Help me help Hearts for Haiti
By Tangerine Meg | January 26, 2010
Hello Bold Souls!
I have been thinking a lot about general devastation and about Haiti and about both… and about how lucky I am to be safe and well and in a position to help. Perhaps you would like to join me.
Today I am posting:
1 a link to my offering (Serendipity pack of 7 art cards),
2 some, I mean a lot, of favourites from the etsy Hearts for Haiti shop, and
3 some other great charity links.
Already $14,000+ has been raised but the Hearts for Haiti etsy shop. Wow! Wouldn’t it be great to add to that? You can also read a blog about the progress of the shop. The idea with the Heart theme is to encourage Valentine’s Day gift makers/buyers, but all handmade things are welcome. Incidentally, I realised I have no exisiting heart images, which surprised me, and needs to be rectified 
My offering is a “Serendipity” mixed pack of 7 art cards for $30 – each usually $5. The money goes (minus Paypal and etsy fees) to Doctors without Borders, and myself and the other makers are covering postage. So 7 for $30, with free postage anywhere in the world. I would love to start by contributing $300ish towards the cause so I have 10 packs on offer.
My ‘Hearts for Haiti’ etsy shop favourites (so far) selected just for you from the 35 36 40 pages of goodies… Get yourself a present or stock up for loved ones special gifts during the year (yey being organised!)
$15 and under
- ‘Beautiful Day’ black and white art print by zengarden
- Heart Digital collage by analiese
- Kid’s hat by beberagz
- Bent wire Wild West bookmark with choice of 3 pictures by NORIK, or a heart/doodle bookmark mix from visionQuest
- Photographic print of cat (this also in cat category, below) by 2nifty
- Fun Sock Kitty tutorial (this also in cat category, below) by cuddlet
- ceramic trinket dish by ginpins
- Sweet earrings with hearts by sweetside
- Recipes and tips in It’s a Vegan Dog’s Life book by vegandogslife
- Digital bunny and me stamp by Softpencil
- Hearts for Haiti heart charms by CheapBoutiqueSupplies
- Hooray! Re-usable produce bags by greenmumtotes
- tiny fish hair clip by bloomz
- Photograph of lovely vintage rose by petuniaz
$15 to $49
- Groovy neck wrap/decoration by plumfish
- Cute heart pendant by kvoss designs,
- Goddess pin doll by Whimsigals,
- Hand-painted heart drawer knobs by LeilasLoft
- Colored pencil tree drawing by Jen O’Connell
- Handsewn handbag (purse) by uniquestitches
- Goodlooking, rustic, almost primitive heart pendant by clynstudio
- Girl’s decorated long cardigan by 3littlebirdsboutique
- Soft crocheted iPhone pouch by bonnieboon
- Toddlers crocheted hat by ifanhour
- Cool sterling silver hand pendant on cord by echoandwild
- Crocheted roses in a heart box by willo
- Heart dog tag pendant by Beadsinthebelfry
- Beanie with built in knitted beard by taraduff
- Flower earrings – yey flower power – by Kibble2008 (for pierced ears)
- Funky kids heart design red tshirt by curlymonkey
- Adults wool hat by grannysknits – pretty colours
- Groovalicious textured earrings by simplyadorning
$50 plus
- Gorgeous decorated frame by burnedfurniture
- Lino print with a story by fattybird
- Eco-friendly quilt by nacyanne
- beautiful mixed media painting by pamcarriker
- recycled sari silk neckpiece by plumfish
Cat stuff
- Cat pendant necklace by purpleandlime
- Photographic print of cat (also under $15) by 2nifty
- awesome Cheshire Cat glow in the Dark tshirts by banyantreeclothing
- Fun Sock Kitty tutorial (also under $15) by cuddlet
If there are any artisans’ work that you specially like there is a link to their etsy shop on the same page. I think I have some new favourite shops!
If you need help completing your purchase or want to pay with a credit card without joining Paypal, check out this link www.etsy.com/help_guide_checkout.php
Great charities offering assistance to Haitians:
And for the Adelaide-based, a rock concert in a couple of weeks.
I’m gonna hit publish now. See you soon. Take care… let us care for each other the best we can.
Meg
Topics: community | 1 Comment »
Sunday sunflowers, shirts and free shipping :)
By Tangerine Meg | January 23, 2010
Greetings and good day to you, fair and bold souls x o
Whilst we are enjoying alliteration (see blog title) and waiting for my offering to be uploaded to the etsy ‘Heart for Haiti’ shop…. here are some visuals from post-Farmers Market painting and drawing last Sunday afternoon… and I even made a couple into tshirts!
