Countdown to Christmas Day 6

By pusheen

Countdown to Christmas Days 2-5

To make up for being absent to continue my countdown here's an extra long post filled with christmas myths.

Saint Nicholas was said to have several companions who helped him with various tasks on Christmas, mostly involving giving out gifts.

Belsnickle-

Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a rather scary creature who visits children and delivers socks or shoes full of candy, but if the children were not good, they will find coal and/or switches in their stockings instead.

Krampus- According to legend, Krampus accompanies St. Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children.

Zwarte Piet-

The tasks of the Zwarte Pieten are mostly to amuse children, and to scatter pepernoten and candies for those who come to meet the saint as he visits stores, schools, and other places. Zwarte Pieten are often portrayed as mischievous but rarely mean-spirited characters.

Le Père Fouettard-

An Inn Keeper captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enroll in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them. One gruesome version tells that they drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel. St. Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. After this, Le Père Fouettard repents and becomes St. Nick's partner. A slightly altered version of this story claims that St. Nicholas forced Le Père Fouettard to become his assistant as a punishment for his crimes.

Knect Ruprecht-Tradition holds that he appears in homes on St. Nicholas day (December 6), and is a man with a long beard, wearing fur or covered in pea-straw. Knecht Ruprecht sometimes carries a long staff and a bag of ashes, and wears little bells on his clothes.Sometimes he rides on a white horse, and sometimes he is accompanied by fairies or men with blackened faces dressed as old women.

According to tradition, Knecht Ruprecht asks children whether they can pray. If they can, they receive apples, nuts, and gingerbread. If they cannot, he beats the children with his bag of ashes.

Countdown to Christmas Day 1

Jim Henson

Okay, so I'll admit it. I'm twenty-two as of writing this and I adore the Muppets. I grew up watching the later seasons of the Muppet show and classics like Muppets in Space and Muppet Christmas Carol like any other child of the 60's to 90's.

Though I have to make another confession, there's just something about watching these guys. If I were to watch actors or cartoons performing the same slapstick and puns (except maybe the Three Stooges) I'd probably think it was terrible. There's just something about a pig throwing around other felt and wire puppets in a rampage.

 With the new release of the new muppet movie, it seems the world is just now learning just what a creative genius Jim Henson was. He was a man that just made you want to go 'wow', who inspired countless others to dream and gave generations of children something that the mostly garbage programs we see on most kid networks today could never hope to achieve.

I had never seen Jim Henson's sketches and notes until this year until I came across other blogs and sites, but when I did I poured over every detail. Henson created a world anyone could immerse themselves in, be it the Dark Crystal or Seasame Street.

While I would absolutely love to be able to go to an exhibit, alas, I'm, a poor college student. However, there's hope for all of you out there. In California there will be The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me - A Jim Henson Tribute Exhibition.

Guest Artist

Today and Tuesday I sat in on lecture over traditional Chinese painting by Li Zhiqiang. It was very interesting to see the concepts behind each style of work. The paintings were also beautiful and wish I had been free to sit in on his demonstration. It was his first time in the U.S. I believe and didn't speak the language, but more than made up for the language barrier by his viewpoints and such.

Mini bio:

Zhiqiang Li, Professor, dean of College of New Medium Art, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, China. Professor Li is a well-known Chinese modern painter, and he is also a professor of art. He has been explored his ink painting with some of his folk art principles and expertise. He had two one-man shows in China National Art Museum in Beijing during past seven years and it is the only honor for the artist from the city; He had more than fifteen international shows and exhibits in past fifteen years; He has been the director of Chinese Yangliuqing Folk Art Studio for more than ten years; He published few his books and theses in China.


You can follow his blog here: LINK

Poetry Feature

So last year and the year before I've been featured in the Cut-Thru Review that is a collection of art and writings from my community. They finally put up the website and I thought I'd share my poetry that's up here.

little info about the site:
The 2010 edition features an impressive collection of words and images that captures the spirit and scope of contemporary Appalachian literary arts.

Commissions!

Want a personalized piece of art? Look no further! For the first time I've decided to ask for commissions.

I'm in need of money for school ( $2400)and am hoping that I can get something from my art.

examples of my work:

I can do anything from sketches to full on digital drawings like you see here. Anything will be a great help and if you can't afford a commission it would be a great help if you could pass this post along.

Find prices HERE and if you have any questions, please contact me on etsy!

Glitter Candles

Materials and Tools:

pillar or taper candles
Candle DecoPaint (by Marvy Uchida)
ultra-fine glitter
manila folder

Steps:

1. Use the Candle DecoPaint to add Halloween-themed drawings to the pillar candles. Crazy stripes also look spooky.
2. While the candle DecoPaint is still wet, sprinkle ultra-fine glitter over areas that you wish to highlight.
3. Work over a manila folder so that you can easily funnel any stray glitter back into its canister.

