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Monday ~ February 1st
Got home from our trip yesterday. We went to Canmore to see Matt Andersen play in an intimate, little cafe called Communitea. We first saw Matt sing at the Vinyl Cafe concert in December & he blew us away! When we discovered that he was going to be playing in the charming, mountain town of Canmore in January, we knew that would make a nice getaway for our anniversary.
So this Matt guy, he's amazing. No words can describe how great that concert was for us. In person, his voice is so compelling & his guitar playing is just out of this world. I don't have any videos from the night, but I did find some on YouTube from other concerts:
So Gone Now ~ this is my favorite song. It has reduced me to tears both times I've heard him sing it live. Yeah, I know, I'm a wimp. Hold Me With Both Hands is another song I like:
He does some great rockin' tunes too, but I like the mellow ones the best. For his encore he did Steve Earle's, My Old Friend the Blues. You should have seen the waterworks after that one.
Matt just came back from Memphis, Tennessee where he won the International Blues Challenge for best solo/duo act. I'm thinking that it won't be long now before his venues get a lot bigger than the small concert halls & cafes he's been playing, which are always such a treat to see a great artist in.
That said, I highly recommend going to see him play, you won't be disappointed. His tour dates are on his website & I guess he'll be playing at the Winter Olympics in a couple of weeks too so if you're in Vancouver for that.
Along with the show, we had a wonderful stay at The Paintbox Lodge. The best part about our room was the bed ~ the most comfortable sleep I think I've ever had.
But the fireplace was also nice touch that Chris enjoyed relaxing by:
And the view out our window wasn't too shabby either:
The location is great too right in the centre of Canmore & Michael, the owner, is such a friendly & accommodating guy.
On our way out the next morning we spotted some of the local wildlife...
Bunnies. Actually, there were bunnies everywhere. Nibbling on the grass.
Rooting around in old flower pots:
Running rampant in the streets:
And just standing around looking fierce:
The only other "wild" animals we saw there were some Mallards in the creek:
And while we were walking along the boardwalk, Chris noticed a strange bird in a nearby tree, which we eventually identified as a Kingfisher. I couldn't get a clear photo but here's what he looked like.
The creek walk was quite picturesque:
And it was a beautiful day to be outside so we went geocaching...
I'm not really supposed to show photos of the locations of geocaches, so I'll just show you this picture of me, somewhere in Canmore, right beside a cache find ~ sweet!
We also did a little bit of shopping, tracking down this wonderful smelling hand soap by the Rocky Mountain Soap Company, that was in the washroom at the Communitea. It turns out I can buy it right here in Edmonton when I run out.
And we were also in search (well really it was just me in search, dragging Chris along with the promise of a pub stop in between) of a tea shop that sells this delicious & handsomely packaged tea that I had at the lodge. It was no problem finding the pub, but the tea remained elusive so I guess I'll just have to order it online.
We eventually left Canmore and stopped in Airdrie for a couple of nights to visit our friends & wonderful hosts, Tricia & Mike ~ thanks for the good times guys!
Now it's back to work. I have 2 deadlines for this Friday, which I will tell you more about later (with pictures) & just 3 more sets from the earlier sale so I better get to it. |
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Tuesday ~ February 2nd
After 9 years, I'm still smitten. Happy Anniversary. |
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Friday ~ February 5th
First, let me say that all the bead sets from the previous sale are out in the mail (insert a huge *sigh* of relief here). I had lots of fun making them, but I am pleased to be done.
And another project that I am pleased to have completed, just yesterday, was the making of 20 focal beads for the Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec, in Montreal, Quebec.
Back in November, I was asked to participate in an exhibition there, which is part of a larger program to promote glass works in Montreal. The exhibit runs from March 4th to April 11th & all my beads had to be at the museum by today, February 5th.
Of course, instead of starting on the project back in November, which would have been the smart thing to do, I waited until the last minute to tackle it. This might not have been such a daunting task if I had a huge range of focal bead styles, but I am a "very small bead set beadmaker", not a "very big focal bead beadmaker" so to say the least, it's been a challenge.
Here's the collection that I made:
There's 21 beads in this photo & when you look at them altogether, you really don't get the sense of the size so here's a close up:
Mammoth beads!
Colossal in size!
Still don't believe me? I'll hold one up for you:
Look at this monster! It measures 30 mm x 30 mm, which is way over an inch in both directions!
And this one:
The diameter is 40 mm (1 1/2 inches) long. That's big dudes, for me, that's really big!
And then, last night, I made my wee little beads again:
And all was back to normal. |
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Sunday ~ February 7th
Hard to believe that you were a little pea just 6 years ago.
