flower image : Cherry Blossom Tattoos

Cherry blossom tattoos are some of the most popular tattoo designs for women currently. The beauty and delicate nature of a cherry blossom can’t be denied. In both Japanese and Chinese cultures the cherry blossom is full of symbolic meaning and significance. Before deciding to get a cherry blossom tattoo design it makes sense to understand the symbolism and deep cultural connections and meaning that this tattoo might hold. After all the best tattoo designs are ones that hold a great deal of symbolic significance. Typically the tattoo that is universally regretted is the one that was gotten while out with a bunch of friends just because they were getting one. So don’t fall into the trap and regret your tattoo later in life. Instead if you are planning on getting a tattoo at least take the time to research the symbolism and meaning behind it and see if it speaks to you and if the ideas are significant in your life.

While many people tend to blend and confuse the Japanese and Chinese culture together from lack of knowledge the two are very different in many ways. Therefore the meaning and symbolism that the cherry blossom holds is different in each culture.

Chinese Cherry Blossom

For the Chinese the cherry blossom is a very significant symbol of power. Typically it represent a feminine beauty and sexuality and often holds an idea of power or feminine dominance. Within the language of herbs and herbal lore of the Chinese the cherry blossom is often the symbol of love.

Japanese Cherry Blossom

For the Japanese the cherry blossom holds very different meaning. The cherry blossom is a very delicate flower that blooms for a very short time. For the Japanese this represents the transience of life. This concept ties in very deeply with the fundamental teachings of Buddhism that state all life is suffering and transitory. The Japanese have long held strong to the Buddhist belief of the transitory nature of life and it is very noble to not get too attached to a particular outcome or not become emotional because it will all pass in time.

The fallen cherry blossom is not taken lightly in Japanese symbolism either. It often represents the beauty of snow and there are many connections made in Japanese literature or poetry to a fallen cherry blossom and snow. This also has been extended to the life of a warrior whose life was ended early in battle.

As you can see in both cultures the symbolism and meaning behind the cherry blossom is very significant and powerful at the same time. It is important to think about these symbols and connect this with what your personally believe the cherry blossom represents. If you still want to get a cherry blossom tattoo and the above meaning from the Japanese culture or the Chinese culture do not speak to you or you’re somehow view the cherry blossom in a very different way then it is okay to still get a cherry blossom tattoo. However, it is always important to know the symbolism before getting a tattoo permanently done.

Chris has been running http://www.DesignMyTattoos.com website for over a year. He likes helping people find the custom tattoo designs and where to get them done by professional tattoo artists. Check out the site and post a job to get your own custom tattoo design. Also you can check out http://www.TattooDirectory.info for great Tattoo Design Galleries and ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Ryerson

flower image : Flower Tattoos - The Many Meanings

With a larger acceptance of women getting tattooed, flower tattoos have risen in popularity. The wonderful thing about these tattoos is there are so many different types and colors of flowers, all with different meanings. Generically, the flowers can mean a few different things, while specific flowers like the lotus and rose can mean more specific things.

A flower tattoo in general connects back to nature, and brings up images of life, such as birth, procreation and vitality. This is because we see the duration of life when we look at a flower. We see a flower emerge from the earth, and then grow day by day. We see a flower bloom, and later dry up and wilt away.

To have a tattoo picturing a flower reminds us of that whole process of life. Additionally, different colors of flowers on a tattoo symbolize different things as well. Seeing a white flower tattoo brings up the idea of purity, while the color of red on a flower can mean the blood of Christ or burning passion.

Being tattooed with a rose symbolizes love, or more specifically a pure love. As a matter of fact, around the 16th century, a rose was tattooed on people condemned to death, so they would be recognized immediately if they ever escaped the gallows. However, nowadays the rose is tattooed as a symbol of love and passion. Much of the tattoo symbolism of this flower has to do with the rose being a flower that is given during romantic occasions. This is why a rose is often tattooed on someone to show their love for a certain person. It’s probably not a coincidence that the rose tattoo is the most popular of all tattoos picturing flowers, and even more so, since men are getting tattooed with roses as well.

Just as a rose tattoo symbolizes love and purity in the west, a tattoo with a lotus flower symbolizes the same things in the east. A tattoo with the lotus flower, though, brings with it a little more meaning. This tattoo also symbolizes beauty, goodness, fortune, enlightenment, and peace.

Continuing along this line, an acacia tattoo symbolizes chaste love and friendship. Some Irish get tattooed with a flower called Bells of Ireland. This flower usually means good luck, but the name may call the bells of freedom to ring upon Ireland.

If you consider yourself a perfect lover, you might want to have a tulip tattooed on your arm to symbolize fame and passionate love. However, if you are a shy and timid person, the violet tattoo is perfect for you.

Iris stand for faith wisdom and virtue. And magnolias symbolize a person's love for nature and gives a sense of nobility.

Getting tattooed with a flower can have these different meanings along with being quite beautiful and elegant. The flower can be as small and dainty or as large and bold as your want. Whichever flower you choose, be it a rose, a lotus, a violet or any other your tattoo can say exactly what you want it to.

