Birthday Love

 So..to the birthday girl go the spoils! Seriously, my friends spoiled me rotten showered me with love and it's not over yet. Traditionally, my birthday lasts about a month. When my husband and I first got married, he couldn't believe how much mileage I got out of my birthday. Now he just thinks it's funny.

The fact that the celebration lasts so long mainly has to do with the fact that my nearest and dearest friends are scattered all over the place-not all of them are local and so birthday goodness comes in the mail and by phone and often everyone's so busy that plans are made for several get-togethers. I am very blessed that way. As I've said before, I have THE BEST friends in the world.

My pal Penelope sent me a gift in the mail. Inside the envelope was a sweet little card that read "I thought to myself "What would Lelainia like? Lelainia would like to choose." and attached was a gift certificate for Regional Assembly of Text, a local store. I love everything in it, so it wasn't hard to choose. I picked this set of Cavallini stamps, Vintage Office that I'd be coveting for some time. I am a sucker for office themed stuff. I love it all and the telephone is so cool. I know I will use this set ALOT!

 I also spotted this paper that was office themed and picked it up. It will find its way into an ROD. This was made in the shop-they do their own designs. You can't tell by this photo but it's a deep vintage gold paper. (The light is bad in the studio today.)

 This was another paper that was calling my name. Penn gave me some fabulous scissor fabric for Xmas, which you've seen in a previous post. I love old scissors-I've actually begun a collection. This paper will also become ROD fodder. THANK YOU Penn for such a sweet and generous gift. It so much fun shopping with gift certificates for art supplies. Very happy-making indeed!

 I picked these up in my travels yesterday too. I've seen them online and finally happened across them. They are quite wet, but as they dry, they have a 3D effect to them, in that the ink is slightly raised. Not entirely sold on them just yet, but maybe if I play with them a bit. I hate waiting for stuff to dry and I didn't know these were so juicy. What made me want them is the colours. They remind me of gelato and are supposed to be really good on black paper. Now I just need to find some black paper! You used to see pads of it everywhere. Now, not so much.

 Friends in NY sent me a birthday card (that made me cry-they said the sweetest things to me. I love them so.) and a cheque. I spent part of it on a few goodies this morning. I had to go to get a re-inker I'd ordered from a scrapbooking store and while there found some odds and ends I "needed". I love this flower shape. Kind of like a pomegranate, but don't quote me on that. Whatever it is, I like it. I bought a stamp awhile ago that is the same flower.

 And then of course, I spotted this ephemera pack and if the labelling didn't entice me, the little bits inside did. Yummy! It's from House of 3/ PinkPaisley.

Lastly, there was paper that I couldn't go home without. (I'm sharing just a small sampling-I am such a paper junkie.) This one had a fabulous selection of bits that I can fussy cut and add to my RODs. How could I resist? This line of paper is by House of Three. (Who have a very cool chair as their logo-gotta love that!) Click the link-they have a really fabulous website full of amazing art fodder.

I don't know how long they've been around, but their products are new here in BC. I'm giving them a big thumbs up! I will definitely be on the lookout for more of their stuff! (Or purchasing it online, 'cause that works too!)

 

 The next three are by a company called Simple Stories. They have some great digital freebies on their blog so be sure and check them out. I got this sheet because I loved the camera. I have plans for it!

 Same with this one-cool numbers. I love numbers and alphabets. It's ridiculous how I collect them. I have a whole drawer full, though I can honestly say that I do use them-I'm not just into the collecting.

 More fabulous little bits. I love the colours in these. 

You know, as I was shopping today, I was thinking about how 8 years ago, I was trying desperately to encourage my local scrapbooking stores to lean even just a little bit towards mixed media and no one wanted to hear it. Now when I go in, there's a tons of mixed media worthy products available. Do you know that a shop owner once told me that 7 Gypsies stuff would never sell? That's insane!

