It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Happy Autumn everyone!! My most beloved season is finally here!! YAY!! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous-cooler, but beautifully sunny. It makes me so happy to watch the turning of the leaves and the changing of the light.

It's been a busy time in the last week or so. I met with my new cohort, my 4th for the UBC Interprofessional Health Mentors Program on Monday night. This time my students are from medicine, nursing, OT and kinesiology. They are a lovely group of young women and I am excited to be working with them. My 3rd cohort has two more session and then they are done. Hard to believe we're at that point already!

We have been sticking pretty close to home as my husband is still recovering but we've managed to take Indy for a dip in the lake from time to time. He is never so happy as when he is swimming and retrieving. Now that the summer drought is over and we've had a decent amount of rain, the lake has been fairly high which makes for better swimming for him.

Thanksgiving is next weekend. I am going to be baking pies this weekend in preparation. Turkey is my favourite meal, so I am looking forward to it. Our best friends and our son will be joining us. This year has been really rough, but we still have plenty to be thankful for-we are all still alive and together and before the month is up, we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. That's a pretty big deal. 

In case you missed it, there are zines available in my Etsy store-issues #3 & #4 of Manual Dexterity. Issue #3 is Hallowe'en/Autumn themed and includes my secret recipe for THE BEST pumpkin pie! You can find them here.

Happy Fall Y'all! 

Good Things!

Hello! Hello! I hope things are going well in your little corner of the world! It's been a very challenging summer. Last week, as if we didn't have enough excitement around here with health issues, mother nature decided to have a go. We got a major storm here on the west coast with 80km winds and rain. Trees went down all over the place-two went down across the street at the neighbour's and took out his fence and the rear window of a car parked across the street. In a matter of minutes, surrounding neighbours came with their chainsaws and handsaws to help. The trees were blocking the road (and the bus route) but they were able to dismantle the downed trees enough to clear the roadway. I live in an awesome neighbourhood!

We also lost power at noon on Saturday and it wasn't restored until late Monday night. We lost the contents of our fridge and deep freeze. It took us 3 hours to clean that up-you can't just put everything in a garbage bag and toss it out. Because of environmental measures here, you have to separate food from packaging. The packaging has to be rinsed and recycled and the food goes into the green recycling bins. Let's just say dealing with dead spoiled fish is not fun. YUCK! It was challenging restocking our fridge too-many of the local stores were also without power for days, so they lost all their perishables too. My fridge is still pretty empty, but I'm working on it. The good news is we got much needed rain and we are okay. We played alot of cribbage, burned candles and when it got dark, made our way around with flashlights. We were completely off the grid at home-no power, no lights, no hot water, no Internet. It was like indoor camping for 3 days.

Now that things are back to normal, I wanted to share that I've finally got copies of my latest zine, Manual Dexterity #4 available in my Etsy shop. I also had a few people ask me about Manual Dexterity #3, the Hallowe'en/Autumn issue I did a couple years ago. I managed to scare up a few copies (see what I did there?) so they are also available. I have limited copies, so if you want one, I suggest you act fast!

                  

I also really excited that my new advocacy business cards from MOO have arrived! For some time now I have been wanting to make some specific to the work I do as an advocate for NMO and MS. I finally got around to it. I've ordered business cards from Moo for years and have had nothing but exceptional service. Seriously, they exceed my expectations each and every time. I decided to order the rounded corners on my cards and to go with the standard business size this time, instead of the mini cards which I love so much. (And can't stop ordering!) They were in my mailbox this morning and they are GORGEOUS! I am going to be so proud to hand them out!

If you'd like to order some for your very own, you can do so here. By clicking the link, you will receive 10% off your first order. Can't beat that!

So..that's the latest news. I am looking forward to Autumn which will be here soon-I'm counting the days!

Under the Weather

Yes, I am still alive. (Barely!) I came down with a very nasty throat infection 12 days ago and have been in bed ever since. Fortunately I have antibiotics now, so hopefully I'll be feeling better and have my voice back soon.

In between doctor's appointments, I managed to take Indy for a walk in the park yesterday. Walking around the lake was a challenge because I am feeling pretty wiped out, but Indy needed the exercise and I needed the fresh air after being stuck at the hospital all morning. The leaves were just beautiful. Maple leaves are always my favourite (for obvious reasons) and I love oak leaves too. There aren't as many oak trees in BC as there are in Manitoba, so when I see oak leaves, it's a sweet reminder of home.

