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Faina Lorah

@fainalorah

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Visual folklorist and artist whose practice sits at the intersection of cultural research and material art-making. Published by @schifferpublishing

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I've been making my way through Norway, exploring folklore and old traditions that have inspired so much art, including my own. This stave church, St. Olaf's, is a great example of craftsmanship, charming details, and storytelling through its very presence.

My last major project, Weird Weavings, was rooted in this very culture so it is particularly special for me to experience it here in person. I'm working on some new art now - I'm taking my time with these stories and can't wait to share them with the world - but right now, I am just taking it all in like a deep breath of fresh air by the fjord. by @fainalorah

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6 months ago

Jiuzhaigou was every bit as beautiful as we'd hoped, with impossibly blue lakes, cascading waterfalls, and scenery that hardly seemed real. We loved staying at a local Tibetan family's bed and breakfast in the valley; we woke up to gorgeous mountains every morning. But one of our favourite discoveries turned out to be somewhere else entirely: Shenxianju.

Yaks wandering about, fairy pools hidden among the mountains, and landscapes so magical that locals call it the dwelling place of the gods. It's the kind of place that makes you wonder whether you've accidentally wandered into a Chinese mythology book.

Now that Golden Week is finally behind us, we're hoping to continue to explore with reduced crowds and stumbling across places we'd never heard of to find beauty far beyond the usual tourist trail.

Jiuzhaigou may have been the name on the itinerary, but Shenxianju was the place that stole our hearts. Here's to the path less traveled. by @fainalorah

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a day ago

Pinyao? Ping you!

Somewhere in the middle of our 2+ month adventure across China, Simon and I found ourselves stepping back in time in Pingyao. It's a beautifully preserved ancient city of cobblestone streets, traditional courtyards, red lanterns, and history.

Fun fact: Pingyao was once a major financial hub in China, home to some of the country’s earliest banks. It's the original old money.

We’ve been sharing travel vlogs along the way, but we also wanted to give you a little glimpse of life here of the wandering, the wondering, the unexpected discoveries, and some of the details between our big adventures.

So here's a little Pingyao photo dump, with love from China.

Consider this our official Ping-yao later! by @fainalorah

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3 days ago

On Instagram @glitterbyink
#OctoberAlchemy26

✨ Magic :: Berkano ✨

Creativity. Nourishment. Regeneration

Magic lives wherever imagination is given room to bloom.
I trust the creative spark within me.
I allow wonder to guide me. 🤍

Create. Believe. Bloom.
✨ …one word at a time. 💫

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October Word Prompt Challenge
“Journey to Peace”
@nwitzcrafts & @glitterbyink

Bless… time to emerge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Deck:
“Weird Weavings Runic Oracle”
Threads of Feminine Wisdom
Fainah Lorah @fainalorah

©2026 RedFeather™
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
www.schifferbooks.com
@redfeather.mbs | @schifferpublishing

#HighVibeTribe
#wordpromptchallenge
#onewordatatime
#glitterbyink by @fainalorah

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9 days ago

“Weird Weavings Runic Oracle” is a deck based on the Elder Futhark system. It consists of 24 high-quality rune cards made from thicker cardstock, with a matte finish, glossy details on the backs, and shiny metallic gold edges.

The illustrations are very pleasant, feminine, and strongly inspired by folklore. Each card features a rune alongside a female figure, an animal, and a plant associated with that particular symbol.
Interestingly, the author chose to focus on goddesses and feminine archetypes from Norse mythology and beliefs, which gives “Weird Weavings Runic Oracle” a very warm and feminine feel overall.

The descriptions in the guidebook are excellent! In addition to explaining the meanings of the runes, the book also explores the figures, animals, and plants assigned to each card, as well as the myths and stories connected to them.
The whole deck feels very well thought out, and I genuinely enjoy working with it.

PL:“Weird Weavings Runic Oracle” to bazująca na systemie Futharku Starszego talia. Składa się ona z 24 kart runicznych wysokiej jakości: grubszy papier, matowy finish, połyskujące detale na rewersie i złote błyszczące brzegi. Ilustracje są bardzo przyjemne, kobiece i folklorystyczne.

Na każdej z kart znajdziemy runę oraz postać kobiecą, zwierzę i roślinę powiązaną z konkretnym symbolem.
Co ciekawe autorka skupiła się tu na boginiach i kobiecych archetypach z mitologii i wierzeń nordyckich, więc całościowo “Weird Weavings Runic Oracle” ma dla mnie kobiecy i ciepły vibe.

Opisy w książeczce są świetne! Prócz znaczenia run mamy też analizę postaci, zwierzęcia i rośliny przypisanej do karty oraz mity z nimi związane. Całość jest naprawdę przemyślana i bardzo przyjemnie mi się z nią pracuje. by @fainalorah

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13 days ago

We've made it from Beijing to Xi'an, home of China's best-preserved ancient city wall and biang biang noodles, a dish whose name has so many strokes that it's basically a calligraphy exam you can eat.

