I have friends in need of some inspirational craftiness.

Totusi, am ramas cam golita de energie. Am un pitic blocat la jumatea unei povesti, si care n-o sa ajunga niciodata acasa daca nu fac ceva in legatura cu asta. Si am 3 fetite care s-ar putea sa nu doarma deloc pana cand nu le fac parteneri moi de somn. Si am prieteni ce au nevoie de niste mestesugit care sa inspire.

But I just... can't... be... bothered. I hope it goes away. Soon. Any tips for getting back "in the zone"?

Dar pur si simplu... n-am... chef. Sper ca-mi trece. Curand. Sugestii pentru cum sa revin in forta?

New Gloth Doll

2009-12-29T22:06:00.005+02:00

Let me present to you my newest acquaintance.
Sa va prezint ultima mea cunostinta.

Born and bred in a cold country of uncertain geographical location (Sadjikistan, some say; life must be pretty depressing there), the future doctor Maselarovic seized the opportunity to come and study dentistry at the prestigious university of Targu Mures, Romania.

Nascut si crescut intr-o tara rece cu locatie geografica incerta (Sadjikistan, spun unii; trebuie ca viata acolo e destul de deprimanta), viitorul doctor Maselarovic n-a ratat sansa de a veni sa studieze stomatologia la prestigioasa universitate din Targu Mures, Romania.

Which he did admirably. However, certain demons from his blurry past, coupled with the continuous struggle of trying to keep sane in a country like Romania, have caused an irreparable split in our friend's personality, as well as significant hair loss.

Ceea ce a facut in mod admirabil. Totusi, anumiti demoni din trecutul lui cetos, impreuna cu lupta continua de a nu innebuni traind intr-o tara ca Romania, au cauzat o ruptura ireparabila in personalitatea prietenului nostru, precum si o cadere semnificativa a parului.
A mental chasm so deep that it can only be reconciled on the nights when Nervan eats copious amounts of icecream, clutching his teddy bear and wearing his fluffy slippers.
Un abis mental atat de adanc incat cele doua parti nu pot fi reconciliate decat atunci cand Nervan mananca inghetata in cantitati industriale, tinandu-si la piept ursuletul si purtandu-si papucii pufosi.
The rest of the time, he's one of two things:
In restul timpului, el e una din doua:

The devoted dentist, gruesomely efficient, viciously determined to fight plaque, completely oblivious to his own troubles and especially to the pain of others...

Dentistul devotat, groaznic de eficient, fioros de hotarat sa lupte cu tartrul, complet surd la propriile dureri, si mai ales la durerile altora...

...or the die-hard supporter of Poli Timisoara, a wild beast dressed in purple, serving no other power than the holy soccer ball.
...sau suporterul infocat al Poli Timisoara, o fiara in mov, nesupus niciunei alte puteri in afara de sfanta minge de fotbal.

If you dare express a liking for another team...
Daca indraznesti sa te declari simpatizant al altei echipe...

or if you dare scream in his practice...
sau daca indraznesti sa tipi in cabinetul lui...

In other news today... Happy New Year!

Holiday Greetings

2009-12-24T23:14:00.004+02:00

I and every other creature of rags and buttons living on my domain wish you a warm Christmas and a creative New Year!

Eu si tot restul creaturilor de carpa si nasturi traitoare pe domeniul meu va uram un Craciun cald si un An Nou creativ!

...and then...

2009-12-14T22:47:00.008+02:00

...then there was The Tale Factory. That is to say, a weekly radio show with children's stories, now releasing its fourth CD of cute brand new tales. And a great opportunity for me to set up a mini-exhibition of cute brand new dolls. It was so wonderful of them to invite me and my dolls over! We're forever grateful for it.
...apoi a fost Fabrica de Povesti. Adica o emisiune radio saptamanala de povesti pentru copii, care acum a lansat un CD cu povesti dragutze si nou noutze. Si o oportunitate extraordinara pentru mine de a-mi instala o mini-expozitie de papusi dragutze si nou noutze. A fost minunat din partea lor sa ne invite, pe mine si pe papusi. Suntem etern recunoscatori!

Here's me talking to the public. Thinking back now, I have no idea what I said, but my friends think I did well. Phew.
Asta's eu vorbind publicului. Acum ca ma gandesc, habar nu am ce le-am spus, dar prietenii zic ca m-am descurcat bine.
And here's me being interviewed by a nice TV lady. No idea what I said to her either, lucky I am in no danger of seeing myself, as I don't have a TV.

Si asta-s eu intervievata de o doamna dragutza. Nici ei nu stiu ce i-am spus, dar din fericire nu e nici un pericol sa ma vad, de vreme ce n-am TV.

The exhibition was set up in the theatre cafe, on the actual bar! The house sprites seem to have had fun, though:
Papusile le-am agatat in cafeneaua teatrului, direct pe bar! Dar se pare ca pe spiridusii de casa nu i-a deranjat deloc:
Some quieter ones:
Unele mai linistite:
The rowdy cuddlecreeps:
Monstruletii galagiosi:

And the brand new species of Falushtain, which, again, I shall name mucklor in English. The yellow one went home with the bar tender, as comission for selling my dolls in the rest of the week. He now travels around town in the guy's car, must be quite an adventurous life for a muckla!
Si specia nou noutza a Falushtainului, mishumacii. Cel galben a plecat acasa cu barmanul, drept comision pentru ca mi-a vandut papusile in restul saptamanii. Acum se plimba prin oras in masina baiatului, trebuie sa fie o viatza foarte aventuroasa pentru un mishumac!

...and, due to popular demand, a bonus: Carmina trying on some of Iuliana's creations. Iuliana who, you say. Iuliana who I'll talk about in a future post soon :>
...si, datorita vointei poporului, un bonus: Carmina incercand una din creatiile Iulianei. Care Iuliana, va aud spunand. Iuliana despre care voi vorbiintr-un post viitor, cat de curand.

One more order to finish this week and then I'm free as a bird! I only have about 15 Xmas presents left to make... and the house cleaning... but apart from that, nothing at all!
Mai am o comanda de terminat saptamana asta si pe urma sunt libera ca pasarea! Nu mai am decat vreo 15 cadouri de facut...si curatzenia in casa... in rest, nimica-nimicutza!

...and then...