Just before I came down with the plague, I had a fresh bust of inspiration to work on finishing issue #4 of Manual Dexterity, which has been in the works for some time. All the art is completed, (the image above is a wee peek!) now I just need to work on the written content. My goal is to have it completed before I have surgery on my wrist. Since I'm still waiting to hear when that's actually going to happen, chances are good I'm going to manage to get it finished! Zines are alot of work, but I really enjoy making them.

Gearing up for Thanksgiving this weekend. It's probably going to be pretty low key as I am not 100%, but there will be turkey, one way or another and I am determined to enjoy CranberryFest tomorrow!

Time Well Spent

I spent the day yesterday working on Gelli plate prints with Penn. The first day of Autumn was a windy and wet one, so it was the perfect day to be holed up in the studio with a good friend, creating.

As you can see in the photo on the left, I created quite the stack. There were thirty one 8 1/2 x 11 sheets and then about a dozen book pages that I used to clean my brayer off on in between prints. Nothing goes to waste! The print on the right was my most favourite of the day.

I also really love the one on the right. 

These ones are more subtle. They kind of remind me of Basic Grey, which is my favourite paper arts company.

I have also been working on Roben Marie Smith's You've Got Mail Art class. I haven't been doing the projects so much as working on technique right now. Don't get me wrong-the projects are great-I just want to focus on developing a looser style right now. I've been using what Roben Marie teaches to experiment in doing that.

These are four pieces where I just used card stock as my substraight:

I will probably take them to colour copy when I make copies of my gelli prints. I like to colour copy my originals so I can use them endlessly in future art projects.

I find these two particular ways of making art very relaxing. I just lay paint down and there's really no wrong way to do it. If I don't like something I've done, I simply paint over it. It's quite freeing.

Penn and I also spent some time looking at some zines from each other's collection. She just did a zine swap with her art group recently and I realized I really need to finish the zine I've been working on for some time now. I love making them, but they are a considerable amount of work. I tend to work on them in stages, so it takes months to put one together. I have the art created, I just need to decide what the content is going to be. (No mean feat!) My goal is to have Manual Dexterity 4 completed before I have hand surgery. I see the hand surgeon on Thursday and then I'll have a better idea if that's even possible. Here's hopin'!

Cranberryfest 2011

Hello again! Well, another Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone. It was pretty busy! Saturday, my husband, Indy and I went to Fort Langley's annual Cranberryfest. This is my 5th year and I think that judging from the crush of people present, folks have finally caught on that the best little Autumn festival is happening there. Seriously, I have never seen so many people in attendance! I think it helped that the weather was perfect too.

We had a wonderful brekki-pancakes, cranberry sausage, breakfast sausage, juice and coffee for $5-can't beat that! The sausages, which were made by Freybe were so yummy! One of the cooks even gave us a spare sausage (for free!) for Indy. Indy was super happy about that!

After brekki, we toured around town looking at all the vendor's booths. Everyone comes from far and wide to get fresh cranberries for their holiday dinners. Langley is one of the largest exporters of cranberries in the world. A couple years ago, I actually took a tour of the bogs. It's incredible to see acres and acres of land turned scarlet with berries. These guys were scooping and filling bags for sale just as fast as they could. The lines were 10 people deep!

These are the sweet ladies who have a booth in front of the little white church every year. They have buckets galore filled with dahlias. You can pick 6 stems for $5. There are florists who have vendor's booths at the festival, but I always hike up the street to the church to buy my Thanksgiving bouquet. I'd much rather give my money to these to gals. They are just so lovely and their flowers are gorgeous. I love dahlias and they looked very cheery on our dinner table.

All around town are these huge pumpkins. I couldn't resist snapping pics to play with when I got home. I love how this one turned out. The pumpkins are really big and they bring them in on skiffs because they are so heavy. They have to move them with a forklift.

I also came across these gorgeous mushrooms, which were waiting for me like a gift, just as I stepped out of the car. They are 100% real, I promise you! This is the season when you see them and these ones were huge! You can't tell their scale from this photo, but they stood 7 inches high and the caps were as big as my palm.The only other time I've seen them this large was hiking the wilds of BC last autumn on Vancouver Island. I love photographing them.

