Happiness Is....

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

My friend Deb Lewis wanted to know what makes people happy so I thought I would take a moment to answer her question this morning.

Here, in no particular order is my list:

-the smell of the ocean

-Stanley Park

-chai

-watching horror movies with my son

-vintage sewing ephemera

-goodies in the mail

-knowing the people I care about are happy and successful in their lives

-helping people

-learning

-the darkness if the wintertime

-curling up under my duvet with a good book

-doing the work of my heart

-beautiful lyrics

-the smell of fresh baked bread

-my amethyst ring from my husband

-hugs

-unexpected blessings

-the smell of a campfire burning

-everything about Autumn

-the RCMP musical ride

-new clothes

-a fresh haircut

-meaningful friendships

-a happy marriage

-beautiful old architecture

-folk art

In other news, last night I had one of those lovely moments of serendipity. I was at a meeting and these two ladies arrived at the same time I did. One of them commented on the necklace I was wearing. It's one of my favourites, made by the talented Jane Wynn, which always gets a ton of comments. (I get a kick out of telling this to Jane who is always amazed.) I mentioned that

Jane had a book coming out and then one of them asked if that was the person who had that display at the library awhile ago. I laughed and said "No, but that was me." They were really surprised and went on to say that they wanted to take classes from me and how the library was abuzz about that display. How cool is that?!

It's always so gratifying to know people like my work, even if I am a bit shy about it. It's great to know that people "get it" especially because mixed media/altered art is really in its infancy here in Canada. It's something that is just catching on. (Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true!)

So...what makes your world go 'round?

Everyday Things

Everyday Things Copyright Josue Menjivar 2007

Yesterday I spent the entire day immersed in art. The day started off with driving into Vancouver to meet with my friend Penn. We went up to Heritage Hall where they were holding a comic book sale. (Yeah I know what you are thinking-"Comic books?!?" but read on!)

Inside there were table set up around the room, each one belonging to a different artist. Each artist had their own hand drawn comics for sale. The books came in all shapes and sizes, some were low tech-photocopied and stapled and others were more professionally produced. All of the artists had several different comics to choose from and most of them ranged anywhere from $1.25 -$5.00. A few of the professionally printed ones were $10-$20.

We made our way around the room, looking at all the different comics and buying as we went. What was really cool was seeing some of the artists drawing while they manned their tables. I always enjoy watching people make art.

Eventually, we came to Josue Menjivar's table. (Apologies that I can't seem to make an accent on the "e" in Josue's name.) Penn was familiar with his work and explained a bit about it to me while we looked. Josue had a stack of his original copies of his comics sitting there and invited me to look through them. I came across the one shown above and that hooked me. I loved the sentiment of looking for magic in the everyday.

Then I saw this one and went crazy over how wonderful the typewriter was drawn (LOVE IT!) and the message was just so bang on. I had to have this book! I asked Josue if it would be okay to share this with you here on my blog and he was very gracious in granting me permission. He's incredibly personable and I liked how he was proud of what he does and yet is so humble at the same time. In reading these comics, I instantly felt connected to his work. I love the quirky way he thinks and the simplicity of how he can express the things we all think and feel at one time or another.


When I bought his comic, he asked if I would like him to draw me something in the front cover. Would I?!? You bet! So I handed my book back to him. He took out a black brush pen and in a matter of about a minute and a half, drew the typewriter I so loved for me. VERY COOL! I am now a fan.*grins*

Josue is a delightful person and if you would like to know more about his art or order a copy of Everyday Things you can visit his website Fresh Brewed Illustration. His other comic series is called Way Off Main and has three volumes that can be ordered individually or as a set. He also has some interesting photographs taken around town that you might also enjoy.

After lunch, we went back to Penn's place to play with paint. We spent hours creating tons of backgrounds. I have to say it was very addictive and the afternoon passed without either of us noticing. By the time I looked at the clock, it was after 7 p.m. and time for me to clean up and head for home. It took me awhile to get most of the gesso off my hands (thank god for a nailbrush!) but I can still see bits of it here and there and my fingers are tinged a lovely shade of purpley-blue. No matter-I figure I'm not having fun unless I am getting messy!

