Tattered Edge

Current Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:57:00 +0000

I've spent yesterday puttering in the studio. I bought this old dictionary some time ago with the idea of gutting it and rebinding it into a journal. Yesterday seemed like the perfect day to do this.

I love vintage Canadiana, which can be hard to come by here on the west coast. Every now and again, I come across something like this dictionary and I snap it up. The only thing that would have made me happier was if the cover was red, instead of green, but it'll do.

After I carefully removed the original signatures inside, I recovered the entire interior of the cover with a heavy weight scrapbooking paper that matched nicely. This helped reinforce the spine and honestly, it just looks nicer.

The book measures 6 1/4 inches tall x 4 1/4 inches wide, so I cut a wide variety of papers this size or smaller. Some of the papers I wanted to use were smaller to start with and I didn't want them all the same size anyway-it's more interesting when there's a variety.

Some of the pages were made with pages torn from old art magazines. When you pay $18 CDN per issue, you don't just toss the old ones in the recycler! I use the ones I'm not interested in keeping in this way or make envelopes to send art mail in until the whole issue is all used up. Waste not, want not!

I took an initial pass through the journal, gluing bits and pieces that amused me onto some of the pages. This was done quick and dirty-I'll be writing and gluing things in till it's all filled up, so there's no rush. I added some colour copies of some of my favourite photographs to a few of the pages.

More bits from magazines combined with scrapbooking papers. I am a bit of a paper junkie, truth be told.

I also discovered that travel guides and brochures have interesting images of where I live, so some pages were made with bits and pieces from those. Most travel bureaus have websites where you can order free info by mail from just about anywhere you'd like to visit. Free journal fodder is a good thing!

I added a library pocket in the back as a place to stash paper bits for later, if need be. My plan is to use this journal as a catch all. I'm going to keep it in my bag and the idea is to not have it be too precious to use. I'll jot and glue things into it when the spirits move me and not worry to much that anyone's going to see it. (And what I mean about not worrying about anyone else seeing it is that I don't tend to handwrite much anymore. Having lost all the feeling in my hands because of the damage MS has done to my spinal cord, writing is difficult and it just takes too much energy.)

Anyway, that was yesterday's project. Today I am working on completing some digital artwork for The Week As Art project being hosted by Tonia Davenport of Northlight Books on the Create Mixed Media website. The week I was assigned just happens to be March 18-24, which is my birthday week!

Just before I sign off, I wanted to take a moment to say a very heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who commented, emailed and called to offer congratulations, encouragement and kind words about my name being put forward for the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. I deeply appreciate all the love and support. xox

2 Year Anniversary of the 2010 Games

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:53:00 +0000

Today marks 2 year since the 2010 Olympics kicked off. It's hard to believe that much time has passed-in many ways it seems like it was just yesterday. This time last year, my teammate, Sharon and I, along with some of the other members of our athletes' marshalls team were trooping around downtown at the 1 year anniversary celebrations. It was a cold and rainy day a year ago. I am so glad that was not the case today!

This morning, the BC Sports Hall of Fame welcomed the Blue Jackets to their brand new 2010 Gallery. It's beautiful-as bright and colourful as the games themselves were and chock full of fantastic artifacts.

It was fun to see the souvenirs they had as well and to see how many of them I collected as keepsakes for myself. These were the Coke bottles and flags from the Olympic Torch Relay. The relay went right past the end of my street at one point and they were handing out the flags and bottles of Coke to everyone who came out to watch. I have 2 different bottles sitting on my dresser and the flag is here in my studio.

The little figures were from McD's, another sponsor of the Games. I think I have the blue bobsleigh on the top left stashed somewhere. I have the packets of Excel gum saved as well-I sewed them into my 2010 ROD journal. (Which you can see here and here.)

The BC Sports Hall of Fame arranged to have a special wall set up for VANOC CEO John Furlong and the Blue Jackets to sign. I think it will become part of the gallery after this weekend.

(I signed in red on the lower left.)

Mr. Furlong was kind enough to pose for a photo with me, after he presented his own Blue Jacket to the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Soon it will join all the other uniforms that they have on display.

They did a fabulous job of gathering a wide variety of items-everything from torches, to Games time uniforms, to uniforms from some of the athletes from other countries, to a huge collections of pins, to medals and so on. I took a ton of photos, but I really want to encourage you to visit if and when you can. It's really worth seeing up close and personal.

Here's a little video footage of the celebration:

THANK YOU
BC Sports Hall of Fame for hosting us!

