Estava no estúdio em arrumações (sim eu passo a vida a arrumar e a desarrumar o estúdio, é uma loucura!). quando me dei conta que ainda tínhamos 5 agendas em português de 2015. E como anuncei no Facebook vamos fazer uma redução de preço.
\\
I was in the studio making some arrangements and organizing things (yes I'm doing that all the time, it's crazy!) when I noticed that we still had 5 weekly planners in portuguese for 2015. So I decided to announce on facebook that they would be price reduced from today on.

You can see that this week the theme around here is the Oscars. It doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about other things... This week have been an hectic one. I've been finishing a part of project started long time ago. It's nice to see something things come to an end and starting new stages.

As for my professional life I'm also about to start on another stage of my professional life. Emotionally the last days have been hectic. A lot of things might change in the near future. I can't lie that I'm scared, but the change is necessary. I'm on the verge of becoming a 26 year old, and though I have a face of a teenage girl, those years are long gone. I can't help myself to feel that I was more mature, focused and goal oriented 10 years ago than now. But it was easier to be that way on that time. I had a purpose- study, have good grades to go to the university. And I already knew which one I wanted to go and what I wanted to study. I had a plan and I was working on it. In the middle of university the question of what's next was imposing and I found I didn't have a clear answer. I didn't have a security net any-more. I took me some years to realise it was ok this situation, that I still had to work to build, find and pursue my dreams. That it was ok to be insecure, and that was also ok to change the dreams that I had. It wasn't a failure found out that you didn't accomplish your previous dream, just because your dreams have changed.
Is this to be grown up? It's nothing like the movies, but when in need for an escape for this reality movies and books are good way to do it.

I come to accept that I like the life I have, I also like the path I'm currently taking. I think it's the right one for me. More important, I feel that it's the right one for me. It's not like the movies, for sure, but I don't mind at all. It's mine and I'm happy with it!

This hasn't happen for awhile, I was going to talk about the Oscars and ended in a retrospective of my past and current life. You can see what I have to say about the Oscars this year in the Nuts for Paper blog. It's all for now, see you next week!
\\
Esta semana parece que só falo sobre os Óscares. Mas na verdade é apenas um pequeno escape, porque tenho passado bastante tempo a pensar noutras coisas. Esta semana foi bastante agitada. Estive a terminar uma etapa de um projecto que se prolonga já há algum tempo. É bom fechar certos capítulos e começar novos.

A nível profissional estou prestes a começar um novo capítulo. Muitas mudanças podem-se registar brevemente. Não posso esconder que estou um pouco assustada, mas a mudança é mais do que necessária. Estou prestes a fazer 26 anos, e apesar de ter cara de menina, esses anos há muito que desapareceram. Não deixo de sentir que há 10 anos atrás era mais madura, focada e orientada para cumprir objectivos. Mas também era mais fácil de o ser na altura, visto que tinha um objectivo e planos para seguir. Queria ir a universidade X, tirar design. Era só uma questão de trabalhar nesse sentido. A meio de universidade as dúvidas sobre o que fazer a seguir começaram a atormentar-me a cabeça. E descobri que não tinha uma resposta certa. Já não tinha a minha de rede de segurança. Demorei alguns anos a perceber que era uma situação normal, e que tinha que continuar a trabalhar para encontrar e construir os meus sonhos. Que não faz mal sentirmos inseguranças, e que também não faz mal mudarmos os nossos sonhos. Se nós crescesmos, é perfeitamente normal que os nossos sonhos crescem e mudem como nós.
É isto que é ser adulto? Não é nada como nos filmes, no entanto os filmes e os livros são excelentes para quando se quer escapar à realidade.

Sabem o que descobri recentemente? Que aceito a vida que tenho, e que até gosto bastante dela. Gosto deste caminho que escolhi. Acho que é o caminho certo para mim. Sinto que é o caminho certo. Não é como os filmes, de certeza, mas isso não me interessa. É o meu caminho e estou satisfeita com ele!!

Algo assim não me acontecia à algum tempo, eu ia falar dos Óscares e acabei por fazer uma pequena retrospensão sobre a minha vida. Se quiserem ler sobre o que escrevi sobre os Óscares podem sempre espreitar no blog da Nuts for Paper. Por agora é tudo, até para a semana!

As coisas por aqui têm estado em hiato. Têm havido alguns contratempos, trabalho, muito trabalho e claro o Carnaval esteve aí. E apesar de este ano não estar particularmente carnavalesca (mesmo sendo torriense, shame on me, eu sei), tirei algum tempo para restaurar as baterias e refrescar as ideias.
A Primavera está quase a chegar e com ela chega um tempo para pensar e re-pensar certas coisas. Terão notícias brevemente. Peço desculpa por não poder desvendar muito mais, mas por agora terá mesmo de ser assim.
\\
That's how things have been here... on hiatus. There have been some ups and downs, work, a lot of work but also Carnival was here. And though this year I didn't participate almost at all, I took some time to restore batteries and refresh my head.
Spring is almost here and it's time to think and re-think certain things. Probably there will be news soon. I'm sorry for been so secretive but that's how it has to be for a while.

