Shiney New Blog!

ArtPub Studios, an artist networking group I belong to has recently made some changes for the new year. We've got a brand new site and a group blog that has just been launched. Each member has her own individual blog within the blog and we will also be sharing art related content as a group.



My ArtPub blog will have different entries and content than Tattered Edge* does. I will be talking more in depth about the creative process and working as an artist and will be posting about once a month or so. I have already posted my first entry about setting goals and you can view it by clicking here. (I haven't had a chance to update my Artpub button on the side bar yet!) You'll want to bookmark our blog-there will be alot of cool stuff happening there!



In addition to me, you can also view content from the other members, who include:

Angela Cartwright, Deb Trotter, Deryn Mentock, Kathy Wasilewski, Lou McCulloch, Mary Beth Shaw, Pilar Pollock, Sally Turlington, Sarah Fishburn
Sylvia Luna and Tiffini Elecktra X, each an amazing and talented artist in their own right!



I hope you will enjoy this new site and all it has to offer. I am excited about what we have in the works and look forward to sharing with you!



*Don't worry-Tattered Edge isn't going anywhere! I will still be posting regularly here!

Still Digging Out

The unpacking continues. I am almost there now-there's just some reorganizing of closets and hanging stuff on the walls left to do. I found the box with all my wall quilts in it and I can't wait to get them hung up. It's amazing how a few quilts can transform the warmth of a space.



I haven't seriously quilted in some time, mainly because I went over to the dark side (*giggle*) and got caught up in paper art, but after unearthing some of my fabric stash and seeing my sweet little pincushions again, my hands are itching to delve back into textiles. I have several quilt tops that could be finished if I could commit to going to buy backing and batting. I really should do some finishing before I start anything new. I love all the things I started and they would look fabulous sprinkled around the house. One of the local quilt shops where several of my friends work is having a Pincushion Club where you make a different one every other month. I am contemplating signing up.



Fun stuff is happening with the 12 Days of Xmas Exchange. My mailbox has been full of presents lately and each one is such a temptation. Only 15 more days till we begin opening! I can't wait-the ladies always make such wonderful things and wrap them so beautifully. The whole exchange is so magical. If you want to see what we're up to, pop on over to the blog and check it out. Don't forget to click on the archives-not all of this years gifts show up on one page. (There are 26 in all!)



Okay, that's the report from the studio for today. Off to finish unpacking!

Be It Ever So Humble

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

This is of one of the two little Buddhas I bought for my studio. Just looking at it makes me feel Zen. I am taking a moment to breathe and be still after the whirl wind of activity that was the weekend. We were finally able to move into the upstairs of the house we rented. Believe me, the feeling of relief I feel over this is immense. It's been an incredibly long three months with packing and moving downstairs, surviving the chaos that went with the previous upstairs tenants (who were supposed to be gone before we even arrived, but were not!) and then finally getting up here. I have never spent so much time cleaning and painting! We have now officially cleaned and painted the interior of an entire house, something I hope to never have to do again. Seriously.

The whole thing was worth it though-we have finally landed and the unpacking is about 80% done. My studio is about 80% unpacked as well and hopefully by the weekend, we will be settled in and can finally relax. I am really loving having a dedicated space to cocoon myself up in and work. I haven't had a chance to dig into anything substantial yet, but after the weekend, I have some serious art to make!

I have actually had the best time unpacking my art stuff. I am rediscovering old treasures and it's like receiving the gift of the art my friends have made for me all over again. It's very happy making and comforting to be surrounded by my special things once again. I am someone who loves order and let me tell you, camping out amongst the boxes was not my idea of fun.

So...a new chapter begins in our lives and I think we will be really happy here. I would not have chosen to move, nor the circumstances that made it necessary, however the Universe has provided this opportunity and even if we had to earn it the hard way, I am grateful. I am also grateful the Internet guy got my service up and running finally-I was offline the entire weekend. Every time he said he was coming, he'd call back later and say he couldn't make it. He finally managed to swing by this morning and deal with it. The only fly in the ointment now is that somehow our cable's gone out and we've only got 3 stations. I called to let him know and hopefully this will get sorted this afternoon. My guys love their tv in the evenings and they are not going to be happy if it's not restored PDQ!

Once I get the studio ship shape, I will have to post some pictures. Okay, time for me to get back to unpacking! Catcha later!