I love these pieces. Now I just need to decide how I want to use them. I think I will likely colour copy them so I can use them more than once.

So, it was a good weekend and one I really needed. It just felt so good to be able to sit down with a friend and experiment and play. I think we both learned alot. A couple of my experiments hit the garbage can, (I kept saying "Oh that was ugly!" and then tossed it which became a bit of a joke.) but for the most part, I was pleased with what I accomplished.

By the by, I just wanted to point out that this is my 800th post! When I started this blog, I didn't ever stop to consider how many times I would post to it, but today I just happened to notice. I hope that those of you out there reading-commenters and lurkers alike are enjoying my ramblings. It's really nice to hear from you when you comment and though Blogger doesn't have a set up that allows me to hit "reply" and respond directly to your comments, please know that I read and appreciate each and every one. Thank you!

Garage Sale Score!

Remember these? Well believe it or not, while I was out doing my errands this morning, my son spotted a large garage sale and said "Let's stop!" So we did and lo and behold, I came across another brand new, never been opened bag of them for sale. If course they were such a good deal I couldn't resist and I am now in possession of a fair collection of these charms. If you'd like some for yourself, they are available through the Tattered Edge Mercantile. I love garage sales-there's always something interesting to buy!!

Here's what's happening in my world:

Reading: The Secret of Lost Things: A Novel by Sheridan Hay Which I am enjoying. I picked it up at the library off the "new" shelf just because the title sounded interesting and when I read the inside cover, I thought it would be good. So far it is.

Watching: Gearing up for the season premier of Rescue Me (in Canada) on Tuesday night. I can't wait to see Tommy in action! I watched the finale of On the Lot and I am please Will won. He seemed like a really nice guy-humble and crazy talented. His films were really charming. I picked him from day one-I just really liked his attitude. I was kind of disappointed none of the women made it to the final round, but honestly, I wasn't thrilled with their films.

Listening: James Morrison:Undiscovered which was a gift from my pal Liz. It always amazes me how much alike out musical tastes are. We keep sending one another music we figure the other will like and it's become this wonderful little exchange between us. There's nothing more fun than having new music to create by! Thanks Liz!

Drinking: Home made slurpees from my new slurpee machine. Bliss!

Anticipating: All the wonderful teaching opportunities that are happening this fall. It's going to be a busy time. Speaking of the fall, I am looking forward to watching the leaves change. Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year. I feel positively joyful and lighthearted in the fall.

Dreaming: About Artfest in the spring. I am really excited to be spending time with good friends, meeting new people and getting inspired. How I am going to wait till April?!?

Doing: I just launched this year's 12 Days of Xmas Exchange. The ladies are now beginning to think about what their gifts will be. If you'd like to follow along, keep your eye on the 12 Days blog. (The permanent link button is on my sidebar.) Probably sometime in October beautifully wrapped gifts will start appearing.

Creating: I am working on preparing kits for upcoming classes right now. I actually enjoy creating kits. It's like making little gifts of artsy goodness from my students. I love getting kits myself!

Art Supplies I am diggin' right now: I bought some of those hard cardboard cones that thread comes on and they are sitting on my desk while I decided just what to make of them. The wheels are turnin'!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Through The Lens Darkly

Copyright Fotophreak 2007

My son gave me the moon this week. No really. Last weekend he bought himself this wonderful telescope and every evening since, he's been out on the drive stargazing after dark. Most nights his dad has had to go out and tell him it's time to head to bed because he has work in the morning. (His wake up call comes at 4:30 a.m.!) Anyway, the first night he got all set up, I was urged to "Come see!!" and this is what I saw.

Isn't the moon amazing? How could anyone not love the moon? I know it sounds silly but when I see some natural wonder like this, it moves me deeply. It was right there in the lens in all it's glory. I could see the craters like small divots on it's surface and I could make out the bumpy texture, which reminded me a bit of stucco. I just wanted to reach out and put my fingers on those divots and feel the moon.

I have odd things that fire my imagination and space exploration is one of them. I have always been in awe of how human beings have been able to figure out(from the ground) how to launch people into space and then, as if by miracle, get them back safely to earth. If you've even seen Apollo 13, you know what I am talking about.

