The Sketchbook Project

So just a couple days ago, my friend Penn told me about this project where you register, pick a theme as a jumping off point, order a sketchbook and it arrives with your name and a barcode on it. Once you have it in hand, you go forth and art it up, then mail it back to the project headquarters by January 31st, 2012.

Once the organizers have it in hand, your sketchbook joins thousands of others on a tour of North America. (Tours are also happening in the UK and Australia, but only include the sketchbooks from those regions.) In 2012, the collection will actually be making its way to VANCOUVER!!

While on tour, people can visit the exhibit and "check out" any of the sketchbooks they'd like to look at (I don't think they leave the venue) and the artist will get an email letting them know every time their work is viewed. Once the tour is over, the entire collection will reside in Brooklyn, NY at the Brooklyn Art Library. There's a little more to it than that, so if you want all the details, you can find them here.

The funny thing is that right after Penn and I talked about it, friends Michelle Allen and Sherry Smyth both posted about joining. I got to thinking how much fun it would be to go to the exhibit here and check out their sketchbooks in person and maybe take a photo of me with their books and send it to them...One thing led to another and I signed up!Now I just need to figure out how to upload my userpic on their site. I have a sneaking suspicion I can't do that till they have me logged into their system, which should happen early next week. I can't wait to have my sketchbook in hand so I can get started.

It's going to be a great project to work on over the summer. I'll be posting my progress, so feel free to follow along and if the spirits move you, to join in. If you join, I'm listed under my name, so be sure and "friend" me and I'll friend you back. The more, the merrier!

Catching Up!

My last Petite Swap box arrived! Isn't this cool? It's was originally part of a box for a Parker Brothers Game of Palmistry. I've never see that before. Marlene knew I was into hand themed things so she hunted down some very cool goodies for me.

 See?! Things with the letter L, washi tape, hands, lots of red bits, silk ribbons and buddhas. Yummy!! Thanks Marlene! That was great fun!

 Meanwhile, I am still sick and struggling to find the energy to get back to work in the studio. Over the weekend, I had a bunch of the self portraits I've created printed. I had them done in 2 x 3 size, which was essentially a 4 x 6 with two prints of the same image on a single print. I just had to cut them apart. It was very inexpensive-66 photos for $7 and that included the tax.

I love this size-it's perfect for sewing into a ROD or doing a collage to frame. I've got 2 sets to work with, but I am torn about what I want to do with them. I'd like to make a book, but I kind of want to wait till the end of the year and have ALL the self portraits printed so I can have a year's worth in the book. Doesn't that sound cool? I mean how often do you get to have an entire year's worth of photos of yourself, taken of you BY you?! And artsy ones at that?

The other idea I am mulling over is also to have a giant frame with a black mat and to mount the images in grids. That would be so amazing on the wall. I don't think I would use all the photos, but pick the best of the bunch and mount those. Ikea has some pretty big frames that would work.

This is the stack I have to work with so far-it's 33 photos. I didn't print all of them-there were a few I missed accidentally, so I'll add them to the order for next time. Next time will be after July, when I've finished taking Light Hunters. I am sure I will have another tidy little stack by then. Who knew I would be so smitten with photography? Certainly not I!

I've also been writing like a mad woman for the new Someonelikeme.ca/Commemoi.ca  MS website and blog, which I told you about on Wednesday. I've been working on posts for my assignment there so I can stay ahead of the game. It's been good getting into the groove of serious wordsmithing again. Don't worry though-I won't be abandoning my blog. Would I do that to you? No way! This blog has been chugging along since August of 2004 and this post is number 1,270! That's alot of posts in almost 7 years! It's crazy to think that I started blogging in the dark ages, before most people were blogging, never mind artists!

Yes, I still have plenty to share, so I'm not going anywhere. Back with more soon!

World MS Day 2011

Copyright Lelainia Lloyd/Tattered Edge 2011
(Created in honour of World MS Day.)

Today, May 25th, 2011 is
World MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Day.  

