Flickr Friday with Robert Dunn

26 Feb, 2010 by in robert dunn 4 comments

Today’s Flickr Friday artist is Rewedagain –Robert Dunn

His whimsical watercolor-like illustrations called to me. And, I so want to travel to Scotland so when I found out that’s where he is from it made him even more cool! Here’s our interview:

Where were you born?
Paisley, Scotland. I wouldn’t stop there if you’re ever driving by…

Did you graduate from college, if so from where and in what major?
I have a complicated history with the education system. It wasn’t until the late nineties that I realised I had no interest in studying or painting fine art. I quit art school after three days and ended up studying illustration in Glasgow… Having an interest in what I was doing made all the difference and I ended up doing quite well in that little class.

What are your hobbies?
Ha! You’re assuming I have time for hobbies… everything at the moment is wrapped up in drawing and being a dad. Go back in time three years and ask me the question again…

What are your favorite all-time books?
The New York Trilogy (Paul Auster)… Lunar Park (Brett Easton Ellis)… Bukowski, Hunter… you know – cheery stuff.

Who is your hero/ mentor?
My wife keeps me in check…. She takes b.s. from nobody. Everybody should have one.

What suggestion would you give young writers?
Ask yourself why you’re doing it. Is it a need? A compulsion? How dedicated are you… I’d suggest people should weigh up in their heads exactly the lengths they’d be prepared to go to to succeed.

Do you have another day job?
I am the sixth worst civil servant in the Scottish Land registry… It’s straight out of Brazil. (WOW!!!!)

Favorite music? Does music or art inspire your work?
Of course. I like bleak nosiy music that accurately recreates the sensation of screaming in a coffin… Art – I mostly just like Illustrators. Arthur Rackham, Ian Miller, James Jean, Ray Ceaser, Laurie Lipton, Derek Hess, Chris Mars… Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro are obvious influences…

Are you working on any books right now?
If I was foolhardy enough to brave crawling through the work, folios, papers and writings that hide in the empyreal that is my attic, then I could pull out at least three for you…

What is your all-time favorite children’s book?
George’s marvellous medicine… maybe it was Rick Mayall narrating it on Jackanory when I was young that added to the madness associated with that book…

What are the names of your published works?
Presently it’s all magazine work…

How did you find an agent?
I had a few names to check out… I picked the ten best pics from the forty or so pieces I’d done in the previous six months and emailed them. I got a reply a day or two later and that was that…

Where did the inspiration for your book come from?
I have a large queue of images in my head that form when I’m not looking. I don’t use source material or particularly seek out inspiration… although in saying that, words are great stimulus. I love the Illustration Friday challenge… one word and bam! – another headfull…

Check out Robert’s amazing photostream here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39662690@N08/ Go forth and comment!

Book Review- Devils Kiss by Sarwat Chadda

25 Feb, 2010 by in book review, paranormal YA fiction, sarwat chadda 1 comment

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1423119991
4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads :As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn’t normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a soldier in her order’s ancient battle against the Unholy.

Billi’s cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He’s ready to reclaim his place in Billi’s life, but she’s met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.

But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life. One of the order’s ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years — a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all of London’s firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined.

Sarwat Chadda does an amazing job of weaving historical content, religion and myth into this story of Billi Sangreal’s effort to accept her life as a Templar. I found his writing to be rich and highly intelligent. Chadda makes the vampire, ghuls, werewolves, warriors and fallen angels his own. “The Dead should not linger” is what he told me…

Billi is a strong willed protagonist with a mind of her own who become attracted to a mysterious man who comes to her rescue and helps save her life. But also enter in to the equation Kay, her life long friend w ho is an eternal optimist and has powers he yet will realize over the occult. The classic pull between good and evil with a twist of romance and history made this an awesome read. I think you’ll find Devil’s Kiss to be creepy, yet classical at the same time. Chadda announced his second novel, the Dark Goddess “comes out July (UK) but Jan (US) and the versions will be subtly different.” We can’t wait! Follow him on twitter @sarwatchadda and check out his website http://www.sarwatchadda.com/

Here’s the trailer for Devil’s Kiss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ0ecooQGV4 and a photo gallery I made on Flickr with images that reminded me of the book and taught me about the Knights Templar

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherzahngardner/galleries/72157623488589080/ You’ll be sucked in as I was to all of the history in this book!

