Weekend Finds

So my son wandered into my studio early Saturday morning to say good morning to me. He peeked out my window and said "Hey mum, there's a garage sale across the street."

"Really?!?" (I thought he was kidding.)

"Yes!"

"Wanna get dressed and go see?"

""Yeah, okay." (He likes garage sales and swap meets as much as I do.)

So we went over and they were about 3/4 of the way set up, so I think we were the first ones there. I spotted this doll head, pictured above and had to have it. It's 8 inches tall by about 5 inches wide and fairly old. I think she needs a crown, don't you? She'll be good company in the studio.

I also found some very vintage kewpie dolls (which I somehow ended up collecting awhile back) so I snatched those up too. You just never know what treasures are lurking in your neighbourhood.

In other news, I happened across Amos Lee's music this weekend and I am *IN LOVE* with this album. It's fantastic-everything about it makes me happy. It's going to be the soundtrack in my studio for the next while. When I find music I like, I become a little obsessed with it-I will play it non-stop for days. The Be Good Tanyas' last 3 albums were my most recent musical obsession. I listened to their music for 3 months solid. I can see you all shaking your heads, but that's how I am with music that speaks to me. It's one of my little quirks. "Street Corner Preacher" is especially good. You can find Last Days At The Lodge on iTunes.

I wanted to also say THANK YOU to everyone who commented or emailed about my article in Somerset Studios. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it. One friend emailed to say that Stampington had part of the article pictured on their website to promote the summer issue. I was also surprised to find it mentioned on the cover when my advanced copy arrived. Very nice indeed!

I'll be working in the studio today and then taking tomorrow off to celebrate Canada Day. We're having friends over for a BBQ. I am hoping the weather will be a bit cooler-it was 31C here all weekend which was stifling. I am not a hot weather girl! Last night out of sheer desperation, I put a frozen gel pack inside my pillow case so I could cool off enough to sleep and suggested my husband to do the same. It worked like a charm.

Okay, off to get some work done before it gets too hot to work!

More Publishing News!

About a year and a half ago, I was invited to create some art for this book by Ruth Rae & Kelly Snelling. I just got word that my advanced copy should be arriving any minute!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

The book is about collaborative mixed media jewellery and this is one of the pieces I made for it. If you look at Kelly's blog post here, at the very bottom, the last photo of the post is of a sea themed necklace, with my charm at the focal point. This charm looks simple, but there was actually a bit of work involved to make it resilient, as the elements-German glass glitter and a real tiny starfish are quite fragile.

I have other pieces included and it will be really exciting to see how they were incorporated into jewellery with other artists' work. A Charming Exchange is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be out in August.

I will share more about this book once my copy arrives. I'll be watching my post box like a hawk!

Mad for Moo!

I have some exciting news to share: if you pick up the July/August issue of Somerset Studio, you will find an article I wrote nestled between the pages! Yes, it's true! See the mention of the article on the cover?!

The article is about making 3rd generation art from Moo cards. Moo cards have become one of my little obsessions. I love making them and I love trading them. I also love writing about them!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

This is one of the pieces I made for the article. I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to Deb, Liz, Deryn and Kathy for their participation in the article. Your work looks amazing!

This is a great way to kick off the summer. So what are you waiting for? GO READ!! And if this inspires you to make art from your Moos, please show me what you've made!

Experimanting

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

This is just one of the backgrounds I have painted in the last week. I am having so much fun playing with paint. I am by no means a painter, but my goal this year was to learn how to incorporate paint into my work effectively.

I just love the colours of this and the process of getting it to this point. It's really just a matter of working the canvass till it gets to a point that you like what you see.

I am heading into Vancouver today and I am going to stop in at a couple of my favourite art stores so I can pick up some more paint colours. I don't have a very large collection and I would like to have more colour choices.

Problem is, every time I go to buy paint, I look at the colours that are available and they are all outside the pallet I like to work with. My tastes run along the muted folk art colours and most of the colours available are primaries. What ends up happening is I don't see anything I like and I come home empty handed. I guess the solution is to buy cheap acrylics because I know those come in my colours and I suppose it really doesn't matter whether I use professional quality paints or not. The result should be the same.

On another note, I have some exciting news to share shortly. I am very pleased about it and I'll be sharing it here as soon as I can!

Oh and can Carol in Grand Prairie email me at tatterededge at shaw dot ca please? You didn't give me any contact info so I couldn't email you. Thanks!

Okay folks, that's it for now. I am off to the wilds of Vancouver!

Declaration

I have officially declared this my "Summer of Freedom". What exactly does that mean? Well it means I am taking time this summer to experiment and learn new things and explore my own creativity.

To that end, I have been stocking up on art supplies, buying books for instruction and inspiration and I have even signed up for an online journalling class, which is now into week #3.

