Artist of the Week

Its been awhile since i have hosted my weekly famous artist but in the spirit of Christmas I have to award my artist of the week to Mr. Arthur Rankin and My. Jules Bass from the Rankin/Bass Productions. Mr. Rankin and Bass are the creator of the favorite Christmas specials, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin to Town, Jack Frost, Frosty the Snowman, and many others. These famous artists mainly used stop motion and models carved from wood to create favorite Christmas specials that we continue to watch every year as a family tradition.

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These two men made a great impact on not only with their animation productions but also with Christmas season. Many of their specials included famous music such as, "Holly Jolly Christmas," "Silver And Gold," "We're A Couple Of Misfits," ect. Airing for the first time with these specials.

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Stop motion wasn't the only thing that Rankin and Bass specialized in, they also took a part in cel animation with their most popular "Frosty the Snowman," and don't get me wrong they have created many other productions that were not Christmas specials (but since it is tis' season I hope you'll understand why I am just highlighting their accomplishments with the Christmas specials).

Below are only a few clips from a few of the famous Christmas specials we all love!

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

One of Rankin and Bass's most memorable holiday specials. Made in 1964 and including voices from Burl Ives and Music from Johnny Marks. Today the special is so popular that it is not only aired once but multiple times during the holiday season.

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Original promotional advertisement for the movie on NBC Dec 6 1964

Santa Claus Is Comin To Town

One of my personal favorites, where all the traditions of Christmas are explained one how they became traditions. Aired in 1970 and featured voices from actors like Fred Astaire, Mickey Ronnie (as Kris Kringle), Keenan Wynne, and Paul Frees.

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A Year Without A Santa Claus

This lovable holiday special was based off the novel by Phyllis McGinley and was originally aired in 1974, featuring voices such as Shirley Booth, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, and George S. Irving. This wonderful movie also includes the very catchy heat mister and snow mister songs in which I continue to sing until Easter.

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FanIQ

Frosty The Snowman

Filmed in 1969, this is one of the famous Christmas specials from Rankin/Bass that is not made by stop motion animation. Instead this cel animation was created to make it appear as a Christmas card as requested by Rankin and Bass. It was aired December 6 1969 on CBS (ain which it continues to air on CBS) and includes the famous Jimmy Durante and music from Steve Nelson, and Jack Rollins.

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wikipedia



The Little Drummer Boy, Twas The Night Before Christmas, Nestor The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey Rudolph and Frosty's Chrsitmas in July, and Jack Frost.

There are many and many other movies that the Rankin and Bass Productions contributed too, including the four below. You can find all these wonderful Christmas classics today and every holiday season!

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Unfortunately since 1987 the Rankin and Bass Productions have been shut down, so we will no longer see a new special (holiday or non-holiday) coming from them again. Although they can still live on, as they do every year around this time! Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Castle vs. Cabin

At one point I was painting a beautiful castle for myself as a room devider, it was beautiful. Then because of some stupid mistake and my frustration to get out of an old apartment with an ex-bf I left it there, and with his kind heart he threw it away....happily!

So I have always said, since that day, that I would attempt to make that castle again. Except its like trying to get another pet after your old one dies, it brings up old memories. So although I still have it in my plans to paint myself a new castle, right now I desided I am going to attempt to paint this beautiful picture my mom took of me and my sister at our cabin when we were very little. My goal.....finish by christmas, for a christmas present. Wish me luck!!

Picture my mom took

Google SketchUp

I have never really had a chance to use a real design program, the most programs I have ever used is Paint, Microsoft Word & Powerpoint, and a couple of simple photo editors I downloaded for free. I know it is not much, but I have used those programs to their max, expanding the very limit of these programs. Now finally I had the chance to download the magical SketchUp from Google, as a chance to expand my horizon on graphic design. All I have to say about the program is.....that it is amazing! I have only had a chance to play around with it for a few days, but as a free program it has a lot of great aspects. I would have to say the 3D effect is one of the best parts about the program, something I have never really had a chance to really use, your able to build shapes and objects and then, as they say "push and pull" them up as if they were scrabble pieces from  Build Up Scrabble. Here's a few of the many different objects I have made on SketchUp, just to get the hang of it. I'll continue to play around with it, and comment about it later.

A simple chair, with rounded back. I started practising the chairs to get myself used to the sketch up controls, but the real thing I wanted to was not just make a chair but learn to make a rounded chair....and I did! The legs of the chair are kind of lame, and I am still working on those, I just can't get the "follow me" control to work for me.

Next I wanted to make myself a desk, and decided to play with colors a little as well. Again the legs of the desk are a little boring but the rest is pretty nice, displaying the drawers and cubes.

The last this I attempted to make was a unique book case, just this one looks more like a tares. Still pretty amazing, and very difficult to figure out how to do it (especially when you can't CROSS any lines).

M.C. Escher Relativity

My copy of M.C. Escher's Relativity in Google Sketch Up

This one is my master piece! Haven't gotten the people in the picture and really hate the railing, so still need some work but still LOVE it! Again I have only worked with this program for a few days, three days to be precise.

Again still just playing with it, and learning more. Next program to indulge myself in...."Photo Shop" (if only it was a little cheaper, boo).

Artist of the Week - Ruben Toledo

Ruben Toledo is choosen this week as my new artist of the week, he is most famouse for his illistrations made for the department store of Nordstroms! He's also created many other whimsical illustrations for Haper's Bazaar, New York Times, Barney's, and Isabel Toledo (his wife and fashion designer). Using his love for illistrations and talent with fashion he can create many unique illistrations made with pencils, paint, and anything else he can get his hands on. I know one of my favorite things about getting the nordstroms cateloge every month is seeing his new creations on the front cover. He is a very talented artist and has a very unique taste.

