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I know that some of you, like I do, enjoy collecting art postcards. So I decided to add some Nixies postcards in Inner Worlds.

I don’t exactly pinpoint why, but listing them in the shop simply made me happy.

My mom and I created beautiful envelopes to accompany them, cuting and glueing, I could have done it with my kids too (or is it considered as child slavery ? lol).

I decided to be a bit… different. I made sets of 5 cards, randomly, and you won’t know which Nixies are in your pack until you receive them.
The good things is there was plenty of different Nixies and no set is like the others. It may be the Christmas Spirit settling in that makes me a bit more childish than usual 😉

You can see it in the shop for more info.

Oh, if you are an Inner Whispers (my newsletter) subscriber, look for the first edition tomorrow or Friday (I don’t know when is the best, regarding Thanksgiving ?), with a special sale in it.
Not signed up yet ? It’s not too late to do so ========>

Hello !

I have been thinking hard about this idea that blossomed a few weeks ago on an early morning car ride.
I asked a ofew of my close friends and family members and they all agree I should reaolly propose it.

I am announcing the Nixies’ subscriptions. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.

What is it ? It is simple: you can sign up to receive a Nixie print (8×10″) at a determined lapse of time (there are three packs available for you to choose) during 12 months, 6 or 3 months.

Maybe it will be clearer if I explain to you the different packs:

Nixies’s Wonderland Pack

• 12 prints of my choice (once a month during a year)

Price: $199/year

Nixies Fan Pack

• 6 prints of my choice (one print every other month during a year)

Price: $ 99/year

Nixies Love Pack

• 3 prints of my choice (one print every four months)

Price: $49/year

And it includes the shipping, no matter where you are in the World. Sounds good, doesn’t it ?

I will choose randomly between the newest prints available, shipping them to you around the 15th of each month.

I think that Art is something we should surround ourselves with but that it can easily be very expensive. I see my subscriptions as an investment you could make for your well-being because my Nixies make you feel good inside, the little something that pleases you every month or so. I know it can seem like a lot of money because it is big numbers, but if you put them out a bit, I sell my prints $16 each + shipping, which makes each print at least $20; for the Wonderland pack it would cost $240 for 12 prints so it’s like you have 2 prints free in the pack. Does it make sense ?
And of course, we can arrange payments if you need for the Wonderland and the Fan packs.

↦ And because I think it would make a great gift, if you sign up for one subscription AND another one for a friend at the same time, hers/his will be 25% off (for a pack of the same value or less).

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.

Hello !

What a week, what a week, what a week… A positive one. I learn that I should never trust the beginning of a week to be the same day after day because it all can shift suddenly (does it make any sense ???).

This week, I am grateful for:

• The amazing week-end in Seattle with my lover. The workshop was fantastic, my husband caring and loving. Our dinner at The Cheesecake Factory more than good (and we stayed reasonable in what we ordered so I did not feel guilty).
• The missing branches of my family tree are finally blossoming. I had unexpected email, unhoped for news. Maybe I won’t stay a ghost anymore ?
• My mom was with me to greet my tears of “wow” and joy.
• The realtor from the realty thing that manage our home, that understands us.
• The nice guy from the gas company that looked for the issue and resolved it.
• Snow. I love snow, just not at ease when my husband has to drive under/over it.
• I am so grateful to be part of the teaching team for the next 21 Secrets !!! Thank you Connie.
• ZenaMoon doing a sale. Packing up on new positive candles. It is a real treat for me.
• Anu and Alli for their friendship and their good advices.
• I ordered a few 2012 Inner Voices calendars for Inner Worlds (my Etsy shop). I can’t wait to receive them and to put them in the shop. Hoping some people will feel called to have them in their home for monthly positive messages.
• I created my husband’s birthday gift (shhhhh don’t tell him)
• He’s going back from his business trip to Texas tonight. YAAAAAAAAAAY.
• I am writing my first newsletter, planning to send it next week. It is not too late to sign up. The box to do so is in the right sidebar========>
• Sewing with my mom.
• My husband is bringing me home a gift that will simplify and ease my life 😀

How was your week ?

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):
[linkme]

Note: this post contains a LOT of pictures, be warned 😉

As you know if you are a faithful reader of Inner Voices (blink blink), I was in Seattle last week-end to attend Flora Bowley‘s workshop called Bloom True, organized by and at Teesha Moore‘s ArtFest Annex.
Remember how I sent the intention to attend her workshop a few months ago ? Sometimes the Universe listens closer to your whispers than you think…

To be honest, I am still processing it all, all that I have started to unravel during these two days. Because it was more than painting to me. Way way more.
First of all, I really believe that like-minded Souls gather around the teacher in this kind of workshop; the twenty-ish ladies that came arrived with their stories, their background and a good reason to be there. So yes, it all begins with the “I fell in love with Flora’s art” but I’m pretty sure there is something more than just that…

Flora is passionate about what she teaches. Bloom True has more than painting techniques (but don’t worry, it IS the heart of it all). We stretch (and not only our bodies), we laugh, we connect (with others, with ourselves, with the Creative Source), we cover and uncover, we paint with our hands (l.o.v.e.)….

