Council: Gatekeeper to Success

Gatekeeper to Success by Caroline

with a Creative Commons License that allows non-commercial use and further remixing provided all attributions are given and a similar license is given on new images. Images used in this remix are all from flickr with appropriate CC licenses:

North Lees track by Roger B.
Gatekeeper by Ben Werdmuller
Gardening Trophy by east_lothian_museums
Glum beardy man by hugovk

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On KaleidoSoul Inner Surprises, Anne Marie has put up a challenge to do a card from a quotation.

I rarely remember exact wordings so I was really glad to see Anne Marie had provided some suggestions of places to look for inspiring quotes. I picked the middle link: The Quote Garden. And was hit right between the eyes by the "Daily Harvest" quote of the day:

Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
~Bill Gates

From this seed the card above grew.

Anne Marie asked which inner voices might be saying this and I heard one I've not named before - Gatekeeper of Success. I was immediately both amused and contented by the play on Bill Gates' name and his status as a successful man. It even gave me the words to search on flickr with.

So the first search I made was for gate and when I saw this one, within a few pages of images, I knew it was perfect. I realised that for me future success and living in the country are inextricably linked - the story is too long to relate now but I have been struggling to sell our house and leave Bristol for several years, actually I no longer feel that I am struggling, but do feel that it will be lovely to live in the country once more whenever that happens. Two of my future self cards are about living in the country.

Then I wondered if I could find a gatekeeper. I wasn't sure if this would be a person or not until I saw the image of a greenman in gold on blue. Who else is a better gatekeeper to the country?

Then I wondered what would signify success? How about a trophy? My first search for champion's cup was a washout - I quickly realised I needed to be more specific and tried silver cup - on the third page I found this classic cup. What's more it is a Gardening Trophy which chimes well with my country ambitions. And I liked the fact that it also said "Young Cup" - I don't want to be too old when I get there!

But back to the quote - how was I to represent the unhappy customer. I did a search for unhappy man and found this "Glum beardy man". He was in grey but I did some image manipulation to make him blue and he became a little like a dull blue version of the gatekeeper himself - I placed him so that he is supporting the gatekeeper.

This all came together very quickly and easily. There were lots of little additional clues that nudged me on - ones that I saw and acknowledged but that to explain would be too cumbersome - the way was littered with synchronicities of names, places and ideas.

Now I've printed out the card and can hold it.

I am One who shows you the way.

I am One who beckons you with both my welcoming and my unhappy faces.
Find the energy work needed whenever you see my unhappy face.

In shadow, I am One who has been pulling you from behind for many a year, now you have turned to see me it'll be much easier to lead you on!

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This feels like a really major card, so thank you very much for this challenge Anne Marie!

Review Xyron Creative Station

Yesterday I got a Xyron Creative Station. I got it because by changing the cassette you can swap between laminating something on both sides to spreading adhesive evenly over one side. You can buy other cassettes too but I've just got these so far.

It comes ready loaded with a laminating cassette. So I also bought a permanent adhesive cassette.

It's the adhesive that I'm most interested in for my SoulCollage® cards.

As all my cards so far have been collaged digitally I've not had to use glue for that part. I have however been having lots of problems with gluing on wrapping papers to the mat boards. Most glues made the paper wrinkle. Spray glue did not - but its horrible to use and quite a few of my older cards are losing their paper backing as the edges peel away despite having used "permanent" adhesive.

Using this machine to apply glue to one surface has been reasonably successful. Only time will tell how well stuck they are. It took some trial and error to get it right so I'm writing up how I did it as much as a reference for me as for anyone else.

The main thing that did not work was putting the wrapping paper through the machine - it wrinkled badly - I therefore had to put the mat board through - the glue does not adhere to it as well as it does to the back of the print outs but I think (hope) enough went on.

The main con against working like this is sheer cost. This is an expensive way to apply glue. But it minimizes the amount of contact I have with glue and as someone who has, in the past, been allergy prone and sensitive to chemicals I like to avoid them as much as possible.

From printout to backed SoulCollage® card:
Here is the mat board having been through the machine.
It comes out of this with a shiny covering on the unglued side and a paper backing on the glued. They suggest using fingers or a spoon to press around the edges - I've also been pressing the mat board itself to improve the amount of glue that sticks to it. You then peel off the clear film.
As the mat board is so stiff its best to roll off the backing paper carefully - this maximises the amount of glue left on the board.