In case you missed it the other day, Manual Dexterity #3 is now available. It's chock full of Autumn and Hallowe'en art, inspiration & goodies! There is also the second mini house zine in the Rue du Maison series, which I had so much fun making.You can find these two zines (and more!) here.

THEY'RE HERE!!

Yes, I've finally finished the long-awaited 3rd issues of Manual Dexterity! Just this minute, in fact. If you want to get a sneak peek at what's inside or to purchase a limited edition copy for your very own, please visit the Tattered Edge Mercantile.

This jam-packed issue celebrates my favourite season, Autumn and has a touch of Hallowe'en for good measure. There are tutorials, articles, inclusions, (which means goodies for you!) art, photography and a whole lot more!

And in case you missed it last week, there's also a brand new Rue du Maison mini house zine (the second in the series) in my shop.

No rest for the wicked-today is our Thanksgiving celebration, so now I have to go put a bird in the oven. Nothing like multitasking!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Canadian Thanksgiving

Copyright Lelainia Lloyd/Tattered Edge 2011

This weekend is one of my most favourite of the whole year:

it's Thanksgiving!

It's going to be a busy weekend, as we observe our family's holiday traditions and I work to print and assemble the 3rd issue of Manual Dexterity. It's going to be a bit of a whirlwind!

Amidst all the holiday goodness, I am also acutely aware of all the things I have to be grateful for in my life:

-The love of a good man

-The love of a good dog. *grins*

-Our son who makes me laugh

-Work that feeds my soul

-The opportunity to learn new things

-Friends far and wide who make my life better simply by being in it

-Opportunities to make a difference on other people's lives

-Laughter

and so much more.

It's become a tradition here on my blog for me to post this harvest prayer. It's a personal favourite of mine because it pretty much sums up my life's philosophy and its message is timeless.

Harvest Prayer

(Anonymous 17th Century Sermon)

Please be gentle with yourself and others.

We are all children of chance,

And none can say why some fields blossom

While others lay brown beneath the harvest sun.

Take hope that your season will come.

Share the joy of those whose season is at hand.

Care for those around you.

Look past your differences.

Their dreams are no less than yours,

Their choices in life no more easily made.

And give.

Give in any way you can.

Give in every way you can.

Give whatever you possess.

Give from your heart.

To give is to love.

To withhold is to wither.

Care less for the size of your harvest than for how it is shared,

And your life will have meaning

And your heart will have peace.

 

***

 

To my fellow Canadians, whether at home or abroad, I wish you a beautiful harvest celebration with your family and friends and a safe journey if you are travelling this weekend.

Hello Again!

Hello dear Readers! After three weeks of feeling simply awful, I am on the mend, with the help of some heavy duty antibiotics. Let's hear it for modern medicine!

The little bit of eye candy above is a page I did for a collaborative book for my friend Penn's 50th birthday. She got a good laugh out of it, which was the whole point. It was the first thing that popped into my head (thanks to my warped sense of humour) and I was pleased with how it came out. I'm glad she liked it.

Now for a bit of catch up:

Creating: Well, seeing as I've been so sick, I haven't been in the studio for almost a month now. (!!!) I've begun the next issue of Manual Dexterity Zine, which no one guessed was a Hallowe'en edition. Thing is, having fallen unintentionally behind, I am unsure whether I will be able to complete it before this Hallowe'en. I may put it on the back burner and work on it for Hallowe'en 2011. I hate the thought of not completing it now, but I just don't think I will be able to pull that off. Sometimes, you have to know when to let things go. It's in the hard drive and will keep, if need be.

Reading: The Last Man on the Mountain: The Death of an American Adventurer on K2 by Jennifer Jordan. Yes, another mountaineering book. They're my favourite! Once I finish that one, The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha which looks like it will be very happy-making.

Watching: Rubicon, which is intriguing and so well written. God bless AMC for their stellar story telling. If you're not watching it, you're missing out. Glee, which is amusing on a whole different level. House, which I am loving and hating in turns right now, the same goes for Rescue Me. Lastly, I'm still watching The Amazing Race, which I will never get tired of.

Listening: Zaac Pick, a local artist whom I'm really enjoying. If you haven't checked him out, get thee to iTunes!!

Anticipating: Canadian Thanksgiving, which is this weekend. It's one of my two favourite holidays. (The other is Hallowe'en.) It's also the annual Cranberryfest, which I enjoy. YAY!

