"Miss June" { Homemaker calendar magazine feature}

Another wonderful feature and very useful too-now I have a gorgeous new Calendar x 2014 featuring 12 Spoonflower designers!!!

I can't be more thrilled, grateful and honoured to who ever picked me and  my design (among a sea of designs and designers) to be in this wonderful calendar, among some very well known textile designers.
As you may see I am Miss June.
Who knows what this June will bring?
Looking forward to discover it !





Feel so thankful for this great gift!! ;)

SEW UK magazine feature

I was delighted to see my Babushka doll featured in the Sew magazine UK.
All the fabrics used for the doll and other clothes my kids are wearing are from the gorgeous Nordika fabric collection by Jeni Baker for Art Gallery fabrics.

The doll is among Bianka's favourite cuddling toys and it is so easy to make.

You can read all the sewing info on the following magazine's page and you can download the template HERE

I suggest making the embroidered face using the transfer pen and paper, that would give an extra touch ;)

Have a wonderful weekend,
Katarina

Do It Yourself magazine feature

I was so happy when I received the long-awaited copy of the August issue (Fall 2013) of the "Do it yourself magazine", (one of the Better Homes and garden Special Interest publications).



During the month of March I had a pleasure collaborating with one of theirs stylists, working on one of my Doily designs, customizing the colors to fit theirs needs for the magazine shoot. You can see some variations above, and following are the magazine scans.











They were very kind to give me the credits for the design on the resources space. Thanks Pamela and thanks DIY!!!

Soft dolls - recent magazine and blog feature

I am so slow with blogging and adding actual things to my blog. It's just that I have always lack of time and sometimes I even forgot or I think that I've already done something. I hate to see that I'm wrong. And I hate to admit that as well;)

Anyway, about a month (or so) ago, I had such a pleasure to be featured in the Serbian "Roditelj i dete" magazine, where I was featured for the first time about 2 years ago. This time the feature regarded my fabric dolls and toys. Almost about the same time, I was thrilled to be contacted by uber talented Abby Glassenberg - plush pattern designer, craft book author, sewing teacher and blogger behind the blog "While she naps". She wrote a wonderful post about designing softies on Spoonflower and I was so happy that among a few templates she happen to choose to sew among thousands of wonderful cut and sew templates @ Spoonflower, she chose my kawaii ice cream cones and cupcakes play softies food and left a wonderful feedback and suggestions. Especially for that blog post, I created the phases of my creative process and you can see it bellow.











Lately, I also designed the 4 princesses dolls and can't wait to show you the finished, sewn dolls!Another great thing is that localy, here in Belgrade, you can find and purchase my dolls in 2 shops:
WannaBE & TOY shop
Minicity
Worldwide, there is always my etsy shop, dedicated to these little cuties;)

xo, Katarina

Fall magazines features

Since opening another, local shop related BLOG , written in Serbian, I am not blogging very often about clothes and accessories created over here and as many of those clothes ended featured in the local magazines, maybe I can share some of those....so here we go:

"Roditelj i dete" magazine: ("Parent and kid" magazine)





"Best shop" magazine:









And something not quite mine, but created with my cherry fabric. Love them!!!:) You can check other Eva's adorable baby stuff on her blog.





xo,
Katarina

Belle Armoire feature

Finally May/June issue of the Belle Armoire magazine is available and you can find 3 pages featuring my designs. The article is called "Pretty as a princess" and I can't be happier to see 3 full pages with my creations.







In case you can't read the text from the uploaded pages, here it is:

I was born in 1975 in Belgrade, Serbia (Europe) where I live with my husband and 3 children: Marta ( 9 ), Pablo ( 5,5 ) and Bianka ( 3 ) that are true inspiration for my work.
In 1998 I have graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts, at the Department of Graphic Arts and in the 2003 I obtain the Master degree.
I work at the Faculty for graphic design (FILUM) in Kragujevac as the teaching assistent for the figure drawing. Beside really enjoying being mama and teaching students, I'm trying to express myself through many forms of art: collages, drawings, illustrations, calligraphy, graphic design, graphic prints, photography, sewing..... I have always being inspired with many different fields of art, having the desire to try myself in different mediums, working with different materials. I find inspiration everywhere: in different forms and materials, but also in plants, travels, books, illustrations, exhibitions, fabrics, design blogs, catalogues, photographs, vintage patterns, buttons and laces. Lately I am very atracted by the plexiglass and all the possibilities of design in that material. I would also love to try myself in the field of the textile design, and I am working on my own collection for the past 2 years, hopefully will be brave enough to submit those designs soon.
I have always been obssesed with different artistic tools, range going from drawing pencils, inks, crayons and different colours till the different sewing tools and gadgets.
Being "crafty"and creative is something that consorted me since the early childhood.
I was raised in an artistic family: my father is a painter, my mother ceramic-pottery artist, sister is a stage designer and growing in such an environment rich with artistic events and creating daily definitely determinate my life and creations. So, since my father was working even as a graphic designer when I was just a little girl (no computer was used in that period), I often had the opportunities to create some smaller parts for some designs when it was something in correspondence with/for children. I suppose that designing for children was definitely my first task, that raised through years in passion, designation and dedication...since later when attending Artistic Faculty almost all off my Graphic works were for that purpose( I did many illustrations for children books and even designed my font for one of these books that was looking like childish handwriting). Well, sewing for children came much later, after getting my first daughter 9 years ago.....when I found myself in the role of the mother and therefore had very limited time to dedicate to art. So, being mainly in home with a need to create, I have discovered the world of fabric, were the options were almost unlimited and very challenging. I always loved fabrics and funky patterns, giving them the important roles in my graphic compositions and assemblages, but now I really wanted to learn to sew. I have repaired my mother's vinatge sewing machine, bought a serger and some Burda magazines and the first results were very incouraging, pushing me always more, giving me the goal to try more complicated techniques and garment pieces. I have always been more visual sewer, as the sewing explanations were somtimes like another unkown language for me, so with a lot of practice, after a few years, I have achieved good sewing skills .
I was trying always to figure by myself how to do something and I think that experience, beside talent is one of the most important factors in sewing, and in art, generally. Drawing and making my own patterns now is something that I am really proud of. After creating some really unique and fun pieces of clothes for my daughter, I was asked by some friends to sew some things for theirs kids too, so step by step, my label name was born in 2006. -"Like flowers and butterflies". I was firstly making and selling some hair accessories, being attracted by the crafty details and the great attention to detail is something that remain as very important task when creating the entire outfit. My designs range from each day clothes till the couture sets. I have firstly started selling some of my designs on ebay, discovering very friendly children handmade boutique community, learning some new tips and skills, regarding sewing, but also some computer HTML skills and making some very good friends as well.
Occassionally offering custom designs on ebay, I met some very nice people, both buyers and sellers. Some of the designs shown here are the courtesy and property of one of my dearest clients, Mary Stevens from Charleston, SC, made for her adorable daughter Isabella.
I am also selling some of my creations on etsy, where I have 2 shops: flowersnbutterflies and Iwannabe...and blogging about my adventures on www.likeflowersandbutterflies.blogspot.com

Also, I have to thank's a lot to Amanda for offering me such a great opportunity for this feature in theirs magazine and to Mary Stevens for being so patient during past few months and so kind to borrow her's daughters custom for the photographs.

xo, Katarina

My ornaments in Elle DECOR magazine

A few days ago, I got the message from my friend Antea that my plexi ornaments are featured in the current, March 2010. issue of the Elle DECOR magazine. But, they haven't signed the artist...(that is me).....as they took the photos of the home of the stylist Jovana Bozovic(who bought the ornaments from me)........and so my ornaments where shown as part of her home decor pieces. Which is really fine and flattering me, but I happen to find a bit not so nice from who ever is responsible for the editorial and the story, that they haven't write something like: the plexi silhouette ornaments are made by the local designer or anything similar, as this is what was written on the next page, aside of the headband fascinator piece made by the local designer for Jovana, that was pictured as well in her home. The thing is that, as Jovana is also the designer of some home decor items and text at the same page is saying that many of her home living pieces are the pieces handmade by her, I just find this a bit confusing, and I certainly wouldn't like that somebody, (reading the article and not being familiar with my work), may think that I am copying her.....(and I had some similar reactions, which I certainly didn't like and that brought me writing all this)
So, I will be contacting the editor of the magazine and see what they will tell me.



As the Etsy EURO week is over, as well as voting , just wanted to THANK you all who voted for my ornaments , it really made my week:)

xo, Katarina

Country living ornament feature

If you remember THIS post you may have noticed that I have mentioned that I was contacted by the Country Living magazine to send the ornaments samples. I filled the credit sheet with my consent to publish them in theirs magazine etc, but i still was very reserved about if it will happen for real. Well, yesterday, after checking my e-mail and noticing some etsy sales, I also spoted a note from one customer: "I feel very lucky to be able to order your deer ornament since it is displayed so nicely in the December issue of this magazine. I was afraid you would be sold out!"



Oh well, I thought, so it the true and it was really there!!!!Of course, I have alarmed all my US friends to see if someone already has a copy, as was dying to see it printed on the page and (I will get my copy, but in a week or so) than sweet Laurie pointed me that on-line version of it (if you are browsing it, mine is lucky number 7 and finally my friend Sharon sent me the picture of it!!!



It looks a bit pale as it is transparent with white print on the white page, but it looks winterish and elegant, I think.





I have also prepared some new ornaments, in dotted version. What can be sweeter than the polka dots in red/white combo? I have painted the dots with the rubber liquid(the one used in the water coloured illustrations)to protect the white spots and than sprayed the ornaments with Ferrari red acrylic paint. Love it and I noticed that the deer has already sold out!!!!!Will try to make some more:)

I will have a giveaway post soon which will include some ornaments, but I am waiting to receive the new run I ordered from the Mill and it will include the sea horse shape and some smaller Bambi and sea horse shapes in the same doily print in the 1" size:) Can't wait to get them!!!! In the meantime, domestic readers, can buy some of my doily ornaments locally at the Supermarket concept store, Visnjiceva 10, Belgrade.