2009-12-11T23:35:00.007+02:00

...then it was Bucuresti. Intelligent as I am, I haven't put up the poster here before the actual event. But nevermind; being Transilvanian, I have an excuse.
...apoi a fost Bucuresti. Desteapta ce sunt, n-am pus afisul asta inainte de eveniment. Dar ma rog, avand in vedere ca-s ardeleanca, mi se iarta.
Here is my creepy doll display (I think the display was more horrifying than the dolls), with the dark blue velvet cloud I was so proud of. It fell exactly on top of my head later that afternoon, but you don't need to know that.
Iata standul meu cu papusi morbide (cred ca standul a fost mult mai horror decat papusile), cu norisorul din catifea bleumarin de care eram atat de mandra. Mi-a cazut exact in cap in dupa-masa aia, dar voi nu trebuie sa stiti asta.
I was visited by two lovely ladies from my online quilting group. Thanks again for the smiles and the praise! :)
Am fost vizitata de doua doamne dragutze de pe grupul Peticelul. Multumesc inca o data pentru zambete si pentru laude! :)
Saturday was great, we had people coming through, asking questions, requiring demonstrations and explanations... but Sunday was dead (election day). In the lack of a buying audience, the exhibitors exchanged advice, ideas and little gifts, and there was a lovely creative and cheerful atmosphere. Here are two of my "neighbours", whom I will tell you more about in a next post.
Sambata a fost foarte faina, am trecut oameni pe acolo, au intrebat, au cerut demonstratii si explicatii... in schimb duminica a fost moarta. In lipsa unui public cumparator, expozantii au schimbat intre ei sfaturi, idei si daruri, si atmosfera a fost una vesela si creativa. Iata pe doua dintre "vecinele" mele, despre care va voi vorbi intr-un post viitor.
And here are some things I particularly liked:
Si niste lucruri care mi-au placut in mod deosebit:
All in all, a great experience! I met interesting people, i got wonderful ideas, and I saw beautiful creations.
In total, o experienta foarte faina! Am cunoscut oameni interesanti, am primit idei minunate si am vazut creatii frumoase de tot.

Where do I start!

2009-12-10T23:37:00.011+02:00

Hello again!
Servus din nou!

I have awarded myself the luxury of sleeping in for two days in a row, so now I am fresh and ready to show you impressions of my latest adventures in the world of craft.
Mi-am acordat luxul de a dormi pana la 10 in doua zile la rand, si acum sunt odihnita si gata sa va arat impresii din ultimele mele aventuri in lumea lucrului de mana.

I am quite proud of myself for what I have achieved this past month. I manged to stay sane with a full time job, every single minute of time outside the job spent working on the 20 dolls I made, with the sleepless nights, the races between work and bus stations and theatres while carting around bags and boxes full of dolls and pins and scissors and stuff... it was madness. Truth is my trusty elves were an immense help, I hope I find the proper way to thank them soon.

Sunt destul de mandra de ce am realizat in ultima luna. Am reusit sa fac 20 de papusi in timp ce am si lucrat full-time, am pierdut nopti, am fugit de la lucru la statii de bus si inapoi la lucru si la teatru si tot asa, carand dupa mine pungi si cutii cu papusi si tot felu' de alte chestii...a fost nebunie. Adevarul este ca elfii mei devotati m-au ajutat foarte mult. Sper ca voi gasi modul sa le multumesc, cat de curand.

So how about I try to put everything in an approximate chronological order?
Deci, ce-ar fi sa incerc sa pun totul cat de cat in ordine cronologica?

First, there were some mucklor. I haven't even tried to find them a name in English, but they were inspired by Sven Nordqvist's mucklor (forever sorry I haven't bought the books when I had the chance), so I will call them by their Swedish name. They are cute and friendly and we had a good time in our little morning photo shoot.
La inceput au fost mishumacii. Sunt draguti si prietenosi si ne-am distrat de minune la mica noastra sesiune foto de dimineata.

...Then, there was another elf meeting. This time, much to my amazement, they actually worked! Stuff I had planned to do for the night were done in the blink of an eye, leaving time for beer and pranks.

...Apoi a fost o alta adunare de elfi. De data asta, spre marea mea surprindere, chiar au lucrat! Tot ceea ce planuisem sa fie facut in seara aia a fost terminat in doi timpi si trei miscari, si ne-a ramas si timp pentru bere si farse.

...And then...then, there was the last night before leaving for Bucuresti. Luckily, by then I was way too tired to panic. So I proceeded to make price tags for my beauties...
...Si apoi...apoi a fost ultima noapte inainte de plecarea la Bucuresti. Din fericire eram mult prea obosita ca sa ma mai panichez. Asa ca le-am facut etichete frumosilor mei...

...and some colour-coordinated packaging (which I later got compliments for :>)
...si niste ambalaje asortate pentru care am primit complimente mai tarziu.

Once I made sure their hair and clothes were looking the part, I gingerly packaged them for the 300km trip. Here are some pretty worried-looking individuals...
Odata ce m-am asigurat ca parul si hainele lor sunt in ordine, i-am impachetat cu delicatete si i-am pregatit pentru calatoria de 300km. Iata cativa indivizi destul de ingrijorati...

...but the cuddlecreeps didn't care much, they were as happy as ever!
...dar monstruletii erau la fel de fericiti ca intotdeauna!
In the end, it was 1:30am and I proceeded to feel good about finishing all the packing (and not even forgetting my toothbrush in the process!), when it dawned on me with a giant OMG that I had forgotten to make the present I was meant to give the little girl of the family I would be staying with.
In sfarsit, era 1:30 si am inceput sa ma simt bine pentru ca terminasem de impachetat si nici macar nu-mi uitasem periutza de dinti, cand mi-am dat seama ca uitasem sa fac cadoul ce trebuia sa i-l dau fetitei familiei la care urma sa stau.

So it was back to the fabric shelves and the thread drawer and the sewing machine, choosing, measuring, cutting, embroidering, until, 2 more hours later, this was born:
Asa ca, inapoi la rafturile cu materiale, si la sertarul cu atze si la masina de cusut, alegand, masurand, taind, brodand, pana cand, 2 ore mai tarziu, s-a nascut asta:

And after the last heroic feat of the night, I slept a short sleep, woke up, ran to work, then ran to the bus which was to take me to Bucuresti. But that, my lads and lasses, is another story...
Si dupa ultima fapta eroica a noptii, am dormit un somn scurt, m-am trezit, am fugit la lucru, si de la lucru la autobuz, si cu el la Bucuresti. Dar asta, dragi copii, este o alta poveste...

Preview

2009-11-26T22:47:00.002+02:00

A picture to make you curious... only because I love how it turned out...
O poza sa va faca curiosi... numai pentru ca imi place cum a iesit...

Green Eyed Monday on a Tuesday

2009-11-23T22:55:00.003+02:00

Did it again! This time I'm not a day late, but a week and a day. I had promised Dora I'd post this last week, but I was prevented by a mixture of busy-ness and bad memory.

Iar am comis-o! De data asta nici macar nu am intarziat cu o zi, ci cu o saptamana si o zi. Ii promisesem Dorei ca voi posta asta saptamana trecuta, dar am fost impiedicata de o combinatie de treburi si mamorie proasta.

