The Ridler sisters, Suzie, Jamie and Shannon, discuss their creative projects, from challenges to celebrations, and support each other's creative lives.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

June 30, 2016


Shannon

I worked on some tidy up-ing today. I absolutely love having the table clear, but I have stuff on it for ages! I was nice clear it off again. I do have stuff on the floor...but.. one step at a time!


Suzie

I have been waiting for the right moment to put in Season 1 of The Bionic Woman and it's right now! I'm waiting the last couple of hours before I leave for the sleep clinic for my overnight stay. Been keeping busy all day so I don't nap. The show is actually just like I remembered it, silly but charming. Can't wait to watch more.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

June 29, 2016



Shannon

I've been continuing to work on my journey through Shakespeare, and filmed my most recent vlog about the film version of Henry IV Part 2. That's all fine and dandy, but the real trick was I had to find a new place to vlog because my cleaning up of the apartment took away how I used to vlog! So I was able to do a more traditional blog-vlog view of being in front of a bookcase. This was also by my window, and as suck gave off tons of natural light and I ended up looking super pale! Even so, I think it ended up being a pretty good spot, and an okay vlog too.





Suzie

Loved recording stART and was up early so I could put this post together with video on a gourmet gum I bought. Most of the rest of the day was spent resting and watching Season 2 of Parks & Rec which I am now a huge fan of. OMG that show makes me laugh.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

June 28, 2016

Jamie 

The big event for me yesterday was getting out to the doctor. I can't believe I didn't take a single picture "up north".  She gave me some good info on handling this allergic reaction I'm having, noticed a few other issues and is also sending me for blood tests. Hopefully I can start feeling more like myself again soon!

 
Shannon

It's time for a new a new composition book! I really liked my last one, bu tit did get a bit heavy with all the collaging I did. I wonder what the next one will end up looking like!


Suzie

It was a tough day recycling clay at the studio when it's super hot and the clay smells awful and you aren't feeling well. I did it though and paid my dues.

Monday, June 27, 2016

June 27, 2016

Jamie

It was a helluva weekend! All last week I was struggling with dizziness and then starting Friday I started to get hives! I spent the weekend either dousing myself with calamine lotion and taking Benadryl (omg it puts you to sleep) or cleaning in every nook and cranny to try and figure out what it might be that's bothering me so suddenly and so badly. I'm going to the doctor today.


Shannon

I picked up a few games via a Flash Sales (they always get me!), and I never know what I'll end up loving...but after playing Race the Sun I knew I loved it. It's a flying game has a new course daily, you only get one life and it has a maximum of 4 levels. It's over crazy fast, and I mostly crash into things very quickly. But it's okay... because you just dust off and play again! It is so much fun.

    

Suzie

What a rough weekend. I had to walk all the way to my doctor's office to go to the walk-in clinic for an ear infection. This is from the walk back. Then I went to visit a friend and it suddenly got hot and I think I got heat stroke while waiting for her. It wasn't even that hot but I felt like I had been poisoned. We went inside a McD's and I cooled off and felt better but getting home was rough. It was only 25C but wiped me right out. I need a rest from the weekend but have a crazy-busy week ahead!

Friday, June 24, 2016

June 24, 2016

Jamie 

Yesterday I was feeling rather poorly and tried the best I could to have a gentle day. One big and challenging task was on the agenda and that was taking Escher to the vet. He was terrified. Justin managed to get him in the carrier but before we even got in the room with the vet, Escher had peed with fear. Luckily they were gentle with him, cleaned him all up and gave him his shots. The vet had a good look at him and said he seems to be doing well, though maybe weights just a titch more than he should. We talked about his nervous ways but also the progress he's made. When we got home he hid under the couch for about 10 minutes but then he even let me pet him. I had a big aha that made me feel better. Being scared of scary things (like going to the vet) is perfectly normal. As long as he's not transmuting that into a fear of everything, including us, then I think he's doing well.


Shannon

I have been obsessed with doing the fill-in-squares-with-gel-pens funness, but today I ran out of painted squares! And was not feeling up to painting, which is sad but true. Solution: make a black-out version. Now I have a big big page to fill. Fun times.




