Squee!!

IT'S HERE!!! This morning when I opened my post box, Stampington's LIFE IMAGES was waiting for me! I didn't even leave the post office before I had ripped open the plastic bag it came and and flipped through to find my page. Here it is in all it's glory-I had no idea I would have an entire page to myself! WOW!

What was really nice to see was that there were several Canadians included, which is always encouraging, along with a few names I recognized from Artfest like Tracie Lyn Huskamp and Bee Shay. Fellow Artpub member Angela Cartwright has wonderful work included as well. There are also a number of pieces by men which I really appreciate. It's nice to see a blend of talent being represented.

My favourite entry is Glenn Perryman's, entitled "Me" in which he talks about his hand. The photo is in black and white and I think it's the most poignant piece. Absolutely beautiful.

The magazine is really beautifully done. I had no idea what it would look like, but the results are really stellar.

I bought Deb and I these sunglasses as a joke. We call them our "Elton Johns". The joke is we're supposed to wear them when we have a "rock star" moment so I supposed I should put them on and bask in the happiness of this moment. It's the first time I have ever personally submitted to a Stampington magazine and the very first time I have submitted photography for consideration. So yes, it's a banner day!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

See this pretty tassel necklace? Well I had one just like it. It was a hostess gift from Deb Lewis for the 12 Days of Xmas.

Last Wednesday, I decided was the perfect day to wear it for the first time, so I put it on and then headed out for the evening. It wasn't till I was lying in bed, hours later that I realized I had not taken it off. I reached up to my throat and it was then that it dawned on me that it had disappeared. I got a very sick feeling in the pit of my stomach because I felt horrible that something that was given to me in the spirit of friendship was gone. I've never lost a piece of jewellery in my entire life!

Rather than say I lost it, I am going to think of it as my tithe to the universe, for surely whomever happens across it will see the beauty in it and keep it for themselves. Unless it was found at the facility I was at...I will ask when I am there next week and see if by some small miracle someone found it and kept it safe for me. I have my fingers crossed that that is the case, but if not, I hope whomever has it is enjoying it.

From the Studio

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

I'm back! Due to the total ineptitude of my ISP, I was without service for the last 3 days. Five phone calls later and I am finally back up and running. Why is it when you can least afford to have these things happen, they do? It's like a giant cosmic joke.

Anyway, I have been producing art, in between madly prepping for several classes. These are for Paper Artsy and use some of the newer rubber. They just came out with a brand new line called Squiggly Ink which I think will be fun to play with. Some of it is winging its way here right now! It's always fun to have new rubber in the mail. I love opening the package and seeing it for the first time and waiting for the ideas of what to do with it to just pop into my head. Nine times out of ten, I go with whatever my first impulse was to make.

You know, I discovered that my Staz-On inks keep drying up. I find this hugely annoying because they are not cheap. I keep the little plastic cover on over the pad that goes under the lid, but still, the pads go dry. I don't know if it's because of the type of ink it is or what, but when you buy one and it's dry in less than 2 months, that's not good. I have ink pads I've had since high school that are still wet! I kid you not! Maybe I need to write the company...

Today I embark on a bit of an adventure professionally. I start working on something I have wanted to do for a long time. I have a week to complete it so I will be focusing on this one thing over the next few days. Can't say much more right now, but eventually I will be able to share. It's exciting news! I have to say, 2008 has most certainly started out with a bang. Good things are happening as a result of alot of hard work and some major life changes. It's nice to know the Universe rewards intention and action. The exciting part for me is just waiting patiently to see what happens next!

More Classes for Winter/Spring 2008

I have more workshop news to share!!

I will be offering my Tattered Edge Trunk Show and Hands-on Journal making workshop at the Coquitlam Teachers' Association Professional Development Day on February 15, 2008. If you are a teacher in the Coquitlam school district, I hope you will join me! More information can be found here.

I have also just been booked to teach my Art of Trading: ATC (Artist Trading Card) class at Place des Art during their Spring Break workshop series for kids on March 18th. I am looking forward to sharing this easily accessable art form with the younger set! This has been a popular class in the past-the kids really seem to "get it" and have a ball making and trading their cards. More information will follow on the Place des Arts website, so keep watching.

