fear means go

Have you read Susan Jeffers' book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway? If not, I highly recommend it. It's a powerful way to live. The concept is quite simple, really, as you'll learn from the book. Although not connected, this recent post on the Harvard Business Review blog echoes Susan's message. Fear means go.

Believe, 

Di

check in and bookmark swap

Yowsa! It's been six weeks since my last post. If anyone tells you looking for employment is a full-time job in itself, believe them! While I look forward to receiving a paycheck again, this transition period and journey of exploration has been tremendously rewarding as far as personal growth. I've met some fabulous women and discovered paths and opportunities I didn't know existed. Going out into the world after nearly 29 years at one company is like discovering a complete library of books when previously you only had access to a few. Oh, the possibilities!

Speaking of books, I've read several so far this year and if I had to pick just one to recommend, I'd recommend Aspire by Kevin Hall. I finished it and immediately started reading it again... it's that good. If you want something to get you thinking & truly inspire you, read this book.

And now for the 'goods.' In April I signed up for a Yahoo Group bookmark swap for May. It was a perfect push for me to create something when I might not otherwise take the time. I created yesterday and oh what fun I had! Creating was fun... the challenge was trying to make items that the recipients might like. I know one of the gals but the other two are new to me, so I had to make assumptions based on previous correspondence I'd seen from them, blogs, etc. Anyhoo.... here's what I ended up with:

The beautiful image of an Indian postcard is from Stampington & Company, cat stencil by All Night Media, and daisy paper by DCWV. Twinkling H2Os made one of the daisies pop out, along with a mixture of embossing powders for the center. It was a great day and I look forward to my next stint playing/creating. In the meantime, I leave you with a quote from Aspire:

"Talents and gifts do not reduce or diminish when shared; they expand and increase like the widening ripples from a pebble dropped in water." ~ Kevin Hall

Believe,
Di

get your craft on

The last few days I've taken a break from job search stuff to nourish my creative side, which, quite frankly, was getting pretty darn cranky about not getting any attention. My husband gave a Zentangle kit to me for Valentine's Day (he rocks!) so I've started playing around a bit with Zentangles. I created and sent holiday cards (yes, I was so late with Christmas/New Year's cards that I sent St. Patrick's Day cards instead ... hey, better late than never, right?), and worked on two backgrounds for new pieces:

I'll share the pieces once completed.

On the book front, I finished reading Taking Flight: Inspiration And Techniques To Give Your Creative Spirit Wings by Kelly Rae Roberts (excellent!). The last couple of chapters were definitely my favorites, and this book is now residing in my craft room, within easy reach whenever I need inspiration. I started Room by Emma Donoghue (love it!) and will finish Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston tonight. What have you been reading?

Now, in honor of March being National Craft Month, I encourage you to go forth and get your craft on! {smile}

Believe,
Di

Walking Through Illusion

This week's snowstorm took out our internet last night, so I curled up & finished a good book I'd started in January. I don't normally share much on my blog about the books I read, but this book was different and since it's not a best seller or on Oprah's list, I want to get the word out about it. It's Walking Through Illusion by Betsy Otter Thompson. Here's the description on the back cover:

"Walking Through Illusion features a series of short stories about biblical people who either knew Jesus or knew of him, and were influenced by him in one way or another. It is about people who lived long before Christianity began. The author believes that we don't take our beliefs with us when we leave here; we take the love we found from having them.

"Each chapter focuses on the growth of a particular person and each chapter is complete within itself with a specific theme. The end of each chapter has a worksheet with questions, designed to bring the ideas from the book into the reader's everyday life in a meaningful way."

Let me share up front that I'm not Christian nor do I know much of the bible. As such, I was a bit skeptical about reading this book. However, I do pride myself on being open-minded & inquisitive, and I thoroughly enjoy books that help me grow & evolve so I decided to give it a try. While I believe it would've been an easier read if I had known something about these biblical characters, my naivete meant I came to the stories with no preconceived notions. Topics addressed included Morality, Approval, Confusion, Death, etc. (23 in all). Most of the stories were easily relatable to my own modern day life. To help with that connection, the author shared her own personal insights on each story/lesson. I would not have guessed it when I read those first few pages, but I ended up highlighting multiple passages in the book, having been touched by them, and even tabbing a few powerful pages. I'm very glad I opened my heart & mind to this book. It was well worth the time.

If you too pursue personal growth, or just enjoy a good read, I recommend Walking Through Illusion. http://www.betsythompson.com

One World One Heart 2011

Last night was the official kickoff of One World One Heart 2011. I am excited to participate this year and want to thank Lisa Swifka for hosting this wonderful event. I'm anxious to blog hop all over the world the next couple of weeks, meeting other bloggers and peeking into their worlds. We are all alike in one way or another, and it's fun to uncover those similarities and learn from our differences.

Oh, silly me... introductions....

