New Coloring Book Cover!

The Golden Rule at Earth Mart in Phoenixville PA

I hope you will come and join me at the Earth Mart this coming Saturday morning from 10 to 12 for Color by Heart, a unique and inspirational coloring experience.

The Earth Mart is a community friendly, artist friendly, happy go lucky eco friendly department store in the heart of Phoenixville. They carry everything including stunning bridal dresses, art supplies, clothing, building supplies, composting equipment, food, paints, local arts and crafts, and on and on. The place is huge and friendly. It's an amazing, wonderful store and presence in the community.

The Earth Mart and I are kicking off a fun Community Arts program for families that will be taking place every Saturday morning! This Saturday everyone will receive their own copy of The Interfaith Golden Rule Coloring Book. I'll bring crayons, colored pencils and markers and we'll spend the morning coloring together, and discussing the whole idea of Treating Others the Way You Would Like to be Treated. Just imagine what the world could be, would be! if we all practiced this simple concept.

These Saturday events are for ages 4 through grandparenthood and designed to bring families and the community together. The cost is five dollars per participant. The Earth Mart is located at 235 Bridge St. Phoenixville PA 19460. It's a couple of doors down from The Colonial Theater, another favorite place!

If you can't make it this weekend, or even if you do make it, mark your calendars for the following Saturday, same place (Earth Mart) and same time.......We'll be making wild cat mobiles out of empty food boxes and junk mail. I've been saving them for weeks now, but please feel free to bring more if you can.

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Seized by A Rainbow Idea

As some of you know, or maybe not, I have over 300 handmade puppets, props and costumes tucked into crates, suitcases and bags, and four stories in my head. I take various parts of this collection to schools, libraries, community centers etc. and conduct interactive theatrical storytelling events with people of all ages.

Participants choose the characters they wish to portray and then together we tell a story. Afterwards everyone makes their own puppet to take home! It's so much fun, super creative and happiness for all. The stories have virtuous themes such as generosity over greed, friendship, plus unity and cooperation.

I have two shows on the mermaid/ocean theme, one called Hooray 4 Bugs, and a winter tale Going on A Sleigh Ride.

I have an idea for a NEW show and am working on it now, so it will be ready in the spring. It is for ages 2 through 6 and is a call and response kind of singing story about all the colors of the rainbow. The kids will pick the color of the rainbow they would like to be. Each group of colors will sing a song to another group, asking them to join until all the colors of the rainbow are in!

I designed the CUTEST little capelet costumes with pointed hoods and pom poms and am in the process of making about 12 per six colors........out of fleece! Adorable! Fleece was on sale for half price so that was a good sign.......I bought a total of 36 yards......and that is alot of fleece.

Also working on getting The Interfaith Golden Rule Coloring Books into stores......

It's wonderful up here in the studio with the windows open. Great weather!

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Universal Healthcare is Just All Right By Me

Some people spit the word Socialism as if it were a four letter word in rejection of the idea of universal healthcare. People think socialism is a form of government. Socialism is really not a political term, it’s actually an economic system, the essence of which is that the common good takes precedence over corporate profits. Capitalism is pretty much every man/woman for himself….. Both systems have their plusses and minuses.

People seem to feel that democracy is at odds with socialism, but I’m not so sure. President Lincoln defined democracy as government of the people, by the people and for the people. So if we’re the people why can’t we be for the people having universal healthcare?

Winston Churchill once said that “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise, indeed it has been said the democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other governments that have been tried from time to time.”

With that in mind, and in keeping with all the other innovations in the past century, how about coming up with a new system? One that actually reflects the current stage of human development and awareness.

How about a system based on the idea that no one person, race, culture, nationality etc. is more deserving than another, that we are all in this together, that we are interconnected and interdependent because that‘s a fact! We certainly could look out for one another without giving up our individual rights, couldn't we?

Who cares where someone was born, how much money they have or have not, who they work for, what nationality they are, whether they have a green card, pin stripes, pink nail polish or a purple hat. Everyone on this planet should have access to healthcare!

And I’m really sick of hearing that we can’t afford it. If you look at a pie chart of where the most amount of money is spent in this country alone, the biggest piece by far is on war.

It’s time for a big change.







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Would You Like a Complimentary Copy of The Interfaith Golden Rule Coloring Book?

The trip to, fro and in Vermont was just wonderful!

Here I am at White River Junction getting ready to come home after a relaxing time with friends. I got the purple felt hat at a church rummage sale for 25 cents and

that box on the left is chock full of organic tomatoes.

I'm very excited that the accordion folding

Interfaith Golden Rule Coloring Book

is now available in several retail stores, as well as in my Etsy Shop.

The book is for ages 4 and up and includes Golden Rule excepts from nine spiritual/religious traditions. (Treat others the way you would like to be treated)

If you would like to enjoy a complimentary copy simply

email your shipping address to artypantzvo@yahoo.com and I will send you one!

Here's what the coloring book looks like once you take it out of the package!

It measures 5 1/2" high by two feet long!

