velvetwoods

Hi

2010-02-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

I'm well,hope youre all well.
I will be back soon.

Here is my stuff-exhibit 2.

2009-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

Things I'm taking to Melbourne.
My 10 year old dog & the pic behind her

I only have one bucket chair & only one bag but I
thought it would be cool to have bucket chair twins.
Keeping bucket chair,selling bag.

Selling clothes.

Dear Stuff,
Please help me get rid of you
May you go somewhere loving and kind
Don’t think I don't love you because I do
But it's time to move on
Somewhere out there someone will love you much more than I do.
Bye-bye stuff!
Love V

Broken Flowers soundtrack is great to listen to while packing
and the movie is fantastic.
Bill Murray is in it, need I say more.

Here is my stuff-exhibit 1.

2009-10-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the van for the road trip home.It needs work and a window.

My fave vintage suitcase

My fave stuff I'm keeping.

Old clothes going on ebay or op-shop or garage sale !

More stuff to come,our lives are full of stuff !

Joyful simplicities-101

2009-10-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

DO NOT BE AFRAID !

Laugh at how scary the world can be
it's a messy messy world and it's full of freaks.
The best you can do is not be afraid of the world.
My freaky boxer !

Movie Reviews compared to things, well sort of !

2009-10-06T05:05:00.000-07:00

(500) Days of Summer
Director:Marc Webb

It's a Bubblegum.

Zooey Deschanel is in it,she is so cool and her fiance is Death Cab for Cutie Frontman Ben Gibbard.

Some brands are designed to be non-sticky so they do not stick to one's face.
This one is not in your face about a typical romance, nice deviation.
Girl does not believe in true love and boy does.
Off the kilter romance comedy.

1.Chewy
2.Sweet
3.Funny

I really like the out of sequence days in this movie.

Message here :
Quote from the movie just because they like the same music as you it
doesn’t mean their your Soul mate.
Chew on that !
Memorable character - The wise little sister,everyone needs one of those.

Movie review The Virgin suicides
Director:Sofia Coppola

I say it's a goldfish.
Most of the girls have blonde hair.

They live their lives in a fishbowl, being watched by their parents prying eyes.
Life is dull for these locked up blonde beauties.
Fish kill themselves, so do people.

1.Sad
2.strange
3.captivating

Message here: don’t flush a goldfish down the toilet.
Love them and give them freedom.
Memorable character - Lux,she has the most wonderful smile.
She is played by Kirsten Dunst.

Unleash your inner vintage,boho,hippy,gypsy

2009-10-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

Deliciously vintage

Van Inspiration !

The Road trip back home is on the horizon.
So my sweetheart and I bought a van while it's not a kombie it's going to get some hippy lovin.
Here are a few ideas I found.
Hmmm turning it into a gypsy van looks appealing.
Also I would love a caravan vintage style,that is on my life list !
So moving back home near the coast just in time for some hot summer.
I can't wait for the van to do some road trip down the Great Ocean Rd. Sleep under the stars on the beach camping or in the van !

Emily Chalmers author of that amazing book
Flea Market Style owns this caravan below.

Love the gypsy look !

Life is an adventure.

So enjoy the ride.

Be happy

Enjoy the sun

Be young and free at heart.

Great Ocean Rd ,Australia.

Anyone going on a road trip ?

Come visit Wibbley World for super cute and surreal art

2009-10-01T02:05:00.001-07:00

THE EQUESTROPUS Surreal Art

Welcome to a fantastic world called Wibbley World, where the inhabitants of Wibbley World live a life full of courage and adventure.Elizabeth Victoria Knowles has been painting for over a decade.Elizabeth's paintings represent a world where nothing bad ever happens, well nothing life threatening anyway. It seems if something horrible does happen, her adorable whimsical characters make the best of every situation. Take prissy for example - she was bitten by a radioactive flying fish so now she has to live her life as a cat/mermaid/fairy hybrid. Prissy just carries on with life with a coffee, martini and a big smile on her face, never giving up on hope.
So remember to never give up on hope and do it with a big smile !

Lacking in the Face Department - 8x10 Print

Prissy - 8x10 Print

So Elizabeth was kind enough to answer my 3 Q& A'S.

What inspires you ?

Our first Boston Terrier, Mr. Bones, was probably my first, biggest inspiration. After painting him with his huge, bi-color wall-eyes for the first time, my work went in a new direction. Continued inspiration comes from my husband (a never ending source of ideas for characters) my kids, and my pets. My work is also self-inspiring as new ideas will often come to me while I'm in the middle of a painting.

What do you do to relax?

To relax I like to watch DVD's with my husband, read, and draw or paint.

Best childhood memory?

This is a tough one as I don't know that I have a particular favorite, but my stuffed animals were very important to me & I loved playing with them. I also liked playing in the woods with my sister, birthdays, and coming home from school to watch Dark Shadows!

More amazing art and super cute fury friends of Wibbley World
here

Doggie day out !

2009-09-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by the great MAB Jewelry who by the way makes stunning and unique jewelry.Her blog is a riot, it is full of hilarious topics !
Okay, here are the rules of this photo tag game:

1. Open your first photo folder.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.
3. Post the photo on your blog and tell the story behind it.
4. Tag people to do the same.

My 10th photo...

Doggie day out for my four legged friend.
My boxer with her remote control boat, swimming in the dam !
Needless to say the remote control boat only lasted one day !!!

So Artdecadence has been tagged
TheNikiProject has been tagged
Hollyrocks has been tagged

I'm on Art overdrive, bring it on.