Win a tatted templar cross in the post below and stay tuned for more Devil’s Kiss inspired giveaways!

Tatted Templar Pendant by TotusMel

25 Feb, 2010 by in etsy, templar, totusmel 27 comments


Today’s giveaway is by etsy seller TotusMel. I found her after reading the book “Devil’s Kiss” by Sarwat Chadda. Searching for Kinights Templar items I discovered her super steam punky necklaces…
Hi, my name is Pamela Quevedo. I’m a stay at home mom to 2 wonderful little girls. I’ve been creating stuff since I can remember & I’ve never stopped teaching myself new things. While this site focuses mostly on my needle tatting, I’m also known to cross stitch, knit, crochet, sew, bead, play with perler beads, tear apart motherboards for interesting parts & I even draw on occasion.
My goal with my tatting is to not only to make it wearable, but interesting & dare I say hip. I’m always interested in feedback on my styles & color choices.

I can also be contacted at

http://totusmel.blogspot.com/
http://facebook.com/TotusMelTats
http://twitter.com/totusmel

Proud member of Etsy Steam. Search for; SteamTeam .Description of the pendant
This pendant began as the center of a vintage pattern. Hung by a corner, it reminds me a bit of a Templar cross.

The pendant measures 1.75″(4.5cm) across and hands from a silver plated ring. A black 24″(61cm) ribbon is included

To Enter to win one hand tatted necklace:
leave your name and email address below
Additional entries
+2 go to her shop and comment on your favorite item by pasting the link
+2 go to Etsy and heart her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/TotusMel
+3 tweet this contest-leave the link
+5 post it on your blog or facebook- leave the link
+5 add our button to your blog
+3 follow both of us on twitter @FireIcePhotos and @TotusMel
+3 follow our blog or hers (see links above)
+3 become a fan of Fire and Ice or TotusMelTats
Add your entries up and leave the total in your comment

Contest ends on March 25th, 2010 and is open internationally. Please email us of you cannot comment below. Thanks and Good Luck!

Fairy Tale Steampunk Bookmarks by RusticGoth

24 Feb, 2010 by in etsy, rustic goth, steampunk 41 comments

Today’s giveaway comes from the Rustic Goth Shop! She has given us two sets of three handmade bookmarks of original art. Here’s her bio “My dark and dreamy paintings and prints are rather sad and surreal in nature, at times a little whimsical and weird.

“Creating art is what I do…it is how I live… how I connect with the world that exists
outside of my studio…how I connect with my own feelings.

It is my hope that each work of art that I create, invoke a reaction, of some kind, in the
viewer….and a special connection with it’s owner.”

For Rustic Goth news, updates, reader discounts
and more..
Please visit my blog…
http://anotherpaintingblog.blogspot.com/
♥ ♥ ♥>->->->->♥ ♥ ♥->->->->->-♥ ♥ ♥
Follow me on Twitter…
http://www.twitter.com/RusticGoth
and on Facebook…
http://www.facebook.com/RusticGoth
♥ ♥ ♥

Thank you for your visit!