The limited edition book of Rubin Toledo's illistrations and paintings done at nordstroms (wonderful book)

Rebecca Casciano

Matouenpeluche

Rebecca Casciano

Mohr4ya

      fleur-de-lyss                                    An Illustrators Inspiration

Rebecca Casciano

fleur-de-lyss

Photograph by Ruven Afanador and Paintings by Ruben Toledo

Rebecca Casciano                                         Haut Fashion

An Illustrators Inspiration

An illistration of his wife and himself

Rebecca Casciano

Crafting Calamities

So I got myself stuck on a project that I was creating the other day. I decided to try out sewing again, after making two very successful Halloween costumes (one for myself and the other for my dog) I figured I would attempt to make a simple shirt. It all started out fine yesterday, the cutting, the pinning and figuring out what stitches to use. Except once I was ready to sit down at the machine I not only found out the sewing machine I am using (not mine) does not have the capability to make the stick I want, but it also breaks on me. Lucky for me when we brought it into the shop it only cost me $20 to repair (only a small broken piece, thank goodness).

I attempted to start sewing, and in the middle of my beautiful sewing job my dad stops by with another sewing machine my mom bought for my grandpa that she said I could have (rest in peace grandpa), which was great! I thought, "yes a new sewing machine, its gotta be better then this old one" (from like the 80's)...I think. I opened up the case, and OMG is this sucker old! not only that but all the buttons and levers have no labels on them, so I have no idea what any of them do. I cleaned up the machine, and tried to figure everything out but just got frustrated by the whole mess and gave up for the day.

So instead, Happy Sewing Too Me TODAY....or maybe we'll just go with tomorrow, whenever I get these machines figured out.


I do not know where I got this picture, it is not mine and I found it a long time ago on a blog page...but it does seem appropriate for yesterdays calamity



So Many Shoes ... Only Two Feet

Ok so one of my favorite things in the whole world is shoes! and not just any shoes, Manolo Blahnik shoes!! So of course when I found some of his designs I had to have them. Of course I cannot afford them (on only a pilots salary) and I of course cannot have his design book, so I decided to attempt to paint them myself. Of course they are not the real thing I am pretty happy with them. So thank you Manolo Blahnik for making sure beautiful creations!!!

My absolute favorite of my own paintings and of his designs, looks almost exactly like his. I believe I saw it on a book cover as well, if he has a book I have to have it!!

The frills were crazy to make! hard to make each of them have so much individuality but I think it turned out good.

I didn't have the right paint for this one, and if you look closely (in person) you can really notice it. I don't know why I didn't just go out and by the right paint for the job but ooh well, its just for my anyway.

From these beautiful creations I had to continue. I had a day calender of shoes, "just the right fit," basically a new shoe for everyday. Once the year was up I kept the days and just had to do something with them. This is what I decided to do.

Quote about Manolo Blahniks

"Manolo creates visual poems for women's feet. Some women desire fabulous jewels; others think of his shoes as jewels for the feet"

- Andre Leon Talley, editor at large, Vogue

Wedding Tid-Bits - Outdoor Wedding

Ok thanks to me and my boyfriends anniversary yesterday it inspired me to start a 'wedding tid-bit' series to my blog page, of course there is no wedding date planned for me...and its far from now, I'm sure, but it is always fun to image your wedding and maybe even get an idea of what it could look like.

Outdoor weddings are always very beautiful with the natural lighting, as long as you are lucky to have the right weather. Make sure when having an outdoor wedding to as well provide weather accommodations for the guests, even done to the simple umbrella, paper fans, and sunscreen.

Lyana Votey Photography

Pictures taken, by yours truly, at a friend of mines wedding, done at his cabin. At the end of the ceremony they sailed a way into the sunset....and met us at the reception down the lake.

Its was beautiful!

Pictures from the movie Time Travelers Wife, and inspiration made by (I think) Baubles and Bubbles

From The Hang Over. I know not great pictures of the venue, but I almost died when I saw how beautiful it was! It had an indoor and an outdoor, and a great dance floor (and I'm all about the dancing)

Maloman Photographers

Creative Photography

There is a great skill to photography, but now that everyone can have a good....no maybe great camera for a fairly cheep cost, we can all be great photographers. I have been playing around with photography trying to build my own skills up. I also found a daily photo challenge site called the Daily Shoot, where you can submit photos or even just give yourself challenges.

Here's a few of my own photographs I have taken, some with even with alterations. I hope to try to the daily challenges every so often to get my skills up, and even better, I hope to get myself a better camera to help with my skills. The one I have is good, Sony HD but I could possibly do even better with a a real photographers camera.

This one was actually taken for me and my bf....a surprise for him. My own hand, while Im taking the picture. We always give the "I love you" symbol to each other instead of always yelling out to each other when others are in the same room.

quote from 'Meet the Robinsons'

quote from Dr. Seuss

This photograph was accually a combined effort, my boyfriend took the photo and me and my friend altered it.

Taken at my cabin, during sunset

The wonderful helicopter I usually fly. This is taken during the Twin Cities Corn Maze, with my boyfriend flying.

Still working on my own skills, but I know if I can challenge myself I can always get better! I hope to try the daily photo-shoot challenge and continue to play around with photography.