We arrived just in time for National Day, which kicks off Golden Week, when roughly the entire population of China decides to visit the same historical sites all at once. Getting near the actual Terracotta Warriors would have required a terracotta army of our own, so we settled for the many replicas around town. Honestly, they hold still for photos just as well (and some of them are made of chocolate, too).

Crowds aside, Xi'an is wonderfully charming. Every time we turn a corner there's another park, temple, or palace, and the city wall sits there as if keeping a calm eye on everyone. We'll be back for the real warriors someday, maybe when only a few million other people have the same idea (probably in the winter).

One highlight while here: the Hanyangling Mausoleum of Emperor Jing. It's a massive complex of imperial tombs, filled with creepy armless burial figures, animals, and more. We went during the busiest day of Golden Week and it was nearly empty, definitely worth the trek for a unique experience that isn't overrun with people. by @fainalorah

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14 days ago

On Instagram @glitterbyink
#OctoberAlchemy26

✨ Forgive :: Uruz ✨

Strength. Vitality. Endurance

I release the weight of what hurt me.
I honor my strength in choosing forgiveness.
I free myself to move forward. 🤍

Forgive. Free. Rise.

✨ …one word at a time. 💫

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Deck:
“Weird Weavings Runic Oracle”
Threads of Feminine Wisdom
Fainah Lorah @fainalorah

©2026 RedFeather™
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
www.schifferbooks.com
@redfeather.mbs | @schifferpublishing

October Word Prompt Challenge
“Journey to Peace”
@nwitzcrafts

#HighVibeTribe
#wordpromptchallenge
#onewordatatime
#glitterbyink by @fainalorah

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27

14 days ago

We've made it from Beijing to Xi'an, home of China's best-preserved ancient city wall and biang biang noodles, a dish whose name has so many strokes that it's basically a calligraphy exam you can eat.

We arrived just in time for National Day, which kicks off Golden Week, when roughly the entire population of China decides to visit the same historical sites all at once. Getting near the actual Terracotta Warriors would have required a terracotta army of our own, so we settled for the many replicas around town. Honestly, they hold still for photos just as well (and some of them are made of chocolate, too).

Crowds aside, Xi'an is wonderfully charming. Every time we turn a corner there's another park, temple, or palace, and the city wall sits there as if keeping a calm eye on everyone. We'll be back for the real warriors someday, maybe when only a few million other people have the same idea (probably in the winter).

Walking the top of the wall

The Muslim quarter

This was supposed to be a meal for one person.It cost about $7 US

National day

This was made of chocolate by @fainalorah

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16 days ago

On Instagram @glitterbyink
#OctoberAlchemy26

✨ Release :: Raidho ✨

Journey. Guidance. Insight

My journey begins with a release.
Making room for the road ahead. 🤍

Release. Breathe. Begin.

I release what I no longer need to carry.
I trust the path unfolding before me.
I am ready for what comes next.

✨ …one word at a time. 💫

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October Deck:
“Weird Weavings Runic Oracle”
Threads of Feminine Wisdom
Fainah Lorah @fainalorah

©2026 RedFeather™
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
www.schifferbooks.com
@redfeather.mbs | @schifferpublishing

October Word Prompt Challenge
OctoberAlchemy26
“Journey to Peace”
@nwitzcrafts @glitterbyink

#HighVibeTribe
#wordpromptchallenge
#onewordatatime
#glitterbyink by @fainalorah

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16 days ago

We're officially celebrating our early retirement with a 60+ day trip across China. We spent the last week in Beijing: hitting classics like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and getting wood-fired Peking Duck as well making up new traditions like the Gourmet Food Museum (complete with dynastic banquet) and Universal Studios.

It's been a mix of wandering about and laying around - we're not in a rush to do anything (though the massive crowds for Mid Autumn Festival sure feel like they are). We wanted to take our time to really enjoy each place on this adventure, the very same country where we got engaged 10 years ago.

Tomorrow, we begin our journey to Xi'an. Bring on the biang biang noodles and ancient folk art! by @fainalorah

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19 days ago

Hello from Beijing! It's been ten years since we've been to China. This time, we decided to kick this off properly with a visit to the Forbidden City and eating Peking Duck in its place of origin. Lots of photos and videos and things to come... later, when we find the time and a way to communicate with the world beyond the Great Firewall. by @fainalorah

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22 days ago

Reunited with family and a Slavic spread that will have me dreaming and drooling for years to come. Salty fish, salami, caviar, fresh-baked breads, homemade salad, grilled meats, and many more delicacies. 🤤 Seeing my family after so many years was great, too 😄 I'll be reminiscing about our time together as Simon and I set out on our next great adventure through Asia. by @fainalorah

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a month ago