Sometimes, not being at the center of the action can tell you more about the industry you're in than actually rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers.
I'm not at the Banff International Television Festival this year. Actually, I've never been. Scheduled as it is, I've usually been shooting or lying face down on a remote beach recovering from a long season when it's in session.
I've heard all the stories, of course. Tales about how almost as much money changed hands on the golf course as did in development deals.
The legendary opening night BBQ (since discontinued) where who you slept with afterward determined whose "let's keep this between us" blind pilot contract you were soon also consummating.
There was even a cocktail party where a newly merged Canadian producer literally lit his cigars with hundred dollar bills to exhibit his success.
Cannes may have had naked starlets, but Banff attracted guys eager to burn money. It sounded like my kinda place.
But, sadly, Life never co-operated and now I get the impression the Golden Age has passed.
There's no doubt the Banff Festival remains a significant event on the media calendar, an opportunity for television and now Next Media innovators and visionaries to gather, share ideas and initiate projects.
But if you follow the progress of the conference on Twitter, as I did with the opening day, you begin to wonder if Banff's television icons and eager acolytes have been replaced by hucksters and wannabees.
To be sure, there has always been an endless parade of bureaucrats preaching caution or politicians pitching game changing programs. But the Festival also now seems to be home to single show promotions and media evangelists.
Through Twitter, you also get an interesting insight into one of the social media platforms often hyped as a tool to get your television "message" out there.
The first tweet that caught my attention was the following…
Well, TV creatives don't come much better or more talented than Manos, but seriously, "What the fuck does that mean?". Are we talking about shooting styles, doing a dialogue pass on the script or where to find new talent?
Is this how Twitter can enhance my series, by confusing or even losing somebody who might have watched?
Granted, a lot of dumb stuff gets said in even the most intelligent industry confab. Speakers often haven't been briefed on who they're speaking to, what that audience needs or they're just people with an immense amount of ability when parked at their keyboard but you wouldn't ask them to toss a frisbee for your dog in the real world.
But, as anybody referencing porn knows, the reference tweaked my interest in what else was being shared online for the edification of the demographic the festival probably most wants to engage.
Instead of seeing how social media might enhance a product, however, I began to wonder why people paid a thousand dollars and up to access nuggets like…
Um…beyond stating the obvious, isn't that the whole point of technology, Duncan? I mean, you're the expert, but do you know of any individual or corporation who has ever put together a research team to make what they're doing HARDER to accomplish?
Can you foresee a future in which people line up at the Apple store for a device that doesn't work better than the one they already own?
Another tweeter attending Duncan's lecture loved a catch phrase he'd used to describe the iPad as "A Goldilocks device".
I hope that Tweeter knows it's just a cute way of saying the iPad isn't too hot or too cold, it's just right and he doesn't go hiking up Sulphur Mountain with his new tablet in order to befriend some bears.
One of the first things you learn at these events is that there's a real desire to create a short-hand vocabulary. It makes you feel and appear to be part of a select company while possessing a greater handle on a topic when you haven't really gained any knowledge or insight at all.
Scrolling the dozens of similar catchy turns of phrase tossed out by panelists and lecturers on Day One, I started to feel like every screenwriter feels when he discovers his studio executive just spent the weekend taking a McKee course.
You begin to hate Euclid for even coming up with a word for the arc.
Yeah, this stuff is helpful when you want to look cool. But it's really just another way of describing what you should already know. And while Duncan's phrase was RT'd by many, not one of them detailed what "just right" meant either to them or to the industry.
Also in a related "didn't you know that before you came here" category, we have…
Well, isn't that exactly what you'd expect them to say? I'm sure you could do a cut and paste using "British", "American" or "hot teenage" and be just as correct.
The whole reason conferences like Banff exist is that everybody is looking for a way to improve what's on TV, especially in the ways it impacts them directly.
Less charitable members of the Canadian talent contingent might secretly want to drape the Canwest delegation in smoked salmon and take them down the road to where the Grizzlies are fishing in order to improve the state of Canadian content. But I guess those on the panel are hoping there's still time for diplomacy.
Like catch phrases, the apple pie statement is always popular. But it never gets to the more important question of "How?".
