Every second week I will be holding this space for you to come and leave a link to your artsite in the comments box below. This is open to artists of all kinds, not just silk artists.

At the end of the day I will close the list and then put all the  names in a hat and draw out a winner.

I will then contact the winner, publicise their name later on the Saturday and will feature them in a blog post on the following Friday.

Week 1, sharing links to art sites – Week 2, blog post featuring an artsite from the week before.

If you would like to come and take part, just add your link below and we can let the fun begin. Links can be added until 8am Saturday GMT (which is PST midnight).

Thanks for taking part and make sure to share this link with others.

A dodgy looking 'green' drink

And this little drink is really no exception (and no, it’s not a pint of Guiness). I’m having a good laugh as I write this, gleefully anticipating sharing with you what is in it. I know making green juices really isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (excuse the pun), but they give you such a health boost and are great to incorporate into your lifestyle.

This isn’t one for the faint hearted. When I’m having the greens, I don’t add fruits to sweeten things up as I really notice how cleansing and purifying these purely veggie drinks are.

So what do I do? I reckon I need to make a video for this little number but here it is in words to get started.

I think that quantities don’t really matter. Just pop any amount into the juicer that you think you’d like. Your body will tell you if that works and you can adjust next time if necessary.

Okay, here we go:

• 1 small carrot (just washed if organic, if not peel it)

• small beetroot (for that fun mind-boggling colour as it blends with the dark green)

• a big handful of spinach leaves

• several big leaves of very dark cabbage – kale is good and today I used cavolo nero cabbage

• a stick or two of celery

• 1/3 of a cucumber

• a big chunk of ginger

• garlic

• …and a big handful of homegrown sprouts of your choice

• And when I’ve juiced all of that, I then add a heaped tablespoon of wheat grass powder as my juicer is a centrifugal one which can’t process the wheat grass.

You can either hydrate the powder a few moments before by adding it to a little water and then to your juice when it is ready. Or just toss it into the juice and stir – which is what I do. If you want to find out about all the amazing benefits wheat grass has, check out this link.

And how do I feel when I’ve drunk one of these? As if I’ve just properly woken up and the day is ready to start with a bang.

Proof of the pudding - a tasty 'green' drink

Yes, I can hear you saying, but that doesn’t look very appetising. Well, you could have a point there. The beetroot juice does indeed make it look intriguing. But I’m not afraid of colours and love to play with the blends. If this isn’t your thing, you could just close your eyes and drink up.

However, beetroot juice has so many benefits, you really don’t want to be leaving it out.

I think now I have to make this on video and share the fun with you. Juicing is fun and so healthy that I reckon, once you start, you’ll just not want to stop.

N.B.: I got busy and made the video straight away. Here is it: How to Make a Green Juice as Part of Your Raw Food Diet

Well  here it is, so if you watch this first, we can have a chat about it afterwards:

As I mentioned the trick is to really use equal measures of the three main ingredients, raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter and agave nectar or sweetener of your choice.

Whatever else you add it totally up to you.

I ended up with around 25 of those chocolates you can see in the video, both the hearts and the rolo-shaped ones. They are quite substantial as a normal square of chocolate from a bar would be about 4gr compared to these which weigh approx. 11gr.

So what are the benefits to eating these as opposed to munching a regular bar of shop-bought chocolate?

Well the first most obvious answer is that raw cacao is so jam-packed with nutrients that it’s really a meal in itself. And if you are using agave nectar with it, that has a very low GI which means that you your energy isn’t spiking and then crashing a short while later.

A delicious serving of heart-shaped raw chocolate treats

The cacao is so easily digestible and offers all sorts of health benefits which means that you can ideally snack on it inbetween meals and not ruin your appetite. In fact the cacao powder can be added to your meal and become an integral part of it.

I use it in the first half of the day in smoothies and it’s amazing how long I can go without feeling hungry and wanting to stuff myself with empty calories shortly afterwards. I’m planning to make a video of me making one of these treats for myself.

This way of eating chocolate is the perfect solution for those of you who are addicted to binging on regular chocolate while curled up on the sofa watching your favourite movies. You can wean yourself off the sugar laden version and slowly replace it with the health supportive version and really eat as much as you want without feeling guilty in the least.

Well raw chocolate is in my life to stay by the looks of things so you are going to see a lot more of it in my videos and writings. We’re hoping to share lots of ideas with you of how to prepare and enjoy it so we’d love you to tune in and find out more.

And with Valentine’s Day coming up, you can be reassured that your partner is going to especially love you if you make a gift of these raw chocolate goodies that you can both enjoy to your heart’s content with a glimmer of guilt.