We painted big, which i am not used to anymore for several reasons, learning to let go, not to get too attached but to enjoy the process (ringing a bell ? Yep. A good one).. The ending creation was not what mattered the most.

To be honest, it was hard sometimes for me to stick to acrylic paint only as I am a Mixed Media artist, but it was so good. I went in and out of my comfort zone. It felt good to paint bigger again, 30×30″ was the perfect size for me: large but not making me feel like I could not achieve it all. It happened that I actually finished a painting by the end of the first day and bought another one that night so I could still juggle between two canvases the day after.

Very attentive students, drinking every techniques and explanation given to us. The class was filled with demos by Flora.

Flora filled the room with music, very different kind of styles and it was very inspiring. Just grooving on the flow, letting it guiding me, my movements, not affraid to do little happy dance while I was painting. Zero fear of judgement. My classmates on my table were happy dancing as well 😉 It just felt so natural, I am amazed.
I think I could work like that, in a studio with other artists.

I can’t wait to have my own art space (Universe…… i am talking to you there), and both my girls at school full time so I will have real long hours by myself to just let my Spirit create whatever may come.
It was amazing to be surrounded by ladies having fun (sometimes with frustration though) and be able to paint and paint and paint.

I loved making marks. Creating backgrounds (that usually become a big part of the finished painting) is something I really enjoy. Click the thumbnails to enlarge:

Can you believe that the painting Flora created over the two days developed from what you see above on the right…..to that ?:

It is just stunning !!!

Do you want to see what the canvases looked like when I left Seattle on Sunday afternoon ?:

Please, go to my flickR portfolio to see more pictures of this awesome workshop.

I loved how Flora closed the class, and the little Show & Tell by everyone, simply showing our paintings as they were, telling what we enjoyed, sharing our struggles and encouraging each other to go on.

Here are some links to what some of my classmates are saying about our experience during Bloom True (please, if you were there and have a link to share, contact me and I will add you with pleasure):

Julie Hamilton “Still inspired by… Flora Bowley”
Teesha Moore shares her thoughts & pictures
Kathie also shares her experience

Hello !

I have being dying to finally announce it to you: I will be one of the teachers in the next 21 Secrets workshop. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY !

21 Secrets is a bunch of workshops focusing around Art Journaling, created and hosted by Connie (from DirtyFootprints Studio).
«Art Journal Playground» sums it up very well. Because we have fun, we learn, we experiment, we meet new people from all over the world

I can’t believe I will be teaching among amazing artists and women. I will talk about my secret in a while, I am still working hard on it. But it will be very very good 😉

The playground registrations will be open on January 2nd 2012, it will officially open in April, until January 2013.
We will be 21 teachers, each of us sharing a secret about our Art Journaling process. For only $59. Yes, you read it right: 21 workshops gathered in the same place for that price.

Here is the list of the teachers:

Aimee Dolich    http://www.artsyville.com
Alma Stoller    http://www.almastoller.blogspot.com
Christine Mason Miller    http://christinemasonmiller.com/
Christy Tomilson    http://christytomlinson.typepad.com/
Connie Hozvicka    http://www.DirtyFootprints-Studio.com
Dale Ann Potter    http://daleannepotter.com/
Diana Trout    http://dianatrout.typepad.com/blog/
Dina Wakley    http://dinastamps.typepad.com/
Dion Dior    http://diondior.blogspot.com/
Gina Rossi Armfield    http://sweetsistergina.typepad.com/
Jenica McKenzie    http://www.jenicamckenzie.com/
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer    http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/
Karin Bartimole    http://aviewbeyondwords.blogspot.com/
Kathryn Antyr    http://www.truenortharts.com
Kelly Barton    http://kellybarton.com/
Ken Robert    mildlycreative.com
Martha Lever    http://marthalever.blogspot.com/
Nolwenn Petitbois    https://inner-voices.net
Traci Bunkers    http://www.TraciBunkers.com
Tracie Hanson    http://www.mybloominglife.com
Zom Osborne    http://pinchmetoseeifyouaredreaming.blogspot.com/

See, I was not lying. You can’t miss it, this will be amazing. And the community that gathers in the playground is fantastic (I have taken the previous 21Secrets and it is why I know this will be an fantastic adventure).

(sorry, I am just pretty much excited by all this. And intimidated. And scared because it will be my first online class ever.)

Will I see you there ?