How to Build Community...

Today a friend (thanks, Margie!) showed me a copy of a poster, which had obviously been copied numerous times -- and as soon as I read it, I wanted a copy, too!

When I went on line to see if I could find the source -- because anyone who could put something this neat together deserves the credit -- but struck out. This appears to have been such a popular notion, and copied so much by just about everyone who saw it, that the source is too obscure for my Net skills to dig up.

Possibly, you have already seen these instructions...but I will list them anyway:

HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY

Turn off your TV
Leave your house
Know your neighbors
Greet people
Look up when you're walking
Sit on your stoop
Plant flowers
Use your library
Play together
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Honor elders
Support neighborhood schools
Fix it even if you didn't break it
Have pot lucks
Garden together
Pick up litter
Read stories aloud
Dance in the street
Talk to the mail carrier
Listen to the birds
Put up a swing
Help carry something heavy
Barter for your goods
Start a traditions
Ask a question
Hire young people for odd jobs
Organize a block party
Bake extra and share
Ask for help when you need it
Open your shades
Sing together
Share your skills
Take back the night
Turn up the music
Turn down the music
Listen before you react to anger
Mediate a conflict
Seek to understand
Learn from new and uncomfortable angles
Know that no one is silent though many are not heard
Work to change this

What I did find when searching the Web was an explanation of what one community did with the ideas, but I can't tell if they are the souce:

Vancouver and "How To Build Community"

Our “How to Build Community” poster is a resource for tens of thousands of people looking for ways to feel connected with their neighbors.

The lack of community many of us feel was evident to Eileen Mosca at a Vancouver city hall meeting. Well, Eileen decided to do something about it.

She contacted SCW with her idea, a guerrilla postering campaign in Vancouver! She began the process of organizing 150 volunteers to take 20 posters and a corner of the city each. It wasn’t long before she had well over her initial goal of people with at least 4,000 posters to paste.

The postering project itself became a community-building activity! Elementary students, senior groups, doctors, longshoremen, government workers, people from all walks of life volunteered to help.

Did their effort have a positive effect? To quote the mastermind of the project, Eileen Mosca: Because such things can’t be quantified I guess we will never really know. But you can be sure the posters touched people, made them think and perhaps made them decide to look up when they are walking…sing together…learn from new and uncomfortable angles…talk to the mail carrier… and maybe even dance in the streets.

Pretty cool, right?

More Stashbusting -- Sewing

There was a time, not so long ago, when I did a great deal of sewing. I made all my own clothes, except bras after the first one, (everyone should make one, of course, to prove some obscure point, I suppose) plus shirts for my husband and assorted kinds of clothing for the children. Then there were household goods, such as curtains, pillows, blankets, slip covers, window quilts, and on...

No more. My poor sewing machine has been so neglected of late that it had to go in for a tune up because Viking machines are meant to be workhorses, used every day practically, or they freeze up. Sad.

But since I merely make occasional repairs, anymore, or sometimes a new wallet or purse -- and that isn't likely to happen much in the future -- some of the sewing stash needs to find new homes, too.

For instance, I have used Lutterloh's excellent pattern making system for more than 20 years, and before that, Patterns Unlimited, which was the US version (or rip off) of it. I wore out the first issues of both and have more recent replacements, hardly used:



















Patterns Unlimited is poorer quality printing, and all the tools are of paper, but this 1979 set I just bought on eBay does not appear to have been used. The models are separate from the pattern parts (unlike Lutterloh, which has the patterns piece templates on the back side of the model). There are 200 patterns, plus another 50 with model and pieces on same sheet, plus a special edition of 50 more patterns that are a mix of women's, children's and mens. There are three 1980 fashion booklets of about 20 or so mixed patterns each. Also, the main binder has many pages of sewing, pattern making, and general information on how to use the system.


















There are seven supplements to the 1986 edition of the Lutterloh system: #189-193, plus a special edition #20 for children:

















A boot box full of threads, most from the last 20 years: mostly cotton poly...




















