molif | en

First try to make “soft” picture… Not very good, I’m afraid, mostly because I messed the sewing technique, but next time will make it better.
I like the little cockerel, though. Every morning it makes me smile.

I love to find new ways to use some things from the house. Just recently I wanted to make something from felt, but I didn’t have any, so I just thought I could use some kitchen towels. It worked out well:

You can use them to apply or sew on cards or bags or whatever you want. I still didn’t use them, indeed.

And these are (or were) some mini-cakes, made last month. I remembered them now, as I’m craving for something sweet:

They are so easy to make – like a piece of cake.

I guess I’ve got more things to show than time and will to do it. Good news is, from time to time I remember that this site needs some update.
Let’s check what’s happening around lately…

My fingers are nervous. They don’t want to be bored, so they always find something to do…
That’s why we always have new friends at home – like this mouse with curvy tail:

Or like this curious little fox, who likes to ask difficult questions:

This one is just a friendly wink to the mouse in Michel’s header:

Sometimes I like my little clay things more without any coloring…
Probably I should leave these as they are, don’t you think?

Among some of the best movies I’ve seen lately, there is one that I cannot simply watch & forget.
The first time I saw it, I didn’t know what to expect, at all.
Without checking imdb, almost all the time I was expecting for some deep drama to develop on the screen. And I was almost angry to every little detail that was not true from historic point of view or was too forced.
But somewhere around the half of the movie I realized that what you need to do is to get relaxed and watch it with one and only purpose: to enjoy it. To feel the real audio-visual satisfaction that it provides – with great music, stunning cinematography and amazing actors.

All the actors in this movie are simply wonderful – the young as the older ones. The seem not to act, but to live they roles.
Here you can enjoy two short music pieces from this movie:

“Stilyagi” deserves to be seen.
It’s a music movie, but not exactly musical. There’s difference, you know.
But the influence it gives over all your senses is huge – the bright scenes and characters will probably haunt your head for days.

Oh, and there’s this impressive site for the movie.
You need to know Russian, and thus you’ll learn more facts about the story and the characters, as the movie is based on a book.

But what left me speechless after watching the movie, was the soft and good-nature attitude towards the past times.
You can feel the nostalgia, but you cannot find disturbing things like hate or denial.
The end is also very unexpected.
When the movie is over, you can find yourself irresistibly drawn to dance – and to feel young, alive, colorful.

Four years ago Michel happened to be sick like recently.
Actually, it was more serious then. Few times during the year he fell for more than a week with 40 degrees C temperature.
And nothing could help him, so finally we called for some alternative.
On the stage appeared this sumo hare, dedicated to scare the flu virus and to help Michel get well soon.

First times it was a success. That made him an honored member of the little hand-made society on my shelf.
Then it seemed like the flu got resistant to hare power, so we’ve changed the tactics and decided to visualize our dream little house.
Made with all our love and wish for good health and many more miles together on our bikes, here it is:

My man got well finally, just in time for his own wedding. Then… then we made thousands of miles together and it is very possible that we won’t stop.
The house? It still illuminates our evenings.

As much as I love to draw, I cannot resist making things from clay and from fabric.
I guess that all of the girls in high school today will laugh at the fact that when I was a teenager, still loved to play with dolls and toys I was often making clothes or houses for them.
Of course, it was partly because of the fact that there were many kids around me – and then it seemed to me that I was made to care and entertain relatives’ and friends’ children.
Don’t get me wrong: most of the time I was doing this gladly, and kids are good excuse for these games.
We’ve had many joyful days and I still love to dwell in the world of fantasy and toys.
My parents are also creative people and they influenced me a lot.
There is still somewhere in the attic an old puppet theater. My father once started to make it as a gift to my mother, but it ended not finished.
Sometimes I remember about it and I want to finish it together with Dad, but it seems that every time is not “the right moment”.
Maybe I don’t want to go too far from the childhood, as I enjoy making toys even today.

Let me introduce you to some that I still keep.
Here it is one of the very first I’ve made – it’s almost 13-14 years-old, I believe:

At that time I was drawing constantly, even applied for a school of Fine Arts. I intended to study Metal & Plastic Arts, but I couldn’t pass the first exam (graphics) and I didn’t go to the second one with the clay modeling, where I was sure I could be way better at.
Anyway, even today this little bear is keeping well the leftovers of my once huge collection of pencils. Some of them are so short now, you cannot even see them.

