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Kina Grannis' beautiful cover of "The Call" by Regina Spektor. This is just one of those magical songs where the combination of the lyrics and the music is so amazing. *loves*

And for those of you who haven't heard, Teesha has posted a series of tutorials on youtube. The first 4 part series is on collage and the second is on lettering. I've really been enjoying watching them. Obviously, I already know how to collage, but it's always interesting to me to see someone else walk you through their process.

What's especially great about Teesha's tutorials is that she shows everything-what works and what doesn't and how she fixes the parts of her work that she doesn't like, as she goes along. I appreciated the honesty of that. It just goes to show that not even someone as accomplished as Teesha likes everything they do and she doesn't always get it right the first time. Art is about being willing to take chances and make mistakes. Mistakes are a part of the process-as an artist, you just have to be willing to see them in that light.

I came across a book called Scraps that I almost bought the other night. The cover caught my eye and I stood at the check out counter for 10 minutes waiting to buy it before I became so annoyed that I set it down and a copy of the current Art Journalling magazine and left the store. I had a brutal headache and there was a single clerk working the checkout (while there were several other staff wandering the store aimlessly) and she seemed to be intent on taking an eternity with the customer ahead of me for no apparent reason. Normally I am pretty patient but I wasn't feeling good and I just couldn't stand it anymore. I am sad now that I didn't buy the book-it was full of eye candy and interesting instruction and ideas. I'll have to go back when I have more time and patience and try and find it again. Maybe I will go to another location and scout it out-perhaps the customer service will be better elsewhere.

I am gearing up for what is going to be a marathon week. Monday I am working the election and the remainder of the week is tied up with running back and forth to the hospital for MRIs, follow up for my broken wrist, treatment from my pain specialist, a consultation with an anesthetist and then minor surgery next week. Certainly not my idea of fun and you'll forgive me if my blog is quiet for a bit while I deal with all this stuff.

I went to Olympic training for Event Services on Thursday evening. It was alot of fun and now I have a better idea what I will be doing. It's going to be an interesting job! There's still more training to come that will be specific to the venue I will be working at and we will be getting our uniforms and accreditation soon.

After training on Thursday night, they gave each of us, as our parting gift, a box from the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation. The foundation donated CPR kits to everyone, so we got an "Annie" in a box, along with a training manual and DVD to learn CPR at home. It made me laugh-go to the Olympics, get an Annie in a box! It never hurts to refresh your CPR skills, I suppose. You never know when they're going to come in handy. Luckily I've never had to use mine, but I am glad I have them all the same!

I've finally started my Olympic journal. I am doing it a little at a time as I attend events and have things to add. They mentioned at training that we would get pocket maps of our venues during games time and my first thought was "Oh good-EPHEMERA!" *laughs* You know you're an artist when...

What do YOU like right now? Share with me your little gems of artsy goodness!

Chipping Away

I had intended to post again before now, but last week was a very tough week. I spent most of it running back and forth to the hospital and doctor's appointments. None of it was pleasant. Basically, I am still having issues with my wrist, which I broke a month ago. There's something wrong with one bone (the pisiform, if you really want to know) and tendon which attaches to it and it's so painful.

In addition to that, I also seem to have injured a calf muscle and the result is that it's having a trickle down effect on my foot muscles. I am limping and in pain a great deal of the time. Nothing to do but ice it, take ibuprofen and wait for it to heal. *sigh* I have no idea how I managed to get either of these injuries and I am *so* not amused.

Anyway, enough griping! What I want to talk about is art! Last week my friend Karenann sent me a wonderful collage, A is for Anatomy. (I'd have posted a pic here if my battery hadn't died on my camera just now.)Karenann is so lovely and thoughtful. Over the years, she's sent me so many amazing pieces of work. What I love best about what she does is her layering. She's so masterful in her use of colours, materials and mediums. Every time I find an envelope in my post box with her name on the return address, I know that it's going to contain some really yummy eyecandy.

Karenann proposed that we do an exchange of alpha cards, the idea being that when we have a spare moment and the spirits move us, we will make a card for the other and send it out, back and forth till we complete all 26 letters. I think this will be alot of fun-it will be like an art conversation between two friends. I've wanted to do something collaborative with her for some time so when she said she wanted to do this, I jumped at the chance! I am going to be working on my letter A shortly. I'll post it when I get it finished.

I am also going to make a concerted effort to begin working on my Olympic journal. I want not only to blog about my experience, but to record everything on paper as well. I must admit that I am not so much a paper journaller, (which is kind of ironic as I am hopelessly addicted to buying and collecting paper journals) as I am a blogger. I think it has alot to do with the speed at which my brain runs and being able to type and have my hands keep up with my train of thought. I really do like the idea of keeping a paper journal for this once-in-a-lifetime event though.