♥ ♥ ♥>->->->-♥ ♥ ♥>->->->-♥ ♥ ♥>->->->-♥ ♥ ♥

Images and Artwork © Charlene Murray Zatloukal

To Enter to win one set of three bookmarks simply

leave your name and email address below:
there are two winners, one for each set of three…
Additional entries
+2 go to her shop and comment on your favorite item by pasting the link
+2 go to Etsy and heart her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/rusticgoth
+3 tweet this contest-leave the link
+5 post it on your blog or facebook- leave the link
+5 add our button to your blog
+3 follow both of us on twitter @FireIcePhotos and @RusticGoth
+3 follow our blog or hers
+3 become a fan of Fire and Ice or RusticGoth

Add your entries up and leave the total in your comment

Contest ends on March 25th, 2010 and is open internationally. Please email us of you cannot comment below.  Thanks and Good Luck!

Picking Dandelions Blog Tour

24 Feb, 2010 by in picking dandelions, sarah cunningham 1 comment


published February 1st 2010 by Zondervan
details Paperback, 224 pages
isbn 0310292476

Summary Form Good Reads- In Picking Dandelions, author Sara Cunningham explains how coming to religion through the front door—rather than through a weeping, born-again conversion—can make it difficult to understand how faith changes life, and even harder to grasp why it must. This memoir is a candid and personal account of outgrowing laissez-faire Christianity, moving into mature faith, and realizing that a God-following person is a changing person … and you just might follow suit.

Picking Dandelions is a poetic memoir of Sara’s childhood that really pulls the reader in and feel a part of it. Her writing is poetic ands beautiful as she describes growing up in a world that does not resemble Eden but is magical none the less. Her descriptions of corn fields, games, and neighborhood friends make you re-live your own memories.
“All of our life- our house, our yard, ad the worlds of our imaginations- was a mystery like the Nancy Drew books I devoured.” p.18
I truly enjoyed how Sara described her faith as a child and how she changed as the book progressed. …”as a child my faith was just fine, thank you, swinging above the danger to the safety of our tree-plank, breeze in my hair.” p.24
As Sara grows up she learns she is living in the world and that world has flaws and so does she. We go with her through life experiences and she begins to acknowledge that Faith takes every day weeding and re-seeding….”the overall summary is that some changes went well, but others didn’t, and almost all are still in process. Like that dandelion, I reproduces flaws a number of times along the way.” p. 169
What a great book with a beautiful message. Be a good gardener of the small strip of land you live in, work with faith in a world full of weeds and beautiful things will grow.
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Steampunk Alice In Wonderland Signed Art

23 Feb, 2010 by in etsy, steampunk, strangeling 37 comments


Our giveaway today is for one of three signed prints from Etsy seller and artist Strangeling. Her work is unbelievable!

Here’s a little bit more about Jasmine: My name is Jasmine Becket-Griffith. (Aka Strangeling or mis-spelled as Jasmine Beckett-Griffith). I am 30 years old and I live in beautiful Celebration, Florida. I am a full-time artist and I make my living selling my artwork. I have been selling my original Fairy, Gothic, and Fantasy artwork online since 1997. You are purchasing this artwork directly from me, the artist. My original paintings are all acrylics on canvas or wood – all painted by hand, the old-fashioned way. All prints are made by myself & my husband Matty, here in our living room – and signed by me, the artist! I make all of my jewelry myself as well. I feel that it is important for me to sell my work directly to my fans, without the needless expenses or pretension of a gallery or middleman. I grow weary of the mundane world, and I am trying to slowly create my own through my fantasy artwork. I believe that with each piece of art I get out of my system, onto paper, and into your home I have done my part to make this place a more magical planet. You may know my work from countless books and lines of merchandise, especially through Hot Topic, Torrid, Target, SuperTarget, the Bradford Exchange, Hamilton Collection, etc. as well as my website http://www.strangeling.com/ ! Here is your chance to own the actual artwork. My work can be found in collections and galleries throughout the world, and am featured in the books “The Art of Faery” & “The World of Faery,” “Big Eye Art: Resurrected and Transformed,” “Spectrum” number 11, 13, and 15, “Gothic Art Now,” and others. Also be sure to check out my solo art book called “Fairy: the Art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith,” “Jasmine Becket-Griffith: Portfolio Volume I” and my new book “Jasmine Becket-Griffith: Portfolio Volume II” now available. When I’m not painting, I’m reading, spending time with my family, petting my cats (Mama Wolf and Tigrillo), playing outdoors, listening to music, or traveling. I enjoy traveling all over the world, whether it be for my art shows & conventions or just for fun and exploration! I love the ocean and spend a lot of time island hopping in the Caribbean, playing pirate. I also love visiting museums and historic sites throughout Europe. A lot of my travels end up as being sources of inspiration for my paintings!

