Studio Thoughts

Hi Gang! I am still alive, though barely. I'm still sneezing and stuffed up and just generally miserable with this cold. I am also still packing. I can't believe that once upon a time I had our entire house packed up in 24 hours flat. Those days are gone, let me tell ya! I've been cleaning stuff out as I go-getting rid of the excess and junk and only packing what we want or need. It's amazing how much stuff had gone out of this house already. Some has gone off to friends who will make good use of it, some to charity and some in the garbage. I also bought a paper shredder and let me tell you, it's the greatest thing! I take it into the room I am working in and shred as I go. Makes a huge difference in the volume of paper I am getting rid of and once it's shredded, it can go in the recycler. YAY!

I am still reading through "Organizing Your Craft Space" while I dream about how I will create my new studio space. So far, according to their quiz, I hover between being an Idealist and a Guardian with my decorating style. The Idealist fills her studio with sentimental things and furnishes it with cotton and eclectic furniture. The Guardian creates a sanctuary of her workspace and loves small drawers and an abundance of bookshelves to showcase works that inspire her. Yes, that sounds about right. Then I did the personality assessment and my scores indicated I was a "red". LOL! As if there was every any question of this! Reds are hard workers, solution oriented and their strengths are power and knowledge. Reds are analytical in their organization and will find the most logical place for everything to be stored.

I am trying to decide what colour to paint my studio. I love red but I don't think I can work in a red room, even if the red were only one accent wall. Ditto for vintage aqua. I would like something warm and inviting and am leaning towards a shade of light mocha...any suggestions?

I am also curious to know what things make your work spaces special. Please comment here or point me in the direction of pictures of your space-I would love to see! Don't be shy! Do any of you have a cozy chair in your studio for sitting in to read? I am thinking of getting one for mine. I saw this black leather chair on TV the other day that the seat lifts up and there's storage underneath. While I hate leather (it's not cozy at all!) I wonder if I could find something similar in another material? Of course I have IKEA 5 minutes away so that's a good place to start. I just liked the idea of the clever storage option.

So...not much art happening here at the moment. I know any second now I am going to have withdrawals. Next weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving so I have to try and keep the kitchen as tidy as I can as we're having company. When we planned it, we had no idea we would be preparing to move. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball...but we still have plenty to be thankful for.

From a Land Down Under

For the last couple of days, we have been hosting a young man from Australia at our home. My husband called me on Sunday after our son's rugby game to see if it was okay with me if we take on a billet for a couple of days. At first I was surprised he would even ask me such a thing-after all, we are in the middle of preparing to move and the house in in chaos but he said the team really needed some families to step up so I said okay.

On Tuesday, my son's team played the Australians and got slaughtered 80 to 1. The rugby programs in Australia are very serious and the kids train as if they are going professional. (As indeed many of them are.) It was all in good fun though and no one was upset by it. Afterwards, my son came home with our billet, Cameron.

Cameron is absolutely delightful. He's 17, incredibly polite (which goes along way in this house) and wonderfully personable. (A reputation of Australians that is well deserved.) His parents have raised a fine young man.

Last night we took him downtown for dinner at one of our favourite eateries. Afterwards, when we got home, he gave us gifts for hosting him. He had a cool rugby jersey for our son, a team tie for my husband and a shirt from his dad's company, (His dad is a hot air balloon pilot) some photo cards taken from his dad's balloon and a beautiful glass cheese plate and knife for me. We weren't expecting gifts, but it was a lovely gesture.

Today I drop Cam off at one of the local high schools and he and his team will be off to Kelowna for another game this afternoon. We will miss him. He was only here a short time, but he fit seamlessly right into our family. He will always be welcome in our home, should he decided to visit Canada again and we have all promised to stay in touch.

In other news, I am sick as a dog having had allergies that morphed into something else. My head is swimming and I don't know how much progress I am going to manage on the packing today. Murphy's Law dictates that when you have a big important job to day, you will inevitably come down with something. I am off to drown in tea.

Adventures in Teaching

So yesterday I went out to Maple Ridge to teach a private class at Helen and Paul's farm. Helen invited me for lunch so I arrived at noon and shared their mid-day meal with them, which was yummy. Helen's husband Paul has lived on their farm all his life. He was telling me that when his grandfather bought the land it was a dollar and acre. At that time that was a mint. When Paul was growing up, adjoining parcels of land were $300 an acre, which was still steep for the times. Now land in that area is going for $100,000 or more!
After lunch, Paul went out to work on repairing one of his tractors and Helen and I got down to making a mixed media button bracelet. As you can see from the table, we had fun making a mess!