Not that long ago, I saw an interview with a woman who paid to be a space tourist. At one point in the interview, she said that when they docked at the space station, she actually got to smell outer space. She said it smelled like a burnt cookie! Who knew space had a smell?! I find that fascinating.

In any case, this beautiful photo of my friend the moon was taken by my son who I think is very clever for figuring out that he could even do this through the lens of his telescope using his digital camera. It's so exciting when I see him expressing his own special talents and gifts as an artist. He definitely has a good eye and I love that he experiments with things to see what works. I never would have thought of taking pictures this way. To see more of his images, please visit his blog and leave him a comment if you like-he would love that!

It was truly a gift to be able to see something so amazing and beautiful. Thanks kiddo!

Calling All Canadians!

I just wanted to post and share this urgent message with my fellow Canadians from Canadian Blood Services. If you can help save a life by donating blood in the next couple of weeks, I urge you to pick up the phone and make an appointment at a clinic near you. It takes less than an hour to make a huge difference in someone's life and in case you didn't know, one donation can save THREE lives?!?



Here's what Canadian Blood Services has to say:


We have an urgent need for donations of blood — particularly from people who don't have scheduled appointments. At the time of this message, {Tuesday August 21, 2007} we only have about 2-3 days supply of some critical blood types — less than half the optimal level. As a result, we're having some trouble meeting regular hospital demand.


We've put an action plan in place to deal with this situation, but we need your help and we need it now!


If you have ever thought about donating blood, or if you are a donor who doesn't currently have an appointment, we need you more than ever. Please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) today and book an appointment — preferably at one of the 600 clinics we're running across Canada between now and Labour Day.


If you already have an appointment to give, thank you! Please help us out by honouring your appointment. (In the last 3 weeks, over 25,000 Canadians have either cancelled or missed their appointment.)


Another way you can help us is by sharing this important message about our urgent need with your family, friends and colleagues.


While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferable as they help us anticipate how many donors we'll have at our clinics so that we can plan accordingly to best respect your time. Please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) today!

Thank you for helping to save lives!

Sincerely,
The Canadian Blood Services Team

Gifts from the Universe

So yesterday when I got home from the ATC swap, that old suitcase and camera that I mentioned were waiting for me. My neighbours left them for me for FREE! The suitcase is an old Samsonite and inside has a partition. It is in very good condition.

This is the old Brownie camera. (Apologies for it being blurry. I think Ive got something wonky in the settings and I need to find the instruction manual.) I love the old advertising on the box. Likely this will end up a part of an assemblage someday.


Okay now the part I know you were waiting for: the fun for $20 from Daiso. Going clockwise, starting on the far left:

-Two rolls of paper that looks like lace. I thought this would be cool to lay down as a foundation layer in a collage and paint over.

-Two boxes of plastic fish bottles. I saw these and thought they were interesting. No idea what I will put in them, but I liked them.

-A plastic box to hold ATCs.

-Two little pill boxes that will hold brads or beads or something. The lids snap down tight and they work well because they are so small.

-A set of blue vinyl letters and numbers, another set of little plastic bottle containers. (I just liked how small they were.)

-And last but not least, a package of gingham print mini cupcake liners that I thought would be nice for wrapping small things in.

The ATC swap yesterday had a great turn out. Something funny happened. This lady I met there last month, Susan arrived with her sister and niece in tow. They sat down at the far end of the table and when the trading was over and people were just visiting, her sister came, sat down beside me and asked if I was Lelainia. I said yes and then she told me her name was Sonja and she thought we had gone to school together. We had! This was so funny because I NEVER run into people I went to school with. I told her I remembered her and why and we had a good laugh and then did some catching up. That was a very nice gift from the universe and Sonja if you are reading this, it was wonderful running into you like that!

Lazy Sunday Morning

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

It's time for Vancouver's monthly ATC swap so here are the cards I made-little houses with windows. I have been on a bit of a house kick for the last little while, thanks to Angela & Sarah. Still waiting to see a copy of their book to show up on shelves here.

I have been making final choices for classes at Artfest. I swear my registration gets written at least 4 times before the mailing deadline! I think I have it nailed down now, but I still have a week till it goes off, so perhaps it will get fiddled with one more time. So many choices!

