Riding the Rails of Opportunity

Just a quick post with some pics from my day. We went downtown to ride the rail cars that are only here during the Games. They are on loan from Germany, I believe. It's nice to have the opportunity to experience something like this, for free, no less!

The rail cars are made by Bombardier, a Canadian company that also designed the Olympic & Paralympic torches. (They are some kind of wonderful!)

Edit: A day later, I've managed to get it to load to Blogger. Here it is below. Mouse over the bottom of the images as they scroll to read my descriptions. Enjoy!

Scenes From My Day

I spent the afternoon in Vancouver doing venue specific training today. It was trying hard to rain, but luckily it didn't, which made for a nice walk along the False Creek sea wall. The photo above is a cute little billboard in the skytrain station. Those are the official mascots of the Games.

This is another. I had just enough time to snap pics before the train rolled in.

As I mentioned yesterday, all the provinces, save for one (New Brunswick, if I remember correctly) are having "houses". This is Ontario's. Where it says "Ontario" is a big flashy digital sign.

And apparently Beijing wishes us well for our Olympic games...I am not sure if this is China's house or not.

Along the wall was a long stretch of inunnguat. For those uninitiated, these are stone cairns formed in the shape of man and created by the Inuit people of the north. It is also the official symbol of the Olympic Games. Someone has been building them along this stretch of the seawall for visitors to enjoy. I was surprised to find so many!

Ah the celebration zone! It's still a work in progress! This is where all the provincial houses are.

So many colourful banners...

Quebec house. Poutine anyone?! *laughs* I think poutine is one of the few dishes we can truly call Canadian. If you don't know what it is, you need to Google it!

A long shot of Quebec house. The stadium is the white dome roof peeking out on the left side of Quebec house. That's where I will be during the games.

The athletes' village. I see the flag poles are ready to go! It's going to be quite a sight when they're all flying!

More of the village.

Another shot across the creek.

Science World that is being transformed into Russia house. They have a fancier name than that, but I can't recall what it was. If you look on the link for free entertainment that I posted yesterday, it will tell you.

This is the train station at Main Street. We parked here (my husband drove me) and he walked me to the venue. I think this is such an elegant building. I love the architecture. In all the years I've lived here, I have never been inside. The next time I am in the neighbourhood, I am going in!

This is a rather awkward shot, but I wanted to show you the flags on the poles in Vancouver. They have Olympic flags on each and every one and it's such a sea of colour going down the streets. There are flags like this in my neighbourhood too, but they have images of the torch relay on them, marking the route the torch will be taking in less than 2 weeks.

7 days and counting!!

One Week Left!

Here I am trying on my uniform again! Well when I say again, I really mean for the first time, officially. The last time I had one on, was before Xmas, when I went to accreditation to pick up my ID and to determine what size uniform I needed. This is the first time I've put all my pieces on to make sure they fit comfortably. I ended up having to chase down a belt for my pants because they were just too loose in the waist. (And no, I am not complaining!)

I spent this evening with a red Sharpie labelling everything with my name. I feel like I am 12. I can see labelling clothing I am going to have off and on, like my jacket and vest and toque, but my pants?!? I only have one pair and I cannot imagine a situation in which I would inadvertently leave my pants somewhere! ...And if I could imagine such a situation, I am guessing that not having pants on might be the least of my worries! Anyway, pants are duly identified, just in case. Maybe I should add "If found, please return to the embarrassed half-naked girl" on the tag. *laughs*

I've packed my official backpack with all the stuff I need for venue training tomorrow. It's quite a monster of a backpack-I've never had one this big, as I tend to like to travel light. They've made the limited edition Volunteer backpacks extra roomie because we have to have on us at all times-there's nowhere to store anything-no lockers or anything like that.

So what am I going to be packing around? Well let's see....

-my spare shirt, vest, jacket & toque when I am not wearing them

-a pair of heavy duty gloves

-a pair of spare socks

-my accreditation (ID)

-the Olympic pocket guide

-my iPod (Don't leave home without it!)

