Announcing ‘The Demise of Noshud Hafta’!

One small creative expression can change your life…

It is with great pleasure
that I announce the release of my new storybook and art exhibit,

The Demise of

Noshud Hafta 

 

The Exhibit: An adventurous tale told through finely crafted ceramic ‘pages.’
The Book:  A truly unique experience ~ this magical story of a leprechaun on an enchanted journey is illustrated cover to cover with the porcelain and stoneware ‘page’ sculptures.

This is a project very dear to my heart. I wrote the story in 1994. It changed my life.  It just took me awhile before I figured out how to illustrate it and share the message!

My hope is that the story inspires others to recognize what stops them and find their way to pursue the soulful journey of their dreams, as it has me.

“Her pottery, much like herself, is magical and oddly captivating and through her words and intuitive nature she is able to tell stories that engage the reader on a level that is not easily achieved.” 
Quote from article by Tanya Orozco, Echo Magazine.
May 7 2009.

The genre is still a mystery: Is it a children’s book?  A children’s book for adults? An art book?  Or does it deserve its own genre: fantasy self-help?  Either way, it seems to be appealing to all of the above.   The first edition with hand gilded edges is selling well, and a second edition is already in process.  I’m am deeply honoured by the positive response to this storybook. (And yes, if you collect ‘first editions’ you might want to order soon!)

And because I just couldn’t resist this opportunity to provide a tool to further assist others in making their own discoveries.. I also wrote a workbook: You get to go on your own storytelling adventure and defeat your “Noshud Hafta’s!”

Remember: One small creative expression can change your life.

To learn more and to order the storybook or/and workbook
please CLICK here:

The Demise of Noshud Hafta – storybook and workbook

 (Once you get there, be sure to follow the link to ‘browse’ the book. If you went to a bookstore , you’d get to peek through the book. We tried to give you a similar option on the website!)

I’m so honoured by those who have given such positive feedback, and so grateful to all of those who have supported, encouraged, and believed in me!
Thank you!  And Tommi thanks you. 

This is Tommi ripping through the pages on her  journey:

Apres Birthday Treats

Apres Birthday Treat that I am currently consuming:    I ran out of birthday cake, but still have whip cream.  And cranberry juice.(this is the part that makes what I’m about to describe such a healthy treat).  And Mr. Christie ginger snaps (the best packaged ginger snaps of all)  Smash and mix them all together and it is one strange but rather nummy treat.  And anything that makes me this happy, I KNOW is good for me!

Now, here’s the best Apres Birthday Treat!   This made me gasp in delight today when I opened my email.  Many thanks to the kind and generous creator, Jill Badonsky.. whom I hope you all know  is so brilliantly wise in the realms of  understanding the creative being  that I am in Awe.  Check out her books, creativity coach training and more.. www.themuseisin.com

Yes, this is me waterskiing on my birthday. Look great, don’t I?  Click on image to see me larger. Check out those faeries!

Thanks Jill!    Thanks whipcream and cookies and healthy cranberry juice! (hmm, am I picking up something from my grandaughter here?.. Evalee says thanks to things we normally don’t think of.  Yes, yet another thing to learn from a not quite 2 year old!)

About not writing.. for ..OH MY.. 24 days! And dirty laundry. No.. actually, clean laundry.

I`ll be darned. I have not posted for 24 days.  You know, in the world of blogging, that is a very very big no no.  `They` say people who start to follow your posts apparently disappear .  I hope you are all okay, and that the disappearance didn`t hurt or anything.   And if you happened to have a quantum discovery on `disappearing`and `reappearing`, I’m glad I could help.   (Please share your tips.. I am certain we have that capability – I just don`t know how to do it yet.)

24 days of unattendance to my blog:   Let’s see.. my book “The Demise of Noshud Hafta”  arrived and the art exhibit opened early May!  (More on that to follow)  And, I don`t know, maybe I’ve been breathing ever since. (smile!)   Certainly I’ve been ‘catching up’ on a number of things that got set aside in the final production days of sculptures and book.  Apparently the utility companies prefer if you pay your bills and they don’t have any sort of policy that allows for artists/writers to postpone paying while in highly creative mode.  

