Winter Wonderland Wedding Invitations (Invitatii Iarna ca-n povesti)

The first winter wedding invitations ever made in our studio for nobody else's but my colleague's wedding.

She actually designed this all by herself with just a little insight from me here and there. I think she will never forget how much work creating a new designs actually involves. She spent one full week passing from excitement to disappointment and back to excitement. However it was all worth it. I really love the outcome.

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Iarna, anotimp care imi palce doar privit pe fereastra de la gura sobei, dar trecand peste preferintele mele personale, iata ca prima persoana care beneficiaza de Invitatii Couture cu tema "Iarna ca-n povesti" este chiar colega mea, Raluca.

Designer... tot ea, si cu ocazia asta a aflat cum se poate lucra o saptamana intreaga la un singur model, trecand in repetate randuri de la agonie la extaz :))

Here are a few of the design ideas that didn't make it but might be someone else's favorite.

Si cele 2 finaliste (cea de-a treia cu hartia transparenta rupta e alternativa mea :)

Finally, here are some work in progress pictures:

Si in cele din urma sa va arat procesul de "fabricatie" pe care l-am fotografiat de cate ori am prins cate o gramajoara draguta pe masa de lucru a Ralucai sa le aiba amintire pentru dupa nunta.

1. Die cutting the snowflakes
1. Decuparea fulgilor de nea.

2. Massive snow falls...
2. In urma unor cadei masive de zapada...

3...4...5...
I don't have pictures of the rest of the steps but I guess you can figure them out. All that is missing at this point is adding the small Swarovsky crystals for extra shine on the turquoise background, and fillthe pockets with the silver text cards printed in shads of gray. Next the invitations are wrapped with a translucent paper with the guests names printed on them. Silver outer envelopes are used for the ones sent by mail. The envelopes have the guest and return address printed in the same colors and fonts to match the entire ensemble.

3...4...5...
Am cam ratat restul pasilor. Aceste asunt invitatiile aproape ga. Mai lipsesc micile cristale Swarovsky care dau stralucire fundalului turquoise nins si cartoanele argintii cu textul tiparit in nuante de gri.

Fiecare invitatie vine apoi introdusa intr-un brau din hartie transparenta pe care am tiparit numele invitatilor, iar pentru cele trimise prin posta am folosit pliccuri gri-argintiu cu adresa destinatarului tiaparita astfel incat intregul ansamblu sa fie unitar.

How to Make a Beaded Frame for your Stationery (Cum sa faci o rama cu margele pentru invitatii sau felicitari)

This was not meant to be a tutorial, but mixing the beads for the frames was such a pleasant activity that I took some photos while doing it. I will explain the rest of the process in words.

Materials: cardstock frame, white PVA glue, beads in the colors of your choice.

My favorite part was choosing and mixing the beads.

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Pentru a realiza aceste rame aveti nevoie de rame decupate din carton, aracet si margele in culorile preferate pe care urmeaza sa le amestecati. 

Then comes the unpleasant part. You have to cover your frame with a good amount of glue and pour the bead mix over it. Use a tooth pick to arrange the overlapping or stray beads, then let the frames dry over night.

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Acoperiti ramele cu o cantitate generoasa de aracet si presarati margelele. Folositi scobitori pentru a le aranja pe cele ratacite sau suprapuse si lasati la uscat peste noapte.

Use these frames to make Christmas cards,wedding invitations or other stationery, gifts and decorations.
Don't worry if some of the beads fall off, there will be enough left to keep their beauty.

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Folositi ramele pentru a realiza felicitari, invitatii, decoratiuni etc.

Nu va faceti probleme daca mai cade cate o margeluta. Nu se va observa lipsa ei.

Felt Snowflakes Gift Tags (Etichete cadouri cu fulgi din filt)

Back to winter now with these quick and easy gift tags. The cold outside will not allow me to dream of spring too much.

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Si acum, dupa o scurta visare la primavara, sa ne intoarcem la iarna ca bate la usa. Iata niste etichete pentru cadouri a caror confrctionare nu necesita prea mult timp si efort.

Getting Ready for Christmas (Ne pregatim de Craciun)

Work in progress, almost ready to be packed and shipped to a gift shop. The holiday spirit is not yet here so I have been mostly working without inspiration but usually it comes too late to make cards and gifts in time.

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Am facut poza acesta sa o trimit unei cliente din alta tara care asteapta cu nerabdare felicitarile de Craciun pentru magazinul sau. Inca spiritul sarbatorilor nu si-a facut simtita prezenta, dar daca as sta sa-l astept felicitarile nu ar mai fi gata la timp pentru Craciun.

Last Minute Wrapping Paper Tutorial

So you just realized tomorrow morning you are meeting a friend and don't have any wrapping paper for her Christmas gift. If you are me (one year ago when baby was still in the womb) you don't worry much because you can make your own.

Take one sheet of ordinary white wrapping paper. I keep a stash of such materials that are too good to go to waste.

Gather some art supplies that you have around the house. If I had nothing else but a set of acrylics and a paint brush, that would be enough.

Start covering your paper with paint. Here I have used a dark palette of browns and black. Try not to think to much while doing it. Just have fun and do not over do it so the individual colors can still show.

Once you are happy with the background, start decorating your paper.
I am using a wooden print block from India (thanks Laura), but you can use so many things (stamps, fruit-as-stamps, gel pens, inks). Your imagination is the limit.

You can stop here, or, if you are into details like I am, this will seem to easy and in need of some harder work :). Take a no. 2 brush and start adding details using gold acrylic paint.

Finish up the edges of the paper with more gold paint.