I plan to incorporate alot of ephemera into my journal-apparently each day of the Olympics, there will be a newsletter I will be getting as I arrive at the venue each day. I will try to snag a spare, if possible, so I can cut one up to add to my journal and then keep one "as is". If I can't get a spare then I will just make do.

I bought a large red Moleskine to use for this project and I am thinking about either altering the cover or sewing a slip cover of some sort. I haven't made up my mind yet which I prefer. I need to get moving on it soon-I already have lots of things I want to remember. Olympic training start this Thursday and I am so excited!

Okay, back to work for me!

This Is Our Day!

"Happy Anniversary Baby, got you on my miiiiiiiiiind!"

Today we are celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary! We are both so stunned that that much time has passed since our wedding day-it almost doesn't seem possible. Now our son is grown and graduated and we're going to be married TWO DECADES a year from today! *boggles*



It just so happens that my husband has the day off today, so we're going to have lunch together, which is a rare treat during the work week. He came in this morning to see if I was awake and then made me brekki. His mum and dad were just down for a visit so we have a fridge full of farm fresh (brown) eggs, so we had skillet strips, eggs and toast with tea. I could get used to this! *laughs*



So here are some things I love about my husband:

-he has a soft and gentle heart

-animals and babies love him

-he will help anyone in need, most of the time before they can even ask

-he works hard

-he is an excellent dad to our son and fur kid

-he actually enjoys shopping

-he has impeccable taste in jewellery

-he's very easy going (he's a Libra)

-he enjoys putting food on our table the old fashioned way-he grows a good portion of it organically

-he's married me twice (we renewed our vows on my 30th birthday)
-he shows his love for me every day


Happy Anniversary to my one true love. xox

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!

Gratitude Week Day 4

This morning, the last day of Gratitude Week, actress Helen Shaver shares her thoughts about addiction and homelessness and how we are all connected.

And to second what Helen said, here is my story of how we are connected:

19 years ago, before my husband Peter and I were even engaged, we were walking down Robson Street, a trendy shopping district here in Vancouver to meet a friend of mine for dinner.

Along the way, there was this homeless guy coming towards us, weaving badly, reeking of booze and filthy. I cut him a wide path and kept walking and talking to Peter. I was half way down the block before I realized he was no longer with me and I was talking to myself.

I turned around to see where I'd lost him just in time to watch him clap the homeless guy on the back with a big smile on his face and ask him how he was doing. I stood there watching them talk and then as Pete emptied his pockets and gave the guy all the money he had on him. They said their goodbyes and Peter jogged to catch up with me.

It turns out that this homeless guy was his elementary school friend, Randy. He'd known this guy since Kindergarten. It really struck me that even though this guy was obviously so down and out, Peter just saw his friend underneath all that and treated him as if nothing were wrong. In that moment, Peter showed me the sheer kindness of his heart, his loyalty and compassion-all the content of his character and I knew that this was the man I was going to marry.

Years later, my husband ran into Randy's brother by chance and learned that Randy had lost his legs in a train accident (I believe he'd taken to riding the rails and got hurt doing it.) and later on, after years of addiction, passed away. My husband explained to Randy's brother about the day he'd last seen him and how throughout our marriage we'd always said that Randy was our raggedy angel and thought of him often, as he was the reason I'd married my husband.

Randy's brother was almost in tears because it meant so much to him to know his brother whose life had never been what his family envisioned for him had deeply touched and affected ours. Randy's life had had meaning and purpose that his brother had never been aware of before. I think it changed the way he thought about his brother and that was able to happen because someone stopped and looked Randy in the eyes and validated him as a human being.

I usually share this story with someone to illustrate what a beautiful a soul my husband has, but I share it today to let you all know that each and every person out there on the street, whether by cruel twist of fate or by choice belongs to someone, somewhere. The pain of being homeless is not limited to that single person on the street. These people are not worthless pieces of garbage lying on the curb. They are human beings and they need a hand up, not a handout.

So if you're like me and are tired of waiting around for someone else to do something about the problem, if anything my friends or I have said here on my blog this week has touched you in any way, please go the the Gratitude Week website and donate $1. Just ONE dollar. That's it. Economic times be damned-we can all afford that $1. It's nothing by itself, but together we're going to transform people's lives. That's the power of $1.

Day Four of Gratitude Week

Today's Gratitude Week interview is with actor and blues musician, Jim Byrnes who talks about the mere six degrees of separation between each of us and the homeless. He puts it so beautifully-see for yourself.