Allow the candle to dry for 24 hours.

Spiced Pumpkin Brittle

Spiced Pumpkin Seed Brittle
Yield: About 6-8 servings
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas; feel free to use any tree nut you’d prefer)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-
Candy thermometer
(For the Pistachio Sesame brittle, use 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and 3/4 cup pistachios.)

Grease a 9×12 baking sheet with butter and set aside.

In a small, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium low flame, melt the butter with the cinnamon, chile powder, ginger and sea salt. Add the sugar and stir thoroughly. Continue to stir sugar almost constantly to prevent burning. When the temperature of the mixture reaches 280 degrees, add the nuts. Continue stirring almost constantly.

The sugar will slowly begin to clump and melt. Keep stirring! At 300 degrees, remove from heat and quicky stir in the baking powder.

Working quickly, pour the brittle onto the greased baking pan, spreading with a spatula. Let stand until thoroughly cooled and hardened. (You can expedite this by putting it into the fridge.)

Pumpkin Party Cooler

Want your own cool pumpkin cooler? Follow these simple instructions and you can have one of your very own. :)

What you'll need:

• Pumpkin
• plastic/glass bowl ( must be slightly smaller than pumpkin)
• ice
• drinks
• pumpkin carving tools ( or whatever you use when carving)
• newspapers ( to lay down underneath your pumpkin)

Okay, let's get started.

• First take off about a quarter or so of your pumpkin off ( as shown in the picture). Now comes the icky part, scoop out all the pumpkins innards and make sure it's nice and clean inside when done!
• Now that your pumpkins nice and clean take your bowl and place inside.
• Fill with ice and your choice of drinks (I reccomend cream sodas) for a creative cooler for your party!

Spider Garland

• Cut a 5"W x 18"L strip from a 12"W x 18"L sheet of construction paper. Measure in three inches from one of the five-inch ends and mark. From there, measure and mark four more times.
• Fold paper at the first mark. Then flip over and fold again at the next mark. Keep flipping and folding, making an accordion shape.
• Print the template of your choice and cut as directed.
• Center it atop the folded paper, and trace around the shape with a pencil.
• Carefully cut out the shape, going through all the layers of folded paper, and unfold to reveal. To create a longer row, repeat steps and adhere garlands together with tacky glue.

 

Minor Tips

Okay so before my next tutorial I thought I'd post a few things for those wanting to learn to cook various things. Some of these tips can be used across a wide spectrum of dishes. All of these I found out on my own, so I hope it works for you!

• Take about a teaspoon (eventually you'll be able to just scoop out this much with your hand like me) of flour and sprinkle over any kind of pan your baking things with. This works best with pizza, cakes, etc. This will ensure nothing ever sticks.
• When cooking any type of pasta add a teaspoon or two of cooking oil to the water. It adds taste and keeps your noodles from sticking to your pot and together.
• When baking dishes ( mac & cheese, lasanga, etc) always coat your pain with aluminum foil, its keeps everything relatively clean and keeps food from sticking to your pans.
• Run water over freshly cut onions and peppers to get rid of the majority of the smell and to keep you from crying.
• Want meat to cook quicker on the stove top? Cover with a glass lid. Takes half the time and locks in flavor.

Smore Pops!

So I saw a picture of these online and just had to make a small tutorial for you guys that everyone in the family can do and is easy to boot! Don't these just look delicious?

 What you'll need:

• marshmallows
• graham crackers
• kabob sticks
• chocolate ( chips, disks, whichever you prefer)
• wax paper

Okay this is a simple recipe that will take minutes to make. First boil some water and melt you some chocolate! Make sure you don't burn it by stirring constantly and it's smooth. ;)
Next skewer you some marshmallows and in a small bowl crush up some graham crackers until you've got nothing but tiny pieces and crumbs and set out some wax paper.

Now that you have all of this done let's get to the next part. Take your marshmallows and dip them in the chocolate, make sure to get them nice and covered. Make sure you let any excess chocolate drip back into your pan. Then take it and roll it in some graham crackers and set it on wax paper to cool. Rinse and repeat until you have enough. Place in the fridge to cool quicker.

And that's it, now you've got some yummy treats for that Halloween party you've been planning.

TT Team

He did the Monster Mash!

Do the Trick-or-Treat!

I'm carving pumpkins
It's almost Halloween
All my friends are wondering
What they're gonna be
The monster mash is playing
You're moving to the beat
And now we're gonna teach you
To do the trick or treat


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
It's almost Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It's almost Halloween
Everybody scream


There's a devil in the corner
In candy apple red
Dressed up like a fire
Burning through my head
I got a little closer
And offered her a drink
Who took me to the graveyard
And we did the trick or treat


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
It's only Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It's only Halloween
Everybody scream


Before I learned her name
We were already asleep
When I woke up in my coffin
She was nowhere to be seen
Was it all a dream?
Who can I believe?
It can't be what it seems
It was only Halloween
What does it all mean?


