Random Thoughts Tuesday - What'cha doin?

chilling on a summer night

Me? I'm kicking back after a day of catching up. Enjoyed a relaxing week at the beach - sand, sun, lots o' water, tons of fishing &(of course) mini-golf... a much appreciated break. (A few pics here if you're curious)

still fishing

A lovely last minute get away before school kicks in (plus a celebration of our 19th anniversary - where has the time gone?)

copper tree pendant step 1

Saturday I learned copper etching & cold connections from Holly at the brick & mortar shop for ebeads.com. I always have a great time over there. Holly is just so darn nice, knows so much & is happy to share. She is also very patient with newbies like me - an extra plus.

I took a bunch of work in progress photos. Here are a couple. I need to clean up the rest before posting (my point-n-shoot is acting up more than usual, perhaps too much moisture got into it last week). It may take a few days, but I'll add more photos of the class soon.

WIP - etched copper ACEO

We were making jewelry and I thought how cool would it be to etch some copper ACEOs! This piece is etched but hasn't been "aged" in liver of sulfur yet. I also want to add a border of nickel, wood or leather....still debating...

copper etching & cold connections class - photo courtesy of ebeads.com

Good news! Holly will be holding this class again on September 10th. She normally only teaches it once in a blue moon, but so many folks were interested that she's put it on the calender again. Go to the Beads website for details or giver her a buzz at the number you find there with any questions.

More fun on the horizon. Once school resumes, I'll rev the interviews back into gear. I keep running into the most interesting people & can't wait to share them here! Tonight I popped into Michael's Crafts for a minute and  met a local photographer who is about to publish a photo-illustrated dystopian graphic novel series. She's agreed to pop by for a chat soon so check back in a few weeks.

Portrait of Mary Shelley ACEO

Ooh, I almost forgot - leave a comment before 8/18 & you're entered in my random drawing for a mini-print (2.5" x 3.5")  of  Portrait of Mary Shelly. Click here for details.

Well, I'm calling it a night. If you are looking for some more random goodies, visit Stacey Uncorked. She is keeping the home fires burning for the chaotically-inclined-fans-o-Keely while sharing oodles haphazard info today. If you are feeling chatty, post your own babblings & link up! 

Until next time, hope you have a creative day!

RTT - From New Blue to Old Booze

Hey there.

Sorry I've been scarce. Haven't had much time for blogging or art lately. Another week of running around & things should be back to normal. Luckily it is Random Thoughts Tuesday so there's no need for normal today....

Click the purple button to visit The Un Mom, High Priestess of Random, and see what kind of trouble she's getting into today. While you are there, grab your own button & give your brain a flush!

Today's coolest news: Chemists have accidentally invented a New Blue. Click the pic (from the NY Times) to read the article in today's science section. (If the NYT link is acting fussy, you can also read about it HERE)

A few days ago, 1 of my favorite bloggers,Choklit Chanteuse, featured 1 of my favorite puppet masters, Crankbunny. Click Here for Choklit's post. Be sure to watch Crankbunny's short video explaining "Why I make handmade goods".

I bought this fun book, Paper Puppet Palooza, a year ago. Crankbunny (a.k.a. Norma V. Toraya) has put together a great selection of instructions, templates & even a fun gallery of other artists' pieces. If you have an interest in less traditional paper dolls or just a love of whimsy, you need to check out this book.


I know I've raved about LittleRobot before (& I am sure I will again). Lindsey Carr, the talent that is Little Robot, is now selling prints & posting her work over at Society6. I gave into my art addiction & ordered a copy of her gorgeous painting The Fox Confessor.

The Fox Confessor by Lindsey Carr

You can see more of Little Robot's wonderful artwork & catch her blog over at littlerobot.org.uk/.

If you like art & have some time to browse, Society6 has a lot going on. There is a fabulous variety of art being shown & sold. I'm having a grand time looking around over there. Check out this fun illo from Harry Nesbitt:

Fools Rush In by Harry Nesbitt

I've started a page over there too (though there's not much on it yet) - www.society6.com/ArtSnark.

photo from campsmoke.fmallen.com

For some reason I am fascinated by the excavation of Shackelton's whiskey. As a kid I was really into the race for the South Pole. Or maybe I just watched Carpenter's version of The Thing too many times.