Have fun!

It was one of those spontaneous, last minute things. A few days before the Easter holidays were due to start. And someone who had been scheduled to exhibit their artwork for 3 weeks had withdrawn.

So they were looking for someone who could step in at really short notice. And that’s when a friend of mine gave me a call and asked if I were interested.

I sorted out some of my pieces, cleaned them all up, got the fixtures and labels ready and off we went.

Tallaght Library itself was a huge, airy building. Very modern and user friendly. We got the paintings set up on some display walls they supplied and then we left them to do their work.

It turned out that the 3 week period I had was very quiet as very many families were off on their travels. However, it’s always lovely as an artist to have the opportunity to expose my paintings to the general public.

I was told that there was interest in my work and quite a few people took my business cards and leaflets with them.

When the time was up we returned to the library and dismantled the display, wrapping the mandala paintings up in bubble wrap ready for their trip home.

And that was it. Or so I thought.

Several months later, in fact a few days before we were leaving Ireland for the South of England again, I got a phonecall from a woman who had seen my artwork in the library and would love to have one of my paintings.

So she came round to visit us a few days later, amidst packing boxes, bubblewrap and sellotape.

We took the time to have a good look at all of my paintings and to discuss which one might best fit into her home.

Wonderfully we came to a solution that everyone was happy with. She chose ‘Expressing the Inner Self’ which has a beautiful orange background, one of the colours this customer wanted to have included within her painting.

And so off it went to its new home. The rest of the paintings were duly wrapped up and made ready for their road and ferry trip over to Bristol.

Expressing the Inner Self - a mandala silk painting by Fiona Stolze

The point of this story is this…

You can never judge the success of an exhibition or display simply by counting how many people turned up to look or how many people said they liked it.

Or by the fact that you did or didn’t make sales at the time.

You just never know who you are touching with your artwork.

You never know who has gone off feeling a real connection with what you create.

You just never know what you have set in motion.

**NB: The above painting is also available as a quality printed silk picture with hand embellishments using gold gutta and stretched on a chunky canvas frame. Here is a link to my Silkandart Etsy shop with photos and all the details.

If you’d like to commission me to create a silk painting for you, please have a look at the Silk & Art website and my Silk & Art Commissions page. You can contact me at info@silkandart.com

Have a quick look and see what I mean:

I really laughed out loud which meant I had caught myself off guard with a good few of them.

Over the past few weeks I have spent quite a bit of time looking at where I have defined myself by various labels I had either given myself or allowed others to slap on my forehead. I’ve lost count of the times that I’ve said in such a knowing way to people that I’m a ‘triple cancerian’ – as if that explained absolutely everything there was to know about me.

Luckily for me I’ve been able to move beyond that or else I would still be hiding in my cosy little shell deep within a rockpool on some remote, abandoned coastline.

So whether I’m a Chinese Rat, a triple cancerian, a Mayan magnetic hand or any of the other things I have stashed away in my drawer, these labels are products of systems that other human beings have sat down and constructed and declared to be law.

Come to think of it, so are our banking system, our marriage institution, our education system…

No more and no less.

In fact our whole lives are based on structures, edifices that we painstakingly put together and talk ourselves into believing in. We identify completely with all the make-believe that we create and then get upset and go into fear and pain when things don’t turn out with the magnificent fairytale ending that we have also cooked up for ourselves.

This life is one big playground where we are strutting around, playing out our various personas……. totally tuned out to a deeper awareness free of the endless drama and pretending..

…unless we take the time to slow down and listen.

Because listening, simple though it may seem, can open up a completely new way of being. A way of being that we know is true. Call it God, call it the Source within, the Divine Spark. That part within us which is waiting to be able to express itself fully.

Total surrender to the Divine within (without wanting to get too new-agey).

So I’ve stopped taking myself so seriously out there in the playground. It’s all one huge cosmic joke. And a huge distraction. I’m learning to have fun with it and play more. It’s all make-believe so I may as well enjoy.

And the real true work for me is quieting the noise and listening to what arises. I’m loving what is arising from that deep space within.

Me a while back

I can remember this time last year when I did an audit of 2010 and realised that I had had a quiet year of introspection – Finding the Balance Retrospectively. On the surface it seemed that very little had happened but on closer inspection it turned out to be a year of great growth.

This past year has had a very different flavour indeed.

But the thing that jumps out most at me is the fact that I began the year with one bootcamp and ended it with another one. And how different they were.

