Red and White

If you ask someone in Turkey, ''What does it mean red and white to you?'', then you'd get quickly this reply ''The colors of our national flag. Turkish Flag''. A japanese would also reply the same:)

Below is my artwork with theme of Turkish Flag: A crescent moon and a star on a red background (literally Moonstar). Designed by my own and completely hand-made for an exchange with Tina from Illionis, USA. What a foresight that Tina, too, picked another topic of Red and White, and made this gorgeous St Valentine card for me. Here are our art pieces for your review:

Early this year I joined into an adventure with fiber and paper: Art Journey;) with Art2mail, as I mentioned in a previous post. Above piece is coming from that series of this journey. It's indeed fun and creative small pieces of art. The topic in my group was free-form. My preference was Turkish art and culture. I captured several images related my theme, and reflected them into my cards. Time to time I am planning to display my cards when it is related to the topic of my post. So stay tuned in:)

Going on more red and white... It can be associated with love and purity by another one. To me, it recalls many things: be the color of a loving heart, official brand colors of Coca-Cola, the specific colors of Christmas and New Year beginning, naturally the color of blood, and symbol of a charity, why not? List of replies can be longer over my expectation.


We give our time and energy to make others more aware of an issue or a problem. We can even use our skills. We can give our own money and sometimes even give our own blood. And it does. As long as there have been people on the earth and if we want to make it a fair place, we must help each other out, looking after those who are in need.

While you might be used to helping out your friends, sharing your money or giving time to help, but what about helping people you don't know? It is easy to create a charity work and put some action into place. So it takes more than one person to make a difference and how vital we are making that happen!

So I see that it's not just only rich people, but celebrities, companies, the public or adults... everyone dedicate themselves to make a difference in others' life. Helping to put smiles on face around the world and helping for those less fortunate than ourselves. I think that it should be the main target of our life. What the most essential point in my life is always trying to be a ''giving hand'' than a ''receiving hand''. Nothing can be changed with, but the beauty of this smiling girl.


To speak for myself, I try my best to be in touch with some Turkish charities like Mother Child Education Foundation as much as I can. So they come to pick our used clothes, many books in order to donate to the people who are in need. Every year around this time, I prepare a big parcel of new supplies -notebooks, pencils, stickers, reading books etc- and deliver it for any poor family who has difficulties to educate their kids. If a small hand can use the stuff I delivered, and I can make him/her a little bit happier one, then my happiness would be inmeasurable, no doubt.

You might be interested in reading Lisa's story here to see the light in the darkness. A good story telling the human connection.

Here are some causes that charities work to support:
* Animals
* Education
* Art
* Victims of disasters
* The environment
* The elderly
* Poverty

There are lots of different ways of helping to make positive changes. Here are other ways that people give charitably:

* Giving time to help out
* Lending support-like shopping for someone else
* Raising money-like a sponsored event, concerts
* Writing letters or speaking out on behalf of someone
* Adding the voice-like signing a petition
* Sharing the skills and talents-like Clare's initiative

Organising the action of the charity, giving their life to the cause they believe in... most started from the same point. You don't have to go that far though: my friend Clare, originally from UK but living in France, supports for Quilts4Leukaemia Organization making the Quilts -a type of bed covering with patchwork technique- for the kids/teenagers who are suffering from this disease. She is not alone, but extremely being helped by other skillful and thoughtful women all over the world providing quilt blocks in the colors of Red and White.


As an additional info about patchwok stated in my previous post; playing with colors, fabric selection, drawing a block pattern, symmetry, geometry -I like too much!-, creative mind and unexpected surprises... each one of those steps has got lots of fun in patchwork. If I find enough time from my daily routine, I enjoy playing with it as well as visiting patchwork exhibitions. Briefly, a kind of therapy and relaxing can be found in patchwork or even in any other hobby:)

To prevent any possible misunderstanding, maybe you are wondering if I'm a quilter? No! If I am a Quilt-cholic? No! I've never signed such a Quilt Project. However I like to be a ''supportive helping hand'' of Quilt Projects providing a block -just similar the one about Clare's action-. In my spare time, I am able to realize mostly ''Little Patchwork Projects'', which requires less time from me: such as wall-hangings, potholder, fiberart cards and table-centres, that's all. I always find impressive those patchwork studies and the perfectly made color & fabric combinations by talented women all over the world. In other words, I'm a real life-cholic:)

Last year on september, I supported Clare's organization with my hand-made two-blocks of 8.5 inches unfinished plus their name labels for the backside. Above and below are my blocks and finished Quilts by Sophie and Rachel. The following Quilt is contributed with a number of countries like Japan, Australia, Turkey(me), Italy, Finland, UK, Germany and USA.


Perhaps it is a sad story or a happy one, however, we all share same special qualities, love and hardwork. From the donation of those Red and White Quilts made by the Quilts4Leukaemia, it is displaying an example of international solidarity of women joined by a common interest. I sincerely congratulate all those concerned in the preparation of the Quilts which reflects all these beautiful emotions and deep thoughts. (Ladies) Do not hesitate to support Clare. Hope to see more successful works.

Change the World? I know each one of you can (both Ladies and Gentlemen). Give it a try in any way for a serene and beautiful world!