Suzie

Got out to my library to pick up first season of Penny Dreadful, thanks for the recommendation Shannon! Also got groceries which felt like it took forever and took the life out of me but it's done. I have also started watching Nashville at night and am shocked at how much I am enjoying it! That young little blonde singer has the voice of an angel, reminds me how much I do like folksy music. The country? I skip a lot of it, LOL. Interesting stories though.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

June 23, 2016

Jamie

The big task of the day yesterday was filming another Creative Living Bookshelf. I can't believe it's episode 13! I had some technical difficulties so this ended up eating into just about the whole day. Still, I hope everyone will love the show!

Shannon

It's been nice to get back to drawing. I couldn't quite remember my dream last night, but I was able to hold onto this image.



Suzie

The day started off great. I went to the library, got season 2 of Parks & Rec which I am now thoroughly enjoying and got season 1 of Bionic Woman. I stopped by VV for a couple of fun deals (not the stamps, crazy price!) and even took myself out for a slice of pizza. But then the energy changed and everything got all wrong. Michelle helped me slog it out about my site and revealed there is something wrong with it that I have to contact my ISP about but my phone was dead. Just stupid stuff but it got me all stressed. Hope tomorrow is better!

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

June 22, 2016

Jamie

The raccoons really were the big excitement yesterday. It was so weird sitting here working and suddenly hearing the coo of raccoons. The cats were glued to the window while these 4 babies dug into the eavestroughs and did some play fighting. I sincerely hope they move along to somewhere safe and sound.


Shannon

Busy day out yesterday, and kind of overdid it. Sad face. And obviously my resistances were down because this was my interpretation of "lunch" on the grocery list. Um... not much nutrition there, Shannon! Save for the strawberries. Oh well, next time I'll be clearer and hopefully I won't by a treat instead of a meal.


Suzie

Today we went to the market for produce and I had some time to add finishing touches to pieces, including adding "sprinkles" to my Pop-Tart Cell Phone Cozy. The rest of the day kind of sucked.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

June 21, 2016



Shannon

Well I tackled a big shift of stuff in the apartment today. I've had these file boxes just sitting, waiting, to be dealt with and find a new home and today I finally moved them! It actually doesn't look like the picture anymore, I really though that the set up work work as pictured ... but turns out it didn't. The boxes are in their new homes, but some of the other stuff isn't quite perfect or sorted or how I'd like it yet. But I'll get to perfect another day, today I got it to here and that's a win for me! I cleared a nice amount of walking space and I hope that encourages me to keep on getting the place that much more sorted. Yay!




Suzie

One of the nice things about going to yet another meeting at the studio is I got to pick up a whole WHACK of items that came out of the kiln that I now can play with and turn into pendants. It's so exciting! That said, the studio is out of recycled clay so I probably can't make anything for another week which is a total bummer.

Monday, June 20, 2016

June 20, 2016



Shannon

I got a little side tracked on my Shakespeare project when I was reading The Iliad, but was able to get back to it with Henry IV Part 2. This one was not what I expected, and it was even stranger because I am fairly familiar with the one that comes after it. I'd be a little pressed to say what the themes are, but I will give it that it had some great speeches and lots of amazing quotes. I can't wait to watch The Hollow Crown version of this one to understand it better.




Suzie

Was a bit of an emotional struggle this weekend so when that happens I like to go into "just get 'er done" mode which included photographing even more jewelry for the upcoming salt. Bracelets are the hardest thing to make but I really wanted to try making one and I did it. I made it quite small (my size) so if it doesn't sell (it isn't going to be cheap) I get to keep it, LOL.

Friday, June 17, 2016

June 17, 2016



Shannon

I recently downloaded a whole bunch of gaming demos to try and this was one of them. I mean, it's called The Deadly Tower of Monsters,... how could I resist? The game is pretty fun, it's like being in a film that Mystery Science Theatre is riffing one...while your playing. Oddly, that made it not one that I felt I could stream because it literally comes with commentary so it's a little strange to stream and chat on top of the commentary! So I just played it to enjoy it. Mostly fun, some gender crap though. I have a feeling I may run into that often with games. I hope not, but I'm sure it's out there. But for now, mowing down monsters with a ray gun was pretty fun.




Suzie

Insomnia hit again so I was mostly useless for most of the day. Did laundry and finished off these glamour earrings for the sale. I am so happy with how they turned out! So yay for one good thing on Thursday.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

June 16, 2016

Jamie 

I popped into Value Village yesterday. I have been on a bit of a hunt for fresh dinnerware without much luck. Today though I saw these and though the colour isn't what we would normally choose I do think it is a good match for foods - plus the quality and the feel in hand are amazing. These are made by Bowring and there were 8 for $9.99! I had originally let them go but then went back and got them. Yay! 