‘Twas a meandering kind of afternoon and I had purchased lovely sunflowers from the Farmers Market. J’adore the Farmers Market – had you noticed? I was also thinking about tshirt design. That doesn’t seem such a natural mix now I write it down, though it made sense at the time. First, a photo of the flowers (you can see a bit of my Board of Inspiration in the background):
First painting of the day. We would paint with this craypas-and-paint technique at the Ruth Tuck Art School – some may remember the name, that of my mentor, the well-known Adelaidean watercolour painter and teacher.
I experimented with ink drawing with a stick – might paint colour on this one yet.
Next my thoughts about circular emblems as tshirt designs led to this roundy round sunflower. There are (planned) unprinted areas within this design; so the colour of the shirt shows, which also allows the tshirt to breathe better.
Do you think this makes a good tshirt design? Let me know in the comments section below, or on Facebook, or simply buy a tshirt! I think the sunflower colours are just right with a blue background, and you can experiment with different colour shirts at that page. What colour shirt do you like it on? It looks kind of sunshiny on the golden yellow shirt, too.
Keep reading, I have ‘free shipping’ news…
Finally, I got carried away with the juiciest, most watery watermelon ever – from the Farmers Market of course! I cubed some and arranged it on my great old Op Shop china plates, and thought about Paul Klee and his art, and building up pictures with handdrawn geometric shapes. The watermelon, too, was in small, red, geometric shapes. Currently I have a big (watermelon) crush on the colour of watermelon! Here’s the original painting:
And here’s the Watermelon Abstract tshirt design. It works better for the shirt with just one plate circle around the edges, more abstract and kind of cooler, I think, somehow.
Great News! Remember in the title of this I mentioned ‘free shipping’? I just found out that an order of 3 tshirts entitles you to FREE SHIPPING! Go for it – I will be! Remember the ‘girly tshirt’ sizes are about 3 sizes smaller than the regular cut shirts.
So we wait for the Haiti/etsy thing to happen. I will keep an eye on it and let you know. Also I have looked through the 35 pages of items and selected a dozen or so favourites for you. Then we can all linky linky linky and get it known to as many people as we can.
Lots of everything lovely to you,
Meg xo
All artwork copyright remains with me.
Topics: artwork in progress | No Comments »
Be Bold: speak up…. friends don’t let friends speak crappily
By Tangerine Meg | January 18, 2010
Hey Dearhearts,
Today I wanted to share this bold article from Christine Kane, a wonderful musician, retreat maker, business coach and blogger. It is written so clearly, and I think it’s a great reminder to indeed watch our language. Check out Christine’s site – there are quite a few resources there!
I’ll see you next time.
Enjoy!
Meg
Watch Your Language
November 14th, 2007 by Christine Kane
Recently, I was in a car with the promoter of one of my performances. He had picked me up at the airport and was driving me to my hotel. On the way, we talked about guitars. We got onto the subject of Olson Guitars, arguably the best guitar in the whole world. At one point, the promoter said, “Yea, well, in my entire life I’ll never own an Olson guitar.”
Many years ago, I’d probably let a remark like this slide on by, even adding my own “me either” to the mix.
Now, I can’t. Yoda steps into my head and says, (in a very Yoda-like voice) “So certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done.”
So, I turned to the promoter and said, “You are NOT allowed to say that!”
This is because I know the power of language. When you know that words become things and that words create worlds, it’s hard to let language slide.
At the retreats I facilitate, I am constantly asking the women to re-word something they just said. By the third day, the women cast sideways glances at me when they know they’ve said something negative about themselves.
I can’t help it. I have a philosophy that friends don’t let friends speak crappily. Language is powerful. Words can create reality. Even if my promoter friend doesn’t know how on earth he’d ever get an Olson Guitar, it doesn’t mean he should cut off the possibility with his own words.
So, this is a reminder post. I know, from personal experience, how easy it is to slip back into old patterns of language. I know how easy it is to give little credence to the power of words.
So, here are 8 practical language principles for anyone who wants to be a better creator of her life.
1 – Eliminate “never” and “always.”
Never and always are words of hysteria. “I always screw everything up!” “I’ll never figure this out!” “I’ll never get an Olson Guitar.”
First off, it’s not true. If you always screwed everything up, you wouldn’t have made it out of the womb.
And second off, extreme words are designed to hook you. It’s just your emotions taking a joyride. You’re more powerful than that.
2 – Use AND instead of BUT.
“But” dismisses the statement before it. “And” includes it. For instance, “That’s a good article, but it needs some editing” isn’t nearly as encouraging as “That’s a good article, AND it needs some editing.” “I love you, but…” is another great example of the dismissive power of “but.”