Zippers! These span several generations, all types and sizes...

Stashbusting -- Progress!

So, okay, I have too much yarn -- meaning I can't buy any more yummy stuff until I make use of what I already have, some of which I have been carrying around with me for many years!

And this winter I have made some progress. Here are a few things I have knitted and crocheted (minus the several scarves and baby blankets that went for Christmas/Ayyam-i-Ha presents to family):
















Baby and toddler blankets,















More blankets, and a washrag (that's what a clever knitter calls a swatch knit to test a new pattern...)














Some baby and doll hats (the latter being what happens when gauge doesn't come out big enough for babies. Who knew babies had such BIG heads?)




















A couple crocheted bags...
















A super soft and warm capelet in Christmas colors...

And last but not least (especially as I have about 7 other projects currently on the needles)...











A silver gator (yummy!) two scarves, and a shawl to go over that little black dress...or, pink strapless prom dress?

Speaking of Where I've Been in My Life.....

It's fun to see where I've been in the US, and where I have left to go (although, I'm not real enthusiastic about New York City):


create your own visited states map

Stashbusting -- Rubber Stamps

I love my rubber stamps, but there's a limit to how many I can hoard. (Especially if I want to buy more....)

It's embarrassing to see how many there are in the storage boxes. I love them dearly and can think of all sorts of neat stuff to do with them whenever the urge to purge strikes.

But, realistically? Some of them just aren't being used. They need to go to a loving home that will make full use of their potential.

Or, at very least, they will go into someone else's stash -- preferably someone who isn't living with me!

The following stamps are mostly Stampin' Up, with a few whose origins are mysterious. All are in excellent condition, some never used, all mounted on wood blocks.

* Frame & words, (frame is Stampin' Up 1995, but I don't know what the words are),















* Three little dinosaurs want to play (looks like they have been played with a lot, but are still good for more fun)












* Some loose small stamps that wandered by one day and joined the stash,










* Two-Step Stampin' Fresh Flowers set, (Stampin' Up 2004)















* Words by Wanda set (Stampin' Up 2003),


















* Two- Step Stampin' Fanciful Favorites set (Stampin' Up 2001),




















* Seasonal Images set (Stampin' Up 1998) mounted but never used,
















* A Light Heart set (Stampin' Up 2006),

Stashbusting - Scrapbooking 2

Spring cleaning time: that stash is just two cumbersome, and let's face it: I can't live long enough to use it all! (Probably only certain superfemmes might be able to...like Karen!)

So, here's what is going to leave my cupboards:

* Peel and stick alphabet diecuts,






















* Embellisments you trim and attach manually (not self-adhesive),

















* Words and sayings stickies, plus some bubble stickies of words,






















* Self-adhesive edgings, plus some words,

















* Assorted larger, laser-cut, embellisments (5-10")


















* 27 sheets of 12x12 inch album paper,
















* Marvy watercolor markers, opened, but never used (2 months old),














* a rotary cutter with smooth and deckle blades (never used), plus a Xyron tape adhesive dispensor (needs refill)

Stashbusting -- Scrapbooking 1

It's Spring cleaning time...and my stash of creative project supplies is more than ready for sorting, purging and storing!

Before putting up a whole bunch of auctions on eBay, I'm giving you, dear family and friends, first choice of the goodies. Offers of cash, creative bartering, or negotiations for birthday/graduation gifts will be considered....

Among those things that I'm finally admitting I probably won't get around to using are two Barbara Walton scrapbook kits, including album, papers, stick-on alphabets and embellishments, and page protectors.

This small one also comes with an idea book...
















The larger one also has rub-on sayings and embellisments, a choice of fancy initials to slip into the front cover, a sheet of Fresh Cuts Easter cutouts, and two partially used sheets of die cut words and tags...

















These are brand new, ready to go (except for where I included a couple partially used embellishment pages) and without funny smells, pet hair or molds.