Setting Goals

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

The year is beginning to wind down and as is my habit at this point, I start thinking about goals for the new year. I find it really helpful to have a game plan for what I want to accomplish with my art for the year. It helps me decide which projects I want to take on and which ones I will take a pass on to keep from feeling overwhelmed.


Here are some of my suggestions about how to set goals:

1. Put your goals in writing. This dramatically increses the likelihood of achieving them. How can you know what you've accomplished over time if you can't remember what you wanted to do? Writing them down makes them more tangiable.


2. Choose goals that are meaningful.Think about what you would do if you knew you would not fail. Those are the true dreams of your heart. In order to achieve those goals you must feel passionate about them. Don't be afraid to be specific!


3. Remain flexable. Sometimes goals will change over time. For example, I thought this year, I should have one of my goals be to create a portfolio of my work to use as a tool to secure teaching contracts. I later realized that rewriting my CV to reflect my work as an artist was sufficiant. Sometimes goals may get left behind. I have a theory on this: sometimes the journey is more important than the goal. You may find along the way you got to a certain point and that was enough. This is not a failure. Sometimes the learning was in the process so you learned what you needed to and then moved on. This is OKAY!


4. Cultivate a support circle. I can't stress enough how helpful it is to have folks around you who will help you remain accountable for your goals, aid in troubleshooting when you get stuck and celebrate your accomplishments with you. Everyone brings their own strengths and body of knowledge to the table and this can be a powerful resource. You know that old saying "Two heads are better than one"? It's true!


5. Take stock. Throughout the year have pre-set times when you will read through your goals and report in to your support circle. I like to review at 6 months (June, if you are running by the calendar) and then again at 9 (September) and lastly at 12 (December). At the 6 month point, the year is half over and it's a good to see how much you got done in 6th months. This can help motivate you for the remainder of the year. At 9 months, you have 3 months left to work on anything you didn't already get done-make the final push. At 12, it's time to see how far you've come in a year, talk about what worked and what didn't and use that experience to formulate your goals for the new year. It's amazing how sometimes you feel like you didn't get much done, but in reviewing your goals, you will often find you really did accomplish more than you thought. The part I enjoy is seeing how, if at all my priorities changed.


I have found this process to be invaluable in helping me move foreward with my dreams and aspirations. I hope that some of what I've shared strikes a chord in you and moves you to action. Don't be afraid to start living your dreams. The time is NOW!

Again With the Moving!

See this mess? You would never guess that this is actually a bedroom and not a storage locker! This is what I have been living with for 3 months now. It began at the old house with the packing, then when we got here and knew we were going to actually end up upstairs, I didn't unpack except for the essentials. We have been camped out amongst the boxes ever since. I can't tell you how much I miss my things and want to get settled. Almost there...

It amazes me how fast and furious the ideas for art come when you have no studio to work in and your supplies are buried. At the beginning of the year, I bought myself a little Moleskine journal to carry with me so I could jot down the various art related things. The journal has proven very useful in helping me remember ideas I had for various projects. When it's full, I will be buying another.

So what's in mine?

-lists: to-do lists, exchange participants list, lists of things on my wish list, supply lists for classes, swaps I am participating in, publications I have submitted to, movies I've seen, books I've read, songs I want to buy for my iPod

-sketches of artful things I want to make

-snippets of information clipped from wherever

-artful bits off of envelopes I received from artist friends

-return address labels off mail from friends

-idea clipped from magazines of things I want to make or buy

-song lyrics I like

and so on. If I think about it, chances are it's in there!

Right now it's turning into a repository of art ideas that I am having while in moving limbo. I cannot wait to get into my studio and WORK!! December 1st, that's where I'll be, plugging away, getting my hands dirty, music cranked, oblivious to the outside world. I keep teasing my guys that they will be slipping notes under the door begging me to come out and feed them and I don't think that's that far off from the truth! Perhaps I should stock up on frozen dinners now. *grins*

Before I sign off, I wanted to wish all my friends south of the border a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you all have a wonderful, laughter filled holiday and if you are travelling to be with family, a safe journey.

To Life!

"Tree Of Life" by Artist Heather Chisholm

I have wanted to share this painting with you all for the last couple of weeks but the camera was lost in the chaos. I finally located it but the light wasn't right. I feel kind of guilty showing it to you now because it looks so washed out when in truth it is bright and vibrant and has really cool texture work on it. Anyway, let me get to the spirit of this post: the gift.

