Days of happy nothingness.

By Brooke Shaden

Seventeen days - that has to be a new uselessness record from me. Where-oh-where has the time been slipping away to… Ok, better not continue with that train of thought or I’ll end up sounding like my granny. So people, how the hell have you all been doing? I wish I had lots of riveting tales of adventure and excitement to fill you in on, but to be honest it feels like about five seconds since I last checked in here. I’ve literally been doing nothing. It’s been good nothing, though.

Anyway, to make up for my current bout of blog neglect I’m planning a little something for the week ahead. Yup folks, I’m going to host my first ever giveaway! It’s about time really, I’ve won so many lovely things from much-too-kind bloggers over the past while it’s about time I reciprocated the love. More details on that in the next couple of days. For now I’m going to leave you with some images from one of my favourite photographers on the net, LA gal Brooke Shaden.  Find many, many more of her hauntingly beautiful pictures here.

p.s. I forgot to mention that I’ve recently succumbed to the ways of the modern world and finally got myself a Twitter account. My user name is @Child_of_Danu, I’m in much need of new people to follow so stop by and say hello!

Normal Service Has Resumed (I Hope)

By Esther Vershoor

So it turns out July ‘11 was my worst blogging month ever. Not only did I post very little indeed, but I’m only realising now how long it’s actually been since I called to some of your blogs. It’s going to take me all week catching up! Stick with me though, I will get there.

On top of that the bookmarked folder where I save the little bits and bobs I come across in my travels through cyberspace is bursting with stuff I didn’t get time to share. Plus, I’ve a couple of thank-you posts to make in the next couple of days, along with some very exciting news that, for reasons I shall reveal in good time, I have to keep back until tomorrow. At least I think it’s exciting news, those out there not as geeky as me probably won’t be inclined to agree with that particular adjective. Though something tells me you folk may very well be just as geeky ;)

Anyway! What I’m trying to say is that I’ve plenty of posts lined up for the coming days so hopefully I’ll be able to breakout of this post-a-week habit once and for all. *sigh* I miss my days as a daily blogger, so long ago now…

Right, to get started I’m going to begin offloading some these links in that aforementioned bookmarks folder, namely in the form of these slightly creepy but altogether utterly fantastic creations from Esther Verschoor. Ms Verschoor actually uses real animal skulls for her dolls which she sources from a local taxidermist - they all died of natural causes, don’t worry. Cute, wouldn’t you say? But in a dark sort of way.

Shades of Summer

By Theatre Clouds on Etsy.

Hello boys and girls. How’s everyone doing this evening then? It’s been a while, hasn’t it. Too long really. I think I needed a bit of a break after last week’s blog hopping siege; I don’t know about you lot but that carry on really took it out of me! Great fun though, well worth it. Anyhoo…

So it seems summer has finally arrived on these blustery shores. I’ve been spending my afternoons dandering and daydreaming, taking pictures and collecting sea shells - basically just making the most of the fine weather and my free time while I still have some (finally got myself a new job, woo hoo!). It’s been really rather lovely. I would share some snaps but I feel like I’ve been saturating this blog with my mediocre photos recently. Plus, there’s simply no way any of my own pictures could ever convey my present mood as beautifully as these:

The work of Canadian artist Elly MacKay, the images you see before you were created using hand cut painted paper and photographed in a miniature theatre. I just adore the light, airy feel to these fairytale-esque scenes. So fitting for how I feel right now, like walking on clouds made of marshmallows. Incidentally, you can find many more instances of Ms MacKay’s heart warming work at her aptly named Etsy shop, Theatre Clouds. Eye candy for little girls of all ages :)

p.s. I’ve only just discovered she has a Flickr page and a blog too, where you can find even more dreamy delights! Check them out here and here respectively.

Papier Fantasy

Laetitia Miéral

I don’t know about you lot, but when I hear the words ‘papier mache’ my mind instantly conjures up images of wallpaper paste and messy primary school children. Of course I’m aware that in the right hands it can be put to much more creative use than glittery Hallowe’en masks and pencil cup holders, but I certainly never imagined it could look as beautiful as this:

These whimsical wonders are the creations of  a young French lady by the name of Laetitia Miéral - paper artist, fairytale fan and daydreamer. Mademoiselle Miéral is the girl who never grew up, and thank the Light for it. In her own words:

“Ever since I was a child I have been  drawing, painting and creating the characters from my dreams and imagination. I grew up with the fairy tales of Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, Lewis Carroll, Perrault  and Mme d'Aulnoy. I work with paper, a never ending inspiration for me. I create carrousels, mobiles, grimoires, sculptures, marionettes, paper dresses, doll houses…”

 

“…I made my first marionettes in papier mache  when I was seventeen and fourteen years later I am still making my paper dreams come true…”

“…I'm inspired by the 18th century, the baroque era, horror films, botany, operas, illustrators of the 19th such as Gustave Doré, Arthur Rackham, and also  Fussli, Bosch, Brueghel.”

Ms Miéral’s work is on display at La Maison du Roy in Paris, though those of us not lucky enough to be able to pop in for a nosy can check it out on her website. And if you’d really like to treat yourself it’s also for sale online here.  