Tommy Gordon manages sites on various subjects. Tommy is a website builder and SEO expert. Find more tattoo ideas and information about Celtic, Hawaiian, Flowers, temporary tattoos and more at Tattoo Ideas 4U.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tommy_Gordon

flower image: Flower Pictures in Tuscany

It’s springtime in Tuscany, early May. Arriving at Pisa airport the air smells different, dryer, lighter, brighter with the alluring waft of some flower scent, even amid the concrete hustle and bustle common to airports everywhere. I’m travelling light, or as light as you can get when your camera bag is your hand luggage and you couldn’t quite leave the tripod behind. Not when the mission is a whistle-stop orchid extravaganza, to try and photograph as many different sorts of orchid as we can find, in under a week.

Heading off in a hire car, we leave Pisa behind and take to the hills, a winding, twisting, and convoluted back road towards Siena. The air is fresher and the hint of flowers strengthens until we are overwhelmed by the honeyed scent of broom, pouring in through the car windows. Every which way you look there is a picture postcard scene, comprising the essential props of a Tuscan photo – cypress trees, warm brick farmhouse and stone church, with gently curving green hills behind. Is it possible to take a bad photograph in Tuscany? Well yes it is. If I give in to temptation and snap every tempting vista, I’m going to find the bright midday light turns everything to dull monochrome, flattens the colours and wastes all my film before I’ve even started on the orchids. I’ll have to note the best views and try to come back in early morning or evening light, when it all magically turns golden and lucid.

We know where we are heading – south of Siena some friends have been walking through veritable meadows filled with orchids. The challenge will be to find those places by car, along the strada bianca (dirt roads) that crisscross the countryside. The other challenge is reaching our destination, when every few yards we spot a flower spike on the roadside and have to screech to a halt to identify it. Fresh from England any orchid at all is a rarity, but after an hour we are already blasé and we no longer stop for ‘just another spotted orchid’.

The next day we are up bright and early at our first spot on the lower slopes of Monte Amiata. There is an open clearing surrounded by stunted oak trees and bingo – a lavish sprinkling of bee orchids, my favourites, with their furry lip that looks just like a bumble bee. Now the advantage of early morning light and sparkling dewdrops is offset by the fact that I’ll have to lie down in the damp grass to get a good angle. Remember to bring a waterproof next time. I should use a tripod, but first I’m looking through the camera to choose the finest specimens and best setting. Some I need to trim the grass around, either with nail scissors or by gentle flattening down. A wide aperture will take care of the background but I don’t want any blurring of grass waving in the foreground. Sort out tripod, get light reading and bracket, bracket, bracket.

These are pre-digital days, I’m using tranny and colour saturation has to be spot on, so to be safe I’ll do five half-stop brackets. I can’t reshoot from back home once I’ve processed it all and seen the results. This also means I have to be selective, I’ll only get six shots to a roll of film, so just the best flowers and best angles.

Moving across the clearing, as the light strengthens, I find a fly orchid, this time impersonating a bluebottle fly, not as pretty as the bee orchid but striking, then setting up for that shot I nearly tread on a fragrant orchid, delicate pink flowers. I have to be quick now before the light gets too harsh and contrasty. Three in the bag and it’s off to a bar to get a second breakfast of cappuccino and brioche. The film is safe in a cool box – hot cars at midday don’t do much for it! The middle of the day is for scouting the evening’s shoot, then lunch and a siesta. The light won’t be good again until about 5 o’clock, but we have to be in the right place by then to make the most of it. So it’s driving the back roads again between Buonconvento and Casciano di Murlo.

Over the next few days we cross off our list the green-winged orchis, pyramidal orchid, lady orchid, the monkey orchid with its long tail, a man orchid – not so easy to spot with its greeny-yellow colouring, but now we’ve got our eye in the orchid shape leaps at us from all sides. A lot of these orchids are also supposed to be common in Britain but I’ve never seen any of them there, here in Italy they’re everywhere – must be something to do with farming methods, pesticides and all the rest. Here there are a lot of small-scale farmers, subsistence farming is dying out but huge commercial agricultural companies haven’t taken over. There are also a lot of woodland and unfarmable hilly slopes. Orchids on the roadsides though, that’s just showing off!

At the end of the week it’s back to Pisa, hand in the hire car, just slightly dented from overly-steep off-road experiences, and try to persuade the security people to hand search the film bag rather than X-ray it, which could fog the film. They promise that their machine is so modern and foolproof that you can put film through safely but I’m not taking any chances and eventually they agree. So only one more hurdle to go, the lab back home, processing and seeing what I’ve got – that heart stopping moment before opening the envelope, the huge sigh of relief when you see images on the film, then examining each one carefully and remembering the scent of the Italian countryside in springtime.

Copyright 2005 Kit Heathcock

About the author: Sometime flower photographer, keen observer of the resonances of life and fulltime mother. Born in the UK but now living on a farm in the southern hemisphere. Contributor to the creation and maintenance of A Flower Gallery one of the homes of chakra flower art.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kit_Heathcock

flower image : How to Take Great Flower Photos

I know that many out there want to improve their photography in one aspect. Flower photography. With gardening as popular as it is this shouldn’t be a surprise. Flower photography while looking like one of the simplest forms of photography can quickly become one of the most difficult. Here are a few tips for you. (Keeping in mind that basic good photography skills are always used.)