While I was there, I met Nadine who worked for VANOC. She very kindly helped me get some photos of myself at the Sports Hall. I usually shoot self portraits, but it's nice to let someone else take the photos sometimes! I had fun hanging out with her and swapping our 2010 stories.

While we were talking, I was reminded that there is another anniversary this weekend. Two years ago, Gorgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili lost his life in a terrible accident on the track up at Whistler. It seems only right to mention it here and to take a moment to think of his family and to remember their loss. He was gone far too soon.

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:16:00 +0000

Yesterday, I was reading an article about a new medal that's being awarded in Canada to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

"A new commemorative medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.

To be eligible for this honour, a person must:

•Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, but need not necessarily reside in Canada;

•Have made a significant contribution to a particular province, territory, region or community within Canada, or an achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada; and

•Be alive on February 6th, 2012, the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty’s accession to the Throne. The medal can be awarded posthumously, as long as the recipient was alive on that date."

Here is a video message about the medal from the Governor General of Canada:

So you're probably wondering why I am posting about this today. Well, this morning, I sat down to check my email and there was an email from the Vice President of the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay, which said:

"The Rick Hansen Relay is committed to recognizing Canadians who have made a difference in their communities. Given our shared vision of honouring those who make a difference, we have been asked by the office of the Governor General to put forward a select number of names for consideration to be recipients of the Diamond Jubilee Medal.

We would like to put your name forward for consideration by the Diamond Jubilee committee."

I was (and am) completely stunned.

People like Derrell Fox (Terry Fox's brother) and Paralympian Lauren Woolstencroft and a whole host of exceptional Canadians have received this award. Whether the Diamond Jubilee Committee ultimately sees fit to grant me this award or not, I feel so deeply honoured and humbled to even be considered.

Like I keep saying, the most beautiful compensation of this life is that the more you give away, the more you get to keep for yourself.

This is a moment I will hold in my heart forever.

Transition of Light

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:05:00 +0000

On Saturday, the temperature got up to 12C here. We took Indy for a walk at a local lake just to get out and enjoy the sunshine. British Columbians are by and large outdoor people.

The light was so beautiful, it was almost heartbreaking. I love watching the transition of the colour of light from season to season. While winter light is blue, spring light is so clear. It's a very clean light to shoot in. The photo above is straight out of my camera.

Things have begun budding here. No idea what kind of tree this is, but when I looked up at the branches, they framed so beautifully against the sky. I predict that if this warm trend continues, before too long we'll be seeing cherry blossoms around town. Vancouver is famous for it's ornamental cherry trees. When they bloom, that definitively heralds the arrival of spring here.

On Sunday, Indy was lying on our bed, basking in a patch of early morning sunlight. He's so adorable when he lies with his head between his paws. I wanted to capture this moment because when the light hits his coat just right, you can see that his undercoat is chocolate, even though he's a black Lab. (Indy's mum was a black and his dad was a big chocolate.)

Again, this photo is untouched, straight out of my camera. I love the warm yellow quality of the light in this one. It gave a natural sepia tone to the photograph. Magical!

Since Indy was putting up with me snapping away, I took a moment to capture his mighty paws. I love shooting small details of an animal-it often gives you a greater sense of them. For me, their beauty lies in the details.

Precious Little

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:49:00 +0000

So this week, I've been playing catch up with my Getting Through the Grey assignments. I have a confession to make: I am not on task. For the last week, we were supposed to be exploring bokeh and here I am working on still life. (Which I think was week one or two...way back in December.) Sometimes you just have to do the things that you are moved to do. There's no predicting when inspiration will strike, nor how it will manifest and I am totally okay with that.

The whole point of taking a class is for the teacher to empower you to find your own creative voice. The idea is for you to gain some new skills and then find a way to integrate them into your own art practice. This is how you know you've taken a really great class, with a really great teacher. (And a really great teacher will support you in following your creative instincts, even if you veer off task once in awhile!)

Yesterday I was shooting little things in my studio. The top image is a frozen Charlotte doll. I thought it would be more interesting to shoot the back, rather than the front.

I have this lovely antique sterling silver salt shaker, given to me by one of my partners in the Petite Inspiration Swap at Hallowe'en. It's tiny-only an inch tall and I love the patina on it. Old things have so much soul to them.

Another wee doll, this time a Kewpie, shot from the back. I couldn't resist! There's just something so sweet and innocent about it.

This image is all kinds of nostalgia for me. It's a lumber yard pencil I found in my Gramps' workshop, after he died. His family owned a lumber yard and so he grew up in the business and became a gifted carpenter and cabinet maker. After he was gone, I would go into his workshop to be amongst his thing. It was comforting to smell the wood shavings and see his hand tools hanging neatly on the pegboard above his workbench.

