September Resolutions from the Eternal Student

September is one of my favourite months, I love the change in seasons, the natural change of colours and change in temperature.  I’ve seen September as a time for new beginnings for many years, perhaps why I prefer mid year diaries.

So whilst I’m staying with my Belief in the Magic of 2014, I’m using this month as a well needed time for reviewing what’s going on here in the land of WHEN and with my Creative Abundance Centre.  There may not be a mega amount of physical crafting going on this week, I’ll be crafting a holistic hub, lots of planning, clarifying a vision and getting ready for lots of doing.

For as Joel A Barker said “Vision with action can change the world”. (Tweet it out)

In keeping with Monday's blogging Crafting Community I will show a piece of work I've completed this week.

This is HoliStitch, Ive created her for the marketing material I'm compiling for my Creative Abundance Centre.  I'll be using her to promote my Indian Head Massage.

My knee jerk reaction to this title when I wrote it was that I am the Eternal Student because my ‘student years’ were a time where I held a lust for life and where my long term goal in life was to be happy, a yearning for a more mystical time.  But it turns out that I am, by nature, an eternal student.

Namaste

Catherine

xxx

Creative Marvelling

You can see my Art Work at Etsy

I’ve been doing a lot of work on my textured art lately, the latest collection I’ve put together incorporating words and embroidery.  As I worked on the above piece I found myself stopping quite a lot as watching its coming together. Which led me to the question:  Does the creative process take longer because we marvel at the work coming together?

This is one closely followed by the beauty of the back of thread work – I’m not the only one that see’s the beauty there, right?

Here’s to a happy weekend.  I’m looking forward spending some time at my local park, Barshaw, giving some love to the overgrown peace garden.  If you’re local why not join us.

Namaste

Catherine x

New Year- More Me

Believe in The Magic

First Wednesday of the 2014, first post and a plan for the year ahead.

I am so glad to see the shift in approach to the New Year.  Thanks to the works of Danielle La Porte and lots of other thought provoking women out there many of us seem to be shifting from those self sabotaging resolutions to finding a purpose and a way of being for the year - and for life.  After all “we” are for life not, just the holiday season.

I spent quite a lot of time in December with such women, Molly Mahar on her Holiday Council, letting go of the old and not only figuring out how I want 2014 to feel for me but how I can make that happen.  And sharing the Winter Solstice with the lovely Amy Ahlers, Shiloh Sophia and Christine Arylo was lots of fun, and a reinforcement of the whole heart and mind over matter way of living.  I like to think that I'm creating some new meaningful traditions for myself.  Letting go of the old and destructive and recognising what's important and sticking with it.

I must admit that I'm not sorry to see 2013 go.  It was a hell of a year.  The most amazing lessons, lows and highs really came from the same source.  Finally unwrapping the gift of Aspergers has brought a whole new perspective on life.  We do so get so much more of what we focus on so, I'm focusing on the highlights:

Favourite TED Talks : Top Spot has to go to Logan LaPlante . 

Winning designs - The Embroidery Piece that led me to the Holiday Council and my August Calendar

Favourite Book - Mind Over Medicine by Lissa Rankin MD

Favourite moment - a walk in the park and the beauty of ENOUGH

The word for 2013 was True and it definitely was a TRUE year

And so I let go of all the old baggage I've been carrying around for what seems like forever and pack light for my travels ahead in 2014 and beyond.

My theme for 2014 is to Believe in the Magic : Using what I already Have; Finding and Nurturing the Texture; and Surrendering to the Magic. I intend to have a great year.  As of next week I’ll be blogging regularly on Wednesdays (Wishcasting Thoughtful Threads - Sharing some good mojo), Fridays (The Spectrum of Mindful Living - Helping find the way through the minefield of mindful health info out there), Sundays(Usual Weekly BS - a curation of good stuff from the WWW for the week) and Mondays(Craft Therapy),  as well as getting my freelance mojo on over at my soon to be New Web Site (more about that very soon).

Buckle up it's going to be a spectacular ride.......

Keep Believing

Catherine

xxx

Chilling out for Christmas

For those who have stuck with me through this year, Thank You.  As you may know 2013 has been a challenge in so many ways. So, I've decided to to take December out - focusing on my own Handmade Christmas and prepping for 2014 and beyond.