3 – Avoid “Should.”
Should is a crappy word for many reasons. It is victim-speak. It disempowers its object. It negates desires, thereby making it harder to make choices. It adds a nebulous illusory energy to the decision making process. Use empowering language instead: “I could…” “I would…” “I am choosing to,” “I would like to,” “I don’t want to,” or “You might consider…”
4 – Stop calling yourself depressed.
Also stop allowing anyone to tell you that you are depressed. When you call yourself “depressed” or “obsessive compulsive” or “ADHD” or whatever – you’re claiming this thing. You’re calling it forth with the most powerful two words in our language: “I am.” That creates very little option for the transformation of this condition.
A friend of mine told me that she loved that I never called her depressed. I’m the only person who had refused that word to describe her. It helped her to get off anti-depressants.
Another friend of mine has challenged me to stop calling myself a Four on the enneagram
5 – Delete the word “hate” from your vocabulary.
“Hate” has lots of energy. When you use it, you send lots of energy out into the very thing you “hate.” Even if it’s negative energy, it’s still a powerful force, adding its charge to that thing. You’re also depleting this energy from your own spirit as you say it.
6 – Go Complaint-Free.
7 – Be “great.” Or “wonderful.”
A disease of the artist temperament is a belief that we must be authentic at all costs. And so we can’t answer a simple “How are you?” without delving into an in-depth scan of our emotional temperature.
Try this instead: When people ask you how you’re doing, just say “I’m great!” I used to think if I told people I’m great, I had better have a damn good reason for saying it, like I just won the lottery or something. I thought it would make me look suspicious, and people would start to wonder if something was wrong with me. But then I did it. And you know what? Most people don’t really care why you’re great. You’re saying it for you.
8 – Pay attention to the music of your speech.
You know how some people? They talk in question marks? And you have no idea why? But it makes you think you shouldn’t really rely on them? And it makes you not want to hire them?
The music of your language says a lot about you. If you let your sentences droop like Eeyore, (”Thanks for noticing me.”) or if you do the uncertain question mark language, take note of what attitudes are causing this. These patterns are created for a reason. Even if it feels like faking it at first, generate confidence as you speak.
Topics: learning | No Comments »
When I was 5 I was Sesame alive
By Tangerine Meg | January 7, 2010
Hey Beautiful Bold Beings!
Hope you’ve had a delightful, bold and happy start to 2010. I have taken some plucky little steps towards my intended outcomes. I will be light today, though, after all my recent, soul-searching works!
Over the holidays I treated myself to a bargain book at Target: “Sesame Street, A Celebration. 40 Years of Life on the Street” and I have been contemplating my seeming hyper-connectedness to Sesame Street. I think it may have been cos I was living in America in the year it was launched – the year I turned 5! I am adoring poring over the book. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks “Sesame Street” is utterly and completely brilliant! Let me know if you heart “Sesame Street” too, in the comments section, or on Facebook.
Here is my first school photo from when we got back to Australia:
Remember this great poem, too (though it’s about being 6 not 5)?
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I’m as clever as clever,
So I think I’ll be six now for ever and ever.-AA Milne
This post brought to you by the numbers 5 and 6 and the letter B.
Be bold, be you,
Love Meg
Topics: musings | No Comments »
Live Bold List 11: Bold again, in 2010
By Tangerine Meg | January 1, 2010
Welcome to 2010!
….and New Years Blessings to you!
I have been very creative and productive this week! 2 finished print editions (Girl appreciating rain and Joy Riding are complete and looking for good homes) as well as a summary of last year and a little sprouty list of my intentions for this year.
Here is a photo of my de-cluttered and now usable section of my work table. There is some painting work going on. Plus there is a 2010 board thingy, I am not sure whether it is a collage, a vision board or an ‘intention in pictures’ or what, but it makes me happy. And you can see “Joy Riding” propped there in a frame, and my butterfly curtains! Incidentally, this corner was previously cluttered with paperwork, receipts and an old computer printer that needs attention, and all those things are gone. The right things are here now.
Thanks go to Goddess Leonie’s 2010 GoddessWorkbook for giving structure, beauty and validity to this year change re-cap, clear up and planning process.
So, here goes with a slightly random list of some of the things I would like to aim for this year.
Live Bold List 11: Bold again, in 2010
- Become competent at any 1 (one) of these 4 (four) skills: Hula hoop, stilts, hand-walking or unicycle. My skill level is fledgling in all, masterful in none. This will take time. You can bet on which you think it will be in the comments section if you like – I am going with stilts or unicycle I think!