At that time, I was teaching mixed media classes freelance and occasionally I would do workshops at one of these stores. The classes always filled up. Why the owners never got on board, I'll never know. It's kinda of sad-I was ahead of the curve here in Canada (BC) and everyone thought I was nuts. I used to have 5 scrapbook stores within 10 minutes of my house. Now the closest one is 20 minutes away and the other, 1/2 hour away. All the local ones are long gone.

I don't think it's a sign of the times so much as an inability to read the market and respond to it. You have to keep a creative based business moving and growing. People who are crafty or artistic thrive on learning and growing their skills and you need to have something new to offer them. Once you build a following, you can't just keep doing the same thing over and over and expect them to keep coming back. There has to be an evolution of products and classes to keep things fresh and engaging.

In any case, I digress. The point is, I am thrilled that these delightful companies are finding their way into the store I frequent. It's wonderful to see all the cool papers and goodies they're coming out with. I came away feeling really inspired to get busy in the studio, something that's been lacking the last month and a half since I've been so sick. I can't wait to dig in and play with what I purchased today.

Oh and one last artsy thing-Penn also gifted me with these Washi tapes. If you're local, Loomis De Serres is carrying them and they're on sale at the moment for $3/roll. After the sale, they'll be $3.95 I believe. Hopefully these tapes are flying out the door so they'll stock more and continue to get new prints. Here's hopin'! (And thanks again Penn!)

The girls in my MS group gave me a gorgeous bouquet of yellow Gerberas and a card yesterday. It was very sweet of them and I have no idea how they knew that's one of my most fav flowers. (Freesia, Snapdragons and Sweet Peas are the other three. I love poppies too, but you can't pick those and bring them in the house. They are strictly outdoor flowers.)

My friend Karen gave me Water for Elephants, which I devoured in an afternoon. If you haven't read it, get thee to a library! It's so good and the author is Canadian and was born in Vancouver. I liked it so much I've already got 2 more of her novels in the to-read stack on my bedside table.

The rest of my friends who had dinner with me last weekend gifted me with cash to go towards my DSLR camera fund. It was the one thing I really wanted, so that's what they did. I haven't purchased a camera yet. I am still doing research because I want to be sure and get the one that will serve me best. The choices are endless and a bit overwhelming, but I'm in no rush. I'd rather take my time and get something that I will be happy with.

My son rushed into an upscale point and shoot just before the Olympic started and he's had major buyer's remorse. I've given it a try and while I am quite mechanically inclined and good with electronics of all kinds, I HATE his camera. It's not very user friendly and as I am setting up a shot, the lense closes and pinches my fingers every single time! It's enough to make you want to smash the heck out of it. (Which he's mentioned wanting to do as well!) It's worth it to do some research.

I hope to have it in hand by the end of April. That's my plan, so I can have the whole summer to get used to it and then in the fall I'm signing up for You Are Your Own Muse with the fabulous Vivienne McMaster. I learned so much in Wading In and I want to expand on that experience.

This birthday has been an embarrassment of riches, really. I am just so blessed by my peeps. I have the best friends in the world. I'm grateful for them every single day. They certainly know how to make a girl feel loved.

Okay, I am off to shape fresh bread dough into two pizzas for dinner tonight. There's nothing better than pizza made from scratch. MMM! Pizza and The Amazing Race. That's how I'm capping off this weekend. :)

**I'm not affiliated with any of these paper companies, but I sure wish I was!

A Treatise On Turning 40

(The cake from my surprise party on Sunday.)

This is just to say I happily turned 40 today. I am bucking the trend to feel like somehow it's something to despair of. Not this girl! Here's the thing: I'm not going to complain that I get to be alive. I got to wake up this morning. So did you if you're reading this. Do you know how HUGE that is?

And I am not going to start allowing myself to feel bad about aging. I'm not wasting a single moment being manipulated into thinking there's something wrong with me because I don't look like I did when I was 20. Why should I? I don't think like I did when I was 20 either. (Thanks goodness!) It's called evolving as a human being and it's something we do on the outside too. It's what makes us interesting. It's what makes us uniquely beautiful.

