Jojo's blog
This blog was inpired by the beautiful tilework of mosaic artist Darcy Sivertson. To see more of her work, visit Yeti Mosaics.
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It was in the few moments of quiet reflection before dawn with a newborn asleep beside me that I savored a cup of green tea and breathed in its subtle fragrance of grapefruit.
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The tea box was graced by a tiny figure surrounded by, entwined with, or maybe completely composed of delicate fruits and flowers.
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From the moment I marveled at this piece (wow! are those all little beads???), to the time I tucked it away in my trove of random treasures, I wondered about the bead embroidery artist and cancer survivor Celestial Seasonings had invited to design the tea box art, Heidi Kummli.
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Through some research I unearthed the facts that Heidi's stunnning beadwork has earned many awards, her book has received much praise, and she is considered one of the great masters of this art.
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While I found her creative accomplishments impressive, I still wanted to know more about the spirit of the person who began to emerge. In unraveling the story of a woman who draws inspiration from her connection to the Earth and uses it to create intricate treasures, I discovered strands of serene strength, generous compassion, and kindness woven throughout.
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That is why it was my priviledge to be able to sit down in our online cafe and chat with artist Heidi Kummli and find out more...
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Q: Tell me about the challenges you have overcome. What does it mean to be a survivor?
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A: I believe we are all survivors, life slams us all with challenges. We become stronger people and learn so much from mistakes and hardships. The year I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer was tough, I had never really been sick before and the surgeries and chemo treatments were difficult. My dear father passed away a week before my treatments were to start and I felt he was my anchor. But instead he became my guardian angel. I remember sitting in the meadow as a golden eagle presented itself and I knew that I could face my fears as we all do at some point in life. I feel my cancer was a gift in someway. It taught me so much about life and to really appreciate what we have. It seems many people need to have life changing experiences before they realize this.
Q: You are an extraordinary artist. Describe how you began to pursue this passion.
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A: Thank you, I don't think of myself that way, my work flows from a deeper place a reflection of my surroundings and the universe. I have been an artist since I was a child. I remember making jewelry from pinecones and bottle caps. Art was the only thing in school I got A's in and truly enjoyed. I used to do watercolor paintings and never was able to get in any art shows with my painting. I remember seeing a beautiful pair of beaded earrings a lady was wearing and the next day I went to the local bead store and bought a how to book and some beads. I entered them in a local show and got right in. I have been doing beadwork ever since and that was back in the 80's.
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Q: Who or what are your greatest influences and inspration?
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A: I'd have to say Virginia Blakelock really opened my eye to beadwork being more than just stringing beads. She had an article in Threads Magazine showing her beautiful beaded collar necklaces. This opened the door for me-- I immediately started working on a larger scale and made my first collar which was a hugh success. I feel my pieces are a reflection of nature and honoring the animals and life forms around us. We have so much we can learn from our natural surroundings if only we can slow down and observe them.
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Q: You are both an artist and teacher. What has the experience of helping others been like?
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A: Teaching is a new thing for me, as I get older I realize I need to share my knowledge and gifts. My first book "The Art of Bead Embroidery" co-written with Sherry Serafini was a real shift in my direction, I enjoy sharing and feeling the excitement that the students get when they learn something new. I am working on a new book "The Spirit of Bead Embroidery" which will delve more into animal totems and healing with beads and stone. This was inspired by working through my cancer and how healing beadwork can be, it has a way of being very meditative and calming. I also started "Healing with Beads" after my cancer. I used my bead connections to get people to donate beads which I take to cancer centers or schools and let the patience dig through the beautiful beads which we than string and make into something wonderful to wear and healing in the process. I believe if we can all do something positive and peaceful in our lives that this will pass onto the next person, and this is where the direction of our planet needs to go.
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Q: You've been described not just as talented, but as being a kind person. How important is that to you?
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A: Thats a very high compliment, loving kindness I feel is the only way to be. If we can be compassionate to our surrounding not only people but our brother and sisters in the animal world as well as nature it will reflect back upon us. We need to realize that we are all connected, what we do to others we also do to ourselves. Treat the world as you wish to be treated it's really quite simple but we as humans get lost in our daily lives and thoughts to much.
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Q: Describe your favorite place or your favorite things or your idea of a perfect day...
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A: I guess I am lucky to work at home as there is no other place I would rather be. I live at 9000 ft in the rocky mountains with my husband and 15 year old son. I take my two dogs on a walk twice a day everyday no matter the weather. This is my favorite time to be out in nature with the animals, rocks and trees, they have so much to teach us if only we can be still enough to listen. I love spending time with my family as well just having them near me knowing they are safe and happy makes me content.
