mixed media collage: wrappings, recycled paper, ARTchix Studio image
Archive for the ‘wonderful ideas’ category
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays All!
December 24, 2010Shades of Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration
December 10, 2010
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8821 © christine matthäi
Artist Photographer Christine Matthäi has created an alluring and intriguing series of images inspired by the changing shades of blue and blissful reflections of what surrounds and supports us most—water. Her travels to Grand Bahama Island and watching the wind and waves create motion, reflecting the sunlight on our gorgeous clear sapphire seas, is certainly part of her ongoing inspiration and fascination with water—that life-giving source vital to us all. Take a look at these modern, contemporary art works:
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9589 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8789 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9587 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 9592 © christine matthäi
Blue Bliss: Water Inspiration 8908 © christine matthäi
If you are interested in prints for your home or office, write to the artist at christinematthai (at) mac (dot) com and note the image number in the caption.
Or take a look at all Christine Matthäi’s gorgeous contemporary portfolios by clicking here.
I am fortunate to call Christine a friend, and am posting this because I admire her incredible talent and brilliant work. As with all things I enthuse about here, it’s simply because I enjoy it and like to make the world a brighter place by sharing the good stuff!
That said, I DO have a vested interest in my husband’s printing company—Freeport Advertising & Printing—a Grand Bahama-owned full service printing and graphic design business here since 1973. If you would like to win a big beautiful 24″ x 36″ inch, fomecore-mounted print of one of Christine Matthai’s images (your choice of the ones shown above), just click here to subscribe to their free Printer At Work newsletter. You can see a sample issue by clicking on the Printer At Work button on the bottom left side of the screen. The newsletter is a quick read, with great tips on marketing, design, technology, and ways to save money and increase business sales. It comes out every two weeks, so you won’t be getting tons of email or anything. There are even a couple fun cartoons in each edition. (And of course, your email address is safe with us and will be kept private.)
Okay, that’s it. If you’re already a subscriber or have an account at FreeportAdvertising.com, you’re already entered and eligible to win. Subscribe by January 1, 2011 to be eligible to win the print. A random entry will be drawn by over-caffeinated gerbils, or some objective technological wizardry, and the winner announced the following week.
If you want to leave a comment here letting me know you’ve subscribed, or which print is your favorite, or just to jump in and say the water’s fine, that would be wonderful, but is completely up to you.
And if you need some last-minute Christmas cards printed, or little notepads with people’s names on them as thoughtful gifts, I know just the place! (that was the last commercial plug–but aren’t imprinted personal things so cool?—okay that was it, really … I get on a roll and can think up all kinds of fun goodies to print!)
Enjoy the blue bliss of water that surrounds our wonder-filled island and makes us all fortunate in business … in beauty … in life … each and every day. In gratitude for the time and tides—Paula.
It's about the water. It's always about the water. Southern shore of Grand Bahama Island.
Invent Your World
August 27, 2010
Love this quote by artist and author Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy, also known as SARK. Eat Mangos Naked, Succulent Wild Woman, Change Your Life Without Getting Out of Bed, Prosperity Pie, Glad No Matter What — you just gotta love anybody who writes books with titles like that — I do!
It’s About Time
August 19, 2010I found this quote artfully created on a calendar frame …
Having a marvelous summer stretch and wishing you the same!
A Different Kind of Conch
May 31, 2010This isn’t about the kind of conch (pronounced “konk”) we find all around The Bahamas. This is not about that staple of island life (and a staple that’s so popular—but not necessarily so prevalent these days—that it may well need some common sense seasonal protection to bring it back to a state of plentifulness, but that’s another story!). No, this is not about the beautiful pink-lipped mild conch that lives in the grassy sea banks of The Bahamas and tastes great in conch salad, fritters, or pounded thin, battered and fried into cracked conch (can you tell it’s around lunchtime as I type this?) …
This is about conch as a verb. Something I just discovered thanks to The Art of Eating Magazine.
