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ArtsCultureTraditionalCrafts15TuesdayApril22013inyourCommunityTMTrademarkofSuncorEnergyInc.Keepingyouinformed.SuncorEnergywouldliketonotifyWoodBuffalocommunitymembersthatplannedmaintenanceworkononeofitsupgradersbeginsinmid-April.OverapproximatelysevenweekstheremaybeperiodsofincreasedflaringandthepotentialforodoursintheFortMcMurrayareaduringtheshutdownandstartupoftheunit.Suncorwillworktominimizethese.AlbertaEnvironmentandregionalstakeholdershavebeeninformed.FormoreinformationpleasecontacttheSuncorStakeholderRelationsGroupat780-792-9545.RegionalairqualityinformationisavailablefromtheWoodBuffaloEnvironmentalAssociationatwww.wbea.orgwww.suncor.comNorthernmaterialsdriveself-taughtcraftswomanByRENEFRANCOEUROneoftherstthingsCha-rissaAlain-LillydidwhenshemovedtoYellowknifein2004wasmakeabeadedbirchbarkbasket.IvealwayslovedcraftsandIvebeensewingsinceIwaseightorsoanditjustgotbetterwhenImovedNorthAlain-LillyoriginallyfromtheKitchener-WaterlooareainOntariosaid.Icameacrossthistourismpamphletfromtheterritorialgovernmentaboutmakingbirchbarkbaskets...Ittellsyoutogooutinthespringdiguptherootslookforstraighttalltreestogetrootsthatarestraightthingslikethat...Iwentoutcollectedthematerialsanddiditmyself.Herdevotiontoallthingshandmadeskyrocketedfromthereandforthepastthreeyearsshehasbeenafull-timecraftswoman.Theplethoraofnaturallyde-rivedmaterialavailableforartandcraftsintheNorthhasbeeninspiringtoAlain-Lillynowinhermidftieswhotaughtherselftomakeanumberofdifferentthingsincludingboxer-stylefurmittenswithmoosehidepalmsporcupinequillbraceletsandsmokeddeerhidebabybooties.Iwantedtotrytomakeabuffalorobeoutofrealbuf-falohideandIvebeenluckytohavemadegreatfriends...OneofthemwashuntingwithaDenemanandtheyhap-penedtogetayoungbuffaloandtheygavemethehide.Imstillworkingonthatac-tuallytwoyearslaterAlain-LillytoldTheJournal.Idotonsandtonsofresearch-onlinebooks-whenIwanttolearnsomethingnewandjustteachmyself.Shetaughtherselftoscrapetanandsmokethebuffalohideandplanstohandpaintalargesunburstonthebacksometimethisyear.Itsreallyroughandyoucanclearlyseeitsdonebysomeonewhohasnevertannedbefore...ButIdontmakethingstomassproducethemthefunformeisthedesignandcomingupwithsomethingIhaventdonebeforeshesaid.IminspiredbybeautifulthingsIwanttomakebeauti-fulthingsandthattakestimeandpatience.OneofAlain-Lillysfavou-riteaccessoriestouseintheitendeduptaking20hourstoputinonelittleone-inchstripoffur.AlargepartofAlain-Lil-lysworkasacraftswomanalsocomesintheformofworkshopswhichshehasbeenofferingoverrecentyearstobothshareherever-growingknowledgeandsup-plementherincome.showcasingofherownweb-siteoverayearago.Itssosimpleandyourenevermakingenoughasacraftersohavinganonlinepresencecanreallymakeadifferenceshesaid.Shehasbeendrivenbycre-ativeenergiesforaslongasshecanrememberAlain-Lillysaidwithartsandcraftscomingtohernaturallyandbringingmeaningtoherdreamsandlife.Mymomtoldme-andImusthavebeenfourorve-thatIusedtofollowmyolderbrothertoschooljustsoIcouldsittherewithhimanddraw...ItssomethingIvealwaysenjoyedandtodayalotofwhatIdoisbasedonstuffstemmingfrommyselfinternallyintuitively...SomepeoplecallitthespiritworldIcallitthecollective.AlsoascreenwriterbytradeAlain-Lillyiscurrentlywork-ingonherrstnovelatakeonthebeginningofhumankindwithamythologicalangle.TocheckoutmoreofAlain-Lillysworkvisitwww.charissacrafts.com.AlotofwhatIdoisbasedonstuffstem-mingfrommyselfinternallyintuitively...SomepeoplecallitthespiritworldIcallitthecollective.CharissaAlain-Lillyclothingandjewelleryshemakesareseedsfromsilver-berrybushesashrubnativetotheNWT.TheyvebeentraditionallyusedtodecorateclothingandtheyarejustsoprettylittledarkovalbeadswithalightstripethroughthemandIneverwouldhaveknownaboutthemifIhadntcomehere.Alain-Lillyalsorecentlybeganexploringtheinsandoutsbehindtheconstructionofcariboulegmukluksorka-miksinspiredbyherexperi-enceattheGreatNorthernArtsFestivalinInuviklastJulywhenanInuvialuitwomanshowedherthemajesticstyleofthethickmukluksmadeonlyfromcaribouleghide.Ididalotofmyownre-searchabouthowtomakethesebootsandImworkingonputtingtogetheraclassaboutitbecausesomanypeopleareinterestedinmak-ingfootwearandImgettingmoreandmorerequestsforpatternsshesaid.ItsnoteasythatsforsureIhadtoaddanextrastripinthebackofonebootbecauseitneededtobebiggerandIthoughtthatwouldbesimplebutIhadtotakeitapartfourtimesandSheteachesadultsandchil-drenavarietyoflessonsfromhowtocreatebeadedloom-workusingapieceofwillowcalledawillowbowloomtomakingturtleshellrattlesandpreparingandstitchingfurstroudandhideforhatsmittensandfootwear.Sheshowsherstudentsthevalueinrecycledprod-uctsnotingthatmostwoolboughtcommerciallyrsthandismixedwhereasthewoolfromoldjacketsavail-ableatthriftstoresisoften100percentwool.Cheapusedleatherjacketsalsomakegoodmaterialforliningandthepalmsofmittenswhenyoureinanancialpinchformaterialshesaid.Muchofmyworkespe-ciallytheblanketsIdoarein-spiredbyrecycledfabricsandthingsInd.WhenyoureupintheNorthyoudonthaveallthosebigfabricstorestoshopatanditsexpensivegettingthingsshippedsoyouhavetousewhatyoucanndandaddtoittakeseamsoutre-designgetcreative.Shealsowantstostartaworkshoptohelpmorecrafts-peoplestartmarketingtheirworkonlineasshenoticedarealsurgeinsaleswiththePhotoscourtesyofCharissaAlain-LillyCharissaAlain-Lillyshowsoffhergauntletmittensmadeofsmoketannedmoosehidewithsmoketanneddeerhidepalms.Alain-Lillyshandmadeearringssellforaround20-25.Sheoffersbeadedandfeatheredjewelleryaswellaspieceswithsmoketannedcaribouhidedangles.