the dream catcher

good books...and a few more things!

like shoes, or bed linens, or paper...one can never have enough good books.

at least that is what i told myself when last year - suppo

rting the economy - i spent my tax refund on some easy to install ikea book shelves for my wonderful collection of BOOKS!

  well it appears that while i thought i had tons of room, i managed to fill it up pretty quickly with all my old photos and some treasures i've collected along the way. Thus, leaving me with at least 6 boxes of books still in the garage. so much for the books on a book shelf.

So do i purge my "stuff" to make room for the books or purge some books?

here's to hoping that their will be a simple fix called a garage sale that might have to be in my near future. it has been years since I've had one, maybe when i was a kid... but right about now i am feeling the urge to purge. stay tuned for the notice to "sell good books and a few more things" coming soon.

maybe i could think of it as "making room for YOU to have some of my stuff". my books, my paper, my linens at your house...garage sale/craiglist, here i come.

you just need to start making room at your house.

xo linda

blogging blues

okay, i am finally beginning to feel a bit more myself these days. this is not to say that i don't get a good weepy cry wave flood over me during my drives into work, and while my deep depression over losing my dad still lingers (forever), it's been about 9 months and i actaully only now feel like the cloud over my heart might be breaking up a bit - to make way for tiny bits of sunshine.

let's just say that i knew the sun was trying to crack it's way in when last weekend i finally cleaned, vacuumed and armoraled my entire VW car.  egads...wrigley was getting lost in the back seat from all her own shedding. yikes, it was bad. my dad would have been in a state about this particular lack of maintenance...his cars were always in mint condition. i mean showroom kept!

anyway, not only do i now have a squeaky clean car, i went an bought myself a new comfy reading chair that will be getting some good sunlight and quality slouching time from me - with a good view out the window...so bye bye (for this moment) to my heartsick blues, and lets hear it for the sunshine, a clean car and a comfy reading chair!

cheers,

linda

"color" ...to start a project

   

sometimes deciding where to begin an invitation or event theme can be as simple as deciding on a color palette. almost anything can be built around color.

here i worked with two of my favorites from work, in pool and chartreuse.

found some matching ink pads and a flower pattern on wnated for this girls night. once i had these done, i could begin to add a complimenting color to build on my theme.

small tags in one color to accent favor boxes, a paper flower in the same color combinations.

here is another example of a single color verses two colors to build on an invitation theme using yellows or adding poppy (orange) to mix and match the colors of an envelope.

 

just have some fun and don't be afraid to try somehting new.

enjoy!

linda

crafty valentines day

   

here's to finding a way to celebrate love with a stamp, glassine, cookies, sweettarts and a kiss.

celebrate love any way you can!

xo xo xo xo xo xo xo xo

linda

paper source weddings 2009

this week i am finishing up the last shipping of the demo pieces for our upcoming annual wedding event 

taking place across the country on 2/21. 

finessing the final ingredients for the 3/5 event are on their way. these usually take weeks of planning, sample making and communication guidance to the field for great inspiration. 

our new labels, inviations and ribbons are amazing, so i am hoping for the best even in this economy. 

if you have time to come by one of the Paper Source stores on 2/21, you'll get to see our FREE demos, try any of the free make & take stamping and create some of your own embossing projects.

 

 

mittens, stockings and greens

yep, i still have some random holiday items floating around my house: tissue, flannel, evergreen and stockings hanging that haven't found their way into storage boxes yet.

maybe it's because this past christmas season seemed much more sad and lonely without my dad here to make life feel joyful. holidays didn't feel worth celebrating. 

emotions i have are tucked deep down inside, where i have this secret hope that i'll really experience his presence. if i can only find time to be quiet.

to be still. to be more present.  but instead, these days i only feel rushed, tired, overworked, and a bit lost. 

in truth, part of me keeps trying to push off these feelings of loneliness half believing he is just on a long vacation. but i wake up remembering, he's really gone. 

making the world feel more dark for me.

perhaps i have been holding onto some of these holiday remnants to remember how he always made life feel like chrsitmas throughout the year. maybe i'm lazy. maybe i'm sad. maybe i don't care. it's all true.

i can't believe that it's february, and soon it will be valentine's day. maybe then i'll find some quiet time, pack up remnants of winter, and make room to allow my heart to be filled up with love.

maybe resolutions and change shouldn't come at new years, but rather valentines day instead. get rid of the hallmark occassion and instead mark my calendar to pack up the old and to remember the good things,the good times. my family. my dad. remember the love.

