Progress and Possiibilities

Lots of new things have been happening around here! New developments and new ideas and of course new inspirations.  I recently had the pleasure of working with some great artists and models to put together my first semi-professional photo shoot.  And I say semi because essentially we are all still learning the process but it went amazingly well for out first try.  You can see the best shots on my facebook fan page or on my websites collection page.

I learned so much from the experience, mostly, that I still have a lot to learn! Fashion photography is hard, but the girls did really well.  We all worked great together and it was really nice getting to know new people. I'm happy that the idea came together in the end. This photo shoot was the result of one of my previous post and a little ad I put up on craigslist. Hopefully this is just the first of many more to come.  So if your in Florence and your interested in joining us contact me and I will add you to our email list of events.

Next new development is a small one but one I am very excited about! Of course I dream of having my own gallery/shop one day, but until then my little hallway will have to do! My handyman hubby helped me out by painting the walls, hanging my drawings and paintings and a couple of shelves for me to display my work! YAY!  So I now a mini showroom where I can actually invite people to see my work.

It still needs work and its not much space but it will do for now, that is until I'm famous that is!

I'm now off for a glass of Chianti with my favorite girls at a great little cafe` that I hope to be adding to my Hip Hangout page!

A presto!

Tutto il mondo e Paese

One of the things that has always fascinated me about Italy are the people.  But I don't mean just the Italians themselves, but rather everyone else that comes as a visitor or i stranieri as the Italians  call us. Some come for just a few days, weeks or months, others indefinitely or even permanently. One thing is for sure, the city of Florence attracts the entire world for various reasons.  Art, food, fashion, refuge, whatever the reasons, there isn't a culture that on the planet that can't be found or a language that isn't spoken, not only in Florence, but throughout Italy. However, with so much to offer here in Florence, from history to the contemporary,  it's no wonder that it attracts thousands of students from all over the world every year.

Adriana Kaneva hails from Sofia Bulgaria and has come to study graphic design here in Florence. But as it turns out she has many other tricks up her sleeve. I met Adriana when I put up an ad on Craiglist looking for artists, designers and photographers who were interested in organizing an artist group, photo shoot and portfolio exchange.  Adriana was one of the first to respond After meeting with her and talking with her I found out that she has a passion for make-up art as well as graphic design. Wanting to get a bit of practice and experience she agreed to do the make-up for our photo shoot.  And what an awesome job she did! She was able to create three different looks to give the shoot the diversity it needed.  Here are a  few photos of Adriana at work.

Here Adriana is creating an everyday look on our Urban Chic model Alex

And a soft romantic look on Maddie

Sam has the bright bold colors as our Funky Hipster model

 And here you can see a couple of photos of our girls during the shoot, the make-up is an absolute complement to the entire look.

At first Adriana may seem a bit quiet and reserved but don't be fooled she is full of energy and always ready for a new adventure. She is ambitious, smart and creative. And as it turns out she has many other talents aside from the obvious, she has studied everything from architecture to industrial design before deciding on graphic design.  She speaks five languages including, French, German, English, Italian and of course Bulgarian.  I am very lucky to have met her and look forward to working with her again in the future!

When I asked Adriana to tell me little about her background this is what she had to say:

            So I was born and grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria. I went to a french language school which is basically a high school where most of the subjects are taught in French and it had nothing to do with art. While still in school I got keen on vehicle design and used to draw cars a lot in my free time but I always thought it would remain a hobby for me and that I had no future in the sphere of design. After I graduated I decided to move to Germany and study architecture there ( I was never interested in architecture in any way but thought it was a reasonable and mature decision for the future). I spent half a year there studying German and after I got my degree in the language. I sent my application to the university and got accepted. By that time I got more and more drawn to industrial design and I decided not to waste my time with studying something I didn't care about. So I went back home, applied to the technical university in Sofia with Industrial design but didn't get accepted. I wanted to stay home and keep trying until I got in the uni but my parents encouraged me to try and go somewhere else in Europe, so I came to Italy. Studied one year of industrial design here and then decided to switch to graphic design since I felt that I could express my ideas better through graphic and also it gives me better opportunities for future realization in Bulgaria. I can't really remember how I got into makeup, I think it was after I got my first eye shadow palette that I started looking at tutorials and makeup books on the internet and discovered that makeup was much more than just making yourself look better. It's just a hobby for now, but who knows :)

 If you are in Florence and have any parties or events coming up, keep Adriana in mind for  some beautiful make-up whatever your style may be! You can contact me here and I will send along her contact details.

