Words of affirmation...

How fabulous!!! I just received my first blogger award and it is a Kreativ Blogger award- how cool is that. A HUGE THANK YOU to lillipilli lane for this wonderful award. I needed a bit of love- now I am feeling very affirmed. Thanks you again.


I have to do a few things to recieve this award and keep it growing. So here are the rules I need to follow:
1. Copy the picture and post on your blog.
2. Thank the person who gave it to you and link to their blog
3. Write 7 things about yourself we don't know:
-I've worked as a builders labourer
-I got a tattoo at age 29
-I was an only child till I was 15
-Venus was one of my high school nicknames

-I went to boarding school

-I trained as an Occupational Therapist
-I am a coffee snob

4. Choose 7 other bloggers to pass the award on to link to their blog
5. Notify your 7 bloggers

So here they are 7 very worthy recipients that I would like to pass this award onto. I love checking out their blogs and find them super inspirational...
- art in the garage
- omi creates
- banban designs
- This mama makes stuff
- Sweet Isobella Arts & Crafts
- picciolo
- Ric-Rac

So one of the best allies of our creativity is 'Words of Affirmation'. We all need to hear them from time to time to spur us on in our pursuit to live creatively. So affirm someone today- you could just make the difference in their creative journey.

New Stuff...

Well Watcha Wearing Wednesday came and went. I got up yesterday with my morning coffee and sat down to write about what I was wearing, then I realised it was NOT Wednesday. Oh well wasn't really wearing anything interesting anyway of Wednesday. Now it is Friday and I thought I might share some of what I have been up to lately...

Standing Tall, 700 x 700mm

Message of Hope, 700 x 700mm

Fields of Joy, 630 x 900mm

These three paintings were commissions and will be heading overseas to Rwanda. I want to say a big thank you to Dolls-n-Art by Michelle Eaton who was using this technique; painting over black as the base colour, on one of her artworks at that time. I was inspired to give it a go as I use a lot of black detail in my artworks. I am really happy with the result.

"Rays of Sunshine" is a belly cast completed resently. Finally thought I would show you up close and personal some of the works that can be seen in my exhibition at Eden Gardens (30th October- 30th November) for those who are not likely to be to get there.

Out of the Snow

On the Water

Even Sand Blasted

In the Valley

Despite the Drought

And the Pay it Forward recipients are...

FINALLY, I am nearly ready to start sending out my Pay it Forward gifts. As I only had 3 people decide to jump on board with this Kre8ive Generosity activity, I have randomly selected two blog-alisious lovelies to also be recipients of my Pay it Forwards. If you appear in the list below I will be contacting you soon so I can send you a lovely something in the post ( I looooooove pressies in the post!!!). You will be hearing from me soon....

Polka Dot Rabbit

Challen Charms

Garth & Carol Chin Poy

LIVE* LOVE* CREATE

Looking for something deeper

Taste Sensation...

Creativity needs to be cultivated. Just like a well needs a spring or water source to keep it full otherwise the supply slowly diminishes and eventually it drys up, the same is true for our creativity. We all need activities, places and people that will keep our creativity topped up. Each of us have been given 5 senses to explore, enjoy and navigate the world. Stimulating these 5 senses is also one of the most fabulous ways of keeping your creativity activitated.

I had the most wonderful sensory stimulating and creativity activating experience on Saturday. I went to a Chocolate making workshop. It was divine. Just what the creativity doctor ordered. After all of the projects that I had been working on lately it was just what I needed to top up my creative well.

This wonderful workshop was last year's Christmas present from my husband. Unfortunately I had not been able to attend any earlier as I was breast feeding 'button' and chocolate just didn't seem to sit right with her.

In the end the timing was perfect. It was fabulously creative, inspiring, delicious, social and a great way to spend a Saturday arvo. I made orange and cognac chocolate gaunache, chocolate coated leaves as well as double choc coated cream filled chocolates. I got chocolate all over my hands, up my arms, on my face, and I even got to lick chocolate off my hands (just like being a kid again). Everyone in attendance took a trip back to our childhood. Soooooooo delicious.

