A Door Opening - AAJ#2 - Oct. 2013 page

The Challenge:  Use the leaves Zoo collected.  I also found this tutorial:

Sizzix Tutorial | Mixed Media Canvas by Vivian Keh and her associated Blog Post.

Tutorial starts at 5:54, up to then she itemizes the dies she used and cuts the shapes.

The OP [original poster] used a stretched canvas for this mixed media page so I got it stuck in my head that I needed to use a piece of canvas. You can buy pads of canvas for painting on just like pads of watercolor paper or mixed media paper.

I also decided, for the first time, that I needed to rotate my book to the vertical for this project.  Red Bear did hers differently so I'll be excited to see her take on this challenge!

 Here is my layout sketch.

Layout - sideways

I did my sketch in watercolor pencils, knowing that they would melt into the paint as I applied it.  

I had decided I wanted my door to open, thus the border on the door part of the sketch.  I had to plan for the door to be on one side, or the other, of the center of the book.  I didn't think the door would stand up well to being folded in half and bending as the book opened or closed.

On the canvas, it looked very bottom heavy, then I remembered that the canvas was smaller than the book itself, so it worked out fine in the end.

I also laid out the paint colors I thought I would be using.  My color plan was to start with pale blue in the upper right of the project [bottom right in the photo above], to pinks to purple to red all along the bottom [left in photo].

You'll also notice that the bottles of "Dr. Ph. Martin's" colors are concentrated WATERcolor paint.  Yes, I mix acrylic paint and watercolor paint all the time.  I have also used Matte Medium for acrylic paint with just watercolor paint or stamp pad re-inkers to color it! That is one of the perks of being self-taught, I don't know the rules I may be breaking as we play!

I'm also enamoured, lately, with the interference paints of various colors, so that's where some of the shimmer comes from as well as from Iridescent Medium.

For the snowflakes, I got the bright idea to use my texture plates [and embossing folders as texture plates] with coffee filters to make the "paper" to cut the snowflakes from.

Texture plate and Embossing Folders

I always cut a slit in my coffee filters before coloring them, so they lay flat.  Looks cool with the watercolor pencil on the coffee filter.  I just put the coffee filter over the texture plate/bump up side of embossing folder and rubbed over it with a watercolor pencil.

I used a combination of Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencil and Inktense watercolor pencil.

use the embossing folder "bumped up" side and do like a "bark rubbing"

Then I used a spray bottle to wet the coffee filter.  Oh My!  These colors turned out a lot darker than I was anticipating!  Except the pink one doesn't look like anything at all!  I wonder what they'll look like after they're dried?

Whoa!  Those teals are not so subtle!

Here are some of the flakes cut out and the beginning of a layout plan with the door, leaves, and snowflakes.  I thought my die cut flakes were all on the big side so I used a border and corner punch to make some smaller flakes.  I also used some of the wax paper flakes that are a by-product of using wax paper to cut intricate die cut shapes.

Plan A - what goes where?

Wait a minute!  There was no orange in the color plan! Shit happens!  When the creativity of the moment calls for a change in plan, plans change!  I don't remember why I put orange in there, maybe Red Bear remembers?

The darker than anticipated color of the coffee filters wasn't so overwhelming once the snowflakes were cut out of them.  There were a few drip marks in the paint that I didn't care for, so I used snowflakes and/or leaves to cover them!

Strategic Snowflake Placement

OK, I think this is it!  Time to start gluing everything down!

Yes, this is where I want everything!

Unless I change my mind!

As you can see, I changed my mind when it came time to put glue to paper to canvas!  I decided to include an intricate die-cut that Red Bear sent me a while ago and to not use a couple of the larger, darker snowflakes.

I also "cheated" a bit on our challenge in that I didn't limit myself just to the leaves I collected for this particular project.  I found some big oak leaves from our yard that I felt were big enough to anchor the project in the bottom left.

The sentiment "The Seasons of Life are Ever Changing" came from Red Bear.

I dropped a red pen shadow on the leaves.

If you open the last picture in a new tab or window to view it as large as it will go, you may notice and wonder about the horizontal bubble-lines in the red at the bottom.  If you zoom in and go to the very bottom right corner.  In between the two leaves, you'll notice a mostly orange blob with what looks like little horns coming out of it.  hmmm, .... very strange.

I had decided to add an element to the page before this in the book, that needed holes put in the paper.  But I had already started this one, ... what to do?

Instead of making a glob of a big knot,  I let the threads just be loose, split them, colored them with markers to match the background,  and used a  blob of GAC to hold them in place.  [GAC is Glossy Accent, Clear by Inkadinkado].  After the GAC dried, it looked ridiculous.  so I just added dashes of GAC all over the page below where the canvas ended.  Then added some paint on top to make them "blend in".

Did I succeed?  Did you notice the blobs on your own or did you have to go back and look after I pointed them out?  I'm curious to know, leave a comment!

Oh, and, duh, here's a pic with the door open.  Seeing as how I went to the effort to make the door open, I should include a pic!

A Door Opened

Done!

~Zoo~


General info/chit-chat about this altered art journal page.

So far, I've deemed every October page to be "leaves" oriented.  I don't know how many more times Red Bear will let me get away with this but ... this time, I had collected some leaves from my sister's house.  We were meeting there to plan our mother's funeral and I was  outside on a smoke break when I noticed some pretty leaves.  I divided my haul and sent half of them to Red Bear.

During one of my adventures out surfing the interwebs, I discovered the tutorial and blog post.  This is the email I sent Red Bear:

"This is different and totally not what I was expecting to do with our leaves!

We will have to improvise, but I think we'll be able to create our own door with our paper cutter and score boards. 

Of course we have a plethora of snowflakes and butterflies to choose from. 