He had three banks of drawers-I believe two were old library file cabinets and one was wide, shallow drawers that could hold architectural plans. All of them were dark wood and well made. I'd spend hours opening every single drawer and looking at the things inside each one. He knew exactly where everything was. (I guess I come by that whole tool and workspace organizational gene honestly.)

I found a couple of these flat lumber yard pencils he brought from Winnipeg when he moved out west. They live in my studio now. It's funny how the most insignificant things become precious.

Olympic & Paralympic Anniversary Celebration

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Just when you thought you'd seen the last of my 2010 Olympics posts....

January 11th marks the 2 year anniversary of the 2010 Games and there's going to be a celebration! Yes indeed! The BC Sports Hall of Fame is hosting the celebration at their new digs at BC Place with all kinds of fun activities.

Here's what's happening:

Admission:

If you are a Blue Jacket, you can get in for free with your accreditation ID.

I think most of us who will be attending will also be wearing our Blue Jackets as well.

If you aren't a Blue Jacket, you can still get in for half price all weekend (this includes guests that come with any Blue Jacket)

The first 25 kids wearing their 2010 Red Mittens get in for free.

If you follow the BC Sports Hall of Fame on Facebook, you can send them a note detailing why your family is a "Red Mitten Family" for the chance to win a family pass to the Red Mitten Weekend for February 11th or February 12th! Entries are due Wednesday February 8th!

Activities:

Saturday Only:

-Book signing with 2010 VANOC CEO John Furlong from 10 a.m.-12 noon.

-Photo Op with the 2010 Olympic medals.

All Weekend:

-Blue Jacket Reunion

-Tour the brand new 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Gallery

-Red Mitten Colouring Contests

-Go Canada Go! Scavenger Hunt

Sunday Only:

-The museum will be playing the Gold medal hockey game and Opening Ceremonies.

I will be there marking the occasion and it sounds like some of my Athletes' Marshall teammates will be coming too. In the last two weeks, while volunteering for the 2012 Olympic women's soccer qualifier, I've walked by the Sports Hall several times and from the outside, what I could see of the 2010 Games Gallery looked fantastic. I can't wait to see it up close and in person! It should be a very good time and I promise there will be pictures!

Playing Catch Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:37:00 +0000

Observe

I've been through a busy time of creative output in the last week finishing up my Sketchbook and now I find I'm at the point in the cycle where I need to take a break and refill the creative well.

I've also been busy with the Women's 2012 Olympic soccer qualifier, so I'm a bit behind in my Getting Through the Grey assignments. I'm hoping to do a bit of catch up over the weekend. The weather's supposed to be beautiful. I hope so! *fingers crossed*

In the meantime, here's what's rocking my world:

(Images by my talented classmates.)

1. there is something about nature that takes care of your heart, 2. porch steps, 3. footprints, 4. fossil rock, 5. Queen Anne's Lace, 6. The architecture of plants 01, 7. Black and white with a touch of colour, 8. Row of Trees, 9. Fearless Pup, 10. Viewing the Christmas lights, 11. Morning Light, 12. P1220393.JPG

Fragments Of Me

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:32:00 +0000

I'm DONE!! I finally completed my 2012 Sketchbook project and managed to complete it 2 two days before the deadline. (GO ME!)

I made a Flip video of so I could share it with you before I send it off. Please excuse how unfocused I seem-I was very under the weather when I filmed this yesterday with a pounding migraine and it's hard to think when that's happening.

In the video, I mentioned that I have postcards in my Etsy shop. If you're wondering where to find them, just click my etsy link on the side bar, et voila!

I've created a Flickr set for my Sketchbook Project if you want to see the pages up close. You can find it here. It was fun working on this. I did it very loosey goosey-I sewed some pages together ROD style and then just started laying stuff down and adding to it as I went along, with no real plan in mind. It was a good exercise in just going with the flow.
For those of you who are local, The Sketchbook Project is coming to Vancouver in May on the 15th & 16th. You will be able to see it for yourself at W2 Media Cafe, 111 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, BC. May is
shaping up to be a very busy month!

Mail Art

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:33:00 +0000

So I've been running my own little postcard factory the last couple of days. I've printed some of my most favourite images I created in Wading In, Light Hunters, Swan Dive and Getting Through the Grey and made them (by hand!) into postcards.

My friend Deb and I were chatting yesterday and she told me that she's got a bunch of them tacked to her inspiration board in her studio. She said that she contemplated sending them as postcards, but then decided that she couldn't bear to part with them. *grins* That made me hugely happy!

