Falling in Love with Wall Stickers

This week I discovered a magical little medium here in Salzburg called, 'Klebefolie'. It's sold at the local hardware store and you can purchase it in a rainbow of different colored solid colors.

I decided on two bold hues {magenta and black} because I had a silhouette cityscape motif in mind.

I found the roll of vinyl to be easy to cut out with a regular pair of children's scissors. Once a shape is complete, simply peel the paper backing off and adhere it to the wall smoothing out any bumps with a credit card.

I am so happy with the result and my hubby David has suggested that I offer some custom sets that people can purchase for decoration, so I'll be working on those in the coming weeks!

xo

Ashley

Salzburg Sweeties - Painting Series

'Blumen Bunny' by Lady Lucas

This week I started a series of paintings for my new art school in Salzburg. I wanted something small and cheery to put on the front wall of the room, so these four little creatures seemed to have fit the bill nicely ;)

First I prepped each canvas with two coats of bright, acrylic paint...

Then I drew lightly on each with a pencil to make the outline of the character.

Next it was time for the Sharpie marker!

After painting each animal, I retraced the black lines in Sharpie again for a bold look.

Each 'sweetie' is a combination of English and German. Blumen Bunny, Keks Cat, Ballon Bird and Pommes Panda.

I've also turned all four characters into art prints, 

which you can purchase now in my Etsy store!

xo Ashley

PS - In case you missed it, here's the next episode of 'Cute Crafts' up on YouTube : 

Turkeys, Roosters & Snowdrops

These two old fellas {or ladies?} were talking turkey and seemed to own the territory.

I'm a huge animal lover, and I'll take any opportunity to visit them, look at them or hold them! Luckily, in a city where I haven't seen more than two or three wild creatures in a span of two months, this lovely nature preserve right outside of Salzburg city was just what I needed last weekend.

Snowdrops in full bloom!

This rooster was really just showing off.

I don't know the name of this farm, but I will try and find out so I can post it here for others. Basically, geese, flamingos, turkeys, hens, roosters, goats and pigs all live together in harmony.

Cats walking freely with birds. Such a great sight!

You're allowed to bring bread and veggies to the animals which is another great part of a day trip here.

Isn't she lovely?

Flamingos in Salzburg?? Yes!

This pond appeared in 'The Sound of Music' and is located steps away from the nature preserve.

Animals are always a joy. These guys made my week!

xo Ashley

Sweet 2015 European Spring Trends

A weekly handout from my fav store, Depot! - Note the use of lots of English words thrown in with German ones.

I attended Creativ Salzburg with my hubby David this past weekend, and really enjoyed looking at all the wonderful Spring trends currently going on in Europe. 

Creative Salzburg - A Gift Industry Trade Show.
Can't wait for the one in the fall!

 So... what's big right now?

Pastels : Pinks, light green, white and light red is hot!

Yellow, Black & White : This combination is in just about every lifestyle shop. Black vases with white dots, yellow hens with black ribbons, etc. etc.

Rabbits : White ceramic rabbits are popular, as well as ones made of wood.

Affordability : I was shocked at the price point for most of the goods on display. Many items were under $10 {retail}. Just when I thought the handmade maker movement was making a big comeback, it seems that mass produced items are bigger than ever.

I loved this stand so much.
Their products are lovely and the colors reflect what's hot now here in Austria.

 What trends have you noticed lately in the US? Or the UK? Comment below!

After all the isles of walking, a snack was definitely needed.
Pretzels are everywhere here, and I'm not complaining! ;)

xo Ashley

Help! The Beatles in Salzburg

Are they afraid of Salzburg? Why do they need 'help'?
After viewing the photos, I realized the title comes from the Beatles movie, 'Help' ;)

I've been studying for the A1 German Test non-stop, and a short trip to the Salzburg Museum helped clear my head today. I've been wanting to see the photo exhibit 'Help! Die Beatles in Salzburg' because the title alone piqued my interest. 

The exhibit, featuring photos by Christian Skrein, is fun, light, and in my option much easier to handle than the emotional exhibit about the World War on the second floor. My favorite snap was of one the Beatles taking a ski lesson. And of course, the pic above of the fab four exiting a plane is iconic as well.

Until next week,

xo Ashley

PS- Do you like the new 'Cupcakes & Owls' blog banner? ;)

My Mistletoe Obsession

From pretty much the first day I got to Salzburg... I immediately noticed all these round green things hanging in every tree. I remember my mom talking about how mistletoe is something of a parasite that grows on trees and I thought, "Could it be?". Well, it is - and I am obsessed. These perfectly round silvery bundles are everywhere here. They are way too high to reach though, so I guess I'll have to settle on buying some at a local market this winter!

In other news, I finally got to craft the day away yesterday and will be releasing a really cute tutorial for JCFamilies this Friday.

This pasta at the local Osteria was actually heart shaped! 

 

Our friend Christine made table settings special by adding stickers to each napkin when we had us for dinner. I kept mine of course ;)

 

I love this catalog cover from the store I stop at called 'Depot'. Aren't these chicks precious?

xo Ashley

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Welcome to Salzburg

Tulips from our friend Felix. What a sweetie!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to report that my first week in Salzburg is officially coming to an end, so I wanted to share a few photos and such about my adventure so far...

Lovely veggie udon noodles with curry. Thank goodness there are some veg options so close to home!

The artsy door of the restaurant ;)

To recap the week, I'd say that Salzburg is a very gentile and old fashioned place that enjoys keeping traditions alive. The attention to detail here is impressive... every nook and cranny seems to have either a gingham heart, mushroom or marzipan animal to celebrate the New Year placed somewhere within it.

My favorite magazine here in Austria - 'Servus'. My mother-in-law has hundreds of copies - I've been slowly looking at one or two a day!

Bussi {little kiss},

xo Ashley

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Adorable Salzburg

While visiting Salzburg this past week, I got to see some pretty adorable finds around the city. I discovered this wonderful artist last year that makes mouse sculptures and sells them along the Salzach River. Luckily, she was present at the summer fair again this summer and I got to buy more precious postcards. You can visit her website at: http://www.belli-maus.de/

Mozart Rubber Duckies!

Adorable art pieces by Belli-Maus.De

One of my favorite postcards from Belli-Maus.De

Sweet frogs and a cat sold at a local art stand.