while it feels longer to me than the 5 months (october15) since we had to say goodbye to dad...and maybe on valentine's day i'll find ways to see or feel him. maybe in the approach of warmer days. hoping for the quiet. hoping to not feel so tired, so lost, so out of time.

maybe i'll find him in my writing. it's certainly where he wanted me to spend more time.

i should have felt it sooner! even as i type out these last few words, i realize - here I AM sitting here in the quiet, in the darkened, peacefulness of my house. the television off, not a sound but the keyboard.  my sleeping dog on the opposite couch. YES, right NOW i realize i have a bit of what i have been longing for...he is here. he is present, right now, he is surrounding me with love. encouraging me to do what he knew i loved doing; what he hoped i would find time to be doing more of...

writing.    

so, i guess i can take down my stuff tomorrow...love is here early, even if i am running late to feel the season.

xo

linda

handmade pendants with a story

it has been a long winter, complete with time to put my thoughts into words...and jewelry.

these past several months i have been making resin pendents to keep myself busy over chicago's dark, cold days and nights. 

 

these tiny treasures are intended to be worn and

they come complete with floating bits of text combining my love of art, jewelry and words. though small they show off some of my thoughts over my hibernating winter. 

 many seemed perfect for the friends who were on my mind while creating them.  i was hoping to share them earlier, but with all of the changes to online these days - my (not so old) mac os10 won't let me upload any of my photos...

needless to say it's been a bit frustrating, not to mention keeping me from blogging with images, for far too long.

i have a few others for sale on etsy under "thedreamcatcher." take a look sometime and check out some of the other cool stuff for sale on some of the sites while you're there.

happy creating.

linda

mood of the season

for some reason this shot of the bulbs on my real,

but ornament free tree, feels a bit like how my emotions are

these days.

the lights are on...

but the glow feels soft, 

it feels quiet,

and a bit less cheery than what the season implies.

thinking about dad, and remembering some happier times.

linda

remembering my dad

after my dad passed away suddenly i decided to create a few handmade things to help me through the thanksgiving holiday and my own grieving.

i love our old photos we collected over the years, and it only takes a few to say so much.

  

i think i may have to make a few throughout the year to keep sharing my sweet memories of him.

let me know how you get through the tender times during the holidays.

xo

linda

dad

the world will never be the same.
not ever.
my heart will never be the same.
not ever.
our family will never be the same.
not ever.

not ever.

i love you dad.
forever.

your one and only,
linda

gone fishin'...with wrigley!

nothing beats a lazy day off hangin with your best four legged friend.

wrigley has a way of looking for fish that simply makes me smile all the way down to my toes.

yes, i soaked it all in, tossing a ball, listening to the leaves rustle in the breeze. enjoying the reflection of the golden shoreline.

such simple pleasures...

seems there's not enough weekend for me these days, with all my traveling - so somehow it feels even more special to squeeze a weekday in and play- drinking it all up before the cold days arrive all to quickly.

ahhh, the days of september!
xo
linda

spooky fun ideas

These day's I am having some fun creating these halloween store demos...

so, the next time you're out this weekend, be sure to stop in one of the Paper Source stores and see what they have brewing this season!!

We have lots of fun things you can try yourself.

In the mean time let me know what you're working on for creative fun.

xo

Linda

thinking about some- hanging with the bros- kinda time

when ever my birthday is approaching i think i begin to crave certain things.

time with friends, time with family, time alone, time in reflection.

but what I really seem to want to do at least once a year is
to hang with my brothers.

..."all five at the same time?" yes, it's insane i know!

it's true.
every so-often i just wish i had time to just hang out with them - for even just a few hours.
preferrably, not a lot of other people around as filler, just them.

they make me laugh.

they remind me to not take myself so seriously, and to just have fun.

we pick on each other and never hold grudges.

they remind me of being young - together.

when we "people watch" together, the dialogs are anything but predictable;
sometimes funny, often obnoxious, mostly just dry, quick, witty and always hilarious!

As i age - egads! I am blessed to have them in my life-
funny, healthy, happy, hardworking, great moral compasses,
and always entertaining!!

remembering to celebrate them through the years.
xoxo
linda

Girls Night Out

We just completed the Encore running of Girls Night Out at Paper Source.

The first event sold out across the country, and we had so many people still interested that we ran an additional time at 14 stores.

Dallas, which just opened recently,

is the next one running the vent on September 21, Sunday.  But, until then let me tell you about yesterday - Thursday August 21's event!!