The good news is that I've packaged them into sets of four and have them available for purchase in my Etsy, so if you love them just as much, you can always order a set to keep and one to send. Just convo me if you want two identical sets and I'll hook you up! (I'm making them as fast as my hands will let me.)

It's been dark and rainy here the last while and I've been busy with the 2012 Olympic Women's Soccer Qualifying Tournament, (GO CANADA GO!!) so I haven't had the time or energy to shoot photos. Hopefully I'll be back on track by the weekend. There are only 5 more weeks of Getting Through the Grey left!

In Memory

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:55:00 +0000

Kenneth George Chick

October 31, 1921-January 25, 2004

I miss you every day. xox

"I'll catch your smile on someone's face,

Your whisper in the wind's embrace

Through diamond stars and songs and dreams

I find your love in everything

The sun, the sky, the rolling sea

All conspire to comfort me.

From sorrow's edge life's beauty seems

To find your love in everything.

I've come to trust the hope it brings

To find your love in everything.

Even as I fall apart,

Even through my shattered heart,

I'll catch your smile on someone's face

.....amazing grace."

~Beth Neilsen Chapman

Leap of Faith

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:44:00 +0000

So for awhile now, I've been making handmade postcards from images I've created in the photography classes I've been taking. I've always thought I would love working with a card company, but since that hasn't happened (yet) I've been content to start making them on my own. I love postcards and I've made a few sets to exchange with a few of my classmates in Getting Through the Grey.

My friend Pip got the packet I sent her in the mail this week and encouraged me to put some of my postcards for sale in my Etsy shop. I hemmed and hawed about it and then she emailed me again yesterday, giving me another gentle nudge. This morning, I took a leap of faith and went ahead and did it. Sometimes it's hard to put yourself out there, but honestly, what do I have to lose? No risk, no reward! (Thanks Pip for your vote of confidence! xo)

I have three different sets available, with plans to offer more, once I get prints made, which hopefully will happen later today. Until then, you can find my first three sets here, here and here. You can send them to a friend or to keep for yourself. They'd also look cool sewn into your journal, or you could always frame them-it's up to you! Pip said she plans to frame hers.

**Mary Ellen & Sherry, please email me your snail mail addys so I can send you your winnings! Thanks!**

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:59:00 +0000

If I've been on the quiet side this week, it's because I've been busy with the Women's Soccer 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament. I've been downtown in a swanky hotel my husband helped build, dispatching a fleet of cars for VIPs again. It's been fun, but long days knock the stuffing out of me.

So far we've attended Canada's first game, against Haiti and our ladies are looking really good. They played with integrity and their cohesiveness was really something to watch. If you're in town, you should get tickets-they're very inexpensive-$10-$25, no bad seats and all in the lower bowl.

I haven't had time to shoot anything new this week, aside from this photo of Indy, which I love. Speaking of photography, my beloved Picnik is closing mid-April. I am utterly bereft.{insert very sad face} I am very unhappy about it and have no idea what I am going to do once it's gone-it's my go-to editing program.

Mary Ellen, Sherry, Dave & Lisa, thank you for your feedback on Tapping In. It was really interesting hearing your interpretations. I wanted to let you know that you are all winners! Please email me with your snail mail addresses and as soon as I get prints made, I will send each of you postcards. (My email addy is on the sidebar.)

Tapping In

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:57:00 +0000

Tapping In

I think far and away, this is one of my most favourite images. I took a photograph of a section one of my mixed media pieces and then layered it with a self portrait of my hand. It took some fiddling to blend it to my satisfaction, but essentially, that's what I did.

I was going to write about what this image represents to me but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe it's more interesting to hear what YOU think it's about, if you'd like to share. I'm curious how other people filter my work. If you are going to comment on this image, I'd like to challenge you to post your own thoughts and observations before reading anyone else's. (But feel free to read the other comments when you're done!)

And as an added bonus, if you take the time to comment, I'll enter your name in a draw to receive this image as a handmade postcard from me when I do my next round of photo prints. I'll take comments till 8 p.m. (PST) on Thursday, January 19th and I'll post the winner's name here on Friday morning, so be sure and check back!

Ready? Set...GO!

2nd Generation Art

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

She Dreams of Everest

I've been playing around with macro for this week's Getting Through the Grey class. On a whim, I decided to shoot some macros of pieces of my mixed media artwork I have sitting around in the studio. These were large painted and/or collaged pieces so I shot small isolated ares of them. I layered them with other photographs I've taken and voila!

