BARAKAH LIFE handmade

From Camel Bag

to Cushion Covers

 
A while back some friends shared some textiles with me that they did not know what to do with and one of the objects was a large bag. It was actually beyond large it was huge, and I could not imagine what it was made for. I came to find out it was a camel bag, since I really did not need a camel bag I decided to have it made into something a little more practical and  sent it with Habeeba when she went back to Jeddah. She had  cushion covers made for me and I just received them, 11 total. It felt a little wrong to cut something hand woven but they will be much more appreciated as vibrant pieces of  usable art.

Keeping It All Together

The topic of organization came up in a few conversations this week so I thought I'd share a few things that have been working well for me.

Job Folders

I do a lot of project based activities and I've always had a problem keeping all the paperwork, drawings, samples, etc. together. Files, notebooks and bins just did not work. I needed something roomy and portable and I found a solution in job folders, these are the type of folders you often see at the mechanics. They are great for me because I can see at a glance whats inside, they are larger that standard paper and are roomy so papers are easy put in and taken out, and they have a nice side pocket for smaller items. They come in boxes of fifty but it was no problem for me to fill half the box with current and long term projects.

Notebooks

I really like using notebooks for my longer term paper keeping, they work much better for me than files. Inside I use dividers and in some plastic sheet protectors, especially in the idea source notebooks I create.

Magazine Holders

I started using these holders from Ikea for holding catalogs and magazines. They work great and keep that type of stuff looking much more organized. When new catalogs arrive before I put them in the holder I take the older one out and send it to recycling. Discarding in this automatic way keeps the catalogs from piling up and getting out of hand. It's also a good idea to opt out of catalog lists that you are not interested in. I periodically go through the magazines and take out the articles that I want to keep and then donate or recycle them.

Baskets
I use baskets for all my papers that need to be sorted. I have a general basket for pretty much everything and then one for bills.  Baskets are a nice way to keep the paper disorganization under control. Even if the papers are not yet put in their place you know where to find them.

An Invitation from Soraya Syed

 

Art of the Pen

Soraya Syed, is a wonderful London based Calligrapher who has a couple of upcoming exhibitions. Barakah Life has had the pleasure of collaborating with Soraya on a couple of projects and through them she
has also become a friend. If you are blessed to be in the UK this summer please take the opportunity to see her exhibits. You can also visit her website at: http://www.artofthepen.com/home.html ,all the details of the upcoming events are listed.

Greetings!

Art of the Pen would like to inform you of its summer exhibitions, below are the details.

Hillingdon Artists Group Exhibition

23rd July - 3rd August Osterley Park and House, Middlesex

CAFÉ T,  Asia House

12th August – 20th September  Asia House, London

Hope you can pay a visit! Please forward this on to whoever you think may be interested. Warm wishes, Soraya

From Soraya's website

      

Penmanship is a spiritual geometry fashioned by a material instrument

      

The art of Islamic penmanship is a bridge between the spiritual and material; the visual and the verbal. It is a living tradition that has the capacity for self-renewal enabling Soraya Syed to adopt a contemporary approach while remaining true to her artistic heritage and the many years of study linking her to the calligraphy masters of the past…

      

Soraya

 

Children's Art Wrapup

Participant Cards & Cookies

The favors for the Children's Art Exhibit have been posted to all of the children who participated.

The favors include a little card and ice cream cone sugar cookie.