 

Doctor Who, Steampunk Style

Steampunk Dalek by Promus-Kaa

Ok, time for the aforementioned geekiness.  Is it odd that I see Doctor Who as ‘geeky’ but not fairies or the idea of grown women holding a mass virtual tea party while wearing funny hats?  I suppose one man’s geek is another man’s freedom fighter. Or something like that. Anyhow, yes, Doctor Who. There’s been loads of it on TV this week.

Saturday was the best. One of the digital channels was showing nothing but Who all afternoon - the old 60s films, that weird attempt at an American one with I and the Terminator, and some more recent stuff too.  Then there was the new episode on BBC in the evening, and then Barca beat United! Ah, Saturday was a good day my friends.  I didn’t leave the sofa. But back to the geekiness…

You see, it’s not that I think watching Doctor Who is geeky, per se, but talking about it online probably is. And talking about it online in relation to steampunk’s gotta be. Which is what I’m going to do now.  Sort of. I’m no authority on steampunk so I won’t be able to talk about it very well. To me it’s just a word that describes certain stuff. Stuff that I generally tend to like.

Sometimes some of that stuff pops up in Doctor Who. I do realise, by the way, that DW isn’t actually ‘steampunk’ as such (though there are those who would argue that it was a precursor for the sub-genre), but it does have it’s moments. Remember that episode with Queen Victoria and the alien werewolves - didn’t they want to build a coal powered spaceship or something?  

 And then there was that Christmas special from a few years ago, the one that was repeated on Saturday and got me thinking about this.  It had The Doctor floating about in a hot air balloon shooting rays from a sleek old fashioned rifle (ok, so it was a temporal converter thingamajig or whatever but it looked like an old fashioned rifle) at a big giant Cyberking - a dreadnought class starship with a steam engine, no less - which was wrecking havoc on nineteenth century London. As I said, I’m no expert…

Anyway, since then that thing’s happened. You know, when you’ve been thinking about something then you start to notice it popping up everywhere?  I’ve come across so much steampunk inspired Who stuff since Saturday!  Like these lovely drawings by Promus-Kaa on Deviant Art. Be sure and check out the fun little descriptions and anecdotes he leaves with each image.

When you’re over on D-Art, you could also swing by for a nosy at Vladislaus Dantes’ gallery. He’s got tons of handcrafted goodies for steam lovers, including these:

I want that TARDIS! Also on Deviant Art (god, they’re a crafty bunch over there), are Sydeian and the adorable K-1889. Aw, just look at his little wiggly megaphone ears! 

Not quite as friendly but certainly as beautiful is this “sewer maintenance machine” prototype by Alex Holden. It’s made from bubble bath! Confused? Click here. 

Finally, I just thought I’d post this for no other reason than it’s one of the cutest things ever:

Sorry, I can’t remember where I got it from. It is cute though, isn’t it?

Folk Tales and Fairy Art

'Between Two Worlds' by Eimear Brennan 

It’s just occurred to me that I’ve spent three out of my past five posts blogging about how I’ve not been blogging.  Sorry about that - next time just tell me to shut up, go away and come back when I’ve got something better to say.  Anyhow, I hope the treat I have in store for you today will make up for my recent boring transgressions.

You see, my friends, I think I’ve found my new favourite blog. It’s only very new, a wee baby blog really, but I’m already hooked.  The creation of Dublin artist Eimear Brennan, the ever so aptly named Drawn to Fairytales is definitely one for the bookmarks folder. A veritable treasure trove of fantasy art and mythology, Ms Brennan’s site is more than just somewhere to view her wonderful work. It is a little glimpse into Fairyland itself.

With each of picture posted we are brought on a mini-journey through Celtic legend and Otherworldly charm; using folkloric anecdotes and fairy stories recollected from her childhood Eimear conjures up a magical world which we are all invited to visit. Her illustrations (which you can view more of here) tell tales in themselves, but Eimear’s words accompany them so perfectly.

Maybe the reason I’m so enamoured with Eimear’s blog is because she posts about things that really resound with my own interests and experiences, like her tale of visiting holy wells as a child before really understanding their significance (something I’ve been meaning to post about for ages). Or this link to a radio interview with the wonderfully wise Eddie Lenihan she recently shared, which explains the true nature of Irish fairies so well I’m raging I hadn’t come across it before my recent guest post over at The Whimsical Cottage! It really is an absolutely adorable documentary, well well worth a listen. Seriously, fire it on and snuggle down with a hot mug of tea. It’ll be the most enjoyable and informative 40 minutes of your evening.

Before that, though, don’t forget to call over and say hello to Eimear! Oh, and here's just another brief example of the loveliness also awaiting you over her gallery:

The Wizard of Oz

A former resident of Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden

Australia isn’t a country that’s ever been on my must-visit list. I’m not fully sure why, I’ve plenty of friends and even some family down there and I know it’s supposedly spectacular in parts. I’ve just never felt ‘drawn’ to it the way I am to other far away lands.  I think it’s them pesky arachnids that put me off. No, I know it’s the bugs. And the sun. I’m not a sunny person.

