Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Creative Overflow

   Hey spunks - kinda been juggling one too many things since the last post, but don't we all? Always biting off more than we can chew? 
Anyways, being a little greedy this time has been a very positive thing - it's taken me a while to find my feet since returning to Paris (from my 1 month holiday in Australia) but now l'm discovering a few reasons as too 'why' fumbling through each day has been absolutely worth it.
I suddenly feel like l have a million different creative ideas, inspiration and all sorts that doesnt necessarily make much sense - but i do know that it needs to get out of my body... ASAP!
'Kiss' ~ Ruth Bloch
& once again l have my mum to thank for my next plan of action regarding growth & Soul Stories. She has encouraged me to experiment with bringing my Soul Stories characters/souls to '3d' life somehow ~ which at first i thought why? & then how? & then why again? & then it hit me!
I've always been fascinated with sculptures, especially bronze, & even dabbled & excelled in pottery classes, aged 13ish.
Since then lve been lucky enough to travel around the world and collect a few pieces by some of my favourite sculptors/artist,
Ruth Blochwww.ruth-bloch.co.il/ Brett Allen: www.thewrensrestminyonfalls.com.au/brett-harrison-allen.
& just like stepping back and seeing a bunch of tiny dots connect right in front of my eyes ~ it just so happens that l walk past a pottery/sculpting studio every day, only a few blocks from my apt. & exactly the kind of classes that l was going to look for :-)
So, guess who has already signed up & attending her 5th class tomorrow!? Not mention LOVING every second of it!!! Of course l'm not expecting to become the next world famous ??? from these classes, but what i do know is that it feels absolutely right doing them and just learning everything i possibly can...




Day 1: Learning a few basic techniques, but still couldn't help myself attempting to create one of my Soul Stories 'souls'. 

Below: Ahhhh, very scared cutting the poor little thing in half and scooping the insides out so it won't blown up in the kiln.





                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Very happy with the final shape by the end of  day ~ my little ego was quite happy with that :-) hahah, so much to learn but all in good time...








 Different polishing techniques, using copper, glass, silver and gem stones!? If you don't have much patience, this part will definitely teach you... 



So, just as l was finishing up (along with all of the fun french/english language barrier...) i couldn't understand why my teacher wouldn't let me paint before getting ready to place it in the kiln - i was getting soooooo excited to 'finally' get the chance to play with all sorts of yummy colours (like all of my other lucky colleagues) but then l understood, NO CAN DO :-( 
After you finalize your shape, and let it harden, THEN you should paint, followed by polish, then fire - but of course i didn't know to ask before polishing, as l was just learning... 
Not to worry, this was just my little experimental technique piece anyways & i guess i should be hopeful that l have done everything right just to survive the intense heat inside the kiln & not end up into a million clay shards instead - ahhhhh fingers crossed, i will find out tomorrow...

So this is just one of the outlets l've discovered for my creative overflow - there a few more to talk about down the track - & can't wait to share it all with ya's :-) 
Thanks so much to take some time out to have a little read about 'where lm at' these days  ~ & hope you have gained something from it?
Even if it's just a warm fuzzy smile on your face, 
yayyy, my job is done :-) xx t

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Hello Carbon Zero


Heya Soul Stories peeps - now that we are all up to date from my last entry, how are we all these days?
I seriously can't believe Easter is, um, seriously around the corner!! 
Where on earth did that come from? Clearly time is flying so l definitely need to get a crack on a few things...  

I won't reveal toooo much just yet - but lm wanting to develop a very special recycle/bio degradable 'tote' bag, which will represent Soul Stories in every possible way...
I have been searching for the perfect material that doesn't cost an arm and leg for Soul Stories (therefore ending up being ridiculously expensive for you guys) and to my luck, l have finally stumbled upon an amazing Australian company called 'Carbon Zero'.  Well mum did actually, she's onboard this project since she's the seamstress pro :-) - so thanks mum! Anyways, back to Carbon Zero...

About 'Carbon Zero' Bags

Carbon Zero Bags is a division of Hot Chilli Source Pty Limitedan Australian family owned global procurement company that is extremely passionate about bringing environmentally responsible products to market.

Carbon Zero Calico Bags
Carbon Zero Bags production facility utilizes the latest technical advances in line production technology but also maintains a strong reliance on our workforce which numbers 200+ staff of hand workers who will combine their experience and skills to supply exactly anyones desired product. They believe that in order to produce quality eco friendly 100%bio degradable bags, the partnership between man and machine allows them to produce the best Carbon Zero Bags in the market with the smallest carbon footprint.