Helen did a great job and this is the finished piece. I loved all her photos of herself as a kid-they were perfect for this project and she's a natural with wire.






After class, I put rubber boots on and we headed outside to see the animals. They have Patches the guard donkey, two horses, goats, sheep, chickens, cows and two dogs. There are a number of old barns, (one of my most favourite things ever!) the original carriage house and a house built in 1921 with very interesting architectural features. I especially liked the scroll work on it.




This is the new barn where the cows sleep. It's huge. In case you were wondering, it did not smell. Not at all! The barns were so clean I didn't smell a thing! The cows were in for dinner and milking at 4 p.m. Helen and Paul and their son Matt milk 40 cows twice a day and their milk is sold to Dairyland. (The big dairy company in BC.) Matt said they produce a 1000 litres a week.
This is one of the baby cows. They are adorable. There were lots of babies and Helen said we would feed them.

This baby I fed with a bottle (unfortunately the photos came out blurry) and it was so crazy to get the milk, it yanked the bottle out of my hands. Milk was everywhere!! (All over the calf, all over me!) I tried three times to pick the bottle up again but it was wet and slippery and kept sliding out of my hands. Meanwhile the calf was bawling and going crazy because it was hungry. Paul finally managed to pick the bottle up and I finished feeding this one.

The next one I fed, Fabio (they all have names) was fed from a pail. It wasn't the brightest critter-he kept submerging his head to the bottom of the pail and almost drowning himself in the milk. Pretty comical. I fed several more calves with pails. It was funny how some ate like little hoovers, almost knocking the pail out of my hand and others would drink so daintily.

This is one of the receptacles where the milk goes after it's collected from the cows. The milking is done with machines. Helen explained that the new machines go on the cow and there's a digital monitor that shows how much milk is being collected. When the cow runs out of milk, the machine senses this and lets go. It's the coolest thing! Matt puts it on the cow and then walks away while it milks to prep the next cow in line. It takes about 45 minutes to milk 40 cows. Matt let me hook one of the cows up for milking. I was a bit nervous because earlier in the day one of the cows had kicked him in the face, giving him a wicked nose bleed and let's face it, these are BIG animals. But, not being one to shy away from learning something new, I got in there and got the job done! I asked Helen and cows are not kickers nor biters generally speaking-the cow that kicked Matt must have been having a bad day. One thing I noticed is that even though the barns were open and it was raining, it was very warm inside. The heat was coming from having all those big animals in there.




This is where the milk ends up. It's a giant refrigerated drum that cools the milk and holds 4 days worth until Dairyland comes in to pick it up. The milk is gently agitated inside the whole time to prevent separation. There is a hole in the wall of this room where the truck puts a hose through and hooks into this drum to pump the milk out. Before the milk even leaves the farm, it's tested to ensure it's safe.
After we fed all the calves, Paul asked if I would like to drive his big tractor and of course I said yes. I love tractors, John Deeres being my favourite. So I climbed up into the cab and Helen and Paul squeezed in too. Then I realized it was a stick shift and I don't drive stick. I told Paul he could do the stick and I would steer. Now keep in mind, he's facing backwards and he's shifting. It was comical! Especially since I don't have a clue how to work the clutch and let it out way too fast. *giggles* We drove down to a lower field to drop of the trailer we were pulling and then back up to the barns. It was a hoot!
After that it was time for me to head out. Paul brought me some fresh corn and a dozen eggs to take home which was very generous. Helen gave me 15 lbs. of buttons as well. WOW! You know what I will be doing today!!
It was the most lovely day. I can't tell you how great it was to be on that farm. I didn't think of a single thing except what I was doing in that exact moment. It's amazing to think you can be driving in the midst of what has become a built up residential area, take a quick turn down a partially hidden gravel road and in less than a minute are surrounded by pastoral farm land with a spectacular view of the Golden Ears mountains. It's truly a little piece of heaven.
The Laitys are a lovely family-kind and generous, warm and friendly as farm folk are. It was almost like being home in Manitoba for an afternoon, if not for the mountains. I was grinning like an idiot the whole time and I came home filthy but with a happy heart. When my husband saw the fresh eggs in my trunk he was very excited. There's nothing he loves more than farm fresh eggs. I noticed the kitchen smelled like fried eggs this morning, so he went off to work well fed!
Thank you Helen for this amazing opportunity. I had the best time and I hope you enjoyed your class. Thank you also to your men for making me feel so welcome and for taking the time to teach me about the workings of your farm. I truly enjoyed every second of it.
Today I am grateful for the unexpected doors art has opened for me.

