'He was always there' (lots of art and talking)

If you don't like creepy things, just skip this part of my blog. I don't mention anything that spooky, but I will not be held responsible if you click the link and spook yourself.

So my good friend Aaron, like me is a writer (he was one of my NaNoWriMo buddies and will be doing Script Frenzy as well). During NaNoWriMo, he wrote several short stories and I have had the pleasure of reading two of them. The first was a short story called Liver, it was fairly short, and reminded me of something that would be told around a campfire (maybe because I like campfire stories).

The second was a good bit longer, he gave it to me about two weeks ago. It was called 'Runner in the Woods'.  This story although it doesn't outright say it, is a Slender Man story. If you don't know about slender man (maybe you don't like creepy stuff or have been living under a rock) it is an urban legend/mythos about a  very tall, very very slender man who seems to be wearing some sort of suit, and has very long appendages (sometimes more then one is suppose to have). I won't tell you much more since it is part of the story that the more you know the more you see him but, if you are interested click the link above or Google him.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this story, and I thought it was creepy, although it creeped me out for reasons that are very specific to me (I think). For example, I use to see things in the shadows of my bedroom, I had (maybe have sometimes) very violent night terrors and I have frequent nightmare but can't remember them (I will wake up  terrified and I don't know what). But pretty much the whole aspect of there always being something there, watching me, playing on my life brought me back to that and weirded me out. But I still loved the story, and plan to cover it in post-it notes before returning it.

In fact I love it enough to draw fan art.

"He Was Always There"

This picture isn't the best, I will try to to scan it when I get home. I wanted to make the picture simple, although it was more awesome in my head. I also don't think I made him tall enough, but if it looks like he blends in with the forest, well at least I did something right.  I may do a few smaller pieces (ATC's) at another point in time (possibly this afternoon).

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If you clicked that link and creeped yourself out, enjoy a picture of my adorable cat in the fire pit me and my family built this past weekend.

Now that you have seen my new fire pit and awwed at my kitty, I would like to share some more art I've done lately. I did a dozen inchies and two ATC's. I also made an ice dragon out of sculpy clay.  I also have a few nature photos that I took this Monday.

First up is my Goth Fairy ATC. I can't find this one and am positive that it didn't get mailed so.... I'm going to have to redo it. Bummer, at least I took a picture first.

Next I have a dozen inchies for my monthly dozen inchie swap, I went with just a spring theme because spring is supposidly here (the weather hasn't been acting it though).

Weren't those lovely? The next one is an ocean themed ATC. It was free theme and I was going to draw something spring like to match my inchies but I got the ocean stuck in my head. So... here you go.

So I was invited to try clay with my sister and best friend so I decided to make an ice dragon. I think he turned out pretty cool. I think I have some work to go, but I think I could make sale quality dragons, some of my friends already want one, so yea! I named him Rawr, I won't tell you how he got his name, it was kinda a funny story. :)

Bloop Bloop. :) Okay, this first picture I took of a blossoming apricot tree two doors down from my house. I thought this photo turned out nice with the branch against the clear blue sky.

This next picture is of some sort of willow type plant (i think) near the church where I lead Girl Scouts. I thought it looked so beautiful in sort of half bloom (the whole thing wasn't in bloom yet). The pictures of the whole thing look so so but this close up looks pretty good.

I feel like I should be stealing my friend AD's blog title, 'This Blog has ADD' because I feel like the blog was one big ADD rant as it goes through all different stuff. But really, that is me, I think I am a very eclectic person who enjoys lots of stuff.

Etsy Feature #2 (Review)

I don't know if I said this before but I do want to do features of Etsy store owners and probably people on Deviantart as well as other artist I come across. Now if I have any features marked as 'review' that means that I have bought from them and can give you my opinion on their products in person. I like to keep things positive so unless I find someone selling copied/bootlegged art or unsafe/misleading products, ect I am going to keep my showcase of artist and shops positive.  I also will feature some of my feature bloggers, both crafty bloggers and non-crafty bloggers.

If you have a blog/shop/artist (be yourself or someone else ) you are welcome to email me (dottcom6687@aol.com) please send me a link, give me your favorite piece of art/item, and why you think I should feature them.


I consider this to be a predominately art blog, and I (obviously) consider writing an art form. I may start posting reviews of books I have read, and maybe even put together lists of music that inspire me through a certain piece. If you have any feelings on this, let me know.

In case anyone cares, I plan to do Script Frenzy in April (you can find me here). But I am not totally prepared and nervous about writing in a movie format. But we shall see how that goes.... You an also expect more pictures of inchies and atc's I have been working on as well as the long promised pics of things I have received from swap-bot.

Now I think that is everything now on to my etsy feature!