Really different "painting" technique!  We don't have the type of paints she uses but I already have in mind some of my supplies that I want to use with this.  I'm drawing a blank, I can't remember what you have for paint but I'm sure you'll be able to come up with a couple of colors to use. 

I'm excited to try this one!​ 

​ Start the video at 5:34.  Up to that point she is just listing the dies she uses and cutting the shapes.​"

I'm pretty sure Red Bear suggested we use snowflakes instead of butterflies to symbolize the transition from fall to winter to better match the time of our journal page.

Normally, I would have revelled in creating some hand-bombed lettering but this time I used an alpha stamp set for the large sentiment and just plain-printed my parents names and dates.  Maybe my emotions got the better of me, but I just wasn't up to my usual enthusiasm for lettering.  I originally printed their names in purple and dates in red, then decided I didn't like it, so traced over them with black.  That's where I stopped because things were getting messier rather than better!

D.I.Y. Texture Paste

This is the YouTube video that started it all, the recipes we ended up using, and some photos of some of my projects with the resulting texture paste.

Homemade Modeling/Texture Paste Comparison
Luvleescrappin

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Recipes we used:

Baking Soda Texture Paste
1 Tablespoon Gesso
4 Tablespoons Baking Soda
1/2 Tablespoon Iridescent Medium

Baby Powder Texture Paste
2 Tablespoons Gesso
4 Tablespoons Baby Powder +*
1 Tablespoon Mod Podge

* needed a couple extra squirts baby powder - not very thick

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I honestly don't remember why I was researching texture paste, perhaps Red Bear does and she can remind me in her post.  I was delighted when I found the comparison video.  The recipes were simple, used ingredients I had in the house, and instantly brought to mind variations to try.

I was anxious to use iridescent medium, anticipating a lovely shimmer in the end result.  --sad face-- Well, that didn't happen!

These are the samples I did the day we made the paste:

Template made with die-cuts.  Glossy black postcard paper.

Well, that one didn't work so well.  Red Bear was ahead of me, of course, and said "You have to be careful with pointy stencils like this.  Best to gently scrape the paste from the outside edge of the point inward, carefully avoiding the point on the opposite side."

Easy Stitches - these would make great borders!

To use a single line, I'd have to mask off the adjacent lines to avoid a mess.  The only part that gives me pause with this stencil is the gaps.

I've used this garden planning template for more crafts projects than I've ever used it for planning any gardens!

This is my favourite design.  It's a quilting stencil.

I don't know if you noticed the date on the last photo.  We made the texture paste in November 2013.

One day I was leafing through my practice altered art journal and noticed this pretty page.  [whenever I have leftover paint that I can't waste, I usually slap it on a page or two in my practice AAJ]  The colours reminded me of Northern Lights and I wondered if I could use a cake icing trick with the texture paste.

I put some of the paste in a small plastic bag, clipped a hole in one corner and used it like a pastry tube to "draw" with the texture paste.

Then I used a moistened finger to push the paste around.  Finally, I added some black gesso I had a sample of.  I haven't taken this project any farther yet.

Twinkling H2O Watercolor Paint ~ "Snapdragon"

Finger smooshing.  yes, that is a technical crafting term.

Black Gesso - who knew there was such a thing?

Now what?
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Fast forward a bit.  To February 2015. Red Bear was in town on a visit.  She brought a lovely stencil she found that was big enough to chop in two and share.  :)  For once, my snail pace was an advantage.  While we were prepping, I had thought that I might want to angle the stencil.

Of course, Red Bear was way ahead of me, and lay her stencil down in a very linear fashion.  I soon as I saw hers, I knew I had to angle mine!

Because of ... reasons ... we're way behind in our second Altered Art Journal [AAJ2], but something I had noticed on a previous shopping trip to the art store was itching at me.  This trip, I had to get each of us a "Mixed Media Journal" by Strathmore.

Truthfully, I can't see much of a difference in the paper compared to any of the other journals but, they are officially now our Altered Art Journal #3, AAJ3.

I wanted us to do our first page together, while she was here in person even though I was still working on page one of AAJ2!

The theme had to be "friendship" and "winter", using the stencil she shared.

AAJ3-1 "friendship" "winter" "circle stencil"

Note:  That texture paste was over a year old.  Made in Nov. 2013, applied Feb. 2015.  Very cool!

I dunno, I'm not 100% happy with the "best friends" tag on the wooden oval.  I might take the sandpaper to it and replace it with something else.  What do you think?

I started adding some colour with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads, "Peacock Feathers" is the teal and "Lemonade" was the yellow.  But the yellow wasn't showing up much, so out came my watercolor pencils.

Faber-Castell Albrecht Durer watercolor pencil.  I was a bit fearful that when I took my aqua pen to the pencil to paint it around, the texture paste might dissolve, but you can see it did not!

The metal flake is a Tim Holtz charm.  Die cut white cardstock flake swirls are a die that Red Bear has.  I just love it and am thankful that she shared some cuts with me.

In this next shot, you can see the wax paper die cut snowflakes I applied to the center of the circles.  I just stamped them all over with Versamark embossing ink and used an iridescent embossing powder, a new one from Stampin' Up called "Iridescent Ice".

That's the Texture Paste post folks.  Now it's Red Bear's turn to blog!
Edit to add a link to Red Bear's D.I.Y. Texture Paste Post.

Later 'Gators, Zoo

Sneak Peek: Red Bear made these pieces that we're using for an upcoming AAJ2 page.  I can't wait to see what we make of these!

What would YOU make with these?

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My Playlist: DIY_craft_supplies

Texture Paste, Gesso, Glue, Glue Gun Stamps, Stencils, Molds; Stamp Ink Pad, Blending Ink, Roller Stamps [in Sumi Smoosh videos], Glimmery Spray, Twinkly Watercolour Paint, Embossing Folders, and Ink Blending Tools.

