Recycling, Upcycling & Being Unique: A Collection of Handbound Notebooks


By and by, I have added the first few handbound notebooks to my Etsy shop over these past two weeks.

Here some photos of the ones already listed with many more to come shortly! There will also be some new felt accessories available.

   

And all these lovely and colorful food packaging boxes? Some of them are simply too cute to be thrown away … here’s to recycling,  upcycling and being unique … all the way … even down to your notebooks ;o) 

  

Happy August everyone.

Cheerful & happily sparkling Rainbow Blessings,

Nicole xoxo

Modern Handmade Child ~ Autumn Issue 2011


Modern Handmade Child’s brand-new Autumn Issue 2011 went online today! Come join me and let’s check it out! This way please => ;o)

MHC Autumn Issue 2011

Modern Handmade Child’s Autumn Issue 2011 is full of inspiration and happy ideas for the colorful and radiant harvest season (have you seen the totally cute & clever Drawer Pull Toadstool Tutorial on page 39), the new school year, the spooky Halloween Party preparations.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies? Easy peasy recipe included in this issue … next to a Colorful Spinach Salad … or how about some homemade Granola? Did I hear you just groan “yummy”? Yeah, I knew, I did.

Are your fingers itching and twitching to get a grip on some awesome fabric & to get sewing? There is an awesome article on some fab Australian Fabric designers and fabric types and their uses.

In the mood to hang out and have a cup of tea with some very sweet and oh, so talented artistsMeet  them here in the cozy interview corner of Modern Handmade Child Magazine. Be sure though to get a steaming mug of tea (or coffee), a delicious sweet (or salty) treat and make yourself comfortable to dig into their creative wisdom and their brillant ideas. On a second thought: you may even like to have a pen and little notepad at hand … just in case, you know … so you have a safe place to remember all the colorful, delicious, creative and ideas, treats and wisdom. This Issue is full of it. Simply click on the cover below to step into the Autumn Abundance!

MHC Autumn Issue 2011

 
About MHC
“Modern Handmade Child is a seasonal online publication celebrating handmade living in a new way. Our mission is to provide a fun and valuable resource helping families to embrace the handmade way of life, by intertwining the skills and values of days gone by with the trends and technologies of today. Our editors and contributors come together from around the world, including Europe, Australia, Canada, and many parts of the United States. Modern Handmade Child is published quarterly and available for free at http://www.modernhandmadechild.com/.
 
 
 

Ch-ch-ch-changes …

Just a little reminder that this blog is currently undergoing some ch-ch-ch-changes ;o)

There’ll be some re-vamping, some tweaking, some new looks and some adjustments over the next couple of weeks … by and by, just as time allows.

So, don’t be irritated (unless you want to, of course ;o) by changing layouts as I’m playing around a little.

Wishing you a radiant week-end full of magic!

;o))

Modern Handmade Child ~ Summer Issue 2011

 

The Summer Issue 2011 of Modern Handmade Child, of which I’m contributing Co-Editor for the Create section as well as Copy Editor, is online.

Modern Handmade Child’s Summer Issue 2011 is full of gorgeous inspiration and happy ideas for the great outdoor season.

Enjoy yummy new recipes, sweet summer outfit finds, quick and easy craft activities, and much, much more.  Simply click on the cover below to step into Summer fun!

MHC Summer Issue 2011

 
About MHC
“Modern Handmade Child is a seasonal online publication celebrating handmade living in a new way. Our mission is to provide a fun and valuable resource helping families to embrace the handmade way of life, by intertwining the skills and values of days gone by with the trends and technologies of today. Our editors and contributors come together from around the world, including Europe, Australia, Canada, and many parts of the United States. Modern Handmade Child is published quarterly and available for free at http://www.modernhandmadechild.com/.



 
 
 

What we are

 

“We are human BEINGS.

Not human DOINGS!”

 ~ Gina Rafkind ~

How great is that?!!!!

