It's a long time since I've been Crusadin'

A long while back, when the perpetually-bursting-with-talent Michelle Ward first started her GPP Street Team Crusades, I used to play along near enough every single month.  I was even lucky enough to win a FANTASTIC prize box once for participating.  I loved the challenge of each new crusade and the little community we had there.

Thanks to the Crusades I tried cutting stencils and masks, making hand carved stamps, paper casts, mail art and many other cool techniques for the first time.

But then my life got so horribly busy....and I just didn't seem to be able to make time to play :(

And would you believe they are now up to challenge number 47?!

And, what's this?  An art journalling challenge?  Hang about....I can actually do this one!!! in my precious 10 minute daily AJED slot!!  Result!

And the great thing is that I was thinking about doing a page to commemorate one specific amazing Christmas present anyway, so this fits RIGHT in :)

I love Michelle's idea of including the wrapping paper that the present was given in on the actual page.  I never would have thought of including this particular wrapping paper in an art journal as you can imagine, but I like that I get to keep a bit of the gift wrap with me.   And I like Michelle's use of the word "evidence" so I included that too (on some hockey tape of course, what else?)

The page is a bit OTT and not exactly fine art, in fact it's ugly as sin, but hey, it was fun to make!

So there it is, probably the only autographed (by the whole 2010/11 roster!!!) Canucks hockey helmet given as a gift this Christmas anywhere in the world in pink Hello Kitty giftwrap :) :)

This page came together over two evenings, so yes, I'm still Art Journalling Every Day! woohoo!

AJED: 6/365

#19's jersey retirement ceremony - in full

This made me cry like a baby, miss you Markus.

Dream assignment for gamer geek Kes :)

Ouch!!!

Kesler dropped to the ice to block Jere Lehtinen's second-period shot, missed the puck but not the Star's skate, which clipped the back of his head as Lehtinen jumped over Kesler.

He appeared dazed, but was able to skate off the ice.

"I got lucky," Kesler said. "It could have been way worse. Obviously, I was pretty worried walking into the locker room but they were able to fix it up so I could go back out. "

With the shallow, four-inch laceration closed, Kesler returned to the game and in the third period cut hard around defenceman Darryl Sydor and fired under Turco to make it 4-1 at 2:26.

That's my boy, head cut open by a skate blade, what does he do? Come straight back out and score :)

I am almost getting bored with saying "I told you so" now, but I TOLD YOU SO! Kesler for the C.

Dank Sedin bled all over the ice from a high stick to the chops and scored shortly afterwards too, maybe next time we hit a slump AV should randomly punch a couple of the guys to wake them up? Seems to work!

Final result Van 5 Dal 2 - whoot!

That makes up for Saturday :)

Meet the diseased squid

Another one of those things that worked better in my head...

This particular infected marine mollusc is SUPPOSED to be a tree :)

Even placing it on a nice grassy hill and embroidering it a few leaves doesn't detract from its undeniable cephalopod-ness.

Ah well, it was worth a try :D

This is my entry for last month's Art Raffle, which I need to send out this week. It's late. Sorry all. Life got in the way big time.


The background is acrylics, Squidney Crosby there was made from airdry clay and painted with brown and bronze acrylics before being varnished, and the leaves are embroidered straight onto the canvas with variegated floss.

I hope the raffle winner doesn't have an irrational fear of poorly sealife.


In other news. Awwwwwww. Darcy. Awwwwww. Now give that baby back to its mother and come heeeeeeere! :D

You know, I think Mr Kesler is getting a leeeetle jealous at all the attention I'm giving his cutie enforcer pal, because this is what he had to say about the Hordibaby photo:

“Embarrassing,” said Ryan Kesler, who sits next to Hordichuk in the Canuck dressing room. “There should be a fine. For him to actually pose for a picture with his shirt off... You’ve seen his body, He doesn’t have the greatest body. It’s like the ‘before’ picture in the Jenny Craig commercials.”

Now now boys, there's enough of me to go round, you don't have to bicker :D :D :D

Oh. Dear. Lord.

Helllooooooooooo Mr Hordichuk!!

I know, I know, I know - those 6 words hardly constitiute serious hockey analysis, and I do try so hard to keep the inner bunny under control.

But sheeesh, I have a pulse!! (and it appears to be going a little faster than usual!)

Wrong bench Kes!

oops!

from last night's game vs Nashville

a post NHL career as a human cannonball beckons

seriously, I haven't seen the game yet, I hope he's ok! looks like his landing was softened by a number of Preds though so I expect he's fine.

It had to happen eventually

In fact, I'm amazed it didn't happen sooner

To be honest, for a fight that's been brewing for 6 years, it was a bit of a disappointment in the end, kind of a damp squib

But hopefully it was enough to close off that unfinished business...