It is definitely inspiring to be surrounded by such talented and ambitious people!

La Dolce Vita-Una Passigiata

I've been cooped up inside for 14 days now.  What I thought was a simple cold was actually much more. So after  a couple of days on antibiotics I was seriously going stir crazy and decided it was time to get out and get some fresh air.  I took a walk that I haven't done in while, up into Piazzale Michealgelo, but instead of taking the known,  common route I decided on the road less traveled and wound my way through the side streets and less known paths and through the hills of the Tuscan countryside. I brought my camera along, it was sunset and the light was amazing. Here are a few shots of the evening in no particular order. I feel so much better now! It is this kind of beauty that truly enriches and inspires my life.

I think this is my favorite of all the photos I took. So sweetly waiting to go inside.

Foot path

The colors were amazing!

And this is my second favorite shot

Bella Firenze!

Very steep hill I walked down, then decided to turn around and walk back up. Talk about killer workout!

Path up to Piazzale Michelangelo from Porta San Niccolo'

Just a few reminders as to why I love this place so much. Florence truly is one of the most beautiful cities on Earth. 

Want o hear more about La Dolce Vita?  Click on the button below and visit my friend over at Ciao Christy!

La Dolce Vita- Mangia Mangia!!

In collaboration with my new blogging buddy over at Ciao Christy I will now be participating in her Dolce Vita series every Monday on my blog. It's really a wonderful idea that will help me to stop and think about all of the things I am thankful and grateful for. The idea is that each Monday a group of bloggers will write a post about something that enriches our lives by living in Italy or something that enriches our lives in general.  It is easy to get caught up in the daily stresses and rushes of life and that means we tend to take certain things for granted, its a great way to start the week on a positive note and remember how fortunate we truly are.  So thanks Christy for coming up with such a great idea and for inviting me to participate!

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What enriches my life here in Italy? So many things. I could tell you about my husband and how he keeps me grounded and helps me to see important things in life from a different point of view, or I could tell you about my amazing girlfriends who love and support me and who know every detail about me. But it is difficult to express in words how important these people are to me and how fulfilling my life has become because of them. Maybe it makes more sense to tell you about how happy I am in my life and how lucky I am to be doing what I love and how doing what you love makes all the hard work worth it. But I’m pretty sure you’ve heard that all before. So instead I have decided to talk about food and how my diet has enriched my life. Italian food mixed with a little physical activity is a recipe for a happy, fulfilling and healthy life. After all, you are what you eat!

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We all know how amazing Lasagna is and that pizza is one of  the greatest ideas that Dio has ever given mankind (i Napolitani specifically) but as I have learned over the 10 plus years that I have lived in Italy, those are just a couple of the amazing foods to come from this tiny country. But I don’t necessarily mean typical Italian dishes, when I say food I mean the whole idea, the whole process of creating a meal and the importance of sharing it with those that you love. Very rarely do Italians grab a bite to eat, instead they sit and truly enjoy a meal. 

Just outside my front door is a farmers market with all the fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, meats and cheeses you could ever imagine. We don’t own a microwave and my husband refuses to eat left-overs. The expiration date on the milk is only about 3 days long and our refrigerator is less than 5 feet high.  For Italians food is a religion, they choose what they are going to eat with precision and care, food is fresh, everyday. Everyone sits down together at a table, for every meal of every day. Recipes are centuries old. Everything, and I mean everything is made from scratch. No preservatives, no processed foods, no take-out.

My health is better, I am more optimistic and stronger. I eat A LOT but yet somehow I am healthier, thinner and happier. So in the words of my Nonna and every Italian Nonna out there, MANGIA MANGIA!!

 

Four Children Kidnapped in Florence

In today's post I am addressing a very serious issue that involves a close personal friend of mine who chooses to remain anonymous for the sake of the children involved. She and her brother are both American expats living in Florence.  I hope that you will read the entire post and offer your comments below as the more comments that are written on this blog the easier it will be to find in searches and that means more awareness of the issue and more of a chance of bringing these 4 children home safely.