Notes From the Studio

This first month of 2008 is proving to be a busy time in the studio. I have been busy preparing kits for my upcoming classes and with my nose to the grindstone working towards deadlines. Don't get me wrong-I love to work, love to be busy. I just find it endlessly amusing that these things tend to all happen at once. It's that whole feast or famine phenomenon. It's good though-I find I do need times where my schedule is less hectic so I can recharge my batteries and give my mind a rest. You can't run full tilt all the time!

I got a giggle out of how many people commented or emailed me privately to comment on the tidiness of my studio. It seems I have spawned the movement known as "The Great Purge of 2008". *grins* Apparently I have inspired several folks to clean up their work spaces. Okay, so now that you're all organized, let's see your studios! If you're brave enough to post pics to your blog or Flickr leave a comment here and I'll go peek!

Oh and to clear one more thing up: Karma, the studio fish is real. Yes, he's a Siamese Fighting fish, a beta. I won't name names but someone thought it was some sort of glass or plastic fake fish. NOPE! He's a living, breathing, swimmin' fishy fish. I like looking over and seeing what he's up to.

I have added a new post to my Artpub Blog for those of you who are following along there. This one is about Personal Imagery.

Okay time to get back to work! Happy creating everyone!

Art and Personal Imagery

Copyright Tattered Edge 2008

So let's talk about personal imagery in art. Personal imagery is the elements you use over and over, sometimes without really realizing it that are meaningful in some way to you. For example, my friend Linda Woods uses pears to symbolize herself. I've seen that image used time and again in her work and up until recently didn't know that that is how she portrays herself in her art. There was also an article in the latest issues of Somerset Studio that talked about using elements that have meaning to you and this got me thinking about what turns up in my work. Here are a few of my personal images and what their meaning is to me:


Buttons: If there is anything that symbolizes me, it's the humble button. I love buttons because in my mind, they are the one simple thing that all human beings have in common. Every human being throughout the history of man has worn one in one fashion or another. They are about connection for me and that is how I see myself-connected to the world and to everyone in it. I have a soft spot in my heart for buttons.


Houses: Houses are a refuge, a safe place to fall. The shape of them make me think of protection. Home is a foundation for life.


Rulers: This symbolizes my connection to my roots. Rulers are my beloved Gramps. He was a carpenter and tools were his life. If nothing else, he would always have a tape measure with him. Rulers also mean a measurement of time for me.


Stars: Stars are secrets. I always do my stars as cut outs with something behind them. It's like small revelations or insight.


Hand prints: This one I don't use quite so much, but when I do, it's a powerful way of saying "I am here" without using words. When I made a quilt block for the United In Memory quilt to honor Kenneth Charles Ledee, who was lost in 9/11, I did a white hand print across a heart to symbolize how the people we love leave their mark on our hearts long after they are gone. I also think of it as the invisible gesture of placing a hand comfort and healing on an aching heart. I see hands as a spiritual thing-hands show love, hands comfort, hands create, hands heal. The work of our hands is sacred.


Eggs: Eggs make me think of unlimited potential. You don't know what's inside the fragile shell, waiting to break free. Eggs are about possibility.


Numbers: You will often see a 3 (for my birth month, March) or a 22 (for my birthday) if I feel the piece I am working on needs a number. I also like the shape of 5's for not particular reason so occasionally they will pop up too.


Colours: Red comes up fairly often in my work. I'm an Aries and it's the colour I identify most powerfully with. Red is strength and passion, bold and fearless. Red is warmth and life-giving.


I think any of you could look at these things and it would mean something different to you. Your life experiences and memories dictate how you see things. Every aspect of your life is coloured by your experiences, including your art. I think this is what makes it so interesting. If we were all given the exact same materials and told to simply make something, anything, I guarantee no two pieces would be alike. Each person would have a different frame of reference for the materials they were given. This also explains why when two people look at a piece of art, one may be deeply moved while the other remains indifferent. It doesn't mean the art isn't good, it just means some people will be able to connect with it and some won't. I can't tell you how many times I have looked at something and thought "Well, that does nothing for me." and just as many times, I have seen something and my heart has thought "YES!" How you see art has more to do with YOU and less to do with the artist. Art is a very internal and personal experience.