Today's words of gratitude come from my treasured friend Tina Abbott:

"The timing of this is strange. I am grateful for so very much. Sometimes I forget how amazing and fabulous my life is and I'm grateful when I remember. Today, I'm grateful for my family and to be alive. I'm grateful for seatbelts, and the kindness of strangers. I'm grateful for ibuprofen, tylenol, and arnica. I'm grateful for friends who show up. I live a blessed and glorious life.

Yesterday I was in a car accident on my way to Olympia, for a work training. The weather was beautiful and I was wishing a little I could stay home but I was going to be staying with Lana and Joan{friends & housemates from Artfest} and I was really looking forward to hanging out with them. I'm okay, though I have black bruises larger than my hand across my abdomen and chest where I slammed into the seat belt. My whole body hurts and I'm grateful that is all I have to show for this experience."

*****

After getting this email from Tina, who is very dear to my heart, I was instantly grateful to the universe that she was spared more serious injuries... or worse. I am very, very grateful she's going to be okay!

Join me tomorrow for the last day of Gratitude Week here on my blog. I hope you've been enjoying it!

2010 Uniforms Unveiled!

Last night I went to the unveiling of the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic volunteers' uniforms. As you can see, the official colour of the uniforms is a beautiful, bright turquoise. The colour is representative of the sea to sky corridor that links Vancouver to Whistler, which are the host city and the host mountain of the games.



Each volunteer with be given 2 long sleeve t-shirts, navy pants, a toque, a jacket and polar fleece vest. The uniform is created for layering, which is typical of how we dress in British Columbia. We have a joke here that goes like this: "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes." Our weather can change on a dime.



There are 2 types of pants-city and mountain. The mountain pants are lined for warmth for those volunteers that will be working outdoors. The city pants don't have the lining and volunteers working at indoor venues will have those ones.

Here is an example of one of the shirts. I saw two kinds-one was plain and the other had a tone on tone print of the wave pattern that is part of the 2010 logo. He is wearing the city pants.

This guy has on one of the polar fleece vests and the mountain pants.

The Olympic Games symbol is the rings and the Paralympic Games symbol is the agitos. Because both games are completely separate events, there was the need for the uniforms to reflect the identity of each games. They came up with an ingenious way of converting the uniforms. On the back of each jacket are snap fasteners and there is a panel (shown above) that snaps on over top of the Olympic Rings which are printed on the jacket. In addition, there is also a separate patch that will velcro on to switch out the Vancouver 2010 Olympic emblem for the Paralympic emblem!

There's a good shot of the jackets here if you want a closer look.

There is also a backpack made exclusively for the volunteers, which can be purchased if we want one, for $50. (It's optional and the only part of the uniform that isn't free.) It's in blues and greens with the wave pattern on it. The section on the front that has the Olympic rings zips off and again, changes over to the Paralympic agitos symbol.



There are three specific staff groups that have their own unique colours within the uniform, allowing for high visibility. The purple armed uniforms are for anti-doping personnel.

The red armed uniforms with a white cross signify medical personnel.

And finally, the yellow armed uniforms signify events services personnel. The yellow arm is a simple sleeve that just slides up over the t-shirt sleeve and can be removed. This is the uniform I will have!

The pants (both kinds) have lots of big pockets as does the jacket, eliminating the need for a purse, which I am happy about! Footwear and gloves are whatever you choose.

So there you have it! Aren't these great uniforms? I think they were really well thought out in terms of utility, comfort and suitability for local weather conditions. I can't wait to get mine and try it on-that will be happening about a month from now.

When I arrived at the venue this evening, I ran into a good number of my transportation team from the World Police & Fires Games! There were about 10 of us there. Everyone, with the exception of me is working transportation for the Games, but that's perfectly okay-I think I'm going to love what I will be doing. I just thought it was funny that they all signed up to work transpo again!

As an added bonus to my evening, on the way home, I was waiting for the seabus and who should walk into the waiting area and sit down two people over from me but David Suzuki! Of course everyone was staring because in these parts he's a pretty big deal. (West Coasters being tree hugging granolas and all.) He just sat quietly and read his book while we waited. No one bothered him. That made me happy-it was a nice end to my day.

I had a good time last night-I met some new people and I am so excited for the games. As the head of Workforce (the volunteer part of VANOC) pointed out, there are just 17 Mondays left till the games begin! (That got a collective gasp from the audience.) If your wondering how many days from today that is, it's exactly 121 till Feb 12th and the opening ceremonies! I am counting the days!