Category Archives: Business development

Stone Preservation

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“We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them or build with them.” ~ William Arthur Ward

Beautiful stone creations with historical value – things to preserve rather than destroy. Building with stone goes back centuries. Along with our culture’s growing passion for geneology, there has been an increasing interest in the art of preserving stone monuments and markers in America. Even the finest historical markers and structures made of rock, like cathedrals, churches, castles, bridges and roads need attention because their integrity becomes compromised due to land development, weather, neglect, acid rain and vandalism.

Jonathan Appel, is a stone conservator who has been working in graveyards to preserve monuments and markers in Civil War areas, such as in Frederick, Maryland. http://bit.ly/18ApKGI. Finding fulfillment in preserving our country’s history on holy grounds, he trains others to become monument conservators through workshops.

Last weeks blog about the building of rock sculptures for a unique, personal reason left me feeling uplifted, because one man’s efforts became an community building event. stone_sculptor_at_workOut of all the statues, obelisks, monoliths, pillars and plaques that have been created to memorialize the spirit of beings, all over the world,  I hope an overwhelming number of them have been placed to remember positive spirits who have existed on earth.

If you did not read the blog or watch the video about community efforts to support a grieving man and his art, visit this link. It’s an interesting story. Let me know what you think. http://bit.ly/145b3xc

Please return to All Things Fulfilling tomorrow for more independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com . Our blog tomorrow is about a special angel and how that angel has inspired a blog that I believe deserves special mention for it’s beauty.

Spotlight: Inspiring Fiber Artist

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“Art is literacy of the heart” ~Elliot Eisner

The first thought that comes to mind when the word publishing is mentioned is books. Art, however, in all kinds of forms, can be associated with the word publishing, also.

The other day, I met a fiber artist, Windy Karpavage, who became a “test knitter” for patterns of felted handbags and knitted flowers. The forty original test pattern designs were subsequently published in the book, “Noni Flowers” by designer Nora J Bellows. http://noniflowers.com/.

Out of Windy Karpavage’s experience as a “test knitter,” grew the business Kaire´ je Studio (meaning left handed)http://on.fb.me/13Btjv6. Karpavage makes felted handbags, totes and purses. Her home studio on Taylors Island, Maryland is filled with treasures for the knitter. Along with purse patterns of Noni’s designs, Karpavage creates some of her own original compositions. All the accessories that go with the craft are available in Kaire´ je Studio such as yarns, knitting needles, handbag clasps (including a growing collection of vintage purse clasps),  along with patterns for knit dresses, artistically-styled cowls, shawls, scarves and more.

Windy karpavage TI fiber artist

Photo Credits: Grace Batton

Photo Design above: Sue Batton Leonard

Karpavage also gives knitting lessons from her home studio and at a knitting group gathering every Friday morning at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts http://www.dorchesterarts.org/ in Cambridge, Maryland. She teaches right and left handed knitting.

I’d like to thank Windy Karpavage for sharing her art with me. She has inspired me to find a way to spend more time knitting this winter, after business hours. Who knows what yarn creations I can make if I put my mind to it in snowy Steamboat Springs, Colorado. My first project might be one of the great new artistically-styled cowl patterns, to keep my neck toasty warm on those frigid winter days. Perhaps a felted bag, such as the pattern Hearts on My Sleeve, to match the knitted cowl, for when I step out on the First Friday Art Walks during ski season would be a fulfilling knitting project also.

KaireDress

Above: Custom Knitwear by Windy Karparvage.  Work in progress – Original felted handbag design.

TI Fiber Artist sign

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Salisbury Book Artist

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Success in any endeavor requires single minded attention to detail and total concentration. ~ Willy Sutton

My husband and I recently took in the 2nd Saturday Art Walk in Cambridge, Maryland. I became aware of a collective of book artists from Salisbury, Maryland through the Main Street Gallery.

IMAG0774Artists Lisa Fritts, Martha Graham, Barbara Israel, Bonnie Lavish, Victoria Noonan, Barbara Schultz  charmed me with their handmade books using recycled materials, assorted ribbons, and other found items including memorabilia. These creations provide a visionary art experience allowing the viewer to enter a book, without words, and imagine what the book is all about.

This collective of book artists have displayed their work at SalisburyUniversity and according to the college “the art form is derived from ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets and papyrus.” http://bit.ly/10UF2E4 . Book art has seen a revival in the past decade, and colleges, are offering courses in book art as part of their curriculum.

The artist’s imagination, eye for detail and color and their visions brought together fulfilling IMAG0771pieces of art that I really appreciated seeing. It was one of the best exhibits of book art I have seen all under one roof.

I’ll let you in on a little secret tomorrow on All Things Fulfilling! This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com .

Book on Upper Left: by Barbara Schultz

Book on Lower Right: by Bonnie Lavish

Filmmaking in a Different Era

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If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Collected Works

What do movie mogul George Lucas and Norman Rockwell have in common? They are both visual storytellers, Lucas through film and Rockwell through iconic illustrations of of American people.