I am proud to say that what I love about my job is inventoing these wonderful  in store special events.  I especially  loved getting to experience first hand the amazing, playful, fun and creative energy of all the ladies who attended at several of the Chicago stores I visited.

It makes these creative opportunities a huge plus and very rewarding. I hope to see many of you at the  Holiday events I will creating this season at Paper Source.

Cheers!

Linda Barrett

everyday marks

once you have the eyes for seeing marks, you can find them pretty much anywhere.

in honor of my my artist friends that continue to teach me to "look" each and everyday,

to the spiritual friends that prompt me to "feel" the divine within me each day,

and to the combination of both that stirs me everyday.

these randoms marks are for them.

i found them simple, dirty, playful and fun to be on the look out for.

here's hoping you can create,
or find both the divine and the random fun lines around you each day too.
enjoy!

x 0 = ;)'
linda

ps heading to portland this weekend...i'll let you know what i see when i get there, from both land and sky!

marilyn

Our dear friend Marilyn made her departure from this earth during the amazing lightening storm we had the other night.

That's what I would like to think anyway.

While she wasn't a flashy person, somehow I think she would have wanted to leave with some excitement, sound, light, movement and lots of great energy!  Now that was her style.

She was a paper making instructor extra-ordinare, a mentor and a friend. The truth is she was more than these things to so many people, that words fail under such frail drecirptions.

Her powerhouse energy, globetrotting life, lighthearted paper making mania, walking the planet legs, early rising queen-of-the-day and artful presence in everyway, will be missed by more than most auditoriums can hold.

I am grateful that Marilyn and Pam's "treewhispers""treewhispers" creation will live on in her memory, and that so many folks from around the world got to see the beauty of it first hand during the recent international calligraphy conference. As a matter of fact, I believe that Pam installed the show on Marilyn's bday.

Perhaps this too, was secretly orchestrated by Marilyn and all of her powerful vibes.

I hope she knew, or could somehow feel the energy, of how much it moved all who experienced the installation.

Thank you Marilyn Sward. For sharing your life. For sharing your time. For sharing your talents and energy with so many of us during this short trip together, called life.
We are forever blessed.

peace.
linda

lovely marks continued

the talent from the class is something i am loving to get put out there in the world for all to see.

enjoy the circles,

the swirls, the undulations

and the joy of it all,

mixed together with sumi and walnut inks!

enjoy looking, but play at least a little this weekend!

xo cheers,

linda

spontaneous mark & the alternative image

what an amazing weekend we had teaching at the international calligraphy conference this past weekend.

my friend Pam (Paulsrud)(treewhisperer.com) is the living essence of the  "Breathe and the Mark", but we were so inspired by the collective group we had of participants who joyfully, spontaneously, and boldly made their own marks! 

i know you will agree after seeing such lovely pieces here, both mine, Pam's and our students. We were honored by their willingness to let us create some safe and sacred space for creativity to take hold. And let me tell you that room was the talk of the town!

i'll post even more next week.

embrace your mark, and make time to dance with it on paper.

cheers

Linda

trees and courage

A few weeks ago, my friend Pam and I where working on refreshing some collaborative work for the upcoming Calligraphy Collective Conference for next week. We are teaching a class together...she is amazing!! Anyway, on this day at her house, we each brought our own pieces to the table that morning.

Mine was the image portion of the collaboration. A landscape with lovely cumulus nimbus clouds and a single tree in the foreground...hers was the mark and fluid text portion. Pam had been working with an Indian poem -that coincidentially, with out seeing each others work ahead of time- resonated perfectly with the image: "Earth, teach me courage as the tree that stands alone."

We were stunned and sweetly honored my the universe in it's mutual collaboration with the two of us that quiet day. Because, without knowing it, all pieces of the work, including our discussions that day were about courage and indeed about a lone Ash tree that Pam has lost from her backyard that had created the perfect sanutary for too many years to count.

Here is the what we created...

enjoy and let the intuitive speak to you, you might just be surprised how much it is speaking to someone else at the very same time.

xo

Linda

look again...

These are just two of the many photos I staged of the flower arrangements my sister in law Jenny did (does actually) a few weeks back. My neice Sara and I snapped away captruing some great images to help gather some range of floral design - intended to build a website site for Jenny to generate some new biz.

In particular the lighting of these two shots helps me illustrate a reminder that exists for all of us - how amazing what we do - when we get to see our work in a new way- can ignite a change in the way we think about our work. Anyway, I hope that when Jen see's all of the images together she might think so...