For when you just can't wait to obtain supplies and you need to art right this very minute.  Using household supplies and things you may already have in your craft room.

When you can't find just the right stamp or stencil, you can make your own with your glue gun, or inexpensive fun foam and a toilet paper roll.  Adding your own style and expression at the same time.  Make your art more you!

When you want to try a new medium but don't want to purchase something you may not enjoy using.

Some of these are truly cost saving, like the texture paste.  Baking soda, Baby Powder and some kind of medium you already have v.s. a single use product.  Also, making your own roller stamps are far more cost effective than purchasing a ready-made product.

Some of these ideas, like the gesso and the glue, I will probably continue to purchase commercially but isn't it nice to know that if you're in a bind [like living in a remote location, or, say, stuck in a storm] you can proceed to art without a trip to the store!

Includes 27 Tutorials on:
DIY Glimmer Mist [6]
DIY Roller Stamps [in the 2 Sumi Smoosh by Diana Trout Tutorials]
DIY Blending Solution [alcohol - 1]
DIY Texture Paste [2]
DIY Distress Ink Blending Tools
DIY Gesso [1]
DIY Glue [2] one is fascinating making glue from milk, haven't tried it yet.
DIY Stamp Ink Pad
DIY Hot Glue Gun Stamps & Stencils [2 - future post]
DIY Hot Glue Gun Mold [2]
DIY Twinkling Shimmering Watercolour Paint [1]
DIY Embossing Folders [3]
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Introducing Red Bear and a Blog Theme

I started this blog in September of 2006 and really haven't had much to say over the years.  Except for the odd commentary on the news or other stuff I tripped over while reading the internets.

I did find that I had a lot to say about the photos I was uploading to my flickr account, and it occasionally occurred to me that I could be doing all of that typing on this blog, rather than in the remarks section of my flickr photos.  It was only when I started participating in a blog my daughter started about me playing a computer game, that I realized blog writing isn't so scary and that I could do it.

Finally, a focus and a co-author for this blog!  Time to turn this into an Arts 'n Crafts blog.  Mainly paper crafts.  Cards, Altered Art Journals, Mixed Media, some Scrapbooking, Ugly Paper Competitions, Monthly Challenges, Zentangle and Z.I.A., Painting, Colouring, Lettering and Calligraphy, Stamping, D.I.Y. Craft Supplies and Tools, ... but mostly it's all about the cutting and the pasting of the paper.

Another thing I learned co-writing My Mom Plays WoW, is that everything is better with a friend.  It's easier and a lot more fun, to blog with someone than to go it alone. Enter Red Bear, I'll let her tell you where her moniker comes from.  This Stampin' Up stamp pretty much says it all about Red Bear and me.

We've worked together, had kids together, and been posted all across Canada together, and apart, over the past twenty five years.  Red Bear is a far more experienced crafter than I, she's been making her own cards as long as I've known her.  We've both crafted with the kids over the years.  Starting about five years ago we started branching out from stamping cards to other forms of artistic expression.  Having said that, I recently caught the card-making-bug.

We absolutely do not take our artistic endeavours seriously.  We are self-taught [I failed grade eleven art class], and we do this just for fun.

These posts will be about some of the things we've done that we'd like to share with you.  You, anonymous internet reader-crafter, whoever you are! [leave a comment and introduce yourself]  Or, are about giving credit where credit is due, and linking you up with other artists on the 'net that have inspired us and taught us.

Red Bear is a bit of a computer-phobe.  She loathes being online and is extremely data-sharing-paranoid.  I tried to convince her to start a flickr account, to no avail.

My continual requests to take photos of her work, fell on deaf ears.  I thought.  One day I received quite the package in the mail.  Red Bear is so against sharing on the internet, she had physically printed pictures of her work, put them in photo album sleeves and mailed them to me!

I finally convinced her to blog with me by appealing to the one thing that trumps her dislike of all things computer and internet related - saving money.  I doubt I would have succeeded with the cost of printing the photos alone, I believe what sealed the deal is that it costs so darn much to mail the photos across Canada!

Red Bear even went so far as to take a computer course.  Then, my snail-paced life intervened.  It's been a long time since she agreed to blog with me.  When she agreed, she said "As soon as you make the texture paste post, I'll start blogging with you".

Well, I can't make the texture paste post until I make an introductory post ... ... time goes by ... ... and here we are.  Today is the day the introduction to Red Bear, co-blogging, and a Blog Theme happens.

As mentioned, Red Bear and I have known each other for a long time. I was her on-job-instructor at work, then we were co-workers.  Here's a photo of us taken in 1988 at a "winter in July"-themed Air Traffic Controller Check-Out Party.

1988

Gawd, those were the days.  That night was only the second time in my life, to date, that I got sick from drinking too much!

When Red Bear and I were pregnant at the same time, my husband went to pre-natal classes with both of us [which raised a few eyebrows that we took delight in.].  We were pen-pals for the many years our different work postings took us all over Canada and beyond. Serendipity brought us back together in the same geographic vicinity when the kids were finishing high school and getting started in their adult lives.  That's when we started  crafting together almost weekly.  One final transfer took her to the other side of the country and for the past three years we've been having weekly Skype Craft sessions.

Yes, we had to get our kids to learn us how to Skype, but as we were physically separated from our offspring, the motherly motivation was high so we learned quickly.  Then we realized we could use Skype for more than nagging, money requests, dorm room walk-throughs, and being introduced to our child's new friends!