My neighbours have been having a garage sale all weekend and I picked up a set of cubby drawers and a really old Canadian tobacco tin all for $5. What a deal! There's an old Brownie camera and two vintage suitcases sitting out there tempting me, but I am trying hard to ignore them calling my name.

I had so much fun at Daiso yesterday with my guys that Penn and I are going to go there again today. There were a few things I decided I couldn't live without after I got home so back we go! The fun thing about this store is it's two stories, filled with everything under the sun and EVERYTHING is $2. Do you know how much fun you can have for $20?!? Tomorrow I will show you.

Good things to start off the week:

-Laughing so hard at something my son said that it brought tears to my eyes and he started laughing at me laughing. He is hysterical without even trying.

-Anthony Hopkins in Fracture. He is brilliant and elegant and in a class all his own. LOVE him

-Savage Summit which I just finished reading. I read everything I can get my hands on about mountaineering and this one was really interesting.

-Cooler weather. It's grey and raining today and I couldn't be happier!

-Sunday morning brekkis with my husband. He cooks for me every Sunday morning, which is just the best.

Make Some Noise

Michalle Ward's crusade #11 is about sharing music. I decided to share with you a song that has deep personal meaning for me. It's Jewel's "Life Uncommon" and you can check it out by clicking here. (I couldn't get it to embed properly.)



Warning: You may want to grab yourself a kleenex-I don't know how anyone can watch this and not be moved.



Enjoy!

Tuesday Randomati

My friend Kristen Robinson wanted to see other people's work spaces, so today I am sharing mine. This is my computer desk.

From left to right:

-Photos of my beloved Gramps. I miss him and like having him here watching over me.
-My two antique toast holders which hold all my bits of paper, two Moleskine journals (one where I jot down art ideas and my NYC one, a birthday gift from Liz.), two day timers (one for 2006/2007 and the new one 2008/2009!).
-My tile coaster which was a birthday gift from my birthday twin Tracy Roos. Usually this has my Starbucks mug full of tea sitting on it, but I haven't gotten that far this morning.
-My mini vintage Raggedy Anne with teeny quilted tote, a dried oak leaf and a plastic robot sit on the base of my monitor.
-My Ipod
-A tin of Sweetriot from AF that is still 80% full.
-My electronic label maker with a stuffed buffalo Deb sent me for my b-day.
-A replica vintage tin of Whitman's samplers that Kristin Steiner tucked into my tote. Still 2 chocolates in it!
-My roll-a-dex with back up info-emails, addy's, phone numbers of friends and business contacts. (I never fully trust the computer not to lose this info!)
-On the door where my cds are stored there is an assortment of hanging art goodies, all of which were gifts from friends, save for the little blue bear that I bought at Artfest. Oh and there's also a postcard of Deb's work taped above them.

To the right of my computer desk, is the desk I do my artwork on. This is what it looks like at the start of every day. By midday, you can't see the top! I work on top of the giant brown coaster to keep anything sticky from getting onto the table runner underneath. (Hand quilted by me.) All of my tools are close at hand and I have labelled Ikea storage boxes underneath with paper supplies neatly sorted. During the day, the blinds are open and I often get a visit from my squirrel buddy. He comes right up to the window, puts his paw up on the glass and peeks in at me.

This one came out a little dark, but you get the gist. Carrying on to my right is a stack of Ikea drawers. I have all my trinkets sorted into each and labelled so I can find things quickly and easily. On top I have a couple baskets and a drawer for my ink pads and markers. Beyond that is a bookshelf with all kids of art stuff on it-works of art from friends, a collection of collaborative books, my art books, zines, trinkets that amuse me, more supplies, my music CDs, etc. That's it! That's my whole workspace! It's small but functional.

Okay, I've shown you mine, now show me YOURS! Please post a comment with a link so I can see!

Pasticcio showed up yesterday! It's zine-a-licious! Sarah and Angela did a fabulous job putting it together and they made my artwork look fantastic. THANKS LADIES!! If you haven't ordered your copy, do go and check it out!

And last but not least for today, a couple of friends have honoured me with some virtual awards.