And what about this little piggy that we have here? Well, this guy also has a story to tell. He was made together with another one, and the other went as a present to a friend’s baby.

This one stayed at home as I considered it not so successful, but lately I found him and improved it a bit by adding the smile and the pants.

There will be a sequel.

There is something strange about all these cats in my works.
In fact, if you say that I probably like cats than dogs, it won’t be fair and right.
I was a cat owner for eleven years, but dog owner for much more.
For my long-lived and unforgettable friend Sheila I have written here before, and Lovejoy is still alive and kicking and lives with my parents and my brother.
Let me not even remind myself of Frodo, who was one of a kind and who left both of us with Michel inconsolable (Michel promised to write the whole story one day, when his heart lets him do it).
I love all kind of animals, of course. But this way or another, somehow cats are coming out more often under my fingers – and that’s a fact.

Well, this one is really special.
I drew it two days ago, when I was in need of something specific and engaging for the front side of my own business cards.
How could I miss the chance to show it off the the whole Internet?
Do you like it?
At least I know I do!

I remember the times when every free minute meant for us to grab the bikes and go on traveling adventures outside Sofia.
Nice, but didn’t happen for a long time. Michel is still ill, and this is going on for more than ten days.
Even Batman himself couldn’t help in this case, despite sending to us all week his own branded lemons:

From solidarity I am at home too, saving the people around from the flu virus, so all I can do is looking around and finding old and new things that could show in my blog. Like this greeting, good for Twitter-fans:

Here is another one, much smaller, made with some help from one little two-years-and-a half-old fairy:

Nia seems to draw far better than me, actually.
Don’t believe me?
Well, judge by yourselves:

I think she’s very good. Maybe one day she’ll laugh on this picture, but I like it and I wish her to develop a good skill.

That’s the common wish these days.
You can hear people saying it on the streets, in the shops, online… the same old sentence, but for sure the meaning it’s not the same for everybody.
Is it easy to make the people you love happy?
I like very much to make presents.
Always choosing very carefully, concerning the recipient.
But this Christmas for the first time I got one gift rejected (not a good feeling at all).
During the years I’ve received many stupid, not useful things – presents that I didn’t like or want.
But never I refused to take them.
I think that accepting things is as important as to give things. Maybe even more important.
For it is wonderful to give from yourself, but is more valuable to know how to accept from the others.
I am also still learning…

Truth is, for many, many people these days are neither happy or holidays.
For me, “holiday” and “feast” are words that mean to dance, to sing, to play games, to exchange gifts.
But in my country the “tradition” seems to be to spend the holidays at home, around the table and in front of the TV.
After them everybody is groaning and moaning and is feeling bad from too much food and drink, and I am sure that only a few people will do something different.
But there is one more thing – I believe, that the holiday spirit comes from the people, not from the date in the calendar.

So, Internet, that’s my greeting:

Have unforgettable holidays – let them be the way you want to make them!

Оh, and that’s what I did for my brother, wishing him own sweet home:

Here they are – this year’s cookies. I don’t know what’s the problem with them, but they just don’t want to stay in the tin box untill Christmas.

So, it’s a good thing that I’ve got them pictured, at least this way i am able to show them to you.
Every year I think about making at least twice more than these. From the other hand, no matter how many cookies I’ve made, they are never enough, because
I love to give almost all of them to friends and loved ones.

About the recipe… well, I like to improvise. Finding the right recipe, using the same products, but mix them measuring everything with my eye and instinct, and frankly, I am probably lucky, because I very rarely fail, even with our old and whimsy oven.
For example, I was dying for brownies yesterday evening. Since I am not planning a trip to England in the next few days, I decided to make myself some.
Here is the proof:

…is what I always do when I’ve got a pen or crayon around.
Of course, the modern technologies could not be skipped. After I’ve mentioned many times in front of the right people HOW MUCH do I want to try use a tablet, well, I finally got one as a gift for my birthday. This was last year, actually.
Till now the tablet is cover with dust. And I feel guilty for NOT having time for play.

This is result from the two-minutes play with the tablet. I couldn’t dare to show it, if it wasn’t Michel, who made me by bugging my conscious for not writing here at all.
Here is another small thing from me, made with ordinary pen:

Actually, this rabbit is done during this year’s Future Publishing conference where I happened to be as an editor of the Bulgarian version of .net magazine.
Most people write down notes, I usually like to draw. This way I listen even better.
I still hope that one day will have the skills and patience needed to make from this scratch a fine illustration in Adobe Illustrator…