When I began playing on the internet around 2000, I spent most of my time in arthritis and fibromyalgia support forums.  This was long before the days of facebook and we were all advised never to use our real names or reveal personal data.  My online "handle" from then was "Zoo" [that's where the name of this blog came from].  Since then, how much we reveal about ourselves online has come full circle, from being "required" to use our real names on facebook, to discovering the nefarious ways people can use data we reveal about ourselves, back to "don't tell 'em nothin".

We won't be using our real names on our craft posts.  I've always referred to my daughter as "Kidlet" and my husband as "Himself", and will continue to do so.  We'll sign-off our craft posts as Red Bear or Zoo so you'll know who is posting.

Some crafting background.

Red Bear's "go to method for adding colour" is chalk, with stamp ink being a close second.  Mine is watercolour pencils/coloured pencils, with acrylic paint being a close second. Red Bear operates at super-warp-speed, I am painfully slow.  I do have a good excuse, I am cognitively challenged due to some chronic illness, proven with neurological testing where I scored so-low-it-is-off-the-bottom-of-the-chart in cognitive processing ability.

Red Bear is very linear and task oriented, which is great when we just need to get some crap done.  I tend ramble and wander all over the place, getting distracted many times along the way from point A to point B, which is great for new discoveries.

We both love to make our own paper for crafting with.

We are very fond of putting our own spin on ideas and sometimes you can't even recognize the original work.  For example, we often talk about "Sumi Smoosh" as in "we could use some sumi smoosh paper for this ..." or, something Red Bear said very recently "We haven't done Sumi Smoosh in awhile, we'll have to do some soon!" Shortly after Red Bear said that, in preparation for writing a few of these blog posts, I looked up the original Sumi Smoosh by Diana Trout.  While I was re-watching the two videos, I wrote down this question to ask Red Bear at our next Skype Craft, "how in the world did we get from what Diana does to stamp ink pads and wax paper?".  Red Bear's answer, "That's just the way we roll".

I'm eager to blog about our version of Sumi Smoosh and how we turned a sticky lint roller and an empty toilet paper roll into endless, or revolving stamps.  We'll see how long it takes to get that post published!  [hint: don't hold your breath]

My favourite shape is a circle, Red Bear's is the heart.  Red Bear's fave colour is red, mine is green.  We are both fond of glitter and/or shimmer.  Fortunately we've discovered Perfect Pearls, iridescent medium, and fine glitter so we've moved away from what we now consider "kid's glitter glue" LOL

We are also fond of mocking ourselves, cracking wise, being sarcastic, and occasionally, we swear.

Phew!  Done!  One down, one to go.  If you're still reading, you may have gathered I tend to babble on and on and on.  Ya, ... that's not going to change.  I write the way I think and talk.

So, enough about us, and on to the crafting!  As soon as I get the texture paste post up, Red Bear will begin her blogging career.

Ciao for now, Zoo

Drunk birds sober up in Environment Yukon holding tank - North - CBC News

Silly birds!  Great photo with this article

Drunk birds sober up in Environment Yukon holding tank - North - CBC News: "Birds in Yukon are getting tipsy on fermented berries, so Environment Yukon has set up an avian drunk tank where they can sober up safely."

'via Blog this'

Scalloped Tag Topper Punch Concertina Fold Card

Cut a semi-circle in the middle of a piece of cardstock using a full circle die.

This YouTube video first shows how to use an embossing folder to emboss just an edge of a piece of cardstock.

Next, she shows one method of cutting a semi-circle in the center of a piece of cardstock using a full circle die.

This could easily be made into a semi-circle "window" by using a straight edge to slice out the bottom of the semi-circle.

Or, to create a place card that has a shape extending above the folded edge.  To do that, you would just have to fold the cardstock along the line that would create the semi-circle above.

Using the same full circle die on a different piece of cardstock, you could then give the illusion that the circle is separate from and extending from the top of, your folded place card.

I'll have to do some of these in the future and take some pictures.

Zoo

Fall of the Berlin Wall - Google Search

Today, 9-Nov-2014 is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  My daughter was born in Dec. 1989 and has never known a world with the wall in it.

Her grandfather was a paratrooper at Normandy.

 I wish she had grown up in a world without war at all.

You would think that after all these thousands of years we would know better.

Being born in the sixty's I guess I'm just naive in wishing for "live and let live."


Fall of the Berlin Wall - Google Search: "Fall of the Berlin Wall"

'via Blog this'

'The beginning of the long dash' indicates 75 years of official time on CBC - Newfoundland & Labrador - CBC News

I didn't know that the CBC was involved in the telephone talking clock or the Network Time Protocol!

I used the telephone talking clock at least once a week before the advent of the internet.  Working in a round-the-clock shift worker household and with aviation's precision time-keeping, it was important to me that our household clocks reflected the "real time".

Then the internet replaced the phone calls to the NRC clock.  I always was mildly curious about who ran the internet clock.

It's taken me years of retirement to let go of my obsession keeping all the clocks in this rural home "on time".  I always expected our electricity to be somewhat less than perfect when we were living up north.  I was surprised, though I don't know why, to discover rural electricity "down south" can be just as variable.

Last weekend when the fall time change happened I realized how lax I've become.  The clocks from one end of the house were out by as much as 10 minutes from the other end!  I can imagine what it will be like when Himself retires as well.

With no one at work and no one in school, with the "farm time" beating in weeks and months, I imagine our non-computer clocks will suffer even more from lack of attention.

At least there's always the CBC radio on in the background of the craft room.  The hourly long dash keeping me at least peripherally aware of the passage of time.

'The beginning of the long dash' indicates 75 years of official time on CBC - Newfoundland & Labrador - CBC News: "The control room contains the systems used to disseminate official time to the public, including the telephone talking clock, the CBC daily time broadcasts, computer time clocks, and the internet servers for Network Time Protocol (NTP). (NRC)"

'via Blog this'

Make Any Size Box Using Your Stampin' Up! Envelope Punch Board and Box B...