Everybody scream
Everybody scream
If it's Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It was only Halloween
Everybody scream


Everybody scream
It was Halloween
Do the trick or treat
Do the trick or treat
It was only Halloween
Everybody scream

I'll Put A Spell On You - Hocus Pocus

One of my all time favorite movies. I really need to rewatch this, it's been a few years. Makes me wish Disney would put some qulity into their 'Movie of the month' films nowadays.

Anyways, ENJOY!

Haunt the House

So with Halloween just around the corner I thought I'd bombared everyone with some scary goodness. One of my favorite flash games, Haunt the House, will have you want to play over and over again. You're a ghost whose suddenly found his house flooded with strangers and it's up to you to scare them out of the house by possessing the various objects around you.

This game is just really cute and there are dozens of objects to haunt and people to scare. :) A must play for Halloween. Play it here!

It's Almost Halloween

Getting close to Halloween guys. Are you preparing for all the ghouls and witches this year? I know I am.

My newest creation for this holiday season. Dark and lovely earrings that I might have to make a pair for myself.

Beneath The Depths

Beneath the Depths by ~youkohiei-fan on deviantART

A drawing by yours truly. :) Been practicing whenever I'm not drawing for classes this semester.

Bloop

An odd video that I'll post for you gys today and hope it'll make you think about the world around you. :) The Bloop has always intrigued me and thought I'd share it.



Info:

What created this strange sound in Earth's Pacific Ocean? Pictured above is a visual representation of a loud and unusual sound, dubbed a Bloop, captured by deep sea microphones in 1997. In the above graph, time is shown on the horizontal axis, deep pitch is shown on the vertical axis, and brightness designates loudness. Although Bloops are some of the loudest sounds of any type ever recorded in Earth's oceans, their origin remains unknown. The Bloop sound was placed as occurring several times off the southern coast of South America and was audible 5,000 kilometers away. Although the sound has similarities to those vocalized by living organisms, not even a blue whale is large enough to croon this loud. The sounds point to the intriguing hypothesis that even larger life forms lurk in the unexplored darkness of Earth's deep oceans. A less imagination-inspiring possibility, however, is that the sounds resulted from some sort of iceberg calving. No further Bloops have been heard since 1997, although other loud and unexplained sounds have been recorded.

The Centaurs

'The Centaurs' - Winsor McCay (1921)

A Whale of a Tale

This necklace is a fun little addition for anyone to have. A cute little brass whale sets atop a copper background as he hangs from a 16" antique brass chain. The back of the pendant has a nice textured background as shown in the pictures.       

Kraken Necklace

This kraken inspired necklace is based on Norse legends of the legendary sea monsters of gargantuan size that towered over ships. Pendant measures 1 3/4" round and features a picture of a large octopus on the sea floor and is covered by a magnifying dome. There is also a small faux pearl that hangs beside it that's topped by an antique silver cap. Chain measures 16".

Red, White, and Blue

With summer just around the corner I thought I'd make some cute piece that any girl can enjoy. They'll look even better come 4th of July. :P As always, these pieces and more can be found at my etsy shop!

 

These flower hair pins are perfect for a day out on the beach! In bright red, blue, and white, dahlia and chrysanthemums rest on silver plated bobby pins. Great for this holiday season or just any occasion.

 

Each hairpin measures 2 1/4" long. You will recieve three hair pins.

Chrysanthemum's represent optimism, fidelity, long life and joy. The flower symbolism associated with the dahlia is dignity, elegance, forever thine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ring is perfect for spring! A red chrysanthemum rests on a bright white filigree adjustable ring. This ring will come to you in a gift box and will be shipped with tracking number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ring is perfect for spring! An ivory chrysanthemum rests on a bright cherry red filigree adjustable ring. This ring will come to you in a gift box and will be shipped with tracking number.

 

Easter Eggs!

So I've spent the last few hours making eggs. Started out with boiling eggs and realised I didn't have dye or vinegar. Luckily I never clean my car out so after some digging around in my trunk I found an egg kit and looking in one of the cabinets I found what looks like a bottle of vinegar made in the 70's. I should have taken a picture of that. 

And while I don't post often, I thought it'd be fun to post of few tidbits on easter eggs. :) Taken from wiki:
~*~*~
The egg is a pagan symbol of the rebirth of the Earth in celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.