Their calico bags are 100% bio degradable and Carbon Zero, they promise that they are the perfect cost effective solution for any practical or promotional requirement while reducing the carbon footprint they leave.


Sounds very cool huh??? The only snag lve come across so far, is that the min order is 500 bags!! Ouch, hmmm, thats kinda 'a lot' for little Soul Stories, which at this stage is a non profit organisation... Not to worry, lm still going to be checking out samples and working with my graphic designer buddy Gin to come up with a very cool SS design & slogans :-) and will worry about that later on...

The Third
So lets move!!! 
- I would like to leave you with some very beautiful words that really touched a very deep place inside, l guess the place we call hope?! 

Anyways, stay gorg spunks and will be back later on to tell you's about another creative process that has just started for me (regarding Soul Stories of course) . It's so weird, l feel so much creative energy just bursting to get out these days, so lm listing to what the energy wants to say :-) Which is the only way...
xxxx mwahh, lov t

Monday, March 25, 2013

Where (have been) art thou?


Hmmm... as you can see, its been a while since my last blog entry ~ the last being just before i left magical world of Martinique and returned to Paris. This is where and when i lost all of my senses, my head, my heart, myself & what felt like and was my entire world - everything simply came CRASHING down hard and fast from being so crazy high, and so far from reality... Out of NO WHERE - my husband decided to goodbye, up & leave...
:-(  Poof just like that - "I don't want to be married any more", BANG, thank you very much... & he was gone...
I can not even begin to try and explain how l felt and the turmoil of events that followed - it was the most shocking & darkest period of my life which l barely remember, but at the same time, imprinted on my bones... l honestly can not believe that lm sitting here right now, where l am today, still fumbling a little & hicupping along - but oh, so much closer to the former 'golden' version of myself, soooooo much closer than the millions of pieces of god knows what, smeared across the floor and on the sole of  'his' shoe...
Where to even begin!?!? Gosh l have no clue - so l thought why not by reposting the 'GRATITUDE' article that i wrote for a beautiful blog called 'Believe, Hope, Dream'. That should catch us all up to speed pretty damn quick - and then we can swiftly carry with the much yummier parts of Soul Stories? :-)
Until next 'Soul Stories' entry lovely peeps, grab a cuppa & enjoy the read ~ i truly hope it brings you a little light, hope and above all gratitude xxx much lov t.

Hello, my name is Tams. Whilst l find it difficult to get my critical dancer head around the thought of calling myself a ‘writer’ – l guess l do agree on the fact that l have a ‘bit of a’ special way with words.  These wonderful words have fallen into the shape of what l call ‘Soul Stories’ and, let me tell you, l am eternally grateful for how far they have come - from words that I once hid away, only for myself to read - to now being illustrated, produced and sold to incredible souls around the world. Of course I still have a lot of work to do & dreams to pursue with Soul Stories – but I honestly believe that they would not have left my notebook without my simple gratitude towards compassionate & talented people in & out of my life along the way.
It’s funny how much you can achieve with just the simple awareness of gratitude and how much strength it can have… And guess what, it's something that comes at absolutely no cost! Crazy huh?  :-)

During this last year, Soul Stories has accelerated like l never could have imagined, and whilst l would probably run out of room naming everyone who has helped me over this journey and expressing my endless amount of thanks - I would like to tell you a little story that made me stop to realize how priceless & powerful gratitude can be – to be understood, accepted and passed back on in beautiful ways that can never be sold for any amount of money.

A year ago I found myself in so many millions of pieces that I believed no amount of glue could ever put me back together again with the shocking decision of my dearly loved husband walking out, followed by my incredible mum being diagnosed with the big C and of course being more than a million miles away from my loving & supportive family. Just after working with a wonderful German photographer by the name of Klaus Kampert, I found my way back to my little Parisian apartment very alone and very lost despite an endless amount of hands volunteering to pull me out of my daily blur.

A few months prior to my massive mess, my mum had been asking me to somehow contribute to her special photography & craft stall (back in my little hometown) that would take place in November 2011. Of course, she was referring to my Soul Stories, which by then was only evolving as far as text and illustrations in my notebook & a small group on Facebook.  So once I learnt of her disease, l decided to kick my butt into gear & approach my lovely next door neighbor (who just so happened to be a fab graphic designer) to develop a few of my Soul Stories into the creation of gift cards. I could only hope that this project would save my mum and somehow myself at the same time.