Two weeks ago, my friend Heather, whom I met when we worked on the crisis line (I was her mentor) and I got together. Heather is a wonderful artist. I always think of her as very spiritual, insightful and playful. She paints and I am so envious of anyone who can paint for real. I don't know if I can or not-I have never had the opportunity to be guided into the world of paint, but I LOVE what she does. Anyway, just before I was going to come home she said something incredible to me. She told me her paintings needed to have a new home and she wanted me to choose one to take home with me. I stood there for a moment kind of bewildered and wondered if I had heard her correctly. So I asked her and yes, she meant for me to have one. WOW!

I stood there for a moment pondering which one spoke to me most. Finally I chose this one. I love the spirals of the branches-I have a "thing" about spirals. I also have a soft spot in my heart for trees and I like not only the texture on this piece (which sadly you cannot see) but also the wispy darkness of the sky. When I look at this, I see the tree has found purchase high up in the crags, grounding itself and finding strength to grow in an improbable place, unfurling itself to the heavens. I think it is about thriving even in difficult circumstances and being true to your nature, no matter what. If I tree can rise up from the rocks, anything is possible. It's mystical and this painting says so much about the friend I know and love. If the colours were true, you would also see that this painting will ease gently into my new studio space. I am very much looking forward to hanging it there.

It's been a long three months with this moving business. I packed up my studio so long ago it seems and now I find myself longing to unpack and rediscover all the wonderful pieces of art my friends far and wide have gifted me with over the years. Each piece is precious to me, for it speaks to me of the love between friends and I see the best of who they are in their work. I always think of art as a small fragment of someones soul going out into the world. It makes me feel really blessed to have a collection of these precious fragments to surround myself with, to be inspired by and to remind me that there is this community of spirit that we share with one another.

THANK YOU Heather, for being my friend and for your endless kindness and generousity of spirit. You inspire me simply by virtue of being who you are. xo

*Apologies for the bad photo. When I get settled, I will take another so you can see it as it was meant to be seen.

Le Voila!

So yesterday was a hugely busy day. It began with my Mixed Media Bracelet Workshop at Place des Arts which turned out to be an enjoyable afternoon. We had a bit of a wrench thrown into the works, but luckily my students were incredibly understanding and flexible and we were able to just carry on and make the best of it. There was laughter, especially when I hammered my finger but good (but hey, I laughed too!) which is always an important part of any workshop and lots of creativity. Thanks Ladies for a lovely afternoon.

When I got home, my husband had dinner waiting and friends had arrived to help us with painting the upstairs. They got started while I made a quick trip to Home Depot to see about the paint for my studio. I took that piece of scrapbooking paper I bought a month ago with me and the nice gentleman at the paint counter had no problem matching it exactly for me, using this machine that reads the colour sample you bring in. (Very cool!) When he had it all mixed, he brought it over and opened the can to show me. I just grinned and said "That right there is happiness in a can!" I don't think he realized how incredibly happy I was to see that paint, the exact colour I wanted and know it was about to go on the walls of my new studio.

I took the paint and headed for the checkout and on the way I was thinking about what great service I had had from Home Depot yesterday. Earlier in the morning, I decided to try calling in a pint order so my husband could get started painting the living room while I was off teaching. They were very accommodating and filled my order quickly and without any problems. I decided to tell the manager how impressed I was with the staff in the paint department. I always like to tell the manager directly because people who show pride and integrity in their work deserve to have someone capable of giving them a raise hear it. I asked the checkout girl if there was a manager available and she got that look like 'Uh oh!" but I smiled and reassured her I wanted to give compliments, not complaints. She got right on the phone and asked one to come down.

And this folks, is where the magic of the universe steps in. The manager came out, we looked at one another and there was instant recognition between long lost friends. Yes, the manager was someone I had not seen in 10 years, someone I really liked and had lost touch with! So we stood there having a super quick catch up and then I got to the part about how great the paint department staff were and that I would not hesitate to buy paint from them again and how nice they were to me. Had I not listened to that little voice inside my head that said "You need to give these folks their due and repay their kindness." this moment of reunion would never have happened. As one of my favourite quotes says (forgive me, I can't remember at the moment who said it) "It's one of the lovely compensations of this life that the more you give, the more you get to keep for yourself." This is the magic of my life, for which I am enormously grateful.

When I got home, the gang had finished painting first coats on some of the other rooms so we broke open the studio paint and got to work. I cannot tell you how much I love the colour and now I am excited to get the furniture in there and get it all set up! It still needs another coat tonight, but YAY!! One step closer to bliss!