As women, we spend our whole lives being told we're too something: too fat, too skinny, too dumb, too smart, too quiet, too loud, to pretty, too ugly, too tall, too short, too happy, too depressed, too lazy, too ambitious, too nice, too bitchy, and on and on, ad naseum.

In my 30's I figured out who I was. In my 40's, I will stop apologising for it.

 I'm owning it. I'm stepping fully into myself, confidant that I am enough.

So no old jokes for me, thanks. I'm 40 and I'll wear it proudly.

March 21, 2011: Blue Jackets' Day

Olympic, Paralympic volunteers day proclaimed!

VICTORIA – The provincial government has proclaimed March 21, 2011 as “Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day,” announced Deputy Premier Kevin Falcon today.

“The highly-recognizable blue jacket clad Olympic volunteers were the welcoming and smiling face of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for thousands of our visitors,” said Falcon. "Their selfless commitment and dedication to serving helped to make our Games the most successful Winter Olympics ever.”

An estimated 25,000 people served as volunteers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, including more than 1,000 volunteers from around the world.

“British Columbians have a well-deserved reputation for their willingness to volunteer in community and charity groups,” said the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. “Our strong volunteer spirit was on display throughout the Olympic and Paralympics and I want to thank all 25,000 volunteers for making the Games a truly special and memorable event.”

In total eight proclamations were made by the Province recognizing 17 British Columbian athletes who won medals individually or as members of a team and those who served as volunteers during the Olympics or Paralympics. The full list of proclamations includes:

· Maelle Ricker Day (Feb. 16, 2011)

· Ashleigh McIvor Day (Feb. 23, 2011)

· Chris Le Bihan and Denny Morrison Day (Feb. 27, 2011)

· Duncan Keith, Scott Niedermayer, Brent Seabrook, Roberto Luongo and Shea Weber Day (Feb. 28, 2011)

· Josh Dueck and Lindsay Debou Day (March 13, 2011)

· Lauren Woolstencroft and Karolina Wisniewska Day (March 15, 2011)

· Ina Forrest, Jim Armstrong, Sonja Gaudet and Darryl Neighbour Day (March 20, 2011)

· Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day (March 21, 2011)

*************

The text of the “Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day” proclamation reads:

WHEREAS we recognize the invaluable contributions made to the hosting of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by the tens of thousands of volunteers who helped make the event the most successful Winter Games in history, and

WHEREAS the volunteers were the smiling and welcoming ambassadors of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and

WHEREAS the familiar blue jackets of the volunteers were one of the most memorable icons of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and

WHEREAS Our Lieutenant Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, has been pleased to enact Order in Council 903 on October 11, 2002;

NOW KNOW YE THAT We do by these presents proclaim and declare that March 21, 2011, shall be known as

“Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day”

in the Province of British Columbia.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of Our Province to be hereunto affixed.

WITNESS, The Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of Our Province of British Columbia, in Our City of Victoria, in Our Province, this fourteenth day of February, two thousand eleven and in the sixtieth year of Our Reign.

BY COMMAND.

***********
I am so proud to count myself among the beloved Blue Jackets of the 2010 Games. People still stop me to ask for help or directions when I am wearing my jacket. Those Jackets and the people in them made an indelible impression on the world. I am extremely proud of that legacy and today I celebrate it, along with thousands of others who came from across Canada to serve visitors from around the world, this country, this province, this city and most importantly, the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes. It was our privilege and our honour.

40 Things Before I'm 40: Final Draft

1. Make some new art friends

2. Get a tattoo

3.Go to the Olympics

4.Meet some athletes

5.See Barenaked Ladies perform

6.Write & publish another zine

 

7. Keep my ROD journal till it's filled up

 

8. Brush up on my Spanish

9. Work on a large canvass

10.Learn a new art skill

11. Go swimming in the ocean

12.Go on a picnic with my sweetie

13.See the Olympic Flame

14.Watch the Olympic Torch Relay

15.Cut my hair short again

16. Host an art project

 

