Become a Patron of the Arts for Just $5 (and Save My Studio!)

Ever want to be a Patron of the Arts, but figured you had to be in a bigger tax bracket?

Ever want to make a real difference in someone's life in one easy step?

You can.

This is the short version:  For four months now, I have been living the creative life -- writing, making art, et cetera.  It's going well, but things haven't taken off at the rate I need them to.  I've begun applying for full-time jobs, and I'm sure I'll find a job and get caught up soon, but here is the problem: it's the last day of June, and (thanks to the mail delay/back-log from the strike/lock-out by Canada Post) I don't have my studio rent for July.

I love my studio.  Not only do I write and create art here, but I also use the space to tutor kids who need extra help in reading and math.  It's a happy space, surrounded by energetic and creative people, and it would break my heart to lose it.  My landlord is a very jovial fellow with whom I have a great working relationship, and while I'm pretty sure he won't toss me out at the stroke of midnight tonight, nothing strains connections between people more than money owed.  I don't want to put either of us in that position.

So I could really use some help.  And since I don't believe in "something for nothing," this is what I'm offering:

Become a Patron of the Arts for Just $5:

For a minimum donation of $5 to my PayPal account, you will receive the following:

• an electronic copy of my short story, "Castles," never before published or available anywhere but my hard drive!  It's 14 pages (double-spaced for readability) and 3612 words.  (That's more than seven words for every penny!  Talk about a bargain!)


• a "Patron of the Arts" graphic like the one displayed here, personalized with your name, for display on your own blog/website.


• your name on the "This Space Brought To You By" wall in my studio


• bragging rights and my eternal, undying gratitude.

Once I receive the confirmation of your donation from PayPal, I will use the email address PayPal sends me to email you the story (PDF) and the personalized graphic file (PNG).  I would love to do a direct download instead, so you wouldn't have to wait, but then I wouldn't be able to personalize the graphic.  Time is also of the essence here and I don't know how to do a direct download yet.

Please know that if you can help, it will mean the world to me.  Once I get a job, keeping my studio is one of my top priorities.    Even if I can only be here a couple of hours a day while I'm working somewhere else, I can still create in a space and time dedicated to that purpose.  I didn't expect to find myself in this "will I be here tomorrow?" position, but the postal strike took me by surprise and hijacked some of my finances, as it did to many small businesses and artists out there.

Answers to questions you may have:

"How will we get the story and graphic?"

• I will be checking my email frequently and will send the files to you as soon as I see the PayPal confirmation.

"How do we know you're not some con artist?"

• This blog isn't just a fly-by-night operation.  I've been pouring my heart and soul into it for years now.  If you read the entries, you will know me.  Ripping people off isn't my style. :)

"How do we know you can actually write?"

• I am the two-time winner of the Canadian Author and Bookman Short Fiction Award (in 1990 and 1992).  You can look me up under my maiden name (Kraglund) in the Canadian Periodical Index for those years.

"Can we donate more than $5?"

• If you want to, sure!  (Like any struggling writer/artist will say no to that!)

"What if you raise more than just your studio rent money?"

• I will first pay this month's studio rent, and any more than that will go towards next month's studio rent so that the intention for the donated money will remain the same.

Again, thanks for any help you may be able to provide, and even if you are not in a position to help, just spreading the word would mean a lot too.

Here's the button.  Thanks for your support. :)

Dusting off an old hat.

A long time ago (not quite the Precambrian era, but it sure feels like it sometimes), everyone knew me as a writer.  It was as much a part of who I was as my own name.  And after winning a national creative writing award from the Canadian Author's Association twice in three years, I had a tongue-in-cheek nickname in the English Department at Acadia: "The Future of Canadian Literature."  At one point, to perpetuate the joke, I had a purple ballcap emblazoned with gold thread lettering: "TFoCL."  Those were the days, my friend. :)

It's been twenty years since then, and when I made up my Day Zero list of 101 things to do in 1001 days, I put quite a few writing-related goals on it.  But I haven't exactly been focusing on them -- or the list in general, for that matter.