Okay, I didn’t leave it so long that we had to discuss payment policies – but it is true that that sort of detail got set aside, and the important things like coaching, creating and family got priority.

The laundry got a bit scary too.. that took awhile to deal with.  For those who visited my home, you didn’t know that my bedroom was piled high with clean laundry – none of which had been folded for..  um… a  very very long time.   Dealing with that meant dealing with a lot of wrinkles and some re-washing since Casper the dog thought I had created a new bed for him.

The yard never got dealt with.. and of course getting the boat washed, waxed and in the water took a real high priority after the show opening.  (Yup, ‘Baby’ is in the lake and I am one happy woman. )

Okay, this post has helped even me know why I haven’t blogged: all of the above, plus I sincerely needed more time away from the computer.  Who knew publishing a book would have required so many billion hours on the computer?

The point of the story is this:   I did complete a project and publish my first book (hurray!) and I could not have done it if I had given the details of every day home and administration maintenance any sort of priority.  It IS okay to let those things go and  create instead!  It DOES feel wonderful!  And those everyday details?.. well, they were still there when all was said and done.  The bills didn’t disappear (unfortunate, but true), the clothes  were still there (although many were ‘lost’ for awhile under the mountain)… and I hope like stink that you didn’t disappear either.  Or if you did, that it was a very valuable experience!

Gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Tatiana the Dog, and her human mommy, Dora made a new video with ideas for Mother’s Day.  Besides sharing good ideas, Tatiana invites us to post more ideas.  Thought I would share Tatiana’s link and a couple of wonderful ideas we have had for gifts.

http://tr.youtube.com/user/Whisperland

As my Dad got older, I knew there were still a lot of stories to get into writing.  One day I realized how hard it is for someone to put their stories down, and especially for Dad as  he was aging and in much pain. I created an ‘altered’  book where he could tell us stories here and there and we would write them down. 

I found a used old book on Vancouver, and rewrote the title to “The boy from Vancouver.” using a gold paint pen. (One of my favourite creative tools)  I randomly pasted various rectangular shapes of nice lined paper throughout the book  creating space for us to write his stories, with original text and photos as a background.  In addition, I added some old and recent photos of him and family throughout the book, and made a bookmark from one of our old favourite photos of him:  Dad looking very cool as a teen walking down the streets of Vancouver.   

I do wish we’d gotten more stories written down, but I am glad for what we did get.   The process of having Dad tell stories and not feel he had to keep them chronological, took a lot of pressure off.  Sharing a life in writing is such a huge undertaking that I am certain it stops so many people – yet the stories of these people we love are  important to us.  This book made it simpler, and the time spent with him very special.   The memory of my wonderful father telling me the stories of all his cars will stay with me forever, and now it can be passed down too.

Letter writing.  As suggested in Tatiana’s video, I also once wrote a letter to my Dad. It meant so much to him, he framed it!

One of the best gifts ever was a combined project by the family. My Dad’s wife had written a story after my Dad sold the boat.   The delightful story was written from  perspective of the much loved boat.  Leona never told Dad about the story and we often thought we’d do something with it, but alas.. you know how time can be.  Well, just before his birthday – which sadly was his last birthday – she mentioned the story wishing she’d done something with it.  As inspiration can do, we decided it was time.   So, I ‘shut down’ everything else in life for a couple of days – no calls, no outings, no anything – gathered photos and put together a scrapbook of all the good times in the boat.  The story Leona had written was spread throughout, and other family members contributed their memories as well.   It was an extraordinary gift.  My Dad said to me, “I really have been special to people, haven’t I?”   The comment made me cry realizing  that on his birthday, my Dad recognized how valuable and how loved and how much he had been an inspiration to so many people.

Okay, so now I’m crying.   More ideas for mother’s day soon.. my daughter’s have given me so many wonderful gifts. 

Do pop in to see Tatiana the Dog’s video!  This california girl is wonderful, so is her human mommy.  My dog, Casper is in love with Tatiana. hmm.