Nothing

To your abandonment I have opposed
my godlike tower of intelligence.
I climb up there; my blood-stained heart has caused
the sea to be empurpled with its sense.

I'll manufacture dawn from my old shadow,
protect my lyre from vain and wanton winds,
search in my self for my own sustenance;...
but, ah, if that sweet peace should bring me nothing!

Nothing, yes, nothing, nothing! Oh that the waters
might now receive my soul; and in this manner
the world be one great prison, chill and naught!

For you are you; you are the human spring,
of earth, air, water, fire-of everything;
while I myself am nothing but my thought.

Juan Ramon Jimenez (1881 - 1958)
Spanish Poet

Warm weather makes me "Crafting Crazy"

This weather is amazing. It's 1:15am and I just looked at the sky and was surprised at how remarkably clear it is. I am definitely a warm weather kind of girl. This warm weather has my creative energy spinning. When I went to work at Zinnia today I took some new artwork and realized I have gone completely 'crafting crazy'. I guess I didn't realize how productive I had been. The other night I sat and watched TV (American Idol) and of course couldn't just sit there (More on that later). I busted out my sewing box and scraps of fabric. Before I knew it I had made 5 tiny little hearts from wool scraps that I embellished with ribbons and buttons. I sold them all today. Wow!!

I think most artist find it difficult to just sit and watch TV. Ross my boyfriend tortured, I mean asked me to watch a baseball game with him a while back and when I brought crafts and a book he didn't get my need to do so. Unfortunately, that day the game we (he) watched went on for 17 innings. WTF. By the 10th inning I realized that I couldn't take it any longer and made a break for my art room. Explaining that I was 'listening ' to the game. Ya right, I was blocking it out. Tamara says that she will sit and watch TV with Jav and has to have her knitting close by.

Hey, it's part of my charm... Some call it Multi-Tasking other call in ADHD. Whatever, I get stuff done, that's what I call it.

Jumping Catfish Love

Telegram from Anne Sexton to her husband Alfred Muller
September 27, 1963

VENICE IMPOSSIBLY BEAUTIFUL YOUR LETTERS BETTER THAN WINE STAYING 8 DAYS PLEASE WRITE HERE JUMPING CATFISH LOVE

American poet Anne Sexton eloped with Alfred Muller Sexton shortly after meeting him in 1948. She had just turned 20. Sexton committed suicide in 1974.

OMG!!!!

I know that most of us are being effected by our struggling economy and I can feel that pain.... but if there is any light at the end of the this tunnel... I feel like I found it at CHA....
I was inspired and motivated by so many beautiful things..... so many pretty little gadget, instrument, utensil, tool, implement; entity, body; informal whatsit, whatchamacallit; Brit., thingummy, thingy, thingamabob, thingamajig, doohickey, doodad, dingus...
that sparked creative thoughts.
I got my picture taken with Jenny Doh

the Editor of Somerset Magazine,

I chatted with Claudine Hellmuth.

I am wiped out and getting ready to call it a night.

Hearts for Valentine's Day

I am not really a hearts and flowers for Valentine's Day kind of girl. Thank goodness because neither is my boyfriend. In fact, all that sappy stuff makes me uncomfortable. However this year I seem to be buzzing with ideas and excitement about Valentine's Day. I think that that is the reason I am really digging the opportunity to participate in the "Heart Break Art Show at Zinnia. Although I really could do without heart shaped stuff I am finding myself making hearts out of all types of mediums; clay, metal, copper and paint. I have been able to identify with the heartache side of it all. At 41, I've had my heart broken a few times. Who knew that I would be able to use that pain to come up with the stuff that I have.

I hope that if you wanted to submit any artwork that you did already as the cut-off deadline is long gone. Whether you are an artist, an art collector or both, the Heart Break Show should not be missed. I have seen some of the work submitted and I am awed and impressed by it.

I guess I am pretty excited about this show and hope that you can make it to the opening on Valentine's Day at 7pm.

