Queen Be's Studio Tour and Great Giveaway!

                                     

Carol Richard-Berger, the talent behind Queen Be's Altered Needs has cleaned up her creative space and now has a lovely shabby-chic studio to play in!! Lucky for us, she's invited everyone in to take a look around. All photos in this post are courtesy of Carol.

What a cute way to store fabric!

For The Birds natural stone coasters from Queen Be on Etsy

I met Carol a few years ago while purchasing Christmas gifts from her online store, Queenbe.etsy.com (including these crow-themed stone coasters  - for similar ones click here). 

Vintage Mixed Media Bird Collage from QueenBe on Etsy

Since then I've enjoyed watching Carol's work evolve and love how she incorporates items from her nature and antiquing treasure hunts into her mixed media pieces.

                               

Don't you just love this little chest? The different hardware on each drawer front adds so much character... and identifies the contents.

                               

Great rubber stamp storage - keeps them at your fingertips and looks good. Love the antique typewriter too.

                                   

Guess what? This is just a small piece of Carol's Studio Tour. For may more photos of her wonder-filled space, visit her blog QueenBe's Altered Needs. CLICK HERE to enjoy the rest of this artist's room. 

some of the goodies in QueenBe's giveaway

While you are there, be sure to check out Carol's latest giveaway. In order to make some space she is destashing boxes (yes, you heard me boxes) of vintage ephemera - gorgeous goodies including antique photos, papers, ledgers, as well as an assortment of mixed media supplies, such as little nests. On Feb 6 random winners will be selected from all who comment on her giveaway post. If you'd like to try your hand, Click Here, check out the prizes & leave Carol a message.

Want to know more about The Queen Be?

http://queenbesalteredneeds.blogspot.com  for fun finds, latest creations & random thoughts
http://www.etsy.com/shop/QueenBe for Carol's mixed media and other art
http://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatRemains for antique items, vintage-style supplies & handmade mini -easels (great for displaying your Art Trading Cards)

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Sorry about the wacky alignment & off color links ( they do all work) - Blogger is messing with me tonight and refuses to behave. Hopefully I can clean it up tomottow.

Before you pop over to visit The Queen, Leave a comment here on my blog if you want to enter Thursday's random drawing for a free print. Click here for details & photo of prizes.

Illustration Friday - Forward

Last Stand - mixed media on burned petal inclusive paper

Today's Illustration Friday prompt, Forward, made me think of "that guy" from so many movies. You know the one... The gruff (yet noble) fellow who holds off the pursuing horde, bravely sacrificing himself  while the major characters rush forward to safety.

This determined dude is made from watercolor, colored pencil, ink, markers and gold paint on paper. The paper has specks of dried leaves & flowers pressed into it. The torn and burnt left side has already fallen to the oncoming destruction. (The brown is just a piece of cardboard to help it scan better.) Click on either image to enlarge.

Many thanks to Danger99Stock for sharing photo Apocalypse4 on DeviantArt. That image and this fun t-shirt from Zed's Zombie Ranch:

t-shirt from ZedsZombieRanch.etsy.com

are what got my juices flowing today. Are you feeling inspired to move "Forward" with some scribbles? If so, post your creation and then link up over at IllustrationFriday.com. Be sure to check out the other fun pieces while you are there.

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A Final Note: I'm still taking entries for Thursday's random drawing. 2 winners get prints of the pieces shown at this link. To enter, just leave a comment on my blog before 1 a.m. (EST) on 2/2.

Frosty Twilight

from , ehem, Sulu's FB wall

Why am I on Facebook? 

To follow brilliant, funny folks like George Takei, of course!

Musical Monday & A New Copper ACEO

Hey there. How's it going?

Chilling to Ramona Falls again. Coffee maker is still busted so feeling extra mellow this Monday....  If you're looking for some musical mayhem today, pop over to Xmas Dolly's & have a listen. There is no theme today, so folks will be sharing all kinds of fun ear-candy. 

I took another copper etching workshop Saturday at the brick & mortar store for ebeads.com. Great times! We got to play with fun tools & messy chemicals and went home with some cool stuff at the end of the day.

scan of Tree of Life ACEO / ATC

I made an interesting bracelet and had enough copper left to create a few pendants, plus some etched copper art trading cards. My camera is charging, so photos will post later this week. I put the above copper card on the scanner but am not really thrilled with the quality of the image. The scan came out a little too brass-like & dull, but you get the idea.