Strangeling has donated Three Signed 8×10 Fine Art prints to us

To enter to win one (there are three winners) …leave your name, email address, and favorite print of the three below:

Additional entries
+2 go to her shop and comment on your favorite item by pasting the link
+2 go to Etsy and heart her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/strangeling
+3 follow her on twitter @Jasminetoad
+3 tweet this contest-leave the link
+5 post it on your blog or facebook- leave the link
+5 add our button to your blog
+3 follow us on twitter @FireIcePhotos
+3 follow our blog
+3 become a fan of Fire and Ice on Facebook

Add your entries up and leave the total in your comment

Contest ends March 23rd and is open to International Entries. Good Luck!

Teaser Tuesday-The Sorcerer King

23 Feb, 2010 by in seventh daughter, Sorcerer King 15 comments


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here’s my teaser: “The tension rose as they made their way along the valley. Tania’s head ached with strain. She felt like yelling out to the creatures–anything to break the deadly volatile silence.” (okay so it’s three sentences)

p. 196 The Seventh Daughter previously published as The Sorcerer King by Frewin Jones Book #3 of the Faerie Path
A special unnanounced treat for my loyal blog readers…Leave a comment below to be entered to win the first book in the series “The Faerie Path” Winner will be drawn on March 26th, 2010.

Mom’s Monday Giveaway-Vintage Little People Jewelry

22 Feb, 2010 by in etsy, vintage 16 comments



Today’s giveaway is from Etsy seller Green Cricket. I am a huge vintage fisher price fan, so I thought these little beauties would be perfect for MOM’s Monday!

Her bio: Part treasure hunter, part explorer, part salvage artist.

Welcome to Green Cricket and thanks for stopping by.

Restoring unwanted thrift, salvaging curbside castoffs and overall treasure hunting are at the heart of my shop. I am always experimenting and evolving my craft, so its often a surprise what you will find.

Besides my larger furniture pieces, my latest finds include vintage Fisher Price people, groovy LP’s and retro reels of film. My shop also includes a little vintage….all that treasure hunting unearths some awesome finds that I just have to share.

To check out past transformations, see what inspires me and to get a sneak peek at upcoming projects, check out my blog.
*********************************************************************************************
http://www.greencricketsalvage.com/

I am also on Facebook. Search GREEN CRICKET SALVAGE and click on photos. There you can see all the before and afters.

Thank you for supporting independent art and making the planet a little greener by buying recycled goods.

-Beth

Who doesn’t get a nostalgic, warm fuzzy feeling when you see these little faces? Now, carry that feeling all day by sporting one around your neck.

Vintage Fisher Price little people have attached hardware and include a ball chain. Making these once well loved toys into perfect necklaces (or key chains, the chain can be easily cut.)

To enter to win a little people necklace…leave your name and email address below:

Additional entries
+2 go to her shop and comment on your favorite item by pasting the link
+2 go to Etsy and heart her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/greencricket
+3 visit her blog and comment http://www.greencricketsalvage.com/
+3 Become a fan on facebook of Green Cricket Salvage
+3 tweet this contest-leave the link
+5 post it on your blog or facebook- leave the link
+5 add our button to your blog
+3 follow us on twitter @FireIcePhotos
+3 follow our blog
+3 become a fan of Fire and Ice on Facebook

Add your entries up and leave the total in your comment

Contest ends March 22nd and is open to International Entries. Good Luck!