Tattered Edge

Catching Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:44:00 +0000

(Graffiti I spied yesterday!)

Hello! It's been awhile since I last posted. I've been uber busy! May was a whirlwind and somehow that managed to spill over into June. I have had next to no time in the studio so far this month. Instead I've been running back and forth to doctor's appointments interspersed with socializing and a day or two of much needed down time.

Last night was the first Popluck flash mob picnic of the summer. (Or last one in the spring, depending on how you want to look at it.) We had a great time and saw a few familiar faces from last year. It was held in the square beside the Law Courts in New Westminster. The food was delicious and we got to meet some new people, which is always fun. Now we're just waiting for Al Fresco to launch theirs.

I received an invite from the UBC Health Mentors program to help interview potential Health Mentors over the summer. They are recruiting for 2013-2014, so if you live in the Lower Mainland and either live with chronic illness and/or disability or are a caregiver to someone who does and are interested in volunteering with the program, give me a shout and I'll put you in touch. I can't say enough good things about the program, it's value and the students and faculty involved. It's having such a positive impact.

I am about to embark on a *secret project* in the next week. It's something pretty big, but I can't say any more than that. It's really cool and a great adventure which I will share with you when I am free to do so. (It will be awhile, so you'll have to be patient!) Let's just say it's one of those life list things. *wink*

Next weekend in the wrap up for the volunteers for the FCM conference. The city is renting out a theatre and treating us to an afternoon at the movies. I'm looking forward to catching up with friends. The following Sunday, I have tickets (which I won from Vancouver Jazz Festival!) for Shane Koyczan. I just *adore* him! He's playing with Short Story Long at the Vogue. I've invited my friend Jenn to come with me. I can't wait!

I am grateful to have so many good things going on right now, to try and distract me from the fact that I am having to have treatment again. *sigh* Steroids, as my friend Nancy puts it are Satan's tic tacs. They are extremely hard on the body, but a necessary evil. I am doing a high dose pulse with pills (as a concession to my complete unwillingness to give up my plans to NMO right now) but if my neuro isn't happy with the results after 10 days, I will have to go in and do 3 (or possibly more) days of IV steroids. I'm battered, but unbowed and forging ahead through sheer force of will right now.

I have an art date in Early July with my pal Carol and we're going to spend an afternoon Gelli Printing, so there WILL be art on this blog again eventually! I've been stocking up on paint because I know once we start, we're not going to be able to stop! Oh and I should also mention that the fabulous Mary Ann Moss has a new class launching soon, called Sewn. The talented Roben-Marie Smith also has a new workshop, You've Got Mail...Art! which looks amazing. Both look like a lovely way to while away the summer!

Okay, must run! It's Father's Day and my darling husband is waiting for me to make him a special brekki. We're taking him out for lunch later at Granville Island. I'm hoping to shoot some nice photos of him with our son.

FCM Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:48:00 +0000

So if you wondered where I'd disappeared to, I've been at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Conference volunteering for the last four days. It's an annual conference where leaders from municipalities from across Canada gather to network and learn from one another. I was serving as an Operations Assistant, which meant I was helping facilitate the organization, loading and dispatch of a fleet of buses that were used for study and companion tours. There were 2600 delegates at the conference so this was a big and challenging job, but something I love doing. I've done VIP transportation dispatch for several of the big city events in the past (World Police & Fire Games, 99th Grey Cup Festival and CONCACAF Women's Olympic Soccer Qualifier) so my skills were put to good use. I got to work with a great team, so that made the job fun. I was really lucky!

The City of Vancouver gave use these pretty blue vests as our uniform. It was just like being a Blue Jacket all over again, because the conference was held at Canada Place, a place where there are alot of tourists so people would see us and ask for all sorts of information and assistance whether they were part of the conference or not. The legacy of the beloved Blue Jackets lives on!

One of the great things about this job was that I got to meet and greet delegates from communities across Canada. There were delegates from Tanzania, Jamaica, the Ukraine and Belize as well. Many of the delegates brought pins to give out, from their cities. One delegate from Quebec handed me a pin as I was assisting him onto a bus and after that, people saw it on my ID lanyard and kept giving them to me. By the end of the conference, it was loaded! That was really lovely and unexpected. One of the delegates I spoke to from Manitoba actually knew some of my family! We both agreed that Winnipeg really is like a small town full of extended family. I gave her my card (and a hug!) so she could give it to my second cousin when she sees her.

I also had (by chance!) the opportunity to assist Green Party Member of Parliament, Elizabeth May when she arrived to give a speech at the conference on Sunday morning. I escorted her to the conference center and we had a really nice chat on our walk up. It's always interesting to get to know someone you see in the media even just a little when they are just being themselves. She is a lovely and I have to say I admire her dedication and perseverance. She is the first and only Green Party candidate to serve in the Federal legislature, so she truly is a trailblazer and a hardworking one at that.

Rick Hansen and Federal Liberal Party Leader Justin Trudeau were also at the conference, but I didn't see them, unfortunately. I was pretty busy dealing with transportation. I would have loved to hear what Rick Hansen had to say. I am hoping his speech was recorded and will be available online at some point.

I also bumped in the Mayor of Coquitlam, Richard Stewart. It was really nice to see a familiar face in the crowd and to know he was there working diligently on behalf of our community. I was completely dumbfounded at the intensity of the work that gets done at this conference. The schedule is exhausting, but it's extremely important. Our elected officials are working hard to strengthen our communities-I saw this first hand.