In fact I may just need to pour a whiskey & watch it again - it's one of those movies that always seems to be on late at night. There's a version that was cleaned up for USA or one of those channels in the 80s, so all the curses have been dubbed over with something silly. Just adds to the fun...

Well, all right, I'm outa here - hope you all have a wonderful week! By the way, if you haven't entered the 12/3 random drawing for a $10 gift certificate to my etsy shops, just leave a comment & you're in. Click Here for prize details & shop links. There will be 2 winners.

RTT- Random Halloween Thoughts

Monster Mash Shadow Puppet Set by orangemoontoys.etsy.com

I know it's Random Tuesday but I've got Halloween on the brain.

Brains by angelofodd.etsy.com

So between rambling here are some goodies I've unearthed. Click on any image for more info.

Handsome Devil by WinonaCookie.etsy.com

When I was a kid Halloween was my absolute favorite holiday. Not for the sweets (though I certainly devoured more than my share) but for the projects & spooky stuff.

Click Button for some fun projects

Plus it was the one time of year my morbid tendencies were socially acceptable.

Youngblood I by Canace.etsy.com

I've always loved making things & I would start prepping for Halloween when school started each September. My mom was really crafty & we'd make tons of decorations. I used to spend hours coming up with new ideas each year.

Bat Queen Altered Art Paper Doll Kit by IndigoChyld.etsy.com

Life really was much simpler then. I remember being so proud of my giant black squid made out of hefty bags & tinfoil.

Watery Grave 1682 by AzureGrackle.etsy.com

Or how much fun it was to hide behind the woodpile at twilight with a sheet covered umbrella. When my little sister would come outside to get the kindling, I'd make spooky noises while opening & closing the umbrella, making my "Ghost" flutter.

167 Original Monster Art by Harry of 365monsters.etsy.com

Poor kid - I used to scare the willies out of her every chance I got. ( She tells me it is my fault she can't watch scary movies even now)

Blue Widow by rustymermaiddolls.etsy.com

Think she'll forgive me if I sent her one of these cool cards from The Mental Kavity?

Jack O' Lantern Stalks His Prey In The Night by MassacreMike

Doubt It!

I'm The Evil Twin Pendant Necklace by UrsulaandOlive.etsy.com

Hmmm.... I have no idea why the italics won't turn off. Oh well. For some truly random treats today, click the purple button & visit The Un Mom, High Priestess of Tuesday Chaos.

Random Tuesday Time Machine

Since it's Random Tuesday let's fire up the time machine - click on links for more info

On Oct 6 in :

105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri defeat the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus.

- Oops! Too far back, lets try again -

1783 - Benjamin Hanks patents self-winding clock

1849 George Westinghouse is born

1866 - first train robbery in USA

1887 Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris is born
"I prefer drawing to talking. Drawing is faster, and leaves less room for lies." - Le Corbusier

1889 The Moulin Rouge opened

At the Moulin Rouge by Toulouse-Lautrec

1889 - Thomas Edison shows his 1st motion picture - starts at 2:25 on the video below

1927 - The Era of the talkies arrived via Al Jolson & "The Jazz Singer" - Check out this VitaPhone promo for the show - it has some great footage of people at the movie's opening & the announcer is classic

Eh, what? Dang, work beckons. Topic Change before I go

You have probably heard by now that yesterday the FTC ruled bloggers must disclose their freebies when promoting/reviewing items.

For the record, when I've hosted a random drawing for the .coms Uprinting, Digital Room & Online Poster Printing, I have received a gift of the same type of item that is prize.

I do NOT receive anything from others mentioned in this blog, including featured artists. I post Thursday Giveaways, artist features & Saturday Studio tours because (1) I love making some random winner's day, (2) I love learning about & promoting artists (3) and I'm nosy and really get a kick out of the behind the scenes tours.

By The Way:

If you want to enter the latest Uprinting sponsored giveaway (1 custom printed vinyl banner) CLICK HERE for details

To enter random drawing for Cara Walz's Gazelle print CLICK HERE

Well, I've gotta run. For more Random bits click the button above & see what The Un-Mom is up to this week. Ever wonder what Storm Troopers do with their down time? She's got the answer to that & more....

