Graduation and Workshop

It's hard to believe that we graduated from the Color of Woman Teacher Training a month ago!! Wow! Wonderful, wonderful time with two dozen students, plus Shiloh & Mary, the other teachers & several alumni.(Close to 45  students from around the world completed the training, so many of our sisters watched the Livestreams of the classes and Graduation.

Altar for Graduation

We wrote our own Graduation Ceremony, and were well supported as we took this next step on our journey to be Color of Women teachers & coaches. 

We still have several assignments to compete to receive our certification, including assembling our Initiate book (all our writing assignments, in pdf format), planning next year's calendar, completing the 'demo' painting from our two day workshop .... 

Stella Mac & Maestra Shiloh Sophia

 I offered my first two day workshop a couple of weeks ago, & had two students. One I'd just met at the Work Week Wine-Down at Walnut City Wineworks, where I have all the paintings from my Color of Woman journey; the other I've known for several years. 

Our theme was 'Medicine Woman,' & I sent out writing prompts the week before the workshop. Two beloveds came, & did an awesome job listening to their ladies' medicine, painting & journaling. My friend Sepha, who is very engaged in the work with Intentional Creativity, helped me set up the space at our Heritage center classroom. It was a great day. 

Linda & Stacy with their ladies

I am at work on finishing my Medicine Woman painting, & the other assignments due soon. I also have another show of my ladies hanging at Walnut City WineWorks, & participated in their events Friday & Saturday following Thanksgiving. The wild-salmon bake (Saturday) is an awesome event, and was well attended.  

I am a Color of Woman Teacher!

Happy Paint Party Friday!

On the Russian River

Early morning, as Maestra Shiloh wrote Monday: "My muse woke me up at 4am again. Sheesh. I go outside in the mornings and see the stars ... as the flow of night to day night to day reminds us how things work. It is happening all the time. And it is a miracle how it works.
~ ~ ~
"It is all moving all the time
whether we notice or participate or not."

And that's the choice, whether to participate, or not. Whether to observe, or not. And how we will carry our piece of the thread of connection.

~~ the lodge where 8 of us Mystical,  MáGïCâL CôSMïc cowgirls (with more to come!) are staying is on the Russian River, & the view of the river, and of Mama Moon & Stärs, is AwéSöMé.
When I'm staying somewhere away from «home», it's hard to sleep past daybreak, so I try to rise quietly, and , like Shiloh, go outside to orient myself.
Ahh, there's the Big Dipper, North is across the river! Ahh, there's the moon, peeking through the trees. The night is still, with the ripple of the water for background.
When it's Lïght, I'll go back out for Tai Chi/qigong on the shore.
Ooo, there's a sauna! Perhaps tonight after our gathering, I'll go....
bliss!

Graduation day with Carmen Baraka

The train ride down to Martinez was fun! A couple of the gals offered to pick me up at the station, so I skipped the bus ride, we went for cappuccino and dropped our bags off before coming back into town, and meeting a beautiful bevy of CôSMïc cowgirls doing what we do best! Visiting, meeting each other for the first (or umpteenth) time, hugging, sipping wine chattering, and settling in for a Red thread circle.
The thread is passed, we share our stories, we listen, we connect the faces and voices to SiStars with whom we've journied this last year. We'll be together «in person» through Sunday next, to disperse to the four directions, taking with us seeds to scatter to the winds.

Seeds  of beauty, seeds of harmony, seeds of respect for women and the seeds of our own interconnected & unique offerings for our own communities, for our beloveds. Gathering teachings, friendships, affirmation of the good work this is, the good work we share. 
It is all moving, all the time, whether we participate or not ... will you participate?

Coloring between the Lines

Six Months ago, I embarked on a Quest, the Color of Woman & Intentional Creativity training to be a teacher & coach. While we still have a month & 1/2 to complete our assignments, next week is Graduation!