Soft diffuse light. Today it’s very overcast outside, and if there were any flowers in bloom today would be the perfect day for capturing some great images. Soft diffuse light enhances color saturation, so if you wondered how or why pro photographers flower images seem so deep in color this is one of the reasons why. (There are exceptions to this rule. I do some flower photography is bright or dappled sunlight but I’m usually trying to get an effect of light passing through the petals.)


Slow film speed. 200 speed or less. The slower speed films have greater detail and for flowers you’re going to need to get close anyway and you want the nice sharp detail of a slower speed of film. I use 100 speed for my flower photography.


Tripod. Use one for this type of photography. Set up your shot, get everything in sharp focus, and then shoot. A tripod will keep your camera from moving on you and allow you to get the sharp detail you will need.


Look for great colors, a flower in full bloom next to a bud, and don’t shoot on windy days. Keep contrast and color in mind at all times and try different compositions each time you take a shot.

Flower photography can be a lot of fun especially if the flowers are your own.

If you have some specific questions please visit my Photography and Design Forum at: http://kellypaalphotography.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php and post your question there.

About The Author
Copyright 2005 Kelly Paal Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. She owns her own business Kelly Paal Photography (www.kellypaalphotography.com). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Paal

flower image : Experiencing Glass

Glass has been part of human civilization for thousands of years, it's usefulness and beauty is taken for granted by most of us. Until a person holds a liquid mass of molten glass on the end of a stick, one can not imagine how wonderfully alive glass can be. Like glass, live can be hard and brittle one moment and hot and flowing the next. One day I decided to experience hot molten glass for myself and on my day off traveled to Glassboro, New Jersey to the Wheaton Village Museum and Glass Factory.

From early on, paperweights have always occupied a warm spot in my heart. beautiful photographs of paperweights that graced the pages of oversized library books fascinated me for hours. Baccarat millifiori widths, faceted and glowing in the pure colors of fantasy, represented for me the epitome of artistic human endeavor.

I arrived about ten in the morning and reported to the office manager to announce my arrival and to pay the $40.00 fee. The required reservation allows only one person to enter the furnace area and a glass worker would help me create my own design paperweight with a minimum of professional help. I entered a huge room containing five large ovens for the melted glass. The heat from the furnace warmed my face from where I was standing on the circular balcony thirty feet from the glowing furnaces. I felt nervous now that my earlier adventurous mood had given way to the anxiety of handling molten glass at two thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

I met the glass worker, named Mike, who would guide me through the process. A fifteen minute lecture on the names and the proper use of the tools of the trade preceded a short lesson in glass handling. It was at this moment that I realized how alive molten glass feels as it tried to drip inexorably toward the floor. I thought of a moving assembly line belt that needs constant and unerring attention to avoid disaster. I placed a four-foot-long iron rod in the "glory hole" of the furnace and grabbed a dollop of red hot liquid glass, turning the rod steadily to keep the glass from dripping off the rod. The paperweight I imagined would contain a single pink day lily supported by four spear-like leaves on a base of rising bubbles. I pressed the soft glass into a mole that contained iron points to create the bubbles. A second trip to the furnace sealed the bubbles with a layer of melted glass, bringing the size to about two inches in diameter.

Next I arranged the "leaves" that looked like pieces of light green lumps of glass in a circular pattern and returned the glass to the furnace for further heating. My mentor reminded me several times during this process to continue to turn the rod to preserve the round shape. A pointed iron tool came in handy for shaping and drawing out the leaves to a proper shape. I arranged the flower petals around the center and similarly drew them into a pleasing shape. Two more layers of molten glass brought the size up to three inches across, producing the oversized "jumbo" paperweight. The final step involved pressing the red hot glass to a curved wooden mold. I wanted to see the flower from all directions, not only from the top, so I flattened the top in a parabolic shape. Mike mentioned that he had never seen this shape before, but reassured me that I could determine the outcome according to my own artistic wishes.

As I prepared to leave the furnace pit, twenty or so observers situated in the balcony gave me a big hand. I spent a wonderful two hours in the glass museum next door. The museum owners chose only the finest examples of glass for display. Towering slim vases, massive commemorative pieces artfully carved with beautiful images and colorful imaginings in fantastic shapes filled the fifty-foot high-ceilinged room, the hidden lighting adding to the effect. When it arrived one week later, I presented the fully annealed glass paperweight to my amazed wife. I have to give full credit to the wonderful and helpful staff at Wheaton Village. Their gift of knowledge will always be a part of an artistic creation I can call my own.

I enjoy trying new things to enrichen my life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenneth_C._Hoffman

flower image : Rid Yourself Of Fear, Fearlessly!

What a silly thing to say, don't you think? Not necessarily when you know the power of creating a single photographic collage.

Col-lage n. An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color.

7 Powerful Uses Of Creating Collages:

1. To break up the mental image that is fear. Collage images that represent fear and see what happens to your state of mind. Very surprising and powerful!

2. To create a visual of your dream life to magnetically attract your dreams into your life. This is sometimes referred to as Treasure Mapping.

3. To break through your conscious riddence of your inner self. Have you trained yourself to be an "adult" and put away the passions of your childhood? Your collage can reveal the part of yourself that you have forgotten if that is your purpose.