I think the most powerful tool we have as artists is our ability to ask ourselves "What if....?" It's that question which led me to experimenting in this way. I created She Dreams of Everest just to see what would happen and I'm pleased with the results. It's like a whole new style I've created for myself-2nd generation art. I like reinventing things.

experimenting=learning

Portal

This one is a section of a painting combined with an image of a window with a hall and doorway behind it I took at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens. I love how it looks like old, chippy paint. It's kind of magical.

The Picture Makes A Promise

This one was a combination of a still like I took of an old Brownie camera I have in my studio and a section of my artwork.

Sneaux Dog

Late Friday night, we got sneaux*, which is unusual for this elevation. Up until now, I've been running around town with just a hoodie on-it's been an extremely mild winter. Then this cold front moved in overnight and down came the white stuff. By 10 a.m. yesterday though, we were ankle deep in slush-the sun came out and the sky was clear blue. Indy, who loves the sneaux went out and had a couple good romps. His paw prints were so adorable all over the back yard I couldn't resist capturing them.

Before I sign off for now, I also wanted to say THANK YOU for all the kind words you've posted here, on Facebook and in emails about my selection as a Difference Maker for the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay. You sure know how to make a girl feel loved!

*I'm not allowed to say the "S" word in this house, so I always write it this way.

Big Exciting News!

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:50:00 +0000

So I have some very exciting news to share! I'm quoting directly from the Rick Hansen Foundation website, because they've explained things better than I could.

"Twenty-five years ago Rick Hansen had a dream - to make the world more accessible and inclusive and to find a cure for spinal cord injury. Inspired by a deep-seated belief that anything is possible, Rick's dream took shape in the form of the Man In Motion World Tour. For 26 months he and his team wheeled over 40,000 kilometres through 34 countries, raising awareness of the potential of people with disabilities. The completion of this epic Tour was a testament to willpower, physical prowess and the ability to lead a seemingly impossible campaign. It was the beginning of a lifelong and selfless journey to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Through the Foundation that bears his name, more than $250 million has been raised to accelerate progress towards a cure for spinal cord injury and a more accessible and inclusive world.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion World Tour, international and national events and activities are taking place.

The 25th Anniversary Relay will retrace the Canadian segment of the original Tour, but this time one man in motion will be represented and celebrated by many in motion; engaging participants from across Canada who have made their own difference in the lives of others.

The Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay will travel through more than 600 communities as it makes its nine-month, 12,000-kilometre journey across Canada before concluding in Vancouver on May 22, 2012.

In every province, Relay Medal-Bearers will pass along the singular Rick Hansen Medal - produced by the Royal Canadian Mint - as the Relay makes its way across the country. Those that have the honour of carrying the Rick Hansen Medal will have demonstrated Rick's values of courage, determination and teamwork. All of our Medal-Bearers will be Difference Makers.

The opportunity to carry the Rick Hansen Medal is a special honour that is made even more memorable by the unique limited edition items that each Medal-Bearer will receive.

Prior to their 250 metre segment each Medal-Bearer will receive an official Rick Hansen Relay uniform created by Nike. This uniform is only available for Medal-Bearers and will be an iconic piece of this nationwide journey.

Upon completing their 250 metre segment each Medal-Bearer will also receive a commemorative medal produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. This medal is symbol of appreciation and recognition for our Difference Makers and encourages them to continue their journey of positive change."

Wednesday night I got an email informing me that I'd been selected as a Difference Maker. I will be carrying the Rick Hansen Medal in my community in May! I am extremely honoured and excited. I have always wanted to meet Rick Hansen-he's a true Canadian hero and someone I
admire a great deal.

Local Peeps, if you'd like to attend, (which I'd love-the more, the merrier!)shoot me an email and I'll make a point of letting you know when and where, once I have more information!

Good Things Come

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:02:00 +0000

Living on the ~~wet~~ west coast of Canada, we get a fair bit of rain. I spend alot of time in the woods or at the dog park and the one thing that's guaranteed to make me ill-humoured is having wet feet. I wanted wellies, but not just any wellies. I was not about to buy a pair of UGLY gumboots just for the sake of dry feet. No how, no way! I decided long ago that the utilitarian things in my life need to not only be useful, but aesthetically pleasing as well. I am absolutely firm on this.

About a year or so ago, I was wandering Granville Island and in the window of this fancy-schmancy rain gear store, I saw this fabulous pair of boots. I went in to look. I nearly had a heart attack when I flipped them over to see how much they were. $90! Unbelievable! There was no way I was going to spend $90 on a pair of rain boots, even if they were pretty fabulous. I walked away, but have secretly been longing for these boots ever since.