Hope you are slowly getting ready for the Holidays or at least are enjoying the mood;)))

xo, Katarina

Sensa magazine feature

Thanks to Jana Orsolic , who prepared this great feature for the Sensa magazine I was chosen to be among several featured artists, participants of the "Take away fashion" event/exhibition in Serbia.

The article talks about the Take away fashion events in Serbia, organized by Kulturni front or Ljudmila Stratimirovic, creator of the project. I have participated at this great event a few times, and blogged about that, but this last few times, due to the vacancy of time, I just couldn't afford myself to applicate for this event. Hopefully next time;)


The article is in Serbian, of course, and here it is in Serbian:
1. Tvoje sarene tezgice na Modi za poneti specificne su po tome sto su prepune stvari za male smizle. Divno je da se neko uhvatio tog super zabavnog posla i oplemenio nase trziste unikatnim stvarima za devojcice. Toga ovde gotovo da nema uopste.

Stvaranje unikatnog nakita i aksesoara za devojcice je zaista zabavno i neograniceno polje igranja i kreiranja po pitanju izbora boja, oblika i materijala. U poslednje vreme, sa dolaskom brendova poput "Zare", Accesorize-a" i "Okaidi-a", mislim da je i nase trziste obogaceno takvom vrstom ponude, iako u masovnoj proizvodnji, sto je sigurno ono u cemu se razlikuje nesto sto je unikat-handmade i nesto je je serijski proizvedeno i dostupno u velikim kolicinama.

2. Tvoje kreacije uvek su fino prezentirane, propracene lepim etiketama koje nadopunju i lepo kompletiraju sve te pazljivo osmisljene i izvedene stvarcice. Tako ceo komad bude do kraja cakum-pakum a i drugima pokazes da je paznja poklonjena do najmanje sitnice. Da li te je na pazljivo osmisljavanje prezentacije nateralo strano trziste na kome si cak prisutnija nego ovde?

Hvala na lepim recima;) S obzirom da sam zavrsila graficki dizajn, mislim da mi je ideja o vaznosti prezentacije krajnjeg proizvoda i "total dizajnu" nesto sto sam verovatno naucila skolujuci se, a mogucnost i iskustvo predstavljanja svojih radova na stranom trzistu me je samo naterala da pokusam da jos vise obogatim svoja znanja u plasiranju istih - gde je fotografija skoro presudna (govorim o uslovima virtuelne, internet prezentacije, gde rad na zalost, ne moze da se vidi izbliza )

3. Kako izgleda vasa kuca? Da li ste zatrpani sarenim tkaninama, masnama i jastucicima za igle?

Ja to volim da definisem kao kreativni haos. Sigurno da jesam zatrpana materijalima, ukrasnim trakama, dugmicima i slicnim stvarima od kojih moze da se stvara modni predmet, bilo da je rec o garderobi ili ukrasnom detalju-aksesoaru, to je nesto sto me inspirise i sto mi je neophodno u radu, ali isto tako sam zatrpana crtackim priborom, papirima i knjigama iz oblasti dizajna i umetnosti, jer i to predstavlja nesto bez cega ne mogu da zamislim svakodnevni zivot.




And here is the translation, using Google translator in English:

1. Your colorful booths at the "Take away fashion" are specific in being full of things for the small ones. It is wonderful that someone caught this great job entertaining and enriched our market with such unique things for girls.
Here we almost don't have such things.

Creating unique jewelry and accessories for girls is really fun and unlimited field for playing and creating with waste choice of colors, shapes and materials. Lately, with the arrival of brands such as Zara, Accesorize and Okaidi, I think that our market is enriched with that kind of offer, although in mass production, which is for sure the difference in comparison of something Handmade and unique and something that was a serial produced and available in large quantities.

2. Your creations are always finely presented, accompanied by beautiful labels that recharge all those nice and carefully designed and performed stuff. Therefore, the whole piece is at the end an eye candy, showing the attention to the least little things. Does designing and displaying things for the foreign markets (where your work is more present than at our market)made you think about the whole presentation?

Thanks for the nice words:) As I finished a graphic design, I think that the idea of the importance of presentation of the final product, and "total design" is something I probably learned during my education, while the possibility and experience of presenting my work in a foreign market is just something that forced me to try to accomplish the knowledge in presentation of the product- where the photographs are almost crucial (talking about the conditions of virtual, internet sales, where work unfortunately, can not be seen up close)


3. How does your house look like? Are you buried with colorful fabrics, notions and needles?

I like to define that as the creative chaos. I am surely buried with fabrics, different materials, ribbons, buttons and similar crafty stuff, indispensable for creating and crafting, whether it is the clothing piece or accessories, it is something that inspires me and what I need for work, but I'm also buried with drawing supplies, papers and books about design and art, because it represents something without which I can not imagine daily life.



Have a wonderful week, Katarina