4. To communicate a negative feeling you have to someone who cannot understand your verbal message. Our minds think in pictures. Through pictures we can convey what language cannot.

5. Purely as a work of art. Collage art can be very expressive and beautiful. It offers an opportunity for the uses of all sorts of multi-media such as texture objects, metal, paper, etc.

6. To reveal a thought pattern you may not realize about yourself. As you share your collage with others for comments, they may notice something in yours that you hadn't realized. Suddenly you notice something about yourself without the other person even noticing your discovery.

7. To create a visual journal of your life and passions in life. Bring your favorite life experiences forward photographically. Remember photographs used as collage have overlapping edges. They are not lined up in straight rows like in a photograph album. It's a great technique to use in creating a scrapbook.

All in all creating collages is a powerful tool to use when you are stuck in any way. Fear will leave you stuck. Break it up with a collage of photographs that represent fear.

Stuck for ideas? Create a collage of photographs that represent stagnation. You will be very surprised.

Wondering where you can easily get the pictures for your collage?

Here are some ways:

1. Use outdated magazines and tear out pages that seem to represent your theme or feeling.

2. Use family photographs

3. Join a clip art website for a week and look through all their photographs and save the ones that stand out for you.

4. Use scraps of paper, fabric, various texture items like flower petals, grass, leaves, etc.

5. Spend the day at Lake Pawtuckaway in Nottingham, New Hampshire Oct 15 and create your collage with all materials supplied for a day! See http://www.discoveryourinnersoul.com

Collages can be made from any group of objects or photographs you desire. They can be for almost any purpose.

Create a collage and see what happens! Copyright 2005 Juanita Bellavance

Juanita Bellavance, the author of this article, is offering FREE Conditional Coaching Consultations for a limited time. . If you don't get coaching, your dreams can stay delayed indefinitely. Call Today and find out the difference coaching can make for you. To schedule your session, Call 888-836-2735 ext 2 FREE Recorded Message. Or you can email your request to assureyoursuccess@assuredsuccesslifecoach.com with FREE Consult in the subject line. Visit Juanita’s website at: http://www.assuredsuccesslifecoach.com What the heck is Brainspeak? Go here and see: http://www.assuredsuccesslifecoach.com/Brainspeak/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juanita_Bellavance

flower image : Gardens of Christchurch

We arrived in Christchurch on December 27, 1996, after starting across the Pacific on Christmas day and losing a day at the international date line. It was a couple of weeks later in the season than our previous trip, the gardens were in a more advanced state of bloom, and the weather was considerably warmer (though the temperature still varied from short sleeves to sweaters between midday and evening).

Christchurch is situated on the east coast about midway down south island. It sits on a curiously flat portion of the Canterbury Plain with mountains to the north and west and some low hills on the southeastern edge of the city. In the vicinity of the city, the plane is crossed by several rivers, one of which is milky blue and serves as a reminder that the glaciers of the Southern Alps are not far away. With a vast stretch of chilly Pacific Ocean to the southeast and the stormy Tasman Sea just over the mountains to the northwest, the weather is variable and strongly dependent on wind direction.

The picture shown here is the cathedral and square that is the focal point of the downtown area.
One of the rivers crossing the plane is the Avon. Like most rivers in New Zealand it runs clear and is almost devoid of life except for insects, ducks, the occasional eel, and a few trout decended from those transplanted from the US in the 1800's. The Avon meanders across the plane and through Christchurch, picking up some litter, but still clean enough to support a few protected large brown trout that hang out near one of the bridges. Just a few blocks west of cathedral square, the city gives way to a large green space that is bounded on two sides by the Avon river. At one point the Avon swings into the park to form a boot shaped loop. The interior of the loop and some of its periphery are devoted to the Botanic Gardens.
This punting landing is two blocks east of the park, and one can hire a punt for a lesiurely ride along the river. The green strip along the river softens the downtown area which otherwise is fairly typical of a nondescript midwestern city in the U.S.
The better residental areas differ from those in the U.S. in that flower gardens there take on the importance of lawns here. Part of this no doubt stems from the British influence, and part from a cool ocean moderated climate, but it's also probably encouraged by the relative lack of alternative activities in this sparcely populated region. (It's hard to imagine N.Z. television being the distraction it is in the U.S.) Whatever the cause, one is likely to pass some eye catching private gardens on most any drive around town. Something like every third house had some well grown perennial on display, and about every tenth had a thoughtfully laid out perennial border or cottage garden bursting with bloom.
The gardening highlight of the city is the Botanic Garden of nearly 75 acres, and in particular the long perennial border on the left of this picture. The border is on level ground with the plants carefuly arranged to provide ever increasing height from front to back. At the back is another narrow path at the edge of plants that are typically head high.
The plants in the border are also chosen so that there is a continuous bloom over a very long season, so it doesn't burst into bloom all at once like a firework, but instead provides continuing interest with anticipation for what might be blooming next week.

At the lower right of the border picture you can just see the edge of a large group of hydranga bushes. These hybrids were blooming in a wide assortment of colors, none of which were the traditional metallic blue or pink normally associated with this plant. This is one of the blueish-pinkish ones.

Other hydranges ranged from a metallic gray the color of steel, to this light pink that was either fading to or from a creamy white. They were growing under large trees in the shade and a brisk wind kept the flower heads in constant motion, so I could not manage particularly good photos of most of them.

