pendolino

let's start this going back thing with a throwback. i've been traveling around a bit lately, well, during those months i've been away from here. i started making a travel sketchbook cause i'm a hoarder of every.little.thing i can find, tickets, labels, stamps, drawings, photographs. while traveling i always have an instant camera on me so it all looks even cooler. also, i really like the feel of real photos (printed from my phone and dslr) so i'm good friends with the nearby photo parlour. oh, and sometimes i do little illustrations of particularly picturesque moments.

all of this comes back home with me and, using a bit of washi tape, i transform it into pages and pages of memories.

this chapter is about my trip to warsaw in the beginning of may. there was an exhibition of one of my favourite polish female painters, olga boznanska, so i couldn't resist a little escape from wroclaw. as you know, it's not my first time there but i still had a lot of new places to see.

warsaw by night

one of the most famous places in the capital is łazienki. it is a park with a royal past so you can see a lot of small buildings used by kings and their court. the whole place has an airy feel, especially when it gets darker you can almost feel the fairytale. there is a royal theatre on water, fountains here and there and lots of hidden paths.

łazienki

one of the most surprising things about this park is its unusual fauna. if you're lucky you can see a few peacocks walking about. i was. so i drew one, majestically sitting on a sculpture. by the way, i never suspected those damn birds make such demonic noises! no wonder no king wants to live there anymore!

another place which is well worth the little walk from the city center is the gallery zachęta. they specialise in temporary exhibitions so check their website first but it's all very interesting, i promise. we went there to see cannibalism in art. in the past i've dealt with the topic of plagiarism in arts quite a lot so it was very interesting to see what the actual artists think. the problem is that there is a fine line between inspiration and copying, very fine line sometimes.

so this is my little report from one of my trips. i feel like most of them could be summarised just by the photos but i'll try my best to provide something for your brain too. although, don't get your hopes up, you know me too well for that.

i hope you enjoyed this tiny post, i'm trying to get back into the swing of things so excuse me.

next up, cracow pt. 1.

love,

qofr

dziendoberek

hłueh, dzieńdoberek

long time no see, eh? i'm very sorry, i really have to get back on track with a lot of stuff.

news first.

i got 98% on my cae exam! how cool is that?
it's an advanced english certificate, big deal for me.

other stuff include quite a lot of trips with photos so maybe expect that in some tbt posts.

wedding is coming, if i get permission, i'll post some photos here to, it's quite a big deal, organising it and all. i even got somebody to go with me!

sockabrate has been on hiatus since i last posted, i don't even wanna count the weeks i need to do, i feel like long time projects are not for me, really.

i was also thinking of writing polish translations for some posts, what do you think? i'm really proud of some of them but i shouldn't trust google translate to organise the text so that it makes at least a bit of sense. it may take a bit of time to translate all of them but there would always be the label if you need it.

i was also thinking of doing more illustration since i'm trying to draw a little more and still nature is boring after a while.

i don't know.

how are you??

love and see you soon,

qofr

on inspiration

hi,

so you know that feeling when you have that moment to clear inspiration, luck and you just know you can do it. solve this equation, write that short story, draw that perfect picture. for me, that's one of the best feelings in the world. i feel so powerful and later so accomplished and happy. because i'm a big procrastinator and have some issues, it feels even better to have done something and actually be satisfied with it.

that's how i felt about the sockabrate series. even though i was late for most of the posts, let's be honest, and i didn't like some of the designs, i really felt like i was creating something new. i know that there are countless designs of the market, in fact i own loads, but i've never seen my ideas, obvs.

unfortunately, that wonderful feeling of creating didn't last the test of research. by accident really. my cousin/sister is getting married this august and her fiance needs socks. the wedding is going to be forest/rustic themed so the socks are going to match, little trees or forest animals. so i looked for those online. ehhh... and there i was on websites that have basically every possible thing on socks. including designs that were almost identical to mine.

self-esteem minus 9000.

that's why i wasn't posting a while back. it really ruined my inspiration. i still don't feel too good, thinking about it. i'll still try to think of something original and probably not do any research cause that just brings me down but it takes time.

do any of you struggle with that? it's probably easier if you're painting a nature mort or sketching, cause you're trying to be realistic but when creating something new...

do you have any tips or tricks to stay creative and sure when you have to inspiration?

i don't know, really.

hope you enjoyed nonetheless.

love,

qofr

p.s. real sockabrate is coming, i have some designs.

browar

hi,

long time no see, totally my fault. i'm sorry.

but all that guilt aside, i have more, material, to add.

today, 11th of april, the wroclaw fashion meeting pop up store started.

it's an independent fashion fair organised in browar mieszczanski in wroclaw. all brands are polish, some even local in wroclaw. the stalls are small but very well equipped. the whole place is shared by children's, women's and men's fashion. 

browar mieszczanski is quite interesting by itself, actually. it's an old beer brewery for local producers. now it's no longer in use like that, it became a social place, there is an all year round gallery, a few restaurants and a small theatre. but additionally it organises big events such as the fashion meeting or food fests, really worth checking out, it was totally new to me and i'm in love.

