Fall Birthdays

Not sure what it is about the winter months but it definitely facilitated many fall birthdays in my life circle (including dogs) 

My dog Rue turned three along with three of her other dog friends

Herby and Mocha who celebrated fall birthdays.

Dogs get wrapped presents too around here. 

Chicken Jerkey for Rue from her dog friend Herby

Fresh Homemade Chicken Treats for Rue
from her dog friend Mocha

Dog Cupcakes for Mocha

Happy Birthday
RUE! 

Dog Treats for Rue and her friends
 homemade by her "Mom" -thats me.

The Book "A Letter to My Dog" is a must read. It shares
personal stories of how dogs have touched the lives of their owners.
I gave it to my brother who lost his beloved Siberian Husky this year. 

Mocha, Rue and Herby at Fort Funston

*****

My daughter Maddie turned 18 and her friend Paige 

sent her 18 gifts with 18 memories attached. 

Loved this idea. Wish I thought of it myself.

18 Gifts and 18 Memories to Share

****

My son Michael is a September baby.
It won't be the same without him having one of
my repurposed bows to mark the occasion!

Michael Turning 21
celebrating at Marc Hopkins Hotel
San Francisco

Gifts from Unexpected Places

A huge box arrived unexpectedly from a childhood friend (we met in first grade) who read about
the house fire on my blog.  Out came piles of sewing pattern paper, threads, string, papers, notions and all things repurposed to replenish what I lost.  I was so emotionally overwhelmed!  No wrapping but pure good, heartfelt intentions.  I want to somehow bottle that feeling I felt when I opened the box and capture and infuse those emotions into my wrapping.  How can this be consistently achieved?  Wish I can be a conduit to bestow that kind of emotion to people - will be a lifelong attempt.  Thank you to my friend June who so captured the essence of a true gift.  I am slowly getting my things back and putting my studio back in order now in time for the holidays.

THANK YOU June
for a gift that truly touched my heart!

My First Grade Class Photo
Can you guess where I am? Third Row 5th over.
My friend June is in the Second Row5th over.
Thanks for sending this June.
I loved first grade and so glad I met you! 

Letting Go

“Learn to let go.  That is the key to happiness.”

                                                               The Buddha

This past month was defined by the experience of finding peace in “letting go”. Just as I was preparing my daughter’s move to Portland for college, (theme of “letting go” starting to make its presence) we had a house fire.  Luckily no one was hurt and our house, with the exception of my studio, was left for the most part unharmed.  

As my fellow crafters and artists can surely understand, its difficult to put a value amount on the things we create, the tools that enable our creativity and the materials we spend our lifetime collecting.  We only know it means a lot to us. What I want to share in the aftermath of this unfortunate situation is what I learned from a Buddhist Reverend during an anniversary memorial service held for my mother who passed away twenty four years ago.  (Love you Mom!) 

We honor the things we lose by letting it go with gratefulness for what it represented and gave to us.  We give meaning to it not in sadness or mourning but in our reflections and continuous appreciation of its memory.  The Reverend asked us to thank our mom daily for all she gave to us and continues to give us in her absence.  She is bringing us together and looking out for our wellbeing.  She continues to live on. 

It’s in this spirit that I replay my CreativeBug Trailer with gratitude for what was beautifully captured in those few minutes - the heart behind my studio space, what I do and who I am.  It’s a source of comfort now while I await for what was taken away and now in the process of recovery and restoration.  As I contemplate a new vision for my space and determine a direction for my gift wrapping work, I sign off with words of reassurance..

“You only lose what you cling to.”

                            -Gautama Buddha- 

I'm embracing “letting go” and leaving room for meaning in new sources of inspiration.  I look forward to sharing what transpires and transforms from the ashes of this journey. 

THANK YOU to all our friends who brought meals, invited us

to dinner, shared words of support and offered to replenish supplies.

You are Gems! 

With gratitude for the many wonderful things created in my studio 

With gratitude for my husband Doug who built
this custom 'wrapping' station for me from recycled wood.
A new beginning.... to be determined

"HOPEFUL INTENTIONS" Project and Exhibition 2013

Tomodachi/Softbank/Ayusa YPLAN Leadership Program @ UC Berkeley
July 22- August 10 2013

It was another transformational teaching experience for me (year two) as one of the instructors of the
YPlan Leadership Program at UC Berkeley for 100 high school students who
came from the Earthquake, Tsunami devastated region of Tohoku Japan as part of the
Tomodachi /Softbank/Ayusa Leadership Program.  (Press Coverage: KTVU and SF Chronicle-
see my class and students!)

Representing the theme of "Public Space", I had the privilege of teaching the Y PLAN leadership/planning methodology providing students the foundation for future action plans helping to rebuild and revitalize their communities back home.  The experience offered the opportunity for students to deepen their leadership skills motivating them to become agents of change at home. The discussions around "place memory" and the need for honoring personal and collective memories in planning of public spaces were profound and resonated most with my students especially as many of them lost homes, friends and family.