17. Take a day trip somewhere local but fun

18.Carry the Paralympic Torch

19.Ride the Zip line

20. Purchase and teach myself to play a harmonica

21.Make a journal out of my Olympic ephemera and journal in it

22.Submit something for publication

23. Host a swap

 

24. Try a new recipe

25. Create a calendar from my own art for 2011.

26. Print photos that I have taken from the Games so I can use them in my journal.

27. Do one project that's outside my comfort zone this year

 

28. Host an art party (Didn't host one, but I went to one-that's good enough!)

29. Spend a weekend playing with paint

30.Take an online class

31.Make and send away some RAKs

32.Discover some new magazines/zines and buy/read them regularly

33.Take my laptop and/or journal to a funky coffee shop and write

34. Sew myself some cool pillows (I have the fabric!)

35.Clean out the closet in my studio and reorganize it.

36. Plan a trip for our 20th wedding anniversary.

 

37.Write and give a great speech.

38.Help someone

 

39. Treat myself something "just because".

 

40. Buy frames for all the prints I have and get them up on the walls!

So I'm just two days away from celebrating my 40th birthday and this is where my list stands. I manage to mow through all but 6 things. I think 34/40 is pretty good, considering my health has been so challenging! Of the things I have left, I still want to sew pillows and frame all the artwork I have so I can get it up on the walls. Other than that, the rest isn't terribly important.

Given the state of me, getting as much as I did done is pretty impressive. There's a fair bit of stuff I did that didn't even make it on the list, so I can honestly say that my 39th year was an exceptionally productive one. I learned alot of new things, (which always makes me happy) had some amazing adventures, made some new friends, and took a class that opened up a whole different medium for me in a most unexpected way.

Now I guess the question is what to do with the next year. I'm giving it some thought and have started putting things into motion. I am also just trying to recover from my last round of treatment which has knocked me flat. Popcorn and a movie date with my sweetie helped some. We went to see The Adjustment Bureau, which we both LOVED.

It's a different kind of action movie and what I loved about it is that it aligned fairly closely with how I understand the world works. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I do recommend you go see it. It's a wonderful movie and full of beautiful architecture, as it's shot in New York City.

Saturday In My Studio

Wanna pack your bags, Something small

Take what you need and we disappear

Without a trace we'll be gone, gone

The moon and the stars can follow the car

and then when we get to the ocean

We gonna take a boat to the end of the world

All the way to the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough

We're gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby

You and me together yes, yes 

You and I, we're not tied to the ground

Not falling but rising like rolling around

Eyes closed above the rooftops

Eyes closed, we're gonna spin through the stars

Our arms wide as the sky

We gonna ride the blue all the way to the end of the world

To the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough

We're gonna teach them to fly

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby

You and me together yes, yes

We can always look back at what we did

All these memories of you and me baby

But right now it's you and me forever girl

And you know we could do better than anything that we did

You know that you and me, we could do anything

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby

You and me together yeah, yeah

Two of us together, we could do anything, baby

You and me together yeah, yeah

Two of us together yeah, yeah

two of us together, we could do anything, baby

to reach the end of the world

~Dave Matthews Band

***

I love string instruments and I love when I see people playing music with huge smiles on their faces like there's nothing else in the whole wide world they'd rather be doing. It brings about a joy that's infectious.

From the Magic Mailbox

 A couple weeks ago, I posted about this amazing fabric that enchanted me so. It was printed with vintage Viewfinder reels, something that spoke deeply to me from my childhood.

I manage to track down a shop on Etsy (how I love Etsy!) that was selling it and ordered myself a delicious half yard. Then, as I do most times, I forgot all about it. That is, until this week while watching the horror of what was happening in Japan unfold and it suddenly, it dawned on me that my order was coming from a sweet woman named Frances, who lives in Tokyo.

I logged onto Etsy, not knowing what I would find when I got to her shop, but hoping that somehow I would be able to know if she was okay. I am happy to report that she and her family are fine. They have left Tokyo for now and are staying with friends in the West.