Start tutorial at the 6 minute mark with a 9 inch square piece of paper to make a box 51/2 x 4 x 1 inch to hold 4 cards with their envelopes.

Box Buster

Zoo

I'm in rest & recovery mode from MCB's visit.  Sore hands and joints mean watchin' TV, DVDs and YouTube crafting videos!

Chinese Lanterns arrive from the East coast

I surprised Zoo with some east coast chinese lanterns. I am totally stunned they survived an airplane ride in my suitcase....intact.

Ohhhh soooo pretty!!

MCB : )

Cards -- Summer Dresses

MCB learned how to make a summer dress out of a circle.  We used my scalloped circle die-cut.

The exact nestabilities dies are labeled on the cardboard templates.

Summer Dresses - right click, open in a new tab/window to see full size

Purses are made from scraps, I hand lettered the sentiment, doily for the lace under-petticoat-thingy!  This time the card bases were purchased at a craft store, SGD online.

My DIY Craft Supplies Playlist on YouTube

Bountiful sect members face polygamy, child-related charges - British Columbia - CBC News

If, after almost 10 years of investigation, the justice system can't legally charge these folks with any crime, isn't it time to just let them be?

Don't get me wrong, I'm against polygamy and am especially disgusted with Mr. Blackmore.  He's a pompous ass.  I feel for the women and children that have so little control over their own lives and suffer from a lack of education.

However, we, Canadians, believe in religious freedom.  There are many women who leave the community, they have set up organizations of their own to help those who wish to leave.  Apparently, they are not breaking any laws.

We, Canadians, have a poor track record when it comes to "helping
civilize" peoples we feel need it.  Residential schools anyone?

Enough already.


Bountiful sect members face polygamy, child-related charges - British Columbia - CBC News:

'via Blog this'

Caatje's Artsy Stuff

Caatje's Artsy Stuff: Collages in the Book of Luck

Another artist adventure blog to explore.

Google Love ... with a side of Pasta

gawd ... I love Google!

Google knows what I need, better than I do!

and, ... if you're interested, ... the links:

Guide to Noodles

Cook's Thesaurus: Pasta Rods

Different Types of Pasta Explained

I'm catching up on the current season of "Hell's Kitchen", I've always wondered what exactly "capellini" is.  OK, so it's a pasta, rod shaped.  How does it differ from other rods?  Now, thanks to Google, I know.

Thanks again Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

Harper Government trivializes rape while questioning a rape survivor.

A new low in Canadian Justice.

Twitter reacts to MP Robert Goguen's rape question - Politics - CBC News:

'via Blog this'

"Hurry up, kids! We’re late for school!"

Urocyon's Jaunts: " catsbeaversandducks: "Hurry up, kids! We’re late for school!" Photo by ©Jeanette DiAnda (via youneedacat)"

'via Blog this'

"Hurry up, kids! We’re late for school!"

Living with Chronic Illness

I've been "at home, sick" aka on disability pension, since March 2002.  Generally, I've been living my "new normal" for a long time and don't often think about "being sick".  My illness is as managed as it can be, I know my body's limitations and, more or less, live within them.  There are still the odd days that I long to be back at work but as more and more of my old co-workers retire, it happens less and less.

What irks and saddens me most though, is how small my world has become.  My immediate family, a sister, a long-distance crafting buddy [weekly skype dates] and my health care professionals.  These are the people I see.

I absolutely dread running into anyone that knew me "before I got sick".  Ugh.  The weight gain, the lack of mobility, my drunken gait [vertigo, not booze], the ravages of my medication that show on my skin and hair.

Urocyon's Jaunts: "IN TODAY'S SOCIETY, CHRONIC ILLNESS IS VIEWED AS A PERSONAL FAILING › When I recently read the phrase, “I’m embarrassed to be sick,” it made my stomach clench and my breath catch.  ... a reluctance to be seen or even talk to people–especially those that knew me before I became chronically ill. ...   ... In our competitive society, chronic infirmity or illness is viewed as a personal failing rather than the random stroke of fate that it is.  "

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Thank goodness for the internet.  My connection to the world, news, entertainment.  I visit on blogs like I used to go for coffee.  I don't have to excuse my looks.  Hell, I don't even have to be showered and dressed!  Plus, if I'm awake at 3am, my "pals" on the internet are too.  Thanks for being there internet.

Wasagamach children still live without running water ...

... or flush toilets, but the Harper Government is spending an outrageous amount of money for their temporary quarters during a renovation.

The Harper Government should re-locate to St. Theresa Point during their reno project.  Perhaps they'd get more work done surrounded by the beauty of the Canadian Shield and Boreal forest.  As well as develop a better understanding of life in Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point and Wasagamach.

I can not believe our government is seriously spending this kind of money on a temporary structure.  I wonder how many Aboriginal homes could be supplies with running water and flush toilets for this amount of money.

Shameful.

$42M glass dome approved for Parliament - Politics - CBC News: "The temporary Commons chamber will have exactly the same dimensions and layout as the existing one, complete with tiered seating for MPs and overhanging visitors' galleries. The soaring glass ceiling is being designed to match the neo-Gothic architecture of the rest of the Parliament Buildings."

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Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel prize winning biochemist, celebrated in Google Doodle | Technology | theguardian.com

Dorothy Hodgkin, Nobel prize winning biochemist, celebrated in Google Doodle | Technology | theguardian.com: "Hodgkin remains the only British woman to have ever won one of the Science Nobels, which she was awarded in 1964. Photograph: Google Google has honoured the Nobel prize winning biochemist Dorothy Hodgkin, with her very own Google Doodle on what would have been the scientist's 104th birthday."

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The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino | But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness

This is one of the better explanations I've read for what it means to live with chronic illness.

