kiva.org

kiva.org

Mrs. Ry Morm and her husband have been married for twenty five years. They have five children—three sons and two daughters. One of their daughters is married and lives outside the family home. as for the other four children, two are employed full time and other two are in school. The family lives about fifteen kilometers from Phnom Penh.

Mrs. Morm has been a fish seller for twenty five years. She buys the fish in her village for resale at market. Her husband is a security guard at a company in Phnom Penh.
Mrs. Morm is requesting a loan for the second time. She is asking for $1000 to purchase a motorbike for her husband to use for his work, and to buy fish for resale

over the last year i have had a link to kiva.org listed on the left of my site for people interested in giving, and for people wanting to find out what kiva is all about... but i wanted to blog about them again, after all, i do loan to them and have been repaid by several people already... every good cause deserves a cheerleader every now and then...

kiva.org - loans to entrepreneurs... this is a fascinating organization started by a couple to help individuals or groups around the world to begin their own business, add to their business, or for individual needs; transportation, roof repair...

kiva is the first micro-lending website that enables givers to directly choose and give to who they would like to support...what fascinates me about this organization is that there isn't the bureaucracy that is normally involved when one gives... you just go to their site and decide what small business or family you would like to help out with a loan (that's the hard part, choosing) ... and if feels very personal because it is so direct. the loan areas are broken down; gender, area, farm, art, school, home repairs, etc.

our country is rich and fabulous - we were built by the entrepreneur - we offer grants to artists for tools, schooling etc., grants to small businesses. this is similar, but worldwide... and i cannot tell you how many times i have needed a loan in a small amount for tools or supplies over the years, a starving artist is just that...but grants are long and time consuming request, and it can be a year before you hear back...so this is a quick-get-to-the-point and help 'personal type of grant', that is made to people around the world by you.

today i received partial payment on some of the loans that i have given. it's a good feeling for me to know that i helped somebody on 'the other side of the world' to make their vision a success. what would we do if we couldn't dream and take steps towards making our dream a reality... the entrepreneur is a fearless person and will do what it takes to succeed. i have great faith in the kiva loan receivers and know that they will work countless hours, go without, struggle, to make their vision succeed.

so if you have $25 that you would like to loan to an artist, a growing business, a household that would like to plant a crop or do home repairs, checkout their site... it's amazing what so little $ from our country can do to help others globally.

so check out their site... http://www.kiva.org/

saturday music show.... rock, so adjust those speakers...

ahhhh..... how this reminds me of my home before the oldest moved out.... visions of his place now....

could you ever?

j. brooke patterson

as you know i just love sharing artists and their work with you.... especially when it makes me smile...'tis the time we are all starting to think about upcoming gifts to give... and j. brooke patterson's work is beyond amazing... i wanted to share her unusual pieces with you, for i think you may haven't ever seen such a site! brooke describes her pieces as little worlds inside real eggshells...

i will quote brooke's words describing her process, her thoughts and her ideas.... for this is easier for me, for i don't want you to miss out on any of these things.... i will feature photos of a very small range of her work and you can go to brooke's site... http://www.jbrooke.com/index.html to see many more designs, prices and to order directly from her...

so let me introduce.... the captivating and profoundly talented

j. brooke patterson

and her amazing egg dioramas

i have looked and looked, stared for lengthy periods at brooke's work... each and every piece is a masterpiece inside itself, in this little egg... the talent of her fingers and her mind...create these unique, one of a kind pieces.... and i'm sure one day you will find many of her pieces in museums on display.

her pieces are touching in so many ways, whether childhood memories of storybooks that have been read and reread for countless hours... and seasonal pieces; flowers and snow capped trees, the partridge in the pear tree... to heartfelt times of our lives - a window to life as she's called her series...

her talents are unlimited, and certainly not limited to individual egg pieces but you will see series of egg dioramas transformed into very touching framed pieces...

brooke's thoughts on the egg:

"As a container of life, the egg also inspires one to imagine the many things that can dwell inside. It can frame and focus a passing observation, or a deep contemplation. It is opportune medium in which to create little worlds that can enchant, delight, and amuse people. Its irregular shape and size, and its intimate nature, can draw people inwards."

brooke talks about her process...