From that point onwards, it was the unraveling birth of Soul Stories, something to hold, something to be given and something that could be sold to have a little money put straight back into my company (oh yes! my new full fledged Soul Stories Company) to develop a tiny bit further into the direction of my new dreams.

My amazing graphic artist friend, Gin Pineau, has gracefully helped me breathe so much life into Soul Stories - so much work, that I could never repay her, other than my continuous string of thanks. She has encouraged me to keep true to the integrity of Soul Stories, so that they continue to find their way into the hearts of those who are unconsciously & consciously in need of them most. And she's right, there is nothing more breathtaking than seeing the reactions of people's faces after receiving their Soul Stories or reading their touching words about how much they have been effected by something l have created.
Enough Love

Not so long ago, my incredible photographer friend Klaus Kampert was back in touch with me, asking to work together on his next project. They say we can't go backwards in life - only forwards, so instead of accepting his proposal of payment to model, I said something along the lines of - how many humble people have helped me push Soul Stories in the right direction and how I could never repay them, other than giving it back to others in some kind of artistic way. Well, Holy Smoke Batman! The results that were created from this wonderful photographer-model collaboration speak for themselves (please don't hesitate to pop over to his beautiful website, l'm sure you will understand).
 
We both couldn't stop saying thank you to each other in 100 different ways. This was the scenario that made me realize how wonderful gratitude is and how you can move mountains with it and create the most beautiful and artistic pieces that you probably never imagine possible.
My Soul Stories have given me such new love, passion and focus in life. I never would have guessed that they would have the power of pulling me up from the depth of my despairs – whilst teaching me along the way that l can truly help & indulge others with my artistic creations. This is my absolute reward, which touches me deeply & continues my healing process.

So, to all of those who have taken a little time to listen to me waffle on about how grateful l am for every soul's contribution for the growth of Soul Stories, l'm giving away a very new & large Soul Stories wall print called ‘Thank You’, as a little reminder that it doesn't take much to be thankful in life, to hang onto the things that make you truly passionate, despite whatever kind of crisis you are going through. 
All of my love, light and laughter (Oh, and gratitude, of course, hehe)  ~ All of my big love, lov tams xx

'Thank You' Giveaway Print
 PS: And, of course, a ‘massive’ thanks to my           inspiring Wonderwoman mum. She is the one that gave me the real awakening to really ‘MOVE’ my heavy heart last year. I only hope l can do the same in return and continue to keep her strong on her courageous & constant battle right now. She is my forever Soul Story that fuels me, encourages me, teaches me & surrounds me…
I love her more that words could ever be written down on paper… xxx


A Bit About Tams & Soul Stories:
Soul Stories are insightful creations that pull out the sensitive 
& vulnerable pieces of your soul. 
Each Story is carefully written to help you remember how ingrained or forgotten moments can be turned into something beautiful for you to read. An artist, dancer & writer, Tams is working hard to return all of the wonderful stories 
in some kind of magical way or another. 
She lives somewhere in the middle of Paris, along with her fluffy bum cat Rigsby & eats at least 14 banana’s every day. There she loves to wander around the old Latin Quarter & continues to dream & be inspired by beautiful souls & their stories.  If you are interested in taking a sneaky peak at Tams art pieces in progress, 
check out her Soul Stories website at:
 www.soul-stories.com . 

For any reason, drop Tams a message at: 
tams@soul-stories.com
Thank You so much, Tams for sharing your beautiful story with us, and for this exciting and generous GiveAway! Contest is open until Friday, November 10th at 9PM PST.  Be sure to hop over Tams' Website and her Facebook group. Find your favorite Soul Story, then come back over to BHD to tell us in the Comments which is your favorite.  All comments will be entered to win the Large Scale "THANK YOU" Soul Stories print and will be selected by Random Number Generator.  Thanks bunches, and Good Luck! XO, Tiffany

http://www.believehopedream.com/2012/11/soul-stories-giveaway-winner-studio-tour.html



Monday, June 13, 2011

Yummy Blur

Heya spunks - as always, it's been quite some time since my last post, but hey ho - have been working hard & having fun in between... Martinique has been nothing but a whopping big ball of inspiration... Will post a few sneaky peak NEW Soul Stories illustrations - & sorry about the pictures not being such hot quality, but you know how it goes when one hasn't all of their toys to play with...  :-)
Let me know what you think? Much  love n' kisses, t xo