First, Kristen awarded me with the "Rockin' Girl Blogger Award" and then Laura emailed me last night to tell me to go check out her blog. Turns out she wanted me to know she nominated me for the "Nice Matters" award. She said that the nice matters award is awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration. They are people that care about others that are there to lend support and are just a positive influence in our blogging world. She said she nominated people who have always been so giving to her of their time, talent, friendship and niceness and because they have touched her heart in a very special way.

WOW! Thank you Kristen and Laura! It's very sweet to know you think of me this way and I am humbled.

Works in Progress

Yesterday morning I managed to whip up two doll quilt tops from the Moda fabrics I bought. I decided to just do simple charm quilts. I have the borders on and I will be adding some applique to them-I just have to decide what I want to add. Eventually something will come to me.

I got playing around with some of the scraps and made this book jacket for a journal.

It came out just darling and I want to embellish it too. Too bad the light wasn't better when I snapped the pic, but it's overcast today, which doesn't make for the best photos.

And what's this? Well I have had my eye on these Ikea tea thermoses for quite some time now. They are $40 CDN (isn't that insane?!) and every year they go on sale. I know that eventually they end up as low as $14, but each and every time, I've missed that brief window of opportunity and they've sold out before I could get my hands on one. This time I was in the right place at the right time and this one is MINE!!

Why did I want it? Well it's the perfect size to fit in the side pocket on my backpack on wheels which I use to transport my class supplies at Artfest and sometimes also when I am teaching. I love tea and this way I can have a couple cups while I am working. Tea for me is as necessary as breathing! There is always a cup sitting on my desk that I am working on and usually it's either orange pekoe or chai. So.. this orange thermos makes me happy!

My best friend Lisa is back from her vacation in Oregon and brought me a bunch of pressies. This "Boobie Girl" is one of them. It's the work of Lynne Novak and is made entirely of glass and wire. I love it and plan to hang it in the window above my workspace. THANKS Lisa!! xox

There are only two more weeks left of August and already it seems that summer days are fleeting-I can already feel fall in the air. (I LOVE the fall!) I had so many plans for the summer for personal projects I wanted to work on but so far have only managed a fraction of what I thought possible. Where does the time go?!

New Project

Yesterday I got the wild hair to go fabric shopping. Lauri had emailed asking me if I would like to do a personal doll quilt swap with her and the idea appealed to me. I decided to go out and see if I could find fabrics I wanted to work with and sure enough I did! These are from Moda's Celebrate Spring collection. I don't usually go for pinks or pastel tones, but for some strange reason, these appealed to me. At any rate, they seemed to be perfect for a doll quilt.



The white with the flowers on it will be the backing and the raspberry is the binding. I am still trying to decide what blocks I will make-I'm not sure yet. I think I am about to go on a textile kick.



In order to be able to quilt, I had to run out and buy a new iron yesterday as well. On Friday morning, I got up early and decided to make myself a half apron,which isn't quite finished yet-I have some embellishing to do still. While I was working on it, I heard this ugly electrical zzzzt! sound and then saw a flash and heard a loud pop! after which smoke started pouring out of my iron as I ran to yank the cord out of the wall. Thank god I was in the same room when it happened or there might have been a fire. Needless to say, once it cooled off, it went directly into the garbage-there's no way I would even consider trying to fix it-it's had the biscuit! I found a new one and hopefully it will be as good as my old one-I loved my old iron.

I also wanted to show you this little gadget I bought on Friday. It's a slurpee/snow cone machine. You put ice cubes in the top, the liquid you want to use in the bottom (in this case diet caffeine free Pepsi) and just plug it in.

In about two minutes, you have a slurpee! I LOVE slurpees but haven't had one in ages because none of the ones you can get in the stores are made with diet pop. When I was at the grocery store on Friday, I saw they were clearing these machines out for $19.99 and had to have one. It works wonderfully and I can't tell you how great it is to be able to make my own slush drinks. You can use anything-fruit juice, ice tea...whatever you like! Iced Mocha anyone?! MMM!

Okay, I am off to get started on the doll quilt! Ill be back soon with photos!

Publishing News!

So many exciting things are happening lately, that I actually have had to make a list so I don't forget to blog about them! Today I wanted to share with you the cover of a new collaborative jewellery book I was invited to create work for. "A Charming Exchange" by Ruth Rae & Kelly Snelling is due to hit the shelves in July 2008.