I sent her an email to let her know I was thinking about her and everyone in Japan and praying for their safety. I offered her words of encouragement and told her that the world is in awe with the exceptional grace and dignity with which the Japanese people are handling such a chaotic and frightening situations-there is no rioting or looting, everyone is being patient and helping one another as much as they can. I told her that we care and that we are sending help via the relief agencies.

And within an hour of sending that message, the fabric she had mailed out before life in Japan changed forever, arrived.  I will always think of her when I see that fabric, whatever I make from it.

The Canadian Red Cross

is accepting donations to aid the relief efforts for  

both New Zealand and Japan

You can make a donation here.

 I haven't a decent segue from that into this, so bear with me! The magic mailbox was chock full of goodies this week. Everything came at once. I'd ordered this really cool roll of tape about 3 weeks ago and I am so glad I did. It's a substantial roll and I really loved the print. I'll be using it in my RODs.

 Also, last month, Teesha had free shipping on all orders, (which is the kind of intel you get from being on her mailing list!) so my husband said I could order some goodies as my Valentine's present. (Thanks sweetie!) I've long been coveting Teesha's 4 journal book set, so those were the first things that went into my cart.

 They are so yummy! They measure just slightly larger than 1/2 fold, so they are pretty much zine size and full colour, 40 pages each. MMMM!!

 Here are the 4 books. It's the kind of thing you can pour over for hours and always see something new.

This is one of my most fav pages, for obvious reasons-DOGS!! I remember seeing this image and falling in love with it even before I really knew who Teesha was. Funny to think I loved her art long before I'd ever met her or gone to Artfest!

I also ordered a few pieces of rubber I wanted and a couple collage sheets. I debated buying her post card set and then for some crazy reason, didn't. Silly me! If you're interested in checking out her work, you can find her shop here.

Off to peruse those journal books!

Indiana Jones

It's the Ides of March, which means today is Indy's 3rd birthday!

Three years have just whipped past. I can't even remember what my life was like before Indy came into it. He's one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

Not only is he a hunting breed, but he's also a Pisces so he's always up for an adventures on the water or in the deep woods. We spend alot of time in the beautiful out of doors of British Columbia.

Indy lives with utter doggy joy. He makes us laugh all the time. I've come to the conclusion that everybody loves a Lab. They are the sweetest, gentlest dogs, with the noblest of spirits.

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy. I adore you. xo

The Bessie Series For Girls

So this week, I've been dealing with this. And by "this" I mean 3 days of IV steroids, which has not been fun. It never is. I've been pretty wiped out. On the good news front though, I had something amazing show up in the magic mailbox, which lifted my spirits.

Back in January, I posted a little Flip video I made of an ROD journal I sewed for Mandy Fariello, for a private swap. I just received the journal she made me and it was *so* worth the wait!

Her journal came in this cool jacket, which reminds me so much of a black Persian lamb coat my grandmother had hanging in her closet for years. This cover is not made from Persian Lamb, but it is fabulous!

The base of her journal was made from an old book, which I've instantly fallen in love with. I love daisies. I see them growing on the roadside in completely random places throughout BC. My Gramps hated them-he'd always be mowing them down, so it amuses me when I see them-it makes me think of him and his little quirks. For someone who planted so many gardens all his life, it's always amused me that he had such a hate on for daisies!

I have no idea how Mandy cut this cover down to size so cleanly, but she did a fabulous job. Isn't it pretty?

Inside the jacket, was a small strap to hold the journal in. The interior is wool.

The journal slides out of the jacket easily, when I want to work inside.

See how chunky it is? Love it!

Mandy filled it with all sorts of odds and ends. This page with architecture is wonderful. I have a "thing" for architecture. If I were a math whiz, there's a good chance this is what I may have chosen to to do with my life.

I love ephemera of all sorts. See? She even included a map piece of BC!

And old bank deposit slips from days gone by. I like how they punched number shaped holes in them.

Mandy makes these great post box stickers. I am pleased she put one in my journal. She has them available for sale in her Etsy.