Let it dry for 5 minutes (that is all it takes, really), wrap your gift and go to bed because it's past midnight, you have a migraine and you need to breastfeed baby in a few hours :)

Our First Christmas Wreath

Really, haven't you had a Christmas wreath before? No, WE, THE THREE OF US, haven't. *smile*

I made it on Sunday at the Christmas decoration party from Bianca's church.

It was a great party with good food and drinks, lots of smiles and chatting, meeting friends and all that comes with it.

I will leave you with some pictures from the event and I will add more when and if I get any. Unfortunately in the rush to finish lunch, prepare the baby for grandma and everything else, I forgot my camera so I don't have photos of my own except the wreath I took home.

(thanks for this picture, Bianca)

See more pictures here.

Christmas Decoration Party - - Cluj-Napoca

Twas The Night Before Christmas

I spent last night reading, mostly because my neighbors were having a noisy party.
The loud music and dancing of high heels against the stone floor woke me up around 2 am. So I grabbed a book at random from the pile and that book was "A Lad of Grit" bu Jules Verne.
It's the story of an orphan growing up in Ireland. What better time to read it than Christmas Eve, when, with all the gifts, good food and drinks, with all the good time surrounded by our loved ones we forget about those less fortunate, those who suffer of hunger, cold and loneliness.

At this time all I could do was close the book and pray for those poor souls that I don't know about, for a better world where each of us will have more consideration for our keen, for a new year with less concern about money and politics and more about people. After all, remember what Christmas is really about? It's about the King of Kings being born in a stable. He came to save us and that is how we receive him.

Have a blessed Christmas Day, but don't forget the true meaning of Christmas and try to do something about it. If you can't change the world you can at least change a part of your soul and the world will be a better place.

Upcycled Sweater Christmas Globes Tutorial

This Christmas my goal is to unclutter my apartment. I have way too many clothes in my wardrobe and I have set out to find creative ways to use them. I know many of you are like me. I was recently reading on a blog that we "crafters are organized hoarders". Well, lets craft some more and use use up our stashes or wardrobes in this case.

Take a comfortable seat on your couch with an old sweater, a pear of scissors and a newspaper.



Unthread your sweater and make some balls from your newspapers. You can also buy styrofoam balls, but why spend money when you can have them for free.




Roll the yarn on your balls until the newspaper is covered. I used a crochet needle to hide the end of the yarn.

Embellish as you like using whatever you have available in your stash. Here are mine:

(hung on a Christmas tree)

(tied in a bunch with a golden bow)

(wrapped up in a matching box ready to give away as Christmas present)

Pencil Holder in Winter Outfit (Suport de creioane in haine de iarna)

I guess you all know about my obsession to recycle and reuse.
It just breaks my heart to throw those cans to the bin so I saved a few to see how I can reuse them. How about his new pencil holder dressed up for winter? You could make a bunch and use them to organize your coloring tools.

Cred ca deja toata lumea stie de obsesia mea pentru a reclica si reutiliza diverse lucruri. Mi se rupe inima sa arunc cutiile de conserva la gunoi, asa ca am pastrat cateva sa vad cum le pot reutiliza. Iata de exemplu acest nou suport de creioane imbracat in haine de iarna. Ati putea sa va faceti mai multe pentru organizarea diverselor creioane, pixuri etc.




Speaking of reuse, last week I took part in a workshop focused on this.
The workshop was held in an old factory that has been repurposed and now serves as workshop space for different artists, exhibitions and other cultural manifestations.

We made light shades from toilet paper and twine, pillows from eco leather from a factory's waste deposit and, my favorite, a baroque chandelier and mirror frame from cardboard.

Apropo de reutilizare, saptamana trecuta am participat la un atelier pe acesta tema organizat in cadrul Fabricii de Pensule din Cluj. Pentru cei care nu stiu, acestei foste uzine i s-a schimbat destinatia, gazduind acum ateliere ale diversilor artisti, sali de expozitii etc.

Am facut lampi din hartie igienica si din ata, perne din piele ecologica provenita din resturile unei fabrici de confectii si, preferatul meu, un candelabru si o rama de oglinda in stil baroc din carton.

making a twine globe (realizarea unui glob din ata)

measuring and cutting leather (masurand si taind piele)

drawing the chandelier template (desenarea sablonului pentru candelabru)

cutting up the sponge to fill the pillows (taiat burete pentru umplutura perne)

Snowmen in Love Box (Cutie "Oameni de zapada indragostiti")

I have to admit I would have never made this box from my own initiative.
I am not so much into snowmen, Santas and other Christmas characters.

However, my best friend insisted I made it to host a Christmas gift for her husband and now it's here and I actually love it. I love being challenged this way. I am currently working on my first landscape painting that stretches over 3 canvases so I guess I'll go back to painting now.

A Gift Box for Christmas (Cutie de cadouri pentru Craciun)

I've had this chipboard box sitting around for a long time so I decided to transform it into a Christmas box. I only used 3 acrylic colors and 2 napkins to decorate it.

I prefer to decorate things with napkins than with stamps because the images are already coloured, you can choose from a very large variety of designs and they are cheaper. I buy 5 napkins for about $1. Of course they are cheaper in supermarkets, but who needs a whole pack of the same design?



Aveam de mult cutia aceasta de carton si am decis sa o transform intr-o cutie de cadouri pentru Craciun. Nu am folosit decat 3 culori de vopsea acrilica si 2 modele de servetele de colectie.

Prefer sa decorez obiecte cu servetele pentru ca fata de stampile prezinta 3 avantaje: imaginile sunt deja colorate, poti alege dintr-o foarte mare varietate de modele si sunt mai ieftine (0.5 RON bucata). Evident, sunt mai ieftine in supermarketuri, dar ce sa faci cu un pachet din acelasi model?