2009-09-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep & can't eat,must do art ! So I created a wallpaper garden series.
There's a garden on the wall Photography Art Print series
also morphed into a Black & white series.
This was a picture I took of a very leafy plant.I wanted to create a wall paper look because I always wanted to live in a house with wallpaper covered in organic lush vegetation.

Please click here to purschase on etsy

My pendants for Monash Art Gallery

2009-09-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

Super excited my pendants are for sale at Monash Art gallery
in Melbourne.

I covered matchboxes with a picture
I shot of a giant leaf.
I played with the idea of putting a button
on the boxes but then decided
they really didn't need a button.

Crumpled city, New work by velvetwoods.

2009-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Crumpled city
Crushed into creases
The world walks by and lives on
Decadent as ever.

Page 1 of City series

Man-made beach Page 2 - Full of piss

The Wheel Page 3 -Circle of life

Triptych
City coffee district buy it with emotions please Page 4

Fading in a bubble of haze
in pollution phase 1.

New prints on etsy by velvetwoods

2009-09-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossom

House

I'm growing 8x12 Fine Art Photograph Print

More here

Cute art of the week.

2009-09-09T17:56:00.001-07:00

Artwork by Shinya Kumazawa
Ambition - Bicycle print
Click here for more of Shinya Kumazawa's work

Pamela klaffke- Canadian Photographer

2009-09-07T01:40:00.000-07:00

She shoots exclusively with analogue cameras and holga cfn is one of her faves.Pamela does not digitally alter any of her images and in her own words she likes the beauty and warmth, unpredictability and imperfection of working with film.

Wonderful, slightly dark and superbly surreal is Pamela klaffke's awesome photography.
Pamela klaffke's work combines retro kitsch with some unusual lovable characters.
A bit like a strange and modern fairytale book set in an urban setting, Pamela klaffke's images captures a motley of delightful characters with a grainy and vintage feel to it.

vuples volpes” is one of twelve photographs
in the “bestia parvulus” series.

“cuniculus (rabbit)” is one of twelve photographs
in the “bestia parvulus” series

“feles (cat)” is one of twelve photographs
in the “bestia parvulus” series

So I was super excited when I asked Pamela three Q & A's.

What inspires you ?

1. Most of my inspiration comes from spending time with my 8-year-old daughter, dark, classic fairy tales (the real ones, not the disney-fied versions) and vintage book illustrations.

What do you do to relax?

2. To relax, I like to cook, hunt around thrift shops for props, books and costumes. I also sew and enjoy keeping up with what people are creating on etsy.

Best childhood memory?

3. My favorite childhood memories are all about making costumes and toys, dressing up and putting on plays and puppet shows.

Thank you so much Pamela for taking part in the Q & A's.

Walrus by Pamela klaffke.
I have fallen in love with a walrus,my fave.
-velvetwoods

To view more of Pamela klaffke’s
Fabulous work please visit her on etsy HERE

Don't judge a book by it's cover

2009-09-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

Love the colors of this George Orwell book.
And how the circles just float around. Any one read this book? I love it!
It’s George Orwell's first book.
It’s a Fascinating account of one’s working life in such shitty conditions with hardly any sleep and hardly any food. George Orwell's semi-autobiographical account of living in poverty in London and Paris tells a tale of endless woes while living at the bottom of the scrap heap. This was self imposed as George Orwell wanted to experience firsthand what it would be like to live in wretched dirt poor conditions. Slumming and working in the kitchens of Paris he encapsulates his situation with good humor in the most descriptive way, it was like watching a movie in my head and I could even smell the food he was serving the most bourgeois of society.
Oh don’t read this book if you worry about what restaurants do to your food or is a little squeamish about foul smells.
He then returns to London as a hobo, ragged, homeless and penniless and continues his account in such a detailed detached way. This book is full of vagabond characters with lots of little quirks. I like Valenti, who prays to a picture of St. Eloise for money. By some miracle or coincidence he receives some money and is torn between buying cigarettes and buying St Eloise a candle in gratitude. Then he realizes that the picture he prayed to was of the owner of the boarding house he's been staying in.

It is altogether curious, your first contact with poverty. You have thought so much about poverty - it is the thing you've feared all your life, the thing you knew would happen to you sooner or later; and it is all so utterly and prosaically different. You thought it would be quite simple; it is extraordinarily complicated. You thought it would be terrible; it is merely squalid and boring. It is the particular lowness of poverty that you discover first; the shifts that it puts you to, the complicated meanness, the crust-wiping."
- George Orwell.

He ends by suggesting the governments employ the homeless to work outside of the city in gardens, where they could grow food, which they could then eat and sell, and eventually find some stability.
What a wonderful idea, I wonder if any country in the world has this idea in place.

Here are some beautiful book covers.
I love the two chairs, they make a sweet couple don't you think?
I try not to judge a book by its cover.
What are you reading right now?
I'm not reading anything at the moment.
I would love to read the Wild things by Dave Eggers.
Any one read it?

Masashi Kawamura
Wanna have your very own instant rainbow maker,then check this out.

Why not organize your books by colors.

Have you ever left a book in public on purpose ? hmmm let me know.
I'm planning to leave a book behind somewhere...

My First Treasury only on Etsy !

