Twists and turns + landing on your feet

Well there is so much to say, so much to share, where to begin…?

Exciting news is that Mindy Tsonas invited me to be a guide for her next Inner Alchemy class: Wishcraft: Creating the Tarot.

These are the cards I made in Inner Alchemy: Water class. SOoo fun!

Woot!!! I am over the moon thrilled and will share more in the next week or so. It would be so fabulous if you would consider joining the class.

As I mentioned in my last post, my Bali retreat was canceled (such a big bummer) at the last minute but I ended up going with the Mr. It was fun, super duper hot and humid, stunningly beautiful, sometimes relaxing and quiet an adventure. I thought I’d share some pictures with you.

Pool side (that didn’t suck)Lush and oh so green.We did a culinary tour and made a trip to the local market. Bustling and so colorful

We stayed with a friend in Hong Kong, which I wasn’t expecting to love, but it turned out to be the highlight of the trip.

View of the harbor from Peter’s rooftop garden, WOW.Hong Kong’s an interesting contrast between shiny new, ultra modern and very old school.When you go to the market to buy chicken to make for dinner you choose from live chickens not chicken meat packaged in styrofoam with cellophane wrapping. I think many Americans have no idea that the meat they buy in the store actually comes from animals that were once living beings. This seem a much more honest way to sell meat.I never had any interest in visiting Asia, this trip changed that, I will definitely go back to explore. I loved meeting people whose lives are so very different from my middle class Californian existence, and yet the same in many ways as well. We are all humans with the same human history, we’re all here together sharing this beautiful planet whether we believe it and whether we like it or not. We’re connected in more ways than we’re separate. Knowing this makes our current US situation that much more heartbreaking.

Personally, and I know I’m not alone, I was devastated by the results of the US election. While intellectually I knew this outcome was a real possibility, emotionally I just wasn’t, am not, prepared to accept it. There is so much I could say on this subject and there are conversations that need to be had, but this is a sacred space for me and I’m not ready to take that plunge into political discourse here just yet. (The time will come soon as I begin to share what I’m learning about the history of the Goddess, more will be revealed soon)

What I will say is that traveling to the other side of the globe reinforced my knowing that we are one people and that we should be coming together not polarizing even more. I always land on my feet and I have the hope that we will collectively land on our feet so to speak. Rise up, wake up, and take the actions that are required to bring about the changes that will benefit us all, and I mean all, humans, animals, plants and our beautiful Mother Earth.

Sharing:
Art of Sacred Living is moving along at a snails pace, but progress is being made. In collaboration with Jen Davis from Peach Tree Pottery, I’m creating a beautiful line of teapots and bowls.

I tried this beauty out yesterday, serving tea to my beloved friend and tea mentor. The wood handle is driftwood that I collected last summer from my happy place, Whidbey Island.

I’ve been working like crazy on my alter project and will soon (finally) have some finished pieces. I would really love to have a gallery show in 2017… Let’s see if I can make that happen. I’m thinking YES. Ready to paint and decorate. I can’t wait to see how they turn out.

Finally, if I can birth the new Art of Sacred Living website by the end of the year (sooner would be better) I will be thrilled! I am never at a loss for ideas and I work tirelessly on my projects, but I struggle with completion.

I will finish my website, I will finish my website, I will finish my website. There that should do it 🙂

More will be revealed so I hope you check back soon.

Bright blessings,

YES to learning and staying inspired

Saying YES feels so great and it’s also very empowering as well as motivating. It helps me stay on task and clear.

I was thinking about how it can even be a mantra. I’m an irregular meditator (trying to improve that) and  often need a mantra to keep my mind focused. In the past I’ve used om namah shivia to pretty good effect. Then one night, in the middle of the night I might add, when I should have been asleep (that’s another story), I lay there chanting in my mind to try to fall asleep and all of a sudden I switched to YES, yes, yes, yes, yes… And I felt a little more relaxed, a little more at ease, and then I fell asleep.

In the morning I woke up feeling refreshed and motivated to get to work and stay focused (very hard for me!). One way I stay focused is by reading. Every day I spend some time reading, I believe it’s very important to be in a state of continual learning, which keeps a person excited and inspired.

Over the past two weeks I’ve read…

A little book with a big message. This was both incredibly inspiring and informative. I finished with a lot of fresh ideas.

I loved Austin’s first book so much that I read his second book…

Equally as fabulous as the first one with more inspiration and great ideas. You can find out more about Austin Kleon here.

Last night I started this book…

I just got through the foreword and introduction before falling asleep but so far so good. I’m looking forward to diving in deeper later today.

I love how artists are so generous with their knowledge and experiences. It seem that the ways of old, fear of sharing and all that ridicules secrecy business, has gone by the wayside. Creative people, perhaps more than any other group, don’t feel threatened by sharing their process and experiences and are always happy to help those further down the pike with a helping hand. There’s enough pie for everyone! Let’s eat.