Looking around my studio, I see all the things I've mentioned surrounding me. I have a collection of houses, a collection of hands, the number 22 represented in printer's blocks and dice. There are jars of buttons and nests with clutches of eggs. There is red everywhere I look and stars sprinkled here and there. It's easy to see that I gravitate towards certain things and not surprising that they find their way into my art.


It would be interesting to hear which elements you use in your work and why, so please feel free to comment and share. Perhaps when you really look at your own imagery, you will discover something you didn't know about yourself. That's what it's all about folks-uncovering what's special about you and then finding a way to share it with the world.

News from the North

Hello everyone! I have lots to report. First and foremost, the exhibit is up at Poirier Library. It will be on display from now, till the end of of February. I just wanted to quickly remind all you locals that my two FREE workshops are coming up soon so if you would like to attend, you will need to call and register ASAP. Here's the info:

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.

I will also be teaching my jam-packed day-long Altered Books Workshop at Place des Arts in February. If you've always wanted to try altering a book, but didn't know where to start, this workshop will teach you everything you need to know to get started.

I began teaching this class about 4 years ago and I can tell you it has been my most popular. I have even had the pleasure of teaching entire classes of teachers so they could take these new skills back into the classroom! Come see what fun this is!

Altered Books, Condensed
Date: February 23, 2008
Location: Place des Arts, Coquitlam

If you are looking to book private workshop or would like me to come teach at your event, please email me!

Okay on to other things. Yesterday, I went to pick up my mail and there was a small, padded envelope in my mailbox. When I looked at the return address, it was from an Etsy shop. I thought it was rather odd because I couldn't remember ordering anything that I hadn't already received. Curious, I opened it and found this beautiful folk tree pendant inside, a gift from my pal Deb. It was one of the things I had put on my "whist" on the sidebar here and she surprised me by sending it to me. THANK YOU Deb. I will cherish it and wear it often. *sniff*

After that lovely bit of mail, I headed into Vancouver for the day. Things have been so hectic with the holidays and all the moving, etc. that I decided I just really needed to take a day for me. I went down to Banyen Books, which is the spiritual bookstore in these parts. It's a large building with hardwood floors and floor to ceiling built in bookshelves. If it's even slightly spiritual, you will find it there. I like that they have a whole section for creative books-The Artist's Way, books by Sark, books about soul collage, etc. They have journals-beautiful hand tooled leather ones that just beg to be filled.

They also have a whole setion that is gift type items-incense, prayer beads, stones, angels, buddhas, meditation cds, etc. I love the section that has prayer flags, singing bowls, prayer wheels, fountains and buddha statues. I bought this etched "OM" stone to add to my studio, along with the Buddha CD sleeve pictured above. (Which I may just frame.)

Out front they have this cool carved bench. I snapped this quick shot of the lotus on it with my camera phone. I must have been in there for over an hour. I could have stayed longer-there are comfy chairs all over the store to sit and read in and no one bothers you. The atmosphere really is quite relaxing.

Afterwards, I grabbed a bite to eat before dropping by a friend's house for a quick visit and then over to Loomis, a local art store to buy a Moleskine. I got a red one this time. While I was there, I found heat guns were on sale for $19.99, so I finally bit the bullet and bought one. Now I just need to learn to use it without burning my fingers. I always forget they are wickedly hot-I keep thinking it's like using a hair dryer, which I do all the time. It's NOT!! You can actually do some serious damage if you're not careful! I need to figure out where to get a stand for it. I have seen them from time to time and I think I should probably have one. Safety first!

Anyway, it was really a good day and so nice to have some time to myself, to just do whatever I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. It was a good way for me to transition back into my busy schedule now that the holidays are over.

I have some exciting pending news, but I can't share it just yet. As soon as it's a fait accompli I will spill the beans. I am very pleased about it.

Okay, that's my report from my little world. Hope all is well in yours!