King of the Bubble

I just heard about the craziest thing! There is a competition in Brussels called King of the Bubble. In this competition people are in a large, deep pool and blow ring shaped bubbles. Sounds kind of lame, but it isn't!

First off, the pool is 100 feet deep! Suck on that for a minute! Competitors get into the water and using their mouths, attempt to make ring shaped bubbles, one after the other that go all the way to the surface. Secondly, these bubble makin folk are only equipped with their goggles, bathing suits, and their own set of lungs. There is a person with an oxygen tank near by that gives them more air when needed or in case anything goes wrong.

The way you win this contest is to be the person with the best bubbles, duh! They are judged on their size, shape, how perfect the rings are, and how many bubbles they can do in one breath. The contestants do so using a technique that is similar to that of blowing smoke rings.

This year the competition had 35 entries, but it all came down to one winner, 31 year old Francine Kreiss from Hyeres, France. To hell with Lord of the Dance! It's all about King of the Bubbles in my book, or in this case, Queen of the Bubbles!

Dolly Dearest

Rudigo

I am sure many of you out there have been exposed to manga and anime at one point or another. I am personally not into it, though I must say, some of the images can be aesthetically pleasing, particularly the eyes.

Beau and Betty

A man named Gary Crozier from New Castle has began making a name for himself using inspiration from manga and anime art as well as Blythe toys, wide eyed dolls, and European horror films.

Adam

What this man does is he takes a portrait of a person and alters it so that the person looks like a doll. His main change is to the eyes so that they look large, bright, striking, and very doll like. When the portrait is done the figure looks like a photograph/painting of a doll.

Siren 9

For anyone interested this is his site and yes, he does do group photos as well!

The Marsdens

I Want to Swim with da Bears!

So I learned something new today that has me itching to go to Canada. There is a place called the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat that is located in