Joy in Service - Day 2

These are some of the things you did yesterday to make the world a better place.

Greeting the elderly with a smile and a hug, upgrading a buildings energy efficiency, donating clothing, shoes, and warm winter coats.

macrame snowflakes made by my mother,  Lynn Montgomery

Leaving $5 with the cashier at Starbucks as a surprise gift for a stranger in line, donating to a food bank, making quilts for a charity, dinner for a friend, using your skills and talents to help a school choir hem dresses, sending a surprise gift. Reaching out to difficult family members.

You are amazing people

"Some people choose not to donate their services because they believe that it somehow devalues them by 'giving them away.' In truth, there is nothing that demonstrates the value of your skills more than putting them to good use for a cause you believe in." ~Scott Allen

Yesterday I remembered to greet him at the door with a big smile and a hug and an "I love you" instead of launching straight into the "get out your homework and stop fighting me" speech. Then I managed to keep my patience with this recalcitrant child who is brilliant but hates homework.

Tell me what you are going to do today.

I think reading these comments is going to be the highlight of every day this month.

Finding Joy in Service

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with catcher's mitts on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

~Maya Angelou~

December is a favorite month of mine.

I love Christmas.

Knipplinger lace made my my talented mother, Lynn Montgomery

I've learned to ignore and mostly throw out the things that stress or bother me about the commercialization of the season and pare it down to the things I love.

I love the music

My daughter and I are playing in an orchestra for the Apex Christmas Nativity Celebration's Messiah Sing-In Saturday Dec. 10th at 7pm.

photo by kohunt on flickr

My Christmas playlist is the longest of any on my ipod. If I haven't played my dulcimer in six months I know at least I'll get it down to play Christmas music. I don't mind running out every other night to hear my kids school band concerts.

I love being with my family and friends

I love the neighborhood and church and family brunches and dinners and parties.

I'm surrounded by wonderful people and feel blessed to be in their presence.

And the food - yes. The food.

I love helping, in whatever small way, to make the world a better place

My kids get totally excited to leave presents on doorsteps. I've already had to take my oldest daughter to the store twice to fill stockings for service projects she's doing at school. 

Photo by weddingmusings at flickr

join me

You and I together have power to make the world a better place. Help me think of things do to, and you can do them too. I was cleaning out a few piles in the studio and realized I have a huge stack of duplicate Quilting Arts magazines. And stuff. Too much wonderful stuff. I want to share it.

So every day - tell me one thing you did to love and help and serve.

(and leave me a way to contact you.) I'll send you a magazine and maybe a goodie along with it.

Yesterday I took dinner to a dear friend who is sick. I called another friend I haven't heard from for a while. Just to say how much I miss and love her.

DO SOMETHING!

big or small it doesn't matter.

(and tell me about it.)

29 Ways to be Creative by Sei Ohmori

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Sei Ohmori is a japanese architect and graphic designer.

I do these things although I'd replace coffee with chocolate.

I want you to do at least ONE THING on this list TODAY!

Gratitude Gift Guide 2011: Cyber Monday

Find Joy, Create Beauty, Be Inspired... and support your favorite artists! 

Here are some deals for you from some of us. We are so grateful to be able to do what we are doing - and grateful to you for making it possible.

For today only, Bead It Like You Mean It is on sale for $15!!! It will go back up to $24.95 Tuesday morning. 

At my Etsy shop you can find notecards, fine art prints, original watercolors, and hand dyed and printed scarves. Follow the directions in the shop announcement for free shipping on domestic and international orders. (fine print - all orders will be shipped USPS first class mail.)

Lyric Art at Etsy

Jill K. Berry's book, "Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed-Media Mapmaking." One of the projects is a map of the heart. There is a fabulous blog-hop giveaway going for this book right now - head to Carla Sonheim's blog today for a chance to win her book.

The publisher is having a special for the next two weeks: Get FREE Shipping and 35% off retail price! Visit ShopMixedMedia.com and usepromo code SMM106. [Fine Print:  Offer applies to standing shipping in the US only ]

You will love Jane LaFazio's Etsy shop full of delightful original artwork.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/janeville?ref=pr_shop_more

or her fabulous DVD

“from art journaling to art”

Tracie Bunkers has a great tutorial on making Moldable Foam Stamps, 

and a fabulous kit to go with it.

