Once again, I am participating in the annual One World One Heart event. This is an international blog event that started back in 2007. It’s HUGE!

For some background on the event, I’m posting exactly what Lisa, the fabulous organizer of the event has to say:

WHAT IS ONE WORLD ONE HEART?

I created this event in 2007. The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way. 2007 had roughly 85-90 participants and many connections were made because of it……friendships that are still going strong.
We had a strong showing the first year for sure, and then in 2008 we had just about tripled that number. In 2009 there were 911 participants, to say I was amazed is an understatement. 28 countries were represented in the 2009 event as well.
This is more than wanting to win something…….that is only the means…….in the end it’s about finding kindred spirits. Someone who may be fairly new to blogging, not sure how to navigate, find others and have others find them….Some are long time bloggers and in some cases well known in the blogging community. Whatever the case it brings all of them together. This is an INTERNATIONAL event that has and had participants from the US, Canada, France, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Malaysia, Brazil, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, England,Wales, Slovenia and more. It transcends geographical location, socio economics, political affiliation, religious beliefs……it’s a coming together like the giant community we are on this planet. If only it took a simple giveaway to create PEACE everywhere, in the mean time here we give from our hearts. We are not solving the worlds problems nor are we curing anything nor are we changing the world. We are merely generating a closer community between humans through blogging. What more could I ask for, my little idea has surpassed my wildest dreams of what it could become.

WHAT IS FRAN GIVING AWAY THIS YEAR?

Now on to the good stuff: What am I going to give away this year? This year, there will be two gifts available. Both are art dolls I made.

Doll pin-cushion

The first: For an artists’ holiday exchange in 2008, I made these funky doll-pin cushions. They were well-received by the recipients and we all use ours all the time. So, when I was talking with my friend Angie about what I should give away, I remembered that I had one of the doll-pin-cushions that I hadn’t gifted to anyone! Well, that made my decision easy!

I’m giving away this lovely doll pin cushion. She is hand-made by me. The face is a face I painted myself and then scanned and printed onto fabric. I added the hair, beads, embroidery, and buttons by hand. She was truly a labor of love. I’ve enjoyed having her here in the studio, but she’s ready for a new home. Perhaps it will be your home!

Funky Doll

The second is another doll I made. Like the other, she is hand-made by me. I made a few of these and intended to sell them, but they remain here in the studio. So, this one is up for you to win! Like the funky doll pincushion, she is hand-made by me. The face is another face I painted and printed onto fabric. I also drew the main image in the center and printed it on fabric. Some people have told me it looks like a rubber stamped image, but it’s not! I drew this when Dave and I went on our first trip overseas. It’s the ironwork from our first hotel in Paris, France. After printing the image on fabric, I added color to the fabric. The additional fabric on this doll’s front is from Vintage Kimono Fabric. She is sewn my machine with some quilting, but the beading is all added by hand.  She, too, is ready for a new home!

THE FINE PRINT:

To enter the drawing, please post a comment on THIS POST on my blog (Facebook comments will not be accepted for entry). Your email is required, but will NOT be published! It will only come to me – I need a way to reach you if you win! I will accept comments until noon Eastern time on February 15, 2010. At that point, I will add up the comments and use a Random Number Generator to choose the winner. The winner will be posted by 5 pm Mountain Time on February 15, 2010.

For the past two years that I’ve participated, I’ve made several new friends online. We correspond regularly. I look forward to “meeting” you and to becoming a part of your world! I’ll be stopping by all the websites of those who stop by mine so we can all get to know each other! Take some time to look at the main OWOH site to participate and to meet some other bloggers who are participating.

Last week was spent doing my civic duty – I was chosen as a juror on a homicide trial. It was intense, exhausting, and incredibly sad to participate in. That’s all I’ll say about it. It was an exhausting week in which there was no art and there were lots of hours of solemn reflection. Let me just say two things:

First, I know that many people do everything they can to get out of jury duty. It is always inconvenient to our daily lives. However, it’s one of the most important things you can do – to make sure that fairness is clearly provided to a defendant and to the prosecution. Second, the one thing that was brought home even more than it already was: NEVER drive under the influence of alcohol or another substance. Enough said.

