Four Letter Words: FEAR

What are you afraid of?

Dark, murky water?

Erin Reynolds Photography

                                                                     
Creepy crawlers?

Over the Top

 Is it standing in front of people to speak?

Or getting off the fence and taking a stand?

Bonnie Bruno Photography

Maybe just saying NO

Or even saying YES to something that requires much effort but brings so much good

Letterary Press

I've heard it said that fear of imaginary obstacles is the hardest to overcome.  For how can one fight something that really isn't there?

Michelle V

Boo! Happy Halloween everyone!

As If One Shop Isn't Enough ---

I decided to open another one on Artfire!

I had already signed up for a basic shop a few weeks before the Artfire $5.95 Deal was announced so I went ahead and opened. Initially, the shop was for my destash beads but then I got to thinking that it would be cool to offer supplies that are not easy to find.

So, I expanded the shop offerings and have included some craft materials and supplies that are made out of materials indigenous to the Philippines like abaca and sinamay and buri.  There are abaca mesh sheets to use for collages, mixed media work and even for wrapping up a gift --

Or pretty little sinamay flowers made by hand to add to your crafts stash --

I've also got some pretty gift boxes made out of mother of pearl--

    or gift bags made out of sinamay fiber
















Think of all the decorating you can do with this roll of sinamay ribbon (in different colors!) --

And of course, being the bead and gem lover that I am, I could not resist including some freshwater pearls among the items for sale --

As well as a few pieces of select gemstones and crystals --

I'll be adding more new items regularly so if you want to take a peek and get a chance to purchase some unique craft and mixed media materials, do drop by The Bamboo Box on Artfire.

Four Letter Words: SOLO

I sit, alone.  The house is quiet and I am allowed to dream.

Of days long gone and people now passed.

By Surrender Dorothy

Of hours to come and wishes that will come true.

 By Resin 8

I sit, alone and marvel at how comforting it is to be silent and not need to speak or even move.  My eyes follow the path of dust motes reflected in the early morning sunlight, my ears pick up on the warbling notes of a birdsong. 

By Alisa Paints

I sit, alone and my heart beats out an even rhythm, an ebb and flow of life and dying, of having and losing.  A song I used to sing comes unbidden and I let it escape from my throat softly, softly, afraid the slightest sound will break the warm, golden spell I am in.

My shadow grows long and my coffee is cold.  Around me the house is starting to fill with the sounds of life returning – my son calling from the doorway announcing he is home from school, my daughter cooing to one of the little pups who have come to meet her at the door as she returns from work, another son playing peek-a-boo with my little niece.  

I breathe in and get up from my seat by the window, the spell of aloneness now broken.  The chair I sat in is pushed back to it’s corner, to wait for when I can once again sit alone.

By Sideways Shop

Was Gone, Am Back

I apologize for disappearing again.  I wish I could say that it was simply a case of life getting in the way but it was not.

I fell ill a few days after I put up my last post and had to reserve my energy for getting myself to work so I could finish an important project.  And then, my brother gave us a scare via a medical emergency (won't go into details as some of you may be squeamish but let's just say it involved a lot of blood loss) so that set me back another week. I have neglected this space of mine in the world wide web and while I could say I'll make up for it, I'd rather not. Each time I decide to post regularly, something happens and I'm unable to. LOL.

Being away has made me want to tweak this blog a bit so you might see some changes in the next few days.  I'm planning on redoing the lay-out and design (the yellow background is starting to bore me) and will be trying my hand at something new I thought up regarding the pieces I sell on my Artfire shop.  Also, I will be opening the blog to feature more Artfire artisans as well as Filipino artisans so that all of you can get to know  them.
 
By the way, do drop by Artfire when you have the time.  There has been an influx of great new sellers on the site owing to the $5.95 Deal that went up this October so I am sure you will find some great new items to put on your Christmas shopping list.

Here's a little something before I go - it's one of my new pieces in my shop.

See you soon!