2009-09-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ok who likes Dr Seuss ? I do.....
So I put together beautiful and wonderful things from Etsy.
WHAT IS ETSY ? for people who don't know, it is where you can Buy and Sell Handmade goodies that are super cool and creative like the stuff below !
I have stuff on Etsy too !
Enough banter I present to you my first Treasury, so excited as it's a real pain to get a treasury.

lovely things I choice to represent the words in the Dr Seuss book,well you know the one !
Click for Green eggs and Pam ...

Joyful simplicities 101

2009-08-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Pics my velvetwoods
Declare to the universe that you are open to receiving all the abundance it's waiting patiently to hand out in many guises.
I today declare to the universe I want a sense of direction in the coming months ahead as I prepare for a big move interstate to be closer to my mother and friends.

What would you like to declare to the universe today?

Mondayitis,Monday Artist

2009-08-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

Robert Downey, Jr., Fur

Everyone hates Mondays so let’s learn about an artist to help ease the pain of Mondays.

Photographer Mary Ellen Mark.

I aspire to be rock & roll granny with a pink fridge

Can't wait for the new Aice in Wonderland,I'm a big Tim Burton fan.

How do you like my new tie ?

Mary Ellen Mark has published sixteen books and her photographs have been exhibited across the globe.She most recently took photos of the cast of the new Alice in Wonderland movie for Vanity Fair. Her prodigious photographs are somewhat accurate depictions of this sometimes bizarre life and has been published in LIFE, New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair. She has traveled extensively to capture imagines that portray life in a circus and has photographed many famous faces on movie sets.

The Point

2009-08-21T08:25:00.001-07:00

The point of it all,
what is the point ?
is this,this is it; the point is to find purpose.
So be inspired! Be curious, be happy, and be silly.
Do something you love.
I'm inspired.....by other photographers on flickr.
To take pictures, read a book and smell the flowers.

More pics by emily hunt

love this by
Kensey Crane

More by 11nightmares

Mondayitis,Monday Artist.

2009-08-17T02:45:00.001-07:00

Sea and mirrors by Ross Bleckner

Everyone hates Mondays so let’s learn about an artist to help ease the pain of Mondays.

Ross Bleckner is an American artist born in 1949 famous for his abstract images, luminous birds, flowers, and molecular subjects. His paintings delve into the darkness of life and the lightness of being. Mr. Bleckner explains that he uses his paintings to express "...his consistent themes: the transience of beauty, the fragility of life and the loss of love."
"Whether it’s anatomical, medical, illustrational, metaphoric,” he said, “I’m trying to figure out some plausible way that things work or don’t work, to look for some meaning through the language that I’ve chosen to speak.”
So much of my work is about building up and taking apart,” he explained, “about how the shapes form and uniform, how they dissolve and reassemble.”
I remember the first time I fell in love with Ross Bleckner's work, I was sitting on the floor in the art section of the state library. I found his book while I was looking for new artist to discover. I stumbled upon his book and fell in love with his painting GALAXY WITH BIRDS .I could not put the book down and I marveled in awe at the ethereal quality of his abstract images.
Ross Bleckner, Color Field

Dome

GALAXY WITH BIRDS, 1993, OIL ON LINEN, 84" X 60"

Joyful Simplicities-101

2009-08-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Drinking a cup of coffee at home in my favorite cup.
Do you like coffee or tea or both? Do you have a favorite cup?
I like a latte or a chai latte.
Don't cry over spilled milk.

Orange sky

2009-08-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

Pics I took of the orange amber sky.Can anyone see a face in the sky ?
I can.

My Kodak Duaflex !

2009-08-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

Here's some of my experiments with fake ttv.

My first ever ebay purchase, a kodak Duaflex from the UK,it should be here in a few weeks.The original versions were available from December 1947 - September 1950 in the US, and 1949-1955 in the UK. Finally I can take some real ttv photos instead of using a fakey.

Through the Viewfinder photography is defined as taking a picture of any subject through the viewfinder of any camera with another camera. The image captured through the ttv is not a clean sharp picture but instead highlight the dust, scratches and texture,giving it a black border.

Amazing kinetic Art.

2009-08-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Reminds me of how impermanent things really are.
The first one starts off a bit slow but then builds up to an amazing climax.
Please be patient.

Muffy the lost dog found !

2009-08-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Muffy was found after 9 years of missing in action.
She was last seen in 2000 on the Gold Cost Qld but was found by the RSPCA early this month living in Melbourne.The terrier-cross was living in appalling conditions on a piece of cardboard malnourished and flea-ridden.The RSPCA took her away and were going to put her down but then discovered she had a microchip.Due to the microchip they were able to trace Muffy's family.

I love this story about Muffy and thank god her family are still around and so overjoyed to hear that Muffy was found.Muffy lived with a family 9 years ago and was dearly love my a 10 year old girl who is now 19.

Can you believe it ? Nine years later they find her 2000km away from home ...........The adventures of Muffy the wonder dog continues at home with her loving family.

I'm getting my dog microchip next week,if you are a pet owner you should do the same.It might save your pet's life.

More Random stuff about me.

2009-07-31T05:02:00.000-07:00

Pic by Amanda Friedman Photography

I been tagged again this time by
Mouchois and
Silver

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random and/or revealing things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your post entry is up on your site.

More Random stuff about me.

1.I was gazing at the sky one early morning marvelling at all the stars when I saw something very odd like a ball of light, shaped like a disc coming toward me.It got bigger and faster so I got scared and got in my car,It chased me down the highway then dissapeared.I swear I saw a UFO at 4 am in the morning while stopping for a break for my big move to another state.

2.I was named after a cat.

3.I once had two boyfriends at the same time and they did not know about each other, I was young and silly.

