6 months to the international day of peace

greetings! 

the six months between september and now have flown - filled with all kinds of life events and weather events to keep us busy. 

this is the 3rd year we announce our project here - 
and it means more each time.

in the beginning, i focused upon my project to honor the quest for world peace. 

but it quickly evolved into becoming a part of my daily routine. 

let's face it,
one cannot make work authentically in the name of peace
without doing the inside work of being in peace.

it takes diligence and practice. 

with great joy i look forward to sharing the upcoming months with you - hearing from you - being inspired by you. 

like anything worth achieving, it takes practice - 

but the community is in place
the safety net is present
you need only to reach out.

anyone may participate - just send us an email and you will be added as an author - we ask only that you be respectful of the intention of the blog & kind to those who share.

for more information we have links set up in the side bar and in that tabs at the top. 

i would like to open this up a bit - if you go back, you will see inspiring works by talented makers. all visual artists. if however, you are a poet or a songwriter - i want to include you as well. you could write your words on paper or fabric to hang in the sun and the wind. and share it with all living things. if you are a musician, maybe you could play your work outside and allow it to be carried away. 

remember, while the 21st is the official day of honoring peace, every day holds the opportunity to promote it. 

Peace flags a'fluttering...

Barry and I have been doing a fair bit of tidying up and sorting out around the place - a bit like a Spring clean I suppose.  In doing so, we came across our range of peace flags from this year and last and thought to ourselves; why don't we just hang them altogether?

We chose out the back near the peace bell deck, where we already fly Jennifer's flags from last year.

In the end we strung the recycled baby-wipes flags, Barry's metal flags, my peace crane fabric flags and Barry's last year's rainbow umbrella flags.

I think they look great and make me smile whenever I see them!

Looking out from the house...

Looking back at the house...

Closer up from down below…

From the side with the peace bell…

Closer up from the side with the peace bell and the breeze!

We also have my handmade paper with origami peace crane flags still flying out the front of our house as a welcome. I am so happy they have made it thru since 21 September…a month a half outside is not bad for paper I think!

Just wanted to share some of the ongoing joy of the peace flags around…go well.

Peace Begins From Within

*I'm sorry for the delay in posting but I've been having major issues with Firefox crashing.*

I'd like to thank Mary Jane Dodd for continuing to promote peace through her Flags For Peace Project (part of the International Day of Peace).  I participated last year and I was thrilled to be a part of it this year, too.  Maire's determined, quiet, personal path toward both inner and world peace should serve as a beacon to us all.

World peace is such a large concept that seems so hugely impossible that many people are daunted by where and how to start and often end up paralyzed by the enormity of it.  If I dwelled on the particulars too much, I would probably be one of those people so, I choose to start small and work from within.  I try to do things that are fair, kind, environmentally friendly, but basically small.  Those things are what I am capable of doing on a daily basis but I'm convinced that they make a difference.

Peace Leaf Pendant

I made a piece of jewelry again this year as a simple, personal reminder for the wearer.  The leaf and peace tag are made from PMC3 while the peace symbol was forged from sterling silver wire.  I wanted to include a reminder to care for nature and a more literal peace symbol so that the message is both understated but still obvious.

Sterling Silver Peace Symbol

Behind the leaf hangs a tag stamped with the word "peace" which was created by stamping the PMC3 clay with the etched brass stamp that I created when making last year's pendant.

Etched Brass Stamp

My necklace isn't finished because my silver clam shell bead tips didn't arrive in time to finish the knotted bead portion.  My clasp and the chain portion will be attached when the tips arrive.  I'll post an updated photo, too.
 

 Unfinished Peace Leaf Necklace

UPDATE:

 Chain is Attached

 

Back View of Completed Necklace

28 days

woven leaf - mjd 2013

the flags for peace project grew from those whose work is infused with this intention on a daily basis. it gave us a special 'project' with a goal date - 

but it occurs every day.

i know my project for this year has changed multiple times - before january, it was going to involved colored perspex. 

then baskets.

but now i have fallen for weaving.

i am making pin woven leaves - 

and just got some custom tweaked weaving forms - a card and an arched loom. 

the wonderful jeff from explorations early learning altered the spacing for my needs. i am very thankful to him for the accommodation. 

what have you been thinking about?

do you have ideas to contribute on the international day of peace?

if you are not a contributor but would like to be, please just reach out and you will be happily added. 

thank you for your patience, i know this year the blog has not received the attention it did last year - but it's not for lack of love for the project. 

i hope that if you find some time, you will share a bit about what you might be working on. 

in metta,

mary jane

just shy of the 3 month mark -

are ideas starting to come to you for your peace day project? 

i have had a bit of a shift in how i am working - it is more fiber oriented (ok, almost completely fiber oriented). 

i was thinking on dream catchers - actually, i was thinking upon the open heart and how it makes you available to positive things, but also vulnerable to the negative. which then got me thinking on dream catchers. 

dream catchers are native american in origin. designed like a spider's web with a hole in the middle, they allow positive thoughts and visions in through the center while catching the negative in the web. allowing people to do the most good and contribute to harmony in nature. the light of the sun would clear the web of any negative dreams or visions. 

so i thought what we need is a dream catcher over our hearts - preventing the negative from getting in and keeping ourselves from releasing negative energy as well. 

but the dream catcher has its purpose and and method of working... 

how about a tiny basket - a basket to hold something precious, a stone or shell, words, intentions and keep it all safe? worn near to the heart, perhaps the threads could keep the contents pure, acting as the spider web. the spaces between allowing it to drift out gently into the world or to seep into our skin and become a part of us? 

and what if they were bigger? i was speaking to a friend and the idea began to coalesce that they could hang from a tree, perhaps with a protective copper lid - and you could put things into it that you wanted to set free? the air could move through and carry the thoughts or wishes away -

i think this is the direction i am headed in this year. 

anyone else have ideas? we'd love to hear you brainstorm about them - 

in peace and metta - 

mary jane