More fun! One of the best things about these types of journals is that nothing goes to waste. I love putting disparate things together to create something new. It's so relaxing to make do with what you have. I can spend hours sewing paper. It's like a Zen meditation and really doesn't require much thought. Even on a day when I'm not feeling up to snuff, I can usually manage to make a few pages.

She also included one of her Moo cards. I have quite a collection and one of these days I want to frame some of them and hang them in my studio. I started collecting them when they first came out and wrote an article for Somerset about making 3rd generation art from Moo Cards. I've been addicted to them ever since. I now make "faux" Moos-moos from scratch that I print and assemble myself. Not that I don't still order real Moos, but sometimes when I need them in a hurry, the faux method does the trick!

Anyway, I wanted to share all of Mandy's hard work and to say THANK YOU to her for such a wonderful swap. It's great making new artist friends and being able to share our art with one another. This is a journal I will really enjoy using and treasure always. Thank you Mandy, for making my week!



This N' That

Yes, I am still breathing. I've been offline a fair bit the last while due to brutal migraines. Tomorrow I'm off to the hospital for three days of IV steroids, though thankfully, on an outpatient basis. I hate hospitals-I spend far too much of my life there. (However, I am deeply grateful for having access to universal health care.) Just for the record, MS sucks.

Anyway, enough about that. Let's talk about something else, shall we? See that tin up top? Well I ordered it from Etsy and it arrived late last week. I love red and I love old tins and this one was calling my name. It has wonderful raised embossed details and the bits of aqua in the design. Who doesn't love red and aqua?

 It measures 3 inches in diameter and is an inch deep. It's sitting on my desk till I decide what I will use it for. Maybe I will store my favourite old mother of pearl buttons in it...maybe I will fill it with small candies. Who knows? It doesn't really matter-I bought it "just because".

Awhile ago, I came across this local artist who made a bunch of ceramic heart magnets and hid them in plain sight all over Granville Island. I go there fairly often with my husband and Indy for lunch and to meander and shop. It's a favourite destination for locals and tourists alike.

Knowing that there were hearts stashed in unusual places, like Easter eggs, I kept my eyes peeled while we were there. It wasn't till we were leaving and sitting in traffic on the one road that leads in and out of the area, that I spotted something red out of the corner of my eye.

Across the street, on a pole, above a bench, I saw a red heart. I pointed it out to my husband and he jumped out of the car and dashed across the street to get it for me. He had to hop up on the bench to reach it and then run back to the car before traffic started moving again. (See? Sometimes it pays to be patient when you tied up in traffic! It also pays to have a husband who humours his crazy artist wife. *wink*)

It was so much fun that I decided that I should put some of my art out there in the world too. To that end, I've took some of my handmade (faux) Moo cards, mounted them on magnet sheets and cut them out.

I added a label on the back with my blog addy and indicated it is a free gift because my friend Carol found one of the ceramic hearts in the market and her husband was a bit concerned that she might inadvertently be shoplifting. She had to reassure him that it was a freebie left for anyone clever enough to find it. I don't want there to be any doubt, so thus the label. Here's a link to Carol's adventure finding her heart.

So I will take my magnets the next time I go to Granville Island and set them free. It will be fun to see if anyone emails me about finding them. I'll post here when they've been dispersed so that if you're local, you can join in the hunt. I have 10 made, so chances are good that you'll find one!

In other news, I also wanted to mention that there's this fabulous ezine called Inspired Ideas by Amy Powers that I've been meaning to post about. It's artsy/craftsy and incredibly inexpensive. If you need an infusion of delightful inspiration to shake off the long winter doldrums, I recommend getting yourself a copy. It's a mere $3.30! Can you believe it? That's 170 pages worth of good stuff for a pittance! You can subscribe to the spring issue here. 

You can also check out TWENTY past issues for free. You'll find them here. (Just click on the cover image and then click on the small arrow at the bottom right on the next screen to page through the zine.) I promise you, this is a wonderful ezine!

And if you'd like artsy zines to have and to hold, be sure to visit my Etsy shop
 (link on the sidebar--->)
where there are limited edition zines of all kinds for sale!