This morning I was thrilled to find my Amazon book order had arrived. Here's what was in it:

One of my housemates from Artfest 2006, Karen Nutter had this card and journal set and she brought it with her to Artfest. I had the chance to take a peek at it and I found it interesting. I love inspirational card sets-I own several, though this is the first mixed media themed one.

My friend Karenann Young owns this and I have heard good things about it. I am not much of a paper journaller-I prefer to blog, because it's faster and easier for me. I am however, an absolute paper junkie so I am trying to change my habits a bit. Not that I don't want to continue blogging, but I would also like to have something in a hard copy, just for myself. I have a stack of journals (it's sick really) that are just begging to be filled.

And then, of course, this book, just for eyecandy! How could I resist? For some reason, I thought it was a softcover, but it's actually hardcover. As soon as I finish this post, I am going to go read it. I love going over the minute details of things in Lynne's books.

So this summer might yield alot of new art or it might not. It will be about learning new techniques and playing and having fun. I may spend time with a journal or two at a local coffee shop. It's something I never do. (It seems hard to "make art" when I am not in my studio with everything I need close at hand, but perhaps that is the point-to get out of my comfort zone.) I want to broaden my horizons, have adventures and see what comes of it.

That experience begins today! I'll be posting updates on my summer of freedom, sharing what I discover along the way. Maybe you will do some exploring too and share with me what you learn-that's the beauty part of blogs and the Internet-it makes it possible to have a free exchange of ideas between artists, which makes our lives that much richer.

Paper Exchange

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

Calling all paper junkies! I know you're out there! I am looking for a couple of folks who would be interested in trading some old book pages with me. I am hoping to trade to increase the variety of paper fodder I have to create backgrounds with. Foreign text, math books, readers, maps, music sheets, and the like-all that stuff would be acceptable and what I am looking for. In return, I will send you some of the fun stuff I have!

If you are interested, please email me privately at tatterededge at shaw dot ca and we can discuss the details. Please only email if you are sincere about wanting to trade and will follow through. I would really like this to be a win-win situation.

Oh and just to remind you, I live in Canada so while this means I will have access to different things which may broaden your ephemera collection, it also means mailing internationally for most folks. That may or may not be a consideration.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

In Concert

Last night my husband and I and Lisa & Lance, our friends went to dinner at The Lime in Vancouver. The reason we went there is my pal Farrell was playing there, along with Tricia Klien & Frazey Ford of the Be Good Tanyas.

The venue was really great-we were actually sitting less than 5 feet from the stage, so we had prime seats. It was amazing to see the concert from that close.

Here is a clip of a song Farrell wrote and performed last night. (We join the song already in progress.)





Farrell is heading off in a matter of days for a year in Ireland to release her second album. I'm really going to miss her, especially around the holidays, but she'll be back in a year and we'll keep in touch via email while she's gone. I am really excited for her. It feels good to see the people you love happy in their lives.

If you are interested in checking out Farrell's first album, "A Town Called Hell" you can find it here or on iTunes. If you want to give her some love, pop by her blog and leave her a comment, why doncha?

Worth It's Weight In Gold

This morning, I needed to get out of the studio for awhile, so I made my way over to the local book store to see what was new. My bookstore has a very sad art/hobby section, but occasionally I do find something worth buying.

Today it was the Savvy Crafter's Guide to Success* by Sandra McCall. The cover price is $21.99 CDN and after thumbing through it and seeing the names of two friends (I love when that happens!) and fellow Artsmiths, Sarah Fishburn and Sylvia Luna between the pages, I had to have it.

I am about half way through and I can tell you whether you are considering going into art as a business or are already doing so, this book is jam packed with tons of helpful information and inspiration to help you make your dreams come true.

This book covers everything from choosing a name for your business, to setting up a workspace, to marketing tips, to teaching information, to branding, to doing shows as a vendor or exhibitor, to heading off burn out and so much more! Honestly, I wish this book had been around 7 years ago when I was first starting out. It's a well spring of information.

I want to take a moment to say don't let the word "crafter" in the title put you off. I know lots of people turn their noses up at the idea of being called a crafter, but in this book Sandra uses the words "crafter" and "artist" interchangeably and without judgement. I remember a conversation at Artfest one year about what we choose to call ourselves as makers of things. It was interesting to note that most people felt hesitant to be called an artist or a crafter for one reason or another. How funny and quirky we are!

Anyway, I am incredibly impressed with this book and if you are going to even *think* about starting an art based business, this is a definite must have. It will save you alot of the guess work and points out some of the simplest and often overlooked aspects of building a business. I am sure you will turn to it time and again as an indispensable reference tool. My copy is already covered in Post-it Notes and flagged pages and it's only been in my possession for all of 2 1/2 hours!

*I'm not sure why the covers are copletely different. The copy I bought looks like the one pictured here on my blog. It's the same book though, as far as I know.

