RAAK's .. random act of art kindness

I learned about RAAK's from Milliande Art Community for Women

you may rememeber an earlier post of my first RAAK's received in the mail... I was sooo excited by them.

now.. it's my turn... this is just one sgraffiti patterned one... that I took several fun pics of.. so I could keep a copy ... sometimes its hard to part with something you've made and quite like the look of. haha

I heard on a podcast recently ...

"We're here to Love the World Awake" 

 It is a little bit strange to share what is meant for someone else... but you know that idea of giving the gift you wish to receive yourself... well this way.. i get to post it digitally to myself to re-visit in a place where it's easy to find... :0)  and if by chance you're visiting here... you can receive this as a little 'random act of art kindness' for you too.

if you feel to . . .

this can be done out in public... secretly, as well.

bye for now,

love Denise xo

Gifts of ordinary days

I am thrilled to share about a lovely book I'm almost finished reading, it's called "The gift on an ordinary day" ~ A Mother's Memoir by Katrina Kenison

Anyone who knows me will automatically see a kindred spirit right there on the front cover, I LOVE tea, teacups and all things tea related. Not that this book features tea in a huge way but I've been enjoying reading it with my many cups.. either with toast in the morning or later in the days.


And... I also wanted to share the magic that is 2011 .... I read a piece in this book that moved me so much it brought tears to my eyes speaking of the love that can be shared when caring for a friend who is unwell. 
So, I wrote a little email note to Katrina last week telling her so, and this morning I received a response, how DELIGHTFUL is that, to reach out to an author who has touched my life... from the other side of the world... and to have her respond... is no ordinary thing to me... it's a beautiful blessing that's gifted me a smile and joy.


I'm doing some self care things today like giving myself a pedicure and painting my nails red... and I'm off to a music festival ... where on Sunday the band 'Icehouse' will be playing... my sister Min who died in 1997 was the one who introduced their music to me... so I'm thinking she'll be with me in spirit.


I've had a couple of not so easy years these last two gone by... so I'm so happy to sense a shift ... an arrival of what feels a whole lot like 'Spring' .... not only in the seasons here in Australia, but in my step and spirit as well.


I hope you have a little Spring in your day too no matter where in the world you happen to be.  If not.... have a cup of tea. 


love
Denise xo

http://www.katrinakenison.com/

I received my first Random Acts of Art Kindness!!

Ohhh, the joy of it... I squeezed out every drop of excitement I could.

RAAK = Random Act of Art Kindness... 

I know this, only because of the fantastic Milliande Art Community for women  

milliande.ning.com  or  Find on Facebook too 

On Thursday morning last week (11 Aug 11) I was on my way to the beach for a morning walk, (which is my favourite and best way of starting the day) and thought I might just check the new PO Box.

I was surprised and delighted to find two envelopes addressed to me!!!

I placed them lovingly on the passenger seat next to me... and proceeded to the beach with a feeling of such glee I felt like a little kid at Christmas time, they were like unwrapped presents with a secret waiting for me inside.

Even the beach was picture perfect

I left them til Sunday afternoon to open!!!  I was busy on Friday and Saturday and simply did not want to squeeze them into a 5 minute window.

Inside I was delighted to find 

from Ruth ... www.etsy.com/shop/InspireDailey  a gorgeous zen-gami crane and an explanation of the 'Thousand Crane Legend' to go with it, and a delighful delicately decorated design on Ruth's note card.

and from Emily a gorgeous hand made card with magical words in it and wishing me a Happy Birthday for later this month!!!  how special... and my very first received and seen Artist Trading Cards, Em said  to 'celebrate YOU!'  How extraordinary!!!!   

you can find Emily's work at www.etstudio.net  and also via her blog http://creativeartjournal.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-do-we-journal.html

and LOOK AT that poem by Mary Oliver so lovingly and perfectly placed on the outside of this beautiful envelope, I wonder how many people in the postal service were blessed with the carriage of this letter, if they had a quick moment to read this verse.

Gratitude bubbles over with the receiving of these heart art gifts from two wonderful women across the other side of the world from me.

