~ firefly-dreaming a virtual home to learn (or teach!) alternative methods of solving problems we find facing us each day. By sharing ideas & knowledge on living with less stress, more joy & embracing tolerance & compassion we are working towards building a sustainable future for all living beings.
the people and businesses at these links are people we think are doing it right.
bloggers who are following their dream & producing books, art, one of a kind crafts....
ALL of these are people doing it better than average
& we encourage you to do business with them!
if you know someone who you think should be on this list please let me know!
(to be updated soon into sections!)
The Gallery~ Artwork, Paintings, Posters, Gift Cards
The Library~ Literature, Web Services, Proof-Reading services, Book Bindery, etc
The Pantry~ Food, Health & Beauty Products
The Chiffonier~ Textiles: Clothing, Quilts
The Ivory Coffer~ Silver, Jewelry
The Minstrels Gallery~ Music!
Do you need help setting up your blog or website...
or maybe you need a bit of ooomph! to make yours better....
e-mail edger! He will work closely with you, make suggestions
& set it up exactly how you want it
I've been a silversmith for the past 22 years. I consider myself a silversmith, since I work primarily in silver, although I use other metals to accentuate the pieces that I often make.
Medium-small to small boxes and occasional jewelry with decorative designs on the tops are my favorite things to make, although I've been branching out some and doing some small hollowware, as well.
One of the techniques that I frequently use is a labor-intensive technique known as "marriage of metals", which is a very favorite technique of mine. Although the boxes and pieces of jewelry are predominantly sterling silver, I often use such metals as nickel silver, bronze, brass, copper, 14 kt yellow gold, and even nu-gold.
fair trade * organic * shade grown * bird-safe
freshly roasted when you order using photovoltaics superb customer service * lightning fast shipping
the best coffee you'll ever drink
AND
it doesn't hurt the planet!
If you're used to getting your coffee in a can at the grocery store you probably don't understand how freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee can be described as "sweet". As long as we're new (and small) we'll be roasting to order every weekend and shipping the following Monday so you'll have the freshest roast we can make available to you. FOR FRESHNESS WE SHIP ONLY WHOLE (UNGROUND) BEANS in one-way valve bags. See for yourself what freshly roasted coffee tastes like. One word of fair warning: Once you taste our coffee, supplied with a "roasted on" date to ensure you get the freshest roast possible, you may never feel the same way about "drive up coffee".
We use solar (photovoltaic) power for roasting and we'll be donating 5 cents to Coffee Kids and 5 cents to The World Wildlife Fund for every pound of coffee purchased.
These quilts are made by two sisters in a non-smoking, cat friendly environment. They are made by hand, with love, and each one is unique. We hope you will enjoy them as much as we enjoy making them.
We love requests! If we know of special interests, likes, and favorite colors, we can work novelty fabrics into a quilt designed just for you. Convo us!
Our quilts are machine washable, hang to dry. We pre-wash each one.
This is a collection of my writing on the subject of hippies. Portions of the material appeared first on the political blog, Daily Kos. There is also approximately 50% new material, and all diaries previously posted online have been substantially rewritten. I write about hippies because my coming of age happened to coincide with the 1960s youth rebellion that was the hippie movement. That and because I believe the hippies still have important messages for us all. ~OPOL
It's always been my ambition to be a writer and artist. The only reason I became an Instructional Designer is because it is mostly about writing, plus I got to illustrate much of my work. I've been writing and illustrating my ass off for over 30 years.
In my artwork, I often begin with a photo from the public domain and use that to make a new image. This is termed appropriation art and is akin to sampling in the audio world. Digital appropriation artists are creatures of the Internet and a logical outgrowth of cyberculture.
I design my digital pictures using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. ~OPOL
Communion of Dreams by Jim Downey is available for a limited time as a free download to read or listen to.
Communion of Dreams is an "alternative future history" set in 2052 where the human race is still struggling to recover from a massive pandemic flu some 40 years previously. Much of the population is infertile. National borders and alliances have shifted. Regional nuclear wars have prompted some countries to turn to establishing settlements in space, and there's a major effort to detect Earth-like planets in nearby star systems for future colonization. Fringe eco-religious groups threaten to thwart the further advancement of science and technology, and resist any effort to spread humanity to the stars.