But here I am today, and with me are some of Dora's lovely creations:some quilted necklaces that are right up my alley. Except I didn't think of them first. Which qualifies them for this week's envy post :D
Dar iata ca azi am reusit, si va prezint cateva din minunatele creatii ale Dorei: niste coliere quiltuite care sunt fix stilul meu. Doar ca nu m-am gandit eu la ele inainte. Ceea ce le califica pentru postul invidios al acestei saptamani :D

In other news, I've been ignoring my blog, and my friends, and my messy wardrobe and spending every little spare minute I have working on dolls. But they will be done soon and then... we shall meet againa!
Altfel, imi ignor blogul, si prietenii, si dulapul dezordonat si folosesc fiecare minutzel liber pe care-l am lucrand la papusi. Dar vor fi gata in curand si apoi ... ne vom reintalni!

The Monthly General Helpers' Meeting

2009-11-23T22:46:00.005+02:00

I'm having second thoughts. Maybe this whole elf thing was not such a good business decision after all. I mean, you clothe them, you feed them, you give them cake and cigarette breaks and RIGHTS! and what do they do in return? Ignore every single regulation in the Helper Elf's Guidelines book.
Incep sa am dubii.Poate ca toata treaba asta cu elfii a fost o decizie de afaceri foarte proasta. Pai, ii imbraci, ii hranesti, le dai prajitura si pauze de tzigara si DREPTURI! si ce fac ei in schimb? Ignora fiecare regula din Manualul Elfului Ajutator.

Now that they have a Union, they even have the nerve to file a complaint that my internet is too slow! Try to impose your will, and you get "But master, these are not naked women, these are artistic nudes!" Bah!
Acum ca au si sindicat, mai au si tupeul sa inainteze o plangere ca imi merge internetul prea incet. Incerci sa-ti impui vointza, si auzi "dar stapana, astea nu-s femei goale, astea sunt nuduri artistice!" Pfft!

How careless do you have to be for even an eyless muckla to be able to steal your tea? Lucky I caught them in the act!
Cat de indolent trebuie sa fii incat chiar si un mishumac fara ochi sa-ti poata fura ceaiul? Noroc ca i-am prins eu in flagrant!

At least I have one faithful elf left.
Macar mai am un elf credincios, totusi.

She stitched and stitched, bless her little heart, and she did her best to keep some order in the motley gaggle of dolls that were pushing and shoving waiting for their turn to be adorned.
A cusut si a cusut saraca, si s-a straduit sa mentina ordinea in cardul de papusi care se impingeau si imbranceau asteptandu-si randul sa fie decorate.

Hard work being master of helper elves, I tell ya!
Treaba grea sa fii stapan de elf, va zic io!

Hard at work

2009-11-11T15:17:00.004+02:00

You know, there comes a time in a crafter's life when glory is not complete if one does not have a host of house elves to command. Humble, hard-working elves who make tea and help you in your work and say "gladly, master" to every difficult task you throw at them. And a work day at my house would look like that then:
Stiti, vine o vreme in viata unui artizan cand gloria nu e completa daca nu ai si o gasca de elfi de casa la dispozitia ta. Elfi umili si harnici care fac ceai si te ajuta la lucru si spun "cu placere, stapana" la fiecare treaba dificila pe care le-o arunci in carca. Si o zi de lucru la mine acasa ar arata asa:

Oh, but don't let yourself be fooled! Their seriousness was only for the picture. In fact, it looks like I was left with the dregs of elvendom: a bunch of
Ooo, dar nu va lasati pacaliti! Seriozitatea era doar pentru poza! De fapt, se pare ca eu am ramas cu drojdia societatii elfice: un grup de ajutoare
mocking...
batjocoritoare...
...restless...

...neastamparate...
...insubordinate...
...neascultatoare...
...thieving...
...furacioase...

...helpers who, amidst a lot of glasses of wine, cups of tea, cigarette breaks and cake crumbs, managed to help me create this impressive pile of multicoloured limbs, thus making me a bit less panicky about the looming deadline.
...care, printre o multime de pahare de vin, cani cu ceai, pauze de tigara si faramituri de prajitura, au reusit sa ma ajute la facerea acestei gramezi impresionante de membre multicolore, astfel micsorandu-mi un pic panica legata de termenul limita care se apropie.

What deadline, you say? Well, for those of you who don't know, I have been invited to have a doll exhibition at the local puppet theatre on the 10th of December. And that's not all that far away, is it?
Care termen limita, ziceti? Pai, in caz ca nu stiati, am fost invitata sa am o expozitie de papusi la teatrul de papusi local, pe 10 decembrie. Data care nu e chiar asa de departe, asa-i?

So far, I have the abovementioned multicoloured limbs, and these cuties...
Deocamdata, am mai sus mentionatele membre multicolore, si dragutzelele astea...

...for which I used some of that fabric that is too precious to cut up and too pretty not to use (fellow crafters will know the feeling)
...pentru care am folosit din materialele alea care sunt prea pretioase incat sa le tai si prea frumoase incat sa nu le folosesti (stiti sentimentul)

Nice master:
Stapan de treaba:
Bad master:
Stapan rau:

At last

2009-10-28T22:33:00.003+02:00

Finally, I can show you my latest custom orders, as their existence must no longer be kept secret. I found it funny how I received two totally different orders at the same time. It made me instantly think of this pic, which I had seen on the net before:

In sfarsit, pot sa va arat ultimele comenzi, de vreme ce existenta lor nu mai trebuie tainuita. M-a distrat ca am primit doua comenzi diametral opuse in acelasi timp. M-am gandit imediat la poza asta, pe care o mai vazusem pe net:

Now, don't imagine I mean any direspect to either of the perfectly adorable ladies below:
Acuma sa nu va inchipuiti vreo lipsa de respect din partea mea fatza de vreuna din doamnele complet adorabile de mai jos:
the innocent, frail-looking, mysterious gothchild...
inocenta, delicata, misterioasa copila gotica....
...and the happy-go-lucky rainbow lover
...si vesela iubitoare de curcubeie
I'm happy to have made two people happy today. Well, happier than her, that's for sure!
Ma bucur ca am facut doi oameni fericiti azi. Cu sigurantza ma bucur mai mult decat ea!

Green Eyed Monday

2009-10-26T08:46:00.003+02:00

I know, I have been ignoring my blogs for a while. Partly because I haven't had anything interesting to say, partly because I wouldn't have had the time to say it anyway. I'll soon be able to show you what I've been working on; as soon as the happy recipients receive them.
Stiu, mi-am cam ignorat blogurile ceva vreme. In parte pt ca n-am avut nimic interesant de zis, in parte pt ca nici n-as fi avut timp s-o spun. O sa va arat in curand la ce lucram; imediat ce fericitii destinatari le primesc.

In the meantime, let me present to you another source of envy: Elizabeth and her beautiful jewellery. To be honest, it's the first time I've heard of tatting. I don't know how they're made, but her creations are absolutely beautiful.
Intre timp, hai sa va arat inca o sursa de invidie: Elizabeth si frumoasele ei bijuterii. E prima data cand aud de tatting si habar n-am cum se face, dar creatiile ei mi se par minunate.