So today I decided I would kill two birds with one stone.  I would cross an item off the list and I would pick up my "WRITER" label once more.  I rejoined the Writers Federation of New Brunswick -- after nearly fifteen years of being MIA.  Within ten minutes, I had sent in my application, paid my dues, heard back from the Executive Director, and received the Spring 2011 issue of the newsletter.  Gotta love the Internet!

I don't think the purple hat would fit any more.  After all, being 41 years old sort of goes against being "the future" of anything.  But being back amongst like-minded individuals who identify themselves as writers is already going a long way towards waking up that long-dormant part of my Self. I'm looking up markets, and jotting down ideas, and fiddling with plot outlines, and mulling over lines of poetry...

... and it's only been an hour.

*     *     *

Update: About that craft show...  I didn't do as well as I'd hoped to do.  Actually, I only sold three items and didn't manage to break even after the table fee.  After pouring everything I had into it for several days -- including sleeping on my studio floor -- I was pretty disappointed.  But I met a lot of great people and I won the raffle basket, so not all was lost.

Let's get this show on the road!

When I rented my studio space, one of the fleeting visions I had was of a table filled with my wares, with people looking at things I'd created, and perhaps even buying the occasional item.  Someday, I thought.  Someday.

Well, "someday" is coming a heck of a lot quicker than I thought it would!

One day last week, I received a Facebook message from my friend Licca Kikuchi.  How we met is such a cool story -- it was six or seven years ago, when she was on an educator exchange from Japan and I was working as a substitute teacher, covering an art class.  Licca's English was a little better than my Japanese (I think I can count to five, if pressured), but for the most part we communicated in gestures and smiles.  She carved a rubber stamp for me, featuring my name in Japanese, and then after a few months, we lost touch.

Fast forward about four years, and I ran into Licca again, this time in a local book store!  And she was speaking English just as well as I could!  It was so exciting, that we could actually talk to one another!  (Sadly, my Japanese skills hadn't advanced at all.)  Licca has made my hometown her home, and is sharing her culture through her art.  We keep meaning to get together for a "creative session," which hasn't happened yet, but we still bump into each other at the book store, the dog park, and even ginormous lobster statues a couple of hours away from home!

Anyway, back to that Facebook message.  Licca mentioned that there was an upcoming craft show that would be a fundraiser for Japan, and would I like to have a table?  After dealing with every emotion known to man in about four seconds (fear, excitement, concern -- yeah, those ones), I wondered if I could actually have enough things to fill a table by then.

Well, I'm going to do my best, folks.  I don't have to officially answer if I'm in or not until the day before the show (also known as this coming Friday -- yikes!), so that's a bit of a safety net.  But I want to do this.  If I wait until I feel ready to do my first show/sale, then it will likely be a posthumous retrospective!  This way I don't have time to talk myself out of it.  I only have time to create, CREATE, CREATE!

The question, of course, is: "Create what, exactly?"

Stay tuned.

 

Sunday Postcard Art: Fruit

I've been meaning to take part in some of the challenges I have listed under Weekly Inspiration here on the blog, but today is the first day I've actually taken the time to check out the list.  I'm going to try to do at least three challenges this week.  Wish me luck!

The theme at Sunday Postcard Art for this week is "Fruit,"and the first thing that came to mind was a clump of fresh, sweet, juicy strawberries (which is kind of odd, because raspberries are actually my favourite berry.  And are berries even fruit?  I'm over-thinking this).

Speaking of fruit, I stumbled across the most incredible picture this morning on Our Bear River Adventure, a blog I read regularly.   Even though, logically, I know it would be one huge mess, a part of me feels an irresistible urge to just dive right in!

In other news, Hurricane Earl turned out to be less of a "Big Bad Storm" and more of a "Big Whoop-ti-doo."  He changed his track just before coming up the Bay of Fundy, and we barely got a rainy gust of wind here and there.  I'll be honest -- I was a little disappointed.  I don't want people to get hurt, and I don't want damage, but a little more "oomph" would have been appreciated.