Dreaming: About all the upcoming projects I'm involved in and celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary soon!

***

If you're looking for copies of Manual Dexterity Zine, you'll find them in my Etsy shop. The link to the shop is on the sidebar.

Thanks to everyone who has purchased copies so far!

Manual Dexterity Issue #2

After much hard work, issue #2 of Manual Dexterity is finally finished and available for purchase! The zine is 20 pages, handbound and measures 4 1/2 inches wide x 5 3/4 inches tall.


Here's a sneek peek but just in case the writing's too small, even when you click the photo, I'll tell you that it's chock full of good stuff-five full coloured art pages, four (count'em four!) articles, along with lots of other fun details and inclusions. (Which means goodies for you!)


If you missed issue #1 of Manual Dexterity, and want to collect the complete set (thus far) you are in luck! I still have a few copies left. If you want one though, you'll need to snap it up now because once they're gone, they're gone! Both issues of the zine are available for purchase through my Etsy store, Tattered Edge Mercantile.

For those of you who have already purchased copies of issue #2, (Thank you for your enthusiasm!) your copies are on their way and should be in your eager hands shortly. Hooray!


And lastly, for those of you who are enjoying my zines, I just wanted to let you know that despite having my right hand in a hateful cast, I decided I really wanted to work on a 3rd edition right away.
Can you guess what it's about?!?

Sneak Peek!

WOOHOO! I am *so* excited! After a ton of work, I've finally completed issue #2 of Manual Dexterity! The first dozen copies are for the zine exchange I am participating in. I still have to work on binding the copies I will offer for purchase, so if you want one, they will be available here on my blog soon!! (Hopefully late next week.)

I learned alot from creating issue #1. I learned that it's not particularly fun to have to physically cut out and glue down all the colour pages by hand, especially if you have no feeling in your hands and you've got several colour pages per copy. It took forever and I went through an entire econo pack of Uhu glue sticks in the process!


For this issue, I learned my lesson and did a far better job of formatting, which meant no gluing, save for the cover. YAY! I use Publisher and there's a 1/4 fold template, which in theory works, but if you are doing five 1/4 folds for a total of 20 pages, you actually have to do some complicated math to get it to all work out. It took some brain bending, but I finally figured it out (which in itself was a small victory, because dammit Jim, I'm an artist, not a mathematician!) and it made the entire process of assembling the zine go much smoother.



Of course there's all the small details that I agonize over, so it took a solid month to write and format the second issue. I printed it last weekend and for the last two days, I've been folding, detailing and hand binding 12 copies so I could mail them off on Monday and meet the deadline. I am really pleased with the end result. I think it's even nicer than the first, aesthetically speaking.



Funnily enough, my brain is already churning out ideas for a third issue! It's amazing how once the season is beginning to morph into Autumn, my creative energy kicks into overdrive. I expect to get alot accomplished in the next few months!

Altered File Folders

One great thing about using Google Reader is that it keeps me stocked up on eyecandy all day long. I have my browser set with the Google Reader as the dashboard, so whenever I open the browser, I have a pile of updated art blog links waiting for me.

One of those blogs belongs to Roben-Marie, whom I met via MaryAnn Moss' ROD class. Roben is always busy creating something new and lately, I've been watching as she keeps posting altered file folders to her blog. It looked like fun, so I emailed her and asked if she'd be up to swapping. She said yes.

So all these little photos are of small sections of the file folder I made yesterday. I love taking the camera and using the macro feature to zoom in on small sections of a larger piece. It gives you a different perspective of your work.

Remember that Tim Holtz tissue tape I mentioned in my last post? Well I tried it out on the file folder and as you can see, it blends seamlessly. The adhesion is excellent, even over Caren D'Arche water soluble pastels, gesso, matte medium and acrylics.


I also added a colour copy of an ATC I made some time ago and another on the front of a cone flower that I took in our garden. I like to colour copy my art so I can use the images over and over again in different ways.


I also plunked the folder down and randomly stitched all over it with my sewing machine, which was fun.