Unfortunately we hear about missing children every day.  We see their photos on the news and posted all over the internet. We recognize this as an awful crime against children and can sympathize with the parents involved, but then all of a sudden, it hits strikingly close to home.

Over the past three years my friend has told me stories about her brother's ex-wife Marianne Grin and the crazy things that she has done during their divorce proceeding to him, to herself, but most importantly to her own children.  Stories that you couldn't even make up because they are so outrageous. And then all of a sudden the absolute worst story of them all. The children are gone. All four of them. They have been kidnapped and taken to Russia by their own mother and will not allow their father to have any contact with them or even let him know that they are okay. As an aunt to 16 nieces and nephews myself, I cannot imagine the agony that my friend must be feeling right now or how her brother is coping with this situation.

Over the past 3 years there has been an ongoing custody battle for these four children.  The Italian courts observed, tested and documented their mother, and concluded that she was unfit to parent and therefore, granted full custody the their father.  In fact the Italian authorities were investigating her for child abuse when she fled and it is believed that she may be sedating the eldest of the four, who is 14 years old, evidence of the drug was found in her home after she left.  Needless to say these children are not safe with their own mother. And if she is capable of kidnapping and sedation, who knows what else she may be capable of?

She has taken these children from any kind of stability that may have had here in Florence.  Away from their schools, their friends, their aunts and uncles and most importantly their father who has done everything he can to protect them.  She fled to Russia where she has citizenship but no family. She did most of her growing up in the US, attended American university and graduate school. These kids have been completely uprooted from their lives and taken away from the people who love and care for them.

There are two important questions to ask here.  How in the world did this woman manage to get 4 children out of the country? Especially since there is a law in Italy that states that a parent must have written permission from the other parent to leave the country with the children. And not only that but it is their father who has full guardianship of these kids. It is even known that the youngest who is only 5 years old, does not even have a passport.  Who in the world let her get on an airplane?  Second question is why, if the Italian courts knew that she was potentially dangerous to her own children would they allow unsupervised visits?

She has fabricated a story in Russia that she and her children are the victims of physical abuse by their father. A story that was discredited here in Italy a long time ago and there is even proof of these false accusations, including doctors from the local hospital where she brought her oldest child 10 times claiming abuse by their father, the middle child 4 times and the youngest once, after many complete and thorough exams by these doctors, there has never been any evidence of abuse and they even contacted local authorities to report her strange behavior. Unfortunately their father was not aware of this until after she fled. Many others in Florence became suspicious of her claims as well and it is believed this one of the reasons she fled, the game was up and others were catching on so she has gone to try and convince the Russian people of these false claims. 

As a recent article in The Florentine points out:

"the psychologist appointed by the judge in the divorce case described Grin as ‘a person psychologically disturbed,' driven ‘by paranoid fantasies of being the object of "plots" and "persecutions" by the court and by the institutions.' The relationship with her children ‘is at a serious psycho-pathogenic risk."

Yet she was still allowed unsupervised visits. How is this possible?

While these children are in fact US citizens, the United States government is as good as powerless in Russia. The only right that they have is to check-up on these children and make sure that they are ok.  And for their father and their aunt and the rest of the family, this would be a huge relief to at least know that they are safe. Unfortunately however, they are no where to be found. The only address that the government has listed for her is being rented out and the tenants are paying a real estate agent and have no contact with her. The reason she brought them to Russia in the first place is because she knows the law there and she knows there isn't much that can be done and that there is no law regarding custody, she is their mother, that's all that the Russian government needs to know.

The challenge now is to get the Russian government to recognize her as a danger to these children and to recognize the Italian case against her and that the right place for these children to be is with their father who has shown them nothing but love and support and has done everything he can to keep them safe. He chooses to remain anonymous for their protection, after all they are helpless, innocent children who did not ask for any of this, and who, we are all sure, just want to be where they feel safe. With their daddy. 


Please take the time to read the article in The Florentine which off further details of the story. And for those of you who speak Italian you can read another article in La Republicca here.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 1, 2012: New article in the Huffington Post please take a moment to read this as well.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 22, 2012: The family and friends of the children here in Florence and the U.S have started a blog to try and connect with the kids and let them know how much they are missed. Please take a moment to read the letters that have been posted and have a look at the photos of them looking very happy! http://bringflorentinekidshome.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/we-miss-you-kids/

You can also see the US department of state page which details information regarding Russia and Parental child abduction to understand why the US is limited in their ability to act.