I found that putting the wrapping paper best side down on the table and then positioning the glued board over it was the best way to work with the smallest amount of excess wrapping paper. I did try working with pieces exactly the right size but found it much better to allow a little excess to trim off later.
Here it is from the other side. Wrapping paper now in place.
Now lets put the picture through the machine. Notice that you put it through right side up.
Wind the handle and out it comes. Make sure it has come completely through the machine before cutting it off the roll with the integral cutter. Several times I cut a little bit of white border off.
Once out go through the same process of rubbing around the edges - this helps to ensure that all the spare glue is taken away by the film. Peel the film off.
Then peel off the paper backing to expose the gluey side.
Position on the mount board.


Then trim to get a finished card.


Here are two pictures of the wrapping paper - one with the label.


The card I've been backing here is Plunger and attributions for the images used are available here.

Committee: Plunger

Plunger by Caroline with a Creative Commons License that allows non-commercial use and further remixing provided all attributions are given and a similar license is given on new images. Images used in this remix are all from flickr with appropriate CC licenses:
springs15.jpg by j.s. clark
Victoria Totems by Will Pate
Princess of the Park by cobalt123
Coyote by publicenergy

The little images on the right are also remixes for their credits see:

Council-as-One
Gracious Communicator

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This card was made today in an attempt to find the committee member who leads me to plunge in out of my depth so often. The little cards on the upper right are council cards that I've already made and major guides for this one. These two are Council as One and Gracious Communicator.

I've been adding in appropriate little versions like this most of the time though this is the first card I've blogged with them. I was guided to do this - my guides like me to acknowledge them not just as council members but also as actively guiding various aspects - and it does seem to help.

One of the advantages of working digitally is that its very easy to simply scale down an image to 15% and include it.

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I am One who plunges in where fool's fear to tread. I am Coyote.

I am One who regrets opening her mouth and does not cope well with having coyote as a totem animal.

I am One who feels that I am drowning in this pool of self-induced emotion.

I am One who looks to help from my guides. Council-as-One and Gracious Communicator please help me to speak appropriately, to keep on telling the truth but in ways that communicate more effectively.

In shadow, I am One who doesn't realise when I'm about to put my foot in it. Others see it coming, but I do not.

In shadow, I am One who tries to laugh off my faux pas and makes it even worse.

In shadow, I am One who wants to play dead once I've danced the coyote dance.

In shadow, I am One who reminds you that you've plunged in many times and survived; often reaping huge rewards from your daring. You have thrived on baptisms of fire. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

I am One who would like you to take a deep breath before you plunge in - its so much easier to survive underwater with full lungs!

Celebrations: Birthday Card

Birthday Card by Caroline with a Creative Commons License that allows non-commercial use and further remixing provided all attributions are given and a similar license is given on new images. Images used in this remix are all from flickr with appropriate CC licenses:

• Spitzgogo_CHEN (Nokia 6230i) for the Cake
• Miss Loisy for the Bike
• Jeff Kubina for the Balls
• brokenchopstick for the Bubble

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I have a suit called Celebrations they include New Year, Summer Solstice etc. I'd been planning to do Birthday but was putting it off, then I got a kick to do it when I discovered it was a new friend's birthday on Feb 13th. I looked for images that it was okay to share so that once made I could also e-mail it to her straightaway.

It was one of those cards that practically made itself once I got going. I really like it and using it as a birthday card on the day of its birth seemed to be an essential part of its energy!

Suit: Celebrations
Card: Birthday Card

I am One who celebrates with you now, whatever your age, whatever the occasion.

In shadow, I am one who counts the years and regrets their passing; worrying too much about numbers, comparing the ages of everyone and not putting enough value on experiences.

I am One who wants you to value your time without regret for those moments of non-productivity - the moments of frippery and joy - they are a part of you that needs expression too.

I am One who can inspire great, if transitory, joy in your inner child.

I had been saving blogging this card for a suitable birthday to happen. I had almost sent it straight away to Seena, for the soulcollage.com gallery, as I had just had a brief email exchange with her, initiated by reporting a blank image on soulcollage.com. I do wish I had as it would have been in time for Seena's 75th birthday - (for those who do not know Seena is the creator of the SoulCollage® process)!

I've checked my e-mail folders to see which card it was that wasn't showing - it was "Female Creator" (one of Seena's own) a mysterious aspect of it currently is that the page I've linked to shows the card with two words on it: Creator and North. But if you click on the card to see it larger the words disappear!

New I am One's:

I am One who tells you to trust your intuition to listen to both your concerns and your impulses. You know that no one part is the truth but amalgamated together they tell you what you need to know.

I am One who wishes you well but warns you that the ride ahead will sometimes be over rough ground and you may need your umbrella too. Enjoy both the sunshine and the showers.