My teammate Michelle invited me to have lunch with her on Sunday, so we went to the Cactus Club at Jack Poole Plaza. The one side of the restaurant has these giant angles glass windows that electronically slide open on good weather days. We sat next to them and had this amazing view of Burrard Inlet. That's the Harbour Air dock in the foreground, looking towards Stanley Park and then beyond that to the North Shore Mountains. It's a million dollar view!

This is looking to Coal Harbour and the sea wall to the left. It was such a special treat to be able to relax and enjoy lunch with a new friend in between scheduled bus times. It's these kinds of moments that remind me how lucky I am to live somewhere that is so amazingly beautiful. I never take it for granted. It truly IS paradise.

One thing that really impressed me was that I had the chance to cross paths with one of the organizers, Mar Warrender who took the time to ask me how my volunteer experience was. It says alot about the organization that she cared enough to ask. I told her it was comparable to the other big city events I've been involved in. I've actually worked with volunteer coordinators, Mike and Carrie at another event, Vancouver 125 and they are fantastic. We were treated like gold and I really enjoyed the experience.

I especially appreciated being thanked for my service by Vancouver Mayor, Gregor Robertson, Coquitlam Mayor, Richard Stewart and by the countless delegates and their companions (husbands, wives, partners, etc.). It's always happy-making to know what you are doing is making a difference.

***

Not sure what's up next-I haven't had time to check my calendar. I do know that Peter Grande, president of MV-1 Canada is in town on business and I am hoping to be able to catch up with him while he's here to thank him in person for supporting the NMO 5km walk/run last weekend.

I am hoping to get out with my camera for a shoot soon-I'm having withdrawals. Time to make some art!!

Making History

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 26 May 2013 21:49:00 +0000

So today was the NMO 5 km walk/run. It was the first dedicated NMO event ever held and when I say that, I mean worldwide! We were making history in British Columbia this morning! These were our great t-shirts and I can tell you that it was a sea of green in the park today!

The event raised $20,000 the last I heard, but there were some late registrations and a number of on site sales-t-shirts, awareness bling and lunches as well as donations, so the final tally has yet to come in.

I was volunteering at the registration/check-in table, so I got to greet everyone who was picking up their race packages. Lots of smiling face, despite the early start. You can see one of our generous corporate sponsors, MV-1 Canada's info which I personally put it into the hands of our participants. So happy to help promote such a great company that has been so kind to me & the NMO community!

Very happy to have Annie Kuan (left) and Dr. Tony Traboulsee (right) joining us. Annie is the one who helps keep the NMO community connected. She is the

Research Coordinator for the NMO Clinic & Research Program. Dr. T is a neurologist and NMO specialist at UBC. Both super nice people who are working hard to make a difference in the lives of NMO patients.

I was also so pleased to have Fin Donnelly, our MP and Selina Robinson, member of our city council join us as well. It was so great they could take time out of their busy schedules to come join us and show their support.

Here's the sea of green, as seen from the stage. It was a beautiful sight.

We had an opening ceremony. Nancy Reimer, whose 9 year old son Riley has NMO organised the event, so she spoke first about their journey from Riley's diagnosis at 7 years old to today's event. After that, I spoke very briefly about my experience and then about the importance of awareness, advocacy and the work NMO researchers and scientist are doing. Follow that, another NMO patient, Valerie Shalay (hope I got her name right!) spoke about coming to terms with her diagnosis and then Dr. T spoke about his work with NMO patients and the need for the government to cover NMO drugs.

Riley and another little girl (sorry, I don't remember her name!) the two youngest NMO patients cut the ribbon at the start line...

...and then the runners and walkers were off!

While everyone was off on the course, volunteers organized the door prizes. Our sponsors were very generous and there were lots of great goodies to be had!

There was a cheering section at the finish line to encourage everyone to finish strong and there was lots of cake and fruit for everyone afterwards.

It was a really wonderful event. Everything ran smoothly, everyone had a great time and I got to meet some really interesting people. Nancy did a fantastic job organizing this event and I think she can be really, really proud of the work she's done.

As I was leaving, I came across this:

I am not entirely sure if this was for real, but it made me laugh. I am wondering if Dr. T is aware that for $2500 he's expected to sell hot dogs out of the back of a vintage car, while wearing a speedo?!? Well I guess that's one way to fund a cure!

A Moment of Personal Triumph

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:12:00 +0000

So today, We decided to hike Quarry Rock. It's a part of the Baden Powell Trail, located in Deep Cove. It's a punishing, steep and winding 8 km hike to a view point. The trail is a mass of roots, loose rock, slippery sections, rough stairs (some of which are hip high!) and bridges. Conditions are such that if you're like me and have no proprioception (& therefore, no balance) you cannot allow your attention to stray from you feet for a single second.

The trail head begins with a climb that is 45 degrees straight up. I stood looking up at it and thinking "WOW!" and wondering if I was out of my mind. My second thought (the one that usually gets me into trouble) was "Well...as long as I'm here..."

We took our time, taking lots of little breaks because as I was climbing, I was loosing feeling in my legs. (That's the fun part of having spinal cord damage!) It made me a bit dizzy, but I sucked it up and kept moving. There was no way I was going to give up.

