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This week is all about new beginnings… so says Jamie 🙂

What do you wish to begin ?

The first thing that came into my mind was I wish to begin to trust. It seems simple said like this. But it’s not.

By the way, I am working on it everyday. Letting go: fears, doubts etc. But they keep coming back and keep telling me these nasty things about me and what I do.

But when I am in a deep state of Trust, I can feel everything changing around and inside me.

Trust brings freedom. Trust brings light (in the heart and in the mind). Trust allows us to be ourselved and do what we feel inclined to do.

I wish I could be in this state of mind all the time. Without any breaks. I wish to trust myself, to trust the emotions I experience, to trust the messages and signs I receive.

Trust.

Trust.

Trust.

Detail of a mixed media artwork I've created

Hello !

You’ll think I suck with my journals… you may be right, I don’t know.

I’ve been working on this one here and there for a week (because I never had the possibility to focus on it more than 30mn each time). I love it but I am facing several issues, and one is kind of “serious”.

This time, I wanted to try Teesha Moore’s method (because I know her journals are awesome, right ?! ;-)). I’ve done several of her 16page journal made with only one sheet of paper (and if you didn’t give this a try yet, go there. It’s just easy peasy and really fast to make).

First, I realize thanks to this journal making process that I need to see the person creating to understand more easily. It’s just a observation. Words and few illustrations are not enough for me. I had to read several time (lots of times I should stay, and to ask for confirmation of good understanding).
Second, I hate math. I am probably numb but it took me a while to figure out where to put my 6 holes on my 10inch guide.
Third, I have some small strength issues and it’s very hard for me to pull the thread correctly. So it’s too loose despite my efforts to keep it tight. My husband told me that next time, he’ll help me (he’s so sweet).

As you can see on the picture, my problem is simple: the book tape (which is self-adhesive, I bought it a while back online at Paper Source for Julie Prichard‘s awesome class about book binding) does not stick properly on my painted book board.
My brother-in-law suggested it’s because of the paint. Personally I don’t know. When I made a journal using painted masa paper, I didn’t face the sticking problem. And because bookboard is quite thick, I can’t sew the tape and the bookboard together as Rhomany does in her Cryptic Coptic Binding class (which add a beautiful finish look, by the way).
It’s the same on the inside when I open the journal…
I tried to glue with PVA glue but it got messy and absolutely useless.

Did you experience the same ? How did you fix it ?

My husband and brother-in-law gave me some ideas, so for now I simply put some magic mesh over both covers. As it’s very sticky, it’s okay but I’m not sure it will last forever like this 🙁

Here are some pictures (but the front cover does not look finished to me yet):

I love the dangly things on the spine. The beads are from an old broken necklace.

So it was a struggle to make for all the reasons I wrote but I enjoyed the process eventually and will just change some things next time to make it more suitable with what I can do.

Every suggestions for the sticky problem are, of course, welcome 🙂

By the 4 winds is a project I do with other women in our Journals. One subject, several points of view. If you want to know more about it, go there.

Hello !

This time, it’s back for good (I hope so). It’s already the 13th week of our challenge, a little bit more of three months. I was not really a good host during summertime but it’ll change.

This week, the random subject was EMOTIONS. Quite vague and allows a lot of possible interpretations.

This page was not aimed to be part of the By The 4 weeks challenge when I started it last week. I just wanted to play with the cheap Crayola water paint (yes, the same that we bought to my daughters for their art journals; I loved it so much that i spent $4 for having my own). And yesterday, while thinking of this theme, the page became obviously THE page for this week.
I then coloured the face, rework quickly the hair and the text just imposed himself to me.

So this page didn’t take me long to create but I really like what came out. My intuition took over me, creativity just drove my hands. For once, I didn’t ovethink it.

The texte says “Acknowledge every emotion you experience as it serves a greater purpose“.

I am over-sensitive. I used to hide it the best i could because for me, it’s caracterised by a flow of tears. Every single strong (for me, which is totally subjective) emotion brings tears. And it tends to destabilize people (which I can totally understand). But always explain “no, I’m not crying because I’m sad” is exhausting, and usually people just don’t (want to) understand.
Until not so far ago, it was really a heavy burden. But now, I see it as a blessing: at least, the emotions I feel are there, I can’t deny them, and my body expulses them so they don’t eat me alive.