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Dianna but my friends call me Di. I live in central Iowa, USA. Having worked in the corporate world my entire adult life, I decided a few years back it was time to nurture the other side of my brain/self. When I could make time in my schedule, I started dabbling in various creative areas, starting first with silk flowers & greeting cards and more recently playing around with mixed media, jewelry, essential oils, a wee bit of photography, etc. I've been having a blast! The biggest challenge has been finding time & energy while working a full time (plus) job. That issue is being resolved for me, as I'm one of 1,500 being laid off at our company. My last day will be 2/15/11, so while I've been busy & will continue to be busy finding a new job, I intend to find one that affords me more time to enjoy life & express myself through creative activities! One of these days I hope to land on one or two creative outlets that truly make my heart sing AND bring joy to others. My dream is to take that creative outlet and turn it into career in some way (hey, a girl's gotta have goals, right?). In the meantime, I want a job supporting someone else reaching their goal. When I'm not working, I'll continue learning, practicing & sharing various art & crafts.

The on-line creative community (bloggers, yahoo groups, etc.) has become an important part of my life, just like creating/crafting is now integral to who I am.

Anyhoooo, I encourage you to roam around my site. If you have a question, comment or suggestion about anything, please let me know.

Oh, and as a thank you for visiting my blog, if you are an active worldwide blogger & leave a comment on this OWOH post between 1/30/11 and 2/17/11 (with a way for me to contact you in the event you win), you name will be entered in a drawing. One lucky blogger will win this bookmark I made along with her/his choice of one of the following books (just three of my favorites, and don't worry, the winner will receive a new book and not my marked up, written in, tabbed version).

• Life is a Verb by Patti Digh
• I Can Do It by Louise L. Hay
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

I'll draw the winning name on 02/17/11.

Believe,
Di

books aside

My free, gently-used art books didn't fly off the shelves like I thought they might but that's ok. I'm sure I'll find loving homes for them at some point. For now, I'm putting them aside to begin a creative collaboration with my online pal Phyll. She's worked with countless mediums and is always experimenting with new things. I'm anxious to see what she does. Heck, I'm anxious to see what I do, since it's been quite awhile since I've played on that side of the studio! LOL! I'll share the photos/scans of the pieces when they're done. For now, I'll leave you with a quote:

"The root meaning of the word art is "to fit together" and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters, but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating -- whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day." ~ Corita Kent

recipients & a few more books to give away

I'm tickled to be able to pass along these books/publications to three lovely ladies:

• The Princess ~ The Art of Cartooning by Walter Foster
• Tami ~ Art Escapes ~ Daily Exercises & Inspirations for Discovering Greater Creativity & Artistic Confidence, by Dory Kanter
• Jodi ~ Artful Blogging, Aug/Sep/Oct '09 & Somerset Studio Sep/Oct '07, Nov/Dec '07, Mar/Apr '08 & Jul/Aug '09

Tami, would you please send an email to me with your mailing address? My email is shown on my profile ("about me") page.

Since I still have a few books/publications available, and have now added three more, I'll make another offer.

• Cloth Paper Scissors, July/August 2009
• Cloth Paper Scissors, September/October 2009
• Creative Cardmaking a Complete Guide, published by North Light Books
• Herbal Pleasures Cooking & Crafts by Katherine Richmond
• Old Age Is Always 15 Years Older Than I Am ~ a book of quotes that are great for making birthday cards
• Paper Crafting with Carol Duval
• Sew Crafty ~ Craft Projects That Are Sew Much Fun They'll Have You In Stitches by Heather Lancaster & Desiree Tanner
• The Stamper's Sampler June/July 2007
• The Ultimate Crafts Compendium, published by Hermes House

If you're interested, email me or leave a comment by 8/30/10 and let me know which one(s) you'd like. If more than one person asks for a particular item, I'll ask my dh to draw names from a hat. The items & shipping are free. I just ask that you only request what you'll actually read/use.

I'll announce winners 8/31/10 or shortly thereafter, and ask that mailing addresses be privately emailed to me at that time (if not already provided).

Enjoy every moment

Di

gently used art book give-away

Today is National Relaxation Day, and what better way to relax than with a good book? I've been doing a wee bit of downsizing and have some art books & publications to pass along (seems appropriate since August is National Artist Appreciation Month). I have the following items available:

• The Art of Cartooning by Walter Foster
• Art Escapes ~ Daily Exercises & Inspirations for Discovering Greater Creativity & Artistic Confidence, by Dory Kanter
• Artful Blogging, Aug/Sep/Oct 2009
• Cloth Paper Scissors, July/August 2009
• Cloth Paper Scissors, September/October 2009
• Creative Cardmaking a Complete Guide, published by North Light Books
• Paper Crafting with Carol Duval
• Somerset Studio, September/October 2007
• Somerset Studio, November/December 2007
• Somerset Studio, March/April 2008
• Somerset Studio, July/August 2009
• The Stamper's Sampler June/July 2007
• The Ultimate Crafts Compendium, published by Hermes House

If you're interested, email me or leave a comment by 8/22/10 and let me know which one(s) you'd like. If more than one person asks for a particular item, I'll ask my dh to draw names from a hat. The items & shipping (gulp, I may regret the shipping part) are free. I just ask that you only request what you'll actually read/use.