I added some white pen as well. Thing is, I am STILL on a quest for a good white pen that will WORK over top of a variety of mediums. I've tried all kinds of white gel pens and two types of Sakura pens-a gelly type one and then a permapaque. ALL of them are a dismal failure. They will write for about 2 seconds and then give up the ghost. (As evidenced by what you see above.) Either the tip gets gummed up (even when the piece I am writing on is dry) or they just refuse to work. I store them correctly and everything. They'll write on paper, but never on my work, no matter how new they are *sigh*

If anyone knows of a foolproof white pen, please let know! I would love to get my hands on a Sharpie white poster paint marker too, but so far haven't seen them for sale here in Canada.

I love the colour of this section.

Aren't the shapes of these numbers great? That was a $2 stamp from Daiso!

So here's the back of the whole thing...

And the front. (The yellow Post-it notes are covering up our addresses.)
I've filled it with all kinds of ephemera and stapled it shut so when Roben gets it, she can just remove the staples and reuse the folder. I stitched around the outside, which I think finishes it nicely.

It was alot of fun and a great exercise if you're not feeling particularly creative. You can just slap some paper down and go for it-there's really no wrong way of doing it and you can add whatever you want-paints, stamps, ephemera. It's a good way to use up scraps left from other projects.

I still have a couple more issues of Manual Dexterity Issue #1 left. I plan to list the remaining copies on my Etsy over the weekend, so if you want a copy, please email me soon! Purchasing info is here.

Faye, a Tattered Edge reader had this to say:

"I received my copy of the Manual Dexterity Zine today and it is to love! I've been on the run and just had time to look quickly at each page. I'll go back later and enjoy it all. Thanks so much for making it available and I hope you do the same with #2."

and then later emailed back with:

"I've had time now to read every word and enjoy your beautiful art and am looking forward to the next one."

Thanks Faye! I am so pleased you're enjoying it! Issue #2 is in the works and should be available for purchase in late August/early September. I'll be announcing it here, so keep your eyes peeled!

Zine Update & Art Supply Finds

(Random graffiti downtown.)

First of all, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has ordered a copy of Manual Dexterity issue #1 so far. Your response has been heartwarming. I am busy working on issue #2 now, with plans to make it available for purchase as well. There are still a few copies of #1 left (very few!) so if you'd like to order one, now would be the time! Info about ordering is here.

Last week I came across Tim Holtz tissue tapes locally and decided to try them. I am hooked! The tapes are thin and have a bit of translucentcy about them. I really like the way they look once you lay them on a page and they are relatively inexpensive. (Always a plus!) They're a great accent for mixed media journals, which is where I tried mine out.

I'm becoming a tape junkie-I've got washi tapes, printed packing tapes and now this tissue tape. If you want to try some out, Ginny of Small Studio has them. She is on vacation till late August, but do bookmark her website-she has a great selection and excellent service. Incidentally, the set I purchased was Marketplace-I have a thing for numbers and as the tape rolls out, the print keeps changing.

Now I am on a quest to find poster tape, which I think is made by the good folks at 3M. I don't know if it's available in Canada or not-I'll have to have a look-see. I have some ideas I want to try out and I need that tape!

Also in my travels, I purchased this adroable little camera rubber stamp. I've never seen anything quite like it and it will come in handy for a number of projects. It's wood and though you can't really tell by this photo, the lense is the handle you hold when you're stamping. Apparently, this stamp comes in a variety of designs, each one depicting different styles of cameras. I will have to keep an eye out-I've love to add a few more to my collection.

Speaking of stamps, I scored a whole pile of wooden handles off old stamps at Urban Source. I found them in the window of the balk section and snapped them up-I have a "thing" for old wooden handled stamps, though all the ones I own actually have the rubber attached. I have plenty of unmounted rubber, so I will go through it all and see what would be useful and attach it to the handles. I really need a big carousel to house the handled ones. The one I have now only holds 9 or 10. I'll have to nose around and see if I can find one locally-the shipping on something like that would probably be more than the item itself.

Okay, time for me to run off-Indy has his yearly vaccination appointment with our vet early this morning and seeing as I am the designated chief medical officer of both humans and fur kids alike, I'd better get a move on!

Zines for Sale!!

Okay, you've been patient (for which I thank you!) and now I have a limited run of 10 copies of the first issue of Manual Dexterity available for purchase for $14.00/each which includes shipping to Canada or the US. (International buyers, please email me for a postage estimate.) I accept Paypal.

