More Writerly News

I am happy to share that I have an article in the latest edition of ATC Quarterly. It's about the two TV interviews I've given on Artist Trading Cards and what it's like to do both live television and a taped interview. (Which are incredible different experiences. Personally, I prefer to go live!) If you're interested in ordering the Fall 2010 issue, you can find it here. Thanks to Ronna for the invitation!

I have more exciting news to share, but I'm waiting till I have all the details before I post about it. As soon as I get them, I'll tell you what's next. (Never a dull moment around here.)

Oh and for those of you who've asked, yes, my cast/brace is finally off. The tendons are still a bit sore and I am being cautious about lifting anything heavy with my right hand, but I *think* it's healing. It was definitely a painful and disabling injury and one I hope never to repeat. I guess I need to curb my wild side just a bit. (Yeah right! I'm saying this as I am about to embark on another adventure. *smirks* What's that saying? "It's not fun till somebody loses an eye"? Um..yeah...)

You've Got Mail!

Art is still being made here, though at a snail's pace as it's been 30C here in the last week and the studio (and whole house for that matter) has been unbearably hot. My brain doesn't work in the heat, so I've been camping out in my bedroom with the air conditioner running full tilt, reading or surfing the 'Net while Indy snoozes at my feet. At the risk of being thought of as some sort of a seasonal scrooge, I will confess that I loathe summer. Bring on October!

Anyway, I've been working on my pages for a collaborative Penn is hosting. We had to alter envelopes and then make some sort of goodies to go inside. There were 17 in all, so it took awhile. Above is the front of the envelope...

..and this is the back. The background was made from the insides of security envies, cut and sewn. They were all different colours, but I wanted to go with a classic black and white look, so once I had the template of what the art was going to be, I copied it as black and white. I was thinking about the Recipe Clubs they used to have in the 50's. I won't share what's inside for now because that's going to be a surprise. Now I just have to work on the covers for my copy of the book.

I was making ATCs a couple weeks ago for our monthly swap and came up with these. I used number stickers as a mask on a master sheet and sprayed alcohol inks all over. Then I removed the stickers and cut the sheet into ATCs. Once I had a stack of cards, I added squiggles with a white pen, messy outlined the numbers and stamped with an office stamp. I like just messing around and seeing where it goes. I liked how they turned out so I made a few extra and I'm going to use them in a future ROD journal.

I'm working towards deadlines on a couple of other projects, that I can't talk about at the moment. Some clouds rolled in late last evening, so I'm hoping to be able to have some studio time over the weekend, in between outings we have planned. We'll see if that pans out.

Off to put a picnic lunch together and then we're taking Indy for a dip in the ocean!

A Trio Of Things To Inspire

It took me awhile, but here are the pics from the Richmond Art Gallery's annual ATC show. A couple of them are a tad blurry, due to the fact that I borrowed a friend's camera as I had forgotten mine and wasn't familiar with the settings on hers. Most of them came out okay and that's the main thing.

There were tons of really interesting cards and this is only a small sampling. If you are local and want to see more, the show is on till the end of October, so you have plenty of time to see it. It's worth going-there's plenty of different techniques used and I guarantee you will walk away inspired.

I came across this great book the other day. It's also chock full of inspiration so you might want to check it out. It's includes work by the lovely and talented Jan Bode Smiley, who gave me my start in doing work for publishing and equally lovely and talented Stephanie Rubiano, among others.

One other thing I wanted to tell you about is a documentary I rented over the weekend. It's called Running the Sahara and it's amazing. It's the story of three ultra marathon runners who decide to run from the west coast to the east coast of the Sahara Desert, passing through 6 African countries in the course of their journey.

If you are a runner or someone who likes adventure stories or just someone who would like to see the breathtaking scenery of Africa, I highly recommend seeing this movie. I watched it twice. It's not only compelling in terms of what these three athletes were trying to accomplish, but also because you get to see parts of the world that we seldom see or hear about. It was really beautifully done and so inspiring!

Okay, time for me to get busy here in the studio. I have a few projects I need to finish up!

Hello Again, Hello!