Love Poem

One of my favorite poems. I found this written on a metal plaque-like thing at the .99 Store. Don't you just love that store? I have found some pretty cool random things there. Anyway, here it goes... hope you like it.

Love me
Love my sense of humor
Love me
Love my friends
Love me
Love my habits
Love me
Love my little fibs
Love me
Love my work
Love me
Love my dancing
Love me
Love my singing

Short, sweet and to the point.

GOOGLED LOVE.

Here are just a few images that pop up when you Google the word "LOVE"......

I wish to share with you just another love poem...
This is one of my most favorite poems about Love from one of the greatest romantic poets of all time....

Pablo Neruda
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You

I do not love you except because I love you;
I go from loving to not loving you,
From waiting to not waiting for you
My heart moves from cold to fire.

I love you only because it's you the one I love;
I hate you deeply, and hating you
Bend to you, and the measure of my changing love for you
Is that I do not see you but love you blindly.

Maybe January light will consume
My heart with its cruel
Ray, stealing my key to true calm.

In this part of the story I am the one who
Dies, the only one, and I will die of love because I love you,
Because I love you, Love, in fire and blood.

For any of you have not read this mans works, this Valentines Day is a day to take the time and read some to the one you love... and most of his poems are written in both Spanish and English - so don't let language be that barrier. If you speak Spanish just think how much more romantic that could be....

another poem from Bleeding Hearts ,
Love Poems for the Nervous and Highly Strung,
Symptoms of Love
Love is universal migraine,

A bright stain on the vision
Blotting out reason.

Symptoms of true love
Are leanness, jealousy,
Laggard dawns;

Are omens and nightmares -
Listening for a knock,
Waiting for a sign:

For a touch of her fingers
In a darkened room,
For a searching look.

Take courage, lover!
Could you endure such pain
At any hand but hers?

Robert Graves (1895 - 1985)
English Scholar, historian, essayist, novelist and poet

Love poems that have moved me....

I know I have an odd look at love...
I found this book a few years back that is one of my favorite book of Love Poems.
Bleeding Hearts , Love Poems for the Nervous and Highly Strung, compiled by Michelle Lovrie.

I hope to share with everyone a few of my favorites in the few weeks before Valentines Day....

Valentine
Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring,
if you like.
Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

Carol Ann Duffy

In love with Love....

Yes, I am a hopeless romantic.... and I love Valentines day.... it is not always the day you want it to be and maybe we set it up to much (yes, I have been guilty of that many times).
"Heart Break" the new art show we are having next month (opening on the 14th of Feb) is hopefully a message to those who are still looking for love to remember that, love is only as much as what you have lost, to feel the best of it we must have expereinced the pain. I have always been a person who sees the glass half full. So, I say now that I can only love as much as I do because of the heartbreak I have felt, and because of those "breaks" and the depth of them I can feel the extent of what I have now. So for those of you who may think that this is a show really about pain and loss.... it is not.... it is about the lessons and the growth we endure through the process....
yea, yea, yea.... I know, whatever.... :-)
So for those of you who have experienced this and have processed it with your art this is a show for you.
The date for submission is Jan 20th (which we might extend for those who need a little more time), the show opens Feb 14th 2009 with a cocktail party opening.
If anyone has questions about this show please check out the website at Zinnia.biz or you can call the store at 626 441 2181

Heartbreak Show... Have you submitted your artwork?

It's so nice to have a moment to breathe after the holidays. I hope that you are getting along alright in 2009 and that it doesn't freak you out that it will be 2010 in what seems a blink. Time flies when you aren't paying attention or having fun or something like that.

So it's the 11th. That means you only have 9 days to submit you work for the Funky Junque's "Heartbreak" show on 14th of February. I will save you the time and post the 'submission procedure at he end of this post. The artwork already submitted is pretty cool, don't miss out. I am still tweaking my piece, by tweaking I mean getting it out of my brain and actually doing it. There's that time issue and it going by so fast.