Upcoming Classes

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Hi Everyone! So the packing has begun in earnest. I can't tell you how odd it feels to be dismantling my workspace here. The lovely part about it is that as I pack each piece of art that lives in this space, I think about the artist friend who gifted it to me. It's like having a visit with each of them as I go along. I know that this same feeling will happen when I unpack and set up my studio space at the other end. There's something to be said for surrounding yourself with art that is meaningful to you. Each work I've been given came with a small piece of that friend's heart and soul and I treasure each and every one.

At the same time, I am busily preparing for the Art-2-Go Conference for the BC Art Teacher's Association. They have the class schedule posted now for those of you who are local teachers and are planning to attend. My workshop is on the 19th if you are looking for it and listed under "L. Lloyd".

Just a reminder that if you are looking for classes locally, I will be teaching a mixed media button bracelet workshop at Place des Arts in November. This bracelet is a variation of my button charm necklace that was featured in the July/August 2007 Belle Armoire magazine. You can register for classes at Place des Arts online or by phone. (The original post about it is here.)

I am also offering two FREE workshops at the Poirier Library in January and February. Those classes are well and truly FREE but you must call to register as seating is limited!

If you are interested in booking private workshops or conference worhshops, I would be happy to discuss it with you. Please email me enquire.

So...I am keeping pretty busy and trying to fit some personal art time in here and there. Right now I am making some more handmade Moo cards. They are so addictive and I love working small. It's also a great way to use up all the bits floating around on my desk.

I also bought "Organizing Your Craft Space". I mentioned it before when I first borrowed it from the library. It has wonderful photos and a ton of helpful ideas about how to make your space work for you. I thought that since I am moving and will be working on creating a new and improved space, I should own it. I like to use 3M tabs to mark the pages and ideas I like. Most of my books and magazines have these tabs sticking out all over. I also have a binder with pages torn from old issues of art magazine tucked inside page protectors with things I found particularly inspiring. I refer back to these things when I feel stuck creatively and it always helps. Anyway, is you are looking for a book that will help you make your workspace more user friendly space, this is it!

Okay, off to fill another box. Stay tuned for my adventures down on the farm on Monday!

Randomati

Hello! So much going on here to tell you about. First off, my Artfest confirmation arrived yesterday! (I can't show you what it looked like right now-I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't received theirs yet and might be reading this.) I am very excited about my classes. I was lucky enough to get two of my first choices for Thursday and Friday and then my third for Saturday. I am already thinking about gathering supplies!

Also arriving in my magical mailbox was the necklace I purchased from the lovely and talented Jane Wynn. The patina on this piece is amazing and it's just gorgeous on. I have already worn it once and it got lots of comments about how beautiful it is. (Not to mention it goes nicely with my green eyes!) Thank you Jane! This is destined to become a family heirloom.

In other news, one of the big changes in my life in the next little while is that I will be moving next month. This was not in the plan, however I am choosing to look at it in a positive light. It means a fresh new work space. October is going to be a hugely busy month. There is Canadian Thanksgiving for starters, then I am teaching a workshop at the BC Art Teacher's conference, then my husband's birthday, followed by our 17th wedding anniversary and my favourite holiday, Hallowe'en! Somewhere in there, I need to clean, pack, paint, move and unpack! It's going to be crazy busy.

Speaking of new work spaces, I have been giving alot of thought to my creative space. I really believe that space is sacred and I am going to work hard on creating a studio space that feels more inviting when I get to our new place. To that end, I purchased a small Buddha statue yesterday. I have been looking for one for quite some time and happened across one in my travels yesterday. I have always thought having one in my studio space would remind me to become peaceful and centered as I enter my studio. When I worked at the crisis line, one of the things we learned to do was to leave all our personal stuff outside the door to the phone room. I think this is a good idea when I enter my studio. It's hard to get into a creative groove when you are upset or angry or worrying over something. It splits your focus and steals energy from what you are trying to do. My goal over the next little while is to become more present and mindful of this. I want my time in the studio to feed my spirit.

I was thinking I might have a little virtual "studio warming" party once I get settled, but I want to mull over how that would work.I have some ideas and I think it might be fun! Party favours anyone?

