Ever After

So for my final contest piece, inspired by Rebecca S.'s "Once upon a time they lived happily ever after...and this is how it all began"...

Reading (mush)Room

The second of my contest winner suggestions:

For DalaHorse's "I put it under the magnifying glass and..."

Artwork Ideas

So I'm trying to come up with ideas for this new sketchbook, Fill Me With Stories. I have a few. Some of them are just titles, at this point... so I thought I'd see if any of my faithful readers have any ideas.
Last time I did that I got some fabulous ideas!
So here's some of the "titles" I have in mind (each line is a separate "title"):

once upon a time there was...
and then there was...
then one day...
there was this girl...
and then there was this other thing...
and then i had this dream
and then what do you think happened?
the other day I saw...
i overheard...
and then something mysterious happened...
and before they knew it...
it was a dark and stormy night...
and off in the distance...
and they lived happily ever after...
...or did they?


I'd take a title suggestion, or even a suggestion for a picture.
Like last time, we 'll make a contest out of it! Whichever one(s) I decide to use, the person(s) who made the suggestion(s) will get a print of the final artwork.

Let's give it two weeks and see what we get, shall we?

And we have...

...a winner!

Last night I enlisted the help of Secret Agent Man and we picked a wiener, I mean, winner, for the giveaway.

[drum roll here]

Pseudonymous High School Teacher! Yea!


I hate her because she lives in Hawaii and I don't.
I love her because she's awesome and has followed me a long time. (For whatever reason I can't quite figure out...) And one of these days I'm going to call her up and say, hey, can I come camp in your backyard?
And she also has a lovely blog - so go visit!

So, thanks to all who played along.
If you didn't win and really, really wanted to, I'm sorry. But stay tuned, because I'm going to have another giveaway once I get this Sketchbook Project project done, for one of the art pieces that's going in the book. So keep watching. I know it's not as groovy as one of MoseyDog's rings, but since her stuff is still phenomenally priced, you should all go buy something anyway.

Drumroll please...

No? Ok. That's fine. I'll just toot my own horn instead.

Ha!

Seriously though, I have finished (more or less) the two winning ideas from my giveaway last week.
First up, Otin's idea: I could picture a sad little girl holding a dirigible tied to a string. she is sad because she wanted a shiny red balloon and not a drab, gray dirigible.



I love her sad little face...although, truth be told, she has that look like she might pitch a royal temper tantrum any second now!




I also had picked an idea presented by Ellie: Either an super eel monorail, or an octopus hot air balloon.
I may, at some time, visit the super eel monorail idea, but I loved the octopus hot air balloon idea.
And here he is:


You may ask, "why Japanese lanterns?" To which I will reply, "why not?" I dunno, I just thought they'd look pretty. I have a weird imagination, I will admit.

So anyway, Otin and Ellie, I will have prints off to you as soon as I am able to get down in the dungeon basement and print them out for you! Yea!

And the Winners are...

That's right: "Winners". Plural.

First, though, I want to thank everyone who participated. Some of the ideas you put forth were really fun. You all are a pretty creative bunch!
Based on the over all theme of my Sketchbook, the constraints of the page sizes, and what I know of my own drawing skills, I have chosen:

Ellie Belen said...

Either an super eel monorail, or an octopus hot air balloon ('cause how on earth can I resist that?)

and

otin said...

I could picture a sad little girl holding a dirigible tied to a string. she is sad because she wanted a shiny red balloon and not a drab, gray dirigible. (Because I think that is just funny, in a weird sort of way, and it reminds me of "The Red Balloon" - which I loved, yet found creepy, as a kid.)

So, you two, send me your mailing addresses, and once I get the images done, I will send you both signed, numbered copies! Yea!

Giveaway

Okay, here's the deal. Doing this Sketchbook thingy has just about wiped out my brain. I have sort of come to a creative dead-end, so to speak. Or maybe it's just that I'm tired, and Secret Agent Man has been out of town all week doing Secret Agent things and I'm just out of my routine. I don't know.
But whatever it is, I'm drawing a blank (pun definitely intended) as to where to go next with this. I realize I don't have to have 40 pages of art, but I'd like to have more than 14.

Anyway...here's what I'm thinking: I'm going to have a contest. Submit to me your idea for an illustration and if I like it and I pick it I will send you a numbered and signed print of the drawing. (Numbered because at some point I'm going to offer some of them as a limited edition of prints, I think.)

Please keep in mind that
1) my theme is "Submersibles and Dirigibles";
2) nothing naughty, please;
and 3) it needs to be able to fit into a 5.5 in by 8.5 in drawing space.

Um....let's see - deadline 1 week from today, so Nov 5th. How's that sound?

Logos and kitties and cute! Oh my!

Oh my sound bite George Takei sound bites

Remember a couple weeks ago I posted about Moo cards, and had a giveaway for a card design? And Leslie of the Crooked Stamper won? Well, we ended up doing not only a business card design, but she's using it for her blog header, too! I'm really happy with the way the design turned out, and I think she is, too. It's very cute, if I may say so myself, and I think it fits her shop/blog. Go check out her Etsy shop, too, her cards are super cute!

main image

I altered it slightly to make it fit a business card and blog header, also in case she wants to use it as an Etsy banner.





