“combine passion + purpose for a joyful life”
perfectly describes the first quarter of my 2024

The busyness of the year has me feeling so grateful and blessed. 

I am not sure how long since I’ve felt as “in the zone” as I do now. The flow of really good design projects and teaching opportunities is brilliant,
my desire to do more feels solid. Things feel new to me, and I am very grateful for this.

NEW from house of appleton …

Well, it seems about time that I put into writing and images, the process of how I create a mandala. And now I have done it. A 24 page book that starts right at the beginning of setting up your page to the last finishing details. 
It is done based on exactly how I have been drawing mandalas since 2005. 

Since it is easiest for me to teach a 6/12 section mandala, the kind I do mostly, that is what this is based on.

The tools you will need are quite simple, and are listed in the book.

I invite you to read more about mandala basis HERE

You may order a copy using the same link.

Since the inception of house of appleton last year, book design in a variety of forms has taken a big spot in my work world. 

So far this year, I have been asked to design a couple of books for another independent publisher, and it looks like a group of poets might get me to design their book.

Each book project has been unbelievably joyful. Some days it truly does feel like my grandfather Appleton is standing right here, cheering me on!

As well as book design, I have been doing some social media postings for Salish Sea Market, in Bowser … a shop that is near and dear to my heart. Having worked in the store for a few years, doing many different tasks, I have a good grasp on how to present the wonderfulness of it to the larger world. Doing it online is different than in the shop, but I feel as though my contribution is an important one.  I am grateful to maintain this connection. 

In March I was asked to facilitate a workshop to show others the health benefits of drawing mandalas … of which there are many! 

It was offered through the Cowichan Valley Arts Council, and funded by the Vancouver Island Health Authority. I offered one of many workshops on ART & WELLNESS … in an effort to introduce people to healthy ways to feel grounded and calmer in a turbulent world. 

In April, I will again facilitate a mandala workshop, but this time for Youth. I am looking forward to this, because as you might have guessed, I think sharing mandalas with as many people as possible is sort of my mission in life. 

That, and producing really, really good looking books!

May April bring much joy and connection to your world!

Here is the first image of the 2024 calendar.
Just click to download and add to your desktop! Enjoy.

The new calendar is on the wall, and the year has begun!

And we’re off … stepping intentionally and boldly into this year.

For weeks I have been feeling this sense of hopefulness in me, with no understanding of why. I have stopped questioning things when this happens, I just know to go with it.

I am sure it is because 2023 saw the birth of house of appleton, and I was blessed to have the chance to work with 5 great poets to produce their books. For three of them, it was their first book, but not their last!

I invite you to read more about andrea’s book HERE

You may order a copy using the same link.

The other day, a friend told me she was going to pick a word for the year. This is something I used to do quite regularly, but have fallen out of the habit. But, when she mentioned it, I remembered how powerful it is to have a word that you sort of “filter” things through, so I think ia am going to establish a word to work with.

The word that came to mind when I woke up this morning is, CONSIDER … and here is the derivation of it:

consider (v.)

late 14c., “to fix the mind upon for careful examination, meditate upon,” also “view attentively, scrutinize; not to be negligent of,” from Old French considerer (13c.) “reflect on, consider, study,” from Latin considerare “to look at closely, observe,” probably literally “to observe the stars,” from assimilated form of com “with, together” + sidus (genitive sideris) “heavenly body, star, constellation”.

That last part fits nicely into how I feel about what the stars tell us about this world we are in.  What do the bodies beyond our touch have to teach us?

Hmmmm. Much to consider in this!
Wishing everyone a year filled with wisdom from within.

The letter writer in me can’t stop finding ways to send REAL mail!

Introducing a new addition to the Bento Box family … POST CARDS!

This comes out of my friend Elaine sending me all sorts of handmade post cards over the last few months, and realizing this is a wonderful way to brighten up someone’s day!

So, here they are. They come 4 to a pack, which is enough to entice you I hope. 

Each one is your own blank canvas, and unlike the usual post card, this one folds, so that your message is actually not immediately visible. It also gives you more room to write and more room to create any sort of art you want. 

Here are a few examples, just to give you an idea … but the possibilities are truly endless. 

Just like the Bento Box Letters!

You can order them through my little shop: HERE

Only peace. Always.

~sarah

Different ideas fusing into something I didn’t expect. 

As you might have figured out by now, I am deeply in love with drawing the flower of life mandala. It’s been a thing for about a year. It continues to morph and shift and inform me in ways that I could not have anticipated. 

The photo above is a perfect example. These are four “house” plaques. The idea came to me when I hung a larger version in my studio, right by the door. I could feel the lovely positive, grounding energy it offered, and I thought it would be nice to create more of them. 

These ones pictured are 2.5″ wide by 8″ tall and just about 3/4″ thick. They are created on fir planks. 

Of course each one is created by hand, and in fact, each one will be custom created, to allow you to pick the colour you want from these four choices. (You know I don’t mass-produce things!)

My desire is to create a symbol of calm and connectedness in our homes, so that we have a “touch-stone” to rely on everyday. 

If you are interested in having one for yourself, or as a gift, please reach out and let me know. 

The cost is $30. plus shipping. 

These are the current journals available. 

The journals continue to be quite a popular item, which delights me that people love them, and they want to write!!!

Each journal has 96 white writing/drawing pages, plus decorative divider pages between the three sections. They lay flat, no matter where you open them, which is a very nice feature indeed. 

The mandala on the cover is a one-of-a-kind original that has been protected, so it will last well. 

They are hand-stitched with cotton thread … which is a lot more fun than you might think!

If you are interested, please drop me a line. 

Price: $45.00 each plus shipping. 

There are still 2024 Calendars available … with 79 pretty fun and fabulous days to celebrate!

Another something to bring some joy and a wee bit of laughter into your world.

$20. plus shipping.

May new ideas come together and fuse in a way you never expected!

May delight follow you like the sun!

~sarah

You never know how things are going to unfold, until they do.

Here we are in times of great uncertainty. But when I put this calendar together over a year ago, I didn’t know how true the statement I made for November would be. We are all finding ways to cope with the barrage of what is going on globally and locally, at least I hope we are. I took a wee break from the news cycle to recalibrate my being, and that was a very, very good thing to do. It’s not that I wish to bury my head in the sand, it’s that I wish to keep my grounding as the world around shifts in some extraordinarily troubling ways. 

Sometimes I ask myself, what would a wise mentor tell me to do right now? One of my long-gone, guardian ancestors or loved ones. I lean toward finding strength, courage and stamina from those who have gone before me. Their wisdom, and sometimes even their foibles will give me a good idea of how to weather a tough time. What I know for sure is, we can’t do any of this alone. 

So, here is one method of getting that wisdom from long-gone love-ones … write them a letter asking for their advice. See what comes up … because for sure, something will.

Whatever the days and weeks, months and years ahead bring to us, we all need to find the things that spark joy and connection within us. This is my wish for everyone. 

The image above is designed to use as your desktop wallpaper. Just click to download!

I have fallen in love with The Flower of Life mandala!

And what a perfect thing to fall in love with at this time … the inter-connectedness of all forms of living things!

Yes, it is now appearing on many things … journal covers, boxes, pencil/pen holders … and a new, soon-to-be-announced item that I am working on.

Each of these pieces is the same pattern, but look at how they change! This has become a whole new sort of mandala meditation for me and an endless place of joy and focus.

As my creative world continues to shift and change, and I allow all possibilities to exist, there is a renewed commitment to sharing the good things in life with those who are open to them. 

Wishing you a wonder-filled November!

~sarah