"I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.” 

The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino | But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness:

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Waiting for Spring

There's still a bit of snow in the yard, but I'm hopeful.  Surely we'll be seeing the lilacs soon enough.

Our lilac bush is at least 50 years old.

Here are some photos from last year's bloom.

check out the tight buds in the center

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bring some inside so the entire house smells lovely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone loves lilacs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More flower pictures.

It's official: Winnipeg's winter the coldest since 1898 - Manitoba - CBC News

It's official: Winnipeg's winter the coldest since 1898 - Manitoba - CBC News: ""

"- and it's not over yet! ... don't get carried away, because 12 per cent of Manitoba's annual snowfall arrives in April."

"We do see a significant change of a season when you get into April," he said. "The bad news is, don't put away the snow shovel."

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Dear Ellen Come to Nunavut and educate yourself and your fans.

Ellen needs to visit this girl and get a Nunavut Education.  As well as education her followers and fans on the Inuit way of life.

A new Webcam to Watch

I went to Ustream to watch the press conference the TSB had for the release of their investigative report into the crash at Resolute Bay, August 2011.  After the report video ended, a "featured site" promotion came up with this hummer cam.

There is also a chat associated with this camera and I learned that everyone was on "hatch watch".  These are always exciting times for birding webcams as I've been on a few "hatch watches" with the Peregrine Falcon cams in Manitoba.

The camera is set up in someone's front yard in California and there is quite the community "on the branch".  I checked in tonight and sure enough, there was a pre-dawn hatch today, March 28, 2014.

Here are a couple of screenshots I captured.

Phoebe, a non-migratory Allen's Hummingbird

Here is a shot of her newborn:

less than one day old

Feeding time

Open wide!

Phoebe Allen's Hummingbird.

Phoebe Allens WebCam

Phoebe Allens WebCam

Watching new born humming bird!

Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it's time to curb the snooping - World - CBC News

Edward Snowden did us all a favour, it's time to curb the snooping - World - CBC News: "It is no longer radical to be alarmed that trillions of records of phone calls and emails have been maintained for years now in massive government "haystacks" — just in case."

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Extreme Ice Survey: memory of a landscape - World - CBC News

Very cool photos of glaciers around the world.  Love the colour of the old year ice!


Extreme Ice Survey: memory of a landscape - World - CBC News:

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TURKEY: under Ottoman Empire treaty with Catherine the Great if Crimea declares independence it returns to Turkey | Voices of Ukraine

An interesting comment on another situation with the "we are all treaty people" adverts in mind ...

"burak_tatar on March 19, 2014 - 1:32 amI am a citizen of Turkey and right now we are only slightly interested with the situation in Ukraine and Crimea.  ... ...
Also I don’t think that international relations would function that way. I mean, of course the treaties are important but the advantages of those treaties are only applicable when your state is strong enough. nobody would give you Crimea just because a treaty that you signed 2 hundred years ago. back then, Ottomans were stronger and they had a hope to re-capture Crimea,  ... ... it would be funny to defy Russia to control Crimea and it would also be a deathly mistake."

TURKEY: under Ottoman Empire treaty with Catherine the Great if Crimea declares independence it returns to Turkey | Voices of Ukraine:

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Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

Yet more food for thought:

"yukon23Please hold your complaints, and accusations of racism, for the real instances of racism and discrimination.
All the articles, complaints, "awareness campaigns", etc just make sure that the serious events are hidden in the constant drone of "racism, racism, discrimination, discrimation, rights, rights".
Everybody is offended by something. Show your true strength by brushing off this petty BS that is done with no ill will.
Save your breath, and your credibility, for when Quebec passes another obscene bylaw. 
How is this article ten times the length of the story of the hotel charging Aboriginal People %50 more for a room.
THAT'S racist. That is horrible.
A cheer team taking a fun picture from an age old cliche fit for halloween is a joke.
Pick your battles would ya? Please? I'm begging"

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

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More food for thought ... Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

This is an interesting comment to the story:

"MSmittyThis article was too politico-academic for my likes. 
The arguments against cultural appropriation reflect an insecurity amongst native people. Head-dresses in of themselves are symbolic of anachronistic clan-based societies and military chiefdoms. The "Big Man" wore the biggest head-dress. Not much different than any other clan-based society to be honest. It is not an insult, it is what it is. Us Anglo-Saxons came from a long line of filthy barbarians who never bathed or shaved but made good steel. Our barbarian "big man" also wore the biggest hat. We changed along the way... 
In any case, aboriginals do not own a right to use feathers as fashion accessories. So suck it up on that one. 
Her argument that indigenous women are 'hyper-sexualized" was nonsense. The "vanishing Indian" myth had little to do with sexuality, though one of its more ironic and interesting stories did involve a woman, in the Eastern US. The "Indian Princess" I will concede. However, every culture has its own sexualized feminine ideal. Seriously, the naughty nurse, the sexy librarian, the cheerleader, the geisha, etc. Her argument that this somehow puts women in danger is specious and actually insulting to the intelligence of those of us who know about the violence FN women can face and know it generally starts at home on the rez! 
I can deal with saying this was "not OK", or "inappropriate". However, I think we would be wise to save the word "racist" for those moments where the racism is all there. 
Being insensitive is not racism. Racism requires more than cultural appropriation. It requires hatred. Mere ignorant stereotypes which do not promote hatred and are without malice are not racist. It cheapens the word to call them racist."

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

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Further to ... the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

I'm now reading through the comments to this article with the "Most Liked" filter engaged.

... heavy sigh ...

This is when I become overwhelmed, wonder how this mess will ever be sorted out, wonder what I can possibly do to make the situation better, tear up over the immensity of the racial divide in my beloved country, ... ... ... and close the browser window.