If you turn around from the camera position in the border picture and follow the path around to the right, you find another smaller, more specialized border. This photo shows a bed of long established dianthus that were at the tail end of their bloom. The bit of taller red at the far upper right is penstemon.

Here's a closer view of the brilliant penstemon bed looking from the other direction. Most of those that we manage to keep alive in our North Carolina gardens are decidely puny compared to these three foot tall mounds of glowing flowers on upright stems. My Husker Red is as healthy, but sadly the red refers to the dark leaves not to the small white flowers

© 1996-1999 L.R. Fortney

flower image : NZ Botanical Garden

We got an early start on the drive from Christchurch to Dunedin on the morning of December 3. The drive took us most of the day, and we had only the morning of December 4 to tour the city before starting off for Te Anau in the southwest. We had some rain along the way from Christchurch, but by the time we arrived in Dunedin the sky had cleared and this morning we awoke to bright sunlight and somewhat warmer temperatures.

Dunedin is a "U" shaped city built on the hillsides overlooking the end of a long bay. The approaches to the city are quite hilly but although our rental Ford struggled up some of them, they were a welcome relief after the relatively uninteresting road north of Christchurch. The garden described below is perched on a hillside high enough to overlook the bay and quite close to the downtown area.

Again most of the images are from my hi-8 video, but Jennifer took the brighter and sharper 35 mm photographs
A closer look at the Crambe which was standing about four feet tall.
A clump of some sort of pink-lavender aster was also in bloom
Jennifer took this 35 mm photo of me checking out a plant label in the rock garden. The lower garden is to the right in this image and is separated from this banked rock garden by a river that was spanned by two foot bridges at either end of the garden. The left side of this image shows the beginning of a major hill that rose over a hundred feet to various overlooks, shade gardens, and an Aviary.
Various primula were blooming merrily in little nooks of the rock garden.
And a sort of hen and chickens succulent that was adorned with orange flowers.
White daisies on plants with thick gray leaves, low plants covered in small white flowers, and large orange plumes in one image captures something of the variety that was growing in the rock garden.

© 1996-1999 L.R. Fortney

flower image : Stimulate Your Sensebuds

When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't flow, invariably it's because one, more or all of your senses aren't being stimulated.

Staring at a blank screen or sheet of paper really doesn't help. The best way to stimulate all your senses in one hit is to provide an inspirational space you can work with.


Lots of Feng Shui arrangements appear in western homes these days, and they're great, but outside those four walls of your writing space, there is another world bursting with enlightenment and inspiration.


Of course you may have to work at it a little, but hey, we all need some exercise sometimes!


Whether you have a balcony or a backyard, you can very simply build a natural living world to plunge into whenever you choose. If you have neither, consider renting a small patch of land or sharing a garden with someone.


Gardening conjures up all sorts of hard work images; tools, backache, blisters etc;. but it's only as hard as you make it. Start small and design your garden on paper first. Decide where you want herbs, flowers - and even vegetables, if you have the space and inclination!


A tiny balcony or back yard can be bordered with herbs and flowers. If you're staring at several square metres of concrete, don't despair. Plant your sensory stimulators in pots. Paint the pots different colours if you like.


Choose strong smelling, long lasting flowers, such as wallflowers ( Cheiranthus ). They will grow in some shade and do well against walls, fences and hedgerows. Climbing roses will only need a few hooks screwed into the fence, and they will happily cover your fence in blooms. Both these flowers are colourful, smell beautiful and are velvet to the touch.


Many herbs will grow in pots. Grow chives for something to nibble as you wander round the garden. Mint varieties are many , from spearmint through to the newer varieties such as pineapple or melon mint . Try them! They really do smell of pineapple and melon.


Some herbs are perennial and, once established, will need very little care. But remember to pick them to encourage growth.


The acoustics in your outside space will change dramatically when you have flowers growing. Those bees and bugs won't be able to resist.


Rub the leaves of your mint plants or other herbs and fill the air with the scent.


Now relax in a chair, listen to the humming of the insects and nibble on your chives. Within ten minutes you'll either be dozing and gaining some well needed rest, or you'll be running back to your keyboard with more words in your head than ever before!

by Linda Gray

flower image : Exotic Island Paradise

SABAH is Malaysia's premier nature adventure destination situated in the northern tip of borneo Island, the third largest island in the world. Sabah is popular for its wildlife conservation attractions, rain forest, surrounding nature and islands, beach resorts, tropical white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and its warm and friendly people. If you are thinking of visiting Borneo, these places of interest and activities will whet your appetite!

Mount Kinabalu
Let me begin with my favorite place and definitely not to be missed if you are visiting Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu (4,093m). It is the summit of borneo and the tallest mountain in South East Asia. This mountain is sacred to the locals. Thousands from around the world have trekked to its peak. At the feet of this mountain is Kinabalu National Park, a botanical paradise where rare plants are found: rare orchids, nepenthes pitcher plants and the rafflesia, the largest flower in the world.

Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre
If you haven’t heard yet, the most popular native of borneo is the Orang Utan. The world-famous Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre enables visitors to come in close contact with these amazing animals. This sanctuary allows visitors to witness an exciting conservation programme in action. Set in 43 square km of beautiful rainforest, the sanctuary helps once captive Orang Utans learn to fend for themselves in the wild. Watch how these orphaned Orang Utans being taught to climb, and then go to a platform where you can witness them coming in from within the forest for their daily meals of milk and bananas.

Danum Valley Rain Forest
If nature is close to your heart, then this next destination I am going to introduce you is a must visit, Danum Valley. Danum Valley is nestled deep in the rain forest of borneo where nature is at its most pristine. As you travel deeper and deeper into the jungle, you will suddenly come across a magical paradise of the borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL), erected overlooking the magnificent setting of the Segama River and flanked by tall hill ranges. BRL is an impressive resort, designed by naturalists and built on stilts using traditional timber materials, and has the comfort of a 3-Star Hotel. I totally recommend Danum Valley to those who yearn to see wildlife in a primeval borneo rainforest - the rare Sumatran rhino, proboscis monkeys, Orang Utan, elephants and over 275 species of birds.

by Walter Rajah

flower image : The composition in folk embroidery.


Today we shall talk about the composition in embroidery. You will get to know about ornaments and its use to decorate household stuff in times of old. Ornamental patterns decorate many things. If a thing is beautiful, it is pleasant to use it. You have many confections at home: fine china, in-wrought drapery, embroidered cushions, ovenware… Try to decorate them yourself.

In former times only a few could buy fine things. In the villages away from big cities people made and decorated the things they needed themselves – wooden spoons, plates, water scoops and other. Some of them survived to our times. Many of such things are elaborately made. Now they are kept in museums. We do not know the names of those who made them, but their art is called folk art.

The works of the folk craftsman delight us in colour schemes, amazing pictures of plants, birds and animals. Patterns are wonderful: flowers, outlandish birds, and thin and neat branches of trees. And what colours!

How could the folk craftsman create such a gorgeous design?

Who could give him a cue?

It was the nature that directed him; he had seen it in the forest or in the garden. Look carefully at the plants, how their leaves grow, what their shape is, what the colours are.

Before making something, you should think the whole item over, decide upon the shape, arranging of the pattern, it character and colour. The artistic solution of the ornament is included into the general concept of composition.

The Latin word "composition" means arranging separate parts into a complete unit in a certain order. Together these parts are supposed to create a definite shape. In the properly designed composition all the elements are interconnected, it is impossible to remove anything without the loss of integrity of the picture and the harmony of composition.

composition has the principal elements and secondary, subordinate elements. The principal elements are those that attract attention first and bear the main idea, the concept of the pattern. The major element of the design must be connected and balanced by the secondary elements. The main part is not necessarily located in the centre of the composition. It can be emphasised by the means of contrast colour or its size and shape.

composition can be three or two-dimensional. embroidery is a two dimensional composition. composition developing is a creative process of artistic work invention from conception to perfection. Starting an embroidery, one should remember that it is an applied art, and any embroidered item, whether it be a tablecloth, a blouse, or a panel, is household article as well as a piece of art. Thus, the size and fashion of the tablecloth, its colour, and the pattern will depend on the size and shape, material and colour of the table it is made for. The tablecloth will become a part of interior, that is why it must be balance with the other things in the room.

You should be aware of some the main notions and means of composition in order to learn how to arrange a composition correctly. They are rhythm, rapport order, symmetry and others. All these notions in their turn are connected with the concept of "ornament".

In Latin "ornament" means decoration. In ancient times ornament designed had a strongly marked symbolic meaning.

A straight horizontal line stood for the land surface, horizontal wavy line stood for the water, a vertical wavy line symbolized rain, triangles meant mountains, crossed lined stood for fire and lightning, the Sun and the Moon – radiant celestial bodies - were indicated by a circle, a square, or a rhombus.

A female character with hand up or down represented the image of Earth Mother, connected with worshiping of the land and water. Eastern Slavic goddess Bereginya, or Mokosh, was the patroness of water, household, hearth and home, and handiwork.

Branchy trees and frog images stood for fertile land; grass, flowers, bushes, and trees were called "the hair of the Earth". Out-runner of the Sun, warmth and light, symbol of happiness and joy was a bird that promised the incoming of spring, harvest and wealth. A deer and horse represented "live-giving aster" – the Sun – and were believed to bring good fortune, jollity, and prosperity.

The rhombus was the main sign and it had many meanings. A smooth or spurred rhombus stood for the Sun and fire, as well as for fertility, revival. A chain of rhombuses meant the Tree of Life. A rhombus with protruding sides represented the top of timberwork; a square divided into four parts with a circle or a dot in each meant a homestead and a sown field.

There were special ornaments for wedding garments and burial clothes, warrior clothing, farmers, and or household stuff, etc. Dishes, stoves and furniture were covered with ornaments. Every region had their traditional ornament patterns. It is easy to distinguish Russian pattern from Bashkir or Estonian one. Over time the figures changed, became more complicated and were combined with other designs, creating image patterns. Now ornament has a purely decorative function.

Ornament is a pattern the elements of which follow a definite rhythm.

The part of the ornament that is completely repeated at a specific interval is called rapport, which means repetition.