When an independent prospector on Titan discovers an alien artifact, assumptions based on the lack of evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligence are called into question. Knowing that news of such a discovery could prompt chaos on Earth, a small team is sent to investigate and hopefully manage the situation. What they find is that there's more to human history, and human abilities, than any of them ever imagined. And that they will need all those insights, and all those abilities, to face the greatest threat yet to human survival.
~Christopher Moore, author "A very sick man, in the very best sense of the word." ~Carl Hiaasen
Christopher Moore is the author of eleven novels, including the international bestsellers, Lamb, A Dirty Job and You Suck. His latest novel is Fool, a retelling of King Lear from the perspective of Pocket, the Fool. (**!!** The Fool, Chapter ONE)
Praise for Christopher Moore: "Christopher Moore writes novels that are not only hilarious, but fun to read as well. He is an author at the top of his craft." - Nicholas Sparks
"All [his] books exhibit the same marvelous virtues. Engaging, deftly limned protagonists whose human failings are always offset by surprising moral depths, heroes and villains alike. Zippy, jet-propelled plots whose parts are intricately connected and whose endings offer genuine surprises. Bright, clean, witty dialogue. Juicy descriptions, similes and metaphors in the hyperbolic mode. Vivid physical settings and cultural milieus, meticulously reported from first-hand experience....And - finally but essentially - ingenious fantasy elements that are integral with the other components of the books, engines of action, not just add-ons." - Washington Post Book World
"Christopher Moore is rapidly becoming the cult author of today, filling a post last held by Kurt Vonnegut." - Denver Post
"Where has this guy been hiding?" - The New York Times
Beauty, magic, and the mysteries of the earth and sky connect...
This is how I express Nature's balance of the elements through the creation of my Art. Fire, earth, metal, water, wood, air and all living animals - winged, four-legged, others - all are my friends and help to create movement. My art unfolds in stories, their expressions and rhythms celebrating life in all worlds - especially with those who have walked before us. ~Wings
Silverwork created by Wings is stunning wearable art reflecting Native themes. Each piece is one of a kind; Each client rests assured that she or he owns and wears a unique, original piece.
Wings on the Wind is a showcase of Wings efforts to capture the spirit of Taos Pueblo. Most Pueblo photography that are publicly available have been taken by outsiders; very little photography by Pueblo members exists. To preserve the sacred beauty of Taos Pueblo, its people, its culture and traditions, Wings began capturing these images on film.
I am a graphic artist & have been doing computer graphic art since 1998. I am using several programs to create my work. The main programs I use to create these pictures are: Bryce 6.1, Poser 6, DAZ Studio 2.5 and Painter 5.5. All art work is original and copyright to the artist. You can contact me at mailto:ArtbyMichele@aol.com for a price list and to find out where I will be exhibiting my art next.~Michele Elaine Wilson
Bob Chadwick is a flutist and musician who performs jazz standards & improvisation on classical concert flutes as well as his numerous World Flutes. Bob has a rep in jazz circles as a talented and proficient player with remarkable musicianship.
Some Other Time is his new CD, a live duo performance with pianist Robert Boston. Highly listenable, the jazz on this CD has silky sophistication minus the snobbery sometimes assigned to ....y'know... Jazzzzz. The two players clearly have a musical partnership that comes only with history & respect for the others' skill, but also evident is a playfulness hinting at a real friendship between the two.
Classically trained, Chadwick has remarkable technical proficiency that he places at the service of a fertile imagination. He and Boston have chosen some lesser-heard compositions well suited to their style of improvisation, gently deconstructing them in places, grooving in others, then shifting into the territory between jazz and contemporary composition. Such a musical vision requires a strong sense of order and Chadwick's never lets him down. Boston displays sensitivity and invention both as accompanist and soloist.
The current state of the music business can make recordings such as this a little hard to find. It is definitely worth the effort.
The CD is available to pre-order now through his website and will be ready to ship by Dec 1, 2010, in time for the holidays!
(Be sure to "Send Message to Seller" at paypal & let them know you found it here!)