I'll announce winners 8/23/10 or shortly thereafter, and ask that mailing addresses be privately emailed to me at that time (if not already provided).

Choose Love,
Di

books - 2010 to be record year

I realized the other day I've read four books this year. That's amazing for me. I love to read, but am a slow reader and not one to sit still for long (without falling asleep...lol). Thank the stars for audio books! Three of the four I've 'read' this year were audio books. What a convenient way to learn & grow.

I've decided to make 2010 a record year for reading, and have updated the right side bar of my blog with book information. If you have a book you'd like to recommend, I'd love to hear from you. I enjoy books about creativity, arts/crafts, spirituality of all kinds, time management, understanding human behaviors, the power of being positive, motivation & self awareness, inspiration & ways to make a difference.

Happy reading!

let your life speak

This evening I finished reading "Let Your Life Speak - Listening for the Voice of Vocation" by Parker J. Palmer. It's insightful and thought-provoking. As I thought through what the author had shared, I noticed I'd highlighted & tabbed at least a dozen pages. With that much good stuff, I decided to share a few paragraphs. I went to the publisher's website to find the correct form to request permission. That's where I saw notice that it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process my request. I'm not that patient, so must forgo sharing the paragraphs I'd selected and opt instead for just one sentence (which I hope won't get me in trouble with copyright laws).

"We are here not only to transform the world but also to be transformed." ~ Parker J. Palmer

You can read more about this book on Amazon.com (and I suppose several other sites that sell books). It's a great little book that I highly recommend. My thanks to Patti Digh for suggesting it.

Oh, and yes, I need a fourth category for my blogging (see yesterday's post) entitled "other." {smile}

an amazing book, a wren house and a quote

Tonight I finished "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh. Well, finished my first reading ~ this book will not be placed on a shelf to gather dust. It was one of the most moving & insightful books I've ever read. Reading it these past few months (this is not a book to rush through) I've laughed, cried, written notes, done some of the action exercises, highlighted passages & quotes and tabbed so many pages with colored post-it tape it looks like it's got fringe! If you haven't read this book, I encourage you to check it out!

Afterwards, I strolled through the garden with my camera. The wrens came back again this year, nesting in a ceramic acorn. Funny, we have about a dozen wooden houses we put out for them, and they choose this acorn which was meant to be just decorative. Hey.... whatever they want they can have.... I'm just tickled they're here! I'm continually amazed at how loud those tiny little birds can be with their songs.

Lastly, I want to share a favorite quote in follow-up to my poem from Sunday.

"The only fundamental rule for me is to just be yourself. Let your freak-flag fly, and if someone doesn't get you, move on." ~ Drew Barrymore

wicked fun

Accepting an art challenge based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was a bit scary. I mean, The Wizard of Oz scared the bejeebies outta me as a kid. I really didn't want to dream about crazy flying monkeys at this point in my life. But something inside me said to do it. My DH bought the audiobook so I wouldn't work from my childhood memories. What a story! I was totally engaged within the first hour. My mind whirled with ideas for a piece. Unfortunately, I'm new to most mixed-media techniques, so countless hours were spent experimenting, researching, asking questions, etc. Although my vision constantly changed, I HAD A BLAST! My completed effort is shown here... mixed media (acrylic paint, polymer clay, UTEE (with aluminum beneath), paper) on an 8x8 canvas. My thanks to Mary from Green Woman Creating for sharing instructions for how she made her brown tissue paper tree (I used an old sewing pattern spritzed with walnut ink) and the wonderful group of talented souls at Mixed Media Mischief Makers for hosting the challenge, encouraging me & answering my questions.

http://greenwomandesign.blogspot.com/
http://mixedmediamischiefmakers.blogspot.com/

I'm a little late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The stress of year-end and the holidays over, 12/31 I had 6+ inches cut from my hair & highlights added. I wanted a new look (not to mention, less prep time) to go with my renewed dedication to creativity & living a balanced life. I awoke 01/01 with a terrible sore throat & have been in my pj's ever since. Not up to creating art, I've used my sporadic awake-time to read & ogle every page of the latest issue of Somerset Studio before starting a new book, "life is a verb" by Patti Digh. What a great book this is! I'm so glad I ordered it as a holiday gift to myself. It blends beautifully with setting my 2009 goals. I love how she tells stories for illustration, and uses words I'm unfamiliar with so I must keep my pocket dictionary handy ~ exercise for my mind!

When I feel better, I have new toys to play with so who knows what you might see on my blog in the upcoming weeks. My awesome husband gave me new acrylic paints, Prismacolor markers, an electric dremmel (I'd been using a hand-me-down rechargeable from my dad) and Bamboo Fun from Wacom (electronic pen tablet). Was Santa good to you too?

Here's to a fantastic 2009, everyone!