Manual Dexterity is a 1/4 fold style zine of 20 pages. Each zine is bound by hand, using a simple stab binding to hold it all together. I used the most gorgeous sparkly, copper penny coloured paper for the cover. This issue contains a few articles, one of which is a tutorial and 8 pages of art, printed in full colour as well as a packet of collage goodies!

And once again, because I think presentation is everything, I've sewn the zines into these paper bag pieces and added a "Subversive Material" sticker I created, because I think anything that comes in a plan brown wrapper is suspect. *grins*

So...if you want some of this artsy goodness (which makes for great summer reading and inspiration) for your very own, you can email me to purchase. Hurry though, because once they're gone, they're gone!

Books & Zines

Hi Gang! I didn't manage to get here to post an update on the reprint of Manual Dexterity Zine issue #1 yesterday. I had a horrific migraine yesterday, so my computer time was limited.

Anyhoo, this limited edition run will be posted for sale on Thursday, August 5th, right here on my blog, if you have been wanting a copy for your very own.

I am now in the process of writing and creating issue #2 and it's going like gangbusters. One of the great things about doing a project like a zine is that each time you do it, you learn something new about the process that helps make work on subsequent issues easier. I like that part! It means in some small way, I've grown as an artist.

In the meantime, I have also been juggling several projects because August seems to be the month o'deadlines. I've had a burst of creative energy over the long weekend. Saturday night, I was plugging away in the studio when my husband started wandering through the house turning lights off. I looked up from what I was doing and saw that it was after midnight. Yikes! I'd completely lost track of time!

In my spare time (and I use that term lightly) I've been gobbling up books again. Here's what's on my bedside table, waiting in the queue:

I just happened to spot this one a couple weeks ago and I've started reading it. It's good-it made me want to jump up and organize things. (Although I need little prompting to want to do that-it's an Aries thing!)
I am only a few chapters in, but it's going well.


I think everyone and their dog has read this one. I am probably dead last in line, but I finally got a copy through my library. (It's absolutely dog-eared.) I'd like to read it before I go see the movie...or not...sometimes that only leads to horrible disappointment. I can't think of a single time where I've said "Hey that movie was even better than the book!" So we'll see if I do or not-let the chips fall where they may. Maybe it would be a good idea to read the book after, for a change.

Carol Burnett's memoires. YAY! I love Carol. Truly, I do. When I was growing up, I never missed an episode of her show and she was just so sweet and funny. She was one of the best memories of my childhood.

There's just so many good books on the shelves right now! Okay, gotta run, but I'll be back on Thursday to post details about purchasing the zine!

Zine Timeline

I've been asked by several readers for an ETA on the reprints of issue #1 of Manual Dexterity.

It's a holiday weekend here in British Columbia (BC Day on Monday) so I am sneaking in studio time, in between quality time with the family. As I mentioned in my last post, I am a one-woman operation, but I promise you, I'm working as quickly as my fingers will allow!

I am aiming to have the reprints completed and ready to make their way to postboxes far and wide by Wednesday at the very latest. If you're interested in purchasing a copy for your very own, please check back. I'll give you an update on my progress again on Monday.

Thanks for your enthusiasm and encouragement!

What's Up?

Hello again! I haven't updated "the list" in awhile, so here's what's going on lately:

Creating: I'm working on a number of projects at the moment, one of which is the second edition of Manual Dexterity Zine for the annual zine exchange. Here's the very beginnings of that project:

Pages for my zine, in progress.

Yes, I am sewing them ROD style because who doesn't love sewing paper? Obsessed? Yesiree!


I particularly like this one. Simple but the clean lines gives it punch.




Reading: Right now I'm 3/4's of the way through Psychovertical by Andy Kirkpatrick. Yet another mountaineering book. (Another obsession!) Next in line is Dancing on Ice: A Stirring Adventure, Risk and Reckless Folly. How's that for a title? According to the write up this is what it's about:





"In 1930 the dashing Gino Watkins led a group of fourteen intrepid and largely inexperienced young men (including the author's father) to pioneer the first commercial air route between Europe and America. Alongside high adventure, triumph and tragedy, Scott paints a stunning portrait of two lost worlds: the Inuit hunters of the polar regions and the Brideshead generation of English men addicted to adventure.





One member of the expedition was stranded alone on the ice cap for five months, for much of the time in total darkness. Blizzards raged continuously and temperatures dropped to -41°C. For six weeks he was utterly trapped in an ice cave, unable to get out as his companions mounted a desperate, last-ditch rescue attempt."





