Peace

 Here's another excellent article by DailyOm. I always enjoy getting their emails with these articles, I usually learn something new every time, and if not, they're a wonderful, gentle reminder that I can be more.

my pic of ducks at the lake... Peace

Peace starts within us -- we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer. Often we look at the outside world and find it in a state of seeming chaos or disorder. We feel compelled to transform the situation from one of turmoil into one of peace, yet we are often disappointed in our best attempts to do so. One reason for this is that we cannot bring to the world what we do not have to offer. Peace starts in our own minds and hearts, not outside of ourselves, and until its roots are firmly entrenched in our own selves, we cannot manifest it externally. Once we have found it within, we can share it with our family, our community, and the whole wide world. Some of us may already be doing just that, but for most of us, the first step is looking within and honestly evaluating the state of our own relationship to peacefulness. Interestingly, people who manifest peace internally are not different from us; they have chattering thoughts and troubled emotions like we all do. The difference is that they do not lend their energy to them, so those thoughts and feelings can simply rise and fall like the waves of the ocean without disturbing the deeper waters of peacefulness within. We all have this ability to choose how we distribute our energy, and practice enables us to grow increasingly more serene as we choose the vibration of peace over the vibration of conflict. We begin to see our thoughts and feelings as tiny objects on the surface of our being that pose no threat to the deep interior stillness that is the source of peacefulness.  When we find that we are able to locate ourselves more and more in the deeper waters and less on the tumultuous surface of our being, we have discovered a lasting relationship with peace that will enable us to inspire peace beyond ourselves. Until then, we help the world most by practicing the art of choosing peace within.

original article posted on DailyOm

Kindness

 I came across this article on DailyOm 

I wanted to share it, I like to think I aspire to being kind in small simple ways. 

I hope my sharing of SAGE cards out into the world inspires more sharing, and allows us all to feel connected and reassured.

Kindness

Kindness expands the light within us and reaches out to touch the light in others as well Kindness is an ideal that is easily accessible to all of us. We all know that a small kindness can make our journeys lighter and more enjoyable. Even bringing an instance of kindness to mind can put a smile on your face days or weeks later or perhaps even inspire you to share kindness with another. Though it may seem simple to the point of insignificance, many cultures throughout the world and history have recognized kindness as a powerful virtue. It may be the simplest way to experience and share all the grandest ideals of humanity. We can make the choice to act from the best place within ourselves at any time, while simultaneously recognizing the highest potential in another with the smallest of acts, nourishing the seed of hope in each soul we encounter.   In a way, kindness acts as the oil that makes the engine of our world move more smoothly and with less friction. We can still get where we are going but the ride is more pleasant, and those around us can share in the ideal world that we help to create. We are all fortunate that kindness is limitless in its supply and available to everyone. When we act in ways that confirm our ideals, we make the ideal our reality. Then, instead of affirming the experience of struggle and competition, we can shift our experience to the reality of ease and pleasurable camaraderie with the fellow citizens of the world.   Whether giving way to someone in traffic or letting someone go ahead of us in line, donating money or sharing our resources in a crisis, we actively create a universe of kindness and giving with every choice we make. The smallest gesture can bring a smile to light the shadow of an unpleasant situation or remove tension from a difficult task, but it's effects can echo and extend far beyond the moment. We can be sure that we will receive a kindness in return, but giving is its own reward. Kindness expands the light within us and reaches out to touch the light in others as well, giving us all a glimpse of the glow that has the power to enlighten our world.  credit to DailyOm

Earth Day!

 I'm excited about Earth Day 2021!

also check out NASA Earth Day Page

So far, I have sent over 50 S.A.G.E cards out into the world, and I'm really happy to report that everyone I've sent a card to or have told about my project to make greeting cards much more sustainable, has been so accepting of and into the idea and concept of sharing my SAGE cards multiple times!

It's a small accomplishment I realize, but it feels really good to make even a small change, and I believe it just takes one person with an idea, and if more people tell others, and continue to share and re-share my SAGE cards, and I continue to send more and more out into the world, maybe it will catch on, and just maybe it won't be such a small thing after a while.

I make all my SAGE cards using recycled materials, re-purposed packaging, along with papercraft and art supplies I buy retail, and whatever else I find around my studio. I make my cards sturdy so they can stand up to being shared and re-shared multiple times. I never make the same card twice. Each card is unique, hand crafted, and I think of each one as a small piece of art.

Sturdy, Sustainable, Shareable, Sage cards… share a smile!

How to Participate in the S.A.G.E. Project:

Join the quest to reduce, re-use, recycle, and re-Share!

This unique handcrafted greeting was made specifically to share multiple times - Like a travelling mini Art Show! 

Here’s How! 

• Don’t write directly on the card itself - Just use the enclosed inside sheet(s) to write your personal message.
• include the extra inside sheets, extra envelope, instruction card/sheet for future shares.
• Then address and apply postage if mailing, and you have just made a Difference! Thank You!