Hearts & Love * Travel * Hike * Wander * Stand Up Surfing and Kayaking * Bird Watching Fanatic * Paddle White Water * Family Centered * RV Adventure * Personal Transformation * Contra Dance * Fun Soccer * Great Cooks * Awesome Chefs * Cooking * Wine Lover * Wine Humor * Colorful Wanderers * Geo-caching Fanatic * Cache * Hikers * Hiking Addict * Free Spirits * Gluten-Free * Solar * BP Oil Spill * Shuffleboard * Celiac and More
Colorful, fun, artsy gifts: T-shirts, Mugs, Eco Friendly and Organic with a large serving of Whimsy. A variety of clothing, magnets, mousepads and other unique gifts perfect even for the hard to buy for. Holiday whimsy too... Mother, Father, Family... Easy, fun gifts from a wonderful store for well loved adventurous spirits.
Apple Tree Natural Foods has a wide variety of Gift Baskets perfectly suited for your holiday gifting needs. These baskets are filled with Wonderful Healthy Products that are sure to please every recipient!
In need of an attitude adjustment? Feeling down? This is about the right time of year for it with many short dark days and long dark nights. If you feel a sniffle or wheeze, or just want to top up your energy bank, come on down to Apple Tree Natural Foods Market in Morrisville, Vermont and we will fix that attitude right up with a yummy Vitamin C drink or an herbal combo to make sure you don't get the winter blahs.
We're a small clothing company, bringing back honest to goodness manufacturing to the US.
Why "Recession"? Because we started this business in the teeth of the economic downturn, when we decided that it wasn't just a historic challenge, but also a historic opportunity. We are seeking to provide an example of how a small company can challenge the unsustainable business models that are the norm, where massive over-leveraging, over-production, international sweatshop production are seen as the only way to do business.
We're tiny, we're entirely US made - Designed, Cut, Sewn, & Printed in Portland OR - and we're GREEN.
* GREEN production facility * Rainwater harvesting * Eco-building materials * Natural Lighting * Energy efficient heating and lighting * Green Fabrics * Organic -- as close to home as possible * Or harvested from industry material over-production see: recycling * GREEN INKs * Most human and earth friendly inks available * No known Toxins * Approved for baby clothes in the UK for instance
Underwear of the Month Club is awesome by the way, and the perfect holiday gift. Artisan handmade underwear? Arriving in the mail every month with gorgeous new designs for men and ladies? Thats about as good as you can get.
And how about a coupon for fireflys: Use coupon code "2012" and you get 12% off AND donate 12% of the sale to the Kos slate on ActBlue for 2012
Residing in the shadow of the National Park, Susan is realizing her lifelong dream of living and working in the Great Smoky Mountains whose quiet beauty is her inspiration.
The name Mountainbird Studio honors the flying palette of color and song she enjoys daily...a gift from some thirty varieties of birds who allow her to share their sanctuary.
Due to the strong influence of the Impressionists, Susan describes her painting style as a kind of soft impressionistic realism. She employs lost and found edges sculpting with paint and capturing light as it reflects the soul of her subject.....in the tilt of the head, the expression of the hands, the sparkle in the eyes, Spending time with her subjects enables her to capture the energy and spirit of the individual on canvas.
Her work is displayed in collections throughout the country. A member of the Portrait Society of America, the Cecelia Beaux Forum, the Townsend Artisan Guild and Fine Arts Blount, she is listed in Who's Who of American Women and in Who's Who in America.
I'm told that I was born with a crayon in my left hand so my folks must have been thrilled when I finally graduated from walls to paper. I grew up drawing everything I saw around me and developed a love for all living things, always chasing the light and color that envelops them. Things that are truly alive captivate me and the best way I can explore and discover their true nature is by expressing what I see and feel through whatever medium seems appropriate to capture their energy and spirit. To echo the words of Marc Chagall..."I work in whatever medium likes me at the time".
Curiosity and close examination of my subjects turn most of my work into portraiture whether I am drawing, painting, or sculpting. The world of humans, animals and their environment at once amuses, fascinates, and humbles me and I can easily get lost in the sensuous flow of the natural world that surrounds me in these mountains.