My "Public Space " Yellow Team Students

Human Web "Community of Practice" Exercise
Teaching the value of everyone's contribution,
strengths and involvement to community 

Similar to last year,  I was able to incorporate an element of art as a symbolic representation of the student's "hopeful intentions".  Thank you Deb and David! With the help of the Y Plan Teaching Team  (Thank you Junko, Natsumi, Carol, Jessie, Chikara and Shirl) students wrote their action plans, hopes and dreams on strips of various repurposed paper (representing the rebirth of materials often discarded). They were made into bows I designed for installation and later given to the students to bring back home. It was intended as a visual memory of their experience, reminder and source of symbolic inspiration for actualizing their vision back home.

Student Action Plans, Dreams, Hopes  on Bows 

Hopeful Intentions Installation (Wall A) 

Hopeful Intentions Installation (Wall B) 

Special THANK YOU to mentor Stephanie Lam for
your dedicated help and the creative installation work! 

Emotional Good Byes...
Student Leader Taiki Handa

Notes from my Students

THANK YOU so much for inspiring ME! 

Enjoyed our time together! 

******

LEAVING MESSAGES AT Ferryland, Oakland

Another opportunity to team up with designer, educator, urban planner Shirl Buss to incorporate a creative element to the students' service project visit to Ferry Land. Inspired by the Sendai Tanabata Festival in Japan, we cut strips of colorful paper and students left messages to the children visiting Ferryland.  Loved the process of working with the students who took seriously the mission of leaving something of value behind.   Read more about the story in the OAKLAND LOCAL

Great working with you again Shirl! 

Graduation

"Move Slowly and Mend Things.."

The validation for my love of repurposing, wrapping, packaging and things hand made was validated at my daughter's High School Graduation Commencement. 

A speech made by Lick Wilmerding High School instructor Rebecca Hong asked us all to pause and reflect often, sharing a message to "Move slowly and mend things...(the antithesis of the Facebook motto of "move fast and break things") because as she pointed out" there is much in the world that is worth noticing, worth keeping and worth fixing". She asked everyone to consider our individual and collective impact on others and to act in ways that are to the best of our ability intentional and good.  She associated leading a meaningful and fulfilling life to embracing the difficult- yes, the difficulty that comes with worthwhile pursuits, the difficulty of slowing down and caring deeply and the difficulty of commitment. Equally she wished upon the seniors the pleasures of the difficult- the sense of purpose and the sense of connectedness that comes with doing the right things.  She concluded, "it's the difficult things that require you to move slowly and more deliberately but its the difficulties that will keep you from sleepwalking through your lives."

While I'm certain gift wrapping and packaging or even repurposing materials was not on her mind when sharing her profound thoughts, it spoke to me about why I treasure the art of using our hands and heart to "wrap" an intention, a thought, a sense of gratefulness that needs expressing and why even the careful selection of materials matter. It's a time consuming gesture when time is so limited but a worthwhile process that initiates intentional reflection. It allows our consciousness a moment to think of what we are doing and for who and for what purpose.  It requires you to "move slowly".

In celebrating this special moment in my daughter's life,  I'm grateful for the message shared by Rebecca Hong as it conveys what I too value. To my daughter Maddie who is our peacemaker -- Take the time to reflect always and appreciate your impact on others. "Move slowly and mend things" along the way.  There is importance, energy and significance to the thoughts and intentions behind one's actions and like gift wrapping, HOW we do things shares equal importance to WHAT we do or give.

LOVE YOU MADDIE and CONGRATULATIONS!

GRADUATION LEI for Maddie
Made Slowly with LOVE
 MOM

Asian Art Museum: Craft Warriors

Thursday APRIL 18, 2013  (5:00pm-9:00pm) 

Join me for an evening of crafting at the Asian Art Museum as I team up with a group of talented artists Emiko Oye, Ealish Wilson, Kathryn Kenworth to teach various techniques in our respective specialties to create armors and jewelry inspired by the popular Terra Cotta Warriors Exhibit!
Come see how discarded and repurposed materials can be transformed to fashion armors and other
artifacts mirroring the vision of the first Emperor of China himself!

It'll be a fun workshop evening of serious crafting, drinks, music, photo booth and inspired
creations.  Click here to RSVP and for more information:  Craft Warriors 

Asian Art Museum
April 18, 2013
5-9pm

by Megumi
inspired by Ealish Wilson 

American Craft Council: Library Card Project

Received word that my Library Card Project was featured on the American Craft Council
Website!  Hats off to American Craft Council Librarian Jessica Shaykett and Elizabeth Ryan Interactive Media Specialist for instigating this project and for their dedicated work in bringing it to life --igniting dialogue about the role of libraries, reuse and also for inspiring creativity in artists/makers. LOVE this project~

Read more about this project
INTERVIEW 

American Craft Council: Library Card Project
Gift Packaging: Tribute to Librariesby Megumi 

Library Card Inspired Dress
by Jewelry Designer and Wearable Art Maker Vanessa Waliko

LOVE IT!!