What is needed now are public letters of support, if you are willing to write please contact me here and I will send you all the information you need.

You can also show your support by 'liking' the facebook page Bring Florentine Children Home and following the family's blog.

Please take a moment and watch this Italian news segment (subtitled in English) and leave your comments!!!!   


What continues to trouble me is that it seems that the authorities of any of the countries involved are not thinking about what is best for the children.  Their mother has been determined unfit and dangerous, why is no one stepping in? Immediately. How much more proof is needed? How many more lies and contradictions do we need to hear from her before these kids are protected? How many  more testimonies to her unstable character are necessary?

The Sky is the Limit

Obviously NOT the coat she was wearing, it was even more Fab

I love when this city inspires me. Now I know what your thinking, 'you live in Florence, aren't you inspired everyday?' Yes of course I am always fascinated and excited to be living in this amazing place, until life gets in the way,  but then there are days like today that I go for a walk around town and remember why I fell in love with Florence in the first place. And it is thanks to an old friend in a FABULOUS red coat (and two espressos) that I was filled with this tremendous inspiration today.

So what was it that was different about today than any other day? I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it was the excitement of having a wonderful chat with a lovely Aussie chick that I haven't seen in months even though it felt as if it was only a few days ago, as if no time had passed at all. She is one of the friends that I have had here since the very beginning. We have shared many of the same joys as well as some of the same struggles over the years of living in Florence. (Not to mention the same love of fashion.) It was comfortable and easy and refreshing and we were simply happy to see each other and catch up.

It's encouraging to know that after all of those who have come and gone over the years there are those of us who remain and who keep pushing to make our dreams a reality. And my dear friend Freya is a great example of that. She has worked incredibly hard to get where she is and she never let anyone tell her it was impossible or that it would never work. She went for it and that kind of positive energy and passion is what dreams are made of. So 'good on ya little chicken! "

After our coffee at Cantinetta Verazzano she had to get back to work so I decided to take a walk around the city. It had been a while since I've just walked and looked, I mean really looked. At everything.  Shop windows, buildings, cars, people, everything around me. I then began to think about all of the designers, artists, architects and historians who have been coming here for centuries, I'm sure someone probably told them they couldn't, I'm sure they heard 'no grazie' more than once. But they didn't let that stop them. After all "impossible is just an opinion"

That's MY necklace in the window of Prive

So with that I stopped in to talk to a few more boutique owners and tell them who I am and what I do....afterall "Obstacles are those frightful things that you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

Heck I even stopped into a real estate office to ask the price of a store space that was for rent! Might be getting a little far ahead of myself with that one, but hey it can't hurt to ask!

By the time I got home I was ready to conquer the world or at least a little piece of it.

So thank you my friend in the FABULOUS red coat and thank you to my lovely city. (ok, so I know I'm totally cheesy, but whatever)

What inspires you? I always love to hear what motivates others. Tell me in the comment box below.

Clenliness is Next to Goddessness

My husband and I are at it again. Cleaning that is. Getting ready to start a new project. Two years ago we moved from our little tiny studio apartment into what is essentially a converted garage. We had a big job, as we cleaned, scraped, tiled, painted and floored the space to make it livable. But that was just half of it, turns out there is another section in the front that is still full of tools and materials that he and his brothers have been using for work for about 15 years now. The plan is that we will be able to utilize the space as a studio and work space.

Moral of the story however, is that after 15 years of storing and collections things from who knows where, you can imagine some of the interesting things we've come across in the cleaning stages, such as this funkadelic clock radio from 1970-something, as well this bird cage(???) which we have no idea how it possibly got here because as far as we know, no one has ever had a bird.

And some Cosmopolitan Magazines from 1995, American mags nonetheless. But I have to say that THE absolute best thing we found was this little book called Casa Pulita, or Clean House. While, sure its nice to have tips on how to remove stains, it is really the image on the cover that grabbed my attention. A typical scene in many Italian households, including that of my MIL. It really is telling how the woman is vacuuming while hubby just hangs out in the chair watching her, mind you there is a full basket of laundry behind her just waiting to be washed, dried, folded or ironed and put away. But you relax honey, I'll take care of it. So not only are women expected to be brave casalinghe but they are also expected to look sexy while doing it. 