Gather 'round everybody! The interview I did last week with SHAW in my studio and on location in Vancouver (with Penelope, Nancy, Jennifer, Angela, Tammy & Joy) will be airing on The Express on Wednesday, October 8th at 6:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

I have no idea how this turned out, as it was a taped segment, rather than live TV like I did when I went on Breakfast Television back in January. The difference between doing taped vs. live tv is huge! Anyway, I hope it came out well and I'll be watching. If your local, I hope you will be too!

Set your VCRs And DVRs!!

Of Art & Books

I am mighty! I managed to complete 32 ATCs for a project I am doing in just a few days and well ahead of schedule! I've been in the groove lately and getting alot done. I'm pretty pleased with myself.

These are the fronts....

And then all the contact info on the back. I thought this pic of these girls in their bathing suits was amusing. The one on the right looks like me-same hair and face shape so I had to use it!

When I am not busy creating, I am reveling in the marvel of What It Is by Lynda Barry which was recommended to me by my pal Penn. I took one look at her copy and had to run out and buy one for myself. Luckily, there was a comic book store down the street that just happened to have them in stock. Lucky me!! Instant gratification!

It's so full of interesting little details and just looking at it is inspiring. It makes me want to sit down and just throw random pages together. When you click the link, be sure to click the "search inside this book" feature to get a peek inside. Skip past the first few pages it shows you till you get to the more collage themed ones, which is what the book is chock full of.

I am also reading and absorbing Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. It requires that you go slowly and thoughtfully, as she provides alot of good insight, in addition to a variety of techniques.



I pre-ordered my copy directly from Kelly and it arrived signed and with a lovely print tucked inside the cover. I'd forgotten it would be signed, so that was a nice surprise when I opened it. I plan to write a review for Amazon once I've finished it.



Oh and before I sign off for today, I want to wish everyone a HAPPY FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN!! I am so thrilled Autumn is finally here. It's my favourite season. I've already had the pleasure of kicking up leaves when I walk. That is sheer bliss!

15 Seconds of Fame

So here at long last, with Farrell's help, is the clip from my TV appearance in January where I talk about ATCs. It seems longer watching it than it felt actually doing it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it-it's about the one and only time you will see me on the internet!

Adventures in TV Land

So my segment on Breakfast Television went very well today. I took my son with me not only as my right hand man, but also because I wanted to share the experience with him. We were on the road by just after 6 a.m. and arrived at the station by 7-ish. It's amazing how deserted downtown is at that hour, but it was a good thing because it made parking easy.

We entered the building and Simi Sara and Dave Gerry were right there in the front studio doing their broadcast. It was odd walking in and having them 10 feet away and on live TV. I always thought the studio was much larger, but it's not-it's surprisingly a very small space!

Once we checked in, we were taken the the Green Room to wait. They had all kinds of sweet rolls and coffee waiting. The producer arrived and we went over all the samples I had brought and got them set up. There were other guests on first so I got to watch them have their turn.

Just before I went on, the makeup artist did my makeup, which was really nice. I am not huge on wearing makeup, but she managed to make me look good while still looking natural, which I liked. Then the producer got me miked up and out I went.

I was suppose to be interviewed by Simi but apparently Dave is the artistic one, so he did the interview instead. I didn't feel nervous at all and the whole thing went by really quickly. I can't even really remember what I said. *laughs* Afterwards, the ladies were looking at all the ATCs I'd brought and asking questions as I packed up. It's always great to have people greet what you do with such enthusiasm.

After we left, my son and I went out to celebrate with brunch at Solly's. By the time I got home, there were voice mails and emails from local friends and family with congratulations waiting for me. I have yet to see the segment myself. My husband set the VCR, but not being the technical one, something happened and it stopped recording about 20 minutes before I came on. (That will teach me!) My best friend taped it and will hopefully be giving me a copy on Wednesday so I can see.

I have to say, one of the very best parts of my job is all the wonderful opportunities that come along. Because of art, I have been invited to do and experience things I would otherwise probably not have. I love the adventure of it all-meeting new people, sharing what I love and learning new things. I am very grateful for all the magic in my life. Dare to dream people, dare to dream!