Given all the like-minded talking that's gone on in the mountains over the years, you'd think Banff would have had some profound effect on the quality of television by now, but it hasn't. And that's because visionaries seldom concern themselves with how things really work.
I've come home with notebooks overflowing with wisdom I've gained at NATPE, AFI, AFM, TIFF, Sundance and any number of smaller fests and markets. Bubbling with new ideas, I've barged into development offices with vast plans to reshape television, only to be told "That's not what we're doing this year" while being shown a promo for a new series about dancing hamsters.
There comes a point when you realize talk is cheap (unless you're affiliated with a good booking agent) and what you hear needs to be implemented and given some substance for it to be of any real value whatsoever.
And, by late afternoon, there seemed to be a deepening sense that there wasn't even a lot being said to get too excited about. That was exemplified by a tweet that must have been repeated or sent as new information more than 50 times as the day wore on.
Cute, whether or not it's true. But sadly just another Twitter viral.
Yet it's constant repetition among the conference participants indicated a desperation to use this Next Media platform in some way, in any way, to do some good or make something happen.
That's when I started thinking the glory that was once Banff had begun to fade. Maybe, like NATPE, it's reached a point where it needs to reinvent itself in order move on.
And when a member of the upper echelons sends a tweet like this…
…you can't help but get the impression that somebody didn't get the "how social media can enhance your brand" memo.
At the very least, what appears clear from a distance is that the people at the forefront of Next Media have yet to communicate its possibilities to the rest of the television community. What's more, nobody seems aware of what kind of impression is being made on those using a hash tag to eavesdrop their activities.
So far, there is little new and nothing to imply a brave new future is close at hand.
But maybe I'm just being contrary. Because as the sun set, somebody tweeted this…
Ahhhh! Somebody who gets how Canadian showbiz works. Maybe the old Banff isn't as lost as it might appear. Maybe next year, I should check it out.
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I tell ya, it was like pulling teeth for me to work on it.... its hard to put any effort into something knowing full well its going to be thrown away the first chance they get..... Anywho, I took two vintage bingo cards, distressed them... tore one and glued it on top of the other to make a pocket to hold a gift card... I had plans to do much-much more to this piece... but you know....jpg)
I used an existing pocket envelope that I embellished with vintage lace and 3 tissue paper flowers that I made using a vintage dress pattern. The bingo card slipped in perfectly~.jpg)
The hardest part was 
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It was a lovely spring-like day, perfect for a walk. It seemed like the flowers she saw growing wild amongst the trees were swaying as if dancing to the birds singing their lovely tunes in the tree tops above her. Something off in the distance made Alice quicken her pace. "Whats this?" Alice said out loud-- which was silly because Alice was all alone. "Sit, eat, enjoy yourself" was the reply. Alice was wondering to herself... self-- did you say "Sit, eat, enjoy yourself?" Again, she heard the purring voice say, "Sit down girl, eat some food, enjoy yourself." Looking quickly around, Alice spied a striped cat sitting on a branch of a tree... surely that cat didn't say all of that. 
"Hello girl, I am a cheshire cat... I've invited you to sit at this lovely table that is set before you..jpg)
There are yummy cookies and a delightful sweet cranberry tea that is of the highest quality made by fairies that live in this area.
Alice was befuddled. Everything was so out of the ordinary that it made dear sweet little Alice dizzy... so, dear sweet little Alice pulled out a chair and sat down. Surely this wasn't meant for her! Know one knew she was going for a walk today, or that she would end up taking this very path-- not even Alice knew herself. Looking at the table set before her she was quite suprised at the spread that was laid out before her. Cranberry tea that smelled like a boutique of sweet roses, next to a plate of sugar cookies piled high. Alice could only image how great it all would taste. "Please help yourself to whatever is your hearts desire, I must go curl up in a sunny spot and take a nap." And with that, the cheshire cat sashayed away flicking his tail to and fro as his huge belly sashayed in the opposite direction as his tail. It was all Alice could do but laugh at the cat as he walked away..jpg)
Within a few bites of a sweet sugar cookie, dear sweet little Alice felt the weight of someone staring at her. She twirled around in her chair out of fear and embarrasment and set her eyes upon a dear sweet little fella wearing a odd looking hat. .jpg)
A startled Alice spoke in a soft voice, "Oh, my-- hello... is this your table set so beautifully that I was invited to sit at?" The little fella stepped right up to Alice and replied, "Yes, please sit and if you don't mind, I'll join you for some riparian refreshments." The two fell into a happy conversation as they both enjoyed the cookies and the sweet cranberry tea. Without hesitation the sweet fella hopped to his feet to get somemore cranberry tea.....jpg)
Alice being the inquisitive girl that she was, asked the fella, "Why wear such a big hat if you have to hold onto it all the time?" With down cast eyes, the fella wearing the huge hat confessed to Alice.... "I'm addicted to sweets." .jpg)
"I use this big hat to carry the large gumdrops that I grow in my garden.".jpg)
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Alice, noticing the time, told the fella she would be back the next day..jpg)
Alice took one of the fella's gumdrops home... she had a plan..jpg)
The next day she informed the fella that they had to wash all of the gumdrops that he had collected... she had come up with a plan!.jpg)
With my Nana's recipe for chocolate chip cookies and these huge sweet gumdrops... hmmmmm...
