Reflections and Glitter Links Before Christmas Ideas

Big Time out and about sent us away from updating our blog and we are just back here to throw some glitter links.

KINOMANIA has already started.

Our favourite WINNER :)

What about a piece of KEKS? 

Vintage Earrings selection straight from the 80s and 90s.

Want to HELP? Become a volunteer and be part of the Heroes!

Are you ready for a doze of classy Haute Couture?
Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2017/2018

Happy New Week and Don't forget the Sunscreen!

Happy New Week! For inspiring start of this week we made a selection of few links that really impresses us. 
Grab a cup of coffee and have fun while exploring! 

Always in our hearts! Tomorrow on 18th July 2017 turns 180 years since the birth of Vasil Levski!

Burgas International Film Festival takes place this year from 22th till 29th of July at Open-air scene “The Snail” and at the “Sea Casino” Cultural center, Burgas.

In case you have missed Absolut Crop Circle.

What about sleeping inside of artwork? 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi  Behind the scenes...

Gift Ideas for The Special One here.

We want it all  and we want it NOW!

Enjoy Exclusively Gucci  Cruise 2018 Full Fashion Show!

Plus don't forget the sunscreen! ;)

In Search of City Oasis: Summer Festivals in July 2017

Still in Sofia and you have not found your summer oasis? Here comes our recommendation how you can have fun with friends and family during the upcoming hot summer days.

A to Jazz Festival on 7th, 8th and 9th July /hey this is Friday plus the weekend:) in South Park, Sofia. Find the full program of the festival here.

Cinema in the Zoo 

Open air  scene in Sofia Zoo on 15th, 16th and 23rd July.

The program of the Cinema in the Zoo:

15th July /Saturday/, 21.00 h - L'Empereur, Director: Luc Jacquet, 2016

16th July /Sunday/, 21.00 h  - El abrazo del la serpiente /Embrace of the Serpent/, Director: Ciro Guerra, 2015

23rd July /Sunday/ 21.00 h - The Salt of the Earth, Directors:  Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders, 2014

And now one festival out from Sofia. Liatna sluchka is going to take place at Karandila, Sliven on 14th, 15th and 16th July /again Friday plus the weekend/. Apart from the Bulgarian music bands you could enjoy the bands Meszecsinka /Hungary/, Basska /Romania/, Baildsa /Greece/ right at the spot of the main stage of the festival.

If you are still in the city have a look at these 5 Easy Steps to Bring the Seaside Vibes Right in the City  and do not forget to enjoy your summer with full power :)

Cultural Calendar Events Not to Miss This May

Happy Monday! Let's bash the beginning of this week with some fresh air, tons of coffee and some cultural program.

Find the events for you here

European Literature Nights 2017 - on 10th May from 6 pm to 10 pm Bulgaria is again part of big reading society in Europe. All about the places, authors, the readers and books find here.

Exhibition Geniale Dilletanten - Subculture in Germany in the 80's from 9th May until 31st May organised by Goethe-Institut in collaboration with Transformatori Association.

New York based Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum upload into their archive more than 200 books and catalogues from their exhibitions for free download. Go for this exceptional experience here.

21st May is near, are you waiting for the upcoming new TV series of Twin Peaks? 

We do like the Campaign of 1BIKE. It ends on 31st May so hurry up if you want to take part in. Full information and details how to do it read here.

2017 - Zero Year for the Festivals One Design Week and One Architecture Week organised in Plovdiv by One Foundation for Culture and Arts.

Meanwhile if you dream for the beauty of the seaside find some inspiration in one of the most mesmerising beaches on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.

Have a Green and Fresh Weekend!

Weekend is just one step away and here are some ideas how you can be active and at the same time to participate in useful activities in your free time. Plus we share with you two of our favourite trees full with blossoms.

• Refresh your balcony with flowers, herbs and even trees and turn it into modern city oasis
• Apart from taking spring sunbaths on the rooftop why not to use it for building rooftop garden
• Initiate making garden in front of the building where you live - you can always ask for advice your neighbours or just start making the garden together

Cherry blossom tree close to our studio

• Participate in spring festivals organised close to your place. For example from today 28th April till 30th April just few kilometers away from Sofia in Elin Pelin takes place agricultural festival for free exchange of seeds and young trees. The main idea is to bring with you some vegetable seeds from your garden or your grandmother's garden and exchange them with the other participants. During the festival you have the opportunity to participate in agricultural workshops, lectures for herbs, concerts, movie projections and lots more.

Lilac tree ..on the way to the countryside..

• What about your favourite blossoming tree? Tell us what are the Spring festivals this year near your place? Do you have plans to participate in them? 

Have a green and fresh weekend!