4.I once worked as a masseuse, my job lasted two days. The place wasn't dodgy but it was in the past so they had very strange customers with some strange request.I did not grant these so called strange request.

5.I was in some dodgy B grade movie when I was kid .I can't even remember what it was called but I remember I had to run away from explosions and fire !

6.I like Dr Seuss,he has the most wonderful quotes like “If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good”

So I tagged these 6 lovely bloggers.

the Lost Earring

Cinnamon

ARTLIFE

Moon Through Fog

Psyche Connections

the end is nigh

The nomadic explorer of the soul

2009-07-29T02:29:00.000-07:00

Pic from www.bestpicturegallery.com
Kyrgystan-yurt-nomads-dwrawlinson

So I want to be a nomad, most people are nomads at heart, maybe we are all part time nomads that’s why we go on holidays. Do you long to be free from the burdens of this society where our lives are like clockwork, resembling a machine or an automaton. We all work so hard, accumulate so much stuff, wealth and possession in the western world that sometimes we forget why we are living, what we are living for, and what it's all about? The soul longs for answers, variety, stimulation and the sacred truth. Sometimes it will distract itself with so many things that is not life enchancing by overeating, consuming more than one needs to, watching too much tv, worrying all the time, the list could go on and on. Some people clean non-stop, others take drugs, others like to create big melodramas and attract people that can have detrimental effects on their wellbeing. So on and on it goes just to fill the void.

So find the time to seek solace. Find your truth, as the truth can be so objective and realize, finding one truth only leads to the search for another. So ask yourself what engages the mystery and magic of your inner wisdom, ask your soul answers only you can answer, others may try to answer it, but you will never understand until the seed of wisdom and not knowledge is born from your being. Wisdom does not mean knowing all the answers, but rather a williness to open your heart, mind and soul in order to receive the gift of learning. Be the explorer, be the soulful nomad gazing up the stars, wondering how magnificent it is that we exist. Explore your mind and the fundamentals in your life, it doesn’t matter that you don’t know the answers, what matters is you are looking at your true self. That is the start of your odyssey to the wondering, nomadic explorer of the soul.

Mondayitis,Monday Artist.

2009-07-27T03:45:00.000-07:00

Everyone hates Mondays so let’s learn about an artist to help ease the pain of Mondays.

Bansky is an English graffiti artist from Bristol.His artworks are often satirical vignettes of art on topics such as politics, culture, and ethics.His wise and funny stencil art combined with often something witty to say is his signature style.
Now Bansky is at the Bristol Museum.I wanna go to Bristol but I can't go,so this clip is the next best thing.

More Bansky

Don't be sad today.

2009-07-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

New work from me inspired by the beauty of the sky and richness of the ground.

The dark clouds are there lingering in the shadows but I don't want to see them today.I prefer to chase sunny blue skies,mellow yellow trees and ferns from the ground.

Sacred Spaces Inspiration

2009-07-24T18:19:00.001-07:00

I want to redecorate on a budget with thrifty things.
I'm loving these pics from flickr.It is just my style.
Vintage bohemian with a touch of colourful charm.

Joyful Simplicities 101-Music

2009-07-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

Check out your local thrift shop for some old records.
I love the sound of scratchy old records, it is so beautifully raw.
I got old classical records, the roaring 20's, flamenco, Shirley Bassey, Billy idol, Dolly Parton and ladies country classic from thrifty shops.

My Art Pendant !

2009-07-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

It's finally here my Art pendant of Green flower delight Fine Art Photograph Print.

7/8 INCH Glass tile pendant approx. 7/8" Square (23 x 23 x 5 mm)

Chain does NOT come with the pendant.
My Pendant of sweet little photographic art ! Yours to wear but not to the beach or in the shower as it's not waterproof !The back is sealed with a glossy look.
50% of pendant sale will be donated to cancer research.
Now on etsy velvetwoods.etsy.com
There's more to come soon.

Cool things on Etsy !

2009-07-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

XX Chromosomes Shirt
Xenotees.etsy.com

Embossed Ostrich Green Satchel /Shoulder Handbag
ekaa.etsy.com

The Greens with Envy
RendezVousBijoux.etsy.com

Blog give away winner !

2009-07-21T02:05:00.000-07:00

Blog Give away Winner of flower and birds photographic art print collage size 4x6. ... drum roll please .......it is …….
Sharon from Knot-Cha-Chá!™ ! Johnny Depp wasn’t available to announce my blog give away winner so I had to settle for Jack Nicholson. Hey I really liked Jack in one flew over the cuckoo nest. Sorry Sharon! I know how you love Johnny Depp.

Thanks everyone for participating, it’s been so much fun. You all gave such wonderful answers, if I was a bird I would do all the things you all suggested. I would also fly to my favorite artist's home whether it is an actor,muso,writer, Johnny Depp or Christian bale comes to mind right now, I would be happy to sit nearby and listen to them just be.I might need ear plugs for Christian Bale after his little tantrum on the Terminator set.
By the way my method for picking a winner was totally scientific and widely known as drawing a name out of a hat.

Mondayitis,Monday Artist.

2009-07-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone hates Mondays so let’s learn about an artist to help ease the pain of Mondays.

Medicine woman by Susan Seddon Boulet

"In The Company Of Wolves" by Susan Seddon Boulet

Shaman Wolf

Athena by Susan Seddon-Boulet

She is famous for her exquisite and richly developed imagination.I first heard of her when I walked into a bookshop and saw her goddess tarot cards and was quite spellbound by them.
She is Susan Seddon-Boulet, San Francisco Bay Area artist, who was born in Brazil in 1941 of English parents who had emigrated from South Africa. She died in 1997 from a long battle with cancer.