I have some news I wanted to share with you. Today the Canadian MS Society is launching a new website targeting the needs of young people from the ages of 15-25 who have been diagnosed themselves or have had a loved one diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

Someonelikeme.ca/Commemoi.ca will include blogs, an online discussion forum and inspirational stories shared by a number of writers from across Canada who know what it's like to live with this disease. I am very pleased to share that I will be writing for the website on behalf of British Columbia. I'm honoured to have the opportunity to be involved in this important initiative.

The site is now up and running and content will continue to be added in the coming days. I've submitted my bio and my first blog post so those should be available shortly. If you're an adult who knows a young person affected by MS, I'd appreciate it if you'd help spread the word.

Still Wading In

Los Zapatos

 I'm loving my new Rebel! It's an endless source of amusement and inspiration. I am continuing to shoot self portraits. I had some of the images I created over the least 5 months printed as 4 x 6's but I think I am going to have them reprinted as 2 x 3's and make either a book and/or frame them.

 Hand of the Buddha

It's kind of cool that by the end of the year I will have documented my 40th year in this way. I've never, ever had an entire year of photos of me, much less photos that really reflect who I am. It's kind of exciting!

I'm also excited about Vivienne's new class, Light Hunters which I signed up to take in July. It's the perfect opportunity to get to know my camera better before I take You Are Your Own Muse in the fall.

And of course, no photo post would be complete without one of my beloved Indy. This is what he does to tease me when we're playing ball-he hoards them. I'll walk up to try and get one and he'll put his head down to keep me from getting the one between his paws. Or he'll jump up with both of them in his mouth. If I ask him to, he'll drop them, so I can throw them.

The blue ones are his favourite-they are designed with holes in them so they make a whistling sound when you throw them and they bounce like crazy. Indy often just lies there chewing them like gum and no matter how hard he chews, they never get damaged. These are THE most durable balls for a Lab.

It's the May long weekend here in Canada. (Queen Victoria's Birthday on May 24th.) I'd hoped the weather would be better, but it's 6 a.m. and we're socked in with rain. (Oh joy!) I am hoping it clears up because we have plans that involve being outdoors. (And taking more photos!) If not, I guess we'll spend tomorrow at the movie theatre. Pirates anyone? This afternoon I'm off to have a CT scan. (Can't get enough of those self portraits!)

Magic Mailbox: Petite Box Swap

Goodies have been arriving in the magic mailbox again-the returns from the Petite Box Swap. This one was From my partner Nicole. (I realize I photographed it upside down, after the fact. Whoops!) Anyway, it was crammed full of fun goodies.

Nicole sent wonderful ephemera, washi tape, fibres and buttons for me to play with. I think some of it will become a part of my latest ROD journal. I loved everything she sent.

Remember this box I made for swap hostess Heather? Well somehow the envelope I sent it in arrived at her home EMPTY. ARGH!! Yes indeed, somehow the contents were "lost" in transit. What I think happened is that someone got sticky fingers. I was so annoyed, but I didn't want Heather to be empty handed, so I made another box for her.

This is box #2 for Heather. I made the paper from cuttings taken from art magazines and stitching them together on my sewing machine. I added some hand dyed silk ribbon and a vintage flower button. I love the way it worked out and I am pleased with a new way of recycling and repurposing my old magazines. The magazines aren't cheap, so finding new ways of using them makes me feel like I am getting my money's worth. I also make envelopes out of them.

This is a the back of the box. It was worth the do-over I think.

While I was working on box #2, Heather's box for me showed up. Isn't this adorable? I actually saw these type of mushrooms in the wild last October while I was on my 20th Anniversary trip. The tops were as large as my husband's hand. They were very fairytale.

Look at all the yummy red and aqua goodies inside! MMM! So inspiring! I am thinking I might want to make an ROD just working with this colour pallet. That could be fun.

There's one more box in transit that I'm waiting for. This was alot of fun and I will definitely do it again. If you want to see more boxes, there's a Flickr group with tons of photos.

Photos & Light Hunters

 I have some more photos to share with you, taken on Mother's Day when I was at Granville Island with my son for a photo shoot.