RTT - Random Thoughts & Crafty Coupon Codes

So, How's your Tuesday? Usual madness around here & Random Tuesday Thoughts is such a great way to blow off some steam! If you're only interested in the online coupon codes I picked up at this weekend's craft show, scroll to the end of this post. On the other hand if you're a fan of chaos then come on down!

Brass Goggles, always good for redirecting my obsessions, recently turned me onto David Malki's wondermark.com - a must for comics +/or steampunk fans

Many thanks to Cephalopod Tea Party for the North 40 link - Check it out if you are a Lovecraft fan

Hmmm...accidental comics theme here. Just 1 more I promise: A shout out to Mike of The Mental Kavity - thanks for bringing Warren Ellis' Frankenstein's Womb to my attention! You can read a few sneak peek pages of this graphic novella over at Mike's blog HERE

Back to the random- I love the cards over at OhSoSassyGreetings on Etsy! This one cracked me up today

Girlfriend you're better off WITHOUT him by Kathy

Have you visited Maureen Tillman's shop on etsy? I love her artwork. She's got a great eye for collage & color!

Portals by Maureen Tillman

and a wonderful sense of whimsy. Check out this confident little fairy

Dreamers... by Maureen Tillman

Maureen, Kathy & many other members of the Etsy Melange (Mixed Media + collage) Team are having a 15% off sale this weekend. For links to the participating Etsy shops, CLICK HERE and open the comments. More members are signing on each day.

Yep, I'm there too. In fact I am having a sale of 15% off everything in all 3 of my etsy shops: ArtSnark, ColorTheSky & SteamDreams all weekend. I'll happily combine shipping as needed. Plus I will be adding some new items over the next few days.

Speaking of Etsy, have you ever seen handmademovement.com? These guys are too cool. They pick shops that have few to no sales, announce the name on their site with a date & time. Then the Sneak Attack begins. People shop the scheduled seller at the same time - giving them a much needed boost. Seems like a really fun idea.

Oh, before I forget, The Queen Of Cups Runneth Over is having a random drawing for some great stuff. Just click here for pics & rules

IF you haven't entered my Thursday Giveaway random drawing yet, please do! Just leave a comment here before noon (EST) on 8/6 to enter. Prize is a tote bag filled with crafty goodies - you can see pics & list of items HERE

OK, now on with the CODES! These are a few online coupon codes from various vendors at the CHA Craft Supershow. Text here is exactly as it appears on coupons. I've not used most of these products so not endorsing, just passing on the info.

15% off your 1st www.dewberrycrafts.com order - Promo Code CHADISC - no expiration date on my coupon

Free Shipping with purchases over $100 - www.premieryarns.com - no expiration date on my coupon

Save 20% on any order of $50 or more when you visit any of the following websites: www.TheLeisureBoutique.com, www.CrochetSoiree.com, www.LeisureArts.com, www.FreePetProjects.com - Enter Code FAMILY4-no expiration date on my coupon

Sign up for the www.TwoPeasInABucket.com newsletter and receive a monthly coupon code to receive FREE SHIPPING on orders of physical product totalling $50 or more-- no expiration date on my coupon

Visit www.gluearts.com and use the promotion code BOGO99 (in your online shopping basket) to take advantage of this fabulous BOGO sale, Buy One Get One Free ! Hurry offer ends August 31, 2009! This offer can not be combined with any other offer or discount.