To be in keeping with the serious solemn dark darkness of this blog, I'll show some of her more gothy pieces:
Ca sa ma aliniez intunecimii intunecate serioase si solemne a acestui blog, o sa va arat creatiile ei mai gotice:

And as if this wasn't enough, here's another reason to envy her! Look at the newest member of her family (this one's dark too):
Si parca asta nu era de ajuns, am inca un motiv s-o invidiez! Ia uitati-va la cel mai nou mebru al familiei ei (si asta-i intunecat):

Thanks to Smaranda for sharing the discovery of Elizabeth's blog.
Multumesc Smarandei pt ca a impartasit descoperirea.

Green Eyed Monday

2009-10-05T22:08:00.003+03:00

There are only 2 hours of Monday left but hey, it's still Monday!
Mai sunt doar 2 ore ramase din luni, dar se cheama ca inca e luni!
So, without further time-wasting, I present you Eejits toys. Cute and creepy, just how we like 'em! They do so make me want to pick them up and cuddle them :)

Asa ca, fara sa mai pierdem vremea, permiteti-mi sa va prezint Eejits toys. Dragutze si un pic macabre, fix cum ne plac noua! Imi vine sa le iau pe toate in bratze :)

Masterpiece in the making

2009-09-29T22:42:00.007+03:00

Like an ancient horde of Tatars (just a lot more peaceful), my craft seems to be breaking the bounds of my own home and spilling out into the yard. This is what I did on Saturday, when I finally plucked up the courage to start working on what is to become a wallhanging quilt for a friend.

Ca o hoarda de tatari (dar mult mai pasnica), lucrul meu de mana pare sa sparga frontierele propriei locuinte si sa se verse in curte. Iata ce am facut sambata, cand in sfarsit mi-am facut curaj sa ma apuc de ceea ce va deveni un quilt-paretar pentru o prietena.

It's 3x1.2m, so, predictably, I had nowhere to spread it out indoors. So with the logistic help of my landlady, and to the tune of the neighbour's incessant questions, I put up my art camp on the concrete.
Are 3m x 1,2, deci, in mod previzibil, n-aveam unde sa-l intind in casa. Deci, cu suportul logistic al gazdei si in ritmul intrebarilor infinite ale vecinei, mi-am aranjat tabara de creatie pe ciment.

Step 1: Spread out fabric onto the concrete, anchoring it down stylishly with bricks:
Pasul 1: Se intinde materialul pe ciment, ancorandu-l in mod stilat cu caramizi:

Step 2: Sketch the entire pattern in heat-erasable pencil, standing up on a chair from time to time to check the proportions.
Pasul 2: Se schiteaza modelul cu creion care se sterge la caldura, stand in picioare pe un scaun din cand in cand pentru a verifica daca proportiile sunt corecte.

Step 3: Realize you drew the tree waaay too far left. Swear. Try to figure out how to erase everything. Swear.
Pasul 3: Se ajunge la revelatia ca am desenat copacul muuult prea la stanga. Se injura. Se gandeste cum sa se stearga totul. Se injura.

Step 4: Run inside, heat iron, unplug iron, come outside and iron the fabric on the concrete (probably the most ridiculous-looking thing I've done in a long time)
Pasul 4: Se alearga inauntru, se incalzeste fierul de calcat, se vine afara si se calca materialul de pe ciment (probabil cel mai ridicol lucru pe care l-am facut in ultima vreme)

Step 5: Re-sketch everything, pull out fabric paints and proceed to colour it in:
Pasul 5: Se schiteaza totul din nou, se scot vopselele pt textile si se purcede la colorat:

Step 6: Run out of paint one hour after the craft shop closes. Swear. Give it up and go do something else.
Pasul 6: Se termina vopselele, cu o ora dupa ora de inchidere a magazinului. Se injura. Se renunta si se trece la alt proiect.

I don't want to imagine where this is going; next thing you know I'll be stipple-quilting the pavement to make it lie flatter!
Nu vreau sa-mi imaginez unde ma va duce asta; inainte sa-mi dau seama, poate ma trezesc quiltuind trotuarul sa-l fac sa stea mai plat!

Follow-up

2009-09-26T21:58:00.004+03:00

As I promised, here are full pics of the dolls in the last post. The new owners really liked them; I'm so relieved!
Dupa cum am promis, iata poze complete cu papusile din postul precedent. Noilor proprietari chiar le-au placut; sunt foarte usurata!

Phew!

2009-09-17T12:06:00.004+03:00

Finally finished! A challenging custom order: not only were the two dolls to resemble their future human owners, but I also had to make my first bearded doll ever!

In sfarsit, gata! O comanda interesanta: nu numai ca cele doua papusi trebuiau sa le semene posesorilor, dar a si trebuit sa fac prima mea papusha cu barba!
I don't know about the resemblance, but I'm particularly proud of the beard and the cute white dress :>
Nu ma voi pronunta asupra asemanarii, dar sunt mandra de barba si de rochitza alba :>

I reaaally hope they like their mini-them!
Chiar sper ca o sa le placa "portretele".

Green-Eyed Monday

2009-09-14T14:07:00.004+03:00

To be honest, today I'm not even envious. I'm just wide-eyed with admiration for an idea I could never even have come up with, let alone do it so well. Check out Dongedy's blog to see all her terribly clever creations.

Sa fiu sincera, azi nu-s invidioasa deloc. Sunt doar plina de admiratie pentru o idee care mie nu mi-ar fi venit niciodata, si pe care nici n-as fi putut sa o realizez. Uitati-va pe blogul lui Dongedy sa vedeti toate creatiile ei super-destepte.

Like a mischevous god, she places little people in all sorts of situations and then sits down to observe them through her lens and see how well they do.

Ca un zeu rautacios, ea pune omuleti in tot felul de situatii si apoi se aseaza sa-i priveasca prin lentila, sa vada cum se descurca.
Seeing the images that result, you can't help becoming playful yourself, and wondering what it would be like to skate on a giant tart, break your leg slipping on the summit of a pudding or, god forbid, have to face the biggest most vicious bunny in the universe!

Vazand imaginile care rezulta, parca iti vine si tie sa te joci, sa te intrebi cum ar fi sa te dai cu patinele pe o tarta imensa, sa-ti rupi piciorul cazand pe varful unei budinci sau, doamne fereste, sa ai de a face cu cel mai mare si cel mai fioros iepurash din univers!
So cute! :>
Ce dulce! :>

Green-Eyed Monday

2009-09-04T10:07:00.005+03:00

Alright, back to creepy!
Na bine, sa ne intoarcem la macabru!
Today we shall turn our attention to Lou and her creepy-inspired creations.
Astazi ne vom indrepta atentia spre Lou si creatiile ei de inspiratie macabra.