The first one I did was the SNCC (Social Networking Coaching Club) social media bootcamp with Ann Evanston. I actually began it in December and brought the course to completion some time in February. It was amazing to see how I birthed a brand new site that brought everything under one hub instead of being scattered to the four winds. And I certainly lost a lot of sweat in the process. Focus was the name of the game. And that was the start of me inundating YouTube with my videos.

Me a year ago

In fact, doing that bootcamp allowed me to move forward and establish myself firmly in social media with confidence and tools to do it well. This blog just totally took off and continues to grow from month to month in a beautifully organic way.

The second bootcamp I did was a spiritual one with Genesis Sunfire and I’m sure many of you saw my documentation of this weekend event which catapaulted me into a completely new space. It allowed me to see the superhuman side of me (remember the tractor tyre flipping?)and showed me the importance of clearing out on all levels – Cleanliness is next to Godliness. I also did the famous 7 day 2l Himalayan salt water flush which many of you saw on YouTube (and were urged to please not attempt it by yourself at home).

Me in Bath 9 months ago

As a result of being at that workshop I began the raw food lifestyle which has let me see myself in a very different light. I had no idea how much crap I had stuffed away inside myself and was doggedly holding in place. And it has busted so many of my limiting beliefs about myself and life in general skyhigh.

And that’s fabulous. Because it’s a life-long journey.

There were other things happening inbetween including my eldest son packing up and going to Australia. That brought great growth for me too and as soon as I was rejoicing that he was standing on his own feet and completely let go, he returned.

So what else did I do? I went on live radio, Blog Talk Radio, which was so much fun. I began by doing a 30 day challenge, a live diary chat on holding the resonance, with a lovely friend of mine Aquara Soma. That led on to doing a Sunday evening show, Sunday Soul Readings, which I am so loving. So much so, that I am about to launch a second show interviewing fascinating people on Wednesdays. Watch out for that at the end of this month.

Me at New Year

There were other things that happened (including taking Tim out of school to home educate him) but these for me were the highlights. I get a real sense of how I have grown and matured in these 12 months.

I’m not at all afraid to speak out at any time and just say exactly how I feel. I got to feel first hand how others can feel really threatened when I do unexpected things and step out of my comfort zone. And I saw how this moved them to lash out at me both overtly and subtly.

I can take this in my stride now and am starting to feel comfortable with it.

It is a wonderful accolade because now I know I have officially made the move from vanilla icecream to chili flavour which I joked about earlier in the year when Ann asked us what flavour we were. I now even add chili to my raw chocolate goodies – yum! It jolts you awake and clears your head.

So here I am at the end of January 2012 and feeling like something so much greater than myself is in motion.

I have firmly established myself in public in both the artworld and with regards my psychic readings on radio and online generally. My blog is extremely well visited and I am loving both writing and creating videos documenting my work, including my raw food lifestyle adventures.

I am willing to continue taking the challenge and staying present with it all. I am feeling inspired by life. You can love me or hate me, it doesn’t matter which. But I welcome you to continue following this path with me and enjoying the journey.

Thanks for being there.

Connecting with the source within

It’s Thursday again and the day that I always pick oracle cards for those of you who visit me on my Inspired Art and Living Facebook page.

I often like to pick one for myself too and share in the fun. So, today being no exception, I decided to take part.

Now interestingly, I already picked some cards for myself a few days and ago and was prompted to pick up John De Ruiter’s amazing book ‘Unveiling Reality’ and start to read it again. I chose the card ‘Break Through Resistance’ and it really gave me food for thought.

You see, in the past I have often looked for specific things, thinking that I would find the answer in one particular area of my life. But I was given a huge divine prompt to pick up John’s book again and dive in.

Do you find that when you are called to look at a book again, you find things in it that just weren’t there before? And do you find that you gain understanding on a whole new level?

Well, that’s exactly what I experienced when I started reading. And today, when I woke, I just stayed in bed and kept reading and reading. I couldn’t put it down and I was feeling such a huge resonance with his words.

There is so much pure gold in ‘Unveiling Reality’ and I’m going to talk about it in more depth in another post. But for now I just wanted to share in a nutshell what I experienced this morning.

John De Ruiter's book 'Unveiling Reality'

I got such a deep realisation of how I had been in such a space of real resistance and was now coming towards making a deeper connection with the source within me. It was as if a bright light bulb had just been switched on.

I just knew that something had changed in that moment. The letting go of the way of resisting was making itself known to me through a deep knowing. And when I closed my eyes and became aware of the ‘tiniest bit’ inside of me that represents my true way of being, I knew that there was a shift in this space. It was being seen and heard and able to express itself outwardly.

I got an overwhelming sense of relief and almost hilarity when I realised how I had been striving to be in charge and control of my life all these years, distorting myself and wearing the wrong hat. It was so funny and beautiful and warm and expansive.

