Hello, lovely readers, and thank you for being around, even if I was MIA lately. Busy, busy bee me, but I hope things will clear in a day or two, or at least by the end of the week. However, I couldn’t let Wednesday pass without bringing you another lovely artisan to share with you her take on creativity. Today, our guest is Adriana Oliveira, from Mundo Flo. You might have seen her beautiful bags around the www and admired her eye for colors and natural touches. I know I did, so after a while, I just went ahead and ask. And sje was really kind and answered.

What is talent? What is creativity?

I think talent is innate. Everyone has a talent, even if they don’t know it. It’s like a super power you have, you can be really good at it with little effort, because it’s a natural thing to you. Creativity can be a means to express your talent, but not the only one. I think everyone is talented for something, but not everyone is creative. However, creativity may be improved, if stimulated. You can be really creative if you train yourself for it, even if it’s not your talent…

Does creativity need limits?

They may help. Some people are naturally creative and need no limits to express it. But sometimes creativity is triggered and empowered by the existence of limits. Actually, they might help you select the best from everything that comes to your mind and get some discipline.

I face a lot of limits everyday, of time and money, but they help me focus and be motivated to keep on creating. I’m a better time manager if I don’t have much time to waste. I find creative solutions if I don’t have much money. I love my creative work even more if I have to have a day job to support it…

How do you fuel your creativity?

I surround myself with things that inspire me, other artists work, Mother Nature’s work… I love things that make me feel calm and bonded to nature. And sometimes I need to getof that comfort zone and see new things, in order to refresh ideas and grow.

What do you need to create?

If I’m with that creative bug, everything I need is a piece of paper and a pen, or my camera. I’m used to simplicity. Sometimes I have to appeal to that special world of mine to feel strong and safe. I even doodle on a piece of paper when I’m talking to my boss (eheheh)…

What is your advice for people who (try to) create?

Do what you love. Be yourself, find your special talents that nobody else has. Just try it, don’t wait for that perfect moment of inspiration, pursue it. Don’t be afraid of failure, creating doesn’t have to mean making pieces of art. It may be a simple way for you to feel alive, celebrate life, relax, find solutions for the small problems of your daily life. Have fun!

I hope that Adriana’s visit cleared up you sky today, if it’s cloudy where you are. If you’ve just met Adriana, be sure to visit her blog, her Facebook page and her lovely shop, Mundo Flo, on Big Cartel or Etsy.

Have a beautiful day, everybody!

Oh, my, muffin no. 19. Maybe I should have waited until the 20th for this declaration of surprise and content, but I am almost half way there. Maybe one third way there. Another recipe from Cupcakes and muffins, this time with more than a twist, since I was lazy with the cream cheese, and the grapes (successfully) replaced the cherries.

Using a mixer (I feel so professional having a mixer of my own), beat 125g butter, softened, and 110g super fine sugar until fluffy (or, at least, well combined). Beat in 2 eggs, 250ml milk and 60ml lemon juice.

Sift 315g flour and 2 1/2 tsp baking powder over the wet mixture and incorporate using a spatula. Fold in 125g cream cheese.

Spoon the batter in pre-greased muffin cups, add a grape in each muffin and bake over low to medium heat until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

You can dust the muffin with some icing sugar or just forget about it, like I did.

E n j o y  and have a beautiful Sunday!

PS: at least two lovely ladies are baking muffins following my lead. I know these are not my recipes and that, well, I don’t bring much into the world of muffins, but I would love for you to share in comments links to your photos or blog posts, if you are baking muffins, too.

It’s a nice, beautiful Saturday outside, even though it feels like Sunday. And I visited a jewelry fair today and I discovered a magical porcelain pendant, hand painted. It’s perfect for me. Someone magically painted an owl and a muffin on a pendant, just for me.

And I also received a surprise tin box, a belated birthday present from India – 20 colorful colors for when I will dare put thoughts to paper in drawing form.

Hope you are enjoying a calm weekend!

The story of one of my favorite artists – Mitsy, from ArtMind. If you missed it, you can read her interview in the {take 5 for creativity} series, here.

Enjoy!

Handmade Portraits: 99 Feelings from Etsy on Vimeo.

I met Adina during my first silversmithing class. An architect by formation, winner of a well known Romanian creativity contest – Inspired, Adina is drawn to the natural, to the shapes wool can take and, of course, rejoices in the smiles her work brings on people’s faces. I am delighted to have met her and to be able to support her work through this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Name, age, education and artistic background.

My name is Adina Marin and I’m 26 years old. I finished the school of Art from Bucharest, N.Tonitza and last year I graduated the University of Architecture, at UAUIM, Bucharest. During high school in the first years as a student I worked with my professor, Iuri Isar, in projects based on engravings, with different experimental techniques. Then I dedicated my time to architecture. Now, I work as an architect in Bucarest.

You create beautiful felted accessories. How and when did you discover your passion and how was the road this far?

During my studies, I discovered WOOL but I had no idea what to do with it. Then, as a student, I spent some time in France where I bought my first 30 grams of colored wool. But it was just last year when I decided to give it a try. So I opened youtube and wikipedia. And that is how my journey began. I won a contest here in Bucarest, Inspired Accessories, which gave me the chance to meet some very interesting people. Among them was David Sandu with whom I learned many beautiful things in the silver jewelry art field. After finishing the first course at his school, Assamblage, he invited me to participate at Jewelry Design Fair, as a jeweler. I thank him very much for that.

What aspect of your craft appeals to you the most and why? How does this keep you on your way?

I love making nonsensical drawings on a paper. Not only when I talk at the phone, but all the time. And then, I give them some meaning. I think that what I like about working with wool is that I get to make the same thing, but in 3D. I get to hold in my hand that nonsensical drawing. It’s quite fun to discover the forms the wool can take.