What were you up to this weekend? Anything entertaining to share? And speaking of sharing - if  you visit Xmas Dolly's Musical Monday Meme, be sure to add your own tunes today. Just post your music online and then link up to her blog hop. 

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Final Note: All comments left on my blog before 2/2 will enter you in my newest random drawing.  Two winners will each take home a print of my paintings. One person will receive a 5" sq print of Diva and the other gets an Art Trading Card print of Peacock Masquerade. To see these prints & for more giveaway details click here.

Illustration Friday - Twirl

Diva 

Lithe and long as the serpent train,
Springing and clinging from tree to tree,
Now darting upward, now down again,
With a twist and twirl that are strange to see.
- from The Grape Vine Swing by William Gilmore Simms

It is too perfect that today's Illustration Friday prompt is "Twirl" - I just posted this print yesterday as one of the prizes in my latest random drawing. 

On 2/2 two random winners will be selected from everyone who comments on my blog before 1 a.m. EST on Feb. 2nd.  One Prize is a 5" sq print of this dizzying Diva. The other prize is a print of my ACEO Peacock Masquerade, which you can see here. 

So, if you'd like to enter the drawing, please leave your thoughts. Prizes ship free worldwide.

Want to see some more twirly-illos? Pop over to IllustrationFriday.com and check out the other contributions. Wish to add your own spin? Get creative. Post your goodies online. Then add a thumbnail and link over at the I.F. site.

Feeling Lucky? Enter to win a free print (ends 2/2)

Diva 5" print

Hey there. How have you been?

 How is 2012 treating you?

I have been lucky lately. Not only has life been good, but I've also won some random giveaways - a free lunch for 10, art supplies, a cookbook, and other odds & ends. I will share photos of some of these cool prizes in the next couple of weeks.

Today I'm sharing the luck. On 2/2/12 I will hold a random drawing & there will be 2 winners! 

The 1st lucky winner will receive a 5" print of my Diva drawing, shown above. (The original can be found in my ArtSnark Etsy shop)

Peacock Masquerade Art Trading Card

The 2nd winner gets a signed mini-print of my latest art trading card, Peacock Masquerade. I just shipped out the original this morning. It was created for a swap of the same name. If you are new to ATCs (also called ACEOs - Art Cards Editions & Originals): these little pieces always measure 2.5" x 3.5" and are a fun way to create & collect art.

To Enter: Simply leave a comment on my blog before 1 a.m. EST on February 2. On 2/2 the winners will be selected using random.org. See - easy peasy. Prizes ship free worldwide.

by Shirley-Ann Dick via Ubersuper

Stop SOPA & PIPA

While I am against piracy, I'm also against government censorship. There needs to be a better way to  protect copyright than this .

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

FOR MORE INFO or TO JOIN THE STRIKE 

Click Here

Peacock Masquerade ATC swap

Peacock ATC

Just finished this mixed media art trading card (2.5" x 3.5") for peacock/masquerade- themed swap over at CreativeSouls. Mediums include watercolor, inktense & metallic pencils, pigma & pitt pens, markers, plus some white & gold paint on watercolor paper.

It seems like I haven't had time to create anything in ages & had a lot more fun than I'd expected. At first the prompt wasn't talking to me, so I put the tunes on random & poked around DeviantArt for a stock model to play with. Many thanks to FetishFarieStock for sharing her lovely photo PeacockIII.

Then Josh Ritter's Rattling Locks kicked on and everything fell into place. Once the paint dries I'll give this little lady a UV-resistant topcoat & backing board ... and send her on her way. I'm past deadline  - I am a terrible swap partner.  Playing along is great fun, but I have some major time management issues. (Elayne, if you're reading this, your altered tea box will be on its way soon - promise!!)

Do you participate in art swaps? If so, what are your favorite things to create and trade? 

Every Anime Opening Ever Made

Procrastinating today & stumbled across this fun melange, edited by Derek Leiu of KickInTheHead.org

Steampunk Pick Up Lines

(c) 2011 Julie Ray Photography, Model  Sarah Hunter, costume Brute Force Studios

"You look just like a girlfriend I once assembled…"

The Tampa Bay Steampunk Society is holding a Cheesy Pick-up line contest & the choice phrases were featured yesterday over at the always entertaining Dr. Fantastique's Show Of Wonders. Worth a click thru - some very silly stuff...  

