Saturday 22 June 2013

Polish folk art - WYCINANKI

Polish folk art is absolutely amazing - takes so much time, skills, patience! Just take a look at this masterpiece- paper cut outs. Gorgeous!
wycinanki    
  

I have been interested in ART for my whole like - my family plays instruments, go to the opera, theatre, and to galleries on regular basis. Instead of the radio, I was exposed to classical music from early years, went to gymnastics class, took additional drawing classes etc. Art and music were everywhere and had great impact on my life. 
I had little opportunity to get to know about Polish folk Art, though. Till 2010, when I started to work for a company situated in "The Green Lungs" of Poland - north-east part, where there are mainly landscape parks and nature reserves. It made it possible to preserve traditional way of living along with folk culture. These rural parts are pure, natural, many things are handmade, tradition is very important so ocassions are celebrated in old ways. You can feel as if you went back in time!
Internet and games are not main entertainment there, but you can sit and ...make paper cut outs (wycinanki) like the one above. All you need is a pair of big scissors, colourful paper, imagination and lots of patience. Then, these masterpieses are used to decorate (glued to cards, framed to become pictures, or hand on a christmas tree). 
The people who make cut outs teach their children so that the tradition stays alive through generations. BUT you can also learn how to do it! I help organising individual trips to Poland, including workshops od different kind- cut outs are there as well. By the way, while being there you can also learn how to bake bread, make herbal tincture or knit.

Want to give it a try? If you do, please send me photos of your works: nikagifts@gmail.com so that we can share ideas ans tips. Need more info? Please contact me for more details.


 I am planning to write more about Polish Folk Art on my blog, so stay tuned:) 

have an inspiring weekend,


Nika

Thursday 20 June 2013

100 Likes on fb before July - possible with your help:)

PLEASE I need your help. I need 100 likes till the end of June. I have 58, so 42 to go. Can you please spread the message to help me get 100 likes in 10 days on my site, please? THANK YOU

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nika-Gifts/528798380494732?ref=hl

Thank you all who had done it already:)

Nika

Beautiful handmade earrings brown set - 3 pairs SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                       £12.52 + shipping

Earrings:

1. 1 light brown bead, 1 dark chocolate brown bead, 1 glass one
2. 1 brown and silver bead, 1 glass one, ornaments,
3. Lovely brown transparent hearts on wired pins, 2 glass beads

Stunning effect when worn!
Old fashioned style, very decorative.

Great for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! One pair FREE

MORE on ETSY:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153196137/beautiful-handmade-earrings-brown-set-3?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Inspiration - what do you think?

As I was looking for inspiration I came across this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdxGSW3nlw&NR=1&feature=endscreen

I liked it a lot. As soon as I watched it I wanted to get to work, to try new techniques, to do something. It comes when I see an artist or a person passionately doing their hobby. Do you have the same thing?

About the technique now- have you tried anything like it? I am tempted to give it a try.
What do you think?

Friday 14 June 2013

Positive quotes :) to brighten up your day

Today, when not everything is how we planned, I came across some quotes to fill me with positive energy and thinking. Below you will find them. Some of them I knew before, they encouraged me to think positively and be strong when I thought I would give up.

Never, never, never give up. There is always hope, choice, change.

Hope they will brighten up your day:)

Top 15 Power of Positive Thinking Quotes

…And how a change in thoughts can lead to a change in life.


#15

“The day is what you make it! So why not make it a great one?” ~ Steve Schulte
#14

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
#13

“There is nothing good or bad, only thinking makes it so.” ~ Hamlet
#12

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars.” ~ Og Mandino
#11

“You cannot tailor-make the situations in life but you can tailor-make the attitudes to fit those situations.” ~ Zig Ziglar
#10

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” ~ Sun Tzu
#9

“We can’t escape pain; we can’t escape the essential nature of our lives. But we do have a choice. We can give in and relent, or we can fight, persevere, and crete a life worth living, a noble life. Pain is a fact; our evaluation of it is a choice.” ~ Jacob Held
#8

“Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem and turned it into an opportunity.” ~ Joseph Sugarman
#7

“The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
#6

“Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow.” ~ Seth Godin
#5

“Nothing truly stops you. Nothing truly holds you back. For your own will is always within your control. Sickness may challenge your body. But are you merely your body? Lameness may impede your legs. But you are not merely your legs. Your will is bigger than your legs. Your will needn’t be affected by an incident unless you let it.” ~ Epictetus
#4

“Beliefs have the power to create and the power to destroy. Human beings have the awesome ability to take any experience of their lives and create a meaning that disempowers them or one that can literally save their lives.” ~ Anthony Robbins
#3

“Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” ~ Groucho Marx
#2

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
#1

“Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.” ~ Og Mandino
 They come from:
http://www.movemequotes.com/top-15-power-of-positive-thinking-quotes/

Thursday 6 June 2013

Fresh green set - 3 pairs. SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                                  £13.85  + shipping

Fresh green set of earrings, 3 pairs
glass, plastic beads and stars, metal and glass small beads, silver coated metal

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours, fresh green.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)

More on ETSY https://www.etsy.com/listing/153202360/fresh-green-set-3-pairs-sale-sale-sale
Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

What to wear with the little black dress? Handmade earrings black set - 3 pairs SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                   £13.85  + shipping

Earrings, each consists of:

1. black striped bead, beaded wire,
2. triangular black bead, grey striped bead,
3. black deads, metal decorations

Stunning effect when worn!
Stylish, very decorative, match little black dress.