In one of our first communiques, our Road Woman, Maestra Shiloh Sophia wrote: "Wherever you are on your journey to teach or lead – this CALL has been in you all along and your YES to joining us is a catalytic action that will start a series of other actions in the continued fulfillment of your own unique life work. Each of us has been called together for an adventure in what is possible...

Tea with our Muses

"You have been called To TEACH. To DARE. And to call others into circle. I have called you and now you will call others! Indeed this is a great adventure and it is such a blessing to be in service to others – one of my deepest joys.
"You came here for a reason. You were called to the journey. And I am most grateful. Welcome."

In February, I said 'yes' to the call - 'yes' to the teacher training, 'yes' to this adventure. Today one of my friends said 'yes!' to NEXT year's training, & we met for tea & a 'heartstorming' session, planing workshop dates & thinking of venues.

I am finishing up the current segment of the Assignments, & this time next week, I'll be at the Mothership, in Northern Cali, with SiStars from around the world who will gather for our Graduation!! Am I excited? Am I nervous? Yes & Yes!! Shakin' in my boots! Yep!
Deep breath, whew!! 

Red Thread Connection

I'm taking the train - a first; & travelling on my own, which I haven't done for awhile. My 'lodging mates' come from around the US, from France & New Zealand! 
I'll meet a couple of classmates who live about an hour away, and our teachers & guides, who have been holding space & holding the Red Thread for us.  

Will you hold space for this part of the journey?
Thank you!! & blessings on your own journey, whatever it may be!

I'm linking to Paint Party Friday

 

Elen Star-Path & class

I finished my 'Beloveds' Painting - & what a lovely turn she took! Elen of the Pathways is a horned goddess, whose tales stretch back through time. 

Elen Star-Path

Researcher Caroline Wise writes: "She is the Guardian of the ancient track ways, the Leys, the kundalini currents in nature, and as the Horned Goddess, she leads us to the first trackways, the migratory tracks of the reindeer and later, she leads us to the path of the red deer through the forests. From here she leads us to the lost Shamanism of the isles of Britain, and we can follow her across Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, Siberia, India and beyond."  

It was a fun challenge to paint on a smaller canvas (16 x 20") & develope this painting in a quicker time frame. ...and then
On Sunday, I held my first 13-step painting Playshop' - "Dancing with the Muse!" I had three students, and we had a lovely time! This was my first Intentional Creativity class on canvas & I was a bit nervous, but it went really well.

One, my friend Sepha, has been teaching for years, & is a 'Paint Night' instructor; she offered to share some of her tips & helped me set up! What a blessing. 

At the Canvas

• A bucket and pitchers for water - we were in a room without a water source, & this was great! You bring water in the bucket (s), fill the water cups, spritz bottle & pitchers, students can dump dirty water in the bucket periodically, & refill their paint jars. At the end of class, you simply dump the bucket(s).
• Microfibre cloths for cleaning up spills - squeeze into the bucket.
• My friend Elisabeth suggested using old T-shirt pieces for paint rags, & for 'burnishing' the canvas after 'glazing.' (I had paper towels at each station as well) With the 'glaze' step, we cover the whole canvas (or part!) with a mix of water and a transparent color, to Integrate the colors & elements of the painting. You can let this dry, or burnish it in.
• Inexpensive plastic tablecloths (Dollar Store) on the tables, & be sure to wipe dry after use, so they don't get musty in storage
• Tabletop easels (we could have painted flat) 
• A clock 'just in case' the room doesn't have one (this one didn't)
• I brought several 4' x 5' tarps to have under the tables/chairs (Duck taped to the rug at the corners, to avoid tripping) 
• TV table for my paint supplies
• Master's Brush Cleaner for the brushes when we were cleaning up - helps extend the useful life of the brushes
• Square trays (dollar store) for each paint station - I'd purchased these before my 'Soulful Story Card' class, & they are a boon for keeping supplies corralled! 
• Totes & a good Dolly for transport (I am still acquiring my tools for this!) 
• I got a 12 x 12" three drawer container for the paint & other small supplies 

It was a fun class, our ladies are still 'in process ... a couple of the students already paid a visit to the art store, for paint, a new brush, ... while I got a jar of the brush cleaner, & D hooks for the back of my wood panel paintings, which will be in my next show at Walnut City Wine Works.