April Weekend Easter Things-to-Do-and-Experience

Hello all! How is going? Here the holiday vibe is all around. Meanwhile we found for you few fresh must-visit-links what brings full and unique experience no matter if you go for them online or offline. Just keep reading..

Everybody likes pizza, right?! :) Watch the documentary about the true story and creation of THE PIZZA BIKE.If you are based in Bath, UK or just tripping around you have the chance to visit the smallest pizzeria in the world. And don't forget Life is a pizza!

From the smallest pizzeria in the world based in Bath back to Bulgaria latest hot news out here the first issue of SVEMA - independent Bulgarian magazine for art and culture is out from March 2017.

A brand new festival White Rabbit is just about to take place on 22nd April right in the center of Sofia and starts from 2 pm until 10 pm. During the day program different media meet at the scene of the event -  music, fashion design, contemporary visual art. After 10 pm the night program continues at Tell Me Bar where the Berlin based disco DJ Hara Katsiki will bash this Saturday night with classy dance selection.

H&M Conscious Exclusive 2017 is out there and apart from buying new clothes for the new season we want to remind you to be conscious and active and to bring Your old clothes on to the closest H&M store right next to you. #RecycleforFullCycle

Plus spring is the time when you can refresh and add some art into your home or office and here we found for you 5 ways to update thrift store art. Have fun and be creative!

Hope you enjoy our selection of April links. 

Happy Spring Holidays to all!

Sunday Food for Thought

We are happy to share with you couple of things what really impressed us during the last month and we think it is just worthy checking them out.

Jewelry Give-a-Way hosted by exPress-0.The winner will be announced on Monday,27th March and you'd better hurry up!

You can support Urban Saints these days:) 

Eager to read the book Transformations. The Hidden Art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude by Zornitza Kratchmarova.

Enter the brand new Lab for totally cool hand printed t-shirts. 

We are happy we found Nimmo hope you also enjoy their music.

Plus keep an eye on our Etsy Shop. New one of a kind jewelry and handcrafted objects to come!

Have a great Sunday and a glorious start of the new week!

Pirin Mountain Snowy Peaks in March

Happy spring! 

Winter is over but this March we enjoyed its white beauty over the stunning and breathtaking snowy peaks of Pirin mountain. 

Hope you also took a break from the routine and spent some hours into the nature. 

Heads in the clouds and enjoy the timeless moments!

       

Interview with the Jewelry Artist Lucía Laredo

Today we are really happy to introduce Lucía Laredo, jewelry artist based in Lima, Peru. 
This is an article on the fascinating art creation process of Lucía. 
Let's dive in the creative atmosphere of her studio. 
Here we go, read the full interview below.

(CRAFTWOMEN Studio)How did you start everything? What is your art background?

(Lucía Laredo) In 2006 I graduated  the Jewelry and Metalsmith Institute SENATI, the first school in Peru to teach Jewelry as a technical discipline. Before the school was open jewelry in Peru was a job learned only by practice or taught from one generation to the next. I develop my skills working at Ester Ventura workshop, a famous jewelry designer in Peru. And working at Lima Museum of Art improves my knowledge of art, art conservation and restoration. I also studied Artistic Jewelry at the School of Fine Arts and Graphic Design. I have constantly taken courses related to jewelry or related topics. 

CW Is there such kind of material that makes you to express yourself the best while creating pieces of jewelry? 

LL Metal is my favorite material to work, because it has various properties, many different manufacture processes and surface treatments.

CW Do you fancy listening to music while creating? What tunes are you up to?

LL Yes, music keeps me company while I am working. however it has to be in low volume otherwise I get distracted. I like almost every kind of music.

CW Could you tell us something about the source of your inspiration in both work and life?

LL Daily life, what I see, what I hear, what I read...whatever that generates something on me. Today I could work with some material, tomorrow I could develop a theme...this makes the contemporary jewelry a diverse and endless world. That's why I enjoy jewelry a lot. It gives to me freedom to create what I want...

CW Do you think the city you live in has to do with shaping your artistic sense and taste?

LL Definitely yes. Lima is the center of Peru, where different cultural expressions and different customs converge and interact. Sometimes this city can be friendly and sometimes it can be aggressive.

CW  Could you name some of your favourite jewelry designers and artists in general?

LL I admire the skill of the metalsmith pre-Columbian and Jack Cunningham, Karl Fritsch, Tessa Rickard. I love their work because they really seem to enjoy making jewelry.
In Art, in general, the surrealism and the installations are my favorites.

CW Could  you tell us more about contemporary craft communities in Lima?

LL Contemporary craft in Lima has a few exhibition spaces and these are, most of the time, exclusive. I would love it if more places existed in Peru where jewelry designers could show and spread our work and get the recognition that it deserves.