On Monday I head to the farm to teach a class and and then later milk a cow. I can't wait! It will be a nice break from the stress of thinking about moving. I just love teaching and I am sure we will have a great time! Just think of me tromping around the farm in my husband's rubber boots. *giggle* Now there's a visual!

One more very important thing: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet friend Liz. I hope that all the good you bring to the world comes back to you tenfold. You are precious and such a blessing in my life and I adore you. The world is a better place simply by virtue of you being in it. XOX And CONGRATULATIONS on your art being published in Arte-ed-anima!! That is fantastic news!

In My World

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Time for another list!

Reading: Still working on The Secret of Lost Things. It's highly unusual for me to take more than 2 days to read something but things have been so hectic that I have been falling into bed exhausted and I am out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I am about to start reading "In This House" by Sarah & Angela which I requested my library to purchase. It's just came in and I get to be the first to read it! YAY!

Watching: Not a whole heck of alot-I am waiting for the season premiers (like everyone else!) of all of my shows. The only favourite that's on right now is Rescue Me, which is keeping me amused.

Listening: Duets: An American Classic by Tony Bennett. I like Tony-you can hear the smile in his voice when he sings. That's a rare thing. My son happened to catch part of his duet on the Emmys the other night and later asked me what that song was because he liked it. Cool!

Drinking: Can you guess? Yup! Chai! The cooler weather of fall is apon us so there's nothing better than a warm chai to go with it.

Anticipating: My Artfest confirmation in my mail box this week. *fingers crossed*

Dreaming: I am dreaming about new furniture for our dining room thanks to the new Ikea catalogue. I got it yesterday and already it has post-it note flags marking all the pages with things I would like to buy! When they built an Ikea 5 minutes from our house, my husband was threatening to move. I love Ikea!

Doing: Prepping for my trip to the dairy farm next Monday to teach a private class. I can't wait!

Creating: I am working on my gifts for the 12 Days of Xmas exchange. I have alot of work to do so I thought I would start early. I am also working on my handmade Moos-they are addictive. Liz made some really pretty ones.

Art Supplies I Am Diggin' Right Now: Crayola's Total Tools Staple-free stapler. I love how with one click of the stapler it makes a paper notch that holds pages together plus it stamps stars around the notch! It's really cool. My son was stapling like a mad man trying to figure out how the mechanism worked. (I was pretty intrigued as well.) That's fun for $5!

September Morn

Hi Everyone! *Waves* Hope this finds you all well. My life is crazy busy now with lots of changes afoot. If my posts in the next little while become a bit sporadic, that's why. I will post as often as I can, but just in case, know I haven't abandoned you-I'm just taking care of business.

Sometimes it's challenging juggling all the hats I wear. My friend Pilar asked me the other day how I do it and the answer is "I don't really know." It's the god's honest truth. I guess on some level it has to do with being an Aries and being able to organize and delegate effectively, along with having an undeniable drive to accomplish things, but beyond that, who knows?! I just get up every morning and do what I do without giving much thought as to how. It also helps to love what I do.

I am currently camped out by my post box anxiously awaiting several goodies to arrive, the least of which is my Artfest confirmation! They have pretty much all gone postal so mine should be arriving sometime this week. I am dying to find out which classes I got and to see what's special about this year's confirmation package.

I am also waiting for that amazing bee necklace I purchased from Jane Wynn to arrive. You can bet there will be much squeeing when it does turn up! I can't wait to hold it in my hands and try it on. There are a few other goodies on their way so it should be a very magical mailbox over the next 10 days or so. I can't wait! I love getting mail.

In other news, fall is upon us. The weather has been glorious-some days sunny with clear blue skies, though cooler and others, definitely cool and crisp. The leaves are beginning to turn and the days are getting shorter. I love the wind at this time of year and my squirrel buddy is busy running hither and yon collecting food for the winter. It's almost time to dig out my sweaters. This is far and away my favourite time of year. My spirit always feels joyous during Autumn. I hope yours does too!

Down On the Farm

This morning I am so excited about a private class I am going to be teaching in two weeks. It is the most unique teaching opportunity I think I have ever had. I will be going out to a local dairy farm, having lunch there and then teaching a class. Afterwards, we will go out to the barns for the afternoon milking of 40 cows. I will be able try my hand at milking a cow and feed a calf. How cool is that?!



