Textile Factories, Rhinestones and the Dalai Lama...

Good Evening from Mariborrrr!!!!!
So it's been quite an action packed week.... although mainly this involves parking up in the studio surrounded by sequins, jewels and glitter which is always great!!! I've also been trying to master how to say 'kvačkanje' which is the Slovene word for crochet which, I have been doing a lot of this week.... queue the magical shades of orange and blue wool that I've been working with....


Alongside the sewing I've also been starting the preparations for a couple of collaborations that I have coming up here which I'm soooo looking forward to!!! I'm soon to be shooting with a Maribor based photographer- and yessss, she rocks up to meetings in AMAZING ball gowns so this is set to be a super exciting project!!! 
Today has been especially awesome..... it began this morning after I ate some lovely strawberries...next thing, the Dalai Lama is driving down the street past the gallery, police escort and all....so I do hope that he LOVED our magical bunting that is festooning the building?!?!!?! Random start to the day!!!! 
This afternoon I made an encore back at the textile factory to pick up some delights in their  fabric store....I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! They're one of the few factories in the industrial area of Maribor that are still producing and everything they sell is manufactured here in the city so I'm really excited to be using materials that I've sourced locally....picked up some real gems today....AMAZING colours and awesome prints!!! 
Next up we were on a mannequin hunt and went to visit a jewellery designer who makes wonderful, magical creations and who had whipped up a lovely chocolate and banana cake! With colourful sprinkles and allsorts!!!!
The rainy day was rounded off with a quick visit to an illustration exhibition that was opening down the road..... and finally I can watch some Jersey Shore and finish off a bit of bejewelling before bedtime!!!!!!
In other news we had an incident involving a fire alarm courtesy of some burnt toast and I successfully managed to navigate the complicated foreign washing machine.... 

Love and Sparkles,
Emma
xxxxxxx

Yessss, of course I'm loving the Slovene TV when it involves outfits like this!

Presentations, Theatre Trips and BIG CAKE!!!!

Hello from Maribor!!!!
So, it's been a busy past few days....Earlier in the week we hosted an artist presentation in the gallery which was a great chance to share our 

work with the local community and fellow creatives in the city. I showed some slides and film from previous projects and discussed my upcoming work here in Maribor....there was also a chance to go to the opening of French culture week here in the city which was mucho fun!!!!
On Wednesday night I went to the see the world premiere of Jan Fabre's performance with Antony Rizzi called 'Drugs Kept me Alive', at the theatre which was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G ....Loved it!!!! It's a really beautiful theatre so was great to get the chance to go...lots of sparkles and awesome chandeliers!!!! 
Also in the mix have been too many trips to the second hand store....simply because they have wayyyy too much good stuff!!! I expect I will have a major problemo with excess baggage when I leave here!!!
I've mainly been locked up in the studio working on my new pieces so, now there is a nice carpet of glitter beneath my desk!!!!

 Last night I ended up going on an impromptu road trip to the nearby town of Celije to check out a new photography exhibition at Galerija Plevnik Kronkowska which was fun....and in other news I ate the best ice cream of my life....DELUXXXE cherry and chocolate flavour!!!!
The cake situation is getting out of hand.... there are just too many swirly creations to sample!!!I'm going with the excuse that it's for 'research'!!!! Other goings on include punnets of mutant strawberries, suspected ghosts, homemade cake deliveries, obsessions with the vegan fast food kiosk, climbing church towers and a vending machine that specialises in only milk!!!!
So yeah, it's been pretty action packed.... It's a really awesome city and I LOVE IT so, I'm hoping for plenty more gossip and extravangazas...but for now it's bedtime!!!!
Love and Curly Cakessss,
Emma
xxxx