This was so much fun! Leslie was super easy to work with. I'm thinking I might have to offer listings for custom banners in my Etsy shop!

We have a winner!

So, thanks to random.org, and their random dice roller, #2 commenter is the winner:


which is...
Leslie Hanna of the Crooked Stamper!
Congrats - I'm excited to see what we come up with!

It's 11 PM - do you know where your blog is?

It's 11pm on Tuesday and, after feeling dopey all day, I'm now suddenly wide awake. So I'm trying to catch up on my blogging, reading and commenting. I apologize to all those who usually see me around the inner webs, but it's been a long, weird week.

First off, I had a test and presentation at work a week ago. A what? At 911? Yah, well I signed up, along with several co-workers, for a series of leadership classes. We have attended a class once a month since last September. I thought it would be a nice break once a month from answering phones and talking to crazy, pissed off people. Which it was.
The classes were taught by De Hicks, who has done other team building type classes for us over the last few years. Don't let the suit fool you, he is also this guy, and he is wicked hilarious and the classes are always fun. Except...

Except we were told at the last official class that we were going to have a test and a presentation at the final meeting.

I hate "presentations". You would think that someone who was in choir and drama classes in school, did musical theater in Germany, was in a Celtic band that played all over town, and is a blogger all over the internet would not be shy in front of people she has worked with for over 10 years...
but you would be wrong! I can pretend to be someone else and and spout 3 pages of monologue, sing, dance and whatever, but for some reason standing up and talking in front of a group makes me so nervous I almost stop breathing.

So I went with the familiar and did a presentation on why Dorothy Gale was a "leader". I used my artwork for props. (Remember these gals?)

Nervous or not, I guess it was okay. I stuttered my way through it and only lost my place, oh, a half-dozen times. I even made a pair of ruby slippers, although I bought the shoes at a local thrift store and didn't try them on first (hello, I don't keep a can of Lysol in my purse) and they are wa-a-ay too big (Hey, Value Village: FYI - a UK7 is not the same as a US7..!) I can't actually wear them, so I am bummed. I may have to make another pair....



Anyway, ruby slippers or not, I was so nervous the night before, I made a joke about trying to figure out some way to "hurt" myself so I had an excuse not to go to work.
(FYI: Tempting Fate? Not. A. Good. Idea.)
Two hours later I tripped going down the basement stairs. I managed not to do a face plant on the basement floor, but instead caught myself on the banister. (Ta da!)
Of course, I caught myself with my right hand. Which is my writing hand. Which means it is my drawing hand. Which means I did not break anything, but I did manage to do some damage to the tendons in my wrist. Which means I have not been writing or drawing or typing (much). I went to work and it was ok for a couple days; then it wasn't. I have been in a brace since Friday and tomorrow I actually have to go in for physical therapy. But like I always say, a day of painful physical therapy is better than a good day at work! (No, seriously, I say that all the time. Just ask Secret Agent Man!) And it also means, that although I type something like 82 words a minute, it has taken me almost two hours to type all this out.

Drawing is also slow, but I am working a little at a time. Hopefully I will have something new to post soon.
And Thursday I will be picking a winner for my contest. If you haven't entered yet, and would like to, you still have time to leave a comment on my Moo post! See ya Thursday!

*****************************************************

Update: Three weeks of brace and physical therapy! (At least.) Ugh.

End of "Tera's Truths" Contest

Okay, so the votes are in, so to speak. And no one got all 3 of the "truths".
Three people got one right each. And since no one got all three, and I said the first person to get all 3 would win, I'm going to call it good with the first person who played that got 1 right.
That would be...Shirley! Who's idea it was to do this silly thing in the first place...so I guess that's kind of fitting.  (Shirley, email me!)

So what are the answers? They are as follows.

1:  I once won a backstage pass to an Oingo Boingo concert and had my picture taken with Danny Elfman.
     FALSE!  I just wish it were true. Secret Agent Man is a huge Oingo Boingo fan and I guess   
     it's rubbed off.

2:  I got to be part of a crowd scene at the Rocking Horse Bar in Spokane during the filming of "Vision  Quest".  Madonna sang "Crazy For You".

     FALSE!  However, two of my roommates at the time did drive over an hour to Spokane and 

     then waited in line for 4 hours to try to get in before deciding to just go shopping instead!

3:  I lived in Frankfurt, Germany for two years, by myself, and worked at a Burger King.
     TRUE! I got married way too young to a military guy, moved to Germany with him, 
     promptly separated and then was stuck there until my parents decided to send me $ to 
     get home.

4:  I had to be air-lifted off a mountain after a skiing accident that broke both my ankles.
     FALSE! It sort-of-kind-of-almost-but-not-quite happened to my brother though.