- Legitimately join the Facebook group “Random Handstands”. Legitimately? Because my handstand would have to be solid enough to do anywhere, on anything, and hold til I choose to stop. That’s a big goal for 1 year, especially in addition to #1.
- Sort out our many wedding photos – we have started this task, but it is large.
- Make and assemble 12 of my artworks to make a cohesive Tangerine Meg 2011 (don’t even think about that date!) calendar. I love calendars. I have just ordered 3 from Red Bubble from other artists for gifts and for our own house, and I will be able to see what the quality is like – I have heard it is really great. Also I am going to research other ways to have them produced too. I would love if you would tell me in the comments section (below) or on Facebook whether that is something you might like for next year.
- To put a little baby toe into the water of having a select few affiliate links on my site, whether in the text or the sidebars, so that when I rave and carry on about great stuff you can go check it out easily. I also would be pleased to have these contributing to the monetary abundance of life. I have already signed up to be an ambassador for Goddess Leonie so if you want your very own Goddess Workbook 2010, click through from here if you would like. I will also let you know if I am benefitting from links, as I am from that one. Will do a whole post rave about them soon – watch out!
- Install and have plumbed in the rainwater tank I have been given. Also I would love to have an aerosol artist make a water-themed roundy mural on the side of it.
- My Art Card Shop to match the rest of my site. Bring it over to WordPress too. Or if I can find a service to make it possible to send my design cards by booking over the internet I might do that. Also I am in the process of drafting an Art Stories page to add to the site – that will be fun!
- Spend more of my time making artwork. Also make sure I get more of my many ideas onto paper (or pixel!) I would like to sell more of said artwork too. Just today I have drawn designs for 3 more ideas that have been percolating in my little cranium.
- Keep making my voice heard, as one of many, speaking up for earth. Walk, talk, sign petitions. Turn off lights, ride bikes.
- Be kind. To self and others.
He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.by William Butler Yeats
Wow, this is a very real, dear to me list and I feel vulnerable pressing the publish button. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. Well said, William Butler Yeats! I too will tread softly if you choose to leave some of your dreams and intentions in the comments section.
Oh I forgot to mention, my word of the year for 2010 feels like it is “Blossom”.
Looking forward to a wonderful, blossoming, bold year for all of us in 2010.
Be bold, be you.
Meg x o
Topics: Live Bold List | 4 Comments »
Live Bold List 10: Personal Highlights of Boldness, 2009 (so far)
By Tangerine Meg | December 28, 2009
Hello dear friends, near and far, new and old,
Christmas is over, and the New Year is only days away. In summary of the almost-finished year, and in no particular order, I bring you Live Bold List 10: Personal Highlights of Boldness, 2009 (so far)
- Organised the plastic container cupboard – see? I told you ‘no particular order’!
- Was proposed to. Accepted the offer.
- Organised our wedding. This took more time than I thought, but in not much more than 3 months we made an authentically ‘us’, happy, friend and family filled day, with sunshine, laughter, music and fire. Had I mentioned I really wanted fire?
- Got married. Woohoo! Such a happy day
- Updated and improved my website with the help of the wonderful Rebecca Leigh. You’re looking at it!
- Travelled to tropical Borneo.
- Touched a baby elephant, and
- Rode an adult elephant.
- Was bestowed with the “Spirit of Circus” award.
- Drove a truck, a big one! (That was today, we just moved the last of my husband’s furniture to our house)
- Started to teach my younger son to drive.
- Learned how to play on a Wii game thingy and played Beatles songs on a pressy-button guitar.
- Sponsored Goddess Leonie with the sponsorship box below, and….
….made gorgeous new friends. - Had an artwork stall at several market days.That’s me at a winter one, wearing one of my sunflower tshirts.
- Frequented the Growers Market (made a habit of it)
- Got back to riding my bike (and using the train) to my ‘go to’ work.
- Found a font made from wood block prints, and there were circus people.
Used some of the pictures for our wedding invitations, and ‘Order of Service’ booklets.
- Started to plant an understorey of strawberries. A previously un-enunciated and un-attempted dream of mine. Started. Tick!
- Maintained my garden irrigation system, and the fruit trees did not die at all during the unseasonal November heatwave, even the new ones.
- Attended “Walk Against Warming” protesting against Global Warming, and signed a ton of online petitions.
Some of these achievements have spurred me on to do even more in the New Year. The next post, probably the last for the year, will be intentions for 2010. Let me know in the Comments of your proud achievements this Solar Year.
Sweet, sweet breath be with you.
Tons of love,
Meg
Topics: Live Bold List | No Comments »