BARAKAH LIFE handmade

BL December Newsletter

Sydney Tour: Creativity & The Spiritual Path As 2009 is winding down I can’t help but think of the many blessings that (I) Barakah Life received this year. On February 6th 2009 we had our first Creativity and the Spiritual Path event here in the Bay area. The event was co-sponsored with my friend Peter Gould (Azaan ) from Australia. It was designed to be a gathering of creatives to share and connect. We were so pleased with the Bay Area event that we took it to Sydney in November. The Creativity and the Spiritual Path event (CSP) is a passion, a labor of love and an honor to be a part of. For me connecting with those that are passionate about how they live their life and do their work is pure pleasure.  We'll soon annouce details for the next CSP, booked for 21st February 2010, Bay Area, San Francisco.   Special Thank You   Sending lots of thanks to the friends of BL. Lily, Abdul Latif, Ahmed, Sam, Sue, Mikael, Aisha, Diane, Patty, Halima, Homaira, Zak, Haroon, Javed, Hina, Afroz, Tariq, Akram, Haji, Inshirah, Yahsmin, Nazim, Walid, Peter, Chekina, Briana, Habeeba, Sara, Ahmad, Ben & Yusuf, Omair, Mukhtar and Abdullah Ali. Thanks for the photos, edits, writing, inspiration, design work, planning, encouragement, reminders, tech help, floral assistance, web work, bookkeeping, clarity, business assistance and for listening.   New BL Home Products: Coming Early 2010 Barakah Life is happy to share our new home products with you and our philosophy of keeping it simple and making it beautiful. We love all things handmade and hope you will too! Please stay tuned to our website for updates and availability.   Textiles One of a kind hand embroidered Uzbek Suzani wall hangings as well as large vibrant machine embroidered Suzani. Rugs Hand knotted prayer carpets in natural and vibrant colors. Decorative Pillows Pillow covers in Ikat, Damask, Geometric, fresh bright Florals and our special silk Rumi poetry pillows. Vases Modern designs in clear recycled Spanish glass. Earthy thick colored vases in several shapes for flowers and or for candles. Toronto: Reviving the Islamic Spirit Event I'll be at booth 927 next week for RIS sharing with Azaan and next to Haji Noor Deen. Look forward to meeting with some of you there!

Contact khadija@barakahlife.com barakahlife.com

Zaytuna Community Gathering

The last couple of months have been a bit hectic and I have completely neglected posting. In the next few days I'll do a little catch up and post some of my recent projects. Many thanks to those that keep linking to me even through my absence. 

Zaytuna College hosted a community gathering in late October. The San Ramon venue and setting was peaceful and lovely. The gathering itself felt a little like a family reunion seeing so many old friends and Zaytuna supporters.

The event was an opportunity for Zaytuna to outline it's vision and plans for the future of Zaytuna College. http://www.zaytuna.org/

With the event decor I used a color combination that was new to me, purple and chocolate brown. It sounds a bit odd but they look lovely together. With the backdrops and linens I used chocolate and the centerpieces were made with either large arrangements of purple orchids or greens & orchids under water with floating candles on the top. With the larger stage arrangements and the wreaths I also included autumnal colors.

A special thank you to Aisha F. and all the other volunteers.

Eastern Fusion Sydney

Haji Noor Deen

 

The world renowned Arabic Calligrapher from China, Haji Noor Deen, will be in Sydney  as part of the 10-day Eastern Fusion program hosted by Al-Ghazzali Centre.

 Haji Noor Deen will be having an exhibition this evening at the Al-Ghazzali Centre, then tomorrow he will be teaching a calligraphy workshop. Barakah Life will be there as well doing a booking workshop, we'll create a small book that the students can use for their calligraphy. 

Annual Sew Giving

Please join us!

This year we are shifting the dates for our 4th Annual Sew Giving event so that the blankets can be delivered when they are most needed.

Silk Stripe Pin Cushions

In between other things I've been making some small little items to sell at the Eastern Fusion souk later in the year. These pin cushions are made by cutting silk into thin strips and sewing them together. Once the top piece was made I attached it to a square piece of silk for the back.

  

Barakah Life's Web Launch

You can visit our new website at: www.barakahlife.com

Amjad Tarsin

I just received a link to my friend, Amjad's new photography site. I had no idea he was a photographer but it makes sense. He is a soul that radiates goodness and that is what he sees in others.

Amjad believes that by using photography as a tool to convey the beauty of humanity, human beings can increase in love and appreciation for one another. In scenes of life that may appear mundane, the miracle of human beauty penetrates through. All we need to do is see one another through a lens that seeks beauty.

His photos are beautifully clear like there is no camera between you and the image. My favorite is the white stucco domes on the cobalt sky.

http://www.amjadtarsin.com .