It’s important to acknowledge what we feel (as well as what we think), even if it lastes three seconds. Thus, we can decide to shift them for better.
We are often affraid of our emotions. Affraid of what they can say of us to others. But we are not out emotions. They can go through us without sticking on our Soul. We can grab them and chase them. We can shift them. That’s why I say it’s important to take time to look directly at it, and to try to understand. But yes, sometimes it’s just too scary. And it’s okay to feel the fear.
Don’t let these “negative” emotions take control, let them flow on you without penetrating your heart. But drown yourself in all the positive feelings you can experience, and think about these ones when you realize you’re not feeling as well as you’d like to.

Here is what Sofiah created about our Emotion theme.
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Click on her name above to be redirected on her blogpost -but it’s in French, so you can translate it using Google translate; just paste the link.

You felt inspired by this journal theme and created about it ? Enter your NAME and URL below so we can see what you did:
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Hello !

I kind of disconnected this week-end. We were hiking in the mountain, we visited friends in another mountain, we celebrated birthdays, we just enjoyed being alive and the beauty of our beautiful Province. So I don’t feel any guilt for not having been there. I missed you, though 🙂

Most of you already know the gorgeous Leonie, aka Goddess Leonie. She’s an Aussie, she’s a woman, a goddess, a mama, a sister, a dreamer, a daughter, a lover, a teacher, a muse… She’s awesome !

And to prove it, she proposes us something that let me jaw dropped, litterally: one year of goodies. Here is how she sums it up:

Goddess Circle membership will give you access to everything I’ve already created – and all the things I will create for the next year – so you can use them again and again to not just discover the goddess in you, but keep connecting with her wisdom, creativity, joy and love.

All up, you’ll get over $600 of my goodies – for only $99.

Yes, your eyes read it right. For only $99, you’ll get access to everything Leonie created PLUS everything she WILL create during the year. Isn’t that wonderful and generous and genius ?

She explains it all in this video:

And if I’m right, she is planning to build a discussion forum so we’ll be able to share and cheer up with each other. How cool is this ?

It’s definately on my list of things I will sign up as soon as I can. I signed up for her affiliate program because I like to share what i love and earning some dollars by encouraging people to discover their truth(s) allows me to continue on my healing and creative path (by attending workshops and buying books).
I am honest with you: if you sign up for Leonie’s Goddess Circle by my link, I’ll get a comission so I’ll be able to access to it myself (it’s my goal).

You can buy it via the link above, or by clicking on the button located in my right sidebar 🙂

Gratitude Friday is a weekly ritual I started in order to focus on all the small and big positive things that happened during my week. I invite you to join me, you’ll see how much being thankful can change your life. If you want to know more about it, read my introduction post.

As I already told you (i think), my brother-in-law is currently in vacation here. It’s pleasant to have him with us.

This week, I want to focus my Gratitude on all these little gifts we receive daily. May it be given by someone or simply by the Universe. Because all gifts are not necessarily material ones; and that I tend to forget this. So today’s Gratitude Friday is like a reminder.

➪ Thank you for the night dreams I have. Sometimes they’re blurry, sometimes I don’t remember them after my second wake up, but they’re always a way of learning and discovery.
➪ Thank you for the beautiful birthday day my Grenouille had. She’s already 5, she’ll be in kindergarten this year. She loved her day, and we celebrated her as she deserves it.
➪ Thank you for the emails I receive and answer back, always cheering (I give so I receive and the more I receive the more I give). I build new relationships, rediscover some old ones and I enjoy it very much.
➪ Thanks for the end-of-summer rides we do in family. And thank you because my Cheridoo is falling in love again with photography.

UBC Botanical Garden, photo by Moi

➪ Thank you for the lessons learned the hard way, in my daily life. Negativity always brings a dose of positivity.
➪ Thank you to the Universe for putting a kind man in the life of my Sweetie Pea. I am so happy for her.
➪ Thank you for the kindness of the ambulancemen that took care of us. Thank you because there was more fear than harm.
➪ Thank you for the gifts my daughters received from our neighbour B.
➪ Thank you because Koala finally got a place in the preschool we wanted (located in the same building the the school her daughter will be). It’ll only be a few hours a week -5- but it will be for the best for everyone. The waiting list was huge and we really didn’t expect she’d get a place this soon. So thank you !
➪ Thank you to the Universe for the Universe i receive everyday. I understand now what I read someday: that we can access inspiration anytime, it’s inside us, we just have to find the way to it. Being open to was surrounds me is my new mojo.
➪ Thank you for the unexpected opportunities I have to look back at my past and to realize that I do have accomplished some positive things during the last ten years.

If you wrote your Gratitude Friday on your blog, don’t forget to enter your NAME and URL below so I’m notified and can come to read you (you can also join by commenting this post):
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