An hour and twenty minutes later, we were looking at this:

Deep Cove (left) and up Indian Arm. (right)

We stopped to cool off, down some water and a snack. Indy found a mud puddle and wasted no time plunging into it up to his armpits. That's a Lab for ya!

See? He's smiling, right after he did it. I noticed some fixed points in the rock. I think if you have the right equipment, you could take a shortcut down. That would have been cool! I'd like to repel at some point in my life-not necessarily there specifically, but just to try it once, for fun.

This is my favourite photo from the day, an old dead tree used as a sign post.

The hike back was equally as challenging, especially since my right hiking shoe was eating a hole in my heel and my knees were screaming. Every step down was painful, but I got through it. The view was *so* worth it and I am glad I did this hike while I am still able-bodied enough to manage it. There's a certain satisfaction in pushing yourself to do things that are hard. It feels just that much better when you persevere and succeed.

I am proud of myself today.

Anything is possible!

*****

P.S. Click on any of the photos to view them larger.

An Important Conversation

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:54:00 +0000

Join the first #AKchats on Twitter,Fighting for Care.

When you have multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy or another chronic illness that accelerates the aging process, where do you turn for long-term care? Hospitals and nursing homes seem to be the only options. Anna-Karina Tabuñar (@AKTabunar) explores this important topic featuring special guest,

Lelainia Lloyd (@tatterededge).

Join the conversation on Twitter using #AKchats on

Monday, May 13th at 9 a.m. PST. (12 p.m. EST)

Learn more by visiting Anna-Karina's website.

*****

I'm so honoured to be invited to be a part of this.
I hope you'll come join this important conversation.

All & Sundry

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Time for a catch up post! I am still having a blast experimenting with my Gelli plate. I made this print the other day. I still haven't had time to shop for more paint colours to round out my pallet, but I'm hoping to fit that in soon.

The weather here has been spectacular. Over the weekend we hit highs of 30C. We took Indy to Davison's Pool, a hidden away swim hole in the Alouette River my husband grew up swimming in. Indy loves it. We had our first picnic of the year afterwards and I played around with the camera in my iPhone. I was aiming for sun flare and I got it! Still looking for great photography apps, so if you have a favourite you think I should get, please comment and let me know!

I took this shot after Indy got out of the river. Something about the intensity in his eyes make me think he looks kind of wolfish when he stares like this. People who don't know him are very cautious of him because he's big, black and lean like a panther. Thing is, he really is the sweetest boy. To know him is to love him.

He was completely tuckered out when we got home. He crashed on the futon in our spare room. It always cracks me up how he has to lie with his head on a pillow. When he lies on our bed, for some reason, my pillow is the pillow of choice. Dogs really are creatures of comfort.

Like my sexy new splint? For just $115 this too could be yours! Seriously, while I am not thrilled about having to wear it, it is making the wrist fracture easier to live with. I finally managed to get a referral to a hand specialist and it looks like I am going to need an MRI and a referral for a plastic surgeon to take out a tiny floating bone in my wrist (the pisiform) that is causing me grief. It's impinging my ulnar nerve and making my ring and pinkie finger numb, cold and when the swelling is really bad, change colour. It's not carpel tunnel, but sort of similar. It's very uncomfortable and has become a chronic problem. I've fracture my wrist every year for the last 4 years and as much as I've tried to ignore it and just carry on, it's time to do something about it. No telling how long this will take, but at least it's in motion.

In the good news department, I've had two really cool opportunities come up. The details are still being worked out, but I'll share as soon as I can! Lots of great things in the works!

The Canadian Car Company With Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:32:00 +0000

I don't normally promote companies on my blog, unless they have an exceptional art product I use and love, however, I am more than happy to make an exception when it comes to MV-1 Canada.

In April, MV-1 Canada came out with an e-book called Life Without Compromise in which stories of ordinary Canadians living extraordinary lives were featured. I am honoured to be a part of that book. (If you missed it, you can download it for free here. There's also a permanent link on my sidebar.)

I also wanted to share that I have an article on accessibility on their blog All Access Pass. I'm talking about how accessibility improves quality of life not just for people with disabilities, but for everyone.

If you follow my blog regularly, you would also know that on May 26th, the first ever Canadian NMO 5 km walk/run is happening in my community. What I am so happy to share with you is that the good people on MV-1 Canada have generously stepped up as one of our corporate sponsors! A big THANK YOU to company co-founder Peter Grande, to Lori McKnight, and everyone at MV-1 Canada for their incredible kindness to me and support for those living with NMO. They are truly a car company with heart.

I'd like to invite you to get to know MV-1 & show them some love by following them on Facebook and on Twitter .

If you'd like to make a donation to the NMO 5 km walk/run, you can do so here. If you'd liked to join us as a sponsor either personally or as a business, there's still time and we would really appreciate the support! Please post a comment and I will get in touch with you!

Let The Monoprinting Begin!

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:24:00 +0000

Guess who is the proud new owner of a Gelli Plate! Yes indeed! I decided to see if the (somewhat) local scrapbooking store was carrying them and they were! First I wanted to show you what I did with some of the papers I created the first time I played with my friend Penn's plate a couple weeks ago.

I've made some bits to add to my art journals. Super easy and a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. I have all sorts of shape punches and rubber, so I went through my stash and chose some of my favourites. Voila! Instant collage fodder!

Yesterday was a busy day, so I only got to play with my plate for an hour, but as you can see, you don't need alot of time to get results.