My Note:above disclaimer is on each coupon (1 coupon for each item) There are 8 coupons as follows:BOGO Glue Glider Max continuois adhesive applicator, BOGO Glue GLider Max refill cartridge, BOGO Adhesive Squares 300 & 1000 count rolls, WallArt Decor Adhesive both sheet sizes vinyl & new tape, BOGO Vellum totally transparent Adhesive film, BOGO Ribbon Adhesive, BOGO Crop & Glue non liqued instant mounting adhesive, BOGO Glue Rings

Phew! Think I got em all. If I come across anymore I'll let you know. In the meantime if you are looking for some truly random madness, pop over to The Un Mom & see what Keely and her fellow fans of chaos are up to today

Idle + Random - IF meets RTT

Curiosity is idle only to those who fail to realize that it may be a very rare and indispensable thing.
- James Harvey Robinson

Idle Hours - work in progress

Illustration Friday's prompt was idle. That triggered 2 ideas. The first (watercolor & ink on scrapbook paper) is still evolving but I have a hunch that if I don't post a WIP it won't get put up for a while. This piece keeps wandering around on its own - I'm not sure where it will end up. I fear it has drifted off the path - of course that is usually when the journey gets interesting. If you get a chance, visit I.F. & check out the great variety of submissions. Or enter your own creation if you're feeling inspired.

This week's a bit rushed but here are a few Random Tuesday Thoughts:

Anybody into the magazine Where Women Create? Through Sandra Evertson's blog, I found this "Online resource - Inspire, Connect Share"

Keep meaning to make one of these - DIY playing card top hat!

Like wordplay? Cross a thesaurus with a mobile & you get Visuwords!

Always behind the times, I just heard The Puppini Sisters for the 1st time yesterday - great stuff!

Couple of cool random drawings from 2 of my favorite bloggers/artists. Visit their blogs for contest details :

Poet's Narcissus by La Donna Welter

La Donna's will pick 1 lucky winner on August 10th. Click on photo of prize to visit her blog, LaDonna Papercutting.

January Wish is sponsoring a giveaway of Alessandra Fusi's artwork. Click here for details

Last but not least, for all you zombie fans: Have you checked out Lili's Lair yet? If not Here you go

Gotta Run. Rampaging zombies? Nah, just deadlines (only scary to me). If you have some idle time, pop over & see what wild RTT is running about over at The Un Mom today Got a little more time? Grab a button & play along!

Also there is still time to enter Thursday's Random drawing for a custom 16" x 20" photo printed on gallery wrapped canvas. CLICK HERE for details.

RTT hit & run

I have grown to love Tuesdays since discovering Random Tuesday Thoughts!

Today I'm in a rush so I'm snagging some of my bookmarked sites to share. If you have a few minutes, give a click or 2:

Giant scrap metal dinosaurs & other cool sculptures by John Lopez

Watched the 1954 Disnified 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea last night. Oh man, I loved that movie as a kid! James Mason was the perfect Nemo but what is with the Kirk Douglas musical numbers?! You can hear 1 HERE. Over the years, I seem to have forgotten the MST3k worthy bits. And I'd swear that giant squid was much much bigger when I was 8 yrs old!!

www.olly.ch is a must for Nautilus fans! Check out this amazing home theater by Olly Klassen. He's also got some great WIP shots of the room coming together on his site.

Brass Goggles, a fun place to lose track of time, featured Mr Klassen's site last week.

Another great site somebody mentioned on one of my arty haunts (can't remember who -sorry) is mixed-media-artist.com. Fab mix of art & techniques. You've gotta love an artist who is "Emptying landfills, one project at a time!"

Flying-pig has some really cute "paper animation kits". These are paper mechanical toys that you can download & print for free

Also there's This To That "Because people have a need to glue things to other things"

I almost forgot the online art magazine, Blanket. Seriously Rocks! And I'm not just saying that cuz my Sinister Gentleman is on pg 22 of the current issue.

A Sinister Gentleman

This issue the theme is Portraits & he's included in the Re_Action section (where readers submit work in response to upcoming themes). Unlike some online mags it is not free (costs $2). But if you're into art, Blanket is always a good read & full of amazing eye candy.

Oops, running overtime...I do babble, don't I ? For more random-fun go see what the Keely The Un Mom & Queen of Chaos is up to this week. Tell her the zombies sent you.