You are probably thinking something like put we're still in the winter, and next is spring, why are you already making things about fall/autumn?

Well because I was challenge to. Recently I created another cover for Nuts for Paper planner with autumn theme. I've also been thinking that I would be fun to create more botanical patterns. I've always been a fan of some flower patterns, and I'm thinking it might be fun to create a few of my own making.


This time it's a fall and leaves themed pattern. But next time? Who knows? It might something more spring time. We will see. See you next time!

No fim de semana passado estivemos em mais uma Feira das Almas, onde aproveitámos para lançar um dos nossos novos produtos! Como fã e grande colecionadora de pins não podia andar mais contente. Estávamos tão entretidas a criá-los que quando demos por isso já tínhamos à volta de 50 pins diferentes!!!
\\
Last weekend we are at another flea market we're we launch a few new products! I'm a big fan and also collector of pins so I'm really happy that we have them available now! Can you image that we we're so excited in creating them that when we started to count them we had around 50 different pins already?!

Usually for these type  of sketches I'll find inspiration online, through the blogs and websites I scroll.
One thing I've really missded was to draw people in street style.


Of course my new babbies, aka my new Copic markers also we're a plus on going back drawing. Between those, poscas and watercolours I can actually make some really nice things.


For Nuts for Paper we had a custom order for a plannwe autumnal elements. After I had the line art for the digital versions I had this urge of painting them.


Recently I've also found out that drawing trees and trunks is quite relaxing. Now I laugh at my old self for so many years avoid drawing trees. "- You see now, it's not that hard! You just have to keep drawing them."

I was trying to get in to this year's Carnival theme in my hometown. I'm happy with the result of pattern, but still not in the mood for Carnival. Oh well, maybe next year.

What do you think about these patterns?

*Did you notice I've been using a lot a pink lately? And it's not even my favourite colour at all!

Mas Mafalda vocês ainda estão a fazer agendas? Estamos pois! E ainda temos mais algumas para acabar e enviar durante a semana que vem.
Adorámos desafios... e eu especialmente gosto de ser desafiada a desenhar coisas diferentes. Apesar de fazer retratos sempre ter sido algo que me deixa de pé atrás, pois sei que nunca vou conseguir  reproduzir a 100% o que me é pedido para ilustrar. No entanto com alguma experiência tenho vindo a descobrir que até o consigo fazer dentro do meu próprio estilo.
\\
But Mafalda you're still making planners? Yes we are! And we still have a few to finish and send during the next week.
We love challenges... me specially always like a an excuse to draw new and different things. Although I've always been a little  sort of scared of making portraits, because I know I can't make 100% accurate with reality. However with trial and error, and some experience I've been discovering that I actually can make portraits but in my own style.

It's not a secret that I like (and like here mean love) food. So I was very excited when the oportunity to create this pattern came.

The original artwork was for a pattern from a planner for a Nuts for Paper custom order, You will be able to see it this week's Thursday Bits. The cover is illustration portrait of too cute rats.
In conversation with the future owner of that planner we decide for the back cover would be fun to have a pattern. There is this common knowledge of the relationship between rats and cheese, so the cheese would have to be there, but if you ever had a rat you know that most of the time you feed it with raw green leaves vegetables (like spinach) and grains. We decide to go with cheese and spinach.

Can you guess why I was thrilled with this? Because I also love cheese and spinach, it's one of those things I wouldn't mind eat all days for the rest of my life.

And this is the 4th pattern in the 52 Week Challenge Pattern Design that I'm doing this year.




Other Patterns in the Challenge can be checked in the INDEX

Esta semana estou de volta com pontualidade britânica! Cheia de novidades de mim para vocês bem fresquinhas, yay! Espero que estejam entusiasmados porque temos coisinhas adoráveis!
As agendas com capas customizadas continuam na ordem do dia, o que nos fazem andar loucas com os prazos que temos de cumprir, mas é tão bom ver o fantástico resultado final das mesmas!
Na imagem em baixo, deixo-vos um vislumbre de duas delas, para vos abrir o apetite, com os animais de estimação requisitados - um cão e dois ratinhos. Na quinta-feira a Mafalda mostrar-vos-á tudo ao pormenor. Elas seguiram viagem ontem para os destinos Estados Unidos e Nova Zelândia. Mal posso esperar por saber o que as respetivas donas acham!