Steampunk Pick-up Lines for Wooing that Special Lady (or Gentleman) 


Just in case you are actually tempted to try out any of those oh-so-tawdry pick up lines, first take some advice from those perpetually fun-tastic gents, The Cog Is Dead:

Thank yous to Thomas Galvin for posting this lovely lady to the Central Florida Steampunk Association's FaceBook page.  This fab photo was taken by Julie Ray Photography, Model is Sarah Hunter, costume is by Brute Force Studios & hair by Debra Weine.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Shopping Karma

The Young Mad Scientist's First Alphabet Blocks from XylocopaDesign.Etsy.com

Bought

Water Baby - Piazza Navona

Blue Alchemy

A Woman Scorned

Howling Woman / Night Music

Butterfly Charmer

Sold

Mellow Musical Monday

Wow - my 1st Musical Monday of the year - I missed last week trying to get back into the groove after winter break.

The whirlwind that was Nov / Dec finally took its toll, so I've been nursing a minor plague.  It has been a terribly self indulgent recharging of batteries:. lots of sleep, toast & oceans of tea consumed along with several Cassandra Clare novels and Season 1 of The Vampire Diaries. 

Finally broke down & checked out Pinterest - fun stuff! I'd been avoiding what I thought was yet another time sucking social media experiment. While the distraction potential is high, it seems like a great way to stash bookmarked faves & online muses all in one place.

(In real-life my overflowing file cabinet is filled with bursting "inspiration" folders with silly titles like Kinds of Blue and Venus Envy). If you're a fan of Pinterest, leave your address in the comments - I'd love to see what pulls your trigger. 

While flushing out my laptop's saved bits this morning, I'm enjoying the snippets that caught my ear in 2011. Today's Musical Monday theme is a "freebie" - for a variety of tunes pop over to Xmas Dolly's blog hop. While you're there, why not jump on board and add your own ?

Portland Headlight

Portland Head Light photos by Dan & Tricia DiLorenzo

Over the winter break, we visited some of my old stompin' grounds. 'Twas a crisp & blustery day filled with family & fun. 

watercolor by Hopper at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Commissioned by George Washington, the lighthouse has inspired a number of visitors over the years including Edward Hopper & Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Lighthouse 

by HW.Longfellow

The rocky ledge runs far into the sea,
   And on its outer point, some miles away,
The Lighthouse lifts its massive masonry,
   A pillar of fire by night, of cloud by day. 

Even at this distance I can see the tides,
   Upheaving, break unheard along its base,
A speechless wrath, that rises and subsides
   In the white lip and tremor of the face. 

 

And as the evening darkens, lo! how bright,
   Through the deep purple of the twilight air,
Beams forth the sudden radiance of its light
   With strange, unearthly splendor in the glare! 

                                                  (click here for full poem) 

2012 - Suspension of Disbelief

We have winners! 2 very lucky folks are starting off their New Year with cool free stuff - woo hoo!

Sue Ann from SueAnn.blogspot.com

&

Kat from Emkat-creations.blogspot.com

are the winners of this fun random drawing!

Congrats, Ladies!

 You have each won a $10 gift certificate to MeifaithStudio.etsy.com!

Things are a bit chaotic around here - we are winding down our annual 1/1 feast and a few guests remain. I will contact you tomorrow with instructions for claiming your prizes :) What a great way to start the New Year!!

Jump-starting 2012.... Instead of a resolution this year, I am going with a thought.... Suspension of Disbelief... While I have no trouble with this in the movies, in life....hmmm... not so much. I've decided this is my daily mantra and let the cards fall where they may. Should make for an interesting year - I will keep you posted.

Latest Q & A from Seth Apter's The Pulse

Still surfing the net tonight? The talented & always entertaining mixed media artist Seth Apter has posted some responses to his question 'If you could take a class from one artist from anytime in history, including the present, who would it be and why?' on his wonderful blog today. 'Tis fun to see how many of us responded with the master Leonardo DaVinci. Actually my geeky-self is honored to be included in such an illustrious crowd tonight. Click Here for the latest chapter of Seth's ongoing survey - The Pulse

Best wishes to all for a Happy, Healthy & Creative 2012!