Tracie Lyn Huskcamp has a few of her beautiful 2012 calendars left, but you will have to hurry!

Carla Sonheim teaches some of the most popular online drawing classes out there. 

Give the gift of Silly to someone you love! 

Gloria Hansen has a a book for quilters, Digital Essentials, the Quilt Makers Must Have Guide to Files, Images, and More. She's giving away a little giftie with each order - you're going to love it.

Gratitude Gift Guide 2011: On-line Courses

Find Joy, Be Inspired, Create Beauty

Because you ARE creative. But bringing out that creativity and forming into the vision in your mind takes some time and some messing around and some practice.

Cool thing is, that it's FUN practice.

Here's one that's fun.

Machine Quilting: Free Motion and More

On-Line video course with Wendy Butler Berns

http://www.craftsy.com/ext/WBMBlog2

and for you - a discount link for $29.99

Wendy is a friend of mine, and one of the best teachers I know. How cool is it that you can take classes with amazing people like her without leaving home. 

This class has over 4 hours of video broken up in easy to swallow bits that take you all the way through the process. She starts with preparing your quilt, helps you set up your machine - and off you go. She's with you every step of the way.

I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with the film quality. Good lighting, good close ups, and my favorite - she smiles and laughs a lot. I think you will like her course. You get to take it at your own pace, and Wendy is there on-line to answer your questions.

Playing with Paint student work by Cheryl

You could also treat yourself or your quilting friends to a Quilt University gift certificate

http://www.quiltuniversity.com/classlist2.htm#Other

I have two classes coming up in a few months:

Playing With Paint on January 20th

Artists Toolbox Feb 17




And a few fun opportunities for you:
don't forget to comment on Ann Fahl's book review for a chance to win "A Black and White Tale"


And a lot of chances to win Jill Berry's book,
Personal Geographies begin today with her blog hop.

Faces on Friday

Most of these are drawn from looking at pictures on my monitor - a couple of them I even traced after getting annoyed that I couldn't get placement right. 

Artist Spotlight: Jill Berry

I'd like to introduce you to the artist Jill Berry. 

Jill Berry

Jill is a graphic designer, book artist, and painter. I love book artists. I love her work with lettering and maps especially.

Recently I got so excited by her GeoPapers Tutorial during the ARTSPARK winter tutorials blog hop that I had to rush off that night and start a new work based on her idea. You'll see more of that later, I'm sure.

I love the color in her work, the boldness, the lines that lead the eye on such a pleasant journey.

Jill Berry

I love that she takes one work and transforms it into something even richer and more interesting.

It's an idea that has me intrigued - and looking at my own work in a different way.

Art Book by Jill Berry

If it it seems like I'm neglecting the quilt artists, don't worry. I want to expose you the the people whose work inspires me. Quilters NEED to look outside of the textile arts for inspiration. There is such a wide world out there to learn from.

I'll be reviewing Jill's new book, Personal Geographies, on December 7th.

At each of these stops on the blog hop you'll have the opportunity to win your own copy so make sure to stop by each one!

Friday, Nov 25 Aimee Myers Dolich http://artsyville.blogspot.com/

Mon Nov 28 Carla Sonheim http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/

Tues Nov 29 Diana Trout http://www.dianatrout.typepad.com/

Weds Nov 30 Gloria Hansen http://www.gloriahansen.com/weblog/

Thurs Dec 1 Gwen Diehn http://real-life-journals.blogspot.com/

Friday Dec 2 Jane LaFazio http://JaneVille.blogspot.com 

Mon Dec 5 Judy Wise http://www.judywise.blogspot.com/

Tues Dec 6 Lisa Engelbrecht http://lisaletters.blogspot.com/

Weds Dec 7 Lyric Kinard http://lyrickinard.blogspot.com/

Thurs Dec 8 Orly Avineri http://oneartistjournal.wordpress.com 

Friday Dec 9 Tracie Lyn Huskamp http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/