 
Shannon

Another early morning moment, this time it was a dream that I drew out in a bit of a comic format. I have no idea why I did it this way after writing it down, and didn't quite get the vibe but dreams can be so odd that it's hard to capture them in any format!



Suzie

I went to Value Village to get some supplies for working with clay and finishing some jewelry projects for the big sale and discovered this adorable stool! It was only $5.99 and barely fit in my backpack. We have been trying to find furniture for the deck but with no luck. Everything is so expensive. I need something I can sit on and work on while using my Dremel power tool and hopefully it will work like a charm. I have been watching Frankie & Grace and it reminds me so much of Frankie, I fell in love with it and had to take it home.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

June 15, 2016

Jamie

And this is why we can't open our windows all the way. Escher and Shibumi particularly keep eyeing the part where it's open like they are going to climb right up and out! We're trying to get them used to it by leaving it more open when we are in the room but it is nerve wracking!

Shannon

It's a rare day that I'm awake when the sun is rising, but today it happened. Although I was bleary eyed and barely awake, I could see the beautiful colours and (of course) had to take a picture. I'm glad I did, because until I downloaded my pictures from my camera I had completely forgotten this moment of the day.




Suzie

So many meetings! Today was a meeting for the pottery studio and the leader shared that I helped out with cleaning out the horrid and scary sink yesterday by representing me with Barbie Wonder Woman! Ken (not his real name) actually did most of the work but I did hold the bag and offer moral support. It was nice being acknowledged and I really do enjoy being a part of the studio. I just wish I had more time with clay, so many meetings!

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

June 14, 2016

Jamie

I just love this bunny puppet that I got at the yard sale. It's so funny that I found him just as I'd been talking about following the Inspiration Rabbit or the Procrastination Bunny! Yesterday he spent the day sitting atop my microphone and keeping me company. It looks like I have a new addition to the Studio menagerie!


Shannon

It was soooooo nice to get out after being stuck at home for days. I popped into Value Village, and picked up some kids books because I want to try doing some collage and/or journaling in them. Of course, they are all so quite I might have trouble doing that! I'm keeping The Hedgehog and The Hare though, that one I picked up for the story :)




Suzie

Had a meeting about the art sale and got to pick up some pieces that I thought had been lost for good but were waiting for me. A crow plate and this floral bracelet. Helped out with some cleaning of the studio too. Another meeting tomorrow! Busy week.

Monday, June 13, 2016

June 13, 2016

Jamie

After not feeling well and sleeping most of the day away on Saturday, I woke up to my very favourite kind of summer day on Sunday - blue sky, sunshine, brisk wind and moderate temperature - heaven! So I asked Justin if he might like to walk down to the beach. I just wanted to feel the wind on my shoulders. I had completely forgotten that Shannon had found there was going to be an arts and crafts show! We just found ourselves right in the middle of jewellery, jams and art! It was lovely. We came home with some unbelievable flavoured honeys from Nova Scotia and two new wooden cutting boards!


Shannon

I've been in book overload these days, watching book videos on YouTube, seeking out SciFi/Fantasy/Weird fiction lists, and reading a lot! I've been a bit uninterested in Reading Challenges this year, but I came across a summer one for Summer Book Bingo! You try and get bingo by reading books that match the parameters in the boxes. I'm HOOKED! I love this idea. I found a random generator for cards, and have created 3 total and plan to do this over the summer (or year), and I might specifically slant it to SciFi/Fantasy/Weird because I haven't been able to figure out where to start there. Maybe it's with Bingo!




Suzie

I got out for a bit of a hike this weekend but I also took time to do a photoshoot of my jewelry. The sale is just a month away and I want to keep a record of everything I made. Energy is still pretty crappy but it's getting there. Also finished Grey's Anatomy which was heartbreaking because I will miss the characters sooooooooo much!