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Q: What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
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A: I guess I would have to say my son Ben, he has grown up to be such a wonderful person not only is he my son but also my best friend along with my husband. I feel very lucky to be able to make a living off my art and for 20 years in 2010, people might say this is an accomplishment but to me it's just what I do to make a living. Life is so much deeper than whats on the surface we are here to experience life for the whole of the universe not just us as individuals. If I can bring a smile or beauty into this world than that to me is an accomplishment.
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Q: What's on the horizon for you?
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A: Well I am working on the new book and teaching has become a new path and growing. I always have designs in my head of things I want to create, but if there is one thing cancer has taught me it's to try and live in this moment not get to carried away with future as we never know whats around the bend.
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The 1940's dawned on a world shaken, tattered, and torn by war. Austerity measures taken by the government cast restraints on the fashion industry as well. But even with the loss of materials and freedoms, style persevered as designers embraced military influences and focused their efforts on creative details and the quality of craftsmanship.
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When the harshness of the rations eased, a bold, yet feminine style emerged, as women coupled their newfound strength with a demure sophistication. Red lips, hourglass curves, and sleek hair waves composed a look that remains the epitiome of classic elegance.
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Fleur de Guerre, a writer and model at the forefront of a blossoming vintage scene in London, embodies this timeless sophistication. Her penchant for being alternative, and a fascination for old Hollywood glamour led her to a place where she adopted a vintage inspired life with grace and confidence. Fleur writes about her adventures in Diary of a Vintage Girl, one of my favorite blog discoveries.
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You may find her indulging in afternoon tea at a grand London hotel, or dancing to a live 20's style jazz band into the early hours; surrounded by her best friends (in their best vintage frocks)...and a dashing chap!
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Featured Member: Fleur de Guerre
Pin Up Girl & Vintage Style Blogger
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Fleur's Website: http://www.fleurdeguerre.com
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Fleur's Blog: http://www.diaryofavintagegirl.com
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"Music expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
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Teaching Children Through Song & Dance
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Our toddlers can dance and sing way before they can read and write, so music is an incredible medium to encourage learning, movement, and to bond with your child. I'm so excited to feature some of my favorites here.
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Charity and the JAMband
I would love to gather a bunch of friends for a casual picnic in Central Park and be able to groove to Charity Kahn's earthy, energetic music. And so would my toddler. Charity and the Jamband is one of his favorite groups, and with good reason. Charity is a rock n roll mama who uses her mom experience and music talents to help parents and kids find ways to appreciate life, connect with the world around them, and express love through singing and dancing.
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Funky and engaging songs like Happy Fluffy, Jump into the Middle, and a very primal We Need Mud, keep my toddler and I laughing and dancing throughout the day. The most recent album, Party like a Twinkle Star is a brilliant 2-cd journey that begins with an enthusiastic celebration of day and ends in a peaceful, reassuring drift into bedtime. So Long to the Day is a personal favorite, an ethereal masterpiece that lulls my son to sleep and has 70's undertones that keep mama happy too.
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Visit the Jamband's site to find out more:
http://jamjamjam.com/music.html
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Sara Hickman
Big Bird, Little Bird
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Sara Hickman is the "Official State Musician of Texas", a prolific, award-winning, multitalented artist whose impressive list of musical achievements nearly pales in comparison to her humanitarian efforts. She has lent her support to many causes including helping the homeless, orphaned, and abused. She is also dedicated to creating stronger families through the arts. I picked up a copy of her Big Bird, Little Bird DVD by chance and so without any assumptions. After viewing it with my toddler for the past few mornings, I now believe it would be a treasure in any parent's music collection. The DVD is a complilation of animated songs mostly written by Sara herself, and includes parenting tips as well. The colorful, whimsical animation will captivate any toddler, while the songs carry a soothing message of unconditional acceptance. A tribute to Sara's own daughter, Lily, really touched me as I reminisced about my own daughters journey through childhood. Illuminated by Sara's sweet melodic voice, Big Bird, Little bird is truly a beautiful love story you can share with your children.
http://sarahickman.com/site/bigbirdlittlebird/
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Radmilla Cody
Precious Friends
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Radmilla is a serene and soulful beauty raised by a spirited Navajo grandmother. She was the first biracial Miss Navajo, and endured hardships including racism and domestic violence. She now reaches out to others through her activism and her award winning music. This CD, Precious Friends is a combination of original and classic songs for children that blend the familiar with navajo lyrics, lovely percussion and flutes. Radmilla's rich, clear voice is spellbinding and I believe this music is essential to helping a child appreciate and connect with the roots of our nation.
http://radmillacody.net/album.html
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Hollywood moviemakers are masters at capturing our imaginations. Whether it's a marshmallow man the size of a skyscraper, as seen in the hit movie "Ghostbusters," or television icons such as the barbarians in the Capital One commercials, we are mesmerized with images that are larger than life. The amazing theatrics of Hollywood - splashed across the big screen - thrills us, scares us, moves us, seduces us ...