Tracy B Ann has been training dogs for over 16 years. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, Zen Paws training incorporates the latest scientific developments and discoveries within the field of dog training and psychology, and draws upon Tracy's personal experiences having trained over 1000 dogs.
Tracy Ann approaches each dog and their owners as unique individuals. She doesn't actually train dogs; she teaches you how to train your dog. Her focus is on building strong relationships between dogs and owners, as she believes that is the basis from which all training flows.
As pet owners, we often overlook the most integral part of training our pet - training ourselves first. Your pet is highly sensitive to the way in which you communicate with them, both verbally and physically. As humans we are quick to look externally for answers, however sometimes the best place to start is with you!
Tracy B Ann's training method is to teach you how to train your dog, not to train your dog for you. Her personal consultations bring over 14 years of knowledge and experience directly to you. Her passion for building strong relationships between animals and their owners enables her to assist you in better understanding the needs of your pets.
Joe Walker was a famous 19th century explorer, known for founding and naming Independence, Missouri. He was the first Euro-American to enter California across the Sierras; and the first to see Yosemite. In 30 years of leading men into unmapped wilderness, he was renowned for never losing a man. Walker was "kind and affable to his men, but at the same time at liberty to command without giving offense - and to explore unknown regions was his chief delight."
Thirty years after his first California expedition, during the middle years of the Civil War, 65-year-old Walker took an expedition of untrained men into the Arizona wilderness to prospect for gold. But Joe's motives weren't wealth and glory - he had wrongs to right and his own vision to pursue.
He led his men into the midst of the war between the U.S. Army and the Mimbreno and Chiricahua Apaches. Just as it had been in 1833, when he led his crew across the Great Basin and the Sierras into California, he faced unexplored deserts, threatened mutiny, and hostile Indians. This time, however, his men were green, and he was going blind.
Walker's story is about relentless enemies - old age, leadership, racial animosity, war, the passing of an era, and a man's rage to make his life significant, in spite of failure.
Martha Ture is a journalist whose articles have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Pacific Discovery, Sierra, and many other magazines and newspapers. She was Political Affairs editor of Native News Online and contributing editor to IMDiversity.com's Native American Village. Her work is anthologized in They Call Us Indians. She lives in northern California.
Open for business! Fun, unique hand-painted tee shirts for sizes for baby to 3X. Hand dyed silk scarves in a variety of styles and sizes.
I love painting on fabric for quilts and have added fun designs to tee shirts in many sizes. I am not a size zero, so I create one-of-a-kind items for many sizes. My motto is to keep learning so check back often, because I am constantly making new designs with new techniques. All items lovingly made in our smoke and pet-free solar home in the Carolina hills. ~ChunYang
I started making digital graphics when my vision started to go bad in the late 1990s. I've gotten better over time. I thought I would like to share them in a more formal setting. A couple of people recommended that I put some of my graphics on Zazzle. I have done that. My store is here: Graphics by Robyn
On the other hand, you may be like me and not be totally comfortable with online transactions (I know enough programming to be uncomfortable with security). I am willing also to sell graphics through the mail. That's the only way I have done it in the past. Someone sends me an address. I send a print of the graphic through the mail and they send me a check for payment. If anyone would like to do that, I'm up for it. Prints are on 8.5 by 11 stock, can be either on glossy or matte paper, and can be of one of my graphics stored on Photobucket or can be specially designed for you. In the latter case you should give me a color scheme you prefer (perhaps a couple of gradient pairs). The prints come with title and I sign each one by hand.
For more info on this option e-mail: Robyn.Serven(at)comcast(dot)net
Warren Senders is a talented composer/musician who has studied and rendered Hindustani music for over 20 years. The leader of the indo-jazz ensemble Anti-Gravity, Senders is a member of the New England Conservatory faculty and a Learning Through Music specialist who applies a rich background in Indian, African, and Western music toward cross-cultural aspects of learning through music programs in public elementary schools.
The Anti-Gravity Ensemble is a serendipitous coming together of highly talented musicians, each bringing their own flavour: Warren Senders on bass; Ramakant Paranjpe, a great improvisor with exquisite intonation and a singing tone; Ajit Soman, flute playing with a restless, inquiring and humorous personal quality, creating new approaches to rhythm, melody and the construction of solos. He's a composer and percussionist as well; Atul Keskar, once a child-prodigy, now an exquisite sitarist; Vijaya Sundaram, acoustic guitar and voice, bringing harmonic flavorings and melodic colors; Sudhir Parkhi, one of Rajiv Devasthali's students, was playing percussion; Jim DiSpirito was on tabla & Ashish Manchanda with inspiring percussion.