Friday, June 10, 2016

June 10, 2016



Shannon

It's been a bit of a not-by-choice quieter week, which to be honest has been a little tough. One things that happens hand in hand with that is that I had a fair amount of down time and got a lot of reading done. One thing I've been doing recently is when I read a really specific character description, I take a picture of it and hold them for a possible later project of trying to draw them from the description. I have no idea what this one would look like!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

June 8, 2016

Jamie

I was so thankful to spend some time journaling yesterday. It's been super busy and I still feel out of it as I try to find my way back into my computer and my work. It was good to just settle into myself and the page. The lighting helped :)
   

Shannon

I did it! I finished Tomb Raider! Or at least, I finished the story start-to-finish. Apparently I only actually did about 60% of the game, which feels like I missed a lot of it along the way. I had a lot of fun, and the experience of streaming was interesting too - not sure how often I would do that for a whole game (if ever), but I was happy that I gave it a shot. One great thing about streaming is that it gives you a timer at the top left that lets you know how long you've been broadcasting. That helped me a lot to not go overboard. I'm sure I FELL overboard a lot though! Some things never change.


Suzie

Only photo I took today. I gave my meds a week and turns out they were not only making me feel like crap, the only reason I was sleeping was because of the Gravol I was taking to counteract the nausea. I was awake all night. Could barely function but got some chores done and was very grateful to have radicchio back in my kitchen. It's the little things.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

June 7, 2016

Jamie

I went out for dinner with my friend Sabine last night. Luckily we got to the restaurant under these amazing storm clouds before the rain started to fall and by the time we left, it was finished. I'm so glad I didn't let the promise of rain put a damper on the evening!


Shannon

I had another day of having to take it easy, although thankfully today I was less limited. Trying not to be a grump about it all, I decided to try out one of the games I recently got called Never Alone. It is a beautiful game where you play a young Inuit girl and her arctic fox. The cool thing is, you can have it 2 player where one person plays the girl, and one plays the fox, or you can play them both by switching back and forth. It's so gorgeous! And it has all these educational videos that come with it about the culture of the Inuit peoples and their relationship to the land. Pretty amazing!




Suzie

I made it to Open Studio and discovered that kiwi green is super dark! So I added a layer of white glaze and am hoping that I didn't ruin my epically large serving platter. I had to leave early because of a migraine coming on. Not fair that the new meds cause migraines and I'm not allowed to take ibuprofen while on it. Came home and rested with some Tylenol but it persists.

Monday, June 6, 2016

June 6, 2016


Shannon

This was my view on Sunday. I had expected a lazy Sunday after plans fell through, by my knee decided to make it extremely lazy but adding an arthritic flare to the mix. Not the plan! I would have rested, really ! Anyhow, it was nice that it didn't hurt when I didn't put weight on it, which meant most of the time I was on the couch. Got one book read, watched Need for Speed, napped a fair amount too.


Suzie

A pretty quiet weekend at home. We did finally get out for a grocery shop and then went to the SPCA thrift shop for some wardrobe stuff for Reg. The beige suit is going to be awesome for his shoot today. I will be shocked if they change his outfit.

Friday, June 3, 2016

June 3, 2016

Jamie

Last night I met up with my mastermind group, which was awesome. I started the night with one of my friends, sitting at the bar. I have never done that before. My friend says she finds it a surprisingly cool experience.


Shannon

I started reading Away by Jane Urquhart today, and was instantly drawn into the wondrous world. How on earth has it taken me this long to come to this book? Wow. I am so glad that I've mad reading Canadian fiction a priority, as all of the books I've read have been enriching experiences and I imagine this one will continue o be as well.



Suzie

Got home from D&D before it got dark so I could take this photo. The new meds are making me really sick to my stomach so I had to go home early which everyone was so supportive of but I felt bad that I had to. Doc said it's going to take a while to get used to. Spent most of the day in bed. From manic to bed-ridden.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

June 2, 2016



Shannon

I had a blast watching the premiere of American Ninja Warrior last night. It's a show that's got a strong culture and fandom, and one I never knew about until last year when I saw it by chance one night. It's very over the top, full on with sports caster announcers throughout and packages telling the stories of (some of) the contestants. But, I do find people dedication and training really inspiring, even if it's for something that they could try and fail on the qualifier in a mere few minutes. Pass for fail, everyone was stoked to be there. I think it's going to be an awesome and crazy summer show to watch. And it's got me inspired to keep on keepin' on with physio with getting my first day of getting physio in two times in a day. Huzzah!!




Suzie

Reg has been working so hard on a contract we haven't gotten groceries in over three weeks. We got to the market for produce but before I put it in our very empty fridge I cleaned it. This was way beyond what I should have done physically but I am relieved the fridge is clean once again. Just hope we get a real grocery shop in soon.