When you receive a S.A.G.E. card, keep it for as long as it serves you, then use the above instructions to send it to the next person to enjoy, the cycle continues. Sending a SAGE card, is a tangible way to bring a caring message to friends and family, and help us all to feel more connected, and feel good that we are making a difference.

Share and re-share SAGE cards, Send Smiles, even the Earth Smiles

Learn How you can Help me continue this one woman project to promote Sustainability through sharing SAGE Greeting cards - Donate any amount - powered by Safe and Secure PayPal

4R Earth Project: S.A.G.E. Shared Art Greetings Exhibit

4R Earth Project: S.A.G.E.

Shared Art Greetings Exhibit

What are the 4Rs?

Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Reshare

S.A.G.E. stands for Shared Art Greetings Experience

I have designed unique handcrafted greeting cards combining recycled, upcycled, found objects, new material, acid free inks, paints, and whatever else I find around my studio. I never make the same card twice.

I don’t have a business, I buy retail art and card-making supplies, and re-use most of my packaging, cereal/tissue boxes, take out containers, paper bags, etc. I also make my own handmade paper using shredded scraps, packaging, and junk mail, etc.

I am one person doing what I can to share good feelings through sending my one of a kind handcrafted greeting cards in hopes that I bring a smile to the recipient, yet also reduce my impact on our Earths’ resources with the materials I use, AND if the recipient shares the greeting card again, it’s a double win that keeps on going as long as each card is shared again and again!

What happens to the estimated 7 billion greeting cards that are purchased each year? After being displayed on a desk, counter, or mantle for a few weeks, some may end up in a keepsake box for longer, but the vast majority end up in with the recycling, or in the trash to be taken to the landfill. To me, it seems like a shame as well as having a large monetary and environmental impact.

When I receive a card in the mail, I feel good. If I’m sending my cards to friends and family, I feel good knowing they’ll smile. I know that having a unique tangible card one can hold, and display and read again and again, it is special, a whole different experience than an email.

If you’re like me, you like to keep these thoughtful tangible items around for a while, and have them displayed as reminders how much people care. However, there does come a time where you realize you can’t really keep every single card anyone ever gave you… 

Yet it doesn’t feel right to just throw them away or recycle them.

What if you didn’t have to?!

What if you could keep S.A.G.E. cards for as long as they serve a purpose for you, and when it’s time to let them go, you can keep the personal message that was inside, they are written on separate papers from the card. Now you can keep the small and easy to store message, and then using the extra personal message sheets included in the card, or your own, along with the included project instructions and included envelope, address and stamp if required, now you can re-Share the SAGE card with someone you’d like to send a smile to, and they can continue the cycle.

You’ll feel good that you are helping the Earth. By participating in this project, you are reducing your impact on this planet, and the more that participate, the better it gets. And think about it, You are sending a smile to someone, while also being part of change to improve our environment. 

I make my SAGE Cards sturdy and strong, in hopes they will stand up to being shared again and again. You could start a tradition and send the same card back and forth with a friend for a certain occasion, or you can choose to send to recipients all over the world, and help spread the idea of Shareable Art Greetings everywhere. 

I’m starting the Project by sending out a number of cards to a group of friends and family, asking them to send out the cards along with the instructions, I will send out as many as I can into the world, but I will eventually run out of funds to do this, I’m not a business, I buy and use my own personal art supplies, stamps/postage, and packaging from things I consume. 

If you have a SAGE card that seems to shabby to re-Share, if you mail it back to me and include your return address, I will send you a fresh SAGE card! 

B. Wansink

1236 Dreamcatcher Pl

Langford BC V9B 0T6

If you would like to help out with this project, your donation will go directly to the process of creating more SAGE cards, as well as postage to get them out into the world. 

I'm using a PayPal donation method, so it is safe and secure. 

There is a 'donate' button right on my home page, or you can use the link below.

I have a couple of incentives for those that wish to donate;

Donate using PayPal

• If you donate $10 CAD or more, and you have provided your mailing address, you will be receiving a fresh from the studio SAGE card via mail!* 

• If you were wonderful and opted for a monthly recurring donation of $10 CAD or more per month, and you have provided your mailing address, you will be receiving a fresh SAGE card via mail each month your donation is received!* Thank you for being so amazing!

Thank You!

FAQ page for 4R Earth Project: S.A.G.E. Shared Art Greetings Exhibit

 What is this S.A.G.E. Project all about?

S.A.G.E. stands for Shared Art Greeting Exhibit. I started this project hoping to share a smile in the form of a greeting card that can be sent from person to person, thereby reducing the impact on our earths' resources.

I am starting this project by sending out a limited number of FREE handcrafted Shareable Art Greetings to friends and family, who will assist with sending the cards to recipients they expect will continue to share the cards.