According to the arrangement and the character of composition, which is always closely related to the shape o the decorated item, ornament can be:

Ribbon – straight or arched strip that decorates the middle of the item or frames it (frieze, border);
Netlike, where all the surface is covered with the pattern;
Centric, or rosette-like, where all the elements are inserted into a square, circle, rhombus, or multi-angular (rosette), located in the centre of an item.

The following ornament designs are distinguished:
Geometric, consisting of several elements;
Meander - composed of broken lines, widely used in Ancient Greece and named after the river Meander;
Flower, or fito, composed of stylised flower, fruit, leaves and branch images;
Animal, with stylised figures of animals and insects;
Lettering-like (ligature), resembling a lettering.

Designing a pattern is always related to symmetry that is typical for folk embroidery patterns. You can invent a ornament with one or several lines of symmetry. The easiest type of symmetry (with one line) is a mirror reflection when the line divides an element into two identical parts.

by Luda Sonkin

flower image : The Endearing Language of Flowers

The fascination with flowers have captivated, and charmed people world wide. They represent a form of life that has endured evolution, and continues to flourish. With a diversity of colors, forms, scents, and uses, flowers have been revered by generations of admirers, and enthusiasts alike. Throughout history flowers have been the perfect form of expression, when words were hard to find. The language of flowers is a language of love, endearment, and respect. The truly popularity of flowers lies in their ability to bring joy, and good cheer.



The first flowering plants found were tiny herb-like flower fossils dating back 120 million years. An innumerable number of images of preserved flowers and flower parts have been found in fossils located all over the world. According to scientists, there are over 270,000 species of flowers that have been documented and are living in the twenty-first century. Scientists continue to marvel over the amazing diversity of species, and the species that have not changed much during evolution. Many flowers have coevolved with their pollination animals.



The flower is the reproductive organ of a plant. It is the job of the flower to produce seeds through fertilization, and pollination. Pollination requires animals (bees, hummingbirds, etc.), wind, or water to transfer male pollen to the female ovule. After a flower is fertilized, it develops into a fruit containing seeds. These seeds are the next generation, and serve as the means by which species of plants are dispersed across a field. Cross breeding can occur, and this leads to the enormous diversities seen.



The alluring nature of flowers has made them subjects of folklore, and poetry. Their medicinal use has been embraced by the east for centuries. A flower's fragrance is its personality, a beautiful bouquet of scents that permeate even the worst form of pollution. flowers have been associated with religious symbolism, the lily signifying purity for example. The diversity of shapes and colors makes them the perfect decoration, and the perfect gift. The likelihood of two people having the same color, shape arrangement is very remote. Edible flowers have been used in the culinary field for flavor and garnish for many years.



It is clear that flowers do have a very endearing language. A language that is universal, without borders. A language that contains no negativity, nor prejudice. An unconditional way of expressing a feeling so deep, that words could never convey the true meaning. Regardless of the situation, the sight of a flower will always solicit a smile, and a sense of warmth.

by Jay Stockman

flower image : Make Gift Wrapping Paper With Kids


Making your own wrapping paper is a fun activity that children or adults can do. With some creativity you can create gift wrap that is unique and different – everyone will know the gift is from you!

When making gift wrap with children you will probably want to use either craft white paper or craft brown paper (like the grocery bags). You could even use the inside of a grocery bag if the gift is small enough.

At several points depending on your child's age – they may need help. If your child is not ready to cut with scissors, then manage all of the scissor work and let them have fun gluing everything. Remember to select non-toxic materials. Consider all art materials toxic unless they say they are non-toxic.

Stamping Shapes Paper: To make this you can use either sponges or potatoes. The ease with potatoes is they give children (and adults) a "handle" to hold onto. Sponges are a little harder to hold onto once they get wet, and your designs may not get as clean and clear results.

Use tempura or acrylic paint. Be sure with children to use non-toxic paint. Remember with art materials that if they do not say they are non-toxic, chances are they are toxic – so be aware and stay safe.

Select your paint colors and cut simple designs in your potatoes or sponges. Great shapes include stars, hearts, arrows, lightning bolts, circles, triangles, letters, numbers and smiley faces. Help your children cut the designs depending on their age level.

Lay the paper flat on a dry and protected surface and stamp away with your potatoes or sponges! Remember to put your design all over the paper so that it shows all over your gift, not just one area of the paper. Let it dry overnight before wrapping gifts.

Names or Shapes Paper: To make this paper you will need several sheets of fluorescent paper (8 ½ x 11") is fine. You will also need glue sticks and scissors.

Select a name or a shape that you wish to do for your paper. Think about the size of your gift, is it big? Is your gift small? If your gift is big, then your letters or shapes can be bigger. If your gift is small then your letters or shapes need to be smaller.

If you are giving a birthday gift it could be fun to write the birthday child's name. If it is a gift for Mom then you could write Mom. Or consider writing a short message like "Happy Birthday" if you have enough room.

Write boxy letters or cut out shapes and glue them onto the paper. Write the name and glue it onto the paper several times. Allow it to dry overnight. Then wrap gift.

Picture Paper:

To make this paper you will need magazines or newspapers. Catalogs such a flower catalogs or children's catalogs are also good. Comic books are good for this also. You will need scissors and glue stick.