I tend to read alot of mountaineering, polar exploration and iditarod books. Anything about ice and snow adventure engages me.



Watching: Hmm..let's see...Breaking Bad, Glee, Ice Pilots NWT and HOUSE just wrapped up. Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers are still on. I am also watching So You Think You Can Dance and a brand new mini series that started last week called Persons Unknown. It kind of reminds me a bit of The Lost Room. (Which I loved.) I think they are shot in a similar manner.





Listening: The last couple of days I've been going through my mixed CD collection (which is extensive) and ripping tracks I want to keep and culling the herd. I added a whopping 270 new tracks to my iTunes library. *boggles* My friend Penn offered to take all my cast-offs off my hands, which is great because I'd always rather re-home something rather than turf it if I can. (Being a Tree Huggin' Granola and all.)



Dreaming: I'm in the process of planning a trip we'll be taking later this year to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I am really excited about it and I think it's going to be a really good time. Can't wait!



Doing: I've been changing out the art on my inspiration board. The one above my desk is completely empty and I changed out the art on one wall completely. I also reorganized my bookshelves so they have less clutter. Less clutter in the studio means less clutter for the mind, I think!





Anticipating: Going out for lunch with friends and hanging out with my artsy peeps on the weekend. Simple pleasures are the best.



In other news, I was asked to do an interview for Shared Voices which is the MS Society's Lower Mainland Chapter newsletter. The interview was about my Olympic and Paralympic Torchbearer experience.
Here's a peek:



I've been busy the last few days tending to Indy, who developed an eye infection on Monday. Poor little guy was pawing madly at his eye. I got him in right away to see our lovely vet (he's the nicest man and sadly, he's about to retire) and after being so good about sitting still for an eye exam that looked horribly uncomfortable to me, he got some medicine. I have to put ointment on his eye three times a day and while it's not his favourite thing, he's good about letting me work on him. It's starting to look like the medicine is working, which is a relief because it breaks my heart to see him suffer. He should be healed up by Sunday, hopefully.



So...that's what's going on in my little corner of the world.

Manual Dexterity Zine

Well, I did it! I created my very first Zine! It's called "Manual Dexterity" and as you can see, my hand is on the cover. I was so pleased with myself when I came up with the idea for the cover. I like it alot and I will probably frame the original art and hang it in the studio.

I made 20 copies. 13 are for an exchange I am involved in, I am keeping one and the remaining copies are going to friends I "owe" art to. I also have one copy that is going out to someone who has been a frequent commenter on my blog in the last few months. See? Unlurking has its rewards! (And thanks to Janice for the wonderful idea. She's one smart cookie that Janice!) I will reveal who won at the end of this post!

It was an interesting learning process putting a zine together. I did mine 1/4 fold style and used a simple stab binding to hold it all together. I found the most gorgeous sparkly, copper penny coloured paper at Urban Source for the cover. Urban Source is a little gem in Vancouver that sells art supplies. Part of the stock is new product and the other part is recycled and rescued industrial materials that can be used to make art. They have a fabulous selection of papers on the cheap!

I wrote a few articles and tutorials as per the requirements for the exchange and also included some art. 8 pages are in colour and I also included a packet of collage goodies inside the zine.

And then, because I think presentation is everything, I sewed the zines into these paper bag pieces. (I cut a paper bag in half, width-wise, sewed one side, tucked the zine inside and sewed the other side, sealing the zine inside.) I folded the extra paper over and stuck it down with a "Subversive Material" sticker I made. (Because I think anything that comes in a plan brown wrapper is suspect. *grins*)

I can't share what's inside the zine as I don't want to spoil the surprise for the folks who will be getting them in the exchange. Having gone through this process, I see more zines in my future. It takes a fair amount of planning to make everything work out right when you're doing 1/4 fold and want to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to colour copying, but I think my experience in putting together collaborative books helped alot.

Now I am working on my gifts for the 12 Days of Xmas exchange that I host every year. I have them about half finished and there are only about 12 days till they need to be mailed out, so I am going to be busy!

Okay...so the winner of a limited edition copy of Manual Dexterity Zine is.......SHERRY!!

Sherry, please email me your snail mail addy so I can get your copy out to you! And to the rest of my loyal readers, keep those comments comin'! You never know when they might pay off!