Posting On the Fly

Hello all of you out there in blogland. I am still here. My life has been a flurry of preparations for completing phase two of our move. The upstairs of the house is now empty and so we've been cleaning and preparing to start painting today. We're working hard to be moved upstairs before the end of the month. I tell ya, I am becoming an expert in juggling and time management! (Though some days seem harder than others.)



The enjoyable part of all this hard work for me is getting to choose paint colours. I like thinking about what would look nice with our furniture and what kind of feeling I would like to evoke when someone comes into a room. Maybe other people don't consider what a room feels like, but I do. I don't know why, but I am sensitive to colour in that way and living spaces have vibes. I have been in places where I get an immediate "icky" feeling and later realize it had alot to do with the colours of the space. (I am not keen on the electric yellow and black combination of one of the local big box stores here-I will do anything I can to avoid going into those stores.) If you want to test the theory of a room's colour and vibe, visit your local IKEA store and wander through all the "rooms" they have on display. There are some I could happily move right into and others that do nothing for me and I am sure you will find the same thing. It's food for thought.



This move has been a long haul and very trying at times but what's keeping me going is that I know ultimately we will be happy once we are settled in our new home and I am going to have a new studio space to call my very own! I keep teasing my guys that they are going to be slipping notes under the door, begging me to come out and feed them. *grins* I can see myself losing all track of time in my own little world.



I am off this afternoon to teach at Place des Arts, which I am looking forward to. This is my last class for 2007! It's been a busy year and I am grateful for all the wonderful teaching opportunities that have come my way in the last 11 months. Teaching is so personally rewarding for me-I get so excited sharing what I love with others and seeing their own creativity catch fire. My friend Heather sent me the sweetest note after I posted my teaching schedule update to my Yahoo group. She said:


"Lelainia,


These are beautiful course offerings you are doing here. I really admire your wild, pioneering creative spirit. I'm not sure why, but I always makes me happy to see you adding your creativity to the world. It's very inspiring.

Love Heather"



Heather and I met years ago. I was her mentor when she joined the crisis line. She's an incredible painter (she's the one who gifted me with one of her paintings two weeks ago which I will share when I find the camera) and a sweet and kind spirit, so these words mean alot. It also gave me a wonderful idea which I will share with you in a later post.



I hope everyone is having a good weekend. I have to run, but I'll be back soon, promise!

This 'N That

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Word has it the a project I participated in a year ago, Faux Family Album, which was hosted by Laura has been published in the current edition of Somerset Memories. I haven't had the chance to see it yet, but congrats to Laura and the rest of our group! Pictured above was my contribution. I ended up using an old photo of a real relative of mine (shhh!), my uncle Barry who was an RCMP officer. (He's retired now.) On the reverse of the page we wrote the story of the person so I made a "real" telegram as if he had sent it home from depot. (RCMP training in Saskatchewan.) I thought it would be fun to inject some Canadian life into the project.

I really wanted to share the painting a friend gave me for my new studio with you, but the whereabouts of the camera eludes me at the moment. I will have to ask my son if he knows where it is when he gets home and hopefully tomorrow I can show you.

In the meantime, it looks like we will be able to complete our move by the end of the month. Last night we started prepping the upstairs for painting. I went to IKEA and scoped out light fixtures for my studio. There's just a bare bulb in the studio now (ICK!) and I wanted to get some ideas for what I might do to change that. I saw some pretty hanging lamp shades that go with the colour I will be painting the walls, but I also saw this cool chandelier that reminds me of a silver crown. I think I will wait to decide till after the walls are painted. The great thing is both are very inexpensive so I could actually buy both, try them out, decide which one I want to keep and then return the other. I am enjoying thinking about feathering my creative nest.

It's been an interesting week so far, one that has me mindful of just how great my friends truly are. I am so thankful for the people in my life who make me laugh, support me in everything I do, look after me when I need a "big sister", offer advice, send me thoughtful emails and cards, listen to me when things are less than steller, celebrate my accomplishments and inspire me on every level. I really am surrounded by phenomenal women. (And a few good men!) All of them make my life better, simply by being in it and I am grateful.

Okay, I must run-today is the mailing out deadline for the 12 Days of Xmas exchange and I have a dozen presents to finish wrapping and deliver to the post office. Time's a wastin'!

