Finding Inspiration Any and Everywhere

I love looking at magazines, decorator's catalogs, rug websites and other catalogs I get in the mail, because I can get tons of inspiration from them.  I thought I would share the evolution of my latest from the inspiration to its current state, which is awaiting quilting inspiration. This piece which I'm right now calling (quite unoriginally) "Glass Bowl," actually inspired by an exquisite art bowl that I saw for sale in a magazine:

It's so delicate and lovely.  I knew I wanted to try to reinterpret it as a quilt.  I quickly made drawings, and it just so happened that I had the perfect (I believe) fabric for it which I had just gotten at the Houston Quilt Festival.   It is a line of fabric that is designed by artists, and I went gaga for it.  (Don't worry, not the meat-wearing kind of Gaga, more the over-the-top excited kind.)  It's called Sumi-e by Karen Kurka Jenson for Frond Fabrics.  You can pick them up over at Delve MIY - lots of cool stuff over there.

Here is the flimsy finished top.  It was rather challenging to get the thing sewn together (meaning it took about two to three tries to sew each side piece on to get it not to buckle too much when I sewed each successive piece on.  In the end as you can see from the photo, I  had to settle for less than perfect:

but luckily now that it is sandwiched, thank goodness it is much better. 

* I sure wish I was a better photographer because I used etched fabric for the lines that has a sparkle to it and I really think it adds a lot of fabulosity to the piece. I love the way the subtle colors and shades of the fabrics look kind of like the colors shining throughout the bowl. And I love that yellow in the center.  Such a rich color (also from Frond). Unfortunately  I can't get the white parts to sparkle for the camera, but in real life they absolutely shine. 

Now I have to figure out some quilting that will really enhance it.  Of course I could go with matchstick lines, but I'm waiting to see if something else hits me.  

So that's my inspiration story.  It can be found just anywhere.  For example, I have a photo of some interesting lights on the back of a truck, a rubber mat at an auto parts store, and a couple of rugs I think are pretty cool as well as a bunch of sketches that I'm sure are inspired by something I've seen although I can't necessarily point to it.  Such a gift from the universe to let it channel through me.  

So, what inspires you? 

And, Namaste, y'all.