I particularly like the "call me creepy" t-shirts, but the idea of walking around with Jane Austen quotes printed on your shirt is also quite appealing :>
Imi plac in mod deosebit tricourile cu "call me creepy", da si ideea de a purta citate din Jane Austen pe tricou mi se pare foarte tentanta :>

Come on, call me creepy! I dare you!

Raphaella, the ragged angel

2009-09-03T10:44:00.006+03:00

This is Raphaella. Poor thing, she's in such a state.

Aceasta este Raphaella. Saraca de ea, in ce hal e.
She's obviously an angel, but most people in Falushtain believe in no such things, and naturally assume she is just a common fairy. Oh, but she is so much more than that!
Evident, e un inger. Dar majoritatea oamenilor din Falushtain nu cred in asa ceva, asa ca presupun ca ea e doar o zana obisnuita. O, dar e cu mult mai mult decat atat!
She has no recollection of how she got to roam the streets of Falushtain, but it must have been a terrible event. However, it has been a long time since she first found herself here, and she has given up trying to convince people that what she says is true.
Nu-si aminteste cum a ajuns sa bantuie strazile Falushtainului, dar trebuie sa fi fost o intamplare groaznica. Totusi, a trecut mult timp de cand s-a trezit aici pentru prima data, si de atunci a renuntat sa mai incerce sa convinga oamenii de adevarul spuselor sale.
Deserted and misunderstood , she has taken to drinking absinthe. She has even been spotted smoking on occasions, and her language has been reported to be rather scandalous at times. Not that she would ever admit to that, she is an angel after all!
Parasita si neinteleasa, a inceput sa bea absint. A fost vazuta chiar fumand, si se spune ca limbajul ei e scandalos cateodata. Nu ca ar recunoaste asta vreodata, doar e un inger, nu?
Sometimes she catches mere glimpses of her past and her home world, but try as she might, she cannot figure out how to go back there, or even where "there" is. So she sits alone, lost in her yearning thoughts.
Uneori prinde cate o imagine din trecutul sau si din lumea ei de bastina, dar oricat ar incerca, nu-si poate da seama cum sa se intoarca acolo, sau macar unde e acel "acolo". Asa ca sta singura, pierduta in ganduri.
When she does socialise, she prefers the company of vampires, as they are the only ones who know what it's like to roam the world forever, immortal, tormented and misunderstood.
Cand totusi socializeaza, prefera compania vampirilor, pentru ca sunt singurii care inteleg ce inseamna sa mergi prin lume pentru totdeauna, nemuritor, chinuit si neinteles.
If only she had a friend, someone to believe her, she might recover her past whiteness...and maybe even dare to work a miracle or two!
Macar daca ar avea un prieten, cineva care s-o creada, poate si-ar recapata albeata de odinioara si poate ar indrazni chiar sa faca o minune-doua!

News update

2009-09-02T09:09:00.004+03:00

What do you know, my road to stardom is getting wider by the minute! Last Friday my friend Anda, who has a show on the local radio station, took my interview, focusing on my blogs and my craft. I'll be at work this afternoon unfortunately (not that I'm so keen on hearing my own voice recorded anyway), but those of you who are curious can listen to Anda's show every Wednesday afternoon at 6:30 Romanian time, here. There's a little green "in direct" button on the right of the page.

My interview is aired today. The time of the autograph session is to be advised :D

Ca sa vezi, drumul meu spre celebritate devine tot mai larg! Vinerea trecuta, prietena mea Anda, care are o emisiune pe postul local de radio, mi-a luat un interviu, centrat pe craft si pe blogurile mele. Voi fi la lucru in dupa-masa asta (nu ca ma dau in vant sa-mi aud propria voce inregistrata), dar aceia dintre voi care sunt curiosi pot asculta emisiunea Andei in fiecare miercuri dupa-masa la 6:30, aici. Este un butonas verde "in direct" in dreapta paginii.
Interviul meu e azi. Ora sesiunii de autografe va fi comunicata mai tarziu :D

And because I don't have a link to Anda's blog, I'll send you to her really cool photographs, here.
Si pentru ca n-am un link catre blogul Andei, o sa va trimit catre foarte fainele ei poze, aici.
In other news today... I have a "proper" job. Yes, it implies having to go to a place other than my home, stay there for a previously established number of hours and be nice to people I don't know and who want to buy books. How peculiar, isn't it? :D Oh, it also implies not so much time left for crafting and blogging. Just so you know.

Alte stiri pentru azi... am o slujba "ca lumea". Da, inseamna a merge intr-un loc ce nu e casa mea, a sta acolo pentru un numar de ore dinainte stabilit, si a fi dragutza cu oameni pe care nu-i cunosc si care vor sa cumpere carti. Ce ciudat, asa-i? :D A, si mai inseamna si mai putin timp pt craftuit si blogerit.Ca sa stiti.

P.S. The picture is a preview of something very soon to come!
P.S. Poza e o avampremiera la ceva ce va aparea foarte curand!

Green-Eyed Monday

2009-08-31T10:25:00.007+03:00

Much to your surprise, today I shall not pour forth my envy upon something creepy. Today, I envy Anna K. Why?
Spre marea voastra uimire, azi nu imi voi varsa invidia pe ceva macabru. Azi o invidiez pe Anna K. De ce?

Because I love trees.
Because Anna-Karin makes beautiful things, like this sterling silver chestnut tree pendant.
Because Anna-Karin takes great pictures.
Because Anna-Karin lives in Sweden.

Pentru ca imi plac copacii.
Pentru ca Anna- Karin face lucruri minunate.
Pentru ca Anna- Karin face poze grozave.
Pentru ca Anna-Karin locuieste in Suedia.

I'm a week late posting this. I'm sorry; you will find out the reasons in my next post.
Am intarziat o saptamana cu acest post. Imi cer scuze; motivele le veti afla in urmatorul post.

Green-Eyed Monday (on a Tuesday)

2009-08-18T10:57:00.004+03:00

Yes, I'm late again. But better late than not envious at all!
Da, iar am intarziat. Dar mai bine mai tarziu decat neinvidios!

Today my heartfelt envy goes towards Melissa and her Halloween themed creations.
Azi invidia mea sincera se indreapta spre Melissa si creatiile ei inspirate din Halloween.

Now, I'm generally afraid of clowns, and her blog taught me there actually is a name for that. Glad to see I'm not the only one who gets spooked out by characters that are supposed to be amusing!
In general mi-e frica de clovni, si am aflat din blogul ei ca exista chiar si un nume pt fobia asta. Ma bucur sa vad ca nu sunt singura ciudata care se sperie de personaje ce ar trebui sa fie amuzante!
Hence, I give you Melissa's demented clown! He has black in the right amounts, spindly funny looking legs, a wide grin and even buttons! What's not to like?

Astfel, va prezint clovnul dement al Melissei! Are negru in proportii numa' bune, picioruse subtiri de tot rasul, un ranjet larg si chiar si nasturi! Cum sa nu-ti placa?