Today, I decided to print some photos to make postcards to exchange with some of my Getting Through the Grey classmates. I submitted my print order online and then headed over to the mall to pick them up. On my way into the mall, I passed a shoe store and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boots. I bolted into the store and grabbed them off the rack, turning them over to see how big of a sticker shock I was going to get. $39.99! I gave it about 2 seconds of thought before kicking my hiking boots off to try them on. They fit!

I marched up to the counter to pay for them and got real surprise when the clerk rang them up: all in, taxes and everything, they were $26!! WOOHOO!! Apparently they're having an "end of season sale" (which is hilarious, since winter only began a couple weeks ago) and boots are 40% off. I told the girl that these exact same boots were $90 when I saw them a year ago. When I got home, I looked them up on the company's website and there they are $70 US. I really got a deal!

Needless to say, I am THRILLED to have these beauties for my very own. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow, so I'll get a chance to break them in. I can't wait! It just goes to show that if you are patient, the universe will drop exactly what you want in your lap. (Or at least that's how my life works. I seem to be exceptionally good at conjuring things.)

If you need me, I'll be outside, stomping in all the puddles.

One Year Ends, Another Begins

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:41:00 +0000

This is how we spent the last day of 2011-hiking in the woods, on a lake, in the mountains. I revelled in the silence. Indy had a blast swimming. It was incredibly warm-at least 10C and blue skies. We live in paradise.

I am so pleased with this shot. I love how the light caught the drops of water hanging in the air as Indy plunges at top speed into the lake. The splash in front of him is his water Kong, which we throw and he lives to retrieve. When it comes to photographing my dog, I always use the "sports" setting on my camera, which snaps really quickly and allows me to capture great shots like this. Indy's very athletic, so he'd be nothing more than a blur if I used anything else.

All week long I worked on a year-end photo project and had planned to post it yesterday morning. I spent HOURS trying to upload it, but there have been some technical difficulties and right now I don't have the patience to re-do the entire project. I'm going to leave it for a bit and at some point when I am not so annoyed, I will revisit it. Sometimes, you just have to have the wisdom to know when to walk away.

I am working diligently on finishing my Sketchbook, which is due before the end of the month. I've been working on it in fits and starts. I am about 1/3 of the way there. It's the only project I have left from 2011 and I'll be tying up that loose end in the next week or so. After that, we'll see what comes next.

Master Class

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Some time ago, Seth asked "If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?" Who did I choose and why? Pop on over to the Altered Page and see!

In other news, I spent hours last night trying to upload the year-end photo project but the file is pretty huge, so I'm having trouble. *sigh* I'll keep at it and hopefully have it up soon. It's certainly not for lack of trying!

2011 Fades to Black

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:49:00 +0000

It's early on the final day of 2011. We're early birds in this house-my mother-in-law is often baffled when she calls us at 8 a.m. and no one's home. We probably do more before 9 a.m. than most people do all day!

Today we're heading off for a hike in the wilds. Where we're going is on a lake, so at some point, Indy will be able to take a dip. He swims all year round-it's what Labs do. (And it makes him crazy-happy.) We're packing a lunch so at some point we'll have a winter picnic and of course, I'll have my camera in hand-I can't pass up the opportunity to capture the fleeting moments of this year now, can I?

Tonight will be spent quietly at home. We're going to order Chinese take out from our favourite place (Hon's) and watch the year-end comedy specials. The ones I watch are political in nature. It's a long held tradition that I end the year laughing as they skewer politicians.

Tonight's special not only because it hails the arrival of a new year, but also because it marks the 22nd anniversary of our first date. Twenty two years ago tonight, my husband showed up at my door with two tickets to a Philly vs. Canuck's game. (He's a huge Philly fan.) It was the beginning of our happily ever after.

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!! Bonne Année!!

May 2012 be all kinds of wonderful!

P.S. Tomorrow I'll be posting my year-end photo project, so do stop by and check it out!

Words for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:59:00 +0000

Every year about this time, I focus on a word or phrase that is meaningful to me and use it to aim my attention (and intention!) in that direction for the new year. Sometimes I have to think on it for awhile before it comes to me and sometimes it just pops into my head.

My word for 2011 was SYNERGY.

Synergy: the working together of two things to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects.

My intention for 2011 was to be open to opportunities where I could combine my energy with others to produce a greater effect, whether through art or altruism to make use of the gifts I possess. 2011 became that in spades. Just days after I chose this word, I won a spot in Vivienne's Wading In self-portrait class, which touched off an entire year of creative synergy with others. I loved the whole experience so much that I signed up for 3 more classes following Wading In. My classmates contributed enormously to my growth as a photographer. Their work encouraged me to be brave, to take risks and to experiment with this new (to me) media. I continually surprised myself.