Select a theme for your paper. Are you going to cut out pictures of animals? Cartoon characters? Flowers? Home images? Or are you going to cut out words? Find the images and cut them out. Glue them onto the paper. Allow it to dry and then wrap your gift.

Special Message Paper:

This is good for most children of any age. First select how large the gift will be and cut the gift paper to size.

Select markers or crayons. You are going to write a special message to the friend or loved one to wish them a Happy Birthday or other good wishes. Help your child select their message.

Write the message on the paper. Now write the message again in other line with a different color marker or crayon. Continue until the paper is full. You can use medium to large handwriting – actually any size handwriting is fine. Just continue until the paper is completely filled. Let this paper dry before wrapping the gift.

When you give the gift remind the birthday child they need to read the Special Message on the wrapping paper.

Feminine Doily Paper:

This is a cute gift wrapping paper for a girl's gift. This is also an easy project to do with even most young children because it only involves glue sticks.

To make this paper you will need paper doilies, either white or metallic (your choice). This project works best with the small doilies. You will also need a glue stick.

Glue the doilies onto the paper. Glue them in an even pattern all over the paper. The doilies will give the gift wrapping a feminine look. Once the doilies are dried, wrap the gift.

There are many other ideas for gift wrap that are in your home and right in front of your nose. Just use your imagination and you will find many other ideas to use with your children. Happy wrapping!

by Abigail Beal

flower image : Flower power didn't cut it

Watchful eyes can keep people honest -- even when the eyes aren't real. Researchers at Newcastle University in Britain found that people behave differently when they subconsciously feel they are being watched.

They set up their experiment in a common area of the university's psychology department and used 48 staff members as the unwitting subjects of the study. The staff could buy coffee, tea and milk in the common room. A sign listed the prices of drinks and staff were supposed to deposit money for purchases in an "honesty" box.

As part of the experiment, researchers also put up an alternating series of images above the money box. For one week, the poster would be of a pair of eyes. The following week, the image would be replaced with a picture of flowers. Then, it was switched to an image of another pair of eyes. (The close-up images included the eyes of males and females.)

After 10 weeks, researchers found the staff put nearly three times as much money into the honesty box when they were being "watched" by poster eyes, compared with images of flowers. (Male eyes seemed to bring in the most cash.)

So, how could just a picture have this much influence on behaviour? "We think the effect was subconscious -- many people admitted not having noticed the images after the study was over," said Melissa Bateson, lead researcher of the study published in the journal Biology Letters. "We know our brains are tuned specifically to process faces and eyes, probably because knowing whether someone is watching you is so important."

The researchers think their findings could be used to help control "antisocial" behaviour. Some day, the eyes of "Big Brother" might stare down at you from road signs and other public places to encourage compliance with the law.

PAUL TAYLOR

flower image : love of flowers blossoms forth

She estimates she's shot about 3,000 flowers since 2003, when it all began with a poppy in Brentwood at rush hour. Bloomfield noticed sunlight hitting the roadside flower just so and grabbed her camera.

When she developed the film, her case of poppy love began. “They just spoke to me. They're so feminine and soft and photograph so beautifully.”

She began with poppies, but has since become intrigued with other flora, most recently ranunculus. Her plans include more series of art as well as expanding into a product line of fabrics and home accessories.

Over time, the self-taught photographer has gotten very close to her subject matter literally.

“Now I'm getting more abstract and moving in closer to the flowers very tight,” she said. “Once you start really looking at them, they take on a whole other dimension. There's that unknown beauty in the details.”

Unfortunately, her subjects have a fairly short life span, but Bloomfield said she tries to nurture them along until they start to wilt. But, she said, “The flower's never really dead because its beauty lives on. Its spirit stays alive on the canvas.”

Diana McKeon Charkalis

flower image : Decor in full bloom

Pip Bloomfield has discerning taste. Especially when it comes to poppies. And roses, and tulips and ranunculus.
“The flowers are my models, and each one of them is totally different,” said Bloomfield. “I used to think a rose is a rose is a rose. But you know what? It's really not.”

The Los Angeles designer-turned-artist shoots pictures of flowers with a digital camera, and from those images creates large-scale art that displays both impressions of brush strokes and photographic realism.

Using a magnifying glass, she carefully chooses each subject. To get her models ready for their close-ups, Bloomfield will sometimes even use a blow-dryer to create a windswept effect.

“A lot of them look like fabric, especially the poppies. Sometimes I look at these flowers and I can see people in them. Some of them look like they're ballerinas in tutus.”

In fact, many of her paintings have names that reference their humanlike appearance, such as “Tulip Dancer,” “Mother and Child” and “Bill's Friend.”

Currently, her work is on display at Spago in Beverly Hills and inside the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Actresses Anne Heche and Kirsten Dunst have also purchased her paintings for their homes.

They're popular with interior designers too, including L.A.'s Philip Nimmo, who does both residential and commercial work and is also the senior designer for the Jaclyn Smith Home Collection.

“My clients are in love with her over-scaled white tulips on a black background,” he said. “Her work is classic yet fresh. It's been used to dramatically enrich many rooms I've designed.”

Bloomfield finds her flowers everywhere, from grocery stores to friends' gardens. A grower in Santa Barbara also brings her roses. These


Diana McKeon Charkalis