I so, so totally love this quote from the lovely Gina of VedaSun. Gina is a beautiful soul and magnificent spirit. Go and check out her the site. If you’re looking for the above quote … watch Gina’s video “Meet Gina”. In her video she also reminds us that we “get a lot more done by BEing rather than DOing”.

How often do we catch ourselves running here, running there, looking at our to-do-lists, ticking off 1 thing, then another, then another and if we’re lucky, we’ll even remember to breathe every now an then. ;o)

Seriously, all this focus on DOing in our days and society … it irks me, totally! And get me right on this one: I am actually a doer. I love doing things, accomplishing projects. Yet, there’s always been something that put me off … and still does. I’m in the process – finally – of figuring out what that “something” is.

It’s the “I have to…” that comes along so often. “I should …” Oh yeah? Says who? goes my inner rebel immediately.

I love doing when the doing comes naturally…. and not because the schedule or the to-do-list tells me to. I’m passionate about a lot of things … and every so often, I get frustrated because something else needs to be taken care of first, some “must do”… and I feel like the real life is passing me by, that what really counts, that what we’re here for: BEING. Being and enjoying the wonders of Life, Nature’s rhythm of life, the beauty of each season, lying on my back and watching the clouds and diving deep into the universal soul, into all that is and into feeling connected with all that is, feeling alive, feeling the rightness of me being here, right here, right now, feeling the support of Mama Earth, listening to the song of birds, smelling flowers … anything that brings me back into my power, back to my center … and then whatever presents itself next I can do easily, swift and easy.

Look at our school systems: how much focus is on the grades and marks, on the DOing rather than on the personal and unique qualities in a child. Sometimes this can lead to children mistaking their school marks as marks of their personality. They start identifying their BEing through their DOing and come to think they are a bad person because of some weak school marks. Or the other way around, that weak marks equal a weak personality. This is crazy! And then I look at myself, and see how many times I myself actually think that I am what I do. Or what’s even weirder: I do in order to be. Luckily, I notice when that happens … and every time, I get better at remembering my big bag of “medicine tools” and using them to bring myself back to my center, to remind myself of what is true, of what counts, of what is important to me. Takes a lot of courage, too, to go my way. (That’s a big “MY”, btw ;o). Sometimes it can get lonely and challenging … my sacred circles of friends (those friends who do understand, who also walk that path) is not always close and nearby. And yet, I don’t want to swap the experiences I was/ am allowed to make, the shining souls I was/ am blessed to meet along the way, my teachers, the challenges (even the yuk ones), the blessings. It takes some practising to remember to tap back into all that is. Being caught up in the everyday stuff can happen easy enough. And that’s okay, too, because I know my awareness is there. I have the awareness … and, * surprise, surprise *, even then it can happen that I find myself already a few weeks into this “everyday-DOing-and-running-on-to-do-lists-stuff” before I really and truly notice and remember BEing ;o) That’s all part of the process, too. I learn to be gentle on myself in those cases.

Where did I start? Oh, yeah, Gina of VedaSun reminding us that “we are human BEINGS. Not human DOINGS!

Happy week-end … may you BE this week-end and enjoy BEing to the full!

Rainbow Hugs & Butterfly Kisses, xoxo

Right-Ho …

Admittedly, it’s been a while … ok, a looong while. Yet, the important thing: here I am. I’m back.

And with me being back, this blog will be undergoing some re-vamping, some new looks and some adjustments over the next couple of weeks … by and by, just as time allows.

So, don’t be irritated (unless you want to, of course ;o) by changing layouts as I’m playing around a little.

I have lots to share … which I’m very excited about to do, to see it come alive and at the same time, it also feels a little awkward. Sharing also means putting myself out there … not only finding my voice but also using it (how about that now?) … making myself visible … taking *gulp* center-stage.