Happy Birthday my sweet niece, Ella! |
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Monday ~ February 8th
Last July, I went to the bank and asked for a whole bunch of small bills ranging from 5s up to 20s. The clerk, after hearing my request, gave me a strange look, but when I explained to her that I needed these small bills as part of a gift, she was actually excited to help me out.
With my giant wad of money stuffed into an envelope, I went home, filled Chris' guitar case with the bills & on his birthday, handed him the case to open.
You see, for many, many moons, Chris had been yearning for a new guitar, his dream guitar.
And now he could finally get it!
It was a good day. A very good day indeed.
Not too long after that, Chris went down to the guitar shop & ordered a Martin, which had to be custom made for him. He put down the deposit & the man behind the counter informed him that it could take up to a half a year to get here. But for Chris, what was 6 more months? He had been wanted this new guitar for years...
Well, 6 months later, it arrived. In fact, just a couple days before my birthday. It's a beautiful guitar & he's a happy man. |
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Tuesday ~ February 9th
Eye Candy
*Sweet Things*
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Wednesday ~ February 10th
Those peanuts I've been throwing onto the deck to attract the blue jays so my cats have something interesting to look at during the winter...
Well the squirrel caught wind of it.
He's tunneled his way through the snow to get to them.
I was walking by the studio & spotted him peaking out from the tunnel.
Then he stood up & scouted the area.
This made for some really good TV for Maggie.
And a really good snack for the squirrel. |
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Thursday ~ February 11th
The Aurora Borealis Fireflies (the glass bead group here in Edmonton) will be exhibiting beads & jewelry at the McMullen Gallery from March 27 thru to June 6.
Last Friday, my mom & I had to submit a few photos of pieces that we would like to put in the show. Luckily, my mom was available to make some new jewelry from a handful of beads I recently gave her. These are the photos we submitted ~
*Spellbound* ~ classic, neutral colors to prettify your wrist. All the hand made glass beads have a detailed core encased & decorated on top. Finished with a gorgeous Kate McKinnon clasp that I picked up in Tucson where we shared a booth next to her.
*Bread Pudding* ~ a sophisticated necklace embellished with rhinestone rondelles, swarovski crystals & an abundance of hand made glass beads in that wonderful combination of colors: black, taupe & ivory.
*Moroccan Lanterns* ~ a hand-dyed silk neck tie in velvety, chocolate hues with faceted crystals, Bali silver & a detailed, handmade glass bead.
We need to create 17 more pieces before March 5th (all of which will be for sale at the gallery). I think it's going to be a great show & if you would like to know more about it, please email me at carrie@beadtree.net.
I will, however, be providing more details as the date approaches. |
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Friday ~ February 12th
I'm going to get all patriotic on you. Sorry, can't help it:
Chokes me up every time. There's a shorter version they've been showing on TV too.
I also love these photos of great moments during the torch relay.
I don't think I've ever mentioned it before but I tried to win a contest with Coke to be a torch runner. You had to enter every day, online to improve your odds of winning. After a couple of months, it got to be a bit too tedious so I quit doing it. Now, seeing all those photos makes me wish that I would have kept trying. I think it would be awesome to carry the torch.
Oh well... On with the games.
GO CANADA! |
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Saturday ~ February 13th
King Penguins ~ photo courtesy of National Geographic
To all you lovebirds out there, have a wonderful weekend!
P.S. These would make a wonderful Valentine's day treat, don't you think? |
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Monday ~ February 15th
We went to the Muttart Conservatory the other day.
You have to do that sometimes in the winter.
It helps remind you of how beautiful plants are...
When they're alive and flourishing.
It gives you hope and strength...
To get through the long months of a white, blanketed world. |
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Wednesday ~ February 17th
I saw this stunning photo of the aurora borealis, taken just north of here, on a weather website the other day.
Looking into it further, I discovered a new website through the University of Alberta, called AuroraWatch that monitors, in realtime, the geomagnetic activity in the Edmonton area & will alert you (via email) when the aurora borealis forecast is active in the area. Isn't that awesome? I think so.
On an equally awesome, but unrelated note ~
Christina, over at my topography is trying to raise funds for a writing project she is working on called A Field Guide To Now through Kickstarter. I think it's a really cool concept ~ she wants to repurpose some old postcards that she inherited with mixed media illustrations that correspond to essays & prose she's written about how the small tasks of the present moment are what shape us...
"Your day, like mine, is occupied with the small repetitive tasks of living and its in these moments that we are shaped, even as we are dreaming of other things."