Is it just me or does she look a little annoyed?

Of course when I pointed this out to my husband he says "see, that''s how its supposed to be, and then you come along and want to change everything" Thank goodness his sense of humor is one of things I feel in love with! 

However, I must say that it has been a bit of a battle between me and my IMIL over the years. She just doesn't understand why her son is helping around the house and why his shirts aren't nicely ironed and hanging in the closet. And I cannot hold a conversation with my SIL without somehow discussing the various and best methods of cleaning and laundering or how long it took her to wash, dry and iron the bed sheets and the pajamas. Yes, that’s right, she irons not just the bed sheets but the pajamas too. Because you see that is how a womens brava-ness is measured in this country. How precise are the ironed creases in the shirts, how shiny is the bathroom floor and how tasty is your sugo? One friend even told me that she got the ‘dust check’ once form her MIL, as in she wiped the table then checked her finger to see how dusty it was. OMG!!

This is incredibly difficult for me to understand since I was not raised this way.

Of course this is an incredibly loaded topic of gender roles, equality and the position of women in Italian society. I could go on for pages, but really just wanted to share this very funny perhaps slightly disturbing book cover with you, and yes the publishing date is 1996, but honestly, it could very well be revised and reprinted and still be very relevant to many Italian women even today.

So what is your opinion on the topic? Are women making too big of a deal out of this?

Fantasia Favolosa

The city of Florence has been inspiring great artists and designers for centuries.  I am continually humbled by the talent and imagination of others around me.  And while I always love to see what the big name designers are up to, its really the small indie artists and designers that leave me in awe.

Freedom, I think this is my favorite, but it really is so hard to decide.

The dedication and craftsmanship of Eleonora Marchi is quite fabulous. These headpieces are so amazing! Her work is gallant and whimsical and at times outrageous in the best of ways.

Honey

Nest Butterfly House

She calls her Etsy shop "On Your Head" and is continuously  coming up with the most -->

magnificent creations.  Yes, I do imagine that one may very well feel like a queen with one of these fantastic creations On Your Head.  She also makes these delightful little handbags as well.

Flowers Circle

  Which one is your favorite? Hard to choose isn't it?

The New Renaissance

The Primavera by Sandro Botticelli more than meets the eye

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The Renaissance was one of the most important historical movements in history.  The very word itself, rinascimento , means rebirth. It was just as much of an intellectual movement as it has an artistic movement.  The Renaissance period allowed us to be who we are today.  It was about educating yourself and forming your own opinion, breaking free from the medieval ideas that life revolved around death and that your only reason for living was assuring your passage into heaven. The Renaissance was about presenting the viewer or reader with just enough information to allow you to form your own opinion. It was about breaking away from strictly religious points of view and taking the viewers experience into consideration. And while most of the work was still created on a commission basis for very specific reasons, there were some of the most important artist of the time such as Michelangelo and Botticelli who began to incorporate the ideas of artistic expression and conceptualism into their work as well as the sense that being an artist is about so much more than just making pretty things for people to look at but rather something to contemplate and consider in terms of personal thought and feeling. When you visit the city of Florence today you can feel that energy, the sense of creativity is everywhere.

   

Michelangelo's David is contemplative and mesmerizing, yet the only clue we have to him being the biblical hero is his name. But he is giving us so much more than that.

Charlie White addresses the subject of David and Goliath by referencing history though contemporary medium.

 When I worked as a tour guide one of the questions that I was often asked was “are their even artists that can do this anymore?” Or comments like “you just don’t see this kind of work anymore” Or similarly about how they just “don’t understand art these days” and how they or their "child could do that", and that “this is real art” There have only been a couple of times when I actually ventured to answer these questions and try and help people see things in a different way, mostly because the topic of contemporary art is much to complex to sum up in just a few sentences.

