A christmas break and a present ...




It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"  

Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Lovelies, these days before christmas are so busy for me now, that i decided to take blog-break. But i will take time o visit each one of you. Thank you for such a great year of bloggy friendships and fun - you have made my each and every day nicer and brought so many smiles to my lips, even when times were tough. I'll be back with new ideas and a lot of exiting things lined up for you on the 7th. of January.

The cards above are my wishes for you and a little present They are my own design and you are free to print them for yourself or send them to friends and family if you wish to. If you use them on your blog, please link back to me.

Have a sparkly, delightful and cozy festive time with lots of LOVE -
see you son!
xoxoxooxoxox

Artwork: Martina Voigt-Schmid


touches of lemon




When life gives you lemons and for some reason you can’t make lemonade, find a recipe for a lemon cake. The secret is to turn bitter into sweet and darkness into light. 

And anyhow, happiness is in the right mix, i think. A dose of lemon, or, at least some bright yellow color, adds instant brightmess and cheer - to a wall, a day, an outfit, a drink, a mood - especially in winter! 

Photos/paintings: 1, 3 Martina Voigt-Schmid, 2 Atlantic-Pacifik

Monday Love: Pinecone garland DIY





Happy new week flowers!
Hope you all had a delightful second of advent. It had snowed here and everything looked white and magical. Fitting top the winter atmosphere, i've created a little DIY for you, in case you're not yet finished decorating. Try this garland, made from pinecones, painted white, pink mini-pompoms and some nice ribbon.

Here's how:
You paint the pinecones white and let them dry
Tie them into a nice ribbon
and glue Mini-pompoms in between
At the ends, knot ribbon together so as to make a hanger
Finito! 

Idea and photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Peachy painting



Colors are the smiles of nature.
Leigh Hunt

How's your week going so far lovelies? I must say that i'm in a cocooning mode at the moment and try to spend as much time as possible at home - maybe i need that after a really strenuous year. 
I do some planning and recherche for a vegetarian cookbook for kids right now, which is nice because it's a fun project and i can do it on my own. Also, i'm getting back to my studio and try to fifnish some paintings i have started. 
The picture above is  a recent collage-painting, using bits of pretty paper a friend brought me from China. It' available as a print in my shop now.


Painting and photo: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Fashion & Art





“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.”  
Maya Angelou
Ma
Love these black and white stage designs by artist Ruben Toledo for Nordstrom. They are impressive examples, of how little is often needed, when an idea is really good. Ruben is well known for fabulous fashion-illustrations  no wonder, since he's married to internationally renowned fashion designer Isabel Toledo. 
So - if your week starts looking all black and white - that mustn't be a bad thing! Just start dancing and be bold and lighthanded with your paintbrush of imagination!

DIY White chocolate truffles




A sweet medicine against winter blues ...

Chocolate is always good, right? But even better are these delicious babies, creamy, white and soooo easy to make! I've tested and tried the recipe for our magazine KidsLife, and since than, have made several batches as little giveaways for dear friends - or just my own kids who love them. Give it a try for a special note to brighten pre-christmas days!

You need:

25 g Butter
75 g whipping cream
225 g white chocolate
A swig of "eau de vie", i used "Kirsch" (if you like) 
Coconut-flakes

Melt butter in a little pot over low heat. Add cream and stir until almost cooking point, add chocolate and let t melt in the butter cream mixture. Add liquor to taste and fill the mix into a tray or low casserole. Let cool in the fridge for 2 hours. Form little balls (walnut size) with a spoon and the help of your hands. This is sticky, but fun! Roll the truffles in coconut-flakes and place them in the fridge again. Refrigerated they keep for 2 weeks. As a present, you can fill them in pretty boxes - the how to for these i'll post another time!

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid


Monday Love: Summer (fashion) dreaming









Love the delicious 2013 summer looks by Dolce & Gabbana! They remind me of St- Tropez in the 50ties. of vespa-rides along the Riviera, of picking oranges and having ice-cream with your guy. I know we are just heading into winter right now and i'm wearing a fake-fur west over a cardi over a sweater and seriously think about christmas-prepaations, but still ... The monday looks brighter somehow, mixed up with stripes and foulard-patterns! Have a fab start to your week flowers - let the sunshine in!