The Next Dimension in Needle Felting

Look what I made!

Isn't he adorable?!

And I only drew blood once!

Needle felting in 3D is a little more challenging than doing a flat project.  First of all, on a flat piece, the strands of fibre that follow the needle into the block get hidden when you sew it onto something, whereas in a 3D project, they tend to come out somewhere on the figure.  As a result, I have some stray black fibres on my little white sheep's back.  I'm sure that there's a way around this (and it might just be a matter of a different felting block than this beginner's chunk of plastic foam), and that with practice, it will be less of a problem.

Secondly, it's much easier to stab oneself when you're holding something between your fingers and jabbing a needle in between, instead of stabbing down into a block.  Just sayin'. :)

But self-maiming aside, I think it's safe to say that, after just two projects (the flower patch below and now my little friend here), I officially have a new means of creative expression.

I absolutely love needle felting!

Needle Felting: Another Addiction is Born

You know how sometimes you see a particular type of handwork and it just calls to you?  Well, a couple of years ago, I saw some needle-felted miniature figures (a 1:12 scale teddy bear for a dollhouse caught my eye, if I'm remembering correctly).  Anyway, about a year ago, I was getting some fabric cut at WalMart and I saw a needle felting kit in the clearance bin.  So I fished it out, brought it home, stuck it on a shelf, and avoided it for a while.  (You know how I am with trying new things.  Look how long it took me to bind those hooked projects, eh?)

Well, one of the things I'm trying to learn in my little space in the Market is to be brave.  In fact, I have a little ATC self-portrait that says "I'm invincible!" stuck on the wall.  (Not sure I believe it yet, but hey.)  So I've been taking this little kit back and forth to the Market every day this past week, and finally on Friday, I opened it up to give it a try.  And I loved it!

I don't really care to examine the implications of how immensely satisfying I found repeatedly stabbing something small,  soft and squishy.  But wow -- is it ever fun!  The project I was doing was only two-dimensional, not three, but it's just so cool how the fibres bind together.  And it's fast, too!

There are so many ideas floating around in my head.  I have a little bit of the roving left, so I might try to make something else -- just improvise.  The kit had a little plastic foam block that I pretty much stabbed to the point of obliteration, but I have seen supplies in a couple of local shops.

And I am pleased to report that no fingers were maimed in the production of my first needle-felted project.  (Isn't it awesome? :))

The Half-Way Point

I can't believe I've been in my little space for two weeks now, with only two weeks left.  And yet, in some ways, it feels as if I've always been here.  I'm getting to know the merchants and my internal rhythm has now matched the rhythm of the Market.

Every morning, at about 9 AM, I walk in through the Charlotte Street gates, and the Market unfolds before me.  I chat with the people I bump into, walk down the north aisle, chat with the folks at the soaperie, and then climb the stairs up to my little haven.

Each day, through the window beyond my table, I see the same elderly couple choose their vegetables for the day, and the same police officer getting his coffee.  I nod and grin at the green grocer on the other side of the Market, and when my stomach growls, I go up to the bakery and get a giant multi-grain roll.  Then I settle in and get to work.

The response to my blog, The View From the Market, has been fantastic.  It's now featured on the main web page for the Saint John City Market itself, and many of the local movers-and-shakers have shared the link with their Twitter followers.   I'm pretty pleased with it; it's turning out to be exactly what I had in mind -- an informal combination of news and tidbits, that I'm really enjoying writing.  In many ways, my using the blog to introduce people to the Market is paralleling the way the Market is introducing itself to me.  I really can't say enough about how much I am enjoying my time here.  It's exactly what I needed.

My biggest accomplishment since climbing the stairs for the first time is that I've finally finished the edges on all of my hooked projects.  When I learned to hook two years ago, I just kept hooking, without binding any of the edges.  For some reason, I found the prospect of finishing the edges to be daunting, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  And then last fall, I told myself that I couldn't hook another thing until I had actually finished the other projects completely.

Well, you know what happened.  I stopped hooking.