I guess the easiest way to explain the importance and significance of contemporary art is to compare it to contemporary music.  We all know how important Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin were and the contribution that Elvis, the Beatles and Run DMC made to the music world. They opened the door for the artists after them and allowed them to experiment with new ideas and styles of music. Think of it like this, why would we want to keep hearing the same music over and over again?  Doesn’t that get a little boring?  Sure, we can still appreciate those artists and I for one will never tire of the Beatles, but the forward movement is what keeps the art world going, constantly questioning traditional ideas and exploring new mediums.  Sure there are still artists that sculpt with marble, but honestly in order to stand out in the art world something needs to be different about the work.  So don’t be so quick to dismiss contemporary art. Think about it; venture to go deeper than what is on the surface. Think not only about technique, but context and concept.  In our society we want everything to be easy, we want it all handed to us, we don’t want to think and we just want to look at pretty things. The question you should be asking yourself when viewing contemporary art is not necessarily what the image is supposed to be but rather what the artist is trying to say and why. 

Is this really no more than an unfinished sculpture? In the complex and complicated mind of Michelangelo who was constantly trying to break free from the restraints placed upon him, I have many doubts. 

  What is your favorite work of art? And why? What do you think about contemporary art? Tell me in  the comments section below.

Better Late Than Never!

I was just looking back on my previous posts and realized that it has been exactly one month since I posted 'Let's get it started' Time really does fly! I have to say with all honesty that I never expected the response that I received.  Every morning when I open my inbox I am so excited to see another message from another artist/designer who is interested in participating in the artist group! It's really wonderful to know that there are so many of you out there who are open to sharing your skills and knowledge. 

Of course, I have never organized anything like this before and I was little naive in thinking that I could get everything worked out in just a few short weeks. Of course the beginning stages of a project are always the most difficult in terms of knowing what the next step will be, but I think we are finally there.

I understand  that everyone has very busy schedules and since it has proven quite difficult to everyone in the same place at the same time I thought it best to start by picking a date and hoping that as many people as possible can make it. We will start with a meeting of the minds and then move things forward from there!

Next Thursday October 20th at 19:00 will be the first group meeting! It will take place at Cuculia on Via dei Serragli 3/r.

If you are interested in participating please, by all means come and join us! We would love to have you! You can RSVP by leaving a comment below or sending me an email here.

Salute! To new ideas!

The Ultimate Inspiration

The news of Steve jobs death really hit me hard this morning when I turned on my PowerBook G4 from 2004 that is still going strong and read the news on my homepage. I don't know why it is affecting me so much but I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that his 2005 Stanford Commencement address as been an anthem for mine for quite some time now, and because I have watched this video and read the transcript so many times in fact I have it all but committed to memory, I feel as if I knew him in some sort of way. Whenever I am unsure, whenever I am questioning what I am about to do, I think about these words and it gives me the courage I need to make the necessary decisions.

There are very few geniuses left in the world and even fewer visionaries but Steve Jobs was both. This man changed the world as we know it and allowed us possibilities that many if us never dreamed possible. These words of wisdom are some that I will personally never tire of and that inspire me to do my best work every single day. They are also the words that encouraged me to follow my heart and pursue my dreams. As dramatic as it may sound, it's true.

If you have never listened to or read this speech in its entirety, be prepared to be inspired and to re-think everything you do in your life. And if you have heard it before, listen again, I assure you that you will find something new every time......

Stay hungry, stay foolish.


Written transcript can be found here.

Inspirazione

When I create new work its usually because I am inspired by something. Sometimes it will be the work of another artist, other times it will be a specific color or a particularly interesting person I see out about town. Sometimes I will sit on a bench in one of the piazzas and watch the people walking  by, always with my sketch book in my lap. Other times I will spend hours scouring the internet looking at jewelry and accessory designs. I usually scan through trying to get a feel for the current trends and what is happening right now.  And then every one in a while I find something that stops me in my tracks and I look at every piece that I can find from that designer.  And while this particular designer is not Italian, she is a fellow Los Angelen and am officially inspired by the use of color and the uniqueness of the work. The pieces are made with leather, chain and various other jewelry making materials. And they are just wonderful.

I know that some may think it is silly of me as a jewelry designer myself to promote or write about another designer on my blog, but I truly believe that it is important for artists to support each other and that a true artist is always inspired by others and uses that inspiration to help get their own creative juices flowing. I am always interested in the way that other artists think, how they interpret the world and what inspires them. But more than anything else I love when I find an artist who is not afraid to be themselves and who's unique vision and personality shows though the work. I find that to be very much the case with the work of Christina Anton at Boo and Boo Factory. Have a look at her Etsy shop and be inspired.  Enjoy!