Anais Nin wrote:
"These figures are out of our dreams, those which flee from us upon awakening, those which are dispersed like dew at dawn, and those which fall apart between fingers like dust--roses."

Susan Seddon- Boulet was inspired by the magical world of dreams, her love for animals, shamans and goddesses.
I love her symbolic images and the rich,lush,earthy tones of her paintings. It is like being in the spiritual realm where everything is sacred and everyone has a shaman they can consult with about the mysterious of life.

Here is some bat for lashes ,the song is Pearl's dream, reminds me some of Susan Seddon- Boulet images.I LOVE this song and clip.

Blue skies with Rumi.

2009-07-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

I took some pics of the sky while I was out and about.
Blue skies is always here in sunny Qld.

A little story about me.

2009-07-17T22:56:00.001-07:00

I have been tagged by Knot-Cha-Chá! to tell 10 things about myself.

1. I grew up in a place full of nature and beauty without electricity. I lived in a hut by the river made by my grandfather overlooking two striking mountains that resembled two bosoms.At night time by grandfather and I would sit by the window. We would watch the bats fly home to the cave perched on the side of the mountain, while the sun was slowly sinking for a restful sleep.

2. I used to run around naked when I was kid but I’m not nudist anymore. My grandmother was very upset she couldn't put a dress on me without chasing me down the road.

3. As a teenager I was rebellious and went to a school were teachers were called by their first name and smoking at the back was OK.

4. I have hitched hiked trice in my life but never alone...two out of those three times I went to the beach.Mr Woods and I missed the bus, no more buses that day and our car was somewhere else. We got to the island but the beach was miles away, no taxis around.....Well we saw turtles bobbing up and down the size of buses in the ocean and whales doing whale things that day. We swam and swam like little fishies.
Otherwise hitch hiking can be dangerous...murderers and the likes roam the planet too.

5. I love Marshal Arts, especially Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

6. I’ve been to the Amazon and stayed in an eco lodge, it was amazing. I have also been to see the great lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu. When I got to the top I found a quiet corner overlooking the vast majestic vista and meditated.

7. I know Shiatsu and Reikie, I have studied them both. I believe in the power of Reikie and everyone deserves to be touch in a loving way without feeling uncomfortable or violated.

8. I Love all forms of art, most of all how it can manifest itself creatively in so many ways in one’s life. I think life is art and everyone has a piece of the master piece inside them. We are all Botticelli's Venus.

9. To live a life unexamined is a real shame and rather dull but at the same time navel gazing too often is a real pain. Everything is about balancing the yin and yang and embracing life's unpredictability. Life is in constant flux even when you think your feet is deeply rooted on the ground the world has a bit of tango to shake things up.

10. life is just a ride.

Here's some of my new photographic artwork.
available at velvetwoods.etsy.com

I tried to make you heartshape eggs for breakfast.

Nature is colorful

Yes, Bacon Vodka.

2009-07-15T02:04:00.000-07:00

No way!
Yes, Bacon Vodka. Funny I have been reading artlife's blog about bacon themes and here is a bacon I stumbled upon.
Bacon Vodka is superior quality potato vodka with a savory bacon flavor.How gross!
Ok this so wrong !And what ! wasabi chocolate, maybe you can use your bacon vodka to wash than the wasabi chocolate.

The weirdest flavored food I’ve tried is prune yoghurt and lemon myrtle yoghurt, not very nice!

It's Mondayitis , Monday Artist !

2009-07-13T03:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone hates Mondays so let’s learn about an artist to help ease the pain of Mondays.

Cindy Sherman a fascinating favourite photographer of mine.

Cindy Sherman the American chameleon photographer took movie like self-portraits, best known for her Untitled Film Stills series circa 1988-1990.
In 1999 the average selling price for one of her photographs was $20,000 to $50,000. In 1999 one of the photographs from her Film Stills sold for a jaw dropping $ 190,000 at a Christie’s auction.
Way to go Cindy !

Be nurtured by Nature.

2009-07-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

We all know nature can be very healing so today take the time to enjoy your local park.Green is a soothing colour and can invoke a sense of well being and calmness.
So wear your favourite green item of clothing or jewelry to feel a sense of balance.
I love wearing my green earrings and my soft green scarf.
Green is calming for me as I can be prone to have outburts of anger just like everyone else, even monks swear too and get angry.We are all human beings !

Here are some pics I took while I was out and about admiring mother nature.

Blog give away.

2009-07-10T04:43:00.001-07:00

I'm giving away my flower and birds photographic art print collage size 4x6.
Just answer this question, if you were a bird where would you go and why ?

♥♥♥My glass pendant♥♥♥

2009-07-10T01:35:00.000-07:00

I made this glass pendant for myself.
I used an old vintage children's book.I will be making more pendants similar to this one and will be on sale at my etsy shop soon.I will also be making pendants out of my photographic art prints very soon too.

Believe in yourself.

2009-07-09T17:29:00.001-07:00

Nani Nani Lullaby by Yasmin Levy

Sephardic music was born in medieval Spain, These Songs were sung traditionally by women while performing household tasks with no music. Such a beautiful lullaby.

Nani, nani, nani,
Nani nani wants my son
Son of his mother
the boy is getting big

Ay,
Sleep my little soul
sleep my life
Your father is coming
with great joy.