It's always so odd to be making art up to a year in advance. The lead times are so long in publication that by the time I see it in print, I've almost forgotten what I did! I worked on my pieces back in December and sent them off in January so it will be a year and a half between creation and publication this time. Fortunately, I have been able to see the finished products of the pieces my work was added to and let me tell you, they are pretty spectacular! Ruth has done an amazing job taking all of our creations and marrying them together into beautiful jewellery. The book is destined to be filled with eyecandy!

This little pendant was made for a friend of mine's birthday. I bought a string of blue freshwater pearls the last time I was at the bead shop and they worked perfectly for this. I had planned to treat the copper with liver of sulphur to age it so it would match the rusted bird, but unfortunately, my sulphur was too old and no longer works. I explained to her the copper will naturally age as she wears it and she said she didn't care-she liked it just the way it is. I thought she would get a kick out of it and she must have-she wore it all weekend and only took it off to go swimming!

There are more exciting things in the works, but I can't share them just yet. Soon, though, I promise! It's turned out to be a very busy summer.

Treasured Totes

Yesterday the magic mailbox held a package from my friend and exchange partner, Kristin Steiner. She did a lovely job of wrapping it-isn't that paper crow fun?



Inside was this gorgeous folk art red and cream bag made from upholstery fabrics. Unfortunately, the photos don't do the colours justice. It's dark and raining here and it's hard to get good pictures when the weather's gloomy.

On the front of the bag, Kristin made this pretty wool flower pin with a bezel in the middle which contains a picture of me as a tiny baby in my christening gown.

Inside the tote, Kristin used another photo of me (at age 2 or 3) to decorate one of the pockets. She added some text that says "It's all inside". I love that this is like a little secret inside the bag. There is also a typewriter key above the photo with the letter "L" on it.




The other inner pocket is divided into two smaller sections to hold things like a cell phone and keys. Kristin embellished it with this beautiful wide lace.



All round the outside at the top of the tote she created these fabric triangles and embellished them with buttons. They remind me of the banners I have made recently and I just love old buttons!

Inside the tote, she tucked some goodies. There was this package of vintage perforated paper that will be fun to work into future projects, a brass "L" letter stencil and a replica vintage tin of Whitman's chocolates. (Love the colour of the tin!!)

THANK YOU Kristin for making my tote so incredibly special and personal. I am so blessed to be gifted with the work of your hands. You really went above and beyond the call in creating something that is totally "me". It's extra special because you share my love of textiles-it shows in everything you did. I will be so proud to be carrying this around town and will treasure it always.

THANK YOU to all my artist friends who participated in this exchange: Barbara Atwell, Debra Cooper, Amy Huff, Liz Lamereaux, Deb Lewis, Caren McNee, Ruth O'Conner, Kristen Robinson, Liz Smith, Mary Stanley, Kristin Steiner, Kathy Strittmater and Kathy Wasilewski. It's always a pleasure to host when everyone does such wonderful work. Each of your totes was beautiful and unique and this project turned out even better than I had envisioned.

*Note: This exchange is scheduled to be featured on Art-e-zine as soon as it is complete. I will announce it here when it's available for viewing.

Back From The Wilds!

Copyright Tattered Edge 2007

Home again! We were away at a family gathering in Naramata, BC for a few days. The photos above of the million dollar view we had were shot by my son, looking down on the lake. My oldest brother-in-law lives on and looks after a 500 acre piece of mountain property and everyone got together there for a weekend of camping.

I think my son had the best time-he got to drive (for the first time) and ATV and a Mule (a small motorized cart type of vehicle) all around the local trails and he water skied (also for the first time) and boogie boarded with his cousin and one of his uncles.

We divided up the cooking responsibilities and my family was in charge of breakfasts. I made blueberry pancakes, my husband made the eggs, my pal Allison did the bacon and my son took care of the toast. Everything disappeared so I guess it was good! As is always the case with family gatherings, we had more food than anyone needed, but it was fun.

Luckily, we didn't run into any rattle snakes, but I have never seen so many wasps! It was nothing short of a miracle my son and I weren't stung-we're both allergic and it would not have been fun! One of my sisters-in-law bought these tennis racket contraptions that zaps insects. Everyone was zapping the wasps like crazy at meal time. The minute any meat was out, the wasps went crazy!