I've been reading Christina's blog for years & she's one of the most talented writers I've come across (profound and honest, her thoughts are always beautifully constructed). I'm so excited for her! I really hope A Field Guide To Now becomes a reality, it will be a wonderful book to own. |
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Thursday ~ February 18th
I had to go to the mall on Saturday to pick up a print. Every time I go to the mall, I park right by the pet store & steal a peek inside, I can't help it. I have to check out the cute factor. And last Saturday, it was off the hook!
There were bunnies snuggling with each other...
There was a wonky-eared bunny at the watering hole...
There were the sweetest and softest bunnies on their way to dreamland. Nite-nite little bunnies, nite-nite.
And a teeny bunny cuddled in for a little body heat.
Of course, the awesome baby guinea pigs added to the cute factor too. I just want to squish them, they're so darn adorable!
I took all these photos with my iPhone & the quality isn't great. I've seen some beautiful photos on flickr taken with iPhones, how do they do it? If you have any tips for me, I would love to hear them at carrie@beadtree.net.
Speaking of cute ~
Thanks for the link Pam!
And this is strange, I imagine very stinky, but cute too ~
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Friday ~ February 19th
New Beads
I've got a lot of work ahead of me in the next few weeks. I'll be showing pictures here of the jewelry we will be showing at the McMullen Gallery & I hope to have some new bead sets available soon!
Thanks for stopping in ~ have a great weekend. |
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Sunday ~ February 21st
Look, Dr. Snuggle Pants & Hugzie are doing the nom nom! |
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Monday ~ February 22nd
Orchids ~ photo courtesy of my mom, Judy
It smells sweet & fragrant in here ~ a good way to start the week off after posting pictures of stinky guinea pigs, don't you think? |
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Tuesday ~ February 23rd
Bohemian Waxwing with berry
Has anyone out there in Edmonton seen the Waxwings this year? I haven't. It's really strange. In prior years, you couldn't miss the enormous clouds of them, swooping through the sky, but nothing this year, nada. l went for a walk to investigate & all the Mountain Ashes are still full of berries, including the one in my yard.
Waxwings above, in my backyard, a few years back.
I tried to get the scoop on the internet, but nothing turned up except for a comment by a lady back in December who said she saw hundreds of them flying around in Bonnyville (several hours North & East of here).
How about you? Have you spotted the swarms?
And how about these two? Good for them! |
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Wednesday ~ February 24th
In 2005, we had a party & hired Corb Lund to play for us. Unfortunately, you can't do that sort of thing anymore with Corb, but you can volunteer to sell his merchandise at a show! And that's what Chris, our friend Mike & I are going to do, so if you're at the Jub tomorrow night, come by the merchandise counter & say Hi!
Above, one of Corb's latest video.
Below, Corb on Q, explaining what some of his new songs are about. I think getting a perspective on where a musician or band is coming from really adds to the music.
And finally, a video from when Corb Lund & The Hurtin' Albertans played at the Commodore in Vancouver back in February of 2008. We were at that show & I swear the girl that screams right after he sings at the 1:25 mark, "...as being home at the Saddledome for the Oilers at the Flames" is my dear friend, Tricia, who has the loudest scream on the planet:
Corb, at our party in 2005 |
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It's my mom's birthday on Monday, but we're celebrating tonight, Happy Birthday Mom!
Because she loves Johnny Cash & it would have been his birthday today if he were still alive, here's a song for you mom, one of your favorites:
* A side note: One of the reasons my mom loves this song so much is because we used to sing it when Chris & I played in a band together. That's moms for you. I have to say though, this is the nicest version I've ever heard. There's something really intimate about this performance. And do you notice the respect these two have for each other as they sing? It's just magical.
Oh, and that one line, "... when the night winds wail". That is a really, really difficult line to sing, but Joni does it so beautifully. It gives me goosebumps.
By the way, what do they call someone from Arkansaw? And who really is playing the guitar because at the end Johnny quits playing but the guitar keeps going? |
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Sunday ~ February 28th
Last day of the Olympics. I'm really looking forward to watching one of the most anticipated events, which is also the last event ~ the Men's Final's in hockey. I'm actually a little sad that today's the last day, Chris & I have been enjoying watching.
The Corb Lund Merchandise gig was crazy, but we did get to see the concert for free, go backstage & we were invited to the pub that the band & crew headed off to after the show, so it was worth the zany rush that we experienced. Would I do that again though, definitely not. Once was plenty.
As for the concert itself, I thought it was pretty good but after the buzz of working the merchandise table for 2 1/2 hours straight, we had to adjust to the laid back vibe Corb was putting out. If you went, did you like the show?
My mom is putting together lots of jewelry for the gallery. The deadline is just around the corner now. I'll try to get some photos up here early in the week so come on back soon. |