And this morning, my Muse was whispering in my ear instructions for crafting our next class, 'Medicine Woman' .... stay tuned! 

Harvest Muse - WIP

Posting to Paint Party Friday - & to Express your Creativity  - come join the party!
 

Who are My Beloveds?

Some of the questions we have been pondering throughout our Color of Woman Teacher Training - 'who are my beloveds?" - "What is my content, the offerings that light my interest, & meet the needs of my community?" & "What challenges have I overcome to get here?" 

One of my challenges was breaking my arm in March (!! - the last time I'd been in a hospital, besides Childbirth, was when I had my tonsils out at 6!!) JUST before our Teacher Training 'Quest' began! That threw me for a loop! I could paint (It was my Left arm, & I'm right handed)
 ... but .... 
I was SO Tired! & I spent the first couple of weeks recouporating at my daughter's home (& my supplies were at my house) I was able to go home around the time our classroom 'opened,' & proceeded with the coursework.
I did considered stopping before I began, but was encouraged to stay in (Including deferring payment till I was working again!). Ah, what an intriguing way to begin, to persevere, and overcome that set-back! 

Who are my Beloveds?

One of the painting classes we were offered is a one day workshop, doing the same Color of Woman method, but shortening the time allotted for painting & journaling. We have had access to those videos for 5 months, & I began my painting some time ago, 'between' some of the other assignments. With a class scheduled NEXT WEEKEND, I am reviewing that workshop, & continuing with the painting. 

She's just waking up, with the features roughly sketched in. It's always fun to see them at different phase, unfinished, but with lots of character! 

What will come next??

Linking to Paint Party Friday

 

Soulful Story Card Session

In our Intentional Creativity Teacher Trainings, an early assignment was creating a deck of 'Soulful Story Cards'. These area deck of colourful and personal affirmations, tied with a Red Thread.

Over the years, I've worked with Affirmations in a number of ways - in a Loving Yourself class, taught by my friend Joyce Marvel & based in part on the work of Louise Hay, we made Affirmation cards, sprinkled them with glitter, & posted them on our mirrors, carried one in our wallet, & wrote them in our Journals.
 
A year or so later author Douglas Bloch, author of 'Words that Heal' gave a talk to a women's group, & gave us a practice for bringing the negative voices out, and listening for the negatives, then rewriting the affirmation, back & forth, over & over, till the affirmation became the dominant voice! 

Soulful Story Cards

In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron writes: "An affirmation is a positive statement of (positive) belief, and if we can become one-tenth as good at positive self-talk as we are at negative self-talk, we will notice an enormous change." Like Bloch, Julia suggests writing out the affirmation, then the 'blurts' which counter it, & suggests identifying their origin - who told you that?

The Soulful Story Card practice comes at the affirmation by first writing out the  'stories' that hold you back, critic chatter, or negative beliefs on one side of a slip of paper: "I never have enough time!"  "I'm too old" (or too young, or too busy) "I'd love to do my art, but I don't want to end up a starving artist" ... and then writing an antidote on the other. These are done on index cards or slips of paper, then the Antidote is transferred to your Watercolour paper & decorated. 

When a client or friend 'affirms' a negative belief, I often ask if they wish to reframe that, & affirm something positive instead! I'm offering Soulful Stories as a Red Thread Session this weekend, and will guide a group of Soul SiStars through the process of bringing old beliefs to light, and creating their own Storycard Deck.

Biz-Muse

I also finished my Biz-Muse, with her Visionary glimpse into my values, offerings, & whom I'll be working with, my Beloveds! 

October is a month of appreciation for this year's harvest. I am grateful for the wonderful teachings & supportive community of Shiloh Sophia and the Red Thread Sisterhood. As I move toward Graduation (in November) & completion of the assignments, this cycle of visioning and claiming who we are & how we wish to show up!