What is this blog all about, you may be asking. I thought about it quite a bit. I thought I would *have* to focus on one thing to make it attractive. And guess what: I found that I don’t like that idea. I don’t know yet where all this will lead, and that’s the fun part of it. I’ll go where the flow takes me. I want it to be a bright, happy, color-full puzzle of bits and pieces, a “crazy quilt” of life’s adventures and facettes, if you will …

… okay, rewind and ask me again: “What is this blog all about? What do you focus on?”

I just found the answer to that:

“Life.” … no, wait, make it capital letters and give it some space: L I F E.

I don’t want this blog to be anything less than that. Full of LIFE. Full of life’s adventures and facettes, small and big, odd bits and random ramblings, whatever strikes me as exciting, awesome, wondrous, strange, inspiring … Want to come along and join me for this ride?

Come on board then … ;o)
Happy Cheers for a great week-end!

PS: Wonder how the “Right-Ho” slipped in here? Just been into P.G. Wodehouse‘s Wooster and Jeeves stories … hilarious!

Modern Handmade Child: Winter Issue 2010 * My Premiere


Modern Handmade Child’s latest issue is out … and it is GORGEOUS! Click on the cover to view the magazine.

MHC Winter Issue 2010

Being one of the two new create editors responsible for the modern handmade child craft tutorials, this issue also happens to be my premiere with this online publication.

Enjoy!


Goddess Circle is now open!

 Hello Lovelies & Goddesses all around the world,

* ever heard of Goddess Leonie?
* the colorful Creative Goddess e-Course?
* the beaming Radiant Goddess e-Course?
* the sacred Goddess Haven e-Course?
* the inspiring Goddess Year Workbook?
* the sparkling Chakra Healing Goddess Meditation kit?
* the Releasing Fears Meditation kit?
* the Divine Dreaming Meditation kit?

       

 * ever heard of “when women circle, miracles happen”?

They do, they most certainly do! And Goddess Leonie has just thrown in an absolutely and divinely gorgeous gift to all Goddesses out there: access to all of the above courses and materials, plus new materials to be released over the next year ~ for Goddesses to enjoy and share in a magic & sacred Goddess circle for 1 year…

Would you like to find out more about the courses and meditations?
Head on over here:

Goddess Circle at Goddess Guidebook by Goddess Leonie.

Enjoy … and maybe I’ll see you there in this lovingly & sacredly held space!

Rainbow Hugs & Butterfly Kisses,

Nicky

Earth Hour 2010 – TODAY!

 

Today is Earth Hour!

Lights will be turned off around the globe as a symbol and to set a sign for the protection of our beloved Mama Earth.

If you like to join … turn lights off in your home from 20.30 – 21.30 (8.30 pm – 9.30 pm) your local time.

You can find out more about this worldwide movement raising awareness of climatic changes here:
http://www.earthhour.org

Happy Earth Hour & thank you for joining!
;o)


High Time …

 

… to catch up with my blog posts. ;o) So much has been and still is going on – in a very good way – lots & lots of new creations, and even many more ideas, …

Recently, I put together new mosaics of my creations to take with me to fairs and to have  some sort of portfolio. Finally, once the mosaics were done, I leaned back looking at them and was actually a little overwhelmed when I realized how many items I have already made. Taken one by one, it always looks a little thin, taken all of them together however, … wow! I’ll be sharing pix with you shortly, as well as news & novelties.

News will include:

* “Sneak Attack” on my shop last night ;o)

* preparing for being a featured guest seller in a mortar-and-brick shop for a full 4 weeks soon

* novelties

* ideas, wips, plans, new designs

* switching over to 100% wool felt

* blog make-over

* … and I’m sure, there’s yet going to be more  ;o)

So, please, stay tuned! I’m aiming at catching up over the next week.  Until then: have a happy week-end, enjoy the first rays of spring sun & I’m looking forward of hooking up with you all again.

Happy smiles & sunny cheers,
Nicole