I am feeling totally inspired and filled to the top, ready to move on to the next list of projects on my creative agenda. The moral to this story is that we all need regular activities in our life that will stimulate our senses (all of our senses cause some of them definately get a raw deal and often get forgotten) and keep our creativity flowing. We all need moments of kre8ive inspiration. Have you got one planned for this week? If not, why not?

Wordless Weekend

Exhibition, exhibition, exhibition...

Well the paint was barely dry but today I hung the works for my second exhibition taking place during the month of November... I finally feel like I can take a breath. I can also clean my house. Nothing but painting and looking after 'Button' has taken place over the last few weeks. But it has all been worth it I am really really happy with how the exhibition looks. Sooooooooooo excited. Thought I would give you all a peek but if you are in Sydney it looks so much better in 'real life'. You can check it out at Eden Gardens, cnr Lane Cove Rd & Fontenoy Rd, NORTH RYDE from 30 Oct- 30 Nov 2009.

I also have other works at Candy's Cafe@ Candy's Cafe, 29 Belgrave Street, MANLY from 6th Oct - 6th Dec 2009.

I spy with my little eye...

I have been totally inspired and overwhelmed at the same time by a fabulous list of journalling ideas found here. As I looked over these fabulous ideas I realised that I take so little time to observe and reflect upon my world, my immediate world that is. I so rarely stop to take notice and appreciate the small things around me. I have good intentions of living in the NOW but so often I get caught up in the doing. Time just seems to pass me by and I find that I hardly remember any of the little things that have made my life.



SO I have come up with my own much shorter and far less intimidating list of Journalling ideas:

1. Describe each pair of shoes you wore this week.
2. Remember the last children's book you read and who you read it to.
3. What was the last present you bought and who was it for?
4. Imagine you were your first childhood pet. Write an adventure you would have.
5. Write a bio for the last stranger you smiled at in the street.
6. Write about your dining table as if it was a person, what are they like, how long have you known each other, where did you meet.
7. Write your shopping list with your eyes closed.
8. Write 10 of your favourite things starting with the letter 'H'.
9. If you were a smell what would you be?
10. Draw as many different kinds of door knobs as you can.

Wordless Weekend

Watcha Wearing Wednesday

Very cute 'vintage look' necklace - love this one...

Cute little cardi with lace yoke & tiny lace singlet top (very old but a fav)

Bring on the 30 day challenge...

Lately everywhere I go I have come across stories of people making sacrifices to do amazing things with their lives. I love the notion of living large, stretching your life's influence beyond yourself and your immediate world. To me these stories are inspirational. This is how I want to live and be remembered.

I don't want to live mediocre I want to live LARGE. I want to make a difference and live with purpose. I want to live generously! But sometimes it is soooooooo easy to get caught up in the routine of everyday and get trapped on the merri-go-round of the mundane.

It has been said that we are 'Blessed to be a Blessing' and I totally believe this. But only in the last few days has it occurred to me that I can choose if I am a blessing. I decide to see opportunities to bless others or not. In fact I can even CREATE opportunities to bless others if doing so is important enough to me.

Totally challenged by the idea that I don't need to wait for opportunities to come my way and that I can actually be proactive and CREATE moments/ opportunities to brighten someone elses day - I have embarked on a 30day challenge... To give a blessing everyday for 30 day.

Each day I am going to take or make an opportunity to bless someone. Either someone in my world, or someone that may briefly intersect with my life. The aim is to simply give a little token of kindness for no other reason except that I can and I want to.

Here are my first 5 blessing...

1. handwritten note

2. baking
3. some timeout for a studying mum

4. ironing

5. e-card of encouragement

Talk about stretching your creative muscles. This is giving me a work out. But I am loving it. It adds a little excitement to the day knowing that on top of the days schedule and chores I have a special mission. Life is so full of learning and I am going to grab this opportunity to grow with both hands.

PS I still have 2 spots left in my pay it forward. I would love for you to join me. Time is fast running out before the end of the year.