However, in these two comments there is a spark of hope.  The first is an indication of how the public education system has failed us all, the second, a succinct list of analogies that everyone should be able to understand.

Two thumbs up for Anatpuk!

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC:

"CeeDeeEnn
Ms Mackenzie- a white settler? (shaking head) If an aboriginal person dresses up in a `white` business suit, should I be offended? If Im of Scots descent and a black person wears a kilt (as is actually the case in many Pipe and Drum bands in Canada) should I be offended? If Im Italian and an Asian wears a toga should I be offended? If a German wears a straw peaked hat should Vietnamese be offended? If an Asian wears Austrian- trachten, should Austrians be offended? This whole thing is just too ridiculous, and everyone is just way too sensitive,« less 3 days ago 22 Likes Like Share 

 Anatpuk @CeeDeeEnn, 

• A business suit isn't a cultural item 

• Black people have never systematically slaughtered Scots 

• Asians have never created Italian race specific law in Italy 

• Vietnamese have never stolen land from Germans 

• Asians have never abducted Austrian children, raped them and forced them to speak mandarian, japanese or korean. 

The whole thing is not too sensitive, the whole thing is too poorly understood to see why this is offensive to Aboriginal people"

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Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC

Serious food for thought.  As a "self-confessed white-settler" myself, I have long been aware of the harm caused to our indigenous communities.

In the early 1980s I was posted to a High Arctic community.  My education and curiosity began then.  I wanted to know why on earth anyone would live on the "island of gravel" I was visiting.  Doing some research, I learned about the Canadian Government of the 1950's "program" [pogrom?] of enhancing Canadian Sovereignty over the Arctic by moving indigenous communities.

First of all, WTF!  The paternalistic gall of our leaders! [and a tangent for another day]

Then I learned that my location was not the intended destination.  During the transfer, the ship got stopped by ice short of their destination. Because they could go no further that year, it was decided to change the destination and re-locate the community to this uninhabited island.  The epitome of "close enough for government work".

Never mind that it was uninhabited for a reason, there was nothing there!  No hunting, fishing, or any of the natural resources that original communities settled in places for.

I was gob-smacked that the government would move four extended families to this isolated and barren location and literally abandon them there!  I would learn about residential schools five years later.

I personally have been paralyzed for decades after learning of just these two policies of the government.  How can anyone ever make up for, apologize enough for, these kinds of horrific events affecting decades and generations of people?

We, the "royal we", Canadians, have got to start with educating the general public.  Since the internet, and reading comments by average citizens, I am appalled by the lack of education about indigenous peoples.

Reading essays like this one is a start.

The Aboriginal section of cbc.ca is a start.

Why the 'Cowboys-and-Indians' photo is not OK - Aboriginal - CBC: "As stereotypes of indigenous people and a frontier narrative of white-settler ‘progress’ are part of our liberal ideology, it is possible to both have good intentions and act in racist ways within Canada and Saskatchewan.

However, ‘good intentions’ do not undo the effects of our actions nor should they excuse them.

Rather, our responsibility as a (white-settler) community needs to shift from simple blind ‘good intentions’ (which justifies a continued ignorance of the effects of our practices) to critical reflection on our practices before we engage in them and reparations when we cause harm (whether unintentional or intentional)."

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There are incredibly smart people in this world!

Keith Ledgerwood - Did Malaysian Airlines 370 disappear using SIA68/SQ68 (another 777)?:



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Cat parasite found in Western Arctic belugas - Technology & Science - CBC News

Cat parasite found in Western Arctic belugas - Technology & Science - CBC News: "For the first time, a parasite that can affect humans has been found infecting Arctic beluga whales killed for food, suggesting one way climate change could pose a threat to human health."



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CBC Sports - Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

Very Cool!



CBC Sports - Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake: "Performance of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake"



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RCMP seek northern Manitoba's 5 most wanted - Manitoba - CBC News

RCMP seek northern Manitoba's 5 most wanted - Manitoba - CBC News: "RCMP in northern Manitoba are asking for the public's help in locating five people wanted for various criminal offences."



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and the Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of Phoenix Sinclair

An excerpt from the Executive Summary of the final report from the inquiry into the death of Phoenix Sinclair.

My hope is that the heart wrenching evidence I heard in Phase One of this inquiry will serve as a catalyst to ensure that the recommendations that emerge from this report are wholeheartedly embraced and implemented. The protection of children is a shared value of the whole community. The public interest that this Inquiry has

received encourages me in the belief that achievement of the better protection of all Manitoba’s children, and especially the most vulnerable, will be the true legacy of Phoenix Sinclair. 

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As our nation's broadcaster, I think the CBC is failing in its' mandate when it chose to close this article to comments.

Awesome Canadians

Winnipeg man opens his massive backyard rink, snow bleachers - Manitoba - CBC News: "Winnipegger builds rink and bleachers with 3,000 hand-cut blocks of snow"



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Another place on the inter-webs to spend some time ...

It's January.  My annual slide into the dark places of S.A.D. [Seasonal Affective Disorder].

A few days ago I sat down in front of the computer and have been reading the internet.  Until I start feeling better, I'll just keep on reading until I've read it all.

Unwrapping the History of the Doggie Bag | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian: "...ask for a doggie bag. But as you're waiting for your waiter to come back with a box, do you ever stop to wonder how this commonplace dining practice started off? "

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10 popular quotes, and who really said them - Canada - CBC News

Now here's a couple of job titles you don't run into that often!

10 popular quotes, and who really said them - Canada - CBC News: "Many popular turns of phrase were said by someone other than the person to whom they are often attributed - and in some cases were never said at all. But how do you find the true source of a quotation?

"Elementary, my dear Watson." You ask someone in the know.