A month or so ago, my friend Rosa and I sat down and figured out how to do it, and in the past two weeks here in my little studio, I have been binding edges like a madwoman.  I just finished putting the last whipstitch in the Bloom rug and couldn't wait to take a picture.  (And yes, those are my red sneakers in there for scale. *grin*)

Okay, now wish me luck, because I'm about to tackle something brand-new: needle-felting.  I fished a kit out of the bargain bin at WalMart about a year ago, and I've been bringing it with me, working up the courage to give it a shot.

Hopefully no fingers will be harmed in the making of this project. :)

Another Day at the Market

Hello, Gentle Reader.  I know that I've been very quiet this week, but it's for a good reason.

I've been here.

This is my little temporary studio space in the Saint John City Market.  Today is my fourth day here, and I am so happy.  I'm settling into a routine now -- Hubby drops me off on his way to work and I stay here all day until he picks me up at the end of the day.  In between, I write, I draw, I hook, I talk with my "neighbours"...  I am trying so hard to not get too attached to this place, but oh!  I am bonding.  It is my happy space and I am learning so much about myself up here.

This spot is also a people-watcher's paradise.  Young couples with quick smooches.  Little girls in sundresses walking with their mothers.  Chefs picking up fresh vegetables for their lunchtime creations.  I feel like I'm invisible up here, with a commanding view that's constantly changing.

I'm very conscious of the fact that this is my space for such a limited time, and that sense of urgency has been keeping me focused.  I don't want to miss any of these precious hours I have here.  Nine hours seems like a long time when you say it out loud, but the time just slips away.

My project for the City Market is almost ready to take wing and fly.  It will likely be this afternoon or tomorrow, actually.  Stay tuned for more details!

A-Marketing We Will Go ...

One of the greatest things about living in "Canada's original city" (incorporated in 1785) is that one is surrounded by heritage and tradition.  For about thirteen years, I was involved with the tourism sector in Saint John, either giving tours of historic churches, being a visitor information counsellor, or -- my favourite -- working as a walking tour guide, introducing visitors to the area to my hometown.

I've lived in Saint John most of my life, having moved away just enough to realize that this is Home, and one of my favourite places here is the City Market.  Built in 1876, the Market is always a hub-bub of activity, and one never fails to meet a friend strolling through the aisles.  I can remember visiting the Market when I was a toddler, and getting my mother some mayflowers for Mother's Day.  In high school, I would often stop to get some ice cream on my way to the bus stop.  The City Market is a constant in a Saint Johner's life.

So it was only natural that when Chris, a lifelong friend who is visiting from New England and preparing to move back, suggested that we get together to chat, we decided to meet at Java Moose in the Market yesterday morning.

A little aside -- One of the things that I've learned about myself is that I don't do any work at home.  If I need to get schoolwork done, I go to the university.  I figure I could triple my output if I had a designated space in which to work and concentrate.  So I've been casually looking for a cheap "studio space" in which to create -- writing, designing, painting, hooking -- and not nap.

So, back to yesterday morning...  Because I'd hitched a ride uptown with Hubby, I got to Java Moose quite early.  As I waited for Chris, sipping my Wild Raspberry Iced Tea, my gaze drifted up to one of the ice sheds now used as offices in the Market.  It was vacant.

You know in the movies, when there is a glowy light and sounds of choirs accompanying a major epiphany?  Yeah -- exactly like that!

My brain started swirling. How could I find out about it?  Okay -- breathe -- go to the Deputy Market Clerk.  How could I afford to rent it?  I'm unemployed and still looking for a job.  Okay -- Figure out something I could provide that the Market could use.  I was so completely absorbed in this thought process that Chris greeted me with, "What are you up to?"

Over the course of the conversation with Chris, I figured out something I could offer in exchange for the use of the space.  Normally a huge procrastinator in cases where I might not be able to achieve something on which my heart is set, I sent an email to the Deputy Market Clerk the moment I got home.  I told her I had an incredible win-win idea and would like to meet with her.  Then I spent the next three hours getting my proposal together.