-cell phone

-pocket money

-official steel mug

-medication

-toothbrush, paste, lip balm & breath mints

-sunglasses clips

-house keys

-umbrella

-wetwipes ('cause I hate that sani-gel stuff!)

-Kleenex (I maintain a 3 pack minimum at all times.)

and if I can manage a wee bit more weight, my journal. (I think I will sneak it in.) I am trying to keep what I am hauling at a minimum, as the less stuff I have, the less time I will have to spend going through security screening. Less is more!

If it were up to me, I would just stuff everything in my jacket pockets and not have a bag, but if I take my jacket off, when I am inside the venue, I have to have somewhere to put it. I'm a girl who could happily do without a purse or a bag, but that's just not going to work this time around.

The steel mug I mentioned was a part of our welcome package. We're not allowed to bring any food or beverages into the venues (alas, no Starbucks!) but they gave us these steel mugs and will be providing our meals, snacks and drinks. Believe me, I am pleased to not have to pack a lunch-that's my least favourite chore ever!

I am going to test drive my steel mug tomorrow. It has a handy-dandy clip built into the handle so you can attach it to your backpack and have it dangle. I want to know if you can do this with liquid in it or not...the instructions never said. I'm going to test it out with water before I try something hot! I also need to find some sort of sticker to put on it, so I know it's mine because there will be a zillion just like it lying around. I'll have to look and see what I have handy.

On the news tonight they were talking about all the FREE entertainment that's going to be available while the Games are on. If you are interested, the website with all the details is here. You can get a run down of all the "houses" that are being hosted by different countries and/or sponsors and local city venues. The site tells you where each is located and what type of entertainment is being showcased. I am simply stunned by the length of the list and am already wondering how I can squeeze in enough downtime to visit a few of the houses. I might have to give up sleeping!

In addition to that site, our local station, Global TV is doing an excellent job providing Games related information on their website, which you can find here. There are tons of tabs to click and you can spend hours learning about the Olympic & Paralympic Games, our city and so much more!

I am so excited that the world is literally coming to my backdoor. I had just a small taste of what it was going to be like during the World Police & Fire Games in the summer and it just made me hungry for more. I met some incredible people, made some wonderful memories and I felt very blessed to have been able to serve during those games. I know that these games are going to be equally as special and inspiring.

You know, I think Kleenex should be my official sponsor because it's like this: I don't care what country you are from. I will cry happy tears for you, whether you medal or not. Seeing people having the courage to live their dreams moves me. THAT is what the Games are about.

ONE WEEK from today, my Games begins!

In Loving Memory

Kenneth George Chick

October 31, 1921-January 25, 2004

I'll catch your smile on someone's face,

Your whisper in the wind's embrace

Through dimond stars and songs and dreams

I find your love in everything.

The sun, the sky, the rolling sea

All conspire to comfort me

From sorrow's edge life's beauty seems

To find your love in everything.

I've come to trust the hope it brings

To find your love in everything

Even as I fall apart,

Even through my shattered heart

I'll catch your smile on someone's face...

...amazing grace.

~Beth Neilsen Chapman

Getting Down to the Wire!

I've been a bit quiet again, with good reason, as you can see above. I had to go in to undergo more treatments. Having an IV port in for 3 days made it awkward and painful to type, but it's out again, thank goodness!

Thanks for all the fabulous comments and compliments about my journal video. It was a pleasure to make and share it with you and I promise when I have more to share, (I am working on an Olympic journal now!) I will do it again. It just seemed like the easiest way of going through all that artsy goodness! I love my little Flip camera!

And now a couple of pics of me in my uniform! I haven't had it on since I brought it home. With the games beginning in a mere SIXTEEN days for me, I figured it was time to to play dress-up at least one!




The hat on the jacket is extra deep so that you can fit a ski helmet as per regulations if you are working on a ski hill. For those of us who aren't, we get to be swallowed up in turquoise! *laughs* Indy was barking at me because he couldn't see who I was when I pulled the toggles tight.