I grew up on the Canadian Prairies (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and yet have never done this, if you can believe it. The most up close and personal cow experience I have ever had involved being amidst a stampede of cattle on the loose when I was about 10.



My Gram, my brother and I were sitting on the steps at the front of the house on her rural property in the middle of summer, having Popsicles and talking when we saw this man standing out on the highway in front of the house hollering and wildly waving his arms at us. He was Ukrainian or Polish (as alot of Manitobans are) and with his thick accent we could not make out what he was yelling.



Next thing we know there are about 100 cows all around us, going full tilt through the front yard. Some stopped to much the hay bales stacked on the one side of the house. (On the prairies, on the farms, folks often pile hay bales on the wind exposed side of the house as a windbreak and for added insulation against the cold.) The rest took off down the back acreage, trampling anything in their path, the farm workers in hot pursuit on foot.



Eventually they got them all rounded up and back to the neighbouring farm. Turns out the guy waving his arms had been hollering "THEY COWS ARE COMING!! THE COWS ARE COMING!!" to warn us we were about to get trampled if we didn't stay exactly where we were, up on the front steps. Let me tell you, it was mighty astonishing to come face to face with the beasties like that! Silly thing is, I didn't have the good sense to be afraid. Cows just aren't that scary though I guess had I been trampled, I would have had a different opinion.



Anyway, I like cows just fine and it will be a wonderful adventure to see a dairy farm up close. I often think about our farmers, simply because we have an organic garden and know how hard it is to work the land, even on a small scale. I grew up knowing people who were real farmers and relied on their crops for their income. Our farmers have a tough life-the work long hours, doing heavy physical work, often face daunting financial hardships and yet they love what they do. They work hard every day so that folks like you and I can walk into the grocery store and find something to eat. They really are a the heart and soul of this country and without them, where would we be? I am looking forward to learning more about the workings of a dairy farm so the next time I buy milk, I will know exactly what it took to get it there. I love learning things like that and I love how art opens doors to all kinds of opportunities and experiences!



*Photo taken the the PNE, August 2007.

Thoughs on Grief and Healing

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Yesterday was a quiet day spent pausing to remember all those lost on 9/11 and their families. I have a quilt I designed and created in the wake of this tragedy that hangs in my entryway. Every day I see it as I pass in and out of my home, going about my daily life and I remember. I believe that the simple act of remembering helps to heal our collective consciousness.

The image I posted today is a piece of art I just created for a secret project and I wanted to share it because when I sat down to make it, I had no idea what would happen. Sometimes art is like that-it creates itself. I have an obsession with these little houses I designed and can't quit making them, so that is where I began and this is where I ended up. It's about healing.

The joined hands represents a few things: Grief is always lessened when it is shared, we can only get through it by leaning on those whom we trust and who love us; we must stand by one another-we're all we've got (Thus the number 2.) and it is the simple act of reaching out that comforts and strengthens us in the worst moments. The home represents refuge and safety and the butterfly, of course represents transformation.

It never ceases to amaze me what happens when I get out of the way and just allow the creative process to happen. I hope the recipient of this piece will find comfort in it. It has reminded me what my life's purpose is. Last night as I was falling asleep, the wisdom of the great Mahatma Gandhi resonated through my mind: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

He is right, the best way to dispel darkness is to be the light. Sometimes we think changing the world requires us to do something on a grand scale, when in truth, it is the simplest of acts that make the biggest difference. Even a butterfly can effect change by simply fluttering its wings.

Remembering

Photos taken at Ground Zero, NYC July 2004

In loving memory of Kenneth Charles Ledee, lost September 11th, 2001 and in honour of my precious friends, Carlos & Anna and the Ledee family.

You've left your fingerprints on my heart. My thoughts are with you today and always.

If you are reading this, please click here and take a moment to remember.

Random Acts of Art

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

These little ornies are destined for Iraq. Joanna's niece just got word that her tour of duty over there has been extended so sadly, she won't be home for Xmas. Joanna wanted her have a little bit of home for the holidays and asked if her artist friends would make ornies for the tree she is sending so I made these for her. If you would like to participate, check Joanna's blog for more info.

My friend mentioned this company that has all kinds of FREE stuff you can order and you just pay the shipping. I got on their mailing list the other day and yesterday they sent an email with a bunch of new stuff that was free. I ordered these postcards (100) with all my info printed on the back.