I had spent my whole life trying to do what I hadn’t come here to do.  And hadn’t been able to see that. Until now.

And so just a little while ago I picked an oracle card and chose – Connecting with the Source Within. How beautiful and perfect. How synchronous with what I experienced this morning.

I’m feeling lighter and smiling. I thought I knew so much and realise how little I actually knew.

RedBubble 'Follow the Path to Your Heart' T-shirt

This is my latest addition to my profile and features a mandala entitled ‘Follow the Path to Your Heart’. It’s available as a t-shirt and hoodie in different styles. You select the colour, size and style you want. And here’s the link: RedBubble Mandala T-Shirt.

I love being able to do this as setting up business printing clothing can be a really big undertaking and this way you can get to see what particular images are popular and if it would be worth your while going into business yourself in this way.

Another fun thing this site offers is a low-price sticker option. I’ve placed this image on these stickers for you to have a look at. They can be used on windows, walls, furniture, cars – in fact, anything you fancy. They make a nice vivid splash to brighten up any corner that needs a bit of light. Again, here’s a link if you’d like a look: RedBubble Mandala Sticker.

Any of the images on my profile can be ordered in any format, so if you see anything you’d like as a card, print, clothing or sticker, just let me know if I haven’t got it on offer yet and I’ll be glad to make a listing for you. You can see the full range here. Just click on each individual image to get all the details:

RedBubble.com/people/fionastolze

Often when I’m talking to people about it they say: ‘Hey, so tell me, what do you actually eat on a daily basis?’ It’s quite funny when I realise that they think I’m living off raw carrot sticks and drinking cold water. Brrrrr…. the truth is far from that.

And so I decided I would do some really basic down-to-earth videos and posts letting you see what sort of things I eat and drink.

So here’s what I have for breakfast….

One thing became clear really early on. The vast majority of people I know have never owned a juicer and aren’t really sure what they would do with one. So it’s important to see one in action and get clear instructions on what to do with it.

For those who are really strictly into the raw food regime and want to juice the grasses that are deeply cleansing, such as wheat grass, then the basic juicer we have won’t do the trick. But if you are wanting to get started, then the common centrifugal one is perfect. The difference shows itself clearly in the price.

Fresh fruits for juicing

The more expensive ones are called extruders and they make a really thorough job of extracting all of the juice from your fruit and veg. However, as I said, centrifugal is perfect for getting going.

Watch the video I made and just pop in the small slices of fruit and push them down gently with the piece supplied with the machine.

As I mentioned, make sure you take any thick peels off as they can taste very bitter and spoil the experience. I peel my oranges and cucumbers. Fruits that are really squishy are best not juiced as you will hardly get any liquid out of them and that’s quite a waste. So you can consider using your blender for a tasty mix.

But  that’s coming in the next few days.

So why not give it a go? Start drinking a juice each day instead of tucking into a heavy or sweet cooked breakfast and just observe. See how you feel and go with that. In fact, the benefits of drinking fresh juices are huge…..but you’ll need to wait for my next blog post to find out more.

Have fun with it and please let me know how things go. And keep watching this space as I share more of process.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I was never a real chocolate fan, but my research has led to the discovery of how sustainable raw cacao powder is as part of this new way of eating.

There are very many purists who will argue that eating raw cacao is not really in keeping with following the raw food lifestyle, but the question of taking things to absolute extremes is something I will be addressing at a later point. For the time being, in this period of transition I am fascinated by all the different ways we can nourish ourselves without heating our foods to high temperatures and changing the chemical composition.

So raw cacao powder is definitely one of the world’s healthiest substances, containing over 300 chemical compounds and being the world’s best source of antioxidants.

Watch this video for an general introduction:

I was thinking about all of my friends who are self-proclaimed chocolate addicts and who feel such guilt tucking into mounds of sweet goodies, night after night. This could really be a fabulous solution provided you like dark chocolate.

Raw cacao beans and powder

The best thing about it all is that you can enjoy all the usual benefits of eating choccy delights, such as the feel good factor, but not have any of the side effects. Putting on weight could become a thing of the past. And think of what a benefit that would be to the world if we all regularly ate raw chocolate and filled the world with blissful vibes.

But more of that to come in my next post.

So in the meantime, why not just experiment and get your self some raw cacao powder and add it to your smoothies or sprinkle it on anything you think it might go with. Then see how it tastes and how you feel afterwards.

I’m off now to make one of my favourite raw chocolate smoothies with banana. I’ll be back soon with some more footage of me in the kitchen. See you then.