Open the door
open the door my lady!
I am coming very tired
from working the land.

Joyful Simplicities 101 -Stay in Bed

2009-07-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

Joyful Simplicities:
Don' get out of bed if you are feeling unwell and morose.
Your bed is your healer and it will keep you protected from the world as you gather strength to face the world again.

Someday velvetwoods will have a bed like this one.
The Tree Bed from Shawn Lovell Metal works price tag $15,000,wow !
I will gather twigs just like a bird and make my own little bednest that I can afford.

The alarm can ring.
The birds can peep.
My bed is warm.
My pillow's deep.
Today's the days I'm going to sleep.
by Dr Seuss

Draw in bed.
Write in bed.
Cry in bed.
Laugh in bed.
Your bed is like a magic carpet it will take you places you dream of.
And sometimes it is like a choose your own adventure story as you have a lucid dream and be an active participant in your own story.
Sleep and dream my friend and when you wake you will feel nourished.
xoxox velvetwoods

The sadness

2009-07-09T16:28:00.001-07:00

A painting called love by Khalil Gibran

How does it feel to be a woman when your heart bleeds and you don't feel quite ready to explain what is troubling you? I go over and over about what happened as to say is this real because it is so surreal, I can' make any sense of it. Life does not make any sense sometimes nor does it have to. But the mind keeps searching for answers even though it knows there are none. This is the grand master plan, it’s your destiny and it must be embraced with wide open arms .This is the way it's supposed to be, through the pain and tears. Through the joy and laughter it can bring, the loss and the abundant gifts it can share. How does it feel when your heart bleeds not very well I know. My heart bleeds today too. Yes I am sad today but I know it will all be ok.

Here is a wonderful poem about Pain by one of my fav poets the wonderful kahlil Gibran.

And a woman spoke, saying, 'Tell us of Pain.'

And he said:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquility:

For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,

And the cup he brings, though it burns your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears.

Khalil Gibran

Joyful Simplicities 101- Paulo Coelho

2009-07-08T00:24:00.000-07:00

A pic I took of an old tree by the seaside.

Joyful Simplicities
Read a quote by Paulo Coelho :

You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle.

Paulo Coelho Quotes

2009-07-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

I needed something to cheer me up and inspire me today so I looked up Paulo Coelho quotes and found interesting quotes from him.I have always found his choice of words calming and the alchemist is an old fav book of mine.

Paulo Coelho Quote :

I think the big danger of madness is not madness itself, but the habit of madness. What I discovered during the time I spent in the asylum is that I could choose madness and spend my whole life without working, doing nothing, pretending to be mad. It was a very strong temptation..

I might be going mad today...but most likely not ,this quote is from me velvetwoods.

and more from Paulo Coelho

Normal is:

1. Anything that makes us forget who we are and what we want; that way we can work in order to produce, reproduce, and earn money.

2. Setting out rules for waging war (the Geneva Convention).

3. Spending years studying at university only to find out at the end of it all that you're unemployable.

4. Working from nine till five every day at something that gives you no pleasure just so that, after thirty years, you can retire.

5. Retiring and discovering that you no longer have enough energy to enjoy life and dying a few years out of sheer boredom.

6. Using Botox.

7. Believing that power is much more important than money and that money is much more important than happiness.

8. Making fun of anyone who seeks happiness rather than money and accusing them of "lacking ambition."

9. Comparing objects like cars, houses, clothes, and defining life according to those comparisons, instead of trying to discover the real reason for being alive.

10. Never talking to strangers. Saying nasty things about the neighbors.

11. Believing that your parents are always right.

12. Getting married, having children, and staying together long after all love has died, saying that it's for the good of the children (who are, apparently, deaf to the constant rows).

12a. Criticizing anyone who tries to be different.

14. Waking up each morning to a hysterical alarm clock on the bedside table.

15. Believing absolutely everything that appears in print.

16. Wearing a scrap of colored cloth around your neck, even though it serves no useful purpose, but which answers to the name of "tie."

17. Never asking a direct question, even though the other person can guess what it is you want to know.

18. Keeping a smile on your lips even when you're on the verge of tears. Feeling sorry for those who show their feelings.

19. Believing that art is either worth a fortune or worth nothing at all.

20. Despising anything that was easy to achieve because if no sacrifice was involved, it obviously isn't worth having.

21. Following fashion trends, however ridiculous or uncomfortable.

22. Believing that all famous people have tons of money saved up.

23. Investing a lot of time and money in external beauty and caring little about internal beauty.

24. Using every means possible to show that, although you're just an ordinary human being, you're far above other mortals.

25. Never looking anyone in the eye when you're traveling on public transport, in case it's interpreted as a sign that you're trying to get off with them.

26. Standing facing the door in an elevator and pretending you're the only person there, no matter how crowded it is.

27. Never laughing too loudly in a restaurant no matter how good the joke.

28. In the northern hemisphere, always dressing according to the season: bare arms in spring (however cold it is) and woolen jacket in winter (however hot it is).

29. In the southern hemisphere, covering the Christmas tree with fake snow even though winter has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

30. Assuming, as you grow older, that you're the guardian of the world's wisdom, even if you haven't necessarily lived enough to know what's right and wrong.

31. Going to a charity tea party and thinking that you've done your bit toward putting an end to social inequity in the world.

32. Eating three times a day even if you're not hungry.

33. Believing that other people are always better than you--better-looking, more capable, richer, more intelligent--and that it's very dangerous to step outside your own limits, so it's best to do nothing.