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So, when we see a three-story T-Rex baring its teeth at us in front of a retail store - no question - it stops us in our tracks ...
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Commands our attention ...
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Wows us ...
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These larger than life images cut through the clutter of a busy world ...
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It's this ability that Larry Schaeffer of www.LifesizeStatue.com claims is the magic his not-just-lifesize-but-lifelike statues possess:
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"A giant shark at the entrance to a fish restaurant or a talking cow in front of a dairy store or a majestic stallion rearing back on its hind legs, front hoofs clawing at the sky, captures your attention."
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But it's not just the theatrics or the size of the statue that stops people in their tracks.
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It's the realism.
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The cow has to look real.
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The horse has to look real.
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What if the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park looked fake?
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What if the lion in The Chronicles of Narnia looked fake?
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What if the Raptors or caveman in the new Capital One commercial looked fake?
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Well, that old Hollywood Magic wouldn't be quite so magical. The suspension of disbelief wouldn't be quite so suspended. The experience wouldn't be quite so thrilling or scary or seductive or humorous ...
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Or memorable ...
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It's all about capturing the most dramatic moment. The most compelling moment. It's finding a way to make people's eyes go wide and jaws drop open.
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It's this Wow!!! effect that allows the imagination to kick in and deliver an experience visitors will talk about long after they leave ... an experience they find impossible to forget ...
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Because, according to Schaeffer, "it's hard to forget a talking cow ... "
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Click site address to visit:
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All across our nation communities are joining together to lovingly preserve and restore the larger than life landmarks that have become part of our culture ...
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Lucy the Elephant was built by James V. Lafferty in 1882 as a way to attract visitors to his property in Margate City, NJ. The six story high elephant is the oldest example of animal shaped architecture. Lucy has been operated as a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern, but by the 1960s was scheduled for demolition. A group of Margate citizens formed the Save Lucy Committee, and through their efforts she was relocated and refurbished. Lucy is now a National Historic Landmark, and enjoys many visitors each year.
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Jack Ainsworth built the Teapot Dome Service Station in 1922 as a tongue-in-cheek commemoration of the Harding Administration Teapot Dome Scandal. In 1978 the construction of I-82 forced the removal of the building from its' original location. Five days before the scheduled move it was struck by a car and damaged. The hand crafted building was reconstructed and then moved with the help of the State Dept. of Transportation. Friends of the Teapot Association consider the Teapot Dome a historic treasure and are working to bring the building to the city of Zillah as a Visitor's Center.
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In 1933, Arther Gagner built this colossal Coney Island inspired milk bottle to sell his homemade ice cream thus creating a very early drive thru dairy. In the 1960s, glass milk bottles went out of use, and the giant bottle was abandoned as well. The Hood Dairy company purchased the 40 foot tall milk bottle and it was shipped by ferry to the Boston Children's Museum. After extensive renovations, The Hood Milk Bottle now stands in its own plaza and once again serves ice cream to the public.
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Randy's Donuts was built in 1953 and was the second of 10 locations of Russell C. Wendell's Big Donut Drive-in. The California eatery was designed by Henry Goodwin as a somewhat ordinary looking diner with an extraordinary 32.5 foot donut on top. Brothers Ron and Larry Weintraub purchased Randy's from a family member and have kept its traditions alive for over 30 years. The building is a beloved landmark that is still considered one of the best bakeries and has proven its pop culture status by being featured in movies, music videos, tv series, even video games.
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Retro Eatery
Takes Us Back to the 50s >
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Join us as we veer off the crowded Interstate and explore the backroads of Long Island's North Fork. Hear the call of small town festivals beckoning. Follow winding roads that meander past sun-ripened vineyards and picturesque farms through quaint New England villages. Stroll past warmly lit shoppes where friendly store owners smile and nod ...
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This is the North Fork.
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Why not stop and pick a peach? Explore an antique shop? Visit a local artist? Slow down, savor the moment, take a few photos. Share a Day in the Country with us ... North Fork Country ...
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Organic Gardening,
Herbs & the Garden of Eve >
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Celebrating Apple Pickin' Time >
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North Fork Snack Bar,
a Fifty Year Tradition >
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Jamesport's Historic
Jedidiah Hawkins Inn >
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Old Steeple Church,
Still a Symbol of Hope >
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