Photos: Vogue

Put winter love in a jar - DIY


Some soft blue wool, some pinecones, white Mini-Pompoms, a little dear and LOVE - that's all it takes to make this Mini-Terrarium to glam up your pre-christ,as season! I created this little arrangement for the creative part in our magazine KidsLife - glad to share it with YOU! Hope your weekend will be a lovely one and hope to see you all soon!

Photo: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Cool Map Couture






 I'm a huge fan of maps. Somehow, i find them so inspiring - for their sheer scientific beauty, that evokes images of far away places and mystical journeys. Love the idea to use maps as a pattern for dresses. These are artworks, by Elisabeth Lecourt, who lives and works in Lomdon. But i could see similar ones ready to wear as well. A little blouse like this would really appeal to me - what do you think?

Images: Elisabeth Lecourt 

Decorate your table - DIY




November has these long, dark evenings that just spell DINNER! Plus Thanksgiving is coming up for my american friends here. To brighten your table setting and give some artsy, creative flair try making these easy tags i spotted at "Eat, Drink, Chic". She just cut out the shapes from thick, creamy white paper, went over it loosely with a big brush drenched in watercolor, and added the writing with a fine brush. Anyone can do this and  - hey, it's fun!
Have a lovely start to your week my dear ones. I'm kind of reluctant to let go of the weekend and get my motor up and running - wish me luck!

Photos: Eat, Drink, Chic"


Friday art: Hydrangeas in winter




A recent tryptich on canvas  fresh from my studio. It combines winter fog and caribean blue and green with one of my fave flowers: Hydrangeas. To me they are beautiful in every^stage of their life - just like a real good woman - ha ha! 
Have you scheduled  anything nice yet for your weekend? I'm planning on a visit to a real gorgeous spa with my hubby, to just let go and relax - and make the best of a November, that turned out really grey here in Germany.

Paintings: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Fly away with me!






I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things. 
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Love these flying houses by artist Laurent Chehere i saw at  Gallery Paris Beijing. So dreamlike and full of nostalgic, but timeless longing to just get rid of everything heavy, fly away on a magical journey, yet stay cozy in the well known atmosphere your own 4 walls. 
Have a lovely midweek dear ones, hope you enjoy the best of November, getting all cozy and daydream a little with me!

DIY candle light holders




Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. 
Chinese Proverb

Happy start of the week flowers! The theme of light stays with me for a while. The days are getting darker - and little flames have such a nice way to not only light a room, but also warm the heart. Just in time i noticed, in India, people now celebrate the festival of light, called Diwali. This seems such a joyful and happy tradition to me. To read more about it, visit my lovely blogfriend Arti.

On the pictures, you see some candle light holders i created as a DIY  for the winter issue of KidsLife, which is almost ready now. They are fun and easy to make - you need:
Simple glasses
Semi-transparent paper, red paper
pretty ribbon, golden sequins

Cut the transparent paper and your ribbon to fit around the glass and fix the ends with glue. Cut a little heart fron the red paper and glue it in the middle. And as the cats meow, add a golden sequin to the middle of the heart - it makes love shine! Put a candle-light in and enjoy the lovely glow!

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Painterly fashion




"The only real elegance is in the mind; if you’ve got that, the rest really comes from it."
Diana Vreeland

Happy weekend lovelies! A grey ad rainy one here - just the days to indulge in a little extra luxury. Some pix from a beautiful editorial in the fall issue of Lula Magazine, by talented photographer Glynis Selina Arban, styled by Soraya Dayani. In my opinion, it's the styling that makes these photos outstanding. The combination of scrumptious fashion, interesting textures and beautifully painted backgrounds is just so inspiring - and gives me ideas to paint. Have a cozy and extra-swee time, see you soon!


Happy Inspiration for your home






The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there.  
Ellie Rodriguez

... and the atmosphere of cheerfulness and good energy to restore your spirits. In my opinion, colors have such an effect on how you feel at home. That doesn't mean, all the walls have to be painted in vibrant hues though. Just a colorful painting or rug in an all white environment can have such a refreshing effect.
All the pix here are styled with accessories by the danish label RICE, and i adore the daring but harmonious color combinations.

My own home seams rather sad now, without my little friend, whom i see at every corner. So i seek to slowly restore my heart and energy by turning my mind to things, that brighten up my feelings. 

Photos: Rice

Light up your way!





People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.  Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Love these magical landscape light installations by norwegian artist Rune Guneriussen. It so fits into this time of year and tells a fairy tale of it's own. Let your light shine lovelies, have a beautiful day!

Photos/Installation: Rune Guneriussen