Great for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! One pair FREE

MORE on ETSY:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153193040/handmade-earrings-black-set-3-pairs-sale?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!


Oriental style purple and blue earrings set - 3 pairs SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                     £13.85  + shipping

Oriental style earrings, purple, silver and blue set

1. purple beads with metal decorations
2. tubular metal dangles with a blue crystal
3. purple beads with metal oriental drop decoration

Stunning effect when worn!
Stylish, very decorative. Great for evening party.

Great for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! One pair FREE

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153198595/oriental-style-purple-and-blue-earrings?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Folk style purple, pink and orange wooden earrings set - 3 pairs SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                       £13.85 + shipping


Folk style earrings, purple, pink and orange set

1. wooden: purple and black striped circles
2. wooden: purple and black striped big beads; metal beads
3. wooden: purple and violet beads, orange cubes, violet bead

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 1 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153199521/folk-style-purple-pink-and-orange-wooden?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Hippie style pink-orange, black striped wooden earrings set - 1 pair FREE. SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                              £12.52 + shipping

Hippie style earrings, one pair FREE

1. wooden: pink and orange striped circles
2. wooden: black and white striped circles
3. FREE violet plush beads, metal beads

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 1 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153196298/hippie-style-pink-orange-black-striped?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!


Sweet look pink and blue beaded earrings set - 2 pairs for girls. SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                      £12.52 + shipping

Sweet look earrings, 2 pairs
1. 3 glass beads pink earrings
2. 1 metal bead, 2 glass beads blue earrings

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card.

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 1 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153197650/sweet-look-pink-and-blue-beaded-earrings?ref=v1_other_2
Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Oh my....so sweet. Sweet look blue yellow green and orange set - 3 pairs. SALE SALE SALE

Why not sharing them with your friend?

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                 £13.85 + shipping

Sweet look earrings, 3 pairs
3-4 glass crackled beads on each pin, silver coated metal

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153203495/sweet-look-blue-yellow-green-and-orange?ref=v1_other_2
Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Sweet look pink princess set - 3 pairs. SALE SALE SALE for girls

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                     £13.85 + shippingSweet look earrings, 3 pairs
beads, plastic striped cubes, metal princess charms, glass beads

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)


MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153204053/sweet-look-pink-princess-set-3-pairs?ref=v1_other_2

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Summer blue set - 2 pairs. SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                               £12.52 + shipping

Sweet look earrings, 2 pairs
glass and plastic beads, wire, silver coated metal

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours, crystal clear blue.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153204799/summer-blue-set-2-pairs-sale-sale-sale?ref=shop_home_active
Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Red Japan style marine set - 3 pairs. SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                      £13.85 + shipping
Sweet look earrings, 3 pairs
metal charms, glass, metal and plastic beads, silver coated metal

Stunning effect when worn! Vivid colours, deep red.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153201172/red-japan-style-marine-set-3-pairs-sale?ref=shop_home_active

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

Classy white and purple set - 3 pairs. SALE SALE SALE

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE                                                                            15,18 GBP + shipping

Classy white pearls and purple drops/stars earrings, 3 pairs        
glass beads, pearl beads, metal pins, plastic stars, silver coated metal

Stunning effect when worn! Lovely pearls, elegant purple colour.
Stylish, very decorative. Great for summer.

Ideal for you or as a gift. Please check my shop for handmade cards. Poem or dedication can be made on request in the card. Why not sharing them with your best friend?

If you buy them in a set, you get them very cheap!!! 3 for the price of 2 (or cheaper)

MORE on ETSY
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153208451/classy-white-and-purple-set-3-pairs-sale?ref=pr_shop

Thank you for visiting NikaGifts.
Enjoy!

A beautiful set of earrings- white pearls and navy blue cubes:) SALE

What I love about this set is its simplicity, only two colours, but stunning effect. Just love the deep navy blue colour of cubes, which goes well with colour of skin, and the delicacy and elegance of pearls. It does not need to be overloaded with decorations to look great. Take a look and tell me what you think?
Available on Etsy and fb shop.
http://www.etsy.com/people/NikaGifts?ref=si_pr
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nika-Gifts/528798380494732?ref=hl

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Big sale on Etsy

I decided to make big sale on Etsy.
Soon there will be nice summer time, some of us will travel, some will stay at home, some will go to visit their families and friends. It all means there will be changes - new places, new experience, new people. It always give me such a shot of positive energy and excitement.

You can prepare for summer - buy new clothes, new jewellery, make gifts for your friends. Now in decent prices like we like best. SALE SALE SALE:) To go to etsy just click on the gadget on the right or go to :

http://www.etsy.com/people/NikaGifts?ref=si_pr


Below, examples of sets:











Monday 27 May 2013

Spring inspirations

The sun has been shining for three days already. It was the best time to go for a walk and take some photos. Together with my Luv, we spent the whole day out and had fun. These are photos of flowers and leaves (which look more like autumn leaves, not spring). Below, jewellery inspired by nature:) if you liked it, contact me about details- it is ready to ship.













Saturday 11 May 2013

examples of sets

Examples of sets you can give as a gift. Mix and match. NIcely wrapped, ready to give. Contact me for price and shipping.

Enjoy!