This morning was the traditional Canada Day flea market in the uptown, so Hubby and I were there bright and early, as we are each year.  After taking in the wares on King Street and in King's Square, we wandered into the City Market and I took him down the side aisle to show him what I'd been bubbling over about last night.  "It's up there," I whispered, gesturing above the soaperie.  "That little room."

Hubby looked at it, and looked at the little staircase leading up to it, and nodded.  As we walked up towards the east end of the market, I looked up at the Deputy Market Clerk's office.  "She's there," I whispered.  "Up in her office."

"Then you should go talk to her," Hubby replied.

I hesitated, suddenly timid.  I've never been one to step outside my own shadow when it comes to something like this.  But after a gentle nudge from Hubby, I took a deep breath, scooted up the stairs and stuck my head in the office.  "Hi!" I said.  "I'm Karen -- I emailed you yesterday."

To attempt to wrap up a long story, I pitched my idea for the City Market (which I can't share with you yet, because it's still in the early, confidential stages), and asked about the little space.  The Bad News: it's been leased.  The Stupendously-Awesome News: the new people have leased it for August 1st, so I can use it for the entire month of July!

The Deputy Market Clerk and I went down to look at it together.  Gazing out the windows, I just kept grinning.  I can't believe I actually have it -- a space to work, in one of the most personally-inspiring places in the city.  I'm almost beside myself with excitement!  Each morning, after checking the job bank listings online, I'll pack my bag with my supplies for the day, be it writing or drawing or hooking or whatever, and I'll either go with Hubby or hop the bus.  I'll spend the whole day being creative!

It's going to be an awesome July, Gentle Reader.  I can feel it all the way down to my toes!

Happy Canada Day! :)

Journaling in July

Lately I've been doing a lot of thinking about life in general, and the biggest conclusion I've come to is that I'm scared of a lot of things.  And when it comes to art, I'm petrified of showing anyone anything because I never think it's "good enough."

So, as I told you earlier, I'm going to take part in The Sketchbook Project.  But it will be a few weeks before I can order the sketchbook.  So when I stumbled across Journaling in July, I realized it would be the perfect warm-up.

I'm trying to decide what sort of book I'm going to use.  I do have a blank, medium-sized  journal that would probably do nicely.  The paper is a little thin, but maybe I could toughen it up with paint, or glue something in, or ...?

I think I'll try a variety of things, from sketching, to painting, to digital.  But I'm going to try to keep a balance, and not rely on the digital too much.

Anyone else interested in journaling too?

The Carnegie Rughookers: For the Shear Delight

I actually made it to my rughooking guild today.  I think it was the first regular Friday gathering I'd made it to all year!  But I picked a good time to show up, as it was the last day before the summer break.  It was also the last day of our guild's rug show at the Saint John Arts Centre.

The ladies never cease to amaze me with what they can do with a hook and some strips of wool.  So much colour and expression and individuality.  I took pictures of each piece so that my eyes could savour them long after the show had concluded.

I didn't have anything in the rug show because I am (only just now, more than two years later!) finishing the edges on my first piece.  I have three hooked projects that need the edges finished (the covered bridge was framed, so it's all done), so I made myself swear that I wouldn't hook anything else until my UFOs (unfinished objects) were taken care of.  This naturally meant that I stopped hooking for months, but I finally bit the bullet and, with my pal Rosa practically holding my hand, began finishing my first project.

I'll post pictures when I have my three UFOs finished, but for now, enjoy the "shear" wonderfulness of the rug show: The Carnegie Rughookers -- For the Shear Delight.

Oooh! This looks interesting!

I was going through my Google Reader blog feeds this morning when I stumbled across The Sketchbook Project and I was immediately intrigued.

The premise is simple: When you register, you are sent a barcoded Moleskine Cahier sketchbook.  You fill the sketchbook however you want (so long as it stays the same outside dimensions and the barcode is still useable).  Then you send it back to the Art House Co-op and it becomes first a part of a traveling art exhibit and then eventually a part of the Brooklyn Art Library.  And you are sent notifications every time someone looks at it.  How awesome is that?