Blessings,

love
Denise.

p.s.  I got so much joy from this... I even went so far as to create my very first 'vlog' and raved on in front of my web cam as I opened the envelopes... haha

  you tube clip ... me opening my special RAAK mail xo

Survival Kit for Artists

I'm a bit lost at the moment, it's a boring story... so I'll focus on something really cool I just found via a bookmark I made last year sometime during the Flying Lesson's e-course . . .

This is by a very clever lady named Keri Smith she has fabulously and bodaciously created an 'Artist's Survival Kit'

You know that saying ... you had me at 'hello' ... well she had me at "when you feel like everything you do is shit"

This is a snippet from the intro to her fabulous kit...

"For the really bad days, for the days when you want to quit, when you feel like everything you do is shit, when you feel your self-esteem plummet, when you decide that you would rather wait tables for a living, when you start to think you will never make a living making art, when you are working on something and feel like you hate it more than you’ve ever hated anything in your life, when someone makes an offhand remark about your work and afterwards you feel dejected, when you wish you had gone to school for accounting, when you start to believe that maybe your family was right, when you want to lie in bed for a month and eat chips.

It pays to have a sense of humor.

The artist’s survival kit offers some help .

I'm printing it out for myself now!

so now, at least I can feel like I did one useful thing today... I shared a cool thing xx

love Denise xo

Simply Sunday

 My day began slowly... I woke with a pounding headache in the back of my head, so I just lazed in bed hoping it would just go away... my dear partner brought me breakfast in bed, including a magic pot of tea that always cheers me up no matter what.  And also our little dog, wrapped in a blanket was placed lovingly on my bed... because she's not really meant to beee on my bed ... but how can I resist those eyes?

Aura

Slowly does it... and a visit to the beach with my banana lounge to sit and listen to the waves and finish reading a wonderful book that is now overdue back to the library.

"Don't keep searching for the truth,

Just let go of your opinions"

Man: Doc, my brother's crazy. He thinks he's a chicken.

Psychologist: Well, why don't you turn him in?

Man: I would, but I need the eggs.

~ Woody Allen.

Elizabeth Lesser in "Broken Open - How difficult Times Can Help Us Grow" was referring to the point that we know or feel that something isn't quite right in our life but for some reason we hold on to the perceived reward, instead of letting it go and fully embracing the next chapter or learning that is meant to be for us. 

I wonder... Maybe we slow down our process but then that negates the fact that everything is perfect just as it is... and in perfect timing.  But... if i didn't read things like this in the first place I may not question the very thing I am shifting and moving away from...  

enjoying a simple Sunday?

mmm, maybe not simple enough, haha!!

love Denise xo

A little bit of Cypress Sun in my day

I was delighted to receive my little parcel in the mail today....


I have been looking over at http://cypresssunjewelry.com/ for months now...


ever since I saw some of Amy's beautiful work and got to know her a little via an online course we both took... 'Flying Lessons' with Kelly Rae Roberts .. 

my self gift... is a pair of Forest Green drop earrings... not very well shown here,

but I wanted to remember the delightful packaging and sentiment that came all the way from San Marcos today.

Thank you Amy

love Denise xo

ps. you'll love her blog... the photo's are delicious, and the temptation to spoil yourself with one of her gorgeous creations is very likely too.

http://cypresssunjewelry.com/blog/

http://cypresssunjewelry.com

Friday...changing things about

Sometimes I've heard it's better to 'leave well enough alone' ... well I didn't take that advice, and have gone ahead and changed my header today...here on the blog...


I wanted to make a distinction between the new blog I've made as part of my new website... it can be more about the artwork and things... but I wanted a place to just be quiet... or say whatevertheheck I like.


fragmented human being that I am... compartmentalising things sometimes helps... being someone who lives far too much in her head... over thinking ... is it any wonder I have 'header trouble' ... and being a perfectionist is annoys me greatly that the darn header is narrower than the body of this blog.


Yep... BIG deal ... it's not I know....I'm just blurting... because I've given myself permission to do that!


I used to move all the furniture around in my rental house years ago... to make it feel better... I wonder if it works for blogs too.


love Denise xo