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A sip of my tea.

~ wonderings from an artist's soul

A sip of my tea.

Tag Archives: smashbook

Smashbooking & Creativitea Time Circle

11 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by Denise Daffara in art workshops, being an artist, Creativitea, Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

art workshop, autumn, creativitea, high tea, smashbook

Autumn in Adelaide, I felt so delighted by our hostess’s garden, such seasonal changes aren’t always part of Queensland life.. so taking a trip to the bottom of this big land was a new adventure, not just geographically.

autumn leaves

Smashbooking with a gorgeous bunch of women in Adelaide was a real treat for me. I was welcomed with open arms by a friend made online 5 years ago, but not yet met in person. Dana Sparkle and I met in Dream Boogie with SARK about 2011 (I was in a very perplexing state of ‘artist block’ which was really ‘inner critic takeover of my whole life’)

From where I was then, to this day, being picked up by Dana and Gina and driven off into the Adelaide hills to meet new friends and teach a workshop was a beautiful enriching experience for me.

Darling Dana Sparkle

Time away from the busy, brings such beautiful moments where we may pause and be.

begin with tea

 

masking tape smashbook
cover
smashed

This workshop begins with a circle, we find connections and come into a space of allowing what wants to be heard, and felt. I loved observing how tentatively we can begin this process. There are parts that take us deep within to find our inner whisperings, but once they are brought out, and secretly written down we tuck them in safely.

… a sense of playfulness arises as colour is added…. and when the pages are ‘smashed’ that’s a whole other release of energy and Perfectionista is seen racing out the back gate as she cannot stand this part.

table things

The freedom and joy that unfolded as these smashbooks were made was pure alchemy in action. I’m smiling again as I write and see these images.

13102688_10153957976931418_2643080547196550768_n

Surrounded my angels and fairies we were, in the gorgeous back yard of Ilona’s home in the Adelaide Hills.

Adelaidies

 

Thank you beautiful Adelaidies Gina, Cristy, Jane M, Teena, Dana & Ilona.

hands up Adelaidies

often associated with Christmas by our Northern hemisphere friends… but of course.. we have winter mid year! Holly and ivy growing in Ilona’s garden.

holly

Smashbooking is a delightful freedom seeking release for my creative spirit, taught to me by the wonderful Catt Geller .

I teach an online course called ‘Creativitea Time’ where we begin with making a smashbook to hold the activities and offerings made. I am available for private workshops and very occasionally I hold them in my home.

There is one coming up at the end of July, if you are able to make it to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in Australia.  more info here

JulyCreativitEA

 

I am envisioning a long table ‘ala long italian lunch esq’ … strewn with art materials,

surrounded by women with less worry lines and more smile ones, a sense of PLAY, whilst holding a very sacred space of inner wise self soothingness.

China cups of coconut milk chai tea, or any number of other choices – a hug in a cup.

Snacks for lunch along the lines of delicious things you might find at a high tea … scones, cream & jam, lemon slice… cucumber sandwiches. . .  and more tea.

highTeaSmashbooking

# drawlikenooneisjudging

bye for now,

love Denise.

 

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Feelings onto the page.

17 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by Denise Daffara in Uncategorized

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Tags

artjournal, asipofmytea, face, sad, smashbook

a sad page Sip of my teaNot many words today I suspect,

But making these faces on my page sure did help go a liittle way toward allowing some feelings to be felt. Each time a bout of sadness shows up I’m somehow surprised by it,

like it doesn’t seem to ‘fit’ . . . or I don’t know what to do with it, sometimes it seems to take the longest time for me to remember… all that can be done is to feel it.  Not run from it, feed it with food, just, simply be with it.

I’m not even up for the task of explaining it, but arting it.. that is something I can recommend, and share here.

If you’re feeling sad today, I salute you, we’ll get through this.

Being human, is not always easy.

that’s all.

D x

smash book – safe space

05 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by Denise Daffara in being an artist, Creativitea

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Tags

intentional creativitea, safe, safe space, smashbook, smashbookdd, space

The thing about having two blogs.. is when you hit on something you reeeeaaaallly resonate with you want to write it all over the place.  So I am cross-pollinating.. knowing that the folks over here who are wordpress friends might not ever visit my website.  I also realised rather annoyingly that I have a wordpress.org site? so I cannot add plugins. fuq that’s annoying. Here is another reason that web designers are probably a great idea.. and why in fact.. it will be wonderful when I reach a fruitful enough stage in time when I can choose to hire one!

So… here is the content I shared over on my other blog..

Safe Space – Smashbook

Picture

I had a small melt down this week (in great company.. inside a mastermind group I am blessed to meet with)* about this smash book teaching thing… because it seems to be counter to creating art/painting/whatever (this is very likely the voice of my inner critic.. because it’s never happy, never thinks I do enough, or am good enough, or paint enough, or sell enough *&^*%*&* the list could go ON)… but… on deeper probing… I discovered.. that for me. my Smashbook is a self created safe space.. and it is this Opportunity that I feel compelled to share (that is.. HOLD SPACE for) … it has the potential to be a self created safe space… and that is quite intrinsic to a life of an artist. (or human BEING for that matter) 

As I went into my beliefs around my creative process.. my self as ‘artist’… the thought also flitted past… that I wish I had been shown this as a child.. growing up… I recall some really harsh teachers.. and how rubbish they made me feel… they didn’t realise (or care?) at the time the turmoil I had going on inside me.  

So, in my workshops I always hope that I can create circles in which artists, mums, friends, sisters, daughters, sons, dads, people who are grieving, people who are healing, anyone’s really.. can come and through the gentle process of intentional creativitea ….. enjoy a restorative space in time. 

The picture above is from my art table on Sunday.. I’m creating a smashbook called ‘MOTHER LOVE’.. so I am putting in anything that reminds me of my Mum… and some things that relate to me as a Mother myself… when you create your own alchemical container.. you can decide whatever you like that will go in it.. and it’s perfect. Perfect for you.  

 

*please don’t freak out and think I’m a wanker for even having a mastermind group.. that’s a relatively new thing for me too and it truly happened by seredipitous… if YOU want be be in a mastermind group.. just put that desire out there.. ‘ask’ for it… and I’ll not be surprised if you ‘happen’ to meet a bunch of people.. just 2 or 3 even.. that are looking for just that same thing.. and ‘whala’ you got yourself a group who are wanting to be accountable to their success and are willing to support you in yours.

– See more at: blog on my website

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Taking this one in a different direction... all this blue washed over... reminded me of some of Chagall's paintings... slowly remembering how to let go... and see what wants to happen next... no hurry.. but definitely curious. #painting #blue

Denise Daffara Art

Denise Daffara Art

Cloud of tags

Art art journal asipofmytea chai courage creativitea creativity cup feelings inspiration intentional creativity Jane Austin life love mother Painting red rose self love tea tea cup teapot thoughts women
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