Aromatic alchemist talks about exotic oils

Information on making artist trading cards, thread sketching and making fabulous frames will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. and on Thursday at noon. (All times are Mountain.)

Marjolaine Walker is a scrapbooking designer in Ottawa, Canada. She will show a few sets of her own artist trading cards as well as demonstrate how to make them. Artist Trading Cards are miniature pieces of art that are traded with other artists.

Eric Drexler will demonstrate thread sketching via printer. A design is printed onto a sticky back stabilizer that can be placed on a quilt top. After stitching, you simply wash the quilt and the pattern and stabilizer dissolve away. He lives in Port Charlotte, Florida.

Designer and crafter Shannon Bielke will show how to make fabulous frames using scrapbooking paper and embellishments. Bielke’s from Payson, Arizona.

Information on how to transform your life, suggestions on how to achieve your dreams and ways to use essential oils will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” on Tuesday at noon and on Saturday at 2 pm.

Author and professional speaker Peter Fogel will talk about reinventing yourself and relates stories and strategies of people over 40 who have done just that. Fogel talks a lot about the importance of humor in our lives for more peace and tranquility. He lives in Del Ray Beach, Florida.

Ruth St. Pierre is an author, educator and speaker, and she says that many people turn themselves into victims of a situation rather than aspiring to reach their dreams. She suggests we become a CPA — this means we Create, Promote and Allow the best in our life as we reclaim our personal power. She’s in Pleasant Valley, Missouri.

Kris Wrede is an aromatic alchemist and natural perfumer in Albuquerque. Wrede will talk about the common uses and some history of some of the more widely used oils and exotic oils in a segment she calls Materia Medica.

Become a CPA

“Create, Promote, Allow” the best in your life

How many times have you heard someone (including yourself) say things like, “I just can’t seem to get ahead.” Or “My husband/wife doesn’t appreciate me.” Or, “It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, nothing ever turns out the way I want it.” Or, “Why does this always happen to me?” Most of us quickly and easily slip into dwelling on what’s missing or lacking, what’s wrong, what’s bad, or turning ourselves into victims of a situation.

We are our own biggest obstacle to CPA. No matter how small or how large the issue may be, we create the energy and set the stage for the type of experience we have. Our thoughts about the situation, the person, or the interaction affect the entire process.

Overview of CPA

We create a life experience through our choices or attitude or mindset.

We promote a life experience when we give energy and attention to something or someone in a specific way.

We allow our experiences of life. It’s far easier to blame circumstances or someone else for the unpleasant or not-so-successful experiences of our lives.

CPA is all about taking responsibility for our life experiences, both positive and negative. If we don’t like what has happened or what is happening, it’s our responsibility to do something with it. Moving from “victim” mind-set to “victorious” mindset requires a series of simple steps. Taking those steps can be hard work, however.

The CPA process — How it works

Step 1 — Be honest with yourself! Acknowledge what’s happening and how you feel about it.

Step 2 — Use the Control/lnfluence exercise to identify areas that are within your personal power. This is key to “taking charge” of your situation. Acknowledging the situation, realistically assessing it and moving on to C/I starts us down the path to a better CPA.

Step 3 — Review your list of what you believe you do NOT have control or influence about the situation. Ask this question: “What pieces of this could I control or influence?” Add those to the left-hand column.

Step 4 — Consider each item in the left-hand column of your list. Identify specific things you could do or say to create, promote or allow.

Step 5 — Determine what risks are involved for each action item. Then determine potential rewards for each action item. Is the risk involved acceptable in return for the benefits you’ve identified? In business this is called “cost/benefit analysis” or “risk/reward analysis” This practice works in our personal life as well!

Step 6 — Prioritize your action items. It’s neither practical nor feasible to do everything at once. You might decide to begin with something small that involves little risk, then move on to other actions based on the results (or lack of it) that you experience.

Step 7— Revisit your list and choose new “power tools” as often as needed.

Step 8 — Enjoy and CELEBRATE your positive results! If the results are not what you want, rework the steps as often as necessary until you Create, Promote, or Allow the best possible outcome.

“Creative Living” is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations in the United States, Canada, Guam and Puerto Rico and is distributed by Westlink, Albuquerque.