Happy Trevor Day everyone :)

I'm still a' buzzin'

Vancouver beat the Wild, sitting pretty back at the top of their division

Wildcats had a passionate home win that felt like waaaaay more than 2 points

and I'm still waiting to take the PERFECT hockey photo, but in the meantime I'm pretty damn pleased with this one :)

Sports fans have short memories

I know I do

After four straight losses for my beloved Canucks (hard fought, but not hard enough), and a nul point weekend for my cats last week, I’ve forgotten what winning feels like.

That adrenaline from the week before, when both teams were riding high in their respective leagues and seemed unbeatable, has left my bloodstream now. After the buzz there is always the downer. It’s chemical.

And like any self respecting junkie, I want to feel that chemical in my blood again, I need to.

Which is why I won’t be jumping off any bandwagons any time soon. I won’t let myself believe that the sky is falling as fast as our placements in the respective rankings.

I have faith in my boys to give me that feeling of joy again, that winning buzz. More faith than is warranted, probably. And in the case of the Wildcats, more faith than the new coach* has, maybe.

And the reason I have so much faith – is that I know they need it as much if not more than I do.

Vancouver NEED to prove they are still a team without Luongo. They NEED to get some of that beautiful momentum back that carried them through the last road trip, even for a game or two post-Luongo. That tasted like nectar from the gods for them, and they want to taste it again, I know they do. They need to get their self belief back, not to mention their rightful spot at the head of the North West. And I KNOW they can do it. Tonight.

Swindon NEED to rally together after all the upheaval of the past fortnight. They need to get behind their new coach and new on ice leaders (HUGE congrats to new C Lee Richardson, by the way, I’m so pleased with this appointment). They need to get last weekend out of their systems. They need to get back into an effort --> win --> reward cycle. Starting tomorrow.

I really mean it, you have to win me a game or two, PLEASE, boys, get us all a fix of that winning feeling. Because cold turkey SUCKS, doesn’t it?


* Actually, the jury is still out on this one. On one hand I think that this could be demotivational for the squad, especially the younger guys who, implicitly, are the ones Mr Aldridge wouldn’t necessarily have chosen for his roster. I am hoping that the youngsters (many of whom have been playing brilliantly so far this season, IMO, especially Long and Hayes) will read this and think “ok, let’s show the new boss what I’ve got” not “he doesn’t rate me anyway, so I might as well coast”. And on the other hand, I applaud Ryan’s realism and honesty. I like straightforward. Mike Gillis is straightforward. I think I like him too. Anyway, I digress.

Today's headline at NHL.com sums it up

Canucks Win, but Lose

After the most perfect road trip, culminating with 2 points taken from the Penguins in Pittsburgh, the Canucks world should be partying. But I think we would all have happily traded that win for a healthy Captain.

heal up, Roberto x

Whooooaaoo Whooooaaooaaa Woooooaaoo

so sweet

I love my boys!!!!!

Hot diggedy damn!!!! it feels SO good to be a Canucks fan right now!!!

• 3 points clear at the top of our division


• sitting pretty in the top 3 in the West


• 6th in the whole damn league


• We ran all over the best in the East - sorry Nazzy!!!


• our goalie is a GOD and our backup's pretty darned sound too


• Kesler's line walks on water


• Wellwood is the feel-good story of the year


• Ohlund? he deserves some hot damns all of his own - look at his performance in the Rangers game, wow, for which I don't think the shirt can take all the credit :) PLEASE don't trade him Mr Gillis!!!


• Willie Mitchell - points machine :D Who'dathunkit?


• Demitra is looking better than he has in years


• the twins are playing like they're in a contract year (ah...wait.... :))


• WE JUST ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this feeling!!!!!!

I'm proud to be a Canucks fan even when they are bombing out - but right now I'm outright SMUG!

And potentially somewhat over confident when I say Penguins? Bring it on!!!!!

(really looking forward to this game - the Pens are rapidly overtaking the Caps as my darlings in the East, and not only because the Cookie monster is having such a ball there - only annoying thing is that, although it is on at a wonderful time slot for us Brits, starting at 7pm our time, I won't be able to watch it live as I'll be at the Wildcats.... so nobody tell me the score before Sunday, k?)

Some fab pics from the New York road trip:

(I wonder if Jeff Vinnick wants an assistant? or a wife?)

Eeeek - crazy man drilling Kes's head!
Luongo - the best dressed homeless guy in New York
Willie entertains
Hordy is just such a cutie pie
Poor Big Bear looks more like Big Brrrrrrrr

My baby

I snapped these in 2 seconds in poor indoor lighting yesterday while getting ready for the hockey game - my awesome new ice hockey lens is an awesome portrait lens too, it seems!




I especially like the ones of him practicing his rock star moves with the Guitar Hero geetar :)




As for the hockey game, I took a trillion photos, but I'm still yet to get that killer shot that I am 100% pleased with. Good job I get to at least a game a week - plenty of practice!