here are some shots of the place, sorry for the quality, i forgot my dslr (#professionalblogger)...

even though i've been to such a place before, this time i actually found something. let me show you:

 this is a beautiful bag, silky smooth.

it's from a co mi tam.

the fabric on the inside seems quite durable

and easy to wash, and the metallic

handles completely make this for me!

 these are fingerless made from felt.

the felt is made from merino sheep wool

so they are really soft.

the colour is beautiful

and the lady selling them is so creative!

when you go to her website,

art-filc.pl,

there is a gallery, check it out.

 these are soooo nice!

brylove has very nice glasses, 

mostly sunglasses but normal ones too.

 i've been looking for big, round glasses for so long,

most of them would be too small for my face 

or the frame was wonky.

but these are perfect, and the red-pinkish tone of the lens

just adds that much to the world!

 as you all obviously know, i love socks.

every time i pass a place that sells them,

i have to take a look and search for new

additions to my crazy collection 

(btw, for my namesday i got 9 pairs).

i discovered many mornings,

i was instantly hooked but i just never came across them

in real life, but they were here.

so i naturally got some.

 now, this is probably my favourite thing,

a cat bag! and the ears are 3d!

dekumdekum specialises in those things,

they even have their own lining fabric.

and the price is very affordable,

if i say so myself.

as if this wasn't the longest post here in a while, i have one more thing.

i'm looking for another pair of correction glasses, and i want them a bit crazy.

there was this stall, bodyych

 and i freaking found rita skeeter glasses!

my question, should i get them?

you could comment on my instagram.

the fair is open tomorrow as well, from 11am to 6pm, get the 31, 32 or 8 tram.

hope you enjoyed that,

love,

qofr

p.s. i know it may sound like i was paid to say all this or something but i really, (unfortunately, heh) wasn't. i would tell you.

week 21

hi

another tbt of sockabrate.

imagine socks, or anything really,

made of self-healing

bubble wrap.

appreciate the bubble wrap.

 baking themes continue.

chocolate cake with chocolate

frosting

=

deliciousness

 i love those, as in socks.

pancakes are way to much effort for breakfast

for me, i''m super lazy.

 based on rubik's cube colours.

because... you get it?

it's a puzzle...?

i'll show myself out.

breakfast week apparently here.

croissants are great, buttery pastries that are made

of wonders. basic french thing,

coffee and a croissant.

noms.

 i was going for a backward sock,

as in you put it on backwards.

i feel like it looks really original,

just the making part would be probably

quite difficult.

when i did my paradise dress

i researched quite a lot

into scales so i thought

it was only acceptable i did a sock

like that too.

imagine it being slightly iridescent.

hope you liked this post,

i'm feeling so good with all those new ones i've made,

i'm really glad you are all here

love,

qofr

week 26

hi again.

next portion cause i'm on a roll.

 unfortunately i don't have a dog.

but i know some and they all love treats. 

i have a recipe for scooby snacks

if you want it, i can make a baking thing,

i bake sometimes.

salsa chips. 

comes in guacamole green too.

clam chowdah, nothing without clams!

i don't know,

i've never tried it.

but i do like the shell print.

for hot feet.

not my problem, ever.

ice as feet always great.

eeee... i don't really like those.

couldn't figure out how to draw the seeds better,

but i like the idea of bigger strawberries.

i do already have a pair with berries

but they are really small.

 i was gonna do a design for another celebration

but i turns out that there is no other

sword-related holiday and i am

quite fond of such weapon

so here is this one.

and i wanted to do something

with silver and violet.

a sweet little piggy with 3d ears.

sorry you're a little muddy but my pen did a thing.

hope you enjoyed this,

and see you thursday!

love,

qofr

week 20

hi,

long time no see, eh?

what am i, canadian now?

anyway, here is, in true queenofrainbow fashion, a late tbt post. i'm late with a throw back, dear god...

 silver... eee, what are these called?

tabs? yes, tabs. 

i think ''bigger then usual''

size looks so

much more interesting with these.

 are you aware of penguins?

i hope so because they are the best.

just don't watch 

''march of the penguins''

with non-waterproof

mascara.

 i hate this one.

i hate it.

nothing more to say about that.

 ''fire can't kill a dragon'',

 but hot sauce sure can, daenerys.

 want a piece of apple cinnamon 

pie?

too bad i can't send you some.

have a sock instead,

just... don't eat it,

please.

peanut butter love.

i am really, truly,

sorry for those of you

who are allergic...

it's really good.

such a cool holiday, right?

this one is made to look like it's

inside out.

you know, the furry argyle bits,

the reversed colours.

i think this is my favourite one this week.

and it'll keep monsters away,

just like the chronicles of spiderwick said.

hope you enjoyed,

actual this weeks post coming up in a few hours

cause i'm in the zone.

love,

qofr