Regrettably, you don't really get a sense of how bright and beautiful the prints are-it doesn't quite translate on a computer.

It's time for me to stock up on acrylics-I've printed over 100 sheets now with a paint collection that I've had since 2009. I'd say that's pretty economical! My dollar store has an excellent selection of colours, so I'll have to swing buy and replenish my supply. Since I'm only using a nickle sized dollop every time, a little sure goes a long way!

I had to laugh when I showed my husband the plate. I took it out of the box and held it up so he could see. (If you haven't seen one, it looks like an 8 x 10 sheet of clear jello-it's silicone)

He says "That was $30?"

Me: "Yes."

Him: "Whatever makes you happy Honey."

SMART MAN!

Honestly, he has always been super supportive of anything I am doing and doesn't seem to mind if I want to buy some new tool or take a class or whatever, as long as it makes me happy. He's a keeper!

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:29:00 +0000

Always on My Mind

I am very lucky: my son gave me an iPhone as an early Mother's Day gift. I wasn't in the market for one, really, but my old phone, a 6 year old LG Chocolate Spin (which I loved and was the top of the line in touch phones when I bought it) had pretty much given up the ghost. It was no longer holding a charge and my son knew this, so he decided it was time I got an upgrade. I love it though it's going to take some getting used to the phone part-I liken it to talking on a calculator. It's just a bit odd.

I am having fun figuring out how to use the camera along with various photography apps and at long last, I've joined the rest of the world on Instagram. I've been trying to make a link button for the sidebar of my blog, but the hotlink for it refuses to work so I've put that on hold for a bit while I mull over why it's not linking properly. Eventually I'll figure it out. In the meantime, I'm under Tatterededge if you want to link up there. I've got a grand total of two photos posted so far, but there will be more soon!

In other news, I am super excited to share that I will be one of the featured subscribers in the next issue of Uppercase. (#18!) If you're not familiar, there are usually 3 subscribers featured in each issue with a little interview of about half a dozen questions. Editor Janine Vongool put a call out and I thought "Why not?" So there you have it!

I am also happy to report that the first ever Canadian NMO 5 km walk/run is up to 250 registered participants! This is really wonderful and I am so pleased for Nancy Reimer, who is organizing the event. It's so wonderful to know so many people care and are willing to show up and support those of us living with NMO.

I am also thrilled to share that MV-1 Canada has kindly and generously stepped up as a corporate sponsor. THANK YOU MV-1!!! They are a lovely bunch of people, committed to making a difference in the lives of people who live with disabilities and we really appreciate their support. In case you missed it, they've put together an inspiring e-book, Life Without Compromise which you can download for free here. I am very proud to be a part of it. MV-1 Canada can be found on both Twitter and Facebook, so please show them some love.

There is still time to register for the walk/run. More info about the event can be found here and you can sign up here. If you are unable to attend and would like to make a pledge, you can do so here. Pledges in any dollar amount are greatly appreciated! On the day of the walk, I will be volunteering and speaking briefly during the welcoming. Please come by and say hello!

Other than that, I am busy writing articles and volunteering. I'm volunteering for the first time politically. Someone I know quite well is running in our provincial election and I thought it would be an interesting experience.

I am also busy prepping for the Interprofessional Health Mentors Symposium out at UBC on Monday. My students and I are going to be presenting what we've learned as a group so far. I am looking forward to seeing what the other groups have been up to as well. Members of the public are invited to attend so if you'd like to see what we've been up to, here are the details:

Date: Monday, April 29th, 2013

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm

Location: In the West Atrium,

Life Science Centre,

2350 Health Sciences Mall,

UBC Campus

The 2012-2013 pilot project includes 51 health mentors and 200 students from nine different health professional programs (audiology, dentistry, dietetics, medicine, nursing, occupation therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology). At the symposium, the groups summerize and share their learning with other UBC students, faculty and community. The event includes poster board displays by each of the 51 groups and the opportunity for guests to talk with students and mentors about their experiences in the program. Guests can also learn more about this new initiative and how they might get involved.

Washi Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 15:44:00 +0000

I was asked if I could post photos of my washi collection, so here it is, all 102 rolls of it! I seriously need to find a way to house it all. I have an open container from Ikea, but it's full to overflowing already.

Some of the rolls are not the true washi tape, made by the MT company, but they're close enough as far as I am concerned. A few rolls are by Cavellini, Martha Stewart, 7 Gypsies, Tim Holtz and the the dollar store tapes which, as I mentioned the other day, have a slight plastic finish to them. The 7 Gypsies tapes (the grid ones in the yellow stack) are actually paper. It doesn't really matter to me-I love them all.

I still want to add some neons to my collection-I have my eye on hot pink and orange. I also want to add some more purples and oranges and some air mail print tape.

I saw this tape which is printed masking tape that is wonderful-I must get my hands on a roll! I also move these as well. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to washi tape. Clearly, it's become an obsession. *grins*

Okay, so I've shown you mine. Show me yours?! Leave a link in the comments-I want to see!

More Fun With Gelli Plate Prints

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:24:00 +0000

So I've been playing around with some of the Gelli Plate prints I made last week. I scanned one and then layered a couple photos I took of some wooden print blocks on top. I think I like the one in white best-it has a lace-like quality to it. I'm going to keep playing around and see what other photos from my collection would work well with the papers.