Later this coming week, I will be attending my venue specific training for the stadium. I also got the invite to come pick up the conversion kit for the Paralympic uniforms, but that won't take place for another month. I have to squeeze a trip downtown in on a day off the Olympics to go get it, plus some additional ID.



I have madly been dashing around picking up odds and ends of things I need in my backpack-extra batteries for my camera, breath mints, spare socks, a belt to hold my pants up (I keep downsizing and am in between clothing sizes at the moment!) and then tucking in all the info materials they gave us that we need on hand. I am trying to keep the weight of my back pack at a bare minimum, if at all possible because my shifts are long and having it weighed down too much is going to wear me out! Less is more in this case.



Funnily enough, the whole time I have been concerned with staying warm and now we are having a weather pattern that has me thinking we may be too hot. Yesterday I shut all the heat off in the house and had the windows open, as well as the screen door. It was still warm when I went to bed. When I went out last evening, I did so in a hoodie! Not a good sign for the ski hills, but a nice break from rain or sneaux on our level.



As it stands now, Cypress is closed to the public and has been for about 2 weeks. I believe this is the venue for half-pipe and sneaux boarding. They have enough manufactured sneaux from the sneaux cannons and what they stockpiled to groom the runs for the Games, but they can't groom it for the locals to run on. If this had been last year, it wouldn't even be an issue-last year we had more sneaux than we knew what to do with!



My next big step will be planning my travel route from home to the venues. The sky train is the most direct route, but there are rumours that there could be hour long waits to board and I am not sure I want to leave home 2-3 hours in advance to stand around waiting to get on the train.



I am going to try and plan 1-3 bus routes I can take and see if those routes are more expedited. I can also do a test run for the 2 pre-Olympic shifts I have and see how crowded those are going to be. I don't believe I will be travelling at peek times, but you just never know. This whole thing is a "wait and see" kind of game, an adventure if you will.



So, that's all the news I have to share for now. It's coming up quickly and before I know it, I will blink and it will be over! I did find out that the Olympic Torch Relay is coming right through my neighbourhood, so I can walk down in the morning and take Indy and see it go right by! That's very exciting. I thought I was going to have to drive to another city, but no! That makes me very happy and I have circled the date on my calendar!



Olympic spirit is alive and well at my house!!

Journal Love!

I have been very busy in the studio, sewing like a madwoman. I've now completed my first journal in Mary Ann Moss' Remains of the Day class. It's all ready to journal in! I can't tell you how pleased I am. I made a little flip video to share it with you.

I also got the wild hare to sew myself a scarf. I found the easiest pattern online and made not one, but two! I will provide links when I post photos-it's been a busy weekend and I haven't had the chance to take any pictures yet. One is deep rich red and the other navy. The red one goes with my team jacket which is black, cream and red. The navy one will be worn during the Olympics, underneath my turquoise uniform jacket, though now I am wondering if I'm even going to need it-it was a balmy 7C today and the sun was shining!

So far January has been exceptionally productive. It feels good to be inspired and learn something new.

Sunday at Stanley Park

It's been awhile, but it was so good to see you again, old friend.

Remains of the Day in Progress

As I've mentioned, I am taking on online journal making class with Mary Ann Moss. Yesterday, I decided to take all the pages I made, nest them into 3 signatures and tuck them into the cover I created to see how they fit.

It made a very satisfying little handful. I am quite pleased with the size of this journal which is 4 1/2 wide x 6 inches tall. I like mine generally to be smallish and easy to tuck into a bag or purse. After all, what good is a journal if you can't take it everywhere you go?

It's just YUMMY! As per Mary Ann, I've left all the threads from sewing things together, unclipped. Messy and delightful!

Here is a small sampling of the pages I've worked on so far. This is just the very beginning stages of the sewing. Like I said, I wanted to see how they fit, but they need alot more work!

And old foreign letter, written in sepia ink and a car, clipped from a calendar.

A jam label sent to me by my pal Liz in England and the receipt from our New Year's Eve take-out. I thought it was so cool to have my name printed on it, along with the Chinese words. Getting personalized stuff with a name like mine is impossible, so I save anything!