Workshops for the New Year

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Things have been crazy busy here lately. It looks like we should be able to complete phase 2 of our move by the end of the month, so I am gearing up for lots of wall painting over the next couple of weeks and daydreaming about my soon-to-be new studio! I can't wait! Making it even more exciting is the fact that I have elected to take the entire month of December "off" so I can have some personal creative time in my new digs.

In the meantime, I have been booking workshop dates well into the new year. Here is a partial list of those that have already been confirmed:

Mixed Media Button Bracelet

Date: November 18th, 2007

Location: Place des Arts, Coquitlam

(My last class for 2007!)

Tattered Edge Art Exhibit

Date: January 2-Feb 29, 2008

Location: Poirier Library, Coquitlam

Exploring the World of Mixed Media & Altered Books

*FREE!*

Date: January 31, 2008

Location: Poirier Library, Coquitlam

*Seating is limited for these programs, please call 604-937-4155 to register.

An Artful Life:Mixed Media Journalling On the Go!

*FREE!*

Date: February 7, 2008

Location: Poirier Library, Coquitlam

*Seating is limited for these programs, please call 604-937-4155 to register.

Altered Books, Condensed

Date: February 23, 2008

Location: Place des Arts, Coquitlam

Through the Looking Glass

Date: June 22, 2008

Location: Place des Arts, Coquitlam

For class descriptions, please click HERE.

In Remembrance

On November 11, 1999 Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store's PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the veterans who have sacrificed so much for us. Terry was impressed with the store's leadership role in adopting the Legion's "two minutes of silence" initiative. He felt that the store's contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable.

When eleven o'clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the "two minutes of silence" to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. Terry's anger towards the father for trying to engage the store's clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was later channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, "A Pittance of Time". Terry later recorded "A Pittance of Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream".

Please take a few minutes to watch this beautiful tribute.

Click here to view.

And a moment more to honour those serving now.

Click here to view.

Lest We Forget

Catching Up

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Yes, I am still alive. I've just been feeling under the weather with some fierce headaches the last couple of days, so I've been laying low. I did however want to post a reminder that I will be teaching my mixed media button bracelet at Place des Arts on the 18th of November. If you are interested in this workshop, I think there may only be a couple spaces left, so you'll want to register soon!

In the meantime, if you need a dose of magic, head on over to the 12 Days of Xmas blog. The artists in this exchange have been busy in their studios making gifts for one another. I will be updating this blog right up to and including Christmas Eve, so check back often. Speaking of the 12 days exchange, I was thumbing through the current issue of Somerset Studio today. I had heard through the grapevine that my name was mentioned in an article by Deb Denton with regards to a project I participated in last year. After I read Deb's article, a few pages later I saw my name mentioned again in Deryn Mentock's article about her ornament exchange. *blushes* How funny-I had no idea! I was very surprised to have two mentions in one edition. Thanks ladies!

Alright, that's all I've got for now. I have a cup of tea waiting for me, thanks to my sweet husband. Tea, my sweetie and a good lineup on TV, just what the doctor ordered.

Thoughts On A Rainy Day

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Since I am lacking in anything terribly exciting to tell you, I thought I would share with you some of the things I have been enjoying in cyberland lately.

Pincushions

Vintage Aprons

Apronista

Kirin Notebook

I seem to be on a textile bent lately. It's funny how you always come back to your roots and mine is in textiles. Funny really, when you consider I was the girl who flunked sewing class (yes, I sure did-hated every blessed minute of that class!) and also stunk at math. I have 15 years of quilting under my belt now and once I learned the ins and outs of the Imperial system (I was raised on metrics remember-I am Canadian!) I was like a duck to water. Give me some fabric and a rotary cutter and I am good to go-no pattern necessary. I love designing as I go along.

I think part of the reason why I love paper collage so much is that in a way, it's the pulling together of a variety elements to create harmony, much the same skills used in quilting. I get such a sense of deep satisfaction when I finish something, stand back, look and think "Yeah, I like that. It works."

I come from a long line of "makers"- a carpenter, a painter, a quilter, a seamstress, an inventor, a blacksmith. When I engage in creating, it makes me feel close to those that came before me, as if for a moment or two all those people live and breathe through me and into my art. I believe when we create, we settle fully into who we really are. There's a sacredness in the works of our hands and of our hearts.

There's an old Shaker saying that I love. It goes like this:

"Whatsoever the hand finds to do, the heart shall go forth in unison."

and as the great Leonardo Da Vinci put it:

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."