The good people of Gelli Arts contacted me asking if they could share my prints on their FB page and their Pinterest boards. That was really nice of them! They are having a giveaway on their blog, so go check it out!

Here are a few more prints from the 80 I did last week:

Left: Circle stencil using left over black paint on the Gelli Plate and laying blues and yellows over top.

Right: A negative print using the same stencil and grading the colours from left to right.

Left: Using a foam stamp with circles. This one looks like pain on a plaster wall.

Right: Using the alphabet sticker sheet, printed side by side.

Left: A number stencil, put on backwards. Colours graded from left to right.

Right: Over printing using a loosely woven grid-like cloth.

Left: Using a hand cut swirl foam stamp.

Right: The loosely woven grid-like cloth again. It makes great texture!

I picked up a circle stencil the other day. I have an obsession with circles. (No really-I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them.) I'm going to have to hunt up the other stencils I have kicking around. I know I have some interesting ones. Then I need to get my hands on a Gelli Plate. Seriously!

In my travels yesterday, I discovered my dollar store had a whole pile of washi tape. It's not exactly like MT tape-it has a slightly plastic feel to it, but the prints are so lovely and at $1 a roll, how could I resist?! They also had some rolls of neon washi from another company at $2 a roll. I think I'm going to have to go back and get some.

I now have 99 rolls in my collection. It was never my intention to amass so many, but you start with one roll and then you see a colour you like, so you buy that one. Then there's a pretty pattern you can't resist, so you buy that one. Then you need a certain colour for a project, so you hunt down that one. Then you discover a certain design in several colours and you can't decide which one you like best, but they're inexpensive, so you buy all of them...SEE? THIS is how it happens! Consider yourselves warned! I've never been one to hoard art supplies-I usually only buy what I need and use it right away (I like to keep things fresh) but this seems to be the exception to the rule. The good news is that I am using them!

5 KM Walk/Run for NMO

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:36:00 +0000

So I have some great news to share!

The first ever Canadian 5 km walk/run for NMO (Neuromyeltis Optica) will be taking place on Sunday May 26th, 2013 at Rocky Point in Port Moody, BC.

This event is possible, thanks to the hard work of Nancy Reimer, who is a mum on a mission: her 8 year old son Riley has NMO.

The walk/run will help raise both awareness and crucial research dollars.

More information about the event can be found here.

If you'd like to register, you can do so here. There's an early bird rate until April 24th, so be sure and sign up today! 101 participants have already registered which is fantastic!

If you are unable to attend but would still like to help, you can do so by making a donation to my personal page here. (Where you can also read a bit about my NMO journey.) Every little bit helps and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

On the day of the run/walk, I will be volunteering and saying a few brief words at the welcoming ceremony. I hope if you're local, you'll come join us.

"Without awareness, there is no funding.

Without funding, there is no research.

Without research, there is no cure.

Without a cure, there is no hope.

We need to work together to make sure there is always hope."

Please feel free to share the link and/or this post!

Playing With Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:45:00 +0000

Yesterday I spent the entire day making papers on Penn's Gelli Plate. This was the end result of 6 1/2 hours of non-stop printing-a 1 1/2 inch thick stack of yummy papers EIGHTY IN TOTAL (!!!) I can use however I please! (Made with a fracture wrist, no less! I've decided that either I am insane or just really hardcore about art!)

Penn gave me a quick demo and then I go to work playing with all the possible colour combinations I could come up with. She and I own a fair bit of cheap acrylic paints, so there were lots of colours to choose from. Penn also owns a ton of stencils, to the combinations really were endless.

Here are a few samples:

Left: Made using a simple circle stencil.

Right: I used a number stencil, which I put on backwards, but I really don't think it matters-it's still cool.

Left: Using a Cathedral Windows stencil.

Right: The circle stencil again, but printing the black circles first and then over printing them with straight colour. This is one of my most favourite papers. It's very Basic Grey-like.

Left: I used a rough organic like material that is loosely grid-like. This is my other most favourite paper. Again, very much like Basic Grey's style, which I love so much.

Right: I used a grid of plastic letters which are actually stickers. Penn took the sticky off using baby powder. The letter are sort of the kind you might see in old fashioned restaurant menu boards.

Sadly, the colours here are not as vibrant or true as they appear in real life, but at least you get the idea. I took some photos of the process of using the Gelli Plate so you can see how simple it is:

All you need are cheap dollar store acrylic paints. The paint needs to be thin and runny, so save your Goldens for other projects. Bright primary colours work so much better than earth tones or muted shades. My favourite magic colours are always bright turquoise, a bright true orange, bubble gum pink and a grape purple. Add a dab of these to any other colours you are working with in any medium and you've got magic.

Stencils don't need to be store bought. Penn and I used a variety of things that were just lying around in our studios-old doilies, laces, plastic bottle caps, tools for making marks & scraping, etc. The lace doily pictured here is from the dollar store and is actually rubber.

First you squirt a small amount of paint onto the Gelli Plate and use a large brayer to spread it out evenly. You only need a thin coat. Next, you press your stencil into the paint. In this case, we used the number stickers I mentioned.

Next you lay your paper down on top of the plate and smooth it either using your hands or a brayer. We used cardstock weight papers to print on. Penn had some old tabbed dividers we used. The weight of the paper matters-it has to do with how the paint gets transferred, so regular computer paper doesn't get the best result. The paint needs somewhere to go, so thicker paper seems to work better.