This amazing independent print magazine (that celebrates all the best in food and wine with in-depth articles about the people, places, traditions, growers, and artisans who produce the freshest and most flavorful fare) introduced me to the term “conch” as it applies to the the fine art of making chocolate ….
Yes. Chocolate! And not just any chocolate. Some of the finest chocolate produced anywhere: Taza Chocolate (where a debate on whether to conch or not conch the chocolate is appropos and just a normal part of chocolate-making lingo!).
What I learned reading the Art of Eating article in Salon.com (click here) is that in chocolate-making “conching” refers to a process by which chocolate’s texture can be smoothed. The original conching machine (developed in 1874) was used to give creamy smoothness to the gritty raw chocolate beans, tempering it for taste and texture. The original chocolate conching machine was shaped like a seashell, and the name still refers to the chocolate mixture smoothing process that happens in the final stages of any chocolate making.
In the true artistry of chocolate purists who craft from bean to bar, Taza Chocolate is unique because they do not conch. They roast, winnow, grind, temper, and mold their chocolate by hand. And they use only authentic Oaxacan stone mills (instead of steel machine mills) to grind their organic cacao beans on a slightly imperfect surface, which allows small small particles of unrefined cacao to pop with intense uncompromised flavor in the finished chocolate, and to give their bars a distinct granular texture.
Chocolate. I love it all. Conched or not conched. And I’m so happy to know that Taza Chocolate exists, and to learn that something sea-inspired is a part of chocolate making history.
And as is the case with all the good things I blog about here, I’m not selling anything—I’m just having fun sharing some of the inspiring stuff that makes life a little more full of wonder and joy—and handcrafted all organic-ingredient chocolate is right up there near the top of that Sweet Life list.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go in search of my copy of one of my most favorite all-time movies: Chocolat! (I’m wondering if there’s a conching machine or grinder anywhere in the background that I didn’t notice before … and even if there isn’t, I just love Johnny Depp in this, don’t you?!)
Indulge! (And share a note about your favorite chocolate-lovin’ treats!)
Bahamas Bush Medicine: Cerasee
May 18, 2010I’m feeling a little tickle in my throat today. A little dryness. A slight cough now and then. I hope I’m not coming down with a cold. Vitamin C on a regular basis is a traditional way of keeping your resistance up, but here in The Bahamas, you can walk right into your garden and find something that will make you feel better in no time: Cerasee.
Can you see the cerasee growing like a vine in this tangle of green in the picture above? It’s the one with the yellow flower and the five-fingered leaves. Taking some of the cerasee leaves, stems, flowers, (and even seeds!) and pouring boiling hot water over it and letting it steep to make a tea infusion is said to be one of the best cure-alls for whatever ails you. It’s known as a blood purifier, blood sugar stabilizer, skin soother, immune system enhancer, and just all round tonic for keeping you strong and helping you “live long”, as they say in the islands! The wise elders in The Bahamas recommend a cup a week to keep you going. It is a nasty tasting medicine — I have trouble imagining how anyone drank enough of it in the first place to realize it had therapeutic properties — but it is a long standing, sworn-by, tried-and-true remedy recommended by countless 80 and 90-somethings in The Bahamas. I’ve given up on putting honey in it to kill the taste. It doesn’t really help. You’ve just gotta down the bitter brew. It doesn’t taste like Paradise, but cerasee’s body-boosting abilities do make it a true heavenly gift if you like living well. I’ve thought myself too busy to brew up a batch these past few weeks, and you see what happens?!! Okay, I’m going to take Mary Poppins’ advice and maybe add just a spoonful of sugar … augghhh … To your health!
Clothespin Art
May 14, 2010
altered old-fashioned slotted wooden clothespin decorated with ARTchix images, ornamentals, some paint, and marker
other side of the clothespin
Having fun … making art!
I Love … Collages!