34. Using your car as a weapon and impenetrable armor.

35. Swearing when in heavy traffic.

36. Believing everything your child does wrong is entirely down to the company he or she keeps.

37. Marrying the first person who offers you a decent position in society. Love can wait.

38. Always saying, "I tried" when you didn't really try at all.

39. Postponing doing the really interesting things in life for later, when you don't have the energy.

40. Avoiding depression with large daily doses of television.

41. Believing that you can be sure of everything you've achieved.

42. Assuming that women don't like football and that men aren't intersted in home decorating and cooking.

43. Blaming the government for all the bad things that happen.

44. Thinking that being a good, decent, respectable person will mean that others will see you as weak, vulnerable, and easy to manipulate.

45. Being equally convinced that aggression and rudeness are synonymous with having a "powerful personality."

46. Being afraid of having an endoscopy (if you're a man) and giving birth (if you're a woman).
Paulo Coelho : author of The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
Source: The Winner Stands Alone: A Novel, Page: 47-50

More from velvetwoods :

I'm not cheered up yet ,the time is not right ,let me be just for today.
I like to swear in heavy traffic, I don't use botox and I don't want to be normal or abnormal.

My Buddha gift.

2009-07-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you.

I won this gorgeous Buddha Photography print from a wonderful artist Michelle Campbell-Zurek from Urban Junkies Photography.Yay for me as I never win anything ! It was a lucky dip and velvetwoods was it. Thanks Michelle ! check out her wonderful images capturing urban landscapes and the sweet peaceful feel of her nature photography on zuppaartista.etsy

Now I'm off to be zen and pray for better health as I have been sick with the flu and then was hit with a severe allergy attack. All is well now with my health and I hope you are all well too.

Stay Zen xoxox velvetwoods

Free Flowing

2009-06-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Bird in the woods.
ART BY VELVETWOODS

Burst into creativity and let your mind wonder into stories that do not have to make any sense.My compensation for not dreaming very often.Let reality collide with your dreams,hopes and inspirations.Don't think about being creative,just do it and live it.

Sometimes I think about how I don't have the time to be creative because I have a long list of endless repetitive things to attend to and it is a list the eventually turns into a circle of life routines that must be treated with passion and care.So I'm practising to treat that aspect of my life with loving care and approach it with a fresh creative outlook.I must remember the mundane serves a purpose and honour housework with a loving heart and with a happy song instead of being afraid of tackling the messy monster.Cleaning is a form of therapy and doing away with clutter makes way for the new and a peaceful mind.I am trying out the "do some cleaning for 15mins" and see how much you can achieve routine.It's not to say I rush what I do, on the contrary I find it effective and efficient without feeling rushed.If I haven't finish what I'm working on, I just set my alarm for another 15 minutes.I am yet to call the mop a sacremental object or the toilet brush but I am fond of the dishwashing sponge.Something about how it collects water inside its little veins and when you squeeze it, the water trickles down your hand.I find that very healing and feels like a good purging.So let's start our creative life with the mundane as it is part of us all.

Here is my free flowing story as my mind wanders into another place.

I have this buried treasure somewhere,I can't remember where.I buried it a long time ago when I was feeling sad.I think I buried it in a dark place somewhere far from my distant memory.Did I bury it a bike ride away, down the ocean coast under the sand dune.Is it in the apartment that I never had or live in but seen in the movie the science of sleep.Under a pile of brand new socks because I keep losing my old ones.
Under the stars, on the mountain top , in a birds nest that has lovely eggs.Where is it ? What is it ? is it golden like a fleece that can protect you from anything.

Joyful simplicities 101 -Chalk

2009-06-16T04:43:00.000-07:00

2.Get a chalk and write something positive about yourself or your life on your driveway or backyard.Why not write a love letter on the pavement to yourself or for another to read with a chalk.I have done this and it sure put a smile on my face and theirs.

Serendipity

2009-06-15T20:18:00.001-07:00

On the weekend we saw magnificent Saturn’s rings through a telescope at an observatory in the woods.It was so pretty,although it was a little small and I wished it was magnified a little more, it was still breathtaking. I also saw the Globular cluster which contains hundreds of thousands of stars. Globular cluster contain some of the first stars to be produced in the galaxy, how amazing is that??? Alpha Centauri the third brightest star in the night. Alpha Centauri to the naked eye appears as one star but through the telescope it is actually two stars .I also saw the keyhole nebula which is part of the Carina nebula. The keyhole nebula is small and is full of darker clouds of cold molecules and dust. This was a serendipitous find as we were not expecting to find an observatory, nor were we looking for one.
My partner and I were actually on our way to Springbrook Research Centre to check out the glow worms but came across the observatory in the dark and could not resist it. We also went to check out the glow worms,they glow as a result of a chemical reaction due to being oxygen intolerant. They use a simple but ancient chemical reaction to burn off their body waste that results in the oxygen being reduced back into pure water which is then flushed out of the glow worm's body, hence they glow. The scientist’s farm is also growing luminous green mushrooms, and unfortunately they only glow in December & January. He told us that in summer when the mushrooms are glowing the whole forest looks very pretty ,green and a single large specimen of this mushroom can produce sufficient light to enable reading a newspaper at night. He has also done studies on Bio luminescence to detect cancer growth. Amazing!!! Hope your weekend was good.

Globular clusters.

Cool things on Etsy !

2009-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Inspired by space.