Once you have smoothed the paper into the paint, you just peel it up gently and set it aside to dry. It dries almost instantly, so you can move on to your next print. If there's paint left on the Gelli Plate, that's great-we didn't clean it off, ever-we just kept adding paint because part of the magic is the wabi-sabi effect of having random colours and bits of left over stencil shapes show up in a completely different print.

I especially loved over printing my pages. If I got something I wasn't keen on, I just printed right over it. Some of my best papers were done this way. There really is no waste of paint or paper-everything is usable, including the stack of book pages we were using to clean the brayer off on, in between prints.

My plan is to colour copy my papers to use in future art projects. Penn and I are also copying our pages for each other and we'll trade. Since all our pages were made using binder tabs, they are already 3 hole punched, so I will trim the tabs off and pop them into a binder for storage.

Now all I need to do is get myself a Gelli Plate! The 8 1/2 x 11 is $30. That's very inexpensive when you consider how much you can create with it! There are tons of video tutorials online of ways to use it too, so the possibilities are endless! Penn says the plates are only available online via the Gelli company so far, so if you want one, you have to order it through them.

When I got home, there was mail waiting for me from my friend Lisa Call. Don't you just love the presentation?!?

Lisa is a very talented Precious Metal Clay, jewelery and mixed media artist. Her work is exquisite. Years ago, at my first Artfibrefest, we met in person for the first time. She said she had a special gift for me and gave me a letter "L" charm. She was surprised to know I'd never owned anything with an "L" on it till that moment. I put it on my silver bracelet and I treasure it still. It was one of the sweetest and most unexpected gifts I've ever received.

Yesterday, she sent me this adorable camera charm she made for me, to add to my bracelet. If you look at the back, there is "XO" on it too. LOVE IT! I will treasure it forever as well. I was so surprised. Lisa, THANK YOU! You are so thoughtful!

All in all, it was a very lovely and productive day.

Artful Envies

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:22:00 +0000

Hello! I am back, thanks to a brilliant friend who has managed to resurrect my computer from the dead! He is a miracle worker. You have no idea how grateful I am. It was utterly crippling to not have a working lap top!

In the meantime, I've been working on various projects. I was running out of handmade envelopes, so I made some more. I managed to whip these 23 up in about half an hour one day. Old Stampington publications are still my favourites to upcycle in this way. If you missed my tutorial on how, you'll find it here. I think I'm going to save a few to use in my ROD journals, the rest will go postal at some point.

There is lots to catch up on now that I'm back in business, so look for more posts this week. I am off to Penn's today to spend some time in her studio. She's going to show me how to use her new gelli plate. Should be fun!

Life Without Compromise E-book

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:58:00 +0000

This morning I had a lovely surprise waiting for me online when I woke up. MV1 Canada let me know that I have been included in their Life Without Compromise e-book! You can view & download it here. Please feel free to share this e-book with whomever you like! I am very proud to have been included in this great project and to have the opportunity to share my story.

I would like to encourage you to take some time to read this publication, as there are some really amazing and inspiring stories of ordinary Canadians living extraordinary lives. I promise you that you will come away feeling uplifted by the resiliency of the human spirit.

Thank you to MV1 Canada for taking the initiative to create a way to so beautifully illustrate that people can live and more importantly THRIVE with disability. Here's to always living a Life Without Compromise!!

When It Rains, It Pours

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000

Yes, I am still breathing! My laptop, however is not. It had the incredibly bad taste to die on my birthday. The only bright spot of the whole thing is that 98% of the important stuff was backed up on an external hard drive. (I got wise after the last time a computer died on me.)

No idea when I might be able to replace it. It's been absolutely crippling in terms of accessibility for me. I don't handwrite anymore, so typing is my main form of communication. Currently, I am muddling through, pecking on my teeny iPod. Not my idea of fun, to be sure.

So, if things are kind of quiet around here, you know why. The fun never ends.

A Wee Gift Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago, I sent this gift to eastern Canada to my friend Jan for her birthday. I promised to share what was inside. Now that she's received it, I can show you.

It's a wee leather journal, 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches. The leather is very special because my Grandfather made it years ago. I wanted to make the journal small enough that Jan could tuck it in her pocket and take it with her on adventures. I liked it so much, I am planning to make one for myself when I have a spare minute. Happily, Jan was delighted with this small offering.

It is amazing to me how many of my friends have birthdays in March and even more surprising how many of those people are artists! I am in very good company indeed. Tomorrow is my day to celebrate another trip around the sun. Let there be cake!

Skiing Is Believing: Redefining What's Possible

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:04:00 +0000

Saturday, I spent the entire day at Whistler Olympic Park, which was home to the Olympic and Paralympic Cross Country Skiing and Biathalon events. My friend Andrea asked me to come and be the photographer for the Skiing is Believing program and I jumped at the chance. I adore Whistler and I was more than happy to support the important work she and Paralympian Courtney Knight are doing.

The Skiing Is Believing program introduces people with disability to cross country skiing. Paralympians, their coaches and team of dedicated volunteers teach people with a variety of physical and sensory disabilities, (wheelchair users, amputees, people who are blind or visually impaired, people with cerebral palsy) as well as their friends and family to ski.

Here's a quick peek:

(That was Andrea talking about the program!)

