My trip to Belgium

Where is your inspiration coming from?  Mine is coming from different sources but one of it is my travel impressions. 

 Last month my husband and I visited two cities in Belgium, Antwerpen and Bruges. I liked both cities very much, they are so wonderful. 

 I liked the old buildings, delicious chocolate, Christmas atmosphere and a girl's best friend, diamonds.

 When we were in Antwerpen my husband and I went to see a movie "In Bruges" after our baby went to sleep in a evening. My husband had seen this movie before but wanted me to see it also. This is an action movie but you can see beautiful Belgian cities too. So later it was nice to see a "In Bridges" poster at the hotel, right next to a reception counter. 

 I liked the charm of Bruges with it's channels, a wonderful market place, silent side streets and cathedrals.

I was really happy to spend some time taking pictures with my camera.

This trip made me feel recharged and full of energy. I was happy to come back home and use my new ideas in my creations.

Please stop by my nihamaj shop on Etsy to see my colorful toys and other pretty things!

My best wishes and happy inspiration,

Yana (nihamaj).

Some thoughts on art, exhibitions and inspiration

The art exhibits are very powerful source of inspiration for me. I love to see the wonderful works of art and always trying to see as many art shows as possible.

 According to the Art Basel Miami Beach website, the event is known as the most prestigious art show in the Americas.  Over 250 leading galleries from all over the world take part, showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.  Since the first exhibition held ten years ago, a greater number of art collectors, artists, dealers, curators, critics and art enthusiasts from around the world participate in Art Basel Miami Beach - the favorite winter meeting place for the international art world.

 The exhibiting galleries are among the world's most respected art dealers, offering exceptional pieces by both renowned artists and cutting-edge newcomers.  Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art.  The show is a vital source for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-caliber artworks.  Top-quality exhibitions in the museums of South Florida and special programs for art collectors and curators also help make the event a special time for encountering art.

 This year's 10th anniversary show marked my 3rd Art Basel experience.  As I walk through the exhibition and view each piece, a handful of pieces inspire my future creations.  

 For instance, after this year's show, I have introduced my used coffee grounds into my paintings. 

 This process have not only given me more recyclable or “green” ideas, but simply adding the coffee grounds and coffee beans to my painting has given them a more unique quality to my creations.

Other exhibits provided inspiration for my latest jewelry designs which I am currently preparing.

 For the people considering whether or not to attend the next Art Basel show in Miami Beach, I would HIGHLY recommend it. This is wonderful and I am sure, you will get inspired, too!

  

Story by Vera (Luxurybyvera) and Mike,

Photography by Katya Gubanova

Alice in Wonderland

“Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do. Once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, “and what is the use of a book”, thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?”…”

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

The ever popular “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is the kind of book that does not make you bored. It sure has some conversations to keep you entertained. We know it from childhood yet we still find it fascinating through our adult years.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

The story of Alice brings out the magical world with riddles, logic games and puns, and strange creatures; it stimulates our imagination; it inspires us to blend fantasy with reality.

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

“Take some more tea”, the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet”, Alice replied in an offended tone, “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less”, said the Hatter; “it’s very easy to take more than nothing.”

Photo sources from top, then left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4

Every now and then all of us need to travel down the rabbit hole to break away from bogging routines. Sometimes we need a mad tea party to give us a fresh perspective on things and inspire our imagination. Taking some time with a good book such as “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is a great way to bring more creativity into your life.

Story by Yana (WineCountryLife)

Rain or shine

How is your summer going? Is it rain or shine where you are?

The weather is bringing us surprises lately. While it rains cats and dogs all summer long in some areas of the world we were hit by the 115'F sunny days. I wish we could move to the ocean coast or to a woodland cabin for the summer, but you know how it goes. There is always a reasons.

Suddenly I saw a positive side of weather imperfection. It makes me dream of Christmas or a beach vacation or yellow leaves, depending on my mood. Then this gives me new ideas to start creating things!

I know many of us feel the same way. This is some of the ways we get creative pushes.

Here is weather collection from Russian Artists Etsy Team:

Photos from left to right, from top to bottom:

1. yuliaart 2. marsvetlana 3. beautyspot 4. allmadewithlove

5.yury4465 6. VitalTemptation 7. HoneyCase2 8. CallOfEarth

9. JaneBoFelt 10. Beautyland 11. YuliyaArt 12. AroundBeads

13. Lasunka 14. FleetingStillness 15. Justlena 16. socksandmittens

Story by Tanya Socksandmittens

How to get inspiration. Inspired Russian Hearts interview

Sitting in the armchair with my legs in cozy stripped socks I was drinking mint tea with honey.


It was the time I came to conclusion that there is nothing more sweet that being inspired. Just the word “Inspiration” awakened in my head the image of my cheerful baby boy who tries to show his independency to do all things by yourself, my lovely husband doing the same way, adorable Café del Mar music, watching cherry trees bloom – that’s just a beginning….

Rambling through Etsy I came across hundreds of unique amazing and adorable items. What inspired the artists to create them? Let’s make a little research.

NeroliHandmade: “ My inspiration mostly comes from nature and everyday objects. It can be a flower, an unusual leaf, or an intricate shadow on the wall.”


IrinaPhotography: “ My inspiration is our Mother Earth. There are so many breathtaking places around!”


PeonyForest says that her items are inspired by nature: the limitless beauty of the color nuances present in nature and the simplicity of the physical principles which rule the natural world.


“Walking in the park I see the flower and imagine the scarf or another garment of that color and begin to mix colors and paint the yarn for crocheting. Often I make it by myself.” – shares with us lanadearg – “ When the weather is bad and sky is grey it’s interesting to watch the shadows of grey on the sky and I try to reproduce that colors in the color of thread. Everything around is very interesting. Even the wet asphalt inspires!”


Yes, the main inspiration power is Mother Nature with its beauty and variety.
Sometimes you need to change your place, to feel new surrounding to catch new stunning ideas. NinasBeadFun likes to travel and with each new destination I find more inspiration. I get inspired by beautiful places, historical architecture, new people.
I like to observe everything around me, everything to the little detail, colour hue, finish, and texture.


HansHolzkopf tells me that she is inspired by the colors of nature, by the flowers in my garden, by children, simply by people, by travel in the other countries.


Alvant gets inspired by stunning natural surroundings of New England, by the colors of the nature and its natural lines, but her main source of inspiration is purely spiritual... “It is hard to explain how it works at the end, but I weave the feeling of LOVE, SUCCESS and CREATIVITY into every knot that I make... Those items become stylish living amulets and healing objects... How impressive traveling can be!”


The beginning of summer is right time to look around with open eyes and notice breathtaking colors to realize them in your own creations. Next time I will tell you about other ways to burn your creativity.

During my little research I’ve got about 70 kind and inspiring answers! My warm thank to everyone who wrote me back and share their concealed thoughts with me.
Stay inspired!

Sincerely yours,
Lily (heartygift.etsy.com)

…to be continued…