My egg dioramas are handcrafted using real eggshells. All of the elements inside are handmade individually, so each egg has its own unique character, along with the unique shape that the egg itself brings to the piece. The scenes are created using a variety of sculptural media, in addition to found and recycled materials. Each egg is framed with custom-cut glass.

i hope you have enjoyed this very small sampling of brooke's work... she has so many pieces available to choose from that you will really enjoy her web site... many of her pieces would make special gifts for the grandchildren, and wedding and anniversary gifts as well...

here is her link again... http://www.jbrooke.com/index.html

thanks brooke for sharing your work with us!

split personality

it's hard to imagine that school started 3 weeks ago.... seems like just yesterday... the signing of papers, sending in monies, joining of activities, marking calendars, car pool, lunch packing and the dreaded wake up calls, (i refuse to chant the morning calls of my childhood years....up and atom sleepyhead, still makes me cringe, how annoying is that?), and am starting off with 'time to get up', since that is what i know i will be resorting to in the upcoming teen years anyway....

and then the never ending chants....shower....did you brush your teeth, let me check them...did you brush your hair....with what?....do it again....is that all you are going to eat?, you will be hungry, pick up your room before you go, get the clothes off the bathroom floor, let the dog out, let the dog in, .... and then lots of no's no and i don't no's.... get your backpack, lets go.... and then the final... have a great day sweet potato, listen to your teacher....all that in just 45 minutes...

but as i think of him in 3rd grade i wonder down to my studio.... and get started...

i do believe that i actually have accomplished more in 3 weeks than i did in the 12 weeks of summer... my blackboard is emptying of names and game boards that need to be worked on and there is a nice feeling connected to the blank space....

i am being torn back and forth from beginning new gee's bend pieces and finishing what i have started... being an artist, sometimes you have to out smart oneself... try different things to trick your mind that is... i can't be wondering off aimlessly all the time creating new pieces when the last thing i'm needing are more boards to be painted on my blackboard.... but it is difficult having what appears to be a split personality.... and get myself to focus on what needs to be accomplished and put the creative ideas on the back burner....

i'm trying very hard to use a reward system on myself.... yes diane, you may do this, but only after you have done that.... sometimes i say to myself...how old am I? but it seems that whatever trick i'm trying to play on my personality will work for awhile....and then that other part of me (wants to have her way, and do it her way, image above), will start to take over again until i find another trick to play on myself....so i guess i'm trying to outsmart myself?

i'm sure you quilters have the same trying dilemmas.... ohhhh what wonderful fabrics you just bought at the quilt store.... and ohhhh what a wonderful design you will create.... and you are so excited and jazzed up and ready to go NOW.... and then....you look at all the quilts you have in pieces, partially done, tops ready to be quilted, a cross stitch here and there... and probably you will keep that new fabric in the bag you bought it in and maybe, just maybe..... put it in the place you keep your hundreds of fat quarter fabrics that are nicely displayed in colors for all of your upcoming quilts....

and lets not forget the stitching groups, hooking groups, quilt shows, guild groups and 'field trips', which always seem to include a nice lunch at a tea house....and just a 'little' shopping...

maybe we should go with the flow and have bumper stickers made:

beware: artist in training

stops for quilt shops

feel the fabric

discipline a quilter?

save a quilter

busy stitchin'

so what is one to do when there are so many things to be made.... i talked to my girlfriend, becky, in dallas a couple of weeks ago.... this is what she had been doing that day....

i worked on hooking for an hour, then did some quilting for a little while, and then switched over to my cross stitch.... i'm also piecing a new quilt, and started making a new hooking pattern for a rug, i'm taking a hooking field trip to the east coast this fall.... and then.....and then.....

i must admit.... that is a beautiful life.....

new art to share....

felt art by - patty benson of papaver vert

i thought i'd feature artists and their works that i come across over the next month.... holiday shopping has been on my mind.... searching for the perfect gifts and handmade pieces, of course... be sure to check the different artists in the left column for wonderful works that are offered and that i recommend from the past... and remember, with fall starting up and holidays right around the corner these artists can easily be sold out rather quickly.... so give them a call...

i don't know how many of you are familiar with the site, etsy.com - i love this site, and love surfing looking for unusual art, home decor and jewelry... many of the wonderful pieces are being made by artists that are also working full time, until they can make it on their own as an artist.... many show on the festival circuits, setting up their wares, rain or shine, and many, like i had, can be found at their kitchen table creating their crafts while their children sleep....

it's a good feeling to be able to help support these artists, their dreams and their families, and to perhaps give them the boost, that every artist needs, and to show them that their work is loved and appreciated.... so hats off to etsy for getting this site out to the masses....

patty benson (aka papaver vert), is from the west coast and has always been a designer of sorts... from making barbie clothes at the age of 6, and admittedly always forgetting to leave an opening for barbie to get into... to painting and drawing her way through school, knowing from a young age that she wanted to create and share her creations... she creates a natural and modern line of hand felted decorative pillows and accessories for the home.... i crave her bowls and vases.... wonderful to give as a gift or to have for oneself....

using an old-world technique to create a natural and modern line of hand felted decorative pillows and accessories for the home, Papaver Vert means Green Poppy in Latin and French. as of yet, no green poppies exist making this a rare thing indeed. this could be seen as the basis of Papaver Vert. Each pillow is hand made from scratch using the ancient and labor-intensive craftsmanship of hand felting wool from its semi-raw form.