5:  I am a direct descendant of Erik the Red.
     False! As far as I know, being adopted and all. But my dad used to tell me I was. (Way to go 
     dad! Made me feel all important and stuff!)

6:  I once got arrested for public intoxication outside of a Journey concert.
     TRUE!  Well, I got a ticket. (Same diff in this state.)  There was a whole group of us, 

    and several of the group were drinking, I was not (that's my story and I'm sticking to  

    it!), but we all got tickets. And had to go to court. And my car broke down on the way 

     there (no, it's true!) so they issued a warrant for me but since I was on my way out of 

     country (see #3) they said the heck with it and threw it out. 

      (There Michel, feel better now!?)

7:  I'm a speed reader. I once read War and Peace in 20 minutes.
     FALSE! It's actually a Woody Allen quote.

8:  I'm color blind.
     FALSE! But it would make drawing interesting wouldn't it?!
 

9:  I'm a "night owl", get bad sunburns when I'm exposed to too much sun and am severely allergic to garlic. I think this means I'm half vampire.
     TRUE!  Bwah ha ha ha ha! No seriously!  Bwah ha ha... oh drat. Still true, though. 

Award and a contest!

If you have not checked out Shirley at Shirley's Illustrations, go do it now! She is a fabulous artist and her little critters never fail to make me smile.

Shirley has graciously given me an award! I say "gracious" with a laugh, because it's the "Bald Faced Liar Creative Writer" award! Ha!

As most blog awards go, I am supposed to:

1) Thank the person who nominated you (Thanks Shirley!) and link to their blog. (check)
2) Copy the logo and place it on your blog.(check)
3) Tell 6 outrageous lies and at least one outrageous truth about yourself. (check, see below)
4) Nominate seven other "creative writers" and post links to their blogs. (check, ditto)
5) Leave comments for them to let them know you nominated them! (on my way!)

So I'm going to nominate the following:
Michel at Facts Are Strictly Optional
Otin at Wizard of Otin
Spuds at Carrying a Cat by the Tail
The Pseudonymous High School Teacher
"Middle-aged Woman" at Unmitigated and the Zombie News Network
Captain Dumbass at Us and Them (and the Zombie News Network again!)
and I'm gonna cheat by adding "anyone else who wants to play"!
(Disclaimer: If you really don't want to do this, that's fine, too. I know people are busy. But you all are some of my favorite liars storytellers, so I just thought I'd pass on the love!)


Alright. Now for a rousing game of "Truth? or Lie?"

Which of the following are actual true facts about me? Hint: there are three. And the contest part? The first person who responds with all three correct actual true facts about me wins a print of any one of my drawings (from this blog, Etsy or Zazzle) that they want! Yea! (Family doesn't count!)

Here goes!
1:  I once won a backstage pass to an Oingo Boingo concert and had my picture taken with Danny Elfman.
2:  I got to be part of a crowd scene at the Rocking Horse Bar in Spokane during the filming of "Vision  Quest".  Madonna sang "Crazy For You".
3:  I lived in Frankfurt, Germany for two years, by myself, and worked at a Burger King.
4:  I had to be air-lifted off a mountain after a skiing accident that broke both my ankles.
5:  I am a direct descendant of Erik the Red.
6:  I once got arrested for public intoxication outside of a Journey concert.
7:  I'm a speed reader. I once read War and Peace in 20 minutes.
8:  I'm color blind.
9:  I'm a "night owl", get bad sunburns when I'm exposed to too much sun and am severely allergic to garlic. I think this means I'm half vampire.

I am going to be out of town for a few days, but will be checking in...so I will post the answers once someone guesses the correct ones, or on Sunday if no one has by then.  At that point, whoever was closest, wins.

How's that sound?

And the Winners Are...

Which are:
Krista said...

I want to win more!! So cute! I'm keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed!

and
Spuds said...

Are Spudly Dudes allowed to enter?

Now you may be saying to yourself, "Self, wait a minute, there were 8 comments!" and yes, you would be right. Except one of them is my dad, and he can have one anyway! ;)

So, congrats Krista and Spuds!
Except I always feel bad when people don't win, so I may have to do another one soon.

So Krista and Spuds, email me at admin@olivehuedesigns.com and let me know which print you choose and I will mail them out asap!

Last Chance for Giveaway

Today's your last chance to enter my giveaway. You can leave a comment here or on this post. Tomorrow (Saturday) I will use one of the online random number generators to pick two winners. Each winner will get to choose one of my newest prints. I'll even go ahead and include Stilts and Some Bunny Loves You!

All the Little Girls in a Row...

Ho-kay...
I had told a couple of you fabulous readers that I was going to have a giveaway this week. It's Monday, so I guess that's as good a time as any!

So - here's how it works: If you are interested in winning one of my new cutie pies, leave a comment to this post.

That's it!

At the end of the week - let's make it Saturday, the 30th, I will randomly pick not one but TWO, yes 2! winners of an 8x10 print of their choice of my new girls!



See ya Saturday!