Weekend

Just as I got comfortable in bed last night with my current book (Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), out of nowhere came ... stomach cramps. I could feel them getting stronger, so I got up and took my remedy which has worked twice now: a spoonful of fennel seeds, chewed slowly until they liquify before swallowing. Immediate abatement; a few minutes later I lay on my side and the pain was gone. Given that I don't usually respond to herbal cures, this makes me very happy!

[edit.] Just so you won't worry, the first time I had these stomach cramps, I went straight to my doctor.

For a sleeping aid, valerian root, melatonin, all those remedies that seem to "knock" other people out  have absolutely no effect on me. But recently I tried magnesium, around 450 mg in the evening, and I've been sleeping very well since. I take calcium etc. daily because taking vitamins and minerals in isolation is not recommended!

Have a restful day.

These cards are available in my Etsy shop. More cards are listed on eBay.

My favorite shirt

My favorite shirt is from Italy and belongs to my friend Julie. She bought it while on a trip to Toronto, at Yorkdale, confided that it cost a fortune but that she had to have it. I agreed completely. The shirt is pure art. I photographed it/her outside my building.

Today, the temperature dipped to -30C. With the windchill, that would be -40C. It was a day for the sheepskin coat Julie gave me before she moved to California.

In other news I'm cat-sitting again for a week. Calypso recognized me right away, spread herself out on the rug and waited to be stroked. Coco recognized me too because she was very friendly, and she tends to be aloof. They both know who will be feeding them for the next week!!!

Simple crochet

Credit goes to the handspun yarn, not my crocheting, which is very basic and which I make up as I go along. I made this collar/necklace thingie that you slip on over your head, and since my friend Ramona was visiting, I perched it on her head. She thought it made her look like a Roman. I thought she was very gracious!

Calling all coffee lovers

My friend Kelly has a fabulous One Word One Heart giveaway. Go and sign up now!!!!!

Clickety click here

I love...

...little fabric bags. I usually make them to house my little fabric hearts. Recently I ran out of envelopes that would fit a card because I don't measure my cards, so I made a fabric "envelope". It's more of a pouch, and it can be used for something else. Of course, if you want to mail it, will have to go in a big envelope but you won't have to worry about the card matching the envelope.

These two gift bags below were inspired by an article by Angela Harris in the current Somerset Life.

Naglikpok kapic

(Update: She has seen it and she loved it. Here's the full piece)

No, I don't speak Inuktitut. But I looked up some words for this quiltie for a friend of mine (this is part of the quiltie and shows her baby pic. I wanted to add something to honor her Inuit heritage.

And what does naglikpok kapic mean, you ask.

It means she "loves coffee" -- which she does!

A new week....

....in case you haven't realized it, it's the last week of January. Sometimes I think measuring time is not necessarily a good thing! But I suppose humans need it to keep some kind of order. Which reminds me of people who complain that we have too many laws. My response is that if people acted sensibly, morally and ethically, we wouldn't need most of our laws. There you go...

Let's be good to each other.

Thank you!!!

My first listing at Haiti by Hand sold immediately.

Robyn (in Australia), may blessings follow you all the days of your life!

And another thing

You know Rebecca Sower. I've been a fan of her for years (Nostalgique ring a bell? Those wonderful products she designed were and still are part of my supplies). Rebecca, as I mentioned earlier, has a special connection to Haiti. Anyway, I just wanted to alert you to her new Haitian Artisan Blog. I love what she has been and is doing in Haiti and especially that it's an arts & crafts venture as well. It reminds me of the saying:  to paraphrase it, Give a person a fish and you feed them; give them a fishing rod and you give them a way to make a living. There is a Haiti by Hand shop and yours truly is honored to be a part of it.

I want to pass on Rebecca's thoughts, because I agree with her: I just hope we aren't growing weary of hearing about it all and getting back to life as usual. That is what worries me.


Love, Colette

Today was a working day for me, inside and outside the home. I did a shift at the bookstore, then came home and finished a medical translation that came in yesterday and is due on Monday. I really think I get certain jobs because they know I'll deliver very fast. I enjoyed this translation because it was an interview with the president of the Quebec nurses' association. (My mother was a nurse-midwife, and a darn great one too!)

Then I finished the cover of another journal I made. I found the perfect place for this damaged cabinet card. It had been folded at the corner and broken off, but I purchased it anyway because I happen to think it's even more attractive.

Happy weekend!

Friday's child

There's always a way. I've joined Hearts for Haiti, an Etsy shop where artists of all kinds have donated items, proceeds of which go to Doctors without Borders/Médecins sans frontières, an organization I got to know when I worked on a medical publication.

Here's part of the shop's announcement:

This is an Etsy collective of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100% of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy fees and Paypal fees) go directly to DoctorsWithoutBorders (http://doctorswithoutborders.org ). This shop has permission to use the DoctorsWithoutBorders name and a separate bank account and Paypal account have been opened to maintain the integrity of this shop.