How is it for a crafter like you to live, work and create in Romania? Any challenges you face? Maybe some advantages?

Romania makes me aspire to something greater. I see people struggling to move things around here. I can say that one of these men is David Sandu who tries to build a community of jewelers with different ideas, techniques, vision. I believe that is hard and it takes more time then in other countries, but it is a start.

I also noticed a lot of enthusiastic clients that have the joy and curiosity to discover new materials and techniques. They ask, they like, and they want what’s new, original.  I like that about Romania, there are still many things to be discovered, to be experimented.

I don’t like talking about bad things. I believe that we all know or have an idea about how things are. All I can say is that I love what I do, no matter the challenges I face. I do my best.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

For this project (my first project) I got my inspiration from mold. There are some very interesting forms going on in this ugly world of the mold. I found around me some unexpected shapes and colors. They inspired me and still do. I do a research every couple of days and extract from my findings what is the most outrageous.

How does your studio look like? What do you need to get that creativity flowing?

When I work, I really like listening to music or hearing a movie from a corner of the room. I hate sitting on a chair. I prefer a big pillow, a bench or a very cozy armchair. I like staying in the garden when possible. And finally, it’s very nice having someone tell me from time to time how great my last jewelry is.  HaHA! Really, that gives me the courage to keep doing what I do.

Do you think you will be doing this for a long time? If you wouldn’t be an artisan, what would you be?

Well, I’m an architect. My jewelries are more like a second passion. And I hope I’ll keep doing either for a long time, or till I find something else more changeling. But now I’m at the beginning of my journey, so I don’t think I will stop very soon.

What do you plan or dream for your future?

I have this idea of introducing felting into architecture and vice versa. Close friends give me some ideas how I could take this plan further. I can’t wait to have the time to do some experiments in this direction.

Also, at the last Jewelry Fair, another talented jeweler found my felted objects interesting and he decided to order one for himself.  That, in a way, validated a thought I had to create a collection for men. That’s another thing I’ll have in mind for the future.

What is your most treasured handmade possession?

My most treasured is my first one. The surprise I had when it was done…I didn’t expect that result. And the joy I had doing it. Also I gave it as a gift to a friend, the costume and set designer, Viorica Petrovici, who added a couple of new features.That’s my favorite.

What advice would you give to an aspiring crafter?

I would give an advice that I give myself.  If you have an idea, just do it.  I often think about materials surrounding me… what can I get from them.  But I don’t act. I pass on. And that’s sad. At least it is for me. So, try everything!

Hope you enjoyed taking a peak in Adina’s creative world. If you’d like to find out more about her, you can find her on her blog or on Facebook. She is open and outgoing, so if you’d like something custom created just for yourself, do ask her.

Have a lovely day, friends!

I know, it’s a cliche. Time is inevitably slipping away. But there are times when I feel this even stronger. Like when the seasons are changing, or when I have tight deadlines and I keep postponing things that I’d like or want to do.

It’s almost summer and I still have some loose ends to tie in order to have my own silversmithing studio at home. Admittedly, only a few. Yet the schedule at the coffee shop is getting busier, with the summer menu in the works, and some events we are planning, and all the translations we have coming our way and there’s not half a day free in sight anywhere.

book clock by Hilda Grahnat

How do you make time for the things you want to do? Do you ever feel like you are running towards a goal that seems unachievable? Free time, that is…

Hope your day is sunny and carefree.

I want to draw like Erika Kuhn (via Fuck Yeah, Book Arts). Hope your Sunday is beautiful!

I do believe fruit muffins to be the yummiest and most fluffy and tender, so for this week I selected another fruit recipe from Cupcakes and muffins. Yeey for R, who gave me this book.

In a large bowl, whisk together 125g flour, 90g whole wheat flour, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder and 55g super fine sugar. In another bowl, lightly beat 1 egg, add 180ml milk, 75g melted butter and 3 kiwi, chopped.

Incorporate the wet ingredients over the dry ones, using a fork and being careful not to overmix. Spoon the batter into pre-greased muffin cups. Top each muffin with a slice or half slice of kiwi. Bake for 20 min or so, until the muffins just start turning golden. Take the muffins out and brush each muffin with 1/2 tsp apricot jam. Return the muffins to the oven for another 5 min.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Then enjoy altruistically. I surely did!

Last weekend, I went on a biking trip with a group of friends. My first biking trip, and I am not biking that much, mind you. But it was a great opportunity to get a bit of tan, see the Danube Delta, enjoy good food and good company.

Danube Delta, forming where Danube meets the Black Sea, is the second largest delta in Europe. Almost three quarters of Danube Delta lies in Romania, with the other quarter in Ukraine. Danube forms three arms – Chilia, Sulina and Sfantul Gheorghe. Chilia takes almost 60% of the water flow, with the rest split almost equally between the other two arms. Danube Delta is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to more than 300 species of birds and 45 species of fish. You can read more about the Danube Delta here and here.

It was a lovely, four-days weekend in which I ate a lot of fish, cooked in all sorts of ways. Also, I never knew garlic sauce can be prepared in so many different ways – I ate 5 or 6 types of garlic sauce. So yummy with all that fish. We didn’t manage to visit Letea Forest, renowned for its subtropical plants, liana and ivy, as well as its hundreds of years old trees that grow up from pure sand. But I was so happy to take my shoes off and walk on the almost deserted beach.

Below are some snippets of the trip. More photos, on Flickr.

looking down on you

pristine channels

all shades of blue

the mermaid took her toll

fly like a dandelion

almost an owl

here lies the local pirate

Have a lovely afternoon!

my sister…

and yours truly…