Altruistically speaking, I had the opportunity to serve this year as well. I've been volunteering since I was 5 years old. I volunteer because I believe in giving back-it's my way of tithing to the universe. Every single experience I've ever had serving others leads me to believe that what you get to keep in return for yourself is enormous. I always feel I am my best self when I'm helping others.

Over the last few days, I've been pondering what my word should be for 2012. This morning, it came to me:

TRUE NORTH!!

Okay, so it's two words, but let me explain. My whole life, I've listened to this line in our national anthem "...our True North strong and free..." which to me is the most beautiful part of the lyrics. I've always thought these words weren't just referring to our geography, but perhaps they also meant that when you commit to following the true north of your heart, that allows you to experience a strength and freedom you would otherwise never know. Maybe that's not how the words were meant to be interpreted, but that's what they mean to me. My eyes well up every time I hear them. They move me deeply.

Anyway, in thinking about this, I realized that it's not enough to simply say my word is "north". It's too vague. I think that if you're going to follow the compass of your heart, you need to set off in the direction of true north and hold fast to that. It means that in 2012, I will be carefully examining my beliefs and values and making sure, over and over again that what I do with my life in the next 365 days is in alignment with my true north. It's about living authentically, in the best way I know how. I am excited to see how this manifests in 2012. My heart is wide open to the adventure.

My friend Liz has posted at Roots of She about her word for 2012. She is also, brilliantly offering One (Powerful) Word custom bracelets in her Etsy shop so you can have a bracelet hand stamped with your word for 2012. I think this is a fabulous way to be mindful of your intention in the days to come.

If you also observe this New Year's ritual, please leave a comment and share your word or a link to your post about it. I'd love to hear what you hope to manifest in your life for 2012.

Despite the Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Whew! Glad to have Xmas done and over with! There's only 4 days left of 2011, so I am working hard to tie up some loose ends in the studio and prepare for the New Year.

I've been playing a bit of catch up with Getting Through the Grey this week. My energy level has been pretty low and that, coupled with inclimate weather meant that getting out with my camera just wasn't possible. It's been raining and windy (and storming) since last Friday. I decided that today, regardless of what the weather was doing, we were going to bundle up, go out and do something!

I discovered that shiny sidewalks make for interesting photos, though you should have seen me trying to juggle my camera, lense cap and an umbrella all at the same time. My camera strap is my friend! I always make sure I've got it around my neck when I'm shooting. I do not want a broken camera. I managed to keep it safe and dry, thank goodness!

While we were hiking in the woods, along the river, I came across this post. I love numbers, so I had to stop and take a shot. After I got home and uploaded it to my computer, I realized that the numbers were 31 and 27, both of which have significance for me. I love messages from the universe!

I'm working on a year-end photo project, which I will share here on New Year's Day. I am also pondering my word for 2012. I'll be posting about 2011's word, SYNERGY before the end of the week. Like I said, I'm busy plugging away in the studio.

Back soon!

The Santa Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Years ago, my Grandparents came out west and moved to a small town in the mountains, on a lake. When I say small town, picture 10 streets, a general store that was also the liquor commission and post office all in one, a 9 hole golf course and a doctor's office.

This small town grew up around a mine and was full of characters. The town's doctor, Dr. S, was an odd duck. She cared for her patients, but beyond the office, in my experience, she was not friendly. When I'd visit my family, I'd often run into her in the General Store and me being an outgoing and polite person, would greet her with "Hello Dr. S, how are you?" Not once would she say hello back. It seemed rather rude.

This small town had lots of local activities and traditions, some of which I participated in when I was in town visiting my family. One year, the town organized caroling and my husband, son and I joined in. As the evening wore on, we found ourselves at Dr. S's house. Someone knew her favourite carol, so we started singing it. The lights were on in her home and we could see her clearly through the window. Unlike everyone else on our route, she did not come to the door to greet us. She didn't acknowledge us at all! Instead she disappeared into a back room and eventually, we gave up and moved on. From that point on, I really didn't like her.

One year, about 2 weeks before Xmas, my Gram got a call from a neighbour asking if her great grandson (my son) would be in town for the holidays and if so, how old he was. She told them yes, we were coming and her great grandson was 4. When we arrived, Gram took me aside and explained that the town was having a Santa and he would be bringing gifts to all the kids in town on Xmas Eve.