Have a browse!

Grey skies

The grey days continue like some kind of gestation period, and maybe that's the purpose. I think the seasons are a little confused right now, like the little wind that's blowing here and there, not really knowing where to go. Since there's no sense to push against it, we'll just flow with it, and wait.

Tags

When I don't know what to do, I make tags.
There! Now you know my secret.

I grunged these up with a coffee bath and played with some patterned paper and rubber stamps.

Art therapy.

Perception

The world is what you think it is.

I saw these words somewhere, I forget where, and it reminded me to be careful, at the very least aware, of how I "see" the world.

(This card and other new listings, available here)

What I like about Sundays: No alarm clock, no demands on my time, no obligations. It gives me quite a rush. It's good to work, to be busy, because without that, there would be no rush!

Today I'm sorting out my notebooks accumulated over the years. They contain travel notes, notes to myself, quotations I've liked, dreams I've had, interpretation of those dreams, advice, joy and despair, in short my life over a decade. I don't like revisiting the past, but there are some good reminders. Here's one I want to share with you.

Doubt creeps in because I can't connect my inner knowing with the outer events. That's where faith comes in.

Rebecca Sower

How art saves lives. Literally. Rebecca Sower can tell the story better than me. If you want to donate to Haiti and buy some Haitian art at the same time, do visit her blog.

A different kind of studio

Flamenco studio!
It's been a while, but I dusted off my flamenco shoes and went for an exhilarating session.

Happy new year indeed!

My line of rubber stamps by Stampington & Company has been released. They will officially be available on February 1. I'm beyond thrilled. The project has been a year in the making and it's so gratifying to see the results. There are 11 stamps in all, including these.

Special thanks to Kellene Giloff and Sarah Meehan. I'm truly grateful.

Treasured

This is a detail from a tiny antique sampler from France. Some of the letters are unravelling, it's old and grimy, but it is a thing of beauty. I intend to frame it and hang it somewhere where I can see it often.

A long, long time ago, in another era, someone sat down and embroidered it. Her little sampler found its way to me, in what she would have considered the New World and it will be treasured.

Bloghibernation

I've had my hands full the last few days, but that's not why I haven't posted. It's just that I haven't had much to say. While fulfilling my usual obligations, my mind has been busy thinking about a project that involves six pieces of artwork that have a deadline. Four are done, although by no means are they final. I'll decide when I decide! I've also been thinking about honesty in asssessing artwork. I'm dismayed when I see mediocre work being hailed as fabulous and gorgeous by people who should know better. That's not helpful or kind, it's detrimental; it keeps the person stuck in a mediocre place. Rather, when asked to assess something, we should be honest and constructive, and do it kindly. We need to pull people up, not keep them down. That's my opinion.

Book binding

I love making journals-- visual ones, because I'm not a journal writer. It's just not my thing, writing about my day or my feelings. I've made my living as a writer for two decades now, so maybe it's because when it comes to myself, I want a break from writing. I love writing stories and articles, and that's enough for me.

Making signatures -- a set of stitched pages -- was easy enough. But sewing several signatures together was a mystery, then binding them. I finally took the time to look it up and it turns out it's easier than I thought.

So, of course, it set off a chain of making them. I started with a little notebook of two signatures, and continued with a normal-size one. It won't be the last. I'm enjoying myself too much!

Hearts

It seems the heart season has begun. My hearts are for all seasons and all reasons, but if you're looking for Valentines, I have some listed on eBay and in my shop.

Love, Colette

I love tags

A little bit of wrapping, stitched down, creates a flower. A couple of drops of leftover bronze paint, not to be wasted, are smeared around a tag.

2010

Art for the first day of the year.

If we didn't have humor, I doubt humanity would have survived this far.

I think of you

I suppose that if you don't feel emotional pain, you can't feel great joy either.

A friend of mine long ago told me something I've never forgotten. He was (still is) a good friend who witnessed me going through a very painful time in my life, and I was surprised at his revelation. I don't feel things deeply, he said, so I don't really get upset over anything, but I also don't feel much joy either. I envy you. At the time I thought he was crazy: Envy me? I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

But now, whenever old pain surfaces, I remember what he said. It calms me somewhat. Tonight I looked at photo of my husband that I've posted on this blog -- he was playing rugby and at the same time there was a commercial for the movie Invictus on TV, and something unexpected happened. I felt something I haven't felt in years, a terrible welling up of emotion, a kind of complete despair coming from the knowledge that he was irretrievably gone from me, that strong and gentle, loving man who was my life. Perhaps it's a function of growing older, perhaps it's the time of year, who knows? I write about this because there are so many people out there who are in this painful place right now, and I want you to know that you are not alone. I am aware of you, and I think of you with utmost compassion. We are not alone. Appreciate those who are alive and who love you. Be good to yourself and to others. Remember that if you feel deep pain, you are also capable of feeling great joy. Go for the joy as much as you can.

My wish for you is that the coming year be gentle to all of you.