Once a recipient receives a S.A.G.E. card, they can of course keep it for as long as it serves them, after which I'm asking they send it along to someone they expect will be willing to share the card. Once the extra inside sheets and envelope is used, I'm hoping that senders will take it upon themselves to assist with including additional supplies to continue the sharing.

It has been estimated that seven billion greeting cards are purchased every year! Nine out of ten households buy greeting cards each year, and the average household buys thirty individual greeting cards annually.

A small number of greeting card recipients keep one or more cards indefinitely, while the vast majority of greeting cards end up in landfills or recycled. Many cards use non-recyclable materials and cannot be recycled.

I make sturdy handcrafted unique greeting cards which include separate inside sheets for personalized messages, eliminating the need to write directly on the card. Multiple inside sheets are included as well as an extra envelope to make sharing easy.

If you come across one of my S.A.G.E. cards that is becoming too shabby for sharing, if you mail it back to me along with your return address, I will be happy to send out a fresh S.A.G.E. card to you for your effort. conditions apply, in case I need to change the project...

I am not a business, I am a woman who wants to make a difference. I am a breast cancer survivor and I want to make the rest of my life, the best of my life. If I can make someone smile, while also reducing the impact on the planet, however small, I will feel good.

I buy all my own art and card making supplies retail, and pay for the postage to send out the limited number of cards to my friends and family for further distribution. I will continue the project for as long as I am able, physically and financially, after which I cannot predict what may happen.

If you wish, you can donate to my project. Your donations will go directly to pay for art and card making supplies and postage costs to continue this project. (after PayPal takes it's cut, of course) If you are willing to donate $10 CAD or more, I will happily send you a fresh S.A.G.E. card as a small thank you. I'm only going to use your mailing information to send you mail, I will not be selling your info to anyone, anytime.

What if we started thinking of greeting cards as not only a way of sending our warm regards in a touchable, tangible way to our friends and family, but also as a form of travelling art show, and as each small work of art passes through our lives, we can so easily keep the personal message sent to us, and know the next person gets to smile and enjoy displaying the same small work of art, and in time they send it off again, a touching reminder of how we are all connected.

You have already made a difference by reading this, Thank you for taking the time to explore my project!

Barbara

Join the quest to reduce, re-use, recycle, and re-Share!

4R Earth Project: S.A.G.E.
Shared Art Greetings Exhibit

Join the quest to reduce, re-use, recycle, and re-Share!

This unique handcrafted greeting was made specifically to share multiple times - Like a travelling mini Art Show! 

Here’s How! 

• Don’t write directly on the card itself - Just use the enclosed inside sheet(s) to write your personal message.
• include the extra inside sheets, extra envelope, instruction card for future shares.
• Then address and apply postage if mailing, and you have just made a Difference! Thank You!

When you receive a S.A.G.E. card, keep it for as long as it serves you, then use the above instructions to send it to the next person to enjoy, the cycle continues. Sending a SAGE card, is a tangible way to bring a caring message to friends and family, and help us all to feel more connected, and feel good that we are making a difference.

To learn more, visit; 4Rearthsage.blogspot.com

Share and re-share SAGE cards, Bring Smiles, even the Earth Smiles

Donation Information

If you would like to help me continue this project, you can donate HERE

Or use the Donate button on my homepage  --->

The Donate option is powered by PayPal - 

Your donation will go directly towards purchasing art supplies and card making supplies, envelopes, stamps/postage, and you will be helping to keep more and more of those 7 billion greeting cards out of our landfills and recycling plants every year, because each time someone somewhere sends a shareable card again and again, that means less and less of earths’ resources are used.

I have a couple of incentives for those who wish to donate;

• If you donate $10 CAD or more, and you have provided your mailing address, you will be receiving a fresh from the studio SAGE card via mail!* 

• If you were wonderful and opted for a monthly recurring donation of $10 CAD or more per month, and you have provided your mailing address, you will be receiving a fresh SAGE card via mail each month your donation is received!* Thank you for being so amazing!

I cannot predict when you will receive your card(s) if you are eligible, I'm a one woman show! I will always do my best to get it out in the mail asap. I can only send random SAGE cards, I make them using my creativity, and I don't even know what's coming next. I never make the same card twice.

informational stuff;

* conditions apply. One SAGE card per person per month maximum per eligible donation please! I'm only sending cards via regular mail through Canada Post. I'not doing this to make money, or lose money. I'm doing it so humans have another option for sending greeting cards while reducing the impact on our earths' resources. These cards take me anywhere from an hour to a day to make each one, not to mention retail studio equipment and supplies, thanks for understanding.

I will never sell your information or use it for anything except to mail SAGE cards and or email you if we are conversing via email. 

I will continue this initiative for as long as I am able, financially and physically, and if I do have to cancel for any reason, I will still endeavour to mail out SAGE cards to those of you who made an eligible donation, and I will also update the information on this site asap to keep everyone informed.

Sharing is Caring! 

Share Loving Kindness

Be the Change

Show you care by sending a Shareable Art Greeting Exhibit today!