The Abandoned Ducklings Raised in a Teacup
Posted Jul-29-2007
The Beauty and Cuteness in Small Acts of Love
Rescuing a butterfly is one act of kindness. Here's another one that involves baby ducklings, a canoeist, and a teacup. From the Daily Mail:

"A pair of tiny abandoned ducklings found battling against waves after being washed out to sea are being nursed back to health — in a teacup.

The fluffy birds were saved from a watery grave when they were found by passing canoeist Chris Murray."

This story can be added to the book series "Duck Soup for the Soul." Read the rest of the story »

The Rockford Sock Monkey Doll Posted Jul-27-2007
The Sock Monkey and Sock Knitting Machine
Rockford Illinois has several claims to fame. Here are two: the WWII-era Rockford Peaches All-American Girls Baseball League (A League of their Own) and the famous red-heeled Sock Monkey. ...

Chris's Week of One-Sentence Journaling
Posted Jul-17 to 23-2007
Inspired by Quinn McDonald's Innovative Idea

7/17: This morning I rescued a lifeless blue butterfly that was matted on the ground like a wet leaf; I gently scooped it up and placed it on a dry rock, praying for a second chance at its life, and an hour and a half later it was gone (I hope it flew away).

7/18: 79 and 90; and what's YOUR bowling score after 10 years?

7/19: Out of "100 Things Every Writer Needs to Know", I wonder how many I already know?

7/20: A child's joyous smile — infectiously priceless.

7/21: It's okay to read more than one book at a time (libraries have sanctioned this by allowing multiple check-outs); however, it's easier done when you put a bookmark in one book first and close it before reading the other (otherwise your book pages will start morphing together into one huge book and you'll think "dang, I thought I was further along in this thing!")

7/22: The adventure of a hot-air balloon ride is full of promise; it inflates with anticipation and lifts off with joy — but what do you call the part of the process afterward when the air is deflated and the balloon is on the ground and joy is still up in the sky?

7/23: Every moment is a decision-making choice with attitude, thought, and belief; "what can I do right now that will change my focus, state of mind, or mood?" •

The Creative Zone Posted Jul-12-2007
Purveyors of Papercraft & Book Arts since 1993
I officially declare Judy and Michael Jacobs as my creative heroes of the week. They founded the Creative Zone in 1993 with the goal to "do fun, educational projects that are good for the environment, and began by developing and teaching over 50 papercraft, rubber stamp and book arts classes." ...

Humor: Sticky Notes I Never Hope to See
Posted Jul-08-2007
An Artistic Inspiration a Day...
You may think that these innocent-looking 3M Post-Its ® are helpful around the office. But what if they're used to launch a medley of missile attacks against your good creative nature? May you never be struck with stickies as surreptitious as these...

2008 Artist Community Calendar Journal/Diary Project
Posted Jul-08-2007
An Artistic Inspiration a Day...
Here's a fun, online creative community project going on right now: a 2008 journal-page-a-day calendar featuring pages designed by individual artists promoting their work online.

Lucy, the project manager, contacted me last night with an open call for submissions to the calendar project as they still have several pages/dates open. I decided to have some fun and designed several pages including one for this Web site for Friday, January 4, 2008 (calendar page shown above).

If you're interested in designing a calendar page for Lucy's project and want to learn what the calendars can be used for, please visit her Web site for more information. •

Inventive Ideas: Sandra Lunde's Poofy Hair Fan Tail
Posted Jul-5-2007
"...the true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention." — Plato
Do you ever wonder how new products emerge in the marketplace? Take Sandra Lunde's Fan Tail for instance, a simple molded plastic "tool" sold as a styling accessory at Claire's Boutiques used to muss 'n fluff a short ponytail into a new messy hairdo. ...

Nit Wits #35: U-Tube Posted Jul-3-2007
What if... there was an online PlumbersTV?

BONUS: PlumbersTV U-Tube Video Coloring Page

Watch it! Big Brothers and Sisters everywhere are watching YOU! ...

Nurture Your Creativity: Collage Your Fragments
Posted Jul-2-2007
Embracing the Floating Pieces, Torn Bits & Shredded Beliefs
I suddenly became acutely aware of the symbolism of the fish, torn magazine fragments, odd found objects, and binding adhesives surrounding me in the creative space where I was “composing out of chaos.” ...

7-Elevens become Simpsons 'Kwik-E-Marts'
Posted Jul-1-2007
Life Imitates Art. D'oh!
Simpsons fans will love this: In anticipation for the debut of "The Simpsons Movie" on July 27, a dozen 7-Eleven stores have been turned into fictional Kwik-E-Marts, complete with products once only found in animated TV Land. ...

Q: What is the nature of writing work that makes it harder than other work? Posted Jul-1-2007
Answered March 18, 2006
Writing is an art, but it is also a means of communication that must be clear for a reader (audience) to understand. An artist’s canvas can be painted abstractly and make no sense. No explanation needed! ...