It was nice to get away for a few days and I didn't think about art once! Well okay, only once when I found some cool feathers and picked them up, thinking I would take them home to use. I am glad to be home now and sleeping in my own bed-my back is still a major issue. I will be spending the rest of the week catching things up and "patiently" waiting by the mail box for my copy of Pasticcio to arrive! From what I have heard so far, it's pretty amazing!!

I hope everyone else had a good long weekend.

Drawing Inspiration

Okay folks, time for a book review! I borrowed Organizing Your Craft Space from my local library this week and was pleased to find it chock full of wonderful photos of various work spaces. For me that is always the big draw-I am a very visual person (obviously) and love peeking in on other people's work spaces to see what treasures they hold and how they arrange things to make them functional.

The book has some surveys to determine your decorating style which was interesting. I found out my style makes me a "Guardian". A Guardian has an abundance of bookshelves which hold works that inspire them, small accent pieces that hang from doorknobs to arouse artistic inclination, as well as small drawers and hidden compartments. Yup, that's me!

One of the work spaces they showed was pretty bright and busy-it somehow reminded me of Mary Engelbreit. I think it was the colours-mainly reds, golds, blacks and whites-lots of stripes, checks and busy patterns. I am not sure how anyone could work in that space-it's loud and I would find it pretty over stimulating and yet clearly, it works for someone! It's amazing how a workspace really reflects the artist's personality and in many ways becomes a sacred space.

In reading this book and pouring over the photos, I have also realized that I am drawn to converting antique items into storage and organizational tools. Remember the antique toast holders? Well after seeing some of the photos in this book, I am now on the hunt for antique strainers (sieves), white glass bottles and small crystal salt and pepper shakers and this weekend, I know just the place to look! We'll be in a small town where a parade is scheduled and street vendors will be set up so I am hopeful that I can find some goodies to bring home.

This weekend I am actually going to do something that is pretty rare for me . I am taking 3 days off from working on anything art related. I have not done this in a long, long time, so it will be a challenge, but I think I just might just be able to do it! (If you know me at all, you know I have the kind of creative brain that never shuts off and a work ethic to match.) My one concession is that I will be taking my Moleskine journal where I write down all my creative ideas, but that's it! The plan is to read, visit with my inlaws, play scrabble or cards with my husband and my friend Allison and just generally unwind. I am going to watch my son, niece and nephew tube on the lake, take lots of photos and savour our family time. I hope to come home re-energized and inspired. After all, isn't that what vacations are for?

Have a great long weekend everyone and catch you on the flip side. In the mean time, check out the book if like me, you are working on creating a more functional and organized workspace. It will definitely give you lots of helpful ideas!

Artfest 2008!!

Original Artfest 2008 logo by Tracy Moore

Hi Folks, I am still alive. I haven't been online much as I am still dealing with the back problems that happened after a fall I took 2 weeks ago. I went off to the doc again to see what the second set of x-rays showed. (I think I about glow in the dark by now!) Next on my dance card is to have blood work done, a CT scan and a trip to the neurologist. What fun! (NOT!!!) This is not how I planned to spend my summer and I have about had enough!

In the meantime, to keep myself entertained, I have been perusing the workshop offerings for Artfest 2008. If you are interested, click here. There are so many YUMMY classes and a host of new instructors, which makes things all the more interesting. The challenge comes in only choosing 3, especially when there are several that pique my interest on the same day!

If you've never been to Artfest and are thinking about going, GO! I can't tell you how much fun it is-you have to see for yourself. What I can tell you is that I have learned how important it is to fill up my creative well at least once a year, to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones, to uncover skills and talents I didn't even know I had and to breathe in the beautiful surrounding Ft. Wordern has to offer. It's a magical thing to commune with 500 other like minded people, people who "get it" and don't look at you like you are some kook who's always covered in glue and paint and is obsessed with hording "stuff". It's become my annual birthday present to myself. Believe me, if Artfest doesn't feed your soul, I don't know what will!

Anyway, back to bed with me where I'll be happily mulling over my class choices...oh the possibilities!