Releasing Attachment and Day Seven on CRESCENDOh!

Image Marc Chagall "Birthday" from Dover Books

I packed my daughter's room yesterday, with her assistance. I was relentless. We cleared out four big garbage bags of clothing she doesn't wear and a big Ford pick-up truck's worth of books, games and toys she no longer wanted. It was hours and hours of picking up things and saying, "Do you need this? Trash, Goodwill or keep?"

I was impressed with her new found ability to release her stuff. We've been trying for years to get her to give away some of her old toys and stuffed animals and suddenly it required no thought at all. Maybe it was those episodes of Extreme Hoarders we watched on the road this summer.

I like acquiring stuff, but I'm always aware of the great cosmic truth that we don't really own anything, we're just caretakers. I also like getting rid of stuff I don't need, it makes me feel lighter.

Lighter is always good.

It's my final day on CRESCENDOh and my artists today are two really phenomenally talented people whom I happen to adore. Corrine of Jafabrit, a mixed media artist who never stops amazing me with her endless creativity and Ben Sander a.k.a. Brini Maxwell the mid century modern maven with the impeccable sense of style and cheeky sense of fun. Please visit the CRESCENDOh site and follow the links to visit them both. I'm quite sure you'll be so glad that you did.

I must away to clean, clean, clean. We've already got someone interested in seeing the house! We put sheers in all of the 6 foot windows and finished painting the upstairs rooms. Everything upstairs is in variegated shades of blue, it's all a subtle shift in tone from room to room. It's so dreamlike. It's really been interesting seeing this house finally become what I'd envisioned when we moved in six years ago, and admittedly a little sad to have it look so lovely and know I'll never see it again.

Sigh. More of that releasing attachment stuff I'm afraid.

Enjoy your Sunday! Until next time...craft on with your bad self.

xoxo
Madge

Day Five on CRESCENDOh and Freaky Friday!

Halloween Hootenanny Card Copyright 2009 Margot Potter for ILoveToCreate

Well it's Friday again and I have no clue how the hell that happened when I wasn't looking. Sheesh, way to sneak up on a girl.

It's day five of my guest curator stint on CRESCENDOh and my featured artists today are both uber creative, smart and funny women! Jean Yates and Alexa Westerfield will both craft your socks off, seriously. Just follow this link and visit them both, you'll be mighty glad that you did.

Alas my studio is mostly packed and I'm finding it hard to craft with what's left, so I will share another oldie but goodie from my Halloween coffers for this Freaky Friday! This is a really cute card I created with old book pages, scrapbook paper and card stock. Follow this link for instructions! You can take this in so many directions and make cats, day of the dead skulls, crows...whatever spooks your fancy.

Until tomorrow...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo
Madge

CRESCENDOh Day Four and Madge's Thursday Musings...

Yup, it's day four on CRESCENDOh and my featured artists today are the craftylicious Cathie Filian and Kathy Peterson's inspiring Craft for Health blog. Please follow the link to visit these wonderful artists!

Madge muses...

The funny thing about life is that things are often not what they seem. We build up these grand expectations about them and then we realize that the shiny toy is maybe not so shiny at all. Expectation is a slippery slope. It can make us ignore our intuition and get caught up in our personal mythology. People can't actually know what we want from them if we don't speak it out loud. Things can't always unfold the way we'd like them to because we aren't the only ones in charge of reality.

I hear people often say that they have no regrets. I think that's pretty impressive, really. I surely have regrets. I think a life worth living almost always results in at least a few regrets. Living out loud means making choices that might not always end up the way we'd like them to. I think we all sometimes say something we didn't mean or forget to say something we did or opt for that shiny thing even when something in our gut tells us it might not be wise.

It's part of the deal. We will, if we march boldly ahead, make a few unfortunate turns and we will, if we live passionately, make a mistake or two. Yes, it's a dichotomy. There are no mistakes, but there are choices and consequences and some of the consequences are rather unpleasant. So perhaps we might call them mistakes, for lack of a better word? Those mistakes or consequences are opportunities and we can grow from them, learn from them and most importantly use them as a way to fine tune the practice of unconditional love. Practicing love for ourselves and love for those we encounter, especially those whom we don't much like.

We just keep making our way here through the wilderness and if we use our heart as our compass and our intellect to tender some of the intensity of the heart, we will at the very least end up having a most interesting journey.

I'm feeling introspective today. It is fall and this is what happens to me as winter starts lurking around the edges of my reality. I'm making huge changes and they're not going to make everyone happy. I'm probably going to step on a few toes without meaning to and I'm not quite sure how to prevent that. My entire reality and the entire fabric of my family's reality is shifting, and it is a huge thing. I have to hold on to the power of serendipity and the knowledge that no matter what choices I make, no matter where we end up, as long as I maintain the compassionate heart, all will be fine.

"My religion is kindness." The 14th Dalai Lama

"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. We seek problems because we need their gifts." Richard Bach Illusions

“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go.” Richard Bach The Bridge Across Forever

Love
Madge

CRESCENDOH DAY TWO and Terrorific Tuesday!

Today's CRESCENDOh spotlight artists are Kathy Cano Murillo a.k.a. The Crafty Chica and Claudine Hellmuth. Just follow this link to visit the site and do check out these wonderful creative women. I adore them both.

I've decided to join the Terrorific Tuesday fun again this year. Check out this fabulous array of spooky crafty goodness!

Silvia Chenault turns a toy bat into an instant neckpiece (but will it bite your neck?)

Phyllis Dobbs shows us how to recycle a t-shirt into a really cool Halloween trick-or-treat bag!

Kate Pullen brews up adorable Paper Cone Witches!

Messy Missy makes a super spooky wreath with Duct tape!

Avalon Potter goes glam with her Halloween Masquerade Ball mask!

Patty Cappelluti goes bat crazy making this spooky bat door decoration!

Crafterella is a ghoul gone wild in her Ghoul Scout Costume. Download the custom patches she made for her costume!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner upcycles a Starbucks bottle into a swell Halloween vase!

Cheryl Ball delights us with yummy candy corn cupcakes!

Pattiewack upcycles an apple tray into a festive cupcake carrier. So inexpensive and easy!

Ann Butler crafts up a boo-tiful holder for your ATCs complete with a black cat!

Glory whips up a super fun and healthy pumpkin-inspired muffin meal for her kids. Love it!

Crafty Chica makes the perfect mask to celebrate Dia de los Muertos.

Maya in the Moment has some face painting fun with her little cousin and of course, hilarity ensues!

Eileen Hull has a ghostly good time creating this cute diecut necklace!

That's it for this week! If you are interested in playing in the fun Terrorific Tuesday roundup, e-mail Alexa at swelldesigner (at) gmail (dot) com and she'll send you the details!

CRESCENDOh! Day One!

The Inspiring and Amazing Jenny Doh

I was incredibly honored when creativity guru Jenny Doh contacted me about being a guest curator at her wonderful CRESCENDOh website. Jenny invites people to share the power of the creative and to shine a light on artists who inspire and excite them. I've started this week with links to two of my favorite creative people: Kate McKinnon and Andrew Thornton.

Please visit CRESCENDOh this morning and follow the links to their blogs. You'll be mighty glad you did.

Love
Madge