Green-Eyed Monday

2009-08-10T12:57:00.003+03:00

I have recently discovered a host of doll artists who surpass every limit of crafty creepiness I thought possible up until recently. I feel like an innocent little child when I compare my dolls to the dark, spooky or downright disturbing creations I have seen. For this reason, I have decided to feature them in my Green Eyed Monday post one by one.

Nu demult am descoperit o gasca de creatori de papusi al caror macabru artizanal depaseste orice limite pe care mi le imaginam pana acum. Ma simt ca un copil inocent cand imi compar papushile cu creatiile lor intunecate si deviante. Din acest motiv, m-am decis sa le prezint in Lunea Invidiei una cate una.

Today, Pat and her elegant hat. I've always loved a good combination of darkness and humor, so there you have it:

Azi, Pat si eleganta ei palarie. Intotdeauna mi-a placut o combinatie buna de umor si macabru, asa ca poftim:

And I thought my stuff was creepy! Hah.
Si io care credeam ca lucrurile mele sunt de speriat! Ha.

But seriously, have a look at her dolls. They are so expressive they are worth an entire week of envy, not just one day!
Acuma serios, uitati-va si la papusile ei. Sunt asa de expresive ca merita o intreaga saptamana de invidie, nu doar o zi!

Green-eyed Monday

2009-08-03T12:27:00.003+03:00

As I said a while ago, this Green-eyed Monday goes to Kati, for all her cute and very well made things, which I would never have the patience to attempt. I chose this little bag because it's in my favourite colour and it has a very clever design that I haven't seen before.

Dupa cum am spus mai demult, aceasta luni a invidiei i se aloca lui Kati, pentru toate chestiile dulci si foarte frumos lucrate pe care le face si de care eu n-as avea niciodata rabdare sa ma apuc. Am ales gentutza asta pt ca e in culoarea mea preferata si are un model foarte dashtept pe care nu l-am mai vazut pana acum.

Noreen the mean is keen to demean

2009-07-30T16:00:00.005+03:00

...or so the cuddlecreeps say. They always flee before her, some even crying. Poor cuddlecreeps have such sensitive natures, and Noreen is much too frank for their liking.

Noreen is a good girl really, apart from this big flaw she has. She tells the truth. All the time. Especially when she's not supposed to.
Noreen is all ribbons and polka dots and cuteness... until you get to talk to her.
By the way, you there. Yes, you, reading this. You look awful in that shirt, whatever were you thinking?! Oh, and you must do something about your hair...

*Later edit: due to popular demand, Eileen is now called Noreen. Apparently Eileen was too Seinfeld-esque and not fit for a goth girl. I obey the wish of those wiser than me ;)

Yay

2009-07-28T10:01:00.003+03:00

Looks like what Sanda said in an older comment of hers came true, sooner than expected even. Chilperic has just been featured on Found Handmade, how cool is that! :D Scroll down if you can't see him, he's in the second lot of dolls.
Se pare ca ce mi-a spus Sanda intr-un comentariu mai demult s-a adeverit, ba chiar mai devreme decat m-as fi asteptat. Chilperic tocmai a fost expus pe Found Handmade, super, nu? :D Mergeti putin mai jos pe pagina daca vreti sa-l vedeti, e in a doua tura de poze cu papushi.

Soo, I'll let others be envious this Monday (or Tuesday). ;)
Asa caaa... voi lasa pe altii sa fie invidiosi lunea (sau ma rog, martea) asta ;)

Love stories of Falushtain

2009-07-22T19:06:00.013+03:00

Many girls of Falushtain have lost sleep over the dreamy face of Emmet. His large sorrowful blue eyes and his soft, kindly attitude make him quite irresistible. Pale, brooding and utterly handsome, he sits in his favourite spot in the graveyard, running his hands through his disheveled hair as he pores over his verses.
Multe fete din Falushtain stau treze noaptea gandindu-se la fatza visatoare a lui Emmet. Ochii lui mari, albastri si tristi si atitudinea lui blanda il fac irezistibil. Palid, ganditor si teribil de frumos, el sta in locul lui preferat din cimitir, trecandu-si mainile prin parul dezordonat in timp ce mediteaza asupra propriilor versuri.

Emmet is well known in the community of Falushtain. As befits all poets, he drinks absinthe, eats barely anything, and has not laughed in the past 10 years.
But there is no hope for any girl of Falushtain but one. Emmet's heart belongs to Sylvia only, and every verse he writes is for her.
Emmet e binecunoscut in comunitatea din Falushtain. Dupa cum ii sade bine oricarui poet, el bea absint, nu mananca mai nimic si nu a ras deloc in ultimii 10 ani.
Dar nu exista speranta pentru nici o fata din Falushtain in afara de una. Inima lui Emmet apartine Sylviei, si fiecare vers pe care il scrie e pentru ea.

Here is one sample of the many expressions of his undying love:
Iata o mostra din multele expresii ale iubirii sale eterne:

Sylvia is the light of my day
With her I feel airy, like a souffle -
Without her, my heart hangs heavy and gray
And life is a giant bouquet of decay.

But Sylvia is as cold and relentless as Emmet is passionate. Sarcastic, sharp and oh so beautiful, she does have a soft spot for Emmet but would not admit it in a million years. Even if she annihilates Emmet's idealistic endeavours with her keen irony, she secretly looks after his wellbeing. Emmet would never have managed to get his poems published without Sylvia's intervention, and he would probably starve to death without her household help.
Dar Sylvia e pe atat de rece si neiertatoare pe cat este Emet de pasional. Sarcastica, taioasa si atat de frumoasa, ea are o slabiciune pentru Emmet, dar nu ar recunoaste asta niciodata. Chiar daca anihileaza cu ironia ei ascutita toate demersurile idealiste ale lui Emmet, se ingrijeste in secret de bunastarea lui. Emmet nu ar fi reusit sa-si publice poeziile fara interventia ei, si probabil ca ar muri de foame fara ajutorul casnic al Sylviei.
Everyone in Falushtain agrees they make an odd couple. But what's a bit of odd in a land where zombies are respectable teachers and two-headed creatures hold functions in the local administration?
Toata lumea in Falushtain e de acord ca sunt un cuplu ciudat. Dar ce-i un pic de ciudatzenie intr-un taram unde zombie sunt profesori respectabili, iar creaturi cu doua capete ocupa functii in administratia locala?

Sylvia and Emmet are for sale (hopefully together) in my online shop.
Sylvia si Emmet sunt de vanzare (sper ca impreuna) in magazinul meu virtual.

Green-eyed Monday

2009-07-20T17:29:00.005+03:00

Today I don't hate. Today I'm not envious or jealous. Today I LOVE Alisa's imagination, and her workmanship, and all the pretty details, and all the oh, so wonderfully expressive characters. I have not seen something so beautiful in the handmade world for a very long time.