I made and ordered this t-shirt, along with a 140 return address labels, a custom rubber stamp, 25 business card sized magnets and 250 business cards. Shipping came to $17 with taxes included so I think that's a pretty sweet deal. I can't vouch for the quality till I get everything, but it should be here in the next 10 days or so since it's a Canadian based company. I will report back when it shows up and let you know what I think. In the meantime, if you are interested in ordering from them, drop me an email and I will point you in the right direction.

A Bevy of Books

Yesterday was Penn's BBQ and book swap. My guys and I went and had a really good time. There were tons of books to be had and I loved going through them all. Fortunately, no one was interested in the oldies but me, so I was able to snag some really wonderful volumes, among them, several Canadian editions.

You can't really tell from the photo, but The Book of Knowledge is quite thick. When my son saw it, he said "Don't you already have enough knowledge?!" That cracked me up. (In our house, I am known as the "Queen of useless information".) Silly boy-one can never have enough knowledge!

Isn't the spine of this one pretty? I love the designs on old books and the typesets. They just don't make books like this anymore.

This was printed inside the front cover of one of the books. Well said!

This was printed on the back cover of another. I love the graphic. I am so pleased to have these books to page through and use in my art. There is nothing better than FREE books!

The weather was perfect for a BBQ yesterday-blue skies and coolish. It was so lovely eating outside, chatting with friends. In the middle of dinner I realized that this year, we didn't picnic over the summer like we usually do. I guess we just got busy!

After dinner, Penn's husband Bruce treated us to a ride on the miniature train which was a hoot. There was quite a bit of track there so we rode around for a good 10 minutes. Everyone really enjoyed it.

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

I was just uploading pictures off the camera in the very early morning from last weekend's trip to the fair and this one is my favourite. I took mostly pictures of animals inside the barns and vintage tractors. (I love me a John Deere!)

It's been such a busy week that I think I shall relax and do art for the rest of the day...maybe I can even manage to get someone else to cook tonight...

Weekend Update

MMMM! Yummy! I have been dying some fabrics lately using a technique that Penn showed me. This is one of my favourites. When I showed this to Deb last night, she said it reminded her of a nebula. I want to use it for something really special-it's too pretty to waste and I don't think I could ever reproduce it exactly if I tried! (Which is part of the fun-the not knowing what you are going to end up with.)

Has anyone else looked at a copy of the current CPS? I got mine last night and was casually flipping through when I came to Janet Hofacker's sewing ephemera & notion assemblage. My eyes about popped out of my head! This gal is a kindred spirit-I don't know anyone who is as addicted to vintage sewing notions and ephemera as I am! Her piece in this issue made me want to reach my hand into the page and touch every dear little thing. *bliss* I am trying to get in touch with her but so far haven't managed to. It's too bad CPS didn't include some contact info for her, if only so folks could give her feedback on how much they liked her work!

This evening Penn is hosting a book swap and BBQ at the miniature railway where her husband volunteers. I am taking some books to give away and hoping to find a few to bring home. Maybe there will be some good fodder for my art there or something I've been dying to read. The best part is the books are FREE! Take some, leave some-gotta love that!

The weather is glorious here today-cooler and blue skies-absolutely perfect for a BBQ. Have a good weekend everyone!

Big News!!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Okay! I can finally share my news with you! For all of you locals who have asked me time and again for classes in Coquitlam, I will be teaching at Place des Arts in November! (Just in time for Xmas!)

I am really excited about this opportunity to share my love of mixed media/altered arts in my own community and at such a beautiful venue. I will be teaching a workshop on my button bracelet (class sample shown above) which began as a button necklace that was featured in Belle Armoire's July/August 2007 issue. (Shown below)

To view the class description and details, please click here. I believe you can register online or by phone. (To do so, please visit the main Place des Arts website.) Class size is limited so register early to avoid disappointment!

I am also pleased to be presenting a trunk show and workshop at the BC Art Teacher's Association's Art 2 Go Conference in October. I should have more details to share soon. If you are a BC teacher and are planning on attending, I hope to see you there! It's always a pleasure to teach teachers-it makes me happy to know some of the inspiration I share makes its way back into the classroom. I think taking time out to nurture creativity is*so* important!