I think its true for me, that it's like we need another set of eyes to help show us what we are best at, or what we do well, or how lovely we can be...because sometimes we can't see it anymore.

So, grab a friend, or a relative and see if you can convince each other, of the even just one thing you have within you that you never thought "could ever look quite that good". Presented to you in a new way, with a new set of eyes...

telling you simply, you are amazing, beautiful, fresh, pretty, clear, bright and perfect just the way you are!
happy looking again with new eyes.
xo
linda

happy family day

Being a good mom to five boys and myself couldn't have been an easy task, but she sure made it look andd feel easy every day in our house.
she never raised her voice and embraced playing, water ballon fights in the yard, flashlight tag til dark and kick the can all summer long.
she rang a dinner bell to call us all in from every corner of the neighborhood (and everyone knew that bell!), and helped with paper routes at the crack of dawn.

she always was the mom that drove us when the bus never showned up at -17o windchill.
her cool hand always made it's way to our fevered foreheads.
warm towels out of the dryer as she folded clothes in the winter, we the best.
yes, mother's day may have been invented by hallmark, but this mom at the
barrett house deffinitely made it real!

having some fun remembering mom on this past mother's day.
her gift arrived late - don't you hate when that happens.

it was really a fun package though filled with old photos as stationary

and accordion books packed with great family photos.
she got it first thing this morning and loved it all!
she's the best!
xo love you mom.
your one and only.
linda

vegas baby!

it felt great actually deciding.
yep, i decided to do a spontaneous thing in my life (it's been too long) that reminded me to let loose on my hold of day to day responsibilities, just a bit, and take care of me.

to stop rushing for work and instead make a last minute flight, and say YES to fun!

i got to do all of those things recently when i said yes to my friend Tara (the birthday girl!)

and played in vegas BABY!

her 4th time, my virgin experience, now a check mark off my list.

some observations:
i still need 50 sunscreeen.
there is a lot less elvis goin' on than i thought.
so that's what not being a gambler but somehow still managing to lose lots of real money feels like.
all the casino's smell the same? bad.
i did sleep in vegas.
somehow never saw a show.
ironically went to the best church mass i've been to in a long time, who knew...Vegas.
winning was fun.
losing, not so good.
seeing old friends the best.
missing my dawg, a lot.
hearing bad news about a friend when not at home is challenging.
seeing a horse run it's heart out and then having to be put down, heartbreaking.
going home...
perfect!

lmb

shadowed light

it is april,

it is about 60 degrees,

so i think the next line feels somewhat safe to type...

it is now spring!

yes,it is finally here, and safe to post "the last snow of the season" picture from a few weeks ago.

mother nature on this morning presented such a lovely coating of clean, fresh, packable snow for the last snap to my tulips. but, she also threw out across the sky the most brillant blue sky and bright bold unencumbered sunlight, resulting in tremendous, yes, remarkable shadows cast.

they stretched so long, these deep inky calligraphic marks, which ran across the snow like lines on a paper.

always surprising us, mother nature continued creating a new design, a new landscape, a new texture, each equally appealing in its subtle nuances. they were stunning.

as we safely sit in 40-65 degree temps it can say that this was truly one for the record books, as one of my favorite days of snow, and I will look forward to the next one...

but not until December please!

Until then, enjoy the spring shadows.

xo lmb

molly the sweet booter

as most people know, i love animals. you've seen and heard enough about wrigley girl my own sweetpea of a dog, but this sweet being is named Mollydawg.
She is the best napper, best couch covering, full hugging, snow romping, lover of the best fourlegged, redheaded kind...
i'm asking for some of you other animal lovers to send along some prayers for some light from the Divine,
to fill her wonderful scrunchy body with health, renewed vitality and more time.
time to be with her buddy again.
so if you happen along and see this lovable creature send her some lovin.

thank you ~ God Bless.
linda

being honest with yourself

some days it's about remembering a feeling you once held in your heart,
then deciding that you never want to let it go again,
that you never will deny it lives deep in your heart,
that you won't ever again pretend you don't care about it,
or lie to yourself another single day...
that you will indeed stay true to that special dream of something so true and real and special.

today i had several reminders of what it is that i want from life,
what i intend to share in my life,
what i expect to celebrate having in my life.

today it is about being honest deep down inside myself
and saying

i beleive in....

fill in your blank and hang on tight!
that is indeed what i am doing.
and i am celebrating it happening everyday!
xo
lindamarie