One of the things I love about the market is that there are so many interesting things to photograph. There are all kinds of foods in intriguing colours and shapes. Take for example, these beauties. Up until I took this photo, I'd never seen them before. I guessed they were a fruit, but I had to do a little poking around on the internet to find out their name. They are called "mangosteens". There's some info about them and a photo of what the edible fruit inside looks like here. Of course now I am curious to know what they taste like, so next time I am at the market, I will buy one and give it a whirl.

I liked the little asterisk shape on the bottoms of the fruits, which you can see in the center right and the pretty aubergine colour.

 I like quirky signs. This one was on a rusted corrugated metal wall. The colour of the wall was interesting.

Behind the Kids Only Market, there is a small duck pond where lots of fuzzy goslings were paddling around. I spotted this feather snagged in the tall grass and liked how natural the colours were, so I snapped a quick pic.

The new camera is taking such crisp images. It's a real treat. Speaking of treats, Vivienne McMaster has a brand new class she's going to be running for the entire month of July called Light Hunters. It's about capturing the light in your photos. If you'd like to know more about it, click here.

I highly recommend her classes-if you want to know why, you can read my Muse interview here. You can also read what others have to say about them here. Go on-get inspired!

iLike: Beard Papa's

 So this is a box o'love. Seriously. I discovered Beard Papa's on the lower half of Robson Street while I was at the Olympics. Being on foot in a neighbourhood that's somewhat unfamiliar has its perks and this was one of them.

For the uninitiated, Beard Papa's is an little hole-in-the-wall Asian bakery that makes cream puffs, eclairs and cheesecake. The cream puffs and eclairs are filled with a wonderful custard instead of whip cream. They bake them fresh every day and the custard filling for the cream puffs comes in different flavours. (The original vanilla is my fav.) When you order, they fill the cream puffs right in front of you, so everything is as tasty as it comes.

 Doesn't this look yummy?

What I love about them is they are not very sweet, which is the beauty of Asian baked goods for me. (I'm not a sweet tooth.) The thing is, it's almost impossible to eat just one-they are that good!

I actually snuck these through security during the Olympics because I was burnt out on the snacks we were given every day. (Oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies got old real fast!) My guys and I were nibbling on cream puffs at the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies too. I think the people sitting around us were wondering where we got them because clearly we had the better treats!

Anyway, these are one of my all time favourite things and we had them for dessert on Sunday night. It's a good thing the bakery is downtown or I'd be eating them more often...though I just discovered there's a location closer to home. Maybe I need to check it out...

Pressies!

The birthday love continues, right into May! *grins* This week, this sweet little package from my friend G arrived in the magic mailbox. G and I met in our Wading In class and she's wonderful. We have alot in common and she has a great spirit.

Inside was this lovely bracelet she made for me. There are delicate little birds and pretty blue tinted stones and charms that say imagine, dream and believe. It was such a wonderful surprise and I'm going to love wearing it! Thank you G for this beautiful piece of work. I will treasure it!

She also sent me some art making goodies-ephemera and an aqua ink pad and a blank book to alter. Fun! I am *so* spoiled.

In other news, I finished the camera strap cover I wanted to make. It was super quick to sew and fairly easy to slide on. The fabric is a combination of regular cotton and a flannel, so it will be nice and comfortable to wear around my neck. This is one of my all time favourite fabrics-I love the colours so much. I think it's a vast improvement!

When I told my husband what I was sewing (he asked) for once he didn't look at me like I'm wacked. He seemed to think it made perfect sense to want to cover up the giant Canon logo and make it as comfortable as possible. I guess there's a first for everything! Don't get me wrong-he's hugely supportive and proud of what I do, but I know he thinks some of my ideas are a bit off the wall. As he often says, "Sweetie, life with you is never boring." He's a keeper!

The weather is scheduled to be dismal tomorrow and I am pretty bummed about it. We're supposed to have more rain. In April, we had TWO days that were rain free. UGH! It's the one thing that drives me nuts about the west coast. I don't mind intermittent showers, but having weeks on end of non-stop rain is a drag. I guess it's the price you pay for living in paradise.