Since #66 on my Day Zero List is "Fill a sketchbook with drawings, writings, paintings, etc.", I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to commit to doing it.  And I really like the idea of perfect strangers being able to interact with something I've created.  As regular readers here know, I don't really consider myself much of an artist in the traditional sense (I can't draw for beans), so this is an ideal way for me to step out of my comfort zone.  In so many ways, I've spent the first 40 years of my life engulfed in fear -- of new things, of not being good enough, of failure in general.  This is a safe way to be brave.

Any of my artsy (or not) friends out there want to join me in this endeavour?  Check out the links -- it's pretty darn cool!

• The Sketchbook Project


• PBS article about The Sketchbook Project


• CNN video about The Sketchbook Project

Super Short Story Cards: Instant Illustrated Fiction

I think I may have just created a new art form.   Haven't heard of anyone else doing this.  (If you have, please let me know!)

There are various "categories" of short fiction, including what's called a postcard story.  The idea behind a postcard story is that it's an entire story that could be written on a postcard (and it usually runs about 250 words).

Well, I was wandering around my friend Jessica Doyle's website and, as often happens, I found myself with the urge to doodle afterwards.  I really love her whimsical style!

Anyway, I cut a piece of watercolour paper to 3.5" x 2.5" and used my Prismacolor Art Markers to doodle a flower.  Then I noticed all that "white space" I had beside it.  Not wanting to wreck the image (as I generally do when I try to add things in), I decided it would look good with some writing beside it.

The writing you see here is a entire short story, written directly on the card in India Ink, with absolutely no editing or revision whatsoever.  Brain to pen to card.  Finis!

I'm quite in love with this little piece of instant creativity, and the way that it just flowed out of me.  Sometimes trying too hard leads to creative blockages.  I just drew and wrote down what the Muse said!

What do you think, Gentle Reader?

Don't faint ...

... It's a blog post, at long last!  :)

I'm sitting in the study lounge at the university, earphones filling my brain with awesome 80s music (like, totally!), and I finally have a chance to let you know what I've been up to.

Work is going well, and I've begun to get lots of hours, which it starting to help my financial situation.  When you're used to making a certain amount of money and then all of a sudden you aren't -- for months at a time -- well, let's just say that I'm feeling relieved these days that things seem to be heading back to normal.

My astronomy class is going well.  That's not to say that it's easy, because it isn't.  There's math galore, but the reason I took this course was because I wanted to begin to understand the hows and whys of space, and that's what this course is giving me.  Unfortunately I'm learning more and more that it's numbers and equations that make the world go 'round!  But I can't complain -- I'm enjoying it (once I get the hang of what I'm doing).

A little more than a week ago, Jessica Doyle wrote a blog piece called "Draw Anything But Flowers." She said that she tends to "go floral" when she's drawing.  Well, since I have a tendency to do the same thing, I thought I'd issue myself the same challenge -- to draw anything BUT flowers.  So as a way to wind down the last few nights, I've been doodling -- Zentangle-style -- in a little sketchbook.  And not drawing flowers was hard!  But I'm pretty pleased with the overall effect.  Not sure what I'm going to do with it once I scan it (this is just a photo from my camera), but I have a feeling some mandalas are in my future.

Anyway -- time to head home.  There's a hockey game tonight and I have a lot to do between now and class tomorrow morning.

Have a good one! :)

Toonies in a little purple box.

Remember that papier mache box I gessoed a while back?

Well, it sat on my desk for the longest time while I decided what to do with it.  Finally I decided it would be the home of my Toonie Project.

A little explanation is necessary for the non-Canadian readers:  First of all, the Canadian one-dollar coin features a picture of a native bird called a loon.  Over time, the coin was given the nickname of "loonie."  Well, when the two-dollar coin came out, there was much speculation on what sort of name it would be given (it features a polar bear, in case you're curious).  Eventually it became known as a "toonie", which is short for "two loonies."  (Yeah, I know -- it sounds like we're all "loonie" up here.)

