Elsa Beskow Giveaway

I hardly blog at all.  I've had great intentions, and even drafted articles in my mind.  But then I wake the next day and the clarity of thought has gone, as has the opportunity to get on the computer and post.  I hereby make a mid-year resolution to be more proative with that!  But for now I just HAVE to let you all know about this very generous offer from Valerie at "Jump Into a Book" blog, who is giving away 19 Elsa Beskow books!!!  It really is very simple to enter, just follow this link to find out how: http://valariebudayr.typepad.com/jump_into_a_book/2011/07/the-19-book-elsa-beskow-giveaway.html#comment-6a00e54ef83753883301538fb4bc0c970b.  What an awesome opportunity!  Promise I will be back in blogland soon :)

The Beauty in All Things

This week has been so fantastic.  Very busy, but wonderful.  Monday was a playdate with a friend, our little ones are two peas in a pod.  Tuesday was a craft workshop at my place with some friends from our old playgroup.  Lovely company and the kids were a joy.  Wednesday was playgroup and a good old chat and cuppa afterwards.  Thursday was another Tuesday, and just as great.  And Friday I FINALLY got to post my Autumn Seasonal Swap and make a start on a craft project for a newfound friend.  Not only that, I got to restore myself at Sacred Womens Circle, which I am still on a high from!  And the weekend will be spent nurturing and being nurtured at home, with my little family together, finishing off with the Moondew Autumn Festival late Sunday afternoon.  Phew!

I feel privileged to have the circle of friends I have enveloped myself in and am thoroughly enjoying watching our children grow together and establish friendships of their own.  I look around me and see so many creative, talented women that inspire me.  But they are not only artistic.  These women produce beauty on the outside in their work, but it is their inner beauty that I mostly admire.  I am truly grateful that they are a part of my life, and am honoured to be a part of theirs.  And as I expand and discover my true self, so does my circle widen.  Coincidence???

But enough of that.  I wanted to share something completely simple.  Yesterday while cutting a shape from a scrap of felt, I looked down to find what was left.  This:

I just thought that was so cool - a perfect moosehead!  Pure joy from such a small thing.  And it made me think.  Just a few days ago I commented to a friend that I think my own level of artistic skill is very basic, very childlike.  Not to put myself down at all, but it is something that I have recognised about myself as I develop in the craft arena.  And I decided that I liked that.  I like that I can look at a scrap of felt and see a shape, the same as you would see things in the clouds.  And I love that it gives me pleasure.  Because it shows I can see beauty in everything and that my imagination is active.  And on some level that I have managed to retain childhood innocence as an adult.

And I am so pleased that I can look at a fallen, dried out palm frond, and see a witches broom.  Or a broken branch as a winter tree for the nature table.  Or a stubborn, feisty two year old as a strong, independent and confident young woman in the making.  Or a negative situation as an opportunity for higher learning.  I guess the underlying message is choosing to see life and all its glory positively.  It just changes things immensely.  Its how my Mum was, and how I am, and I what I wish for my daughter.  Wow!  All of that from a scrap of felt!

Nurture with Nature.....

Just recently we had our annual family weekend away with my family.  This year we went to Cabarita Beach and just had a fabulous time.  I am one of four daughters (no brothers) and we each have families of our own, so between us all there are eight adults and seven children.  When we do anything together, it's always a big deal :)  It was so great to spend time with them all and just relax.  We just love the whole Northern New South Wales region too, so that made it even more special. 

Anyway - I digress.  I wanted to share with you all the treasures we came home with as I feel so spoilt with them all.  I had wanted to collect some shells to make Bella a wind mobile, but I had no idea what a glorious glut of them we would encounter!

Such a variety of colours and types - from pink coral strands to grey fans, from purple pippis to orange spirals and cones, from green snails to white catseyes!  And all the seedpods as well .....

And lastly this great find at the Bangalow Markets (oh how I love thee):

 

            


Weren't we lucky?  I especially love the words on the coconut shell ladel: Nurture with Nature.  It was such a timely reminder and so simple but poignant a statement.  I came home feeling very refreshed (although exhausted) and truly privileged to have been provided with such booty.

We have lift off.....

Finally I have set up a blog of my own after considering for some time that I didn't have anything worth saying.  I'll let you be the judge of that and just put myself out there and if nothing else I have kept a diary :)  I want to start by giving a shameless plug to my start up business of the same name and provide a couple of photos for you to get a taste of what I make.  My little venture is just in its infancy and I really hope it takes off.  So here's a sample ..... let me know what you think as I really appreciate the feedback.