On to other things.

I did participate in CreativeTherapy for the first time in a while. I used an old photo and altered it. Here is the catalyst and what I said:

Catalyst: Did your life turn out how you imagined?

My response:

Shipwreck Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

I don’t even remember what I thought my life would turn out like. I think I focused so much on getting out of where I was that I never really thought about it. I never had a good role model to show me what the possibilities are.

I suppose I thought I’d be a scientist, a business person, a professional. I never pictured myself anything but struggling and working hard. I didn’t ever think that I would be a person who could relax and enjoy life and enjoy just being with someone. As a kid, I don’t think I ever really believed I’d be in love and that there was a true soulmate out there for me. But that was so long ago and such a hard time. I have come so far from that scared child running away into something else – safety, I suppose -  but not knowing what it was or how it would look.

For the past 20 years – nearly half of my life – I’ve been with Dave and we’ve been together and happy and in love. And everything else has become secondary. I worked for a while and I pushed myself hard. But when I developed chronic illness problems, I had to slow down. And, when I really slowed down and agreed to just find out who I am and where I am, I think I finally started to dream about what my life could be.

Now, I take time to relax. To explore. To just be. I take photos; I draw; I paint. I take care of myself and my husband. I don’t run any longer. I have made peace with who I am today and I don’t wonder who I would be. I am who I am and I am constantly growing.

Drum roll please….

Travel/ID ticket holder goes to
Sam

Vintage Fabric Pattern Journal goes to
Snap

Mini Photo Journal with Original Fabric Collage goes to:
Greenishlady

Please email me with your address so I can get these out to you!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

One World One Heart

I am delighted to be, once again, participating in the One World One Heart give-away. Here are the details:

• This year, I am giving away three (3) handmade pieces of art.
• To be entered to win you must leave a comment on THIS post. Only one comment per person will count.
• Comments must be received by midnight (12 am) Pacific Time February 12th to be included in the drawing.
• The drawing is open to everyone and I must be able to contact you, so please do include an email in your information. It will not show in the comments, but will be in my database here.
• The winners will be posted on February 12th at noon Pacific Time.
• The winners will be chosen by a random number generator. The number of your comment will be your number.

For more information about this world-wide blogging event, please click on the logo above,

OWOH Giveaway #1: Travel ID/Ticket Holder

Prize #1: Travel ID Holder – Made of fabric, with strands of 3 braided satin. Batik cotton fabric; velcro closures on one side for documents.

OWOH Giveaway #2: Vintage Fabric Pattern Mini-Journal

Prize #2: Handmade Mini Journal – Made of vintage sewing patterns, fabric; free motion stitching and 36 acid-free pages of 40# weight paper, perfect for a drawing journal, writing journal, or notepad!

OWOH Giveaway #2: Mini Photo Album with Original Fabric Collage

Prize #3: Mini Album (6″ x 6″) with original fabric collage. Made of pre-fabricted journal with linen purple cardstock cover; satin fabric tie closure 12 acid-free pages for journaling or photos, or whatever your heart desires!

Don’t forget to stop by the One World-One Heart blog to see what other fabulous prizes are available from others in the blogging world! Enjoy and good luck!

Yes We Did - President-Elect Barak Obama

Yesterday I had my treatment. We had to move my treatment up because my vertigo has been hitting with a vengeance. I’m doing better – though I do have the lovely side-effects of the medication: nausea, fatigue… Lovely, eh?

And so today, while dealing with these lovely side-effects, I have the added stress of the election.  I have been impatiently watching the news, changing the channel when it gets too upsetting. And, no the returns have not come out yet. The upsetting part is that in this great nation, the nation that is the beacon for democracy, we have people who are kept from their given right to vote. I suspect I’ll stay up as long as I can to find out about the outcome. Though, honestly, with all the problems out there, it could be a few days. I’m trying to keep myself grounded.