I almost forgot, just leave a comment before noon (EST) Thursday 7/9 to be entered in this week's random drawing. More info on giveaway & this week's prize ( a customizable art-box) can be found here

RTT- Just a wee bit-o-random today

Getting a head start on my Random Tuesday Thoughts. I have a hunch that once the day's madness begins, I may not make it back here. Just 1 of those week's already

Spent the weekend building a ginormous outdoor playset - holy $h*+! Rediscovered some muscles I forgot I had. Too tired to work on art in the p.m. so cramming to meet some deadlines. (Just fun stuff tho - no paying gigs)

I joined an art book-group for Twilight over at ZNE. While not thrilled with the series, I do love me some vampires & there are some great images throughout the book. It looks like we'll be reading & then making art for each chapter. Fun stuff. I think there'll be some public pics up Wednesday. Will post a link then. In the meantime here's a sneaky peak of my illo's inking phase:

Inspired by Oblivion Stock over at DeviantArt.

Oh, if you're more into Buffy than Edward, this is priceless. The Un Mom graciously shared it recently

Also up this week is a mechanical toy I've finished in my head but had no time to make. I keep dumbing it down for speed of assembly. If I don't watch out, it will be a painted rock by the time I'm done.

Found out about this Diary project over at Ewian's blog. Check it out - still some openings left but deadline is looming. Just click on the box above.

I absolutely love Ewian's artwork. She has such a vibrant & distinctive style. A very sweet person too - always ready with a kind comment plus she sent me this fabulous field guide:

Hey, had to sneak those zombies in here somewhere - it is Tuesday after all ;D

Ewian also has a great art supplies giveaway going on right so, so hop on over & check it out!

Dang, gotta hit the hay. Tuesday snuck up on me when I wasn't looking. If you're looking for more chaotic goodness, pop on over to the Admiral of Anarchy (ok ok I'll admit I'm stretching on that one), The Un Mom. There is always something wacky going on over there any day of the week!

Man this post keeps running on. But I almost forgot to mention a reminder that there is no random drawing this Thursday. Check back on the 9th to see who wins one of my art boxes, customized with their choice of image & text. Click HERE for details and a photo of a similar piece. To enter the giveaway just leave a comment on this blog before noon (EST) on July 9th.

RTT is great...but can you dance to it?

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese Proverb

I sooo love Random Tuesday. It's the bebop of blogging. Welcome to the jam session! Grab a button & play along

After 60 years clarinetist Stanley Drucker is retiring from the NY Philharmonic. He will have played in over 10,200 concerts. I caught this story in the shower this morning. He talked about backstage poker games in the 40s & other cool stuff. Learn a bit about Stanley at NPR.

Check out this vivacious gal from ArtFreebies

But she should be wearing this!!


Or anything else from BoringSidney

Take a minute & check out this fab etsy shop (great photos too)

The Lituus is back! WooHoo! Ok, so you can't see the mild sarcasm. Actually this is very cool.

I nicked the photo from Physorg.com. There's also an article & slide show on the recreation of this extinct musical instrument .

Last Wednesday's Melange challenge prompt was Dance. To play along, just CLICK HERE & link to your dance themed art.While you are there, visit the other lively pieces .

I was fussing with a collage for the challenge, but The Muse & I both wanted to lead. After stepping on each others toes, she elbowed me in the ribs & we went our separate ways. In the meantime here's an ACEO I made a while back.

She looks kind of unpleasant so I've decided she's really a Gorgon. Her sisters are here too.

These pieces are in layers & the top layer is a gold frosted paper.

They're all a little "off" - that metallic paper is a bear to photograph. It is kinda cool in hand though. Hold it one way you see the image. Tilt it a bit & all you see is the frosty gold & text.

Popped over to godchecker.com (great site by the way) & tossed Medusa into the search. I'd forgotten that she was once a lovely lady before a jealous Athena got a hold of her. Apparently her sisters, Stheno & Euryale, are super nasty AND immortal. Don't want to be running into them down some dark alley.

Somebody else who scares me a little, but in a good way, Is Keely The Un Mom. She's sort of the conductor (or is it high priestess?) of the Random Tuesday Thoughts orchestra. And the only person I (really don't) know who is taking on ninjas, chocolate cake, and dead mice all at once today.

Before you go, leave a comment! How much do I love hearing from you? Sooo much that your impulsive thought gets you 1 Entry into this Thursday's random Giveaway drawing. Actually, 2 since I'm drawing for an extra prize this week. For details & prize info CLICK HERE