Thank you, Lucía! 

Find and shop online jewelry by Lucía Laredo at the following links: lucialaredo.etsy.com and lucialaredo.dawanda.com plus follow her at Facebook and Instagram

Hope you guys to be inspired by this meeting with Lucía and her creative space.
If you need some more inspiration or gift ideas learn the details around the story of Giardinoblu organic jewelry.

November KinoMania and Movies In the Air

Seems like this November the mood of Sofia is under the influence of the cinema vibes because of few massive events dedicated to the seventh art that are going to take place in different venues, cinema and exhibition halls round the city.
Below are the highlights of what we picked up for everyone that appreciates and truly likes cinema.

3rd November, from 6.30 pm Exhibition Hungarian movie posters from the 80's opening at the exhibition hall of the Balassi Institute in Sofia + music by DJ Altais

7th November starts the 8th International Triennial of Stage Poster in Sofia. The exhibitions could be visited until 21st November in the traditional and emblematic for the triennial exhibition halls. From 17th November till 1st December - The 30th anniversary of the International Film festival КИНОМАНИЯ. 

Though we still have not picked up movies from the program of Kinomania definitely our November soundtrack is created by DENA.

September To-Do-Memory-List in Progress

We are inpatient to visit the events at location 24 part of the Night in Plovdiv 2016.

This is when you realize summer is over.

Would you like to try these colorful retro clips on.

When the Messenger of the Gods is a bright star in the sky.

Pastel pink can be also an obsession.

This time we are fully prepared for a very special anniversary in September! 

Summer Events to Visit in Bulgaria This June

June is already here and this is a fact. Apart from the sunny days what we were really waiting for daydreaming is on the schedule and at the same time plans how to spend summer time in the best possible charming and delightful ways. 

Here are our suggestions for events that take place this June in Bulgaria. Do not miss them out it is worthy or at least this is what our experiences shows. 

Kapana Fest in Plovdiv from 1st till 5th June

This festival takes place for the third year in Kapana at the very heart of Plovdiv. The program of the festival contains various events, kid's workshops and different bazaars.

Rose Festival in Kazanlak from 3rd till 5th June 

Rose festivals in Bulgaria definitely have traditions especially this one in the town of Kazanlak. 

The full program of the festival you can find here.

Week of Spanish and Ibero-American cinema from 1st to 9th June in Sofia

17 movies from 8 countries during the cinema week in Cultural Centar G8, Kino Lumiere and Euro Cinema. Just be sure that you have tickets in advance. 

Festival of Colors 25th June, Sofia

Let the colors and music to take over your senses.

Love on the Beat! Culture Beat Pazar February Edition

We all know Saint Valentine's Day is just few moments away and we are going to celebrate it in the way how it should be with a lot of music, glitter, good vibes and Love right at Culture Beat Club. All this will take place during the February edition of Culture Beat Pazar on 13th and 14th February, this weekend. Come and join us if you are in the city of Sofia. The organizers of the event definitely have prepared with classy atmosphere, absolutely fabulous selection of Bulgarian designers who had worked out the finest products especially for Valentine's Day. Our studio has already joined the event and we have prepared a stunning jewelry collection, reusable shopping tote bags and a lot of nice surprises for everyone who decide to stop by. If you just do not have the chance to jump around this brilliant song by Mr. Sébastien Tellier is for you guys!  

September Weekend Ideas

An upcoming bash weekend in Plovdiv - the European capital of culture 2019!

 Here there are some inspiring events that you do not have to miss if Plovdiv is your destination.

 The program is full of cool parties, tons of exhibitions, art and cultural related events. 

Just Plovdiv turns out to be a vibrating melting pot as it has always been and we really like it! 

Handmade Day Plovdiv

Night of Museums and Galleries 2015 Plovdiv

DARK LIGHTS: félin amour @ Night ’15, Plovdiv

Jahmmi Youth - Vikai

Hi there!

You see, we started the whole Craftwomen thing because we needed a way to express, promote and develop our art. So our thing is our thing and we strive for perfection in what we do. Profiled as we are, we are not strangers to other forms of art. Because in the end it is all a part of a Masterplan.

This post is a shout out to all successful art-meets-art bombs. 

Are you familiar with  Jahmmi Youth? If not, shame on you! Luckily there is a remedy for that. Go play Jahmmi Youth and his new track Vikai (Shout). It is the first Bulgarian track of Jahmmi Youth and Craftwomen are really proud to be featured in the video with some of our neon jewellry designs.

We do not always get represented in music videos but when we do, we do it in style. Big up!

Enjoy the video and spread the LOVE!

Find more info for Jahmmi Youth here.