Random Tuesday Thoughts resumed

New Banner for ArtSnark.etsy.com


So, how's it going? Not much new around here - still playing catch up from the trip plus the past week (when I sat on my duff with a nasty cold). I was tired of the fall colors in my etsy banner so I pulled together a new one. I am carrying over the spring sale which means lots of original art at crazy low prices - many $10 or less, + other pieces have free shipping.

I haven't had a random Tuesday post in a while so I'm just going to ramble a bit..... I can't believe it is still Tuesday, by the way. I look back to 3:18 am when my insomnia woke me up and it seems like two days ago...phew.

Listening to lots of William Elliot Whitmore - I just can't get enough.

Headache, Ltd. edition Lady Gaga poster from charmaineolivia.etsy.com

While I am so not a Lady Gaga fan ( i know, just shoot me) , I am loving this poster - the white hair is a brilliant touch. Though I think I prefer the non-Gaga-ed version in CharmaineOlivia's shop.

The always fabulous Maria-Thérèse over at www.afiori.com posted some very cool Circus photos today.

Thinking About Birds from CocodeParis.etsy.com

I am also crazy about the Etsy shop CocoDeParis. It is full of fun images like Thinking About Birds, above. Yeah, I know the whole printing/painting-on-a-bookpage is overplayed lately....but it is a look I love, and these guys do it so well.

This weekend we visited my favorite aunt who recently retired to Florida. She gave me a box of cool old stuff which includes some of my granddad's school books from the late 1800s. They are in remarkably good condition. I'll scan some pages soon & post for anyone who wants to use them in collage or whatever.

Hmm... I am waaay behind on the giveaways, studio tours & artist features, yeah? Sorry about that - life & my poor organizational skills keep getting in the way. Feels like time for some destash though, so pop back here Thursday for a chance to win free stuff.

Well, I could pour another glass of wine & ramble you to death. Instead I will call it a night & direct your attention to StacyUncorked who is tending the Random Tuesday torch while The UnMom is on RTT hiatus. Be sure to visit Stacy if you are seeking misc chattering folks or want to add a link to your own mumblings today.

Marché aux Fleurs et Oiseaux (flower & bird market)

The Marché aux Fleurs (on the l'Île de la Cité, Paris) has been operating since 1808.

 Seven days a week you can find all manner of flowers, trees & other greenery for sale.

Visit on a Sunday to take in the famous bird market.

You'll also find all sorts of small creatures. We spotted rabbits, turtles, fish and even a tarantula.

The guys have been asking for pet chickens for the past year. Here is Little Dude trying to figure out how to hide a couple of very noisy roosters in his suitcase.

He also begged for a song bird, but we stuck with flowers.

(this colorful photo was taken by my talented husband, by the way)

I hope you enjoyed our morning out. Click here for a fun 360 degree view of the market from 360cities.net (a very cool site).



Best wishes to you - hope you have a wonderful week!

Illustration Friday - Asleep

Drift

"The idea that sleep is every man's gateway to madness is altogether harder to live with"- Alvarez

Loving the new IllustrationFriday prompt:"Asleep" - right up my alley. Not much time to play today, so I tracked down some old sketches to smoosh & tweak in PE9. Click on the image to enlarge. 

I have a love/hate relationship with sleep.  I've always had insomnia... but once asleep have very vivid dreams, as well as hypnagogic hallucinations. I also have a history of lucid dreaming. In my teens, I actually preferred the land of Nod; at least there I could create (& control) my reality.

I came a cross the Alvarez quotation while digging though some old journals. I have no idea who Alvarez is or where the line is from - not having much luck with google either. If you recognize it, I'd love to know the origin. Probably from a sci-fi flick or something I was reading in 1996.

Back to IF : Are you feeling inspired by "Asleep"? If so, post your creation and link it to IllustrationFriday.com. Want to see more interesting takes on the theme? You can find them at the IF link as well.

By the way, I'm posting a few more Paris pics this weekend.  Until then - pleasant dreams!

Congrats to Alexandra of Snailtreasures.etsy.com

Alexandra is the lucky winner of the Florida Etsy Street Team Treasure Hunt! You may have caught my May 1st announcement about this fun 14 day challenge. In that post you will also find an introduction to the many generous sponsors who provided over $200 worth of prizes to one very lucky winner.

Huldra - watercolor, ink, marker, pencil on 12" sq. paper

You can visit the FEST blog to find out more about this talented team or read about the treasure hunt.

Birdcage- 4" sq. mixed media art tile

Are you an Etsy artist/crafter/seller living in Florida? Think about becoming a member of this great team. You can check out team discussions and even join in here. 

In Dreams - mixed media drawing/collage on canvas

Or are you looking for some cool handmade stuff? Visit Etsy.com, select Handmade from the search drop down menu and type "team fest" into the box. You will find all sorts of goodies from fine arts to crafts and (everything in between).  

**By the way, the 3 pieces in today's post were my donations to the prize package.

A Few Paris Photos

mmmm...mmmm....macarons

Finally sharing a few pics from our wonderful trip to Paris. Each day we filled the camera... and our bellies.

We visited the Iron Lady of course. The top was closed so we took in the grand view from the 2nd floor. Every night we enjoyed the tower's lightshow from our amazing apartment on the edge of the Marais district. Really fantastic!

I asked the Little Dude for his Paris highlights. His #1 pick - "the playgrounds." This one is in the Luxembourg Gardens.

Ordering déjeuner - pommes frites, anyone?

I had some fun this morning playing with this photo taken in the Louvre. It still needs a bit of tweaking though.

One of my highlights was a visit to Giverny. The gardens were even more beautiful than I had imagined. Easy to see why Monet once said  "I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers." 

Well, that's all I have time for just now. Will share more soon. Wishing you a wonderful day!

