Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Things to learn and live and re-learn


"1 - That discomfort and growth often go hand-in-hand,

2 - That fear is not a reason to stop,

3 - That taking Imperfect Action is better than being stuck,

4 - That “Re-Deciding” (or, recommitting) is an everyday process, and

5 - That how you TRANSLATE the situation IS the situation."


Awesome points from creativity consultant Christine Kane.


I think point 1 is what the second half of this year has been all about for me... and it sure doesn't feel like growth when you're in the middle of all that stupid discomfort! Bleh ><

Friday, December 25, 2009

Brett Manning

My goodness, this girl's work is amazing and inspiring.




She is talented and beautiful and only 23. Makes me feel old and unaccomplished.

Check out her website, blog, Flickr and Etsy.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Confusion

"Confusion is just a local view of things working out in general."
-John Updike

Hard to remember when you're right in the middle of all the mess and don't know how to keep going.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Welcome home!

Mandala retreat day 1


Really exciting to see my own work all together at the end of the day!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Exhaustion plus pretty things still equals exhaustion

Please go look at this blog right now. Look how beautiful this mandala is! It's so beautiful it makes me ache. Sigh.

I am exhausted and not feeling very abundant at the moment, but I'm enjoying the blog Pecannoot. It has lots of pretty things.

Normally I'm all for abundance, but right now I have the shits. Everything feels too hard. So I'm going to go eat cake.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Home-made muesli bars


I have been wanting to make these for ages. I never had all the ingredients or couldn't quite find the time (or couldn't be bothered).
But oh boy! They are AMAZING!! I based it on this recipe, but didn't have the coconut, I also didn't use as much sesame seeds, and added craisins, goji berries, dried apple, and cinnamon.
I am so proud! And from what I nibbled tonight they taste sooo good. And I made it! Woo!

cut up ready to be eaten. yum.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Goddess course Week 1




So, week 1...

We did an amazing guided meditation where we met our future wise selves. I don't want to share anything about it here though because it was such a personal experience, and it was beautiful and wonderful.
And the project for the week was a painting, incorporating some found objects (for me, they were leaves, bits of glass and beads, glitter and sand). We were encouraged to really get into the process of creating, by adding things, scratching things away, layering things, painting over things, hugging the painting, rubbing it in the grass... just really be involved in it as a process, rather than to create something in particular.
I'm really happy because when I started I had nothing in mind and had no idea where the painting was headed. I just smooshed whatever colour felt good onto the painting, wherever it wanted to go.
The next day I came back and layered some more things over what I originally painted and it all just happened.

And now I love it! I'm really proud of it! And it just happened, without me stressing about what it was going to look like and planning the whole thing and all the different steps... it just happened.

Creative Goddess course

A few weeks ago I signed up for the Creative Goddess e-course, run by Goddess Leonie.

I have been interested and thinking about it for a while but I wanted to make sure that if I signed up, I would be committed and have the time for the projects. I finally decided that this was important enough that I would make the time and make it a priority. It's so close to what I want to be doing with my own career and life I didn't want to miss this opportunity for more experience and learning!

And so far it's been so wonderful.

Goddess Leonie records her own guided meditations which are so, so powerful. I am just in awe of her! And I'm just loving the content, exploring art as soul work.

I'll be posting a little bit each week and sharing what's going on for me with the course =)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Dear Universe,

I am ready to explode. I am ready to burst forth with my bigness! I am ready to make creativity a bigger part of my life and leap forward towards my dreams!
Can you please provide the circumstances in which this is possible? I'd love your support.

Thanks in advance,

Kara

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Designer Jots

Found on Artists Who Blog:
Carolyn Gavin and her blog, designer jots. I love how bright and colourful and fun her designs are!

I love the internet. I should be studying though, oops.

Stones


I've been blog-hopping a lot lately. Following links from one blog to another and finding beautiful creative ideas and inspiration!
These stones are from paint my day, it has been fun to explore her world through her photos and drawings and little commentary. I love the lines on these stones and in her drawings, so fine and precise.

Hamsa


How beautiful is this design?
I found it on the blog Inner Toddler, which is fun and colourful and interesting. Go have a look!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Blue Mountains, with my boy







Watering plants with the kettle, tee hee! He's funny.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The Empty Chair

Heroes for Ghosts

Check out Sofiyah's blog, Heroes for Ghosts.

She is beautiful and writes about interesting things.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Melting Moments

Thought I'd share this yummy recipe for melting moments. I've made them a few times and they turn out delicious and soft and crumbly!

125g butter, softened
3/4 cup (115g) plain flour
1/4 cup (45g) icing sugar mixture
1/3 cup (50g) custard powder
60g butter, softened, extra
2/3 cup (110g) icing sugar mixture, extra
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tbs lemon juice

1. Prehead oven to 160 degrees celcius. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat butter until pale and creamy. Add the flour, icing sugar and custard powder and use a wooden spoon to combine.
2. Use your hands to roll teaspoonsful of the dough mixture into balls. Place the balls 3cm apart on the lined trays. Use a fork dusted in icing sugar to gently flatten. Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until just cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 mins to cool.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the extra butter and icing in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the lemon rind and juice and beat until combined. Spread the butter mixture over the flat side of half the biscuits and sandwich together with remaining biscuits.

-Try passionfruit melting moments for a delicious change. Simply add the strained pulp of one passionfruit to step 1 and replace lemon rind and juice with 1 tbs of passionfruit juice to make the butter cream. (I haven't tried this one yet but it sounds yum!)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Picnic with a pretty girl on a sunny Friday


Sofiya and I worked at The Body Shop together last Christmas and have been meaning to catch up since then, and we finally did, yay!
We had loads of food and sat in the sun on our picnic blanket and chatted lots and lots.
Sofiya brought a punnet of strawberries with one huge mutated freak strawberry in it! Turned out quite pretty though. Yum.



We also found some dangerous creatures lurking in the tall grass...

Rarr.

College girls weekend


Way back in May me and my college girls went away to Treachery for the weekend. I had an awesome time, we even got some sun in the middle of the rainy weather!
We just chilled out and chatted, walked on the beach, read, consulted our oracle cards, journalled, cried, ate, drank, sat by the fire, watched dvds, drew mandalas, climbed trees, and met some new people.

These were the cute little cabins. They could sleep 6 but it was the perfect size for 3 girls!


View from the trees next to our cabin:


Megan found some beautiful, huge fig trees:


We climbed them.


xo

New card

This is actually a bit old now, but I didn't post it at the time, so here it is.


This was made for Beate in the first term of college! That's how long it's been since I've updated my blog. She requested a card but was happy to leave the details up to me. I thought this was great for her because she really is wonderful but often has a child-like wonder about her too!
I had fun with this one and love the colours.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Time somehow escaped me...


... and it's July already!
I know I haven't blogged in a very long time, and I have thought about it sometimes, but never quite felt like it. I think I may be ready to start again! I've made a few cards in the last few months I'd like to share so once I get the photos on my computer I can start posting some fun stuff.

xo

P.S. This photo is from last year, but my boy is at the snow at the moment, so I thought it was kind of appropriate.