For my prep I'm delighted to be able to put my prize from Molly Mahar (for my Pinterest Quote)  to good use and will be taking part in the Holiday Council.  I  am so looking forward to spending December with a community of creative women - definitely just what I need.

So, I'm off to get my Christmas Card design for this year done - so far it looks a bit like this...

The background is a canvas I had in our old kitchen I'm planning on painting it a cloudy midnight blue.  I just have to add some words to my embroidery work.  Having spent the afternoon chilling out watching Craft Wars I'm feeling inspired and getting ready to dust up some of that Christmas Sparkle.

Namaste and Happy Holidays

Catherine

xxxxx

Crafting an Authentic Life - My September Issue

Right now,writing this, I'm listening to Gavin DeGraw's Follow Through.  I used to be really good at this 'doing what I say I'm going to do'.  Lately I've realised that I'm no longer so good at it.  Blogging is good for calling you out on that one because one week you blog that you're going to re brand your blog, your shop, smarten everything up and weeks if not months later you still haven't followed through.  Now my habitual reaction to such a revelation would be to beat myself up something awful.  Then to do that big deep dig and ask myself - did I not do it because I don't believe in it or me, because I know it won't work, because I'm kidding myself that I can make a difference.  You know what, sometimes shit happens and we kind of let it take over and find we're constantly on the wrong end of a shovel.  We lose sight of our priorities and values and just focus on the shit.  Well, you know what else, we get more of what we focus on and, you've guessed it, if you focus on the shit you get more of it.  I've reached the time for throwing down the shovel and looking up and seeing the light, because it's up there, it always has been I just forgot it was there.

This week I watched a fabulous documentary on Channel 4 - 'Fabulous Fashionistas'.  If you haven't seen it yet I thoroughly recommend that you do.  It tells the story of 6 women, with an average age of 80, who live the most authentic lives.  I took the front end message to be that 'style keeps you young'.  And there were some strong messages 'people notice what you wear more when your older' And hitting our screens in the midst of the fashion world's fashion weeks it had some powerful messages for the fashion industry.  The strongest message was in the lives lived by the women.  Every one of them authentic, with a zest and gratitude for the life they have. Definitely all living in the now.  And definitely something worth a whole post of its own.





I'm continuing to enjoy texture art and focusing on the Paisley Pattern.  I've completed another canvas and have been doing some drawing.  I found a tutorial for Lace Skeleton Leaves at How Did You Make This. I'm thinking this will be a great way of putting together some Paisley pieces.  And hope to be showing some of those off very soon.  And popping over to Handmade Monday to see what all you other crafty folk have been up to.





I had intended to have a folio of work together by now and be well on my way to living that authentically fit and happy life.  But life happens, there have been a few hiccups.  And whilst we're still in the thick of it I am shifting focus.  We do get more of what we focus on - and from here on in I intend to focus on the sugar.

My aim from here on in is to put more of my art out there, to use what I've got and to add texture.

Namaste

Catherine

xxx

What Does Your Label Say?

Finally found my labels.

Namaste

Catherine

xxx

The Myth of Completion

This got me an awsomeable mention

Realising that we are never done is not only a beautiful thing but a great relief.  Once learned it's important to hold onto the knowledge that it does not give us permission to leave things undone.

Namaste and Happy Friday

Catherine

xxx

Making - Never Done

A Thing of Beauty

I really enjoyed putting this piece together.  

One of the things I love about it is that it's not meant to be finished. And it led me to thinking about how we are never done - there is always space for change, for improvement for rethinking, yet there is a beauty in the unfinished.  I've already got so many ideas for other similar unfinished/finished pieces.

I particularly love the hanging thread and the possibility of more and the beauty of enough.

My new branding is still a work in progress - and it is progressing.  Texture, things being unfinished, words... all will be revealed very shortly.

In the meantime I'm off to check out what everyone's been up to over at Handmade Monday and to post this piece on Pinterest. 

The words are by Molly Mahar and this piece was originally made for entry into her Pinterest Competition at Stratejoy.

Hope everyone has a creative and fulfilling week.

Namaste

Catherine

xxx

First things first

This pin really sums it all up.

Happy Tuesday.

Catherine

xxx