That's Fred Shapiro, the editor of the Yale Book of Quotations. He's also the author of the Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations and is a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, as well as a librarian and lecturer at Yale Law School. "

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There is also a link to "Quote Investigator" from the CBC article page, that I find interesting.

Of course, now that I'm writing a post about quotes and want to include one or two of my favourites, my mind is blank.  Can't think of any.  What's your favourite quote?

Gmail Assist Spam

This needs to be an opt-in feature or it is just allowing spam into my inbox.  If Gmail is going to assist spam instead of guarding against it, then it's not an email client for me.

Official Gmail Blog: Reach the people you know more easily:



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Ladybird | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

A whole new perspective on a lady bug!



Ladybird | Flickr - Photo Sharing!:



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WestJet Christmas Miracle: real-time giving

My Mom Plays WoW

Kidlet finally talked me into playing an online computer game. I am surprised at how much I'm enjoying it.

I'm not surprised at the major time black hole I fall into while playing and researching!

She's also blogging about our adventures.  Hilarious!

My Mom Plays Wow - this blog is now on Blogger!

Scrap Happens Tri-Fold Card Tutorial - YouTube

I made a halloween card from this tutorial.

See this bigger and a second photo on my Flickr page.

Scrap Happens Tri-Fold Card Tutorial - YouTube:

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HELICOPTER CRASH! in Huttonville: Pilot Error | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rules_of_Flight    ~~ Bob Butcher 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.

2. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless you keep pulling the stick back, then they get bigger again.

3. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.

4. The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

5. A 'good' landing is one you can walk away from. A 'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane again.

6. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival. 
Large angle of arrival, small probability of survival and vice versa.

7. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up there, than up there wishing you were down here.

8. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane used to keep the pilot cool. 
When it stops, you can actually watch the pilot start sweating.

9. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever collided with the sky.

10. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

11.You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes full power to taxi to the ramp.

12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.

13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps talking about might be another airplane going in the opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal to the number of take offs you've made.

15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.

17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth repels them.

18. If all you can see out of the window is ground that's going round and round and all you can hear is commotion coming from the passenger compartment, things are not at all as they should be.

19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminum going hundreds of miles per hour and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose.

20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the experience usually comes from bad judgment.

21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going forward as much as possible.

22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.

23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law. And it's not subject to repeal.

24. The three most useless things to a pilot are the altitude above you, runway behind you, and a tenth of a second ago.

Taming the Critic, An Invitation

Taming the Critic, An Invitation:

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Late to the party but ... hmmm. Naming, assigning a gender, getting to know my Inner Critique. What a concept.

Off the top of my head, she is definitely She-Who-Always-Has-An-Opinion. Upper case O - Opinion. 

She is french [the sophisticated part of my Anglo-Canadian psyche], snooty and her Opinion drips like acid on my soul. 

I don't know her name. Yet. I've always been too afraid to get to know her. I don't like her much.

Moodling

Diana Trout's blog: Art Journaling:

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So you see,

imagination needs

moodling - long,

inefficient, happy idling,

dawdling and puttering. 

~~ Brenda Ueland

Janelle's color journey: Paper Cloth Journal

Janelle's color journey: Paper Cloth Journal:

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First page: Diane Trout's blog, then her YouTube video, then to Janelle's page.

Lovely.

Thesaurus.com | Find Synonyms and Antonyms of Words at Thesaurus.com

Thesaurus.com | Find Synonyms and Antonyms of Words at Thesaurus.com:

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I can, and have, spend all day surfin' the 'net and reading things like this. The slideshow "Eight food idioms that are right under your nose".

Garden of Delights Craft Contest

Garden of Delights Craft Contest:

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I entered my April Altered Art Journal page in the Dover spring craft challenge.

Free Clocks for Your Website

Free Clocks for Your Website:

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Canadian Granny Defies Winter -- Part 6 - YouTube

This is one gutsy lady.  A true Manitoban.

Canadian Granny Defies Winter -- Part 6 - YouTube:

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Lynx sighting in Banff National Park - Global News Smart Galleries

Great photos!  Thank you Alex Taylor of Parks Canada.

Lynx sighting in Banff National Park - Global News Smart Galleries: "Lynx in Banff National Park
A lynx and her kitten are helped off the highway.
Credit: Alex Taylor, Parks Canada/Alex Taylor, Parks Canada
Date: February 20, 2013"

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How to Make a Stamp - Quick, Easy, and Cheap - Cloth Paper Scissors Today - Cloth Paper Scissors

How to Make a Stamp - Quick, Easy, and Cheap - Cloth Paper Scissors Today - Cloth Paper Scissors: "I've used a stylus (or a dry ball point pen) to make my stamps out of restaurant carry out styrofoam boxes.  TIP: With an Xacto knife, cut out all the FLAT areas of box (large and small) and store with supplies until the urge to make a new stamp hits.  I sometimes even used the leftover rounded areas for a "rolled" stamp, so only the little tab gets tossed out.

Free art supplies = green = good recycling practices.  This is styrofoam that does not go into a landfill somewhere."

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Being Human, and All That - The Oil Painting Blog - Artist Daily

Being Human, and All That - The Oil Painting Blog - Artist Daily: "There are enough people in our lives expecting unrealistic things of us that we don't have to be one of them. Falling down isn't failure. Trying and not getting it quite right isn't tragedy. Doing something completely different, just because, isn't a waste of time."

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Fried Eggs on the Floor - The Artist's Life - Artist Daily

Cute, but apt, analogy.  Reminds us that practice makes perfect.

Where did I read/hear that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something?

Perhaps I'll be motivated to look that up someday.  Thus getting more practice at using search engines, which I suck at!

Fried Eggs on the Floor - The Artist's Life - Artist Daily:

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