Lucas, producer and creator of the “Star Wars” empire, has sold his company, Lucasfilms, to Disney for a reported four billion dollars. As a top art collector, his retirement interests include opening a museum in San Francisco, to share with the public his vast private collection of Rockwell art, N.C. Wyeth and Maxfield Parrish paintings, comic art, along with comic art and children’s book illustrations. http://yhoo.it/1baeepf.  Lucas is also interested in highlighting fashion, the cinematic arts, and digital art in the museum exhibitions to inspire young people and to appeal to a broad spectrum of people in multiple generations.

Steven Spielberg, another huge collector of Rockwell art, also has interests in Lucas’ museum plans. A book, Telling Stories, was published in connection with a 2010 SmithsonianAmericanArt Museum exhibit comprising Spielberg and Lucas’ private collections of Norman Rockwell art. The connection of Norman Rockwell’s depictions of American life and the movies is evident in this book.

Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg is available through Amazon.com. Order this book, and enjoy seeing visual images of the American filmmaking way before the digital age.

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Artist Spotlight: Driftwood Art

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If we look at the world with a love of life, the world will reveal its beauty to us.” ~Daisaku Ikeda

One evening at the Second Saturday Artwalk in Cambridge, Maryland I had the priviledge of meeting Lynn Cegelski, an artist who makes driftwood art. Living so close to the shore of the Chesapeake, the material she needs to create her green art is readily available. She recycles a natural resource, wood that has been cast into the ocean, tumbled by the waters then discarded onto beaches. The wood is her canvas, and the shape provides inspiration for what she is going to create.

At her exhibit last week at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts http://www.dorchesterarts.org/ , paintings on driftwood of a bald eagle, an angelfish, and owls in a tree could not have been better suited for their subjects. No carving of wood was needed. Sometimes, Lynn says “her vision for the piece of wood is immediately evident” and other times, she brings the wood home not knowing what she is going to do with it, but with time, a vision for the piece shines through after studying the nuances in the wood. “Half the fun of her art,” Lynn says “is walking the beaches and along shorelines in search of her treasures.” It is a way of winding down from the stresses of life.

IMAG0770I enjoyed meeting this artist, from Denton, Maryland. She was warm, friendly and her passion for her art was evident. I wish her well in her endeavors as an artist. Her exhibit at the DorchesterCenter for the Arts was her first.

For more information on Lynn’s business, Fiddlesticks Driftwood Art, please visit www.facebook.com/fiddlesticksdriftwoodart or contact Lynn by email at FiddlesticksArt@gmail.com. A company website is forthcoming.

Pleasure to meet you, Lynn!

Return tomorrow to All Things Fulfilling for another artist spotlight from the Chesapeake region. This blog brought to you by www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com.

Skipping Around with Images

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“Each one sees what one carries in the heart” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The assimilation process of language is interesting. It reminds me how important it is that parents watch their words to their children. One never knows what will come back to us from our offspring.  Words of beauty, compassion and understanding, are better echoed by our children than words of hatred and intolerance. To learn more about language assimilation of children, please read this article http://bit.ly/133mukU.

I come by my interest in flowers and gardening, naturally, through my parents. I never realized how much knowledge  I had assimilated about flowers in my formative years until I married a man whose father was a landscaper. Garden talk automatically became common lingo in our household when our lives converged. I am both surprised and delighted when our son whips out names of familiar flowers that have grown in our gardens. He has naturally ingested the names of many species.

I know what you are thinking. “Sue sure has gone out on a tangent this morning – Odd! Where is this subject matter coming from?”I am using stream of consciousness writing, today. http://bit.ly/117U99S.  A beautiful flower that I photographed at my parents house  started me down this path of thought.

This flower, digitalis (better known as foxglove) has always been present in my garden. But the blossom pictured, is the most beautiful of its kind I have ever seen. It could serve as a specimen plant because it is particularly noteworthy and deserves “center stage.” The stem is as wide as three stems fused together, and unusually flat shaped – a real treasure. Without the abnormally shaped stem, the heavy and enormous flower would topple over! When I saw it, it made my heart skip a beat.

Those are my fulfilling independent thoughts, words and views from www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com today. Come back tomorrow, perhaps my writing will be more cohesive.

digitalis 3 digitalis 1

digitalis 2

Photo 1: Check out the triple width stem of the unusually formed digitalis.

Photo in Middle:  Three ordinary foxglove (digitalis) and one hefty, atypical plant

Photo 3: Close up of atypical specimen of digitalis.

To read more about this species of flower, digitalis, please go to .http://bit.ly/11aZikG.

Good Foundations of Health Literacy

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It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~ Frederick Douglass 

nutrition-habitsEncouraging young students to learn more about healthy food choices is important to the Arthur W Perdue Foundation. A forty-thousand dollar grant towards health literacy has been awarded to the AtlanticGeneralHospital in Worcester County, Maryland. The AGH is creating after school programs to educate children about making better choices in their lives. http://bit.ly/18LrPSQ.