I do quite like this one, though - from the point near the end of the game when Sitko had lost his stick and decided that without it his best move was to grab onto the opposition for dear life :)



It was a great night of hockey for me - Wildcats beat the Romford Raiders 7-2, and then I came home and watched the Canucks similarly trump the Leafs 4-2. It just doesn't get better than that. Boy I wish we could play the Leafs more often, it was one of the most entertaining games I have watched in a long time.

The first 5 minutes were intense - we were outshot from the off, and Toronto got a virtually 2 minute 5 on 3 which was terrifying! They were coming down on us like a ton of bricks and then Lu lost his paddle. And like the miracle worker he is he managed to save at least 2 more good hard shots after that with no stick. It was amazing to watch, mindblowing, really! Wellwood got the first goal in traditional stick-it-to-the-team-that-traded-you stylee, and Kes the second on the powerplay if I remember rightly. Willie Mitchell - yes Willie Mitchell - got the game winner with a cute little tip in that looked like it surprised him as much as the rest of us - he has already been getting stick in the locker room for his little streak of assists, this is going to have finished him off :D And Dank put in an extra one for insurance. Demitra was back in the line up after a while off with injury, and it looks like he's better - three assists - THAT's the playmaking king we thought we were getting - good stuff. All in all, we looked OK out there (not perfect, in fact far from it - but good enough to stuff it to the East - yeah!!!)

Just writing all that has got me all pumped up again lol - gotta love that adrenaline rush....

It inspired me to have a little play in Photoshop :)


Now - if I could get a shot like THIS, then I'd be a happy bunny!


Although, to be fair, I'd have to be sitting IN the goal.

Do I like the new alternate jersey?

Yes, yes I think I do :)

I love Johnny Canuck on the shoulders, and I see what they have done with the stick in rink to make the C more prominent. And I always loved the vintage kit anyway.

added to my christmas list....

Trying to decide whose name and number to go for, though. I already have 2 Keslers, a Linden and a Bertuzzi. Tempted to go for Lu's if I can get one with the C. But then again he's maybe too obvious a choice. There are lots of other current Canucks I like a lot - Burrows perhaps....or Hordy. Ohlund would be cool with the A (although if I was going for an A I probably ought to get another Kesler)

decisions decisions.....

Top of my Christmas list....if Santa is reading.....

I just wish I could be over there to see it in the actual movie theatre next week, I bet I would cry, buckets, just like I did as the real events were unfolding. Not getting into the playoffs HURTS.

The Nazzy bits alone will have me reaching for the Kleenex.

What a purty bunch of assistant captains we have

'scuse me while I have a puck bunny moment :)

This is so overdue it's not funny

but hopefully worth the wait

Alix - sorry it has taken so long!

I quick photo stencil how-to for anyone wanting to make something similar (but hopefully not take almost 6 months over it like I have!)

This was the photo of the suave Swede that I started off with:










I took it into Photoshop and thresholded it, playing with the cut off until I was happy that the resulting black and white image was recognisably Mattias:



This image was then printed onto freezer paper, and all the black parts were cut out with a sharp knife (slowly and carefully) - leaving bridges where necessary to make sure that bits like the vintage logo on the jersey didn't fall out of the stencil completely.

the freezer paper stencil once I had finished cutting ^

(his hair was a total PITA! I should have used a pic of him with his lid on lol)

The freezer paper stencil was then ironed onto the front of a light blue cotton t-shirt (cutting away the bridges once everything was positioned properly). And a complete sheet of freezer paper was also ironed into the inside of the t shirt behind the stencil, facing the other way. This is to act as a barrrier to any paint that might bleed through the fabric, as otherwise it could stain the back of the shirt.

The next step is to carfully sponge fabric paint - I used a metallic royal blue coloured paint by Lumiere - over the stencil, in a dabbing motion, with a fairly dry sponge. In other words, don't saturate the sponge with paint as if it is too wet it might make its way under the stencil and ruin your nice sharp outline. Instead go over with a nearly dry sponge a number of times, always dabbing up and down never dragging or scrubbing.

I didn't take a photo of this step, but you can imagine.

The next bit seems to take a lifetime - that is waiting for the paint to dry COMPLETELY before peeling off the stencil to see if any paint has crept underneath and ruined the whole thing (and wasted the stencil you took hours cutting!)

Thankfully, it was a very successful paint job in this case, with no bleeding at all, phew!

All it needed was a good iron to make the paint wash-proof, and it's ready to go over to Canada to the home of the Humming Giraffe :)

Further proof that the Wildcats and the Canucks are actually the same team leading a double life

just like Hannah Montana!

6. Brothers....both teams have brothers

7. Both teams seem most vulnerable at the hands of recently departed ex teamies who couldn't score FOR us but don't seem to have any trouble scoring ON us. Addie Brittle got a hat trick??? wha???? Nathan McIver gets past Luongo???? what's going on???