I'd hoped to be able to go on a shoot with my son and take the new camera for a spin tomorrow, but if it's going to be wet all day, we'll have to rethink that plan. Guess we'll have to wait and see what we wake up to tomorrow. Forecasters have been known to make mistakes. Here's hopin'!

Experimenting

All images copyright of Lelainia Lloyd/Tattered Edge 2011 

Okay, let me just say that I am IN LOVE with my new camera! I am having so much fun fiddling with it to see what it can do. It's a very sexy piece of equipment and now I am wondering why I didn't upgrade sooner! I thought I would post a few pics I took yesterday.

I took this first one in a mirror and then flipped the image, so it's not backwards. I am especially pleased with the balance of focus and blur in this one. I love that effect!

 This one I took by setting the timer and asking the camera to shoot multiple images. It was like being in one of those photo booths where you get 4 quick shots. I just goofed around and then kept what I liked. I love the simplicity of my hands in this one, sans my wedding rings. The light makes this photo, I think.

 This one is all about the eyes. It's interesting the intensity green eyes have when you convert to black & white. I like taking unusual snippets of an image and working with them. Sometimes the most interesting part of a photo is not what you shot, but how you crop it.

 I played around a bit, shooting things in my studio. This is a rather large doll head I bought from the woman who lives across the street at her garage sale a couple summers ago. I love how she's cracked and chipped. (The doll, not the woman.)

 Just for fun, I shot this bulb of garlic that my husband hung up to dry outside our back door, some time ago. He forgot all about it because when I showed him this pic, he asked me where that was. *laughs* He passes it every time he comes in or out of the house. Guess he doesn't see it, which would explain why it's been hanging there for about a year and a half.

I shot this because I like the way the roots look and the colour is interesting. Clearly, the macro works just fine!

And last, but not least, here's my Indy. He always acts as if I am stealing his soul when I take photos of him. (Can ya tell by the look on his face?) He can be a hard dog to photograph, since he's both black and amazingly shiny, but the new camera does a fine job! That's pretty much my litmus test for a camera-whether or not I can get decent photos of my sweet boy.

The learning curve so far hasn't been that difficult. I'm digesting the instruction manual little by little. I tested out a new technique yesterday. In the manual it explains that if, for example, you are at the zoo, taking photos of animals behind bars, you can actually make the bars disappear. I decided to test it by shooting photos through my blinds and it works! It's pretty magical, really and I am so pleased that I now know how to do it.

I can't tell you how much fun I am having learning what I can do with a camera. I've never thought of myself as a photographer, but I am beginning to see that the skills I use in other areas of my artistic life translate into my photos. I'm finding it deeply satisfying to explore this medium. The beauty of it is that it's so accessible. I'm looking forward to the weekend shoot with my son.

A Rebel For A Rebel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE!!!

 Yesterday I finally purchased my new DSLR!! Woohoo!! This is the one I chose, a Canon Rebel XS 1000D.  I got a smokin' deal on it and managed to wrangle a 3 year service plan for the price of the 1 year plan. (It pays to haggle!) THANK YOU to several friends and family who gifted me cash towards this purchase for my birthday. I am thrilled to have my first fancy pants camera!

I chose to go with a kit, which included not only the camera, battery, charger, software and lense, but also a camera bag and an 8 gig memory card. (Though why Duracel doesn't include a protective sleeve for the card is beyond me! I will be writing the company about that. Honestly, what are you supposed to do to protect it when it's not in the camera?)

Today I am going to sew myself a camera strap cover, because let's face it, the ones that come with the camera are ugly and unimaginative. In 10 minutes, I can whip up something bright and pretty. If you want to make one too, just Google "camera strap cover" and a plethora of tutorials will come up. It's pretty simple, so if you have any quilting or sewing skills at all, you don't really need a tutorial. Essentially, it's just a fitted tube that you slide on over your strap. I like the idea of that because not only will it be pretty, but more comfortable to wear around your neck. (And I'm all about comfort!)

