we are reposting to deal with technical issues… please check back later today. thanks!

i’m experimenting with the idea of doing online, video tutorials. i’ve just completed one on image transfer using acrylic matte medium and inkjet transparencies.

i’m going to post the videos shortly and would really appreciate your feedback about…

1. did you find this video informative and useful?
2. did you learn something new?
3. was the information presented clearly enough?
4. are you interested in more videos?

i really appreciate your interest and thoughtful responses to the above questions. comments and feedback can be posted in the comment section below. thanks!

next up… image transfer with matte medium! yay!

saturday started off drizzly and grey… but, i think the gods must have known that i was planning a playdate with gwen and by early afternoon, the sun was out and a beautiful late-winter day ensued.

see… all you nay sayers. vancouver is not always wet and grey in the winter! we get some of the most spectacular winter days in february and early march. cool and sunny with temperatures very tolerable 10C. perfect light for photography too… so pure and bright. lovely!

for detailed/fullsize view of the images below, just click on the links at the bottom.

Granville Island, originally uploaded by studiowerx.
1. _granville09, 2. _granville08, 3. _granville07, 4. _granville06, 5. _granville010, 6. Granville Island bakery, 7. Granville Island florist, 8. Granville Island florist, 9. _granville010, 10. _kroma5, 11. _kroma3, 12. _kroma Kroma

had alot of plans for today. house cleaning, tidying up the office, organizing the studio a bit, art work.

between being distracted by iTunes and downloading a whack of new Buddha Bar cds [love this music! so amazing to work to in the studio], taking pics of the sleeping kitties [they are so cute when cuddled up with their human-dad] and a healthy dose of crappy-weather-procrastination it all adds up to NOT a whole heck of a lot done!

the bathrooms are finished. the kitchen is getting there. the dusting can wait a day or two…

but, here’s what it really looks like at our house today. and it’s pretty darn indictative of how i’m feeling right about now. i think it’s time for a nap!

this shot was taken at granville island on march 15.

it was odd… this canada goose just stood there. for a good 10 minutes, on one leg. i think it must have injured its foot [flipper?] and can’t put weight on it.

the pose struck me as a litte funny since it seemed distinctly yoga-ish to me. so maybe the goose is in some discomfort but at least it appears to be meditating through the pain. 

can everyone say om? all together now… OMMMMMMM…

goose3, originally uploaded by studiowerx.

the lulu, as we like to call her, has grown up a lot in the last year. she’s looking rather regal and elegant these days. all long legs and gorgeous coat. she’s a looker that’s for sure…

she’s still quite a lap kitty even though we [me and t] are merely her subjects, to be ordered about at her whim. to be sat on like a warm pillow. to bring her bonbons and entertain her as she requires. it’s a tough life for the lulu… but somehow, she gets by.

hmmm… could the constant cooing over how pretty and smart she is be enabling this air of superiority? we will have to take that under advisement. later though, because it is her majesty’s bedtime and the mistress is demanding her bedtime snack. lol… ahhhh the life of a pampered pet.

in my next lifetime i want to come back as a kitty!

Lulu looking pretty, originally uploaded by studiowerx.

the sun came out today. yay! and so did me and my girl gwen.

we hit the market on granville island today to do a bit of smelling and tasting. only smelling the fresh baked goodies and NOT tasting was hard, but i’ve lost 14lbs and that is a big deal. i’m not ruining that for even the best apple streudle tarts in town. what is that old adage? a minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.

i guess you just can’t eat all the good things can you? i still long for the streudel though… oh well. more for the touristas huh?

i did however indulge in a super juicy, crispy crunchy pink rose apple. yummy! and my body thanked me for it.

i have a bunch more pics to load up for sharing, but we’re just headed out for a quick dindin and then casino visit. sooooo… i’ll post later this evening and will upload some vancouver springtime pics then. for now, enjoy your streudel tart and wish us luck at the starlight.

Granville Island bakery, originally uploaded by studiowerx.

my new 50mm fixed f/1.8 lens arrived today.

i’ve heard a lot of people swear by this lens. loads of potential for low lighting photo conditions, tight macro shots and cool, artistic depth-of-field [DOF] effects. ali e, gen s. and numerous others love this lens and i can see why.

first… price point is waaaaaay cheap for the one i purchased. $72.50! not bad. it’s not a high end lens by any means, but at that price, it’s worth a chance at experimenting and playing.

second… i love macros. with my new dslr rig, the existing lens and telephoto, it was a little tough getting right in tight with stuff sometimes. love that i can crawl into a shrub [if i really want to - not!] and shoot away without stressing about the focus being spotty. cool!

third… well, i just really like the images it produces. here are some examples and test shots with the lens.

i plan on hitting granville island tomorrow - weather permitting - for a little urban photo safari. taking the non-traditional seawall, pretty pretty shots is not on the agenda. instead, i’m looking for gritty, rough and interesting. worse comes to worse… i’ll shoot in the market. so you may see a bunch of fruit an veggies in the post, but all in all, it should be a fun day. especially if it doesn’t rain.

it never lasts for too long in our house LOL! the kitties and the hubby won’t let me wallow for long =)

i wanted to post something fun and inspiring [i hope!] for this dreary vancouver week. with all the rain in our forecast this week, a little blast of this yummy textile and scrappy fun has dragged me outta the doldrums. i’m hoping it will do the same for you!

i’m teaching a class at the huge clipper street scrapbook stores in both coquitlam and langley at the end of april. the class is called textile anthology and is being taught for the first time here in the vancouver, area after its big debut at donna downey’s inspired.artist workshop on april 10 - 12.

it is a fusion/hybrid of scrapbooking, collage and fabric arts using all kinda of scrappy supplies, printed photos and the most amazing [seemingly scrapbooking inspired] fabric i’ve ever seen. here are the samples that can be seen in the clipper street stores this later week. please go and see the real mccoy at either store; the scan of these collage quilts just doesn’t do them justice…

to register for the classes, please click here… i hope to see you soon!