Azi nu urasc. Azi nu sunt invidioasa sau geloasa. Azi ador imaginatia Alisei, toate detaliile dragutze si personajele atat de expresive. De mult n-am vazut ceva atat de frumos in lumea lucrurilor facute de mana.

Do go and check out all the pictures in her photostream. I chose to show you the photo above because the creatures look like mucklor, with whom I have had a long love affair. The one below I chose simply because it's beautiful.
Uitati-va la toate pozele de pe pagina ei. Am ales sa va arat poza de mai sus deoarece creaturile seamana cu mucklor, carora le port o dragoste statornica. Poza de jos am ales-o pur si simplu pt ca e frumoasa.

*Sigh... so sweet I could get diabetes :D

Somebody stop me!

2009-07-15T20:22:00.003+03:00

I seem to be on a creative roll lately! So, here's what I finished yesterday:
Se pare ca sunt intr-o pasa de creativitate si eficienta in ultima vreme. Iote ce-am terminat ieri:

This (way too pink, if you ask me) cutie is going to Timisoara. She was made to order, that explains the pinkness. Honest.
Dulcica asta (mult prea roz, parerea mea) va merge la Timisoara. A fost facuta la comanda, asta explica rozul. Pe cuvant.

And here you have a preview of Emmet the poet. He's not quite ready yet, he needs a belt and his book of poems and maybe more make-up. But I really like how he's turning out, so I just had to share. I'll take some better pics when he's ready.
Si aici aveti o avanpremiera a lui Emmet, poetul. Nu e chiar gata, ii mai trebuie o curea si cartea de poezii, si probabil inca putin machiaj. Dar imi place la nebunie cum a iesit, si trebuia sa va arat. Voi face niste poze mai bune cand e gata.

His hair is over the place (love the look!), you can't really see that in the pics.
Parul ii sta in toate directiile, nu prea se vede in poze.

And here is the prize I mentioned in a previous post, at its rightful place. I'm still hesitant to actually stick it on. I'm so used to temporary dwellings that I've formed this habit of not making anything too permanent: what if I move and my poor num-num monster will have to stay behind?
Si aici e premiul amintit intr-un post anterior, la locul sau de drept. Inca nu ma pot hotari sa-l lipesc cum trebuie. Sunt asa de obsinuita cu locuinte temporare, ca mi-am format obiceiul de a nu face nimic prea permanent: daca ma mut si saracu' monstruletz va trebui sa ramana aici?

Green-eyed Monday

2009-07-13T08:56:00.004+03:00

The person who irks me most today is Colette. She makes the most beutiful bags: such calm pretty colours, such utterly cool combinations, such perfect workmanship. I don't understand her blog posts, but that doesn't stop me from drooling on all her pictures! (oh yes,the pictures are great too).

Persoana care ma irita cel mai mult astazi este Colette. Face cele mai faine genti: ce niste culori calme si dragutze, ce combinatii faine de culori, ce cusaturi perfecte. Nu inteleg textul blogului ei, dar asta nu ma impiedica sa salivez pe toate pozele (a, da, mai face si poze faine!).

Catch-up

2009-07-09T18:02:00.010+03:00

The previous post was part of a DaWanda competition, as you probably figured out. What you may not have figured out is that I won! And that silly-cute fridge sticker will be all mine soon.
Postul precedent a reprezentat participarea mea la o competitie a DaWanda, cum probabil v-ati dat seama deja. Ceea ce probabil nu v-ati dat seama e ca am castigat! Si dulcicul ala de abtibild pt frigider va fi al meu in curand.

In other news, I have just become a supplier of handmade greeting cards for a large bookstore in town. Here is what I came up with, it will be great if they actually sell.
Alte stiri ar fi ca tocmai am devenit furnizor de felicitari facute de mana pentru o librarie mare din oras. Cam asta am creat pentru prima tura, ar fi fain daca s-ar vinde :)
Wait, I have more to brag with! I made 2 pairs of earrings today, for 2 family friends (mother and daughter). I really like how the ones with buttons turned out, I think I'll have to make a pair for myself (with more reasonable colours, of course).
Stati, ca mai am ceva cu care sa ma laud! Am facut azi 2 perechi de cercelusi pentru niste prietene de familie, mama si fiica. Astia cu nasturi imi plac la nebunie, cred ca va trebui sa-mi fac si mie o pereche (cu culori mai decente, bineinteles).
I totally forgot about Green-eyed Monday this week! I have an excuse, it was more like zombie Monday.
Am uitat complet de Lunea invidiei saptamana asta. Am o scuza, avand in vedere ca a fost mai mult Lunea zombie.

A Stranger in Falushtain - DaWanda competition

2009-06-24T09:26:00.010+03:00

“What on the beard of the Nolens twins was that?!” cried Arnulf the cuddlecreep, more intrigued than startled, picking himself off the ground and dusting his sleeves.

The Nolens twins were instrumental to the smooth running of all affairs in Falushtain. Joint at the hip, they shared everything: one body (an arm and a leg each, judiciously distributed and fiercely protected as valued private property), one vest, one beard, one place of employment. Their boat carried travellers across the river Painn, the only way in and out of the city gates.

But the little ball of fur cowering in the middle of the path did not know that. He was obviously not from those parts. It looked up at Arnulf with large, pitiful, apologetic eyes, but said nothing. He obviously had not stopped there intentionally, for Arnulf to trip on him, as was the habit of other tricky creatures of the forest. He looked quite lost and out of place, dragging along the ground a fork that looked twice his size, as he moved cautiously to the side of the path.

Arnulf, short as he was, had to bend to have a closer look at the strange creature.

“What are you?” he murmured. “And what’s with the fork? Are you into shiny stuff too?”

Many of creatures of Falushtain loved stealing people’s teaspoons, keys, coins or everything else that had an irresistible metallic sheen. But this furry thing? He certainly didn’t look like he was from around there! Apparently it could not speak either. It just blinked and held on to its fork.

“Ahem, terribly sorry to interrupt, my dear sirs. But being that the little cutlery-loving gentleman here seems of an entirely novel species, I felt compelled to conduct some research into his nature and origins. I do hope you don’t mind. At first inspection, he seems to be a Furball of the Home and Living subspecies.”

It was Basil the zombie. With a mighty yawn, he sat on the leafy ground, trying – rather unsuccessfully – to look friendly. He stared attentively at the creature’s fur, examined the dusty fork, made mental notes of height, width and colour and even ventured to touch one of the two fangs that protruded most unevenly from the creature’s mouth. But the creature still seemed clueless and mute. It blinked at the inspection by the zombie intellectual, and remained silent.

“Where have you come from, sir?”

The creature blinked.

“Hmm” said Basil like a knowledgeable doctor. “Trust must be gained one way or another in order to facilitate communication. Do you not agree, Mr. Arnulf?”

“Munication?” said Arnulf, now as clueless as the creature. The creature blinked.