What are your favorite ways to learn? What are you reading right now? I would love to hear any recommendations you might have. Let me know by leaving a comment.

Sending you love + light,

 

 

Hands-Up How To – Empowerment Pendant

Merry Christmas my beautiful friend,

I just love Jamie Ridler’s project Hands-Up How To. It is a beautiful thing to share what you know with others, it’s something that I do whenever the opportunity arrises.

I have been lucky to have met many generous souls in my life who shared their knowledge and expertise with me freely, making it possible to avoid their mistakes and saving me precious time. These generous people have always loved what they were doing, seemed happy and were usually very successful.

I have also reached out for guidance or help and been turned down. From these people I got the sense that asking for their hard found knowledge was some how threatening to them. Interestingly, the people who were unwilling to share seemed afraid that if they did share it would somehow take away from their own opportunity. And in general I’ve noticed that these people are usually struggling.

I believe that we live in an abundant Universe and that there is enough pie for everyone. That it takes courage to ask for help or guidance and that by helping someone out you are embracing the belief in abundance.

It is with great pleasure that I share this little bit of my knowledge with you.

I hope you try this project and enjoy it. (BTW these make great gifts too)

How to make your own Empowerment Pendant necklace

If you chose a word for 2012 you may want to make yourself a beautiful necklace with your word to wear close to your heart. (If you haven’t chosen your word yet go here for more information on how to select your power word)

Supplies:

• Wooden shape
• Printed background image. I use images of my art for the backgrounds
• Your word. I like to use aged paper to print it on **(see below for how to make your own aged paper)
• Mod Podge, glossy
• Paint brush
• Scissors
• Large paper clip bent open
• Fine sand paper. I use a 320 grit sanding block. You can get this at home depot or online
• Ice Resin
• Round nose pliers
• Chain-nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• 22 gage wire color of your choice
• chain, leather or cord + clasps and jumprings
• Paper piercer
• Plastic. You can use a plastic sandwich back, trash bag or whatever

You should be able to find everything you need at Michael’s Crafts and/or JoAnne’s. (or online)

Instructions:

1. Print out your background and your word.
2. Cut the background paper slightly larger than the wood piece.
3. Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on one side of your wood pendant.
4. Lay the pendant on the back side of the image so that the image is laid out where you would like it.
5. Use your fingers to smooth out the paper making sure it’s aligned where you want it.
6. Once it’s smoothed out and aligned take your scissors and trim the paper to fit.
7. Use the sanding block and gently go around the edge of the pendant.
8. Do the same thing to the other side.
9. Cut out your word any way that is pleasing to you, lay it out on the pendant until you like how it looks.
10. First remove word then brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on your pendant then place the word back where you want it.
11. Add any other decorations you want, hand painting, glitter (my personal favorite), or whatever.
12. Gently brush another layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface.*
13. Once it’s dry brush Mod Podge on the back side as well.*

*Note: Once you think you’ve completely covered both sides thoroughly with Mod Podge do it again. If you do not completely seel the paper it will bleed or become saturated with the resin and it doesn’t look as good.

Once your pendant is decorated the way you want, carefully coated with Mod Podge and completely dry your ready to mix your resin.

Applying the Resin:

1. Mix your Ice Resin according to the instructions. (instructional video link below)
2. Lay out your pendant on the plastic making sure that it’s level.
3. Pour a small amount of resin onto the pendant.
4. Use the paperclip to carefully guide the resin to the edges. It will naturally form a little bit of a dome.
5. Once you’ve covered the entire surface with resin cover your pendant leaving a crack for air. This is to make sure no dust gets onto the resin before it dries.
6. Wait 24 hours for the resin to dry and then apply it to the back side of your pendant.
7. Wait another 24 hours for the back to dry.

Now you’re ready for the final steps:

1. Place your pendant on a cutting mat
2. Using your Paper Piercer push a hole through where you want the wire or jump ring to go. I prefer wire. 
3. Using your round nose pliers make a U shape in the wire leaving plenty of room to wrap the end.
4. Put your pendant on the wire.
5. Holding the wire, wrap the end around about three times.
6. Add a bead if you like, I do:)
7. Using your round nose pliers again make a circle and wrap the end.

You are now ready to add the chain or leather cord or what ever you decided to use.

I used a leather cord with a bead as a closure. I also added 12 little brass beads to symbolize 2012.

Viola! You have now made yourself a beautiful empowerment pendant. An amulet to remind you all year long what you want to invite into your life.

**How to make your own aged paper: Make a VERY strong cup of black tea, once it’s steeped pour it into a cookie sheet. Add regular printer paper and let soak for about an hour. Then VERY carefully remove the paper one by one and lay it out to dry. I lay wax paper on my patio tables and lay my ‘aged’ paper outside to dry. That’s it, easy as pie:)

Ice Resin video (I do not use a torch as shown it the video and have no problems with bubbles)

I had a lot of fun preparing this information and am inspired to share more with you in the New Year. Hopefully in video format.

Sending you love and light. XO