March 25, 2010This blog started out as a list of a whole buncha stuff I love …
… having fun making art collages is definitely on that list, especially when I’m inspired by the fabulous ARTchix Studio …
… ARTchix inspired their chixies to create Twinchies (2″ square collages) in a red, pink & green color palette …
… featuring “I love …” messages of whatever strikes our fancy at the moment … I loved making these …
… with snippets of this and that … bits and pieces from a magazine … great images and goodies from ARTchix …
… recycling … refreshing … renewing your creative spirit … reminding yourself of some favorite things that make you smile …
… yes, I love making art … making collages … taking little trips into the imagination … especially in The Bahamas!
ps … 5/18/2010: I’m posting the back side of the twinchie collages now. The originals have been mailed out as part of the swap and are arriving in their new homes … I like to leave some small element of surprise for the recipients of the originals when they receive them in the mail (in case they’ve already seen the card fronts in other ARTchix places!). For me, it’s just as fun creating the back side of the cards as the front side, so here they are!
I Love Movies (Movies Thrill Me); I Love Gardens (Nature Lover); I Love LOVE In Your Heart (True Love); I Love A Love Story (Sweetly Told); I Love Being Me (Surprise); I Love Vacations (Sea Post)
Health Care Reform in a Glass
March 23, 2010
Hooray for being closer than ever to meaningful and significant legislative health insurance reform! But what’s on my mind today is a different kind of health care reform — something that doesn’t take an act of Congress, but is definitely a way of saying “cheers” to your health with just a little green. Organic greens that is. Spinach, kale, or swiss chard, mixed in with some cucumber, celery, green pepper, a strawberry or two, an apple, a bit of lemon juice and water, all blended up together and downed first thing in the morning, gives your system not only a wide variety of vital fresh nutrients and vitamins — it also provides enough glorious greens to gently alkalize your body and counteract any foods that may have an acidic effect on the body (meats, sugar, dairy, alcohol — all the fun stuff!). More and more studies and nutritionists are agreeing that an overall alkaline ph balance in the body boosts your energy, maximizes your metabolism, helps eliminate toxins and inflammation (which can lead to dis-ease), and keeps your cells operating in optimal vibrant health.
Does it taste good? Not especially. Does it taste bad? No … just …. mild and green! Does it feel good knowing you’re giving your body a quick treat of green goodies in their ultimate raw beneficial state? Oh, yeah!! Do I sometimes pull out the ingredients and decide a more leisurely spinach salad would also fill the bill? Yes, sometimes I vote for that lovely leafy option! And I give thanks for my dear friend who turned me onto this health care reform in a glass. I also gaze at this magnet on my refrigerator and am reminded of President Obama’s overriding campaign message, which has been echoed through the ages by many wise leaders as the true starting point for making the world a better place:
Lettuce giggle more and gulp more greens along The Good Life Lane!
Make Every Day Valentine’s Day
February 16, 2010
With this Pride & Prejudice-inspired Mr. Darcy Proposal Dish Towel in your kitchen, every day can be Valentine’s Day, with its fab reminder to express your love for your special sweetheart — or your own dear wonder-full sweet lovin’ self! Whatever your passion, proposing to your own uniquely creative muse is a sure start to a renewed and longstanding love affair with Life! Ahhhh …. daily romance …. xo!
Mr. Darcy Dish Towel via Modite via Design Mom via Poppytalk
p.s. My post wouldn’t be complete without a note of thanks to award-winning author and speaker Jan Phillips as the source of so many of my thoughts on being wedded to your creative bliss. Her wonderful book, Marry Your Muse: Making A Lasting Commitment to Your Creativity made a lasting impression when I first received it as a gift many years ago (so much so, that I’ve practically forgotten I didn’t come up with that brilliant concept myself!) It’s available here, along with a new book called The Art of Original Thinking – The Making of A Thought Leader. Another book that has influenced my thoughts on the value of keeping all of your love more alive by being passionate about your creative essence is The Conscious Heart by Gay Hendricks and Kathlyn Hendricks. Brava to all the passionate champions of artistic amour! (and as with everything I post here, this is not something I’m selling, just stuff that I like that makes life more wonder-full!)