the pillows are made from 100% merino wool, which makes them not only luxuriously soft but a renewable and eco-friendly material. the felt making process is a laborious one that creates a truly unique piece of art, making each one of her pillows slightly different from the next.

about the Wool Bowls - The felted bowls are made in a different way than the pillows. They are first hand crocheted using either 100% wool or 85/15 wool/mohair yarn, then wet-felted through several wash cycles, dried around molds and finally steam blocked. I am very happy to say that the yarn used for her felted wool/mohair bowls is processed and dyed in the U.S from sheep raised in the U.S, now that's pretty neat.

hand crocheted with 85/15 wool/mohair blend in a mix of heathered browns and greens, these single bowls were wet felted, dried around a mold to create their shapes and then steam blocked... before they are wet felted, the crocheted bowls are waaaayyyyy larger in shape but the process of felting them causes them to shrink into a tight, sturdy, felted fabric...

patty's process, in itself, is so fascinating.... painstakingly time consuming and the finished piece is.... well, beyond words... her colors are wonderful, you have so many to choose from and she happily can meet your custom order needs....

you can find patty's pieces at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5108727

or you can go directly to http://www.etsy.com/, and type in Papaververt to find her....

start your week with a smile....

i get some great videos from friends and i file them away thinking i must add them to my blog... today i thought i'd start my week with sharing these amazing videos with all of you... i hope you enjoy them... and if you have some great videos, send them to me so that i can share them on my blog...

listen while you catch up....

ok....enough about me....

lindsey cero

papersnack...

http://papersnack.com/

you know when i find something that i just love love love.... i must share it with you. whether it's travel, food, fun or artists, i must pass on the 'news' to all of you... it is amazing what a little blog can do for another artist if seen... and i just LOVE lindsey cero's work.... these are amazing....

lindsey is a local here in the appalachia mountains and she labors her work with a combination of humor, graphics, color and obviously it all is mixed with a light heart. it bring to me the long ago memories of making paper dolls at the kitchen table as a little girl.... can you just imagine the craft, patience and creativity that the very complicated piece above must have taken?

i would suggest....REALLY suggest, that if you love lindsey's work, snap these pieces up... i have a very strong feeling that she will be lifted off her feet and we will no longer have her available to us.... she falls into the 'best kept secret', but i must share this secret with all of you...

i would just love to receive the very fun birthday card above...a thoughtful gift in itself... and i would certainly frame it...




last week, my sis from florida snatched up a piece, regards to her cats...but the hard part is to decide which piece...so feel free to get many... the cards that she makes make a special special gift in of itself, ready to be framed.... i can envision several of her pieces framed together or in a grouping...



but be warned....she IS taking off in the world of art... don't they just crack you up? her prices begin at $6.00 for a original card.... yes i know, you need to order many...(the one below just kills me!)...she also has larger pieces, 8 x 10 matted pieces starting at $25.00.

we have a winner!

in july, to help me celebrate my birthday, i wanted to give everyone a chance to win a bulls eye game board...

over 100 of you emailed to enter...

and it was indeed, diane stewart from salt lake city who won in the drawing! and this is what she had to say...

"I am sitting here with my mouth open and my eyes as big as quarters!"

~ I do not have the bulls eye and am so excited! I love your work and can't wait to own an original piece by you. I am hoping to add to it because there isn't one thing you have done that I don't just love! I can't wait for my husband to see your artistry. He'll become a fan as well. I'm still in shock!!!! Thank you so much! I can't wait to hold the bulls eye in my own two hands! You are wonderful!

so congrats to you diane, mom and now a new grandmother who made her very first quilt for little luke...(isn't that something how little grand babies can teach us something new from the start?), so keep up with the quilting!

i'll do another drawing this fall for another piece.... it was so much fun for me reading your 'pleading....let me win!" notes... and maybe this time you will win a piece for yourself...

oh my....

oh my.... it's been weeks and weeks since i've blogged....i will try to give a catch up of my summertime adventures...

first, i went to florida to visit my parents... a surprise birthday party was thrown for one of my older sisters, so you know that i just couldn't miss out on that! a fun time was had by all, and even more fun to see her older than i, yes sis, you are!

then back to the mountains.... trying to negotiate work and child rearing....hmmmm.... it seemed easier last year....

so pretty much gave up.... and swam the summer away.... sometimes you just have to choose sides...and join them...

then i was able to work a couple of weeks nonstop while summer camp was doing the entertaining...

then off to the beach....

and back to my mountains...

and now that school has started.... i'm back in the studio and it is so wonderful.... as i'm painting i'm also pulling out the gees' bend book planning new boards.... delighting in the extra time to clean and organize my studio, and learning spanish on tape....(thanks mom and dad!)