Basil produced a wrinkled apple which seemed to have survived as many centuries as its owner. Carefully, he offered it to the creature. Arnulf suddenly felt sure he understood what munication was. He pulled a half-chewed liquorice stick out of his sleeve, brushed the lint off it and offered it to the stranger, with a wide smile.

The strange creature blinked and sniffed and blinked. A silly two-fanged smile stretched over its entire face (which incidentally also constituted its entire body). With amazing strength, he lifted the fork over his head, in a little dance of joy.

“Ready for namnam!” he cried in delight. “Ready for NAMNAM!”

Green-eyed Monday

2009-06-22T16:38:00.004+03:00

Today, I am envious of Katalin. She's a wonderful illustrator, her characters are very expressive and she always creates lovely dream-like settings.

Azi sunt invidioasa pe Katalin. E un ilustrator minunat, personajele ei sunt foarte expresive si intotdeauna reuseste sa creeze decoruri de vis. A ilustrat si un volum de Ispirescu, din cate am vazut pe blogul ei.

Basil

2009-06-18T22:12:00.004+03:00

This is poor Basil, the zombie. He suffers from a chronic impossibility to die. Don't laugh, it's a serious condition! He managed to die once, a looong long time ago, of natural causes (fresh mushrooms), then again around 285 (Goth invasion), and then once more in 1710 (plague). But he hasn't been dead since then at that makes him very tired.

Acesta este saracu' Basil; el e un zombie. sufera de o imposibilitate cronica de a muri. Nu radeti, ca e o conditie foarte serioasa! A reusit sa moara o data, cu muult mult timp in urma, de cauze naturale (ciuperci proaspete), apoi a mai murit o data prin 285 (invazia gotilor), apoi inca odata pe la 1710 (ciuma). Dar n-a mai fost mort de atunci si asta il face foarte obosit.

Having lived through most of known history, he is very knowledgeable, and people of Falushtain sometimes employ him as a tutor for their children. He is well bred and has very elegant manners, a true gentleman!

Avand in vedere ca a trait cam toata istoria cunoscuta, Basil este foarte bine informat, si oamenii din Falushtain il angajeaza cateodata ca profesor particular pt copiii lor. E bine crescut si are maniere foarte elegante, un adevarat gentleman!

Even if he is so tired, he does not believe in suicide. He likes to hang around the cemetery pub, hoping someone might help him to another period of not-so-eternal rest. His favourite pick-up line is "do you ever feel like killing someone?"

Chiar daca e asa de obosit, Bazil nu crede in sinucidere. Ii place sa piarda vremea prin barul cimitirului, in speranta ca cineva il va ajuta cu inca o perioada de odihna mai-mult-sau-mai-putin vesnica. Replica lui de agatzat favorita este "iti vine vreodata sa omori pe cineva?"

P.S. Is it just me or does he look a bit like Morgan Freeman?
P.S. Mi se pare mie sau seamana un pic cu Morgan Freeman?

Orasul meu

2009-06-17T22:56:00.008+03:00

For the English version of this post, go here.

La initiativa peticelelor (desi cu mare, mare intarziere), pun aici poze cu locurile preferate din orasul meu. Mi-a luat ceva timp pentru ca am vrut sa fac poze cu manutza mea, la lucruri asa cum le vad eu, si a trebuit sa astept o vreme ca sa fie soare. Ca doar asa le vad eu intotdeauna: cu soare!

In ordinea departarii de casa, puteti admira:

Biblioteca judeteana, un colt dintr-o cladire frumoasa foc. Si anume Palatul Culturii, despre care puteti afla mai multe aici.

Imi place la biblioteca. Se nimereste cateodata sa ies cu un rucsac plin de carti si cu tot avantul intelectualicesc de care pot da dovada, ca sa ma intampine in curte muzica unui cor, de la etajele de sus, unde se fac repetitii. Si cum sa nu te patrunzi de constiinta rolului divin al cartilor? ;D

Tranzit: locul unde se bea bere, se mananca pizza de marimea unui sens giratoriu modest, se barfeste, se fac si se asculta confesiuni, se fac si se desfac relatii... si se admira pe furis bikeri secui ;)

Casa mea. Inca de la 16 ani obisnuiam sa stau pe banca in parc cu prietena mea, uitandu-ne ore in sir la mansarda acestei case. Ne doream sa locuim acolo "cand crestem mari". E, am crescut, si tot visam la mansarda aia. Am urmarit-o atata ca parca simt deja ca-i a mea.

Art & Hobby- singurul magazin de profil din oras. As putea sa locuiesc in el.

Cetatea, bineinteles. Sau mai bine zis unul din bastioane:

Facultatea unde m-am informat, inspirat si enervat 6 ani de zile:

Drumul spre casa, de-a lungul unui zid al cetatii. Urmat timp de 5 ani de zile, dupa fiecare sesiune de informare, inspiratie sau enervare la facultate:

Biblioteca Teleki, despre care puteti citi aici.
Ma fascina bufnita aia de la poarta cand eram copil, ma uitam indelung la ea de fiecare data cand treceam pe acolo:
Si, dupa un circuit complet, acasa la mine, unde-i comod si mic si dezordonat si relaxant:

Si astea sunt locurile mele preferate. Sper ca v-am distras atentia destul incat sa uitati de intarziere ;)

Leac pentru plictiseala

2009-06-14T23:32:00.003+03:00

I've decided this blog is getting boring. So, in order to keep you guys from falling sleep, I thought I might infuse it with the works of others. As of now, I am instituting GREEN-EYED MONDAY, the day when I express my envy of the talent of others.

M-am decis ca blogul asta devine plictisitor. Asadar, ca sa nu adormiti, ma gandeam sa-l infuzez cu creatiile altora. De acum incolo se considera instituita LUNEA INVIDIEI, ziua cand "ma racaie" talentele altora.

Today's winner is Rita, a Portuguese dollmaker whose dolls simply make me happy. There's a lot of detail in their clothing, and such pretty fabric combinations! Not to mention there's a cat in the picture... what's not to love?

Castigatoarea de azi este Rita, o portugheza ce face papusi care ma fac pe mine sa zambesc. Hainele lor sunt foarte detaliate, si combinatiile de materiale tare dragute! Ca sa nu mai vorbim ca este si o pisica in poza... cum sa nu-ti placa?

P.S. Descoperirea de azi de datoreaza Carminei. As face un link si catre ea, dar nu cred ca are blog.

New creeps!

2009-06-03T15:42:00.004+03:00

I made 3 more cuddlecreeps. The pictures are not so great, as there's not so much light. The weather has been gloomy for many many days now, it feels like I haven't seen the sun in a year! Poor creeps have no names yet, but I'm open to suggestions.

Am mai facut 3 monstruleti. Pozele nu-s foarte bune, ca nu prea am lumina. Vremea e tare mohorata de multe multe zile, am impresia ca n-am vazut soarele de un an!
Saracii monstruleti n-au nume inca, dar astept sugestii.