I spent the morning capturing various aspects of the program. It was a bit of a challenge because the weather was absolutely not cooperating-we had a combination of rain, rain mixed with slushy snow and then outright snow. I'd planned ahead though and brought an umbrella, as well as a Ziploc bag, some duct tape and scissors so I could McGyver a way to keep my camera dry. It was a good thing I did because by the end of the day, pretty much everything I owned was soaked. It pays to be prepared!

No one seemed to mind the less than ideal weather conditions-they geared up and got out there. What I really enjoyed was the opportunity to observe and learn. The coaches and volunteer guides were incredible. In no time they had their skiers geared up and ready to go. Everyone was assigned a volunteer so they had one-on-one support and instruction for the day. It was wonderful to see someone go from being tentative as they were learning, to gaining confidence as the day wore on. The transformation was amazing to witness.

Late in the morning, I went inside to warm up and see what I had shot so far. While I was sitting there, a skier and guide came in. The guide got her skier situated and then left to grab some lunch. We were the only two people in the room, so we chatted with one another, sharing our stories. It turns out I was familiar with her story because it had been in the news. We had a long conversation about processing and coping with difficult things and how we move forward in our lives. It was one of those moments when I realized the universe had conspired to put us in each other's path for a reason. That conversation was meant to happen. Her courage in the face of terrible adversity is remarkable. I am continually in awe of the resiliency of the human spirit.

After lunch, while everyone who'd spent the morning in lessons went off to ski the trails, I geared up and Andrea gave me my own lesson. I cross country skied as a kid, but that was some time ago and long before damage to my spinal cord made me to lose my proprioception. (The ability to know where your body is in space, which is absolutely necessary for balance.) I was very scared, but I was also determined to ski. I never allow fear to keep me from doing anything.

Andrea was super supportive and patient while I got used to moving on the skis. Even though we were working in what appeared to be a fairly flat area, there were still times when the skis would pick up speed on slight inclines and I would struggle to stay on my feet. Andrea told me to crouch down and put my hands on my knees to maintain balance. Most of the time that worked, but I fell a few times. I slipped and fell backwards once and whacked the back of my head, but I was okay though I think I might have scared Andrea. We got my feet out of the bindings and in less than a minute, I was up and laughing and went right back at it. It never occurred to me to give up.

I figured out that as long as I could keep my center of gravity over the tops of my boots, I wouldn't fall down. I found skiing uphill much easier than downhill. When I was going uphill, my balance was in the exact right place and I felt like I had control over my skis. It was much harder going downhill, but I attempted skiing down an incline (across and down a bridge) just to have the experience. (I'll try anything once!)

I got about 3/4's of the way down the bridge before I
wiped out. *laughs* I knew falling would be part of the deal and I was okay with that. It's part of the learning process. The best way to describe what being on skis felt like for me is to liken it to when you see someone in the circus balancing on a piece of 2x4 , which is balanced on top of a ball. It took every ounce of my concentration to stay on my feet.

At one point, we were skiing in front of the Olympic rings and Andrea asked me if I realized I was skiing where the Olympic and Paralympic XC skiers had all crossed the finish line. I hadn't till she said it and I loved her for pointing that out to me. She knows how much I adore the Games. She took the photo of me standing in front of the rings at the top of this post. I felt the way I look in that picture-happy and grateful for the experience and personally triumphant that with Andrea's help, I DID IT.

Skiing Is Believing beautifully illustrated for me how important Para sport programs are. It gives those who live with disability the opportunity to reclaim their physicality, to redefine what they believe is possible for themselves, to connect with others and if they so desire, to train to become competitive.

My experience on Saturday reaffirmed for me that anything is possible and that when life offers you an opportunity, you have to grab it with both hands.

Birthday Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet, sweet boy!

You are my heart walking around on four furry legs.

xxx

Psst! Indy has his own blog, Left Coast Lab.

More updates coming soon!

Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Last night I spent some time cannibalizing some old magazines for letters for a new project I am working on to submit to Uppercase Magazine. I think I cut about a gazillion letters by the time I was done. Then I spent about half an hour sorting them into piles, which is no mean feat when you're working with hands you can't feel. I couldn't resist taking some photos-they made such pleasing little piles. I am now in the process of creating a message. I think I'm going to colour copy the original before I send it off. I may end up framing it, I like it so much.

I also spent part of yesterday creating a gift for a friend whose birthday is tomorrow. Of course it's not going to arrive in time (it's being sent to eastern Canada) but she knows it's on its way. I was very pleased with how it came out and I hope she likes it. I will show you what it is once she's received it-I don't want to spoil the surprise.

I need to tie up a few projects I am in the middle of. I find when I feel stuck, the best thing to do is move on to something else for a bit and revisit it later. It helps me shift perspective and usually I get unstuck. Fortunately the things I am stuck on right now don't have deadlines, so there's plenty of time to circle back.

11 days till Whistler for Skiing is Believing! I am so excited! I need to tune my camera up-clean the lenses, adjust the settings, etc. before I go. I am so grateful for this opportunity to help my friend Andrea and this great program through photography, to have the chance to cross country ski in one of the most beautiful places on earth and to meet some new people. I know it's going to be an amazing experience.

As someone wise once put it,

"If you work really hard and are kind, amazing things will happen."

This is a universal truth. You get what you give.

Inspiration For the Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:58:00 +0000

I came across this quote by Randall Munroe. It spoke to me, because in essence, it's the secret to how I live my life. (And I am all the more richer for it.)

