Tattered Edge

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!

Card Carrying Member

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 14:30:00 +0000

About a month ago, I finally got around to joining the Letter Writers Alliance. I'd been meaning to do it for ages. I like getting something other than bills in the mail. (Don't we all?) I paid my membership dues (a whopping $5 US) and waited patiently for my goodies to arrive in the mail. It didn't take very long! I got a welcome letter, membership card, postcard and a button.

Not long after I became a card-carrying member, they updated the membership package with a really cool little triangle patch instead of the button, so I ordered one for myself. It came today and I love it. Now I just have to decide what I want to sew it onto.

I took a couple photos of the envelope Donovan sent my order in. She sends THE BEST envelopes! I am carefully saving them to add into my Remains of the Day journals.

If you're into mail art, you'll want to check out Good Mail Day. It's a fantastic book. I bought it quite some time ago and I like to page it from time to time just to feast on the eyecandy inside. It even has a page with postal themed stickers in the back.

Now I'll have to get busy making some mail art to send so Donovan can match me with a pen pal. You have to send mail to get mail after all! We've got a newly minted long weekend here in BC-Monday is a new stat called "Family Day" so there will be plenty of time for mail art!

Good Medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:13:00 +0000

Things have been quiet here for a bit because I was off having treatment. By treatment, I mean spending 3 days last week shuttling back and forth to the hospital to have IV steroids, which is about as much fun as it sounds. Somehow, I don't remember steroids being as rough as it's been this time. About an hour or so after the first dose, I get pretty sick with side effects and it was all downhill from there.

I've spent a fair bit of time in bed since then, though on Monday, I had to schlep out to UBC for a specialist's appointment and in a moment of insanity, also agreed to meet with a med student for an interview afterwards, even though I felt like death warmed over. I have NO idea how I managed it, other than sheer force of will. (or insanity...)

For the last 4 days, my throat has been absolutely raw, so I went up to my GP's office to see if I needed to worry about it. Being on immuno suppressants, I have to be very careful about infections. While I was up there, I popped by my post box and there was a package waiting for me in the magic mailbox! I wasn't expecting anything. The parcel was from my friend Amy.

This is what it said on the side:

Which I found amusing, given the state I've been in. When I opened it, it was chock full of goodies-like this beautiful three strand bracelet she made me!

This bracelet is autumn, any time I want to experience it! The yellow pearls remind me of kernels of corn. There's a old brass oak leaf, which reminds me of home and an "L" charm. Oddly enough, I only have one other piece of jewellery with an "L" on it. Years ago, Lisa Call surprised me with an beautiful "L" charm she made especially for me from precious metal clay. It was the first charm with my initial I've ever been given. I put it on a charm bracelet and I treasure it. I LOVE that Amy has given me a second one. It's just so thoughtful and special.

There were also some great art supplies:

This funky journal, which reminds me of a zine.

An interesting variety of embellishments to play with-birds in cages, trees, clocks, mini red clothes pegs and cards in tiny paper bags. There was also a cool hexagonal box, which I somehow forgot to photograph. Oops! The bracelet was inside of it.

And three packages of washi tape! (8 individual rolls in total.) My washi tape collection must surely be at 100 rolls now-I will have to count later. It's just a wee bit of an obsession. Artistic crack, really. *grins*

The box did not lie-what was inside was pure medicine. Just the kind of medicine my battered soul so desperately needed this week. I am convinced that the cure for anything is art therapy and the love of a good friend. THANK YOU Amy for your perfectly timed gift. It meant everything in this moment.

What goes around, comes around-a parcel for you will be in the mail soon, I promise!

Be Open to Whatever Comes Next

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:10:00 +0000

A message of accessibility in Whistler Village.

Yesterday I got the most wonderful opportunity offered to me. My friend Andrea Bundon. emailed to ask if I would be interested in joining her for the Skiing Is Believing clinic at Whistler Olympic Park in March. The clinic teaches people with disabilities and a friend or family member to ski. Because the March event is the final one of the season, they have also invited the junior ski team and the Para-nordic race team to join them.

They're running a shuttle bus up to Whistler and back, so it will be a relaxing trip and after a brief orientation, everyone ski till 1 pm, have a lunch break and then casual group skiing or games till the bus leaves for home at 4 pm. Sounds like alot of fun! My job is to take photos of the event that can be submitted to their funders-the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Cross Country BC, which is circulated to a few thousand skiers in the province. (WOW!)

Andrea also said that if I wanted to try skiing they would happily provide me with equipment and a coach. Or I could spend some time taking photos on my own-whatever I like! It would be a great opportunity to strap on some skis see if I can still do it. I haven't cross country skied since I moved to BC from Manitoba 27 years ago. I used to cross country ski alot in the winter. I loved listening to the rhythm of my breath, the swish of my skies and the deafening silence of the countryside. Cross country skiing is like a zen meditation.

I of course have jumped at the chance to help Andrea and support Para sport! I can't think of anything that would make me happier! I love the Paralympics, I adore Whistler, the sneaux and I love to volunteer. It's a win-win, any way you slice it! I've got March 16th circled on my calendar in big red pen and am counting the days! I just need to purchase a new pair of sneaux boots and beg or borrow a long lens for my Rebel and I'm all set!

The mountains are calling and I must go!

Project 365: January

noreply@blogger.com (Lelainia N. Lloyd) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:30:00 +0000

It's been interesting shooting a self portrait every day. I was kind of worried that I may run out of ideas, but so far, so good. It's easier on days where I am out and about, but it's also a good creative stretch to shoot at home too.

Although there are a few more days left in the month, these are my favourite shots for January. I've been enjoying seeing what the rest of our group has been shooting. It feels good to be connecting with kindred spirits and sharing our stories with one another through photos and sometimes words. (When the spirits move us.) I am grateful to Amy for the invite.

Meanwhile, I've been busy firing up the sewing machine for a secret project. Can't say anything more about it, until the intended recipients have them in hand, which could be awhile. It's good to have a project 3/4 finished, well ahead of the deadline for a change. (Usually I like to work under pressure.)

Indy went to the vet yesterday and got his stitches out. He was not thrilled and was shaking like a leaf, but he let them minister to his wounds and he's much happier now. The biggest wound on his neck (which was the worst one) still needs to do some healing, but the rest have all closed up nicely and it's unlikely he's going to have any visible scars. He's been in contact with other dogs in the park recently, including a pittbull and seems completely unfazed. I am glad the attack didn't damage his spirit. That's the beauty of dogs-they live entirely in the moment.