Accounting paper and someone's business card. I should have looked to see whose it was, but I forgot and when I did remember, it was already sewn down. Oh well! I liked it because it's quirky and reminds me of Vancouver-we get a fair amount of rain here.

A piece of a map of France and an vintage electric company receipt.

A half page from an old interest calculations book and a photo of an art club from a gazette type paper.

Half a small paper gift bag from Ikea, a fragment of handwritten text in sepia in a foreign language and a transparency I never knew what to do with.

The front of a security envelope someone sent me some art in (they stamped the window), and a strip cut from a calendar.

As you can see, this process uses all kinds of ephemera and most of it is stuff I've been hoarding for ages. Finally, a place to use it all! It's funny-everyone in the class has been saying that. We've all been saving this kind of stuff for the perfect project and it has arrived!

I did some ephemera trading with some of the ladies in the group and so I think I am going to set my pages aside for a bit till their packets catch up with me. It will be fun to have some new fodder and I want to use some of it to enhance my pages even further. (More is more!)

While I wait for Canada Post to do its thing, I am going to work on some prayer flags for an exchange. It's the last project I am doing before the Olympics start. I'm going to begin that one today. I stayed up late last night coming up with a plan so I know what I am doing and it should go relatively quickly.

It's certainly been a productive start to the new year!

Dawn's Early Light

This morning, when I opened my eyes, my bedroom blinds were awash with a bright pink light, so I crawled out of bed and this is what I saw; A winter morning breaking over Mt. Baker, just south of our border.

The sky was skyblue pink and melon orange. I took numerous shots as quickly as I could because the light was changing from moment to moment.

This is why I live here.

Getting Ahead of the Game

I've been thinking about the holidays, now that they are behind us. Every year, as they get closer and closer, I think about desperately wanting to make stuff. I find the creative bug really kicks in at that time of year when I see other artsy folks posting pics of what they are creating. The sad thing is, for the most part, by the time it does, I don't have time to make stuff. When I do have time to make things, I usually totally forgotten about whatever the cool idea was!

Now awhile back, my friend Lisa Ryder clued me into Google Reader. It's this nifty little free program that I've set up with all my favorite blogs. I set the Reader as my browser home page, so every time I open the browser, it shows me instantly which blogs in my collection have updated. Then I just click the links to read the posts. It's like insta-eyecandy, perfect for those of us who are ravenous readers. Nifty right? But wait, I am just getting to the good part!

One of the features is that you can "star" any particular entry that you might want to keep on hand in case you want to refer back to it at a later date. It's like making the entry a "favourite". So in the lead up to Xmas, on any day where I found something cool I wanted to make, I starred the entry. My thinking is this: When I have a day when I want to make something and I have no clue what to make, I am going to go into those starred entries and prepare something to tuck away for Xmas. It's an idea so simple, it's genius!

The best part of this is that there are a zillion creative blogs out there, with a plethora of free project tutorials, free image downloads, free inspiration. There's nothing better that FREE!

Now I know there are alot of you who already know about RSS feed and all that good stuff, but are you really using them to their full potential? How many times have you seen something on someone else's blog and thought "That's really cool! I should make that!" and then never do? Why not start filing ideas away for future reference? In addition to starring blog posts on my reader, I also have a file folder on my computer where I stash pictures of ideas that inspire me. Oddly enough, it's titled "inspiration". *laughs* And, as if that's not enough, I have a binder where I store anything I've ripped out of a magazine that inspires me. I just slide the page into a sheet protector and then I can refer back to it any time I want-everything's neatly in one place, instead of lost in a pile of paper somewhere.

I wanted to share this with you, even though it's not rocket science. My point is that inspiration is all around us, there for the taking. We just have to be savvy enough to harness it and use it as a springboard for our own creative endeavours. So give yourself the gift of a reader program-whichever one works best for you and start filling up the well!

Here are a few "make it" blogs that are my personal favs to get you started:

Scissor Variations

Whip Up

Katie.Cupcake

Paper Crave

A Beautiful Mess

And if you have an inspiring blog you think I should check out-yours or one that is on your "must read" list, spread the love and share it with me. Don'tcha just love the internets?!?