AGH will partner with the HerschelSHorowitzCenter for Health Literacy http://www.healthliteracy.umd.edu/   at the University of Maryland College Park to draft a set of health literacy standards for the K-8 public school curriculum. Health literacy is a relatively new term, and it is being integrated into core curriculum in schools in many states, such as Colorado.

Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC of Steamboat Springs, Colorado http://eatplaylearnbooks.wordpress.com/  is pioneering the way in publishing e-books which incorporates the use of videos of “kids activities that use food as a learning tool.” Great resources for parents and educators.

Kudos to the Perdue Foundation and to Eat, Play, Learn Books, LLC for their commitment to educating children about the cornerstones of good health and the long term benefits of eating right!

Return tomorrow to www.AllThingsFulfilling, where independent thoughts, words and views are all part of the business.

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Fulfillment for the Royals

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“Of all the roles I’ve played, none has been as fulfilling as being a mother.” ~

Annette Funicello

It’s a high time for the Royal Family. Will Catherine, the Dutchess of Cambridge give birth to a Royal Princess or Prince?  I’ll bet the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, can hardly wait to see whether his offspring, male or female, will be next in line to the throne to fulfill his duties, if he ever reaches the post. That still remains to be seen.

As a mom, I am not sure I’d wish a royal role on a son or a daughter. It would be a blessing and a burden. But then, ordinary folk have both blessings and burdens in their lives, too! A big perk would be living in a castle with every whim or whimsy tended to. Bounty and agony can come with that  -imagine the upkeep. I think I’ll stick to an ordinary life, and surround myself with beautiful things when I want to. Sounds like a balanced solution.

I am on Royal baby countdown, like every fan of the British monarchy. You can be sure the Brits and the Americans are gearing up for selling commemorative plates, mugs, banners and all kinds of products to demarcate the big event of the  baby’s arrival into the royal family!

Bells will toll and news of the royal birth will ring out loud and clear on media sites, in print and on-line everywhere.   Castles and Coffeehouses wants you to “Be the first on your block” to own a souvenir of the special birth day of the newest royal family member. Read it for yourself.  http://bit.ly/16ADMET.

Happy Royal Baby Watching everyone!

keep calm and be yourself

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Film Friday: Comeback of an Era

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“Any good comeback needs true believers.”  ~ Unknown

drive-in-movie-theaterDo you remember going to the drive-in movies? I love looking back at those nostalgic times of going to the movies with my parents in my pajamas, car packed with snacks, and watching the big screen outdoors, with excitement, till I finally fell asleep in the back seat of the station wagon.

Most drive-in theatres have been demolished. There are only 355 left nationwide according to Las Vegas-based Drive-ins.com, which tracks the industry. In the State of Michigan there has been a resurgence of drive-in theatres. Think about it – with jumbotron screens, like those you see in sports arenas, at concerts, and in Times Square, reviving outdoor movie viewing may make sense in more ways in one!

Reliving a bygone era makes for a fun bonding experience with family and friends. Using land that has been sitting vacant, for drive-in theatres, must be cheaper than building behemoth buildings to house cinemas. Downside is the short season for outdoor movie viewing in some climates.

Zhivago2Imagine watching Dr. Zhivago with snow falling all around you (the real thing) as you watch the ZhivagoDVDmovie!

Interested in rewatching an old classic, Dr. Zhivago? Click for info & ordering

That would be a unique experience. Perhaps there is an untapped niche of people, like the “polar bear club” who would find going to drive-in movies year round fulfilling. Social networking groups, enthusiasts who appreciate the art of the drive-in movie experience, in all conditions, might be the next big thing to spring up. You never know in this creative and interesting economy, perhaps we shouldn’t put drive-in movies in the museum of dying giants yet! http://bit.ly/12GKFTK .

When was the last time you went to a drive-in movie? In Michigan there are people who might answer that question, “very recently.” To read about the comeback of drive-in theatres in Michigan, visit this link. http://on.lsj.com/13QDldB.

Come back on Monday to All Things Fulfilling, the space for independent thoughts, words and views from CFS (www.CornerstoneFulfillmentService.com). For information on author Sue Batton Leonard, Click for info on her memoir

New Approaches to Marketing

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confused about marketingpngOk…so, I know what you are thinking “The year is more than half-way over. You had made a pact with yourself that 2013 will be the year that your independent business will make some transitions in the way things are being done especially, when it comes to marketing and promotion. But you are not sure where to start.”

Business marketing has indeed changed. Print ads are risky – it is too hard to hit your target market. Mass mailing campaigns are expensive, postage is outrageous and print publications are disappearing. With the cost of gasoline, and heavy traffic, cold calling is no longer economical and meeting people the old fashioned way, has nearly gone by the wayside, too. The traditional sales mindset approach has been replaced with social media communications.

There is no reason for a business to be invisible in this digital age of communication. Sometimes all it takes is basic education to gain an understanding of how to use today’s marketing tools effectively. As Sir Francis Bacon once said,  “Knowledge is power.”  There is no need to remain in a state of confusion, action always brings a sense of fulfillment.

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