And, as usual, to keep myself grounded, I am sitting in the studio. I have spent some time today going through magazines that have piled up – recycled some to a friend; others I’ll see if another friend wants. If not, to Freecyle they go… I’ve also done some journaling. There is very little to show but this past week’s CreativeTherapy result:

Catalyst 34 - A Song That Brings Back Memories

As long as I can remember, listening to music has been a part of my life. It was hard to pick just one to focus on, but as I went through iTunes to find a song that made me smile with a memory, I came across Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me with Your Best Shot”. It’s an odd song for a memory, but really, it brings back memories for me.

When I was growing up, I had a close friend, Jeanmarie, who lived around the corner from me. Late in junior high school, we started an annual tradition. The night before the first day of school each year, we would walk for about a mile to a playground, talking about the year ahead, our nerves and anxiety about the first day of school, teachers, etc. Jean Marie was the first one who taught me how to wear make-up. Jean Marie and I were huge Pat Benatar fans and we went to her concert together in the early 80s. We had such a great friendship and a lovely tradition. This song brings back the memory of that annual walk and daily connections at the bus stop.

Art Every Day Month

I’ve joined two challenges this week, as well:

Art Every Day Month – sponsored by the fabulous Leah. The idea is for us to add creativity and art to our lives every day. Admittedly, with the vertigo and treatment I’ve been a bit lax in my art. However, I have spent some time reading, doodling in my journal, and catching up on blogs. All, I think, are creative endeavors.

and

Embrace the Face

Embrace the Face, which I found through a few blogs I follow. If nothing else, it will force me to get out my paints and paint at least one face each month. That will be good practice. This month’s topic is “lace” and I’ve drawn the basic image. I’m going to set up my palate in a moment… Painting grounds me in a way that nothing else does, so I’m off to be “in the moment” with my brushes and my paints.

Have a great Election Day!

To celebrate, I’m going to participate in the big One World One Heart event. What is this event? Well, you can learn more by going to their site. Basically, the idea is to bring bloggers around the world together through a blog-wide giveaway event. It’s an opportunity for us to meet people we’d not ordinarily meet, to see blogs we might not have discovered, etc. With this opportunity comes the potential to win prizes along the way from some very talented and creative bloggers. And, of course, the ability to connect is so important!

So, now to the contest and prizes! I’m going to give away a glasses case I made a while back. I don’t know that I ever showed it here, but it’s shown below front and then back! It’s perfect for those little reader glasses we all use in our crafting! In the packaging, I’ll include some ephemera from my never-ending supply!

To enter the contest, please leave a comment to this post. You will be required to put in your email address, but it will not show. I will take sign-ups until 9 am Pacific Time on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. From there, I’ll use a random number generator to choose the winner. The winner will be announced here on the blog at around 9:30 am.

Good luck and don’t forget to check out the other prizes on the One World OneHeart blog!

Even as I sit here post-treatment, filled with fatigue and vertigo, I am thinking of how other women are living. Or rather, not living, but existing. I am thinking about how children are without food, medical care, education. And how so many live without safety. I’m thinking that, by luck of geography, I’ve had the opportunity to get the medical care I need, to find a partner who loves me in my husband, and to have the freedom not to have children and to be who I want to be. Why am I thinking this at 7:30 in the morning? Well, besides watching the Presidential Primary process and hoping that we, as a country, can choose a leader who looks to heal the nation and the world, rather than start wars, I’m also intensely interested in ways that we can all help. Being aware, I believe, is the first step.

This morning, upon reading Leah’s blog, I was compelled to see this video that she recommends. It reminds me of my time in Washington, DC. The summer of 1988 – the summer between my junior and senior years at Brandeis University – I had a scholarship to intern with the National Women’s Health Network. And that, I have to say, was an unbelievable experience. I was in Washington when we were just beginning to speak with Medicare about covering screening mammograms (we got the legislation passed, by the way!). We supported women’s rights to make their own choices in relation to their bodies. It’s work I still do, but differently than I did in my youth.

Women are the heart of the world. We all need to be aware and to be supportive of our fellow humans. Women and children do not always have the voice or the and that we can and will add more compassion to the world. We need to count on each other and to support each other. No matter what your individual/personal situation, if you have the ability to help one person, you are helping to heal the world.