In shadow I am here to tickle you once again with the knowledge that your intuition is far greater than you give it credit for - a truly bright spark out of an already bright card!

I am One who wants you to let go of all your feelings of sadness and regret - smile, blow out the candle and make a wish!

Thank you very much to Imedla, of the Greenishlady and Soul Fragments for letting me know how close I was.

Gracious Communicator

Rainbow Council - Gracious Communicator

I am One who will eventually lead you into a much more graceful way of communicating with others.

In shadow, I am one who finds humour too readily without communicating sufficient compassion.

I am One who wants you to curb your sarcastic tongue and your ripostes. You have improved but there's a way to go yet!

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Attributions

This image by Caroline has a Creative Commons license that allows further remixing provided the same license is used for resulting images.

This license requires that all attributions are given whenever it is published.

It is itself a digital remix of the following images available on flickr with appropriate cc licenses:

ionian sunset by Ron Layters

the glow after sunset by DanielJames

Masdevallia veitchiana by Boyd_

The Seer

Rainbow Council - The Seer

I am One who brings you knowledge of other times and other places.
I am One who knows the future in its most likely forms.

In Shadow, I am One whom you deny, scared of the foreboding tides of doom that you detect.

I am One who wants you to be more courageous in facing the future and your foreknowledge of it.

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Attributions

This image by Caroline has a Creative Commons license that allows further remixing provided the same license is used for resulting images.

This license requires that all attributions are given whenever it is published.

It is itself a digital remix of the following images available on flickr with appropriate cc licenses:

Sunset Orchid by Aaron Webb

Amethyst by starmist1

Tomar - Church Entry Canopy Detail - Prophet by wordman1

Creative One

I am One who inspires you to create in many ways.

In shadow, I am one who can go overboard creating and forget that other things need to be done.

I am One who wants you to explore all sorts of different media and to rise to the challenge of this new set of portable cards.

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Attributions

This image by Caroline has a Creative Commons license that allows further remixing provided the same license is used for resulting images.

This license requires that all attributions are given whenever it is published.

It is itself a digital remix of the following images available on flickr with appropriate cc licenses:

20040502 Capitol Reef Yellow Flower by jeroen020

Butterfly by eqqman

Yellow Flourite by jaja_1985

Do you come here often? by baboon'

New format!

Yesterday I ordered some printable tarot card blanks from PlainCards.

This means that I'll need to rework my images to fit in a different format. I've also decided that as much as possible I'll use flickr images with creative commons licenses that allow manipulation which are the only obvious source to me of images I can use, manipulate and then blog.

I've started by remaking my Council-As-One card and also from that designing a card back:


Council-As-One

I am One who is able, if asked, to keep other guides and inner voices focused on their most valuable contributions to you.

In shadow, I am One who DOES need asking specifically - there are no shortcuts!

I am One who wants you to continue to look for more ways in which I can curb your excesses and moderate them via SoulCollage® cards.



Possible card back.

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Attributions

These images are both by Caroline and have a Creative Commons licenses that allow further remixing provided the same license is used for resulting images.

This license requires that all attributions are given whenever it is published.

These images are themselves digital remixes of the following images available on flickr with appropriate cc licenses:


Ephemeral Sea by jahdakine

White Sands by melastmohican

"Honesty" Lunaria also Money Plant by bc anna

Daisy Raindrop by audryjm529

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I've previously blogged about the Rainbow Council subset of my Council cards.

Other Suits

One of the things that I have been drawn to do is make many other suits. Some are ones that are suggested in the SoulCollage® book, others are ones that have emerged as I've worked. I currently have the following non-standard suits:

1. Ancestors
2. Celebrations
3. Dream Cards
4. Future Selves
5. Guardians
6. Past Lives
7. Science
8. Stories
9. Synchronicities
   
10. Witnesses
11. World Events

The reason I've made them separate is that their energies are different and to work with them I need them to feel different. Some of the suits have only got a couple of cards in them, some a fixed number and others grow and shrink as I work with them.

Over the last few days I've started to make dream cards, this is something that is suggested in the book, but what I've noticed is that my dreaming self has a dream and then it processes it and presents me with a name for a new card - this morning I woke up with one in my head "On top of the bed" and this wasn't referring to my current bed at all...

My favourite suit is that of my future selves - two titles in it at the moment are: Lucid Dreamer and Soul Artist. I hope these work! I used to have lots of lucid dreams but recently that's not been happening so I'm hoping to unblock them with this and some of the other things I'm doing.