Remember to stop by Zinnia for any supplies, embellishments or ideas. Yesterday I reorganized the embellishment that are hanging in front of the counter. I am a rub-on freak and let me tell you we received over 8 new styles to add to our stock. We also got in some cool "Heartwarming" stickers. they are a little different from what we have but you know what? We sold some yesterday just as I was hanging them.

I do hope you stop by the store soon. You can make a trip out it. Come for lunch at one of the yummy restaurants then stop by for supplies and ideas. Aide from us there are other shops for the creative soul like Sew Joe http://sewjoe.com/Site_/Sew_Joe_Stitch_Lounge.html . This area is so "Quaint" and interesting. I hear that we are going to have a bakery in the neighborhood some time soon. They have already started to work on it. I can't wait. I love a cup of coffee with a treat in the morning while opening the store.

What is the most creative Valentine's you ever had? I joined a postcard group a couple of years ago and exchanged about a dozen Valentine's with people around the world. It was fun doing that but I am not sure if it was the most creative. I think that when I finish my piece of the Heartbreak show it will be pretty creative.

As promised here are the guidelines for submitting your artwork for the Heartbreak show...

For all submissions, please follow the General Artwork Submission Guidelines as follows:
Photos of artwork in jpeg format must arrive by email to Zinnia4crafts@yahoo.com on or before January 20th, 2009. Our preference is hi-res digital images (300 dpi at 8½" x 10"). Color-copy submissions will also be accepted by Jan 20th, 2009

1. Up to five images of your work that represent what you would display. Images must be labeled with a number and last name. For example: 01smith.jpeg, 02smith.jpeg, etc.

2. All artwork must be identified with the artist’s name, address, e-mail and phone number.
and must have sufficient return postage.

3. Size: All one dimensional pieces must not exceed 24 X 24”, any artwork that is three-dimensional it must not be bigger that 2 cubic feet. All mediums are acceptable.

4. Participants will be chosen based on the appropriateness of their work for this event by a panel of representatives from Zinnia. To be considered for Zinnia’s “Brokenheart” show please email the following to zinnia4crafts@yahoo.com

All submissions must be received by midnight on TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 to be considered. Participants will be notified by January 25th. Upon notification the work must be delivered to Zinnia no later than 3:00pm Sunday, Febuaury 8th. Please direct questions to Tamara@zinnia.biz

I DON'T LIKE NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!

I hate New Year's resolutions... but I am going to try to write more on all levels including blogging. I would love to get feedback and move this blog around so we can share our ideas, thoughts and Zinnia news. Do you have a favorite blog? What is it? I like Tyn's blog: http://www.pookieville.typepad.com/. She recently admitted to being a scrapbooker or something like that. Something about a new computer la la la, you'll have to check it she got some cool ideas.

I love this time of the year so much going on and so much to do but ultimately I know that all my running around led to a smile on someone's face. I seriously get a kick out of it and the truth which by now is no secret... I love getting presents. Yes, I know it's not a very PC thing to admit, but oh well I said it. I'm sure I'm not alone on my receiving comment. That's okay you don't have to admit it. Don't get me wrong... I love receiving but I LOVE giving presents too. Wrapping stuff, tags, ribbons and tape all of it.

Today I was back at Zinnia after taking a few days off to celebrate and to hang out with my family, friends and boyfriend. The Christmas merchandise is pretty much depleted I am not surprised since we had so many beautiful gifts and decorations. There are still some treasures to be had, all Christmas items are 50% off until the 9th make sure you make it in for your treasures. We had a Woodland Winter theme and to tell the truth I am soooo ready to pack that stuff up and start pulling out the goodies we have for Valentine's Day. I like that holiday too. More presents! :) We have plans for a great Feb. 14th show, you'll have to check out the newsletter that went out this morning.. If you want to submit a piece make sure to check out the information on the website. Hint: Valentine's with a dark twist.
Ciao for now,
Suki