And now you know the rest of the story~.jpg)
Here are all 3 trophys.... first is gold, second is silver and third place is bronze~.jpg)
I really love how the metallic spray paint started to melt the plastic on the trophys ever so slightly.... neat-o huh? Once the paint was dry, I dry brushed on some black paint to bring out the texture the spray paint created. I printed out the first, second & third onto cardstock and then tore, painted and scrolled each one then hot glued each in place.
Here is how they looked when I picked them up for $1 each at a yard sale.
I also made a pirate hat for myself. I was wanting white fabric with pink polka-dots... but I ended up using pink fabric with black polka-dots. 
I made it by cutting the brim off of a baseball hat and hot gluing the fabric onto the hat... easy-peasy. I got this brand-spanking-new hat for .50cents at a yard sale... I have no idea with the b stands for.... 
Lastly, some burlap bags~
Count down to the pirate party begins... arrrrrrrrrrgh!.jpg)
I recently had purchased a Shabby chic duvet cover... so it wasn't going on my bed. Soooooooooo I got to thinking about my grandaughters baby crib that I have/use at my house. Maybe I could make a fitted bedspread for the baby mattress.... hmmm.... why not? So out my scissors came... I cut off the scalloped edges in long stripes so I could reattach it when I cut the flat/fitted part I needed for the top of the crib mattress. I laid the mattress on top of the fabric to draw the outline of the size I needed, I gave myself plenty of extra fabric just incase it was needed down the line. You can never cut your fabric larger once you've cut it... words to take to heart!.jpg)
Once I had that piece drawn and cut out, I simply pinned the scalloped edges around the edge of the smaller size bedspread that I just created. I used the mattress as a guide to help keep the bedspread fitted as I pinned. Then I just stitched around the whole thing creating a fitted bedspread for the mattress. .jpg)
Once the whole thing was stitched together, I finished off the edges with a zig-zag stitch to keep the fabric from unraveling when its being washed. Once all the seams were stitched, I turned the whole thing rightside out-- hit it with the iron to set the seams. That was it! I think it turned out super caute! (The pillows are for decoration only-- she is still to young to sleep with pillows) .jpg)
Here is a close-up of the scallops.... I just love all things scalloped~.jpg)
She was collecting pink dew drops off of my roses in my yard when I captured her in this jar~
So, of course, try the first idea second... make it into a seat. I cut a plywood circle, used cinder block to help support the plywood at the closest part of the tree trunk, it works pretty well and only called for two blocks. I covered the plywood with some vinyl cut from a vinyl tablecloth. I just used a staple gun to attach it.
Then I cut apart two of the chaise lounge pads (I picked up for $1 each recently) to use as the pillow of the tree seat. I used some quilted fabric that I bought years ago for practically nothing for the pillow covers. Taaaaaa daaaaaaaa instant tree seat.
I've also finished the curtains for the playhouse,
made party hats for all the outdoor garden statues-- here are some of them,.JPG)
I even managed to pirate-up two monkeys~
I also repainted this darling antique home-made hutch that I got for free years ago from one of my neighbors. It has doors but those are on the kitchen table drying. I'll post photos of it when its finished, its one of my favorite pieces in my home. 
There is always something to do, never an idle moment around here!