All that said, the 24-hour flight, spiders and heatstroke would definitely be worth it just to visit the whimsical world of Bruno Torfs. It is a place of magic, beauty and hope; not just because of the awe-inspiring creations which live there, but also because of the equally inspirational story behind this fantasy garden, nestled deep in the rainforest. A story which is still being written.

I first became aware of Mr Torfs’ magical sculptures last year when they were in the news after being totally destroyed by the 2009 bush fires. Yup, that wonderful wizard above is no more, charred away to cinders by the vengeful wrath of nature, along with almost the entirety of Torfs’ life’s work. It just doesn’t seem right that this special and wondrous place could fall victim to such devastation. But I suppose it would be more than a little naive to hope She would make an exception for art while human beings were dying.  Still, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for all involved. Here are a few more examples of the beauty that was lost:

 

 

Like in all good fantasy tales, however, out of the ashes of doom and despair our hero brings light. For, you see, Torfs’ “passion to share his love of art and the story of life with the world has not been damaged by the fires, in fact you could almost say it has been forged anew by the flames that nearly took it all away”. (Read his own words here.)

Yes folks, last month, less than a year after it was scorched to the ground, Bruno’s Art and Sculpture Garden reopened. Risen like a phoenix from the flames, if that’s not too cliched a way to put it.  He now has more than 100 new sculptures to share with visitors and you can be sure there’ll be many more to come. Here are few of the recently created wonders:

Anyway, I hope you all found the story of Bruno’s forest haven to be as uplifting as I did. I think if we all had even a fraction of the determination, resilience and vision of this man the world wouldn’t as depressing a place as it can seem these days. Oh, and sorry about the cheesy post title - I just couldn’t resist!

Reconnecting With an Old Love

 Oblivion concept art.

Oh my! Has it really been a whole week since I last posted? I knew I was getting a bit slack here, but that’s a tad ridiculous.  The reason for my absence is equally pitiful too, so much so I even thought about inventing a more acceptable excuse to peddle. I couldn’t bring myself to lie to you lovely people though, so here’s a wee brief history to put my shameful story in context:

 

 Once upon a time, in the days before I discovered the wonderful realms of blogging, Flickring and Tumblring, I had another technological romance. My first true love in the computerized world- gaming. Yes folks, I was a bit of a gaming geek. In years gone by I would spend hours on end conquering ancient civilisations, exploring medieval castles, governing mega-cities, or building rollercoasters that would make your eyes pop out. It was everything a master procrastinator could wish for.

Over time this passion waned somewhat and I managed to wean myself off what I eventually came to regard as one of the most unconstructive pastimes imaginable. “They’re rotting your brain!” I’d chastise myself, “Go read a book instead!” And so it was that I was able to reclaim enough free time to pursue other endeavours such as this blog.  At least until this week, when, in a moment of weakness, I succumbed to my addiction once more and rekindled an old affair with possibly the greatest game this world has ever known- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. 

 

It was himself who’s to blame; he was wandering around the house one day humming the main motif from the game’s breathtaking soundtrack and the next thing I knew I was rummaging through my desk looking for the disc. Since then I’ve spent my evenings traversing the wild and varied landscape of Cyrodiil; visiting it’s walled cities, joining it’s guilds, foraging it’s woodland for rare fungi and elusive medicinal plants. I’m now as handy with a blade as I am masterful at all schools of magic; as good an armourer as an alchemist; and as devout an occultist as I am a pious pilgrim. Oh, just talking about it makes me want to cut this post short and get back to it!

No. I have to control myself! I wouldn’t mind only this will be my third  time playing it through. You’d think I’d have bored of it by now but nope, it really is that great. I can’t even use the auld ‘better off reading a book’ mindset to dissuade myself either, for Oblivion really is the closet you could ever come to actually living inside one. Honestly, the whole thing is like a well written and fully interactive fantasy novel. The story lines can change depending on the decisions you make too, and the virtual world is so vast and detailed it would take an eternity to tire of it.

Anyway, there you have it- the reason why I’ve been so anti-social online this past wee while. Pretty pathetic excuse really, isn’t it? Well at least I’ve recognised the problem now and can nip it in the bud. Wouldn’t want this particular obsession taking root again, especially not when I haven’t even started on the Christmas presents I’d planned on making. I’m extra poor this year and  really have to take the DIY route as far as I can; I’d bloody better get round to it! I’ve managed to gather up a list of other things-to-do a mile long over the past week too and catching up with all your blogs is high up there on it. So from Monday on there’ll be no more questing for me for a while.

For now, though, I need one last night with my cute but feisty little dark elf avatar. She’s sitting in there, all bored and lonely in my pc’s frozen memory banks, waiting for me to come and take her adventuring. How could I deny her one last outing when I’m going to be abandoning her for who knows how long? Poor wee thing… ;)

Well folks, hope you’re all having a lovely weekend and that it’s more productive then my own is promising to be. I leave you now with a short clip from the game’s intro, in case any of you wanted to get a little taster of what the hell I’ve been babbling about.  Or maybe you’re thinking about a gift for that gamer in your life? If you are then just make sure it’s someone you don’t want to see too often because if you buy them this they’ll likely disappear until July!