I hope it speaks to you too.

Rare Disease Day 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:28:00 +0000

Today is Rare Disease Day, world wide. It's a day to help raise awareness for disease that are life threatening or chronically debilitating, have a low prevalence and are usually incurable. In late November of 2012, I discovered I didn't actually have Multiple Sclerosis, but a rare disease called Neuromyelitis Optica. (Formerly known as Devic's Disease.) NMO affects 5 in 200,000 people, making me a rare bird.

Finding out that the MS diagnosis I'd lived with for 5 years, was incorrect was a relief. The relief came from finally making sense of why with all the aggressive treatment I'd had, I could not get into remission. It was also very scary. NMO is much more serious than MS in that the damage happens rapidly during an attack, can result in blindness or paralysis and has the potential to be fatal. I don't dwell on this though-given that I've lived with it for an incredibly long time not knowing and essentially not having the any treatment (the treatments for MS can actually make NMO worse) I feel confidant that I'm not going to keel over any time soon! It helps to know what I am dealing with so I can take the right drugs and treatments to hopefully mitigate further damage, but it doesn't change how I'm living my life. I am still out there pursuing my dreams, just like I've always have. You can't keep an Aries girl down!

I have had the great good fortune to be involved with the education of future health care providers through two programs I volunteer with as a health mentor at UBC. I started working with medical students 4 years ago and that work will continue. MS will always be a part of my story, but now I will also be helping to educating them about NMO. As I've learned through my own experience, awareness is crucial in the medical community.

A week or so ago, The Guthy-Jackson Foundation, released "How Do We See In the Dark", narrated by Christine Ha, winner of Master Chef 2012, who also has NMO. It's a wonderfully uplifting video talking about the work that is being funded by the foundation world-wide in an effort to unravel the mystery of NMO in order to work towards better treatments and ultimately a cure.

If you've clicked any of the links I've provided in this post, thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to learn more about NMO. I'd love it if you'd link back to my post, tweet it or like and share it on FB and help me spread the word.

Showing Up For Myself

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 15:17:00 +0000

February's self portraits for project 365 have been spotty, at best. I spent several days recovering from an IV steroid treatment that knocked me flat. I could barely function. Picking up my camera was the last thing on my mind. After that, it was hard to get back into the groove of shooting every day. Finally, I made a promise to myself to JUST DO IT and jumped back in.

On Valentine's Day, I felt I had enough energy (creative and otherwise) to shoot this idea that had been knocking around in my head. I think it turned out better than what I had envisioned. I love when I surprise myself-that's what keeps it fresh for me and keeps me shooting.

I could choose to feel bad about not shooting every day this month, but I don't. The great thing about this project is that it really is all about me. Given everything that's going on in my life right now, I'm showing up for myself to the best of my ability. The beautiful women I am sharing this project with get that it's about the journey and not so much about the result. No one's keeping track or passing judgement. There are no photo police.

At the end of the year, I will not have 365 self-portraits. I am perfectly okay with that because what I will have is a year's worth of a life lived and some images I am proud of as testament to that.

*****

If things are a little quiet around here, it's because my husband had surgery on Wednesday to repair the torn bicep tendon he suffered when he and Indy were attacked by the pitbull/mastiff. It was so badly damaged that they had to harvest a tendon from his leg to rebuild the one in his arm. (So he actually had two surgeries in one.) He came home in a full cast with a sling, so he's pretty incapacitated. It's a minimum 8-10 week recovery. It's going to be a very long time till things return to normal around here.

Tell All

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Ages ago, my friend Seth Apter asked "What's one thing that you know now that you would have liked to have known when you first started to create art?"

It was so long ago, that my answer surprised even me, because I couldn't remember what I'd said. *laughs* To find out what that was, pop over to Seth's blog! There's lots of great responses being shared there.

Uppercase Magazine: Something To Love

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:55:00 +0000

A couple weeks ago, Meghan, who recently fulfilled a dream to have work published in Uppercase, (Yay Meghan!) was having a giveaway for a year's subscription to the magazine. For those not in the know, this is THE most aesthetically pleasing, design savvy publication for "the creative and curious" and is a Canadian publication! (Which makes me ridiculously happy.)

I am extremely pleased (and grateful) to say I WON!

Issue 16, Knot Now arrived yesterday. In addition to Meghan's great article about overcoming negative self-talk in order to embrace her creativity, there were so many things to love about it. The abecedary is about thread and stitching. There's a photographic tour of The American Can Company, a place, which judging by the pictures, I would love to spend an afternoon. There is also an article about North Woven Broom Company, which was of particular interest to me because I have family that lives on Kootenay Lake and have been to their shop (located in a lovely old barn in Crawford Bay) many, many times. In fact, my step dad trained with the blacksmith across the road from them, years ago. This same blacksmith often crafts ornamental handles for their brooms. The whole area is a mecca for artisans and makers of all kinds.

Uppercase is a magazine you can look at over and over again. I especially love all of the delicious little details and the way it's chock full of eyecandy and brain food from cover to cover. Even the classifieds (one page! this magazine's all about real content!) are presented in a way that is both interesting and classy. Oh and post cards! Did I mention postcards? Well there were TWO tucked between the pages. I am a postcard junkie from way back.

Thanks to Meghan and Janine Vangool, (publisher, editor & designer of Uppercase) I am all set to have a year's worth of good mail days!

That is most certainly something to love!