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Countertop Displays for The Golden Rule Coloring Book

I spent quite a bit of time designing a cardboard countertop display for The Golden Rule Interfaith Coloring Book, to put into stores. I had a big old box, and was measuring and cutting away, customizing it to hold the coloring books, and enough room on top to display an opened book.

Then I thought that somebody must make these displays! So I typed in cardboard counter top displays in my browser and up popped cardboarddisplays.com and after a few minutes found EXACTLY what I was looking for.

They came flat, and easy to assemble. They were plain and I just printed up the information and glued it on. Ta Da! They also sent me shipping boxes to send them assembled to stores.

Today I'm getting three displays ready and full to send to my first three stores!

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The Golden Rule Accordion Coloring Book On Sale Now

T H E G O L D E N R U L E

“Treat Others the Way You Would Like to Be Treated”

FOLDING ACCORDION COLORING BOOK

Opens to two feet long. Color, then display on a shelf.

A UNIQUE COLORING EXPERIENCE FOR AGES 4-ADULT.

featuring The Golden Rule excerpts from

Traditional African Religion, Christianity, Buddhism, Baha’i Faith,

Islam, Judaism, Confucianism, Hindu, and Native American Wisdom.

adorned with images of butterflies, flowers, and birds.

The Golden Rule Accordion Coloring Book is finished, packaged and on sale in my Etsy shop!

I'm working on some cardboard counter top displays and by the end of this week I can start delivering them to several stores that are waiting for them.

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Sneak Preview of The Golden Rule Coloring Book

The drawings and layout are absolutely finished for The Golden Rule accordion coloring book. Here is a sneak peak at the cover page. .....

It is amazing what kind of scrutiny has gone into every inch of this. All the drawings have to be PERFECT! .........The book measures 5 1/2" high and unfolds to two feet long! I'll be posting pictures of all the pages, once I get one colored.

This book is designed for ages 4 through adult

and features The Golden Rule excerpts from
Traditional African Religion
Christianity
Buddhism
Baha’i Faith
Islam,
Judaism
Confucianism
Hindu
and Native American Wisdom

and is adorned with images of flowers,butterflies and birds.

Still working on the packaging, but it will be fairly simple now that the book is done. This project is a complete distration from what I "should" be doing as in getting WrapADoodles ready for the La Leche League Conference coming up in two weeks but it feels like the "right" thing to be doing now.

Stay tuned to see how and where you can get one!

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The Golden Rule

Back in those days, not so long ago, when my studio was a mess I would walk in and walk right back out because the chaos made me even more crazy than usual, but now that I've moved into two organized spaces on the third floor, I could stay up here forever.........I've been holed up in these tippy top studios for days now (see top windows in the picture above). For awhile there it was hell as in inferno, but my dear husband put an air conditioner in and now it's heaven. By the way, that pink thing in the lower right hand corner is a pink flamingo that my daughter found in the trash.

I often miss events, parties, meetings, etc. Sorry about that but I have to be here now. I did drag myself out on Thursday to make books with kids of people who came to a prayer vigil for the imprisoned Baha'is in Iran. (Click on Baha'i in blog labels to learn more about this dire situation.)

Being in and working in my own space is the best. I've always chosen to live somewhere beautiful and surrounded by nature even if it means renting instead of buying. I've also been fortunate to be able to choose time over money, so never had the need to go on vacation or escape from my life.

I love so many people, including those to be met, but happiness abounds in solitude. Ideas take hold, squeeze hard, and won't let go until they are materialized. That is just the way it is. I have to SEE my idea in front of my eyes right now. And the ideas keep coming, like a hose on full blast.

There is so much tension in the world between different kinds of people, and every time I see evidence of it I want to do something to help. The world's problems boil down to one pervasive concept. Somebody thinks they are better than someone else. Their country is better, or their religion, or the way they eat, or raise their kids, etc, etc, etc. This attitude is truly the root of all evil in the world. Just think about it.

No one person is qualified to hold themselves over another person. The fundamental problem of presumed superiority is a sign of spiritual immaturity, and ignorance of the spiritual and scientific fact that we are all One. And for those who believe in God, that means One God, the Same God for everyone. I hope never to see a bumper sticker that says My God Beat up Your God.......but that is kind of what is going on these days.....

In light of all this, in my ongoing efforts to bring people together through the arts, I'm in the process of creating an accordion folded coloring book on the theme of The Golden Rule, using quotes from Traditional African Religion, Hinduism, The Baha'i Faith, Christianity, Judaism, Confucism, Islam and Native American Wisdom. It's such a simple concept to treat people the way you want to be treated. Putting this into practice is probably the very best thing we all can do to help make a better world. That and working on improving our own conduct and character and aspiring to be the kind of person we want others to be.

It's very fun to be drawing again. I'm integrating images of birds, butterflies, flowers and a couple of people in and among the writings. The whole thing will be printed on an 11 x 17 paper, folded and cut, then folded again into the accordion shape. I'll punch holes and tie some gold ribbon or threads on either end of the accordion, then place them in cellophane envelopes and start offering them in various venues.

I'm almost done with it, but just when it seems to be finished, it's not. So it looks like I'll be here a little while longer.

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