The next night, which was Xmas Eve, the phone rang and we were told to keep an eye out for the Santa-he was on his way. We quickly bundled my son up in his snowsuit and sent him outside to build a snowman, keeping an eye on him through the window. A few minutes passed and then an amazing thing happened: A horse drawn sleigh, pulled by two beautiful Clydesdales, their harnesses covered in bells, came up over the hill, rounded the corner and stopped in front of the house. Santa hopped out and grabbed his pack. He greeted my son, asked him if he'd been a good boy. (He said he had.) Santa dug into his pack and handed him several gifts. Then he hopped back into his sleigh and was off.

My son came flying into the house, eyes wide as saucers, hollering "Mummy, Santa come!" He told us the whole story of Santa coming in his sleigh (he didn't know we were watching from the window) and showed us the gifts with his name on them. We told him he could open them. Inside was a ship in a bottle, some candy and chocolate and an animal calendar. He was thrilled. For all of us, that moment was golden, filled with the magic and wonder of Xmas, as seen through the eyes of a child. It's a memory we will always treasure. The Santa continued to come, year after year, always bringing joy and gifts to the children.

Several years later, in February 2006, tragedy struck. An elderly gentleman was driving Dr. S home, along the twisty, snow covered mountain roads when his truck slid off the road and plunged down an embankment towards the lake. As the truck plunged downward, it struck a tree, which snapped on impact, falling on top of the roof of the truck, killing Dr. S instantly. The driver was badly injured, but he survived.

After that, the Santa stopped coming.

What no one knew until well after she was gone was that Dr. S was the one behind the Santa. Her husband had died several years before of cancer and she had no family in Canada of her own, so somehow she came up with the idea to buy gifts for all the children in town. She hired the man who owned the horses (they were logging horses) to be the Santa and deliver her gifts anonymously.

I think of her every Xmas Eve and wonder why she chose to isolate herself from people the way she did. Maybe she was just painfully shy outside of her office. Maybe she was just peopled out and needed to keep her downtime to herself. Or maybe she was just grieving the loss of her husband and didn't want to get close to anyone. I'll never know.

What I do know is that Dr. S tirelessly served her community for over 20 years and deep down, she had a kind heart. It's that heart that led her to create magic for my son and all the children in her little town and because of her, our family will always have beautiful memories of our Xmases there.

Someday my son will tell his children about the Santa who visited him by horse drawn sleigh, in a tiny snow covered town in the mountains, on a lake and in this way, her memory will live on.

A Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, a parcel arrived from my friend Pip. Inside was a wee box and when I opened it, nestled inside was this beautiful bird ornie. I think it's made from paperclay and she painted it with the palest of egg shell blues. There's a primitive charm as well. At first I thought the symbol on it was an acorn, but after taking a second look, I believe it's a sacred heart, which is so signature Pip. I absolutely adore folk art and this is so special.

I wanted to take a photograph to share it here, so I did...and then it morphed into this image. I just couldn't help myself. *laughs* I love that this became a collaboration between someone I love and respect so much and I.

As an artist, there's nothing I love or appreciate more than a handmade gift. I've hung the bird above my desk in the studio so I will see it every day.

It instantly became one of my most favourite things.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

I have the best friends in the world!

We See Things

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

We See Things

Have I mentioned lately that I am thoroughly enjoying Getting Through the Grey? Yes indeed! In fact it's kind of reignited an idea I once had, so that's percolating in my mind at the moment.

As always, I am continuously inspired by my incredibly talented classmates. Here's just a small sampling. Take a look for yourself:
(I highly recommend that you click on the credits to see the full size images.)

1. Untitled, 2. Moon Square, 3. Buddha, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. stardust, 7. Viewing the Christmas lights, 8. oaks rink, 9. sunlight through a moth's wings, 10. love on a shelf, 11. Untitled, 12. holding, 13. Morning Light, 14. When the sun comes out, one must lay in it., 15. Sea glass, 16. , 17. mary neutrals, 18. My shoes in the snow, 19. Autumn Leaves, 20. Autumn leave

Fabulous, non? It's exciting to go to the class Flickr group every day and see what's been posted. We're all busy preparing for the holidays, but still making a point of finding time to show up for ourselves and one another.

That in itself is a gift and one for which I am most grateful.

Sneak Peek!

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:37:00 +0000

Exciting news! Seth's fabulous new book which is due out in in the spring, is now searchable on Amazon! This means you can get a sneak peek of some of the content. Seth sent me an email the other day giving me the head's up and I went and had a peek. It looks fabulous!

I also got to finally see who else is in the book, which up until now, was a mystery. Funnily enough, several friends and acquaintances contributed as well-I guess we're all really good at keeping secrets because I really did not know they were involved.

I can't wait to hold this book in my hands and flip through the pages, one by one. I know it's going to be a wonderful read.

Is it March yet?!?!