Happy Paint Party Friday!!

Roses n Rose Beads

Pot-pourri & rose bead necklaces

When I began to think of my 'Menus' of class offerings for 'Red Thread Sessions,' Grandmother's Rose Beads came to mind as a lovely offering.  

Rose Bead Necklaces

My grandmother Mary grew herbs & worked with them. As a teen, my mom & I experiemented with making rosebeads, as she had an old necklace grandma Mary made 30 or 40 years before!

My first attempt to make rose beads, using a recipe from 'American Girl Mag' looked rather like raisins, as the instructions didn't include any mashing! Next go - round, I ran the petals thru the Foley mill, & later ground them in the blender, with better results.

I used little brass beads from the fishing supply (my dad was a fly fisherman), as we didn't have any bead shops, & often strung them on fishing line. The outer necklace is 50 years old, & made by this method. The inner, strung with rose quartz, about 25 years old was  made with my dried petal method. 

In an herb class in the late 80s, Glen Nagle suggested drying herbs whole, then whizzing in a small coffee mill when ready to use.  Ah- ha! I could do that with the rose petals, as I often used a combo of fresh & dried for my beads. Viola, an easy way to store the petals (powdered or whole in zip lock bags or tins) & simply reconstitute ~ 1/4 Cup of prepared petals with a rose petal, lavender & rose geranium leaf 'tea' when ready to make beads. You can add a splash of Rose water as well.
Grind as much into powder as you want, & store in glass jars or canisters till ready to use. Choose petals from fragrant 'old fashioned' roses - the David Austin clones are often wonderfully fragrant, with extended season. You'll want to remove the petals from the centers, &; I sift the ground petal mix, so the powder is as smooth as possible.

Jude the Obscure (David Austin)

I usually add ground cinnamon, nutmeg & cardamom to the roses, & have found that a small 'simmer pot' is ideal for the heating & mash making process. (these are often available from thrift stores) My original recipe called for simmering the petals an hour a day for 3 days, so I often heat them up a couple of times before making the beads.
Glen recommended having the herbs 'crispy dry' before grinding. Any combination of traditional Potpourrie spices can be used: whole cloves, grated nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, corriander, fennel, and star anise, added these to your petals while grinding, as can a spoonful of lavender flowers. I grind spices with part of the petals, then grind other petals separately, so the spices don't overpower the rose fragrance. These days, I pour rose 'tea' over 1/4 - 1/2 C petals in a simmer pot, stir a bit, & cook for an hour or so.  Pour some tea for yourself as well - ahh :) You can place some of the mash in the fridge or freezer at any point, if you can't make the whole batch into beads. I've heard of folks trying other flowers, but I've never had that work for me. After shaping the beads, I place them in a plate and let dry for a day, then pierce each bead with a darning needle. I let them sit another day, then string on nylon line or waxed thread. Beads that break, I return to the mash. I string groups of about 10, then dry in an airy place, away from heat. Push pins along a bookshelf are good for this.I often simmer the petals for awhile the day before, then reheat the next day. You want your mash a 'playdough' consistency. A small electric potpourri crock pot is perfect for this process, just plug it in for a couple of hours! 

Roll the beads in the palm of your hand, about twice as big as you want - they'll shrink! Yes, it's messy! But oh, so sweetly fragrant! I make several size beads, & like to string in patterns of 3s & 5s.




Store the finished necklaces in tins or jars with rose potpourri, a few whole roses & sprigs of lavender. They will last for years when kept in dry in tins.   For classes,  I've purchase tins at thrift stores, & sprinkle potpourri in the bottom, to gift the students. The beads smell more fragrant when worn, as your body heat warms them. Just keep them dry, & they'll last a long, long time! Tiger tail coated wire is nice for stringing beads, & you can find a number of closures for necklaces. 

Rose flower essences are some of my favorites! & a pinch of the dried rose powder is great for staunching blood - what a nice way to deal with a bloody nose! 

Enjoy your play with Rose Beads!!