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I remembers around this time last year that my sister mentioned wanting a sturdy, blank book to use. Well a few months later I put out an alchemy (custom item) request on Etsy. My request was for a fairy/faerie that looked like my sister (dark curly hair, freckles, glasses) blue wings, and sitting with two hedgehogs (I posted a picture of them). About nine (I think) artist that responded, and they were all very awesome and talented. But I eventually decided to go with rachelrolseth. Rachel Rolseth was extremely pleasant, she was wonderful, nice and kept great communication the entire time, all very professional. She painted a beautiful image on a big study sketchbook and sealed it. It was all very worth everything I paid for it (although it had to be Christmas present, we pitched in for a laptop for my sisters birthday).

Here is the notebook, doesn't it look super cute?

Rachel's style of artwork I find to be very unique, she uses a lot of muted and neutral color and uses crows and ravens very frequently in many of her works. Overall I think she is a very talents artist, you should all hop over there are check her out, she also has a website here where you can see her gallery, blog, and other stuff.  Now for a few of my favorite pieces she has currently available.

The Sun...

So... life has been pretty crazy lately, work has been giving me a lot of hours lately so not as much time to craft. but I am working on/have finished a few things lately and will upload some pictures soon, mostly inchies and ATC's. I will also take pictures of things that I have received so I an show them off.

I've got a least one project coming up (for a swap, it's a bit one). It's a fashion photo shoot, and it can be ANY type of fashion, and I have a few ideas rolling around  so we will see how it goes. I also hope to get a table in the Artist Alley at Otakon, and if I do I will be working with my sister and best friend to do clay charms, clay food and props for dolls, and and buttons as well as solo stuff like ATC's, stickers and doll clothes, so yay.

But here is the other poem I wrote to go with my moon poem, enjoy.
 

Sun

By Valerie Kessler

The guardian of all, Moon,

Forever watching us she drifts into the background

As the last rays of darkness fade

Softly the colors creep as Sun rises from her slumber

Peering over the unreachable,

Showering beams of life on all things living and not,

She warms our skin, and encourages things to grow.

But Sun is fickle.

She bears down heavily on some places, scorching the earth,

And scarcely touches others, leaving them locked in ice. 

Sometimes she burns our flesh when we bask in her glory to long,

And other times she hides behind the clouds, leaving us to shiver.

But we still love her for she gives her very life to us.

So will continue to rejoice at her presence,

And to forgive her when she has hurt us.

For an eternity before us and an eternity after us,

Sun has given life and warmth

But in the unimaginable, when all her life is gone and she has nothing left to give

And all that remains is her dim shell

We will weep, for it means the end of us as well.

But until then, we will continue on,

Watching her, loving her as she rises and then after her days work, falls,

Slipping into slumber as the velvet darkness over takes over her bright farewell

And Moon drifts into view to watch us as we to, sleep.

ATC's and Other Stuff

So it's not much, but I have been trying my hand at a few ATC's. I enjoy their 'smallness' and think I will start trading them, however I do enjoy the challenge of an inchie even more. Now I've made a few other  ATC's but I am forgetful and easily excitable, and I forget to take pictures of them. (It wasn't many, maybe two or three...) But I thought I'd share the ones that I did photograph.

This one is for a Rocky Horror Picture Show ATC swap that I did. I gave the ATC I received to my sister (the reason I joined the swap). Not that I don't like RHPS but I think she enjoys it more.  I like the time warp so that is why I picked to do that, plus Frank-N-Furters pearls/corset thing, Colombia's hat, and a little lightning. Done with pen and glitter glue on Bristol ATC paper.

This swap, we had to do something green, and the person receiving my ATC likes birds, so I decided a parrot would be great! It's modeled after a green conure, I hope that is obvious. I think he/she turned out pretty cute. Colored pencils or bristol paper.

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So on the swap agenda left I have the following to work on:

Photography:
Scenary Swap (Two photos, two partners)-Already taken and waiting to be emailed
It's Framable (One Photo, One Partner)- Not started
Fashion Photography (One Partner, a bit of a project)-Began Brainstorming

ATC's/Inchies:
Gothic Fairy ATC (One ATC, One Partner)-Brainstorming
One Dozen Inchies: March - (Six Inchies, Two Partners)
Monopoly Inchies (2 of 7) (Six ATC's, One Partner)-Research
Letter and ATC- (One letter and ATC, One Partner)-Not Assigned

Other Art/CraftBi
Anime Art Swap ('One' Art Piece, Two Partners)-Not Assigned

Other Stuff:
Spa Day (Whole Mess of Stuff, One Partner)-Not Assigned
Big Fat Stuffed Envelope Angel (Stuff!)-Gathering