Anyway, around the dawn of 2010 I decided that I wanted to make a rule for myself this year.  I would not spend my toonies.  Instead, I would put them in a sealed container that I could not just randomly dip into, and then when I thought I'd amassed a nice little amount, I would take the toonies and go buy rughooking supplies with them.

So I was sitting at my desk looking at the little papier mache box with its rough white surface just begging to be decorated and all at once I knew its destiny.  I asked Hubby to cut a coin slot in the lid (because he had a sharp knife handy and I didn't), and then I covered it in purple Lumiere paint.  (I love the unexpected coppery sheen when the light hits it just right.)  I was pleased with how it was coming along, but after I'd glued it shut, I decided it needed a little something more.  So I put some aqua Lumiere on a dictionary page and then took a folk heart paper punch and made some cute little shapes.  A few coats of Diamond Glaze, and TA DA!  A Toonie Project Box!

Yikes!  I'm at the university and it's nearly time to pack up and go to class.  Catch you later! :)

Sixty-Eight Days Until Spring!

And three to a new episode of Grey's Anatomy!

After working all weekend, today was kind of a reflective day.  I started some laundry (which is still in progress), took a nap, did some schoolwork, did some financial stuff, listened to Michael Bublé and made an ATC.

In other news, I put a few new rughooking items in my Zazzle shop.

The next six weeks are the hardest for me.  That's why that countdown in my sidebar is so important.  As long as that number keeps going down, I know I'm getting closer to the Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lifting.  That's the bright side (pardon the pun) of this -- I can literally circle a date on the calendar and say, "That's when I'll be better."

But for now I have to remember to open the blinds, sit in front of the window, and not spend all of my free time sleeping.  Lack of sunlight makes me sleep, which in turn blocks me from getting more sunlight.  If I don't stop and think of what I'm doing, then I spiral downward until I hibernate like a bear!

(And Hubby says I snore like one, too! :) )

Finished Hooking Mug Rug

It still needs to be pressed, blocked and have the edges/back done, but I finished hooking the mug rug this afternoon, right before heading out to work.

The plaids around the outside edge and inside the heart are recycled wool shirts and the golden colour and the darker blue are hand-dyed wool (by someone other than me).  I had originally planned to hook the outer plaid all the way in to the yellow, but it was really thready and driving me bonkers.  It's a shame, because I really liked the way it looked hooked up, but I'll save the rest of it for something else.

I have a few things in mind regarding my next large hooking project, but first I want to try a little experiment using a punch needle.  I haven't tried doing very much punch-needle work, but I'd like to get better at it so I can make some miniature rugs.

So Happy Together.

Every year my uncle sends me money for Christmas, and when I got the card this year, I decided that I wanted to do something very specific with it -- treat myself to something I normally wouldn't purchase for myself.  So I bought a frame at Michaels with a very specific plan of what I was going to put in it.

I've been fascinated by the fish created by Saint John artist Jessica Doyle for a little more than a year now -- ever since I first saw them.  Not only do the drawings have so much personality, but the fact that she names them makes me grin.  So I decided that I would pick my three favourites and frame them together.

Please meet, from top to bottom, Emily, Milton, and Annabelle.  (The fact that my grandmother's name was Emily and that she had a sister named Annabelle probably cemented my choices.)  Because I was having a hard time trying to balance colours and fish, Jessica was kind enough to print Annabelle in reverse for me so that things would balance out.  (Annabelle normally faces left.)  The signature is now reversed, which makes me giggle, but I love the way the three fish look together.  And because my fishies make me so happy, I have placed them so that they are literally the first thing I see when I get out of bed in the morning.

Besides picking up my fishies, I had a delightful visit with Jessica and her cat, Missy.  I had only visited Jessica once before, during her open studio sale before Christmas, but once again I was struck by what a warm and gracious person she is.  It's always inspiring to talk with another artistic soul, and such a treat to see her current projects and ACEO collection.

