new year wishes

Season's Greetings dear viewers!
And here we find ourselves on the next precipice. If it isn't festive, please let it be peaceful, a time of eternal transcendent presence with what IS.

We've been lucky to have a pleasant holiday.  I hope, whatever it is you do or do not celebrate, that you are finding joy in the every day humble aspects of life. We have so much to be grateful for.

Here are a few of the things we've been up to over the last week.

Babu gives Muji a Christmas Morning Kiss

while Wally made me the most delicious Christmas omelet

Two nights earlier, Wally wanted to see the paper hat I'd made, hence the door ajar on a cold night where I went to fetch it from the recycle bag.

Then he wanted me to model it, hence the blurry shot as I hammed it up.

We spent Wally's 3 1/2 days off  - Making

Wally put a leaf in our living room oak table so that we could be near the Christmas tree,

the holiday music and snacks.

We have become quite enamoured over the past few months with simple book making

and as is our wont, we researched and gathered, planning to use Wally's holiday time

for this very purpose. Here Wally sizes up placement of these clear stamps on the distressed and collaged cover of his little travel notebook that is already sewn up.

While I contemplated whether or not to do a post today, Babu's cuddling

convinced me as I took these fun shots of him

So here is a shot of my work in progress, the centre of my sewn book showing the glued and sewn pockets I made from both ends of a brown paper bag, and the many tags I relished making -

stamping and distressing them like the one I hold here, as well as collage from various found papers

and decorative paper pads on others.

I wonder if you, who visit my blog, enjoy making too.  I hope that you find the pleasant mix of solace and stimulation that I do in creating something from your own two hands- remembering that creativity comes in all forms and that we would do well to take comfort from all forms of work, including the choice of conscious presence.

Please go into this new year with a solid sense of yourself, your worth and the courage to release attachment to pain, treating all relationships, most especially the one with ourselves, with compassion, acceptance and patience.

Peace on Earth