Monday, May 4, 2009

happy monday!

Happy Bench Monday! I'm joining in the fun! Suddenly there are an amazing amount of women jumping on benches (or upturned buckets) with their camera timer buttons on. For the last several Mondays a rapidly growing flickr group, "Bench Monday", has been captivating me. It's so deceptively simple: a self portrait of feet standing on a platform... but each photo tells such a story. Check it out when you have the chance... maybe you'll jump on a bench, too!
The above photo tells a little bit about about my weekend. I'm holding a bucket that I made for my Anatomy of a Coffee Sack workshop on Sunday. My lovely participant, and wonderful friend, Pat has such a beautifully written post about it that I think I'll just send you right over to read it... and to see her fantastic bucket. Thanks Pat! I learned so much from you, yesterday! She, not only took the class, but was also my pattern tester. Yes, bucket patterns are slowly in the the works!.

Within that bucket, I'm holding is the most recent issue of Artful Blogging.

I've been waiting for weeks to see it and finally got a hold of a copy when it hit the news stands on Friday. Some of you have already seen it and have left me such sweet comments. A belated, but heartfelt "thank you" to each of you! Artful Blogging is so much more than a magazine. It's a gorgeous pictorial guide and companion to some of the amazing art/craft/food blogs we all admire so. I can't tell you how grateful and humbled I am to be included in their impressive line-up. I keep pinching myself. This is the stuff of dreams... and has got to be one of the most exciting moments of the last year for me! I'm beginning to feel that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. Really!

It's also nice to have an editor that believes in you, too! A special thanks to the very thoughtful and kind Christen Olivarez... I couldn't have asked for more.

So have a great Monday and don't forget to find a bench! Pin It

27 comments:

  1. Look at you! Famous! Way to go.

    Love Bench Monday. Love the improvisation too--that "bench" is fabulous, Maya.

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  2. I just picked up a copy of Artful Blogging, and oh, what a joy it is to see your lovely writing and your blog photos IN PRINT! Congratulations on making one of your dreams come true: You are a published author!

    And thank you for being a kind and patient teacher! I love, love my bucket!

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  3. i am sure you are just bursting at the seams with the joy of dreams realized. i also want to say thank you because it has been a difficult nine months for me but i have always felt cheered and inspired when coming and visiting your blog. thank you so much for sharing your talent and time, and helping me realize my creative side is still there.

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  4. I am so very happy and excited for you. That is such an amazing magazine and so far a few of my most special and super talented friends have been published there. I can't wait to pick up a copy and slowly savour your words and pictures. I adore that first photograph today and I wish I had been able to attend the workshop with Pat.

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  5. Oooh my Maya, I'm so proud of you & you must be too ! What an achievement to be in this wonderful "magazine" ! You are someone very special & so is your art.
    What fun that Pat could attend your workshop, I read her most interesting post ! Boy I wish I could have attended too, along with Margie ! :D
    Have a super week, my friend ! xoxoxo lots of love

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  6. congratulations on being featured in artful blogging magazine! i always enjoy stopping by your blog! :)

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  7. I'm going to have to check out this magazine! Can't wait to see your stuff in print! Congratulations again.

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  8. Oh, EXCITING!!!

    I love Artful Blogging...can't wait to pick up "your" issue. Congratulations!

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  9. No need to keep pinching yourself, you're totally deserving!

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  10. More wonderful news for you! Yay! The coffee sack workshop sounded fun.

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  11. The best bench I have seen yet!! So creative. I gotta rush out and get that...I forgot to pick my artful blogging mag up this time...eek. Thanks for the reminder! Pretty spot you have in it too!! I love it!

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  12. Congratulations on being included in a magazine that you admire! I'm sure it must feel very special to you.
    I've never heard of that magazine, but I gotta say that it shows that print is here to stay - a mag about blogs. There is something about the experience of holding something in your hands, turning the pages. You can't really curl up in a comfy chair with a blanket, a warm mug and a laptop. Or laze around outside with it. If I can manage to get the brood to a bookstore, I'll check out the periodicals rack for this issue.

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  13. I love artful blogging-I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy to read soon!

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  14. Awesome photo, and congrats! Yours is one of my favorite new blogs. I can totally understand why they'd feature you. ;)

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  15. I've never heard of "bench monday" before but it does look like fun! :) Congrats on your feature!!

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  16. I saw it and it looks wonderful. I was so happy to see your blog in there. I'm actually in that issue, too, but not a whole article. Two of my paintings were in Leah's article about Creative Everyday. I was excited for that, and then doubly excited to see your article.

    Yay artful blogging. Maybe next monday I'll find myself a bench or chair of some sort to take photos from.

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  17. Your top picture is just perfect!

    And, you're right, Pat did a great job writing about the workshop. Sounds like a wonderful time of learning. I cut up a coffee bag last week, hoping to make a handbag. Wow! That was a wake-up call for me. There isn't anything easy about sewing on burlap. I could use some of your how-to instruction!

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  18. What a beautiful photo to commemorate an exciting event. You're a rockstar!

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  19. Your spread looks fabulous!

    I was wondering about your workshop...so glad it went well.

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  20. Congratulations again, Maya!! And I love the Bench Monday pictures - thanks for sharing the link! I definitely will try this!!

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  21. Hi Maya!
    You beat me to it! I was coming here just to talk about your wonderful and exciting article in Artful Blogger! I picked it up on Sunday and saw you were in it and bought it! I have been reading your blog for about 2 months now. I love your work and lifestyle. Simple, sweet and beautiful.
    I'd love for you to come visit my blog sometime at the Wildflower Studio! :)
    Be well,
    Shell

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  22. I left a comment here yesterday re: my attempt @ sewing with a coffee bean bag. Today I finished it and have posted pics. I'm pretty sure that I won't be going into business selling these!!! ;-) ...but thanks for the inspiration that you gave me to 'try'!

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  23. Congratulations Maya!!! Your spread looks beautiful, and I hope that even more people will have the opportunity to be inspired by your creativity!

    Your bench picture is wonderful, and I like its symbolism of floating on flowers :)

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  24. Your bench Monday photo is stunning! And a huge congratulations on being published in Artful Blogging. I bought my first issue a few months back and loved it! I'll be scouting out this issue tomorrow at the craft store. Can't wait to see your blog in print.

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  25. I just saw that in the bookstore today! Congratulations!

    Being so busy lately I haven't had the time to visit my favorite blogs. That magazine reminded me of what I'm missing.

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  26. I love your work featured in Artful Blogging! Nice Blog too, (of course.) Thank You for sharing.

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