Anticipation

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Can you smell it? It's coming! Autumn is on it's way! I have evidence-over the weekend as I was out and about, I saw leaves beginning to turn and some were already on the ground. I know technically it's still summer for a couple more weeks, but once labour day hits, I can feel the turning of the season. Autumn is my favourite season and October is my most favourite month. What's not to love-pumpkins, the colours of the leaves, the crisp cool days, the wind, Canadian Thanksgiving, Hallowe'en...I am gearing up for a busy fall and will have some exciting news to share shortly, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, congratulations to my friend Kristen Robinson on her recent publishing successes in several Stampington publications. It's so nice to see her hard work and obvious talent being recognized. Her jewellery is gorgeous people, so do check it out!

I am now "patiently" waiting for my Artfest confirmation. This is the exciting part where I wait for it to arrive in my mail box. It's like Xmas when I finally get to open it to see which of my choices I got and to see what other secret delights it will hold. Last year Teesha mailed them in a clear envelope with super hero stamps on it and included some of her art postcards. The package itself was a small coil bound book-pretty cool! Oh the anticipation!

My vow to get my art space organized was pretty successful. It's mostly there. I have come to the conclusion that there will always be some chaos-I think that's just the nature of what I do. As long as it's manageable, I guess I can be okay with it.

Okay, I had better run-my son is paging mum's taxi and I am still in my pj's!

New Moos!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Ahhh Sunday! I love Sundays. It's the one day of the week I have the pleasure of sharing breakfast with my husband. Usually he cooks for me but if we decide to have pancakes then I cook. It was blueberry pancakes and bacon this morning! MMM! Sundays are usually pretty low key around here so often I just putter in my workspace.

This morning's puttering was finishing up my original Moo cards for the swap. I needed to make six, so these were the last three.

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Here's the whole set. I just need to sign them on the back and then I can put them in the mail. I love working small. I did learn one thing though-sewing machine needles do not like double sided tape. When I sewed the button Moo card, everything was fine. I tried to sew the next one and the needle had become all gummed up with the tape it passed through so the thread ended up getting snagged on the sticky needle. I actually ruined two cards trying to sew them. Lesson learned-in the future, I will either not stick the image onto the card stock and just simply sew it together or I will try using UHU glue stick to glue it and see what happens. (My thought being that the glue stick should dry completely if I give it some time.) I sure have made my share of art "mistakes". Sometimes the things that bungle can be salvaged in some way and sometimes they hit the bin with a resounding thud. Live and learn!

Happy beginning of September everyone! Autumn is on its way!

Small Wonders

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

These are a few of the Moo originals I have been making for a swap. It's been fun creating collages this small. I had a few more made, but they had an unfortunate accident and had to be relegated to the garbage can, regrettably. I am planning to make more and I am going to scan them at 300 dpi so I make some real printed Moo cards from them as well.

I wanted to show you this piece of gorgeous jewellery made by the amazingly talented Jane Wynn. I bought this two years ago at Artfest because I had been watching Jane's progress on it on her blog prior to Artfest. The patinas she achieves are simply beautiful. I chose this one for its colour. Every time I wear it, it gets alot of compliments. I even had a girl at Starbucks ask if she could see it in her hand so she could admire the detail!

At first I was a little taken aback at the word "saviour", but when I checked it in the dictionary for alternate definitions to the obvious religious one, it said "a person who rescues you from harm or danger". This was kind of interesting, given that the image is of a young girl. I decided that perhaps she didn't know her destiny was to rescue someone from harm or danger and how she might do that, whether in a physical or emotional capacity is anyone's guess. This piece remind me that we are all born to greatness and have a destiny to fulfil. One thing I love about art is that it makes you think.

In any case, I am taking the long and winding road to get to the main point of sharing this piece with you. The reason I posted it is because yesterday Jane posted some new pieces for sale on her blog. Again, I have been following her progress on them and when I saw the Pale Green Bee, (the first one shown) I simply had to have it. I am giddy with delight to say that this little piece of artistic wonder will soon find its way into my hands. I cannot wait to see it in person!

I love wearing handmade jewellery. It is always wonderfully unique, but also it means alot to know the pieces I own come from the heart and hands of a fellow artist. It makes the wearing and sharing of it that much more meaningful. I would rather have a handmade piece then store bought any day! Jane, thank you for creating pieces that speak to my heart. I treasure them more than you will ever know.

For those of you who didn't know, Jane has a new book coming out in mid-September called "Altered Curiosities" and you must check it out. You can either order it from Amazon OR pre-order on the sidebar of Jane's blog to receive a signed copy of her book, along with a delightful bookplate on the inside cover and a signed giclee of an illustration she has created especially for this project, called: "The Surreptitious Cicada".