 
'Your Mouth'


                                                            


Walking around
with a pen & paper in hand –
only to catch
all of the
beautiful words,

that fall out of
your mouth... © April 13. 11



'Your Mouth'


'Soul Challenge'





Your soul mate

is simply the one 

that challenges you
in a special way that
opens you up & touches

your heart...   
          © January 28 .06

'Soul Challenge'



  
'Capabilities'



     

     You don't know what

     you’re capable of doing,
     until you really 
     love someone...
     © February 8 .06

     'Capabilities'  






'Listen'

  
          Even the    
          quiet souls
          will tell you
          who they are
          if you just
          listen...   © May 7 .05

          'Listen'





'Without Realizing'




With one touch,

you tear straight through
the invisible seams
that would undo all
that l had carefully
stitched up... 
           © January 25 .06



'Without Realizing'


Excited By Sketch...

Fade Away Draft
Heya guys n' dolls - just a quickie to let you know l was really chuffed with my latest Soul Stories sketch...
It kind of happened by accident as so many creative moments do when caught up in the creation. But as for the final illustration, hmm... l thought it was going to turn a little differently? l mean l like it, but l think l could have gone a different way - what do you think?


Had a very early morning workout, beach swim and now it's time to get stuck into sorting out this 'book' of mine. I have soooo many Soul Stories to sift through, and pick out, edit, some to illustrate, & some not...
So come on girl, let's get going now! Sunny, salty sea kisses, t xo

Fade Away





When the day ends,
l hope l'm by your side
to watch it fade away...   
© January 8 .06

'Fade Away'













Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Heaven, New Home... :-)

Heya Spunks - well l can definitely say, l settled in Martinique quite nicely within seconds... 
Yoga View
I feel at complete ease - creative energy flowing out of every pore of my body n' soul...
Whilst l'm here, l really want to focus on illustrationing, rather than writing  - although l will definitely write when the feeling naturally bubbles up out of me!

I've posted a few new drawings (but old stories) for you to see & would love to know what you think? Sorry for the quality of the photo/drawings - they are not so bad, just not as good as a scan...
But you get the gist...  :-)

So sit back, relax & enjoy - & l'm off to do some yummy yoga overlooking the crystal clear sea, as the sun sizzles down on the horizan...

Ahhh, l'm a very lucky gal right now & promise to make every second count. Take care & will be back soon, mwahh xx t


Sad Sighs



The day you went away,

l never heard my heart

scream again 
now it only sighs instead...  
©   January 7 .06

'Sad Sighs'


Missing Piece






I wanted to be
the missing piece for him
that l could never be 
for you...
© March 13 .11

'Missing Piece' 
(Feminine Version)


Sad Clouds






Whenever the skies cried
all afternoon
she always thought
that maybe a few clouds 

were feeling sorry for

two separated souls 

that longed to be together 

- while the rest of the world

kept them apart... © February 3 .05

'Sad Clouds'

Peaceful Memory





It took a long time
beyond time...
But l finally found
a peaceful memory
of you... © October 27 .10

'Peaceful Memory'




Cutting Connections





Staring out the window
with a large pair of scissors
in her hand,
wondering which connection
to cut... © January 2 .05

'Cutting Connections'










Saturday, May 7, 2011

Magic Martinique...

Heya chickens - wow, long time no nothing... Have been having serious writing/creating withdrawals - but 'voila' (as the french say) here l am, finally...
I have been a very lucky gal to land a 2 mth contract, dancing in Martinique. Woohoo, it could be a major party fun time for me, but lm wayyyy more excited and passionate about  get into tip top physical shape & write & draw & write & draw some more & probably write again!!!!
New desk, ready, set, go!
 As you can see l've set my desk up, ready to go 24/7 - yay, as l cant quite do that in my little apt in Paris. So its a mega luxuary for me - just the little things that count, right!?
& what better inspiration than having the sun, sand, sea & the occasional rainbow at the foot of your door?
It's just a shame l can't share this magic with my love - but all the more reason to suck it all in & create to my heart's delight.
I'm unable to scan anything to my computer, but a cheeky photo will do the do the trick for the time being...

So, let's go - will post a few little pieces that have evolved quite quickly since arriving & which lm really chuffed about...

Bedroom View...
Mmm, Martinique's magic is already settling in... Big kiss spunky chickens, & will be back very soon. Kisses t xo