I’ll step off my pondering soapbox now…

Friday, in Create a Connection, we were asked to share how we are living green. I do my best to live as green as I’m able.

1. We purchased a Honda Civic Hybrid, which I love and saves both the environment and money on fuel.
2. We recycle our bottles, plastic, and paper (lots of paper!).
3. We use solar energy to heat our water.
4. We keep cotton bags in our cars to use instead of plastic bags when I shop.
5. We use a shade near our back porch to keep the sun from coming in and to keep the air cooler in the house.
6. We rarely use paper plates and cards when we entertain or when we’re in the house.
7. We use Freecycle to pass on things to others who need them, instead of putting them in the trash or landfill.
8. We donate clothing, shoes, non-perishable foods to charities, rather than tossing them.
9. I sue a lot of recycled products in my artwork.
10. I tend to prefer unbleached cottons, rather than bleached – no need to hurt the environment with bleach.

I know that there is more that we could do. I look for new ways to help regularly. I try to find things I can do in my life.

I hope that on Earth Day, today, you are able to rethink how you do some things, like where you can decrease waste, improve your consumption, and remember that there is only one Earth that we all live upon.

So I turned off the TV, turned on iTunes and finally got to the journal I’ve been meaning to work on for the past two weeks! This is Lisa’s journal. It’s part of that round robin I’m taking part of. Below are the images I created. Because of the tragedy of the morning, I was sort of stumped and unmotivated. So, I took out my images from Anahata Katin‘s collage images – they’re her Spare Parts. They are all so bright and uplifting that I was able to start there and move forward to move to a more positive mood. Here for your viewing enjoyment!

	This is the first page in Lisa’s journal for April. It started as a self-portrait of a man (sorry! I covered up the info before I realized it!) and he had a lot of flowers in the background. I added some paint, flowers of my own, a hat, and doodled.
	This page started with green and yellow paint I had on my palette that I figured I’d use up! It was a plain page, so I just added the pieces around it to create a frame after I added the girl from Anahata‘s pages. She’s so spring-y, and yet there’s snow and rain all over the US!
	I have been focusing on portraits, and I find that the eyes are difficult to master. One of the problems I have is getting them to be the same size (or at least close enough that the portrait doesn’t appear to have a birth defect!), but I’m getting there. Luckily, it’s just paint, and I can paint over things again and again – and I do! I also want to capture the feeling through the eyes. It’s not easy to do, but I’m trying!
	This is a portrait called “Artist in Studio”. I thought it was a fitting image for me to use, since I had been painting portraits this past week! I put scans of two of my paintings on the “wall” and then added more to make this page mine without covering up the artist. I love that it’s a female artist and her young assistant!
	The landscape that graced this page looked so serene, that I had to use these images to show “serenity”. I added a hat to the woman who is staring out at the landscape, but it looked more like a fish or whale, so I went with it! LOL
	I had fun with this page. I started with the guy’s upper torso, which came already as one piece (I added my own touches, though! LOL Couldn’t help it!). Then I paired it with an upside-down tree that just seemed to fit as his lower body. I added the legs and some doodling and there he was. I put him in pink because, well, why not?
	These are a bunch of images from Anahata Katin who has some great collage images to start with! Then I cut them up and turned them into this sanctuary and added some words of what makes my studio a sanctuary.
	This page was of two women looking out a window. I just doodled on it, added the text and hats from Anahata’s collage elements and it looked done to me!

I have spent a lot of time the past week working on more portraits, but none are finished to my satisfaction, so I will continue to work on those today and then, hopefully, post at least one tomorrow.

Oh, and in the good news department, I went to my doctor yesterday and my hearing (on the one side where I can hear!) is stable, and even slightly improved in one of the high frequency areas by 10db. This means that all the treatments are working not only for the vertigo, but also to preserve my hearing! I cannot tel you what a relief that is. Sometimes I wonder and worry about all the “junk” we’re putting into my body, but then I get news like this and I’m reassured.