I'm a little overwhelmed by the operations manual-it's a whopping 211 pages long! I'm pretty techie though, so I think I can figure it out as I go along. I've been reading the manual in fits and starts. It's pretty dense and I find if I read too long, my brain goes numb. The good news is that I have a couple more experienced friends who also own this model, so I am sure if I need pointers, I can ask them.

My son and I are planning a photo shoot day on Mother's Day. We're going to spend part of the day trooping around together, taking photos and then I think we'll meet up with my husband and Indy for lunch. I am hoping for good weather on Sunday!

I'm still pretty ill with a sinus infection, despite a week of heavy duty antibiotics, so I've got to go see my GP and see what to do next. *sigh* I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I don't have time for this!

Okay, off to sew!

A Spring List

It's the weekend, which means we've been out this morning, taking Indy (black Lab with the orange Kong in his mouth) for a swim. It's blue skies and sunny here in BC today, though it was a tiny bit chilly up at the lake. Still gorgeous though, as you can see. My dog has a very good life.

So it's been awhile since I've done an update, so here it is:

Creating: The last month has been quiet in the studio. I've been pretty sick and haven't had the energy to do much. I can't seem to shake the sinus infection I've been fighting. The only thing I did manage was to author an article, which I will tell you about real soon!

Reading: Still inspired by Vivienne's Wading In class, I am reading about photography now. I own Liz Lamoreaux's Inner Excavation, which I am re-reading in anticipation of owning a new DSLR camera very soon and I borrowed Expressive Photography by the Shutter Sisters from the library. Fiction-wise, I am about to start Jonathan Kellerman's latest novel, Mystery. I've been reading his series for years and every year, he publishes a new novel just in time for my birthday. Isn't that nice of him?

Watching: The new season of The Amazing Race is on. I've lost track of how many season they've had, but I've seen them all. I've also caught up on all the seasons of Nurse Jackie that are currently on DVD. I don't get Showtime, so I'm not watching it as it's in season, unfortunately. Edie Falco is brilliant and the girl who plays Zoey is hilarious. I love Nurse Jackie as much as I (used to) love HOUSE. If you're a fan, iTunes has a Nurse Jackie podcast with videos behind the scenes. It's free to subscribe.

Listening: I recently downloaded a whole lotta tunes from iTunes! Yes, it was a bit of a feeding frenzy. Here's the list:

- Bruce Cockburn had a new album out. I like his instrumentals ALOT. The new album is Small Source of Comfort. I bought 2 tracks: Bohemian 3 Step and Ancestors.

- Amos Lee has a new album out too called Mission Bell. It was a whopping $5.99 for the entire album, which is 13 tracks. How can you lose? I like everything on it. I cannot believe it was only $5.99. This could become one I play over and over while I work in the studio. It's perfect.Willie Nelson makes an appearance on this album. I like Willie in small doses. Cup Of Sorrow is my favourite track.

-Eddie Vedder has this album that hasn't been released yet, but there's one track available, called Longing to Belong. The quirky thing is that the album will be called something like 16 songs for Ukulele. Yes, 16. *laughs* It should prove interesting. Of course I had to get my husband to remind me which band he's from (he thought it was Van Halen, but it's Pearl Jam. *giggles*) and yeah, he's gone way away from his roots. Good for him! Stretch that comfort zone. I think as an artist of any kind, you have to be willing to experiment and risk failing spectacularly. I think that's the only way to grow and if you're not growing, what's the point?

-Kina Grannis' cover of The Sound of Silence was too good to pass up. I (so far) don't care for her own songs, but she's BRILLIANT doing covers. BRILLIANT.

Anticipating: The launch of something that is a secret till it's live. That's all I'm sayin' for now! Soon, though, I will be able to tell you about it! Soon!

Dreaming: Deamin' about a summer filled with experimenting with the new camera I will soon own. I am looking foreword to learning something new and seeing what comes of it. Gotta love new toys!