I like to refer to my aesthetic as "earth bling". I like to combine the colors of nature with a bit of flash and sparkle, as if you went walking along a creek in the woods on a sunny day and spotted something shimmering in the water.
I am a maker of things who has spent most of her life not making things because it wasn't practical. I'm tired of doing the practical thing. Now I follow my heart.
I got out of the 9-5 office rat race voluntarily, then couldn't get back in due to the recession. Rather than despair, I realized this was the opportunity I'd been waiting for. Now, I'm making things with my hands, and I relish the feeling of waking each morning to work at something I love...
~ Hyperbolic Pants Explosion
(photos may be clicked to go to sales page for more info on these items)
I started making pens about a year ago, after first seeing pen-making kits and tools in the Lee Valley tool catalog. I've collected antique fountain pens for more than 20 years, so I appreciate fine writing instruments.
All of my pens are rollerballs, except for the click pen which is a ballpoint. I decided not to make fountain pens except on commission, since so few people write with fountain pens.
I just started making wine bottle stoppers, and will post photos of bottle stoppers when I have built up more of an inventory. ~ Paul
Each pen is unique, both in terms of materials and shape. Once a pen is sold, it's gone, baby, gone.
I am a self-taught artist and a life-long resident of New York State. I'm interested in western landscapes as well as vintage homes and automobiles. My preferred medium is acrylic paints. ~boran2
I am an artist living in Delray Beach, Florida with my whippet Frank. I have lived here for 20 years. During that time I have studied painting with several well known local artists and teachers who have helped me develop my own artistic style. My older works were primarily oil on canvas, but I have evolved into working mostly with watercolors on Yupo paper. In my imaginative landscapes I have tried to express the sense of fantasy, escape, and detachment that comes from living in and visiting such wonderful places as Florida, Hawaii, California and Europe. I also enjoy the challenge of both animal and people portraits and gladly accept commisions. ~DavidW
Back in 2002, my parents decided to have a house built due to mom's increased disability and dad starting to have his own medical issues. Since this was a new development, there wasn't much in the way of trees, etc when they moved in.
Mom loved the rainbows from crystals. Over the years I had bought crystals for her and hung them in the windows of the old house with 'invisible' thread. With there being very small trees at the new house, I decided that the 'invisible' thread needed to be dressed up a bit. So, I went shopping...
I've made dozens of strands with large crystal finials for mom and dad. I've made dozens for other family members. I've made dozens of ornaments for family for Christmas gifts. As you can see, I still have tons of beads.
In December 2009, I became a statistic of the Great Recession as the State of Iowa ordered a 10% across the board expenditure reduction for all State agencies. I went back to school to get a second Associates of Applied Science degree in computer programming, with the emphasis on pc computer languages. I received the degree in May 2010 and have been looking for work ever since.
While looking for work takes abundant amounts of time, it doesn't take 100% of my time. So, I decided to keep my hands busy and 'use up' as many beads as I can. Then sell them to supplement unemployment insurance. ~ Christine
Email me at: ncrvmrstuff at yahoo dot com for more information.
"In the sixth and seventh grades I attended a Dickensian boarding school where they typically locked away unruly students like me in a book closet, also containing all sorts of art-supplies, with which I gradually covered the walls with drawings in the style of Kandinsky.
About sales I advise prospective buyers to look instead at work by Steffi Homa (http://www.cakeworkshop.de/painting.html) who will sell you something wonderful for a microscopic fraction of what I charge."
~J.F.
(click on pictures for larger)
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Your Ad HERE! contact me! RiaD AT firefly-dreaming DOT com
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Your Ad HERE! contact me! RiaD AT firefly-dreaming DOT com
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Your Ad HERE! contact me! RiaD AT firefly-dreaming DOT com
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Your Ad HERE! contact me! RiaD AT firefly-dreaming DOT com