There are good grounds for the association between hares (later termed Easter bunnies) and eggs, through folklore confusion between hares' forms (where they raise their young) and plovers' nests.^[3] The mention of eggs left for children in connection with the Germanic goddess Ostara in the supposed Old High German lullaby is considered a literary forgery.

~*~*~

Anyways I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Hope you're eggs turn out colorful and you get some gifts from the Easter Bunny. :P

Spring Flowers

If you'd like to see more pictires just head over to my etsy shop. :)



These spring flower hairpins come in three vivid colors. You will recieve two chrysanthemums in a tangerine orange and raspberry pink as well as a spring blue dahlia.

Perfect for this holiday season or just any occasion.
Each hairpin measures 2 1/4" long.


The flower symbolism associated with the dahlia is dignity, elegance, forever thine.

Perfect for anyone, this unique ring is topped by a raspberry pink dahlia cabochon and sets on a gunmetal filigree adjustable ring.
I just love the colors, they remind me of the sun and the beach. When I saw them I had to get them and share them with everyone. lol

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

I'm sure several people have already seen the shortened version on tv, but I loved the song and had to look it up. Found this and had to post it up here. Would love to go to a party like this. :D

The Unicorn and the Lady

So I've been really into unicorns lately and my only explanation is that I finally got some gold chain and ,y cameos finally arrived in the mall. So I'll share some equine love here for all to enjoy. :)



Unicorn and Gold Necklace



 

 

 

 

 

This necklace features a porcelain handpainted unicorn adorned with an ametyhst swarovski crystal as it hangs from a gold plated chain that ends in two 18k gold plated filigree beads. Chain measures 19" long.

 

I love this little guy and only have two left after this one and am seriously considering keeping one, even though I know I shouldn't. XD

 

 

 



Unicorn Cameo Necklace



 

A striking gray and black cameo depicting a unicorn is set in a gunmetal filigree styled setting. Necklace measures 18" long and ends in two black swarovski crystals. Cameo is 18x25mm and measures 2" tall in the setting.

 

 

 

When I saw this cameo, I couldn't pass it by and bought up a few to make some pretty jewelry with. This has already sold over on etsy, but I can make more for anyone interested. :) Actually I need to get on that. ;;;

 

Unicorn Evils Bracelet

This unicorn cameo bracelet is sure to catch someone's eye. A charcoal grey unicorn is set against black as it rests on a gunmetal bracelet. Cameo measures 25x18mm while the bracelet measures about 8 1/2" round.

Inspired by the poem 'And Death Shall Have No Dominion' by Dylan Thomas.

Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan’t crack;
And death shall have no dominion.'

Art Post

One day, I've decided, I want to make the doodles I do in class into jewelry, or stickers, or buttons. I love them and find them cute in the non perfect way. :)

I also think they have that unique handmade feel that I love about etsy.I've only found one sight though that makes pendents, etc, but now it's a bit out of my price range and as a still fairly new shop I can't risk not selling them once I invest so much.

But don't you find these cute? The owls are from a second series of cute animals I drew during one of my art classes.

 A cute momma and baby owl perched on a tree branch. And the colored version. <3 The sketches of these look cuter, but to use them I had to scan them and work on them with my laptop.

I'll post the rest later.

Red Rose Necklace

This necklace features a red and black rose cameo that rests on a gunmetal rope style setting. The chain measures 20" long while the pendant itself measures 2" tall.

 

Just got this and a bunch of other cameos in earlier this week. I love them! Check out my store for more.

Champagne and White Lily Earrings

These white lily earrings are just gorgeous as they are adorned with antique brass components while faceted picasso in a lovely gold hangs underneath.

They measure 2 1/4" inches long and will come to you in a lovely box.

Vintage Green Bead Earrings

These vintage green bead earrings were made in the 1960s and are made from weaving strings of lime green seed beads together. There is a bit of wear in the back as to be expected, but are otherwise in wonderful condition. They measure 3/4" round and are screw on earrings.

Green Hornet

So I watched Green Hornet on monday and I have to say it was fun. A small bit of the humor felt out of
place, but I thought it gave the movie a bit of charm. It's always fun to see just how entertaining a diconstruction of a trope can be compared to when it's done seriously.

Only thing is I wish the theme song had played more. So I've decided to post the whole theme here. (Yes, I know it's from the Kill Bill soundtrack, but I love that movie too so think of it as a two for one deal. lol)

Yellow Owl Earrings

These owl earrings are just too cute. Made from hand painted porcelain, in a lovely sun yellow. These round little owls are adorable as they have from antique brass ear hooks and are connected by brass jump rings. They measure 1 3/4" long.

 

You can find these little cuties over at my etsy shop. :)

I grew up loving pokemon and I found this site about a year ago. It's another pet click site, but I do love it and it's a lot cheaper than buying the games. lol