Musical Monday - It's The End Of The World.... or is it?

Just couldn't resist this one today:

For more Musical Monday be sure to visit Xmas Dolly &  RunDMT . Feeling groovy? Then add your own tune & linky while you're there.

I Love Paris

Just returned from our wonderful trip. The original plan was to post a few pics during our travels, but the whirlwind tour kept me busy. We managed to fill the camera each day, so I'll share some photos soon. In the meantime enjoy the slideshow from KrystinaBorges and the always entertaining Les Negresses Vertes.

And here we are tired but content on the flight home.

Jedi Obi Dude vs Lord J

Obi Dude: Excuse me?????

Doesn't Obi Dude look like he's thinking - You did not just say that about my ship/droid/or princess did you????

Last week, Obi Dude (red light saber) donned his Deluxe Stars Wars Jedi Robe and paid a visit to his buddy Lord J (blue light saber).  The generous folks over at CostumeSuperCenter.com sent The Dude this cool Star Wars robe for review. (By the way Lord J is wearing O.D.'s black Griffendor robe, which has been doing double duty for years.). 

Lord J: Why yes, yes I did!

Oh oh - them's fighting words....

OD: Last chance to take it back!

By the way, I love the drape on this robe. It is made of a lightweight polyester and has a really slick drape, dont'cha think?  Okay, okay..... you caught me - yes, I wish I had one too.

LJ: I think not!

LJ: Prepare yourself, my friend. You may have a fantastic new robe but I am fast with a saber!

It appears that Lord J's boldness knows no bounds.

But Wait!

Ooh look - Obi Dude has activated the infamous butterfly effect! Resistance is futile (sorry - I couldn't help myself)

LJ: You can't catch me - muhahahaha

While he seems to exude confidence (even while making his escape) notice that Lord J has abandoned his sweaty cloak. It was a hot 80+ degrees on the playground. However Obi Dude's robe has a loose weave, making the fabric look like a rough monk-type material. It also allows better air flow, keeping a Jedi cooler in the Florida sun - big bonus.

LJ: Aarrgh! Until we meet again, Obi Dude....

Lord J grabs his robe & flees the marauding butterflies.

Obi Dude is victorious.... for now....

And a grand time was had by all! 

Many thanks to CostumeCenter for such a great outfit! This Deluxe Jedi Robe gets an A+ from me and an "Awesome! I love it!" from Obi Dude. You can find more great Star Wars costumes and other fantastic outfits on their website. They have costumes for all ages, in all shapes & sizes. Fast shipping too, so be sure to check this fun company out.

Please note: We received this costume at no charge for review.

I frequently receive product review offers, but rarely accept as I am usually just not into the item or company. I can honestly say that this costume is well made and very cool. Plus it is hand washable (a must for post-playdate or candy-sticky fingers)!

Flowers For Mother's Day

ATC for swap

“I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.”– Claude Monet

I'm participating in some great groups over at CreativeSouls.ning.com. May's Art Trading Card swap has a fun flowers theme. 

I came across this wonderful Claude Monet quote recently & it seemed to a good starting point for new ATC.

The photo of Monet is from Wikimedia Commons. The lily photo is one I took years ago. When I stuck the two together the melange reminded me of handcolored antique postcards, so I tossed in some faded hues to complete the vibe.

Happy Mother's Day!

Almost time to go....

Enter Random Drawing to win Time's Up! Party Game App

Time's Up! Party Game App from R&R Games + Repos Productions

Earlier this week the company I work for, R&R Games (http://rnrgames.com/) released their first App. If you have an Iphone & like party games, enter to win the random drawing for a free copy of this wacky party game. 

To enter: click through to R&R's new FaceBook page & "Like" it. Next week they will be drawing 5 winners from folks who do this.

If you liked an R&R Games FB page in the past, click through to this one and do it again (please). The powers that be have decided to start a new page... So there are really really low entries right now -  better odds for you!

By the way, the original version (cards, timers, paper & pencils- you know, for us old fogies) is one of our best sellers & has also has received a bunch of awards.

Misc awards for R&R's Times Up! Party Game

So, go on - you know you want to "like" it

Wordless Wednesday - Shhh....

Shhhh... available at ArtSnark.Etsy.com

inspired by Wordless Wednesday

Musical Monday - Color

Work In Progress from Kathy Maximo Designs

 Oh boy - is it Musical Monday again?

Where did that weekend go?

Lucky me, it looks like I am "in the spotlight" with Dave from The Moody Mix  over at the XmasDolly blog today!  So I just had to put my dancin' shoes on & play along today.

The themes today are weather or color. I just had to go with color .... but there are far too many tinted tunes to choose from! I finally settled on Jimi Hendrix's Red House

Although Nick Drake's Pink Moon 

& Chet Baker/Elvis Costello's Almost Blue almost made the cut today. Here is the version from Bruce Weber's excellent Chet Baker film Let's Get Lost

Many thanks to Kathy Maximo for letting me post her latest work in progress. As soon as I needed a house, she was my go-to gal. You can see more of Kathy's creations on her website http://www.kathymaximodesigns.com & her online shop -Vintagesnapsandscrap.etsy.com.

So, what'cha listenin to today? Pop on over to XmasDolly & share your linky. While you are there be sure to test out some great tunes other folks have posted. You can also find more music over at RUN DMT & Bloggin' With Amanda later today.

Whatever you are into, I hope your day is colorful! 

------------------

By the way, have you heard about the Florida Etsy Street Team treasure hunt? Each day until May 12 you go to the FEST blog & get a clue. Then you have until 5/14 to  solve 'em and email your answer. One randomly selected winner gets over $200 in awesome handmade prizes! (I've donated a few, by the way). Click Here for contest details & to see some of the prizes.