Pedal to the Metal!

I spent the entire day yesterday in my studio! Yes I did! I woke up at 8 a.m., made blueberry pancakes and bacon for brekki, then grabbed my cup of tea and disappeared. *laughs*

I managed to get two book covers completed. I might have made one more, but it took me some time to decide which fabrics I wanted to work with. It's been some time since I've looked at my stash and everything looked good to me!

So the photo above is the front of the smaller cover I made. These fabrics are left over from a messenger bag I made for Kristen Steiner for an exchange I hosted two summers ago. ( I ended up writing an article about the exchange and it was published in Haute Handbags, in April 2007.)

This is the back of the cover. I love this vintage aqua letter fabric. I am really pleased with how it's come out so far, though I've gone through a ton of thread. I think I need to whip down to Fabricana and get some monster spools and a few more bobbins. (How I hate winding bobbins-I need a bobbin faerie!)

This is the larger of the two covers. Again, the fabrics have sentimental value. Some of the Americana ones were purchased on a driving trip I took to North Dakota. Some of the fabrics are left overs from a quilt I made for 9/11 and a subsequent quilt I made for Ken's parents, Anna and Carlos when I went to meet them in NYC in 2004. Ken was lost in the WTC on 9/11.

Here's the back of the cover. I will probably be adding a few more things to this one-I just found a few more scraps from my folk art fabric collection that would work nicely.

I still haven't added closure ties to the covers. I haven't decided what I want to use, so while I am digging through my ephemera piles for the next step, I'm thinking about it.

Speaking of digging through, when I went through the fabric trunk, I found this coverlet in the bottom. 10 or more years ago, I bought a quilt at a garage sale. It was zipped inside this fabric envelope (which I suppose was a sort of duvet) made from what I think is vintage pillow case fabrics and such.

It's pretty hodge podge and loud, but if you look at it with an artist's eye, I am sure you can see the same potential I see for making some wonderful book covers!

I especially like this section of aquas and that hideous mustard gold (which is a magic colour!) and I think there's enough in that section to get TWO covers cut. I just need some muslin to stabilize it...or I have some old flannel sheets in the hall closet that my mother in law gave us for Indy. Waste not, want not! I could just as easily use a strip of that as my base!

Yesterday I was having such a good time sewing that I actually forgot to eat till dinner time. Since it was a holiday, we just had finger foods, which was easy. Clearly though, I did not feed the art-making machine enough though-I was munching on apples and BBQ chips at midnight!

I think the most enjoyable part of this class so far is that there's no wrong way to do it. You just throw things together et voila! I also get to sew with the pedal to the metal, something that in quilting circles got me "the look" every time I did it. (My machine is quite loud when it's running full out.) I just have a super cheapo $100 bare basics Singer, that I abuse the heck out of. It's a workhorse. I've had it for 18 years and I think other than picking the lint out of the bobbin case every now and again, I've had it professionally serviced once. In this studio, you toughen up or die! *laughs*

Okay, it's time for me to make that thread run to Fabricana and then it's back to sewing like a maniac. I am having a blast! What better way to ring in the new year?!?

Setting Foot in 2010

Hello 2010! Happy New Year!!

Last night I signed up for Marry Ann Moss' Remains of the Day class. I was up till 1:30 a.m. pulling ephemera out of my various boxes for this project. It's raining here on the wet coast, so I think today's an indoor sort of day. I'm planning to spend it pulling fabric from my stash and cobbling together the cover for my journal. *squee!* I'll try to take some pics as I go along. The tough thing is going to be able to decide which fabrics to use!

We just finished a breakfast of blueberry pancakes (made with blueberries from our own garden!) and bacon and everyone's agreed to spend a quiet day doing whatever amuses them, including fending for themselves at meal times (yay!) so I am free to play in the studio! Sounds like the perfect way to kick off the New Year!

If you want to see some of the journal covers made by Mary Ann's students so far, look here. Lots of eyecandy to be had! Off to get creative!