Despite my outer self being tired after working and having dealt with a headache all day, this evening my inner self is feeling pampered and very content indeed. :)

Kseniya Simonova: Sand Animation

This is the most mesmerizing, beautiful eight-and-a-half minutes you'll see this year.  I guarantee it.  I have never heard of this art form before, but this is incredible.  Do yourself a favour -- take a break and give it your undivided attention. (And make sure you have your sound on.)



I think it's absolutely astounding what she can do with so little -- just some sand and a light table.  It's so inspiring!

Please -- take a moment to share your thoughts in the comments.  I'd love to share this experience with you.

Experiments, Initiatives, and Science.

While I haven't compiled a list of formal goals for 2010 (because the moment I write them down, they're toast), I have a few "efforts" that left the starting line on January 1, and so far, so good.

First of all, I'm doing the Creative Every Day Challenge, and I'm enjoying it.  Sometimes the desperation of having done something pushes me into experimenting with things I always wanted to try.  Like the object to the left, for example.  When Hubby asked me what it was, I explained it was "a bottlecap I whacked with a rubber mallet, then used as a frame for a small doodle I drew on a dictionary page covered in a thick layer of Diamond Glaze."  (To which Hubby replied, "Uhhh... huh.")  But in actuality, it's best described as an art experiment.  I had an idea and I tried it out.  And while it might not be exactly what I was hoping for, it's one step closer to what I was trying for in the first place.  So hey. :)

I'm also trying to stay on the Ten Minute Rughooking wagon, and although I didn't hook yesterday, I'm allowed one day off a week.  I'm not in love with my current project yet, so it's slow going.  Hopefully it will get better.  I'm working on Friday, so it looks like I won't be able to hang out with my rughooking group at the arts centre, but on the plus side, I did find an ideal place to park today for the next time I go.  (It's the little things, dontcha know.)

Since it's the first week of the new year and everyone else on the planet is on a diet, I might as well mention that I'm leaning in that direction, too.  I'm not fully there yet, because I'm using up the stuff in the house first, but as of the next grocery day, I'm going back on the wagon.  I've been charting my weight every day since January 1 (and have gained two pounds in trying to use up stuff, of course).  If you look at the Lighter Life section, you'll see I've updated the charts there, too.  I really wanted to take part in an X-Weighted event this coming weekend, but I have to work, and at this point, getting my finances straightened out (another item on my to-do list) takes precedence.

Now on to the highlight of my day!  My astronomy course started today, and I'm so excited!  Although I think I'm officially now the slightly awkward combo of "teacher's pet" along with "annoying mature student in the front row," it's all good.  (By the way -- for once, it wasn't my fault! :))  I learned stuff about one of Saturn's moons - Titan - today!  (That's Titan over to the right.)

There was also a funny moment in class when the prof, referencing a quotation by a famous physicist, said, "Now I know you don't know this guy personally, but ..."   I couldn't keep myself from grinning, because the famous physicist was the keynote speaker at the astronomy conference in Ottawa -- I'd actually sat across the table from him, conversing about anything and everything, at a rather intimate dinner gathering for about three hours.

The fact that my course has the word "Physics" in the title frightens me (after all, the last time I took a course called that, I made the stellar mark of 4% on the midterm -- and I'd answered every question!).  But the full title is "Physics for Non-Scientists/Astronomy," and that makes me feel better.  Coming on the heels of the chemistry course, the science-y part of my brain isn't as rusty as it once was, and I can manipulate formulae like nobody's business these days.  And the textbook is very non-threatening, too.  (Little cartoon mice all over the place.)  The only problem with the course?  I don't fit in the archaic chair-and- armrest/desk combos.  First I'm too heavy for a Soyuz capsule, and now this.  I think the Universe is trying to tell me something. ;)

Okay, time to go do some hooking and some writing and to find a magnet to glue to the back of my bottle cap (so it can be added to the Prototype Gallery on the side of my filing cabinet).

Live long and prosper, everyone!

PS -- Did you notice that I've blogged every day so far this year?  Another 2010 initiative!