Granville Island

I just finished making another little video that I shot a week ago in Vancouver. I thought it might be fun for folks to see one of the places I like to visit whenever I have time. I'm still learning the ins and outs of shooting and editing, but each time I do it, I discover something new! The point is, it's fun and that's all that matters.

If you want to be notified as soon as I upload a new video, just go here and hit "subscribe".

So, without further ado, here it is!

Enjoy!

Catching Up!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

It's barely June and my brain is already straining to go into vacation mode. I will be working through to the end of the month, tying up loose ends and clearing my plate before I can really relax. Funny how once you get the idea of a vacation, you can think of little else.

This mixed media piece is not finished, but I decided to post it anyway. I am waiting for inspiration to strike before I attempt to finish it. One thing I have learned about my art making process is that if I don't know what to do, then I just have to walk away. There's no point trying to force something-it will just be a wasted effort-things will not turn out to my satisfaction and then I will be annoyed with myself. So, until that flash of brilliance comes, it will sit. It was a sample for the workshop I did with the kids last week.

In the meantime, I thought I would update "the list", since it's been awhile. Here we go:

Reading: "The Memory Keeper's Daughter". I am enjoying this one. It's taking me a long time to read though because I am usually too tired at the end of the day to read more than a chapter at a time.

Watching: I am still working my way through "The Rest Of Everest" podcasts. There's 100 episodes and I am on #26. I have also been watching "Deadliest Catch" in between. Now iTunes has gotten with the program and made movie rentals available in Canada so I made a list over the weekend of movies I want to watch. What ever did I do before Ipod?!? I love my iPod. It's one of the best gifts ever!

I am also watching "So You Think You Can Dance" which I LOVE. It's always so entertaining to see real talent. (Or lack thereof!) So much better than Idol, which is really getting old, fast.

Listening: To a mix of Canadian artists' songs. I am doing a project so it's meant combing through my music to find the perfect mix of Canada's best.

Anticipating: The launch of the "Rescue Me" microsodes. Yes folks, those will be on, starting this Tuesday. I am hoping this means they will be on in Canada this Tuesday. If not, you might hear me howling with indignation! I need my Tommy fix!

Dreaming: Of vacation...need I say more?!?

Doing: Finishing up projects, taking an online visual journalling class, deciding about working on an article, ordering goodies to keep me busy throughout the summer...

Creating: I'm having a whole lot of fun with paint and paper right now. I love working with paint, something I haven't done alot of in the past because I didn't have a studio and it was too messy to leave lying around the house. Now that I have my own space, that's going to change. I need to expand my collection of paints though, I am running low.

Juicy Layers

Hello! I'm back. It's been a busy week of preparing a workshop for the kids at Banting Middle School which I taught yesterday. 52 kids over two classes! It was loud, crazy, messy and FUN!

Here is some of the work they did-some are completed, some will be finishing up on Monday.

Look at the juicy layers in this one-gorgeous!

I love the colour combination in this one. Very aquatic.



COOL!!

The light wasn't great, but this one is metallic copper.

Paintings in the window to dry.

Great colours-I love to see other people's use of colour. I always learn something.


This one reminds me of an old wall with layers of paint peeling off.

I thought this was cool.

This one was one I didn't see in progress-someone cut their canvass down and did their hand print but I adore this one. I think it belongs in a frame. The layers are fantastic and the colours are amazing!!

The kids were absolutely fearless in just laying the layers down. Glue and paint were flying everywhere! (No lie!) Amazingly, at the end, the art room was spotless.

At the end of the day, I stopped at Starbuck's on the way home-I was dying of thirst. I tried verbalising my order, but my brain and my mouth were not communicating properly. Eventually I managed to get my order out. I explained to the guy who was serving me that I had just spent the whole day working with 52 kids, making art and my brain was tired. When he rang up my order, he told me my drink was on him! Isn't that sweet? I thought that was just the nicest thing ever!

And of special note today, two of my most favourite people on the planet are celebrating their birthdays today. My son is celebrating his 17th birthday and it is also my sweet friend Anna's birthday as well! Happy birthday dear ones and thank you for blessing my life!

Happy birthday also to the Dalai Lama. June 6th is an auspicious day to be born on!

Who's That Girl?

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

I just thought I would do a quick post to let you know that yours truly is being featured as Artist of the Month over on the Artsmiths' blog.

If you have missed any of the previously featured artists, you can play catch up by clicking on the Artist of the Month Archives link on the left hand side bar. Past AOMs have included Angela Cartwright, Mary Beth Shaw, Pilar Pollock, Silvia Luna and Tiffini Elektra X. Lots of good reading and some wonderful insight about what makes those ladies tick! (Thanks to Deb Trotter's amazing interview skills!)

Also, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to email and comment about the fist ever tutorial/video I did. I enjoyed creating it and I will certainly be making more, as time allows. I already know what the next one will be about, so keep watching to see what's next!