Vintage Rocket Cufflinks by HiddenEnigma

HiddenEnigma.etsy.com

The Space Prince - Dress by TwinWizards

TwinWizards.etsy.com

Terranauts-Print by thecellophanes

thecellophanes.etsy.com

velvetwoods art

2009-06-14T04:04:00.001-07:00

Call me Rose by velvetwoods

love this album

2009-06-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

loving the Yeah Yeah Yeahs new album "It's Blitz!"

♥♥♥ Velvetwoods made earrings ♥♥♥

2009-06-11T03:59:00.000-07:00

On sale on Etsy $10 a pair.

Terminator Salvation

2009-06-08T21:37:00.001-07:00

I saw Terminator Salvation last night .Wow what a jam packed action flick, well what else can you expect from Terminator.It delivered the action and the very sexy Christian Bale as John Conner. lots of thrilling parts and it must be the loudest terminator I have ever seen or heard. A little light in the plot department but it didn't worry me too much as I was engrossed in feeling mentally assaulted by all the action. Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, the film picks up the story of John Connor where the world is riddled with scraps of civilisation and the holocaust is imprinted everywhere in the bleak landscape. Surprisingly John Connor's story was upstaged by a character called Marcus.
I love the Australian actor Sam Worthington who Played Marcus , I read he was recommended by James Cameron and Russell Crow for the part of Marcus.He was so charismatic, endearing , and did a great job as Marcus Wright, the half-human half-machine . The world is a far more dangerous place with the battle machines hell- bent on destroying the human race but salvation from war is not far off the horizon.

You know I just love these sort of movies set in a tough , bleak, dystopian futures of post-apocalyptic debris of what is left of humanity and civilisation. Movies like Terminator,Mad Max , Resident evil ,Road warrior,Escape from New York ,Matrix,28 days later,etc etc.Something about the characters of this dystopian genre moves me, as they always seem to manage to wear the coolest battle gear while portraying the indestructible human spirit that can triumph against all adversity. So what should you do if this kind of world was to ever-become a reality.Well preparation seems to be the order of the day, if you want to increase your chances of surviving from being eaten alive by a hundred brainless zombies or getting annihilated by machines.Get zen, study mortal combat and get some kick ass battle gear , plus some weaponry of your choice.Preferably something you know how to use. Good luck xox Velvet

Comfortable shoes is a must in a post-apocalyptic world.

How about some very intimidating casual wear ?

Or fancy yourself as an post-apocalyptic Queen ?

Cool things on Etsy !

2009-06-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

Some of my fave post-apocalyptic world fashion.

Desert warrior burlap cow
by sproutmama

sproutmama.etsy.com

The world by poetsummer.

poetsummer.etsy.com

Joan of Arc Breast Armor Neck Deko by Perishables.

Perishables.etsy.com

Joyful simplicities 101

2009-06-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

My girl.

1. Play with your pet, I like to play hide & seek with my dog .I usually hide behind a door and when she is coming by, jump out to surprise her.Oh she loves it so much, you should see how crazy she gets from excitement.

Sacred Spaces Inspiration

2009-06-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

Emily Chalmers

I just adore the lovely home of Emily Chalmers, author of the awesome book flea market style.If you haven't checked out this book buy it or borrow it from the library or from someone you know.Great treat if you love vintage and old worn out treasures as Emily shows you what you can do without Ikea.I have found plenty of unwanted furniture on the side of the road.I have sanded,painted and reupholstered with the aid of my wonderful partner.Found objects seek me out,what a treat. What have you found lately ?

Get the look :
Worn out leather couch,lots of vintage floral and brown.
Feathers and cowboy moo moo rug. Gigantic canvas art.

Cool things on Etsy !

2009-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

I Will Love You FirEver Print by thepoppytree

thepoppytree.etsy.com

Synchronicity - 8x10 Print by diaspora

diaspora.etsy.com

Quasar for a Cause - Sterling Silver by Finestra

Finestra.etsy.com

Old Friends

2009-06-06T05:07:00.001-07:00

Artwork by thepoppytree.
A very talented artist with a passion for quirkiness and cuteness.thepoppytree.etsy.com

I have been blessed last week by the powers of a social utility called facebook. A friend that I had lost for eons since the dawn of time has come back into my life.How wonderful and delightful it is when we are surprised by our old soulful friends from the past.I met her at Art school and we were very much in sync with others feelings and way of thinking when we met 10 years ago.To my delight we are still in sync with each others thoughts as she is studying to be become a youth worker.
I have been thinking of getting out of were I work and study to become a youth worker.Since I heard she was doing that I am more determined to go back to school.
She is a single mother with a gorgeous little girl and studying.This gives me inspiration , I love my old friend.
Can you think of someone you haven't spoken to since the dinosaurs roam the earth.Why not look them up and bring a smile to their face and yours.

Three monkeys Cafe

2009-06-06T00:19:00.000-07:00

Now this pic is my fave cafe, Three monkeys Cafe in Brisbane Australia.
This place is like a Moroccan Tent.
The walls are adorned with gorgeous rugs and exotic fabrics.
The food is divine and cheap. They make an awesome chai latte too and service is excellent.
More pics next time.I want my home to look like this !

Bats for lashes-What's a girl to do.

2009-06-05T22:28:00.001-07:00

Hi I just love this song and the film clip.
Quite mesmerizing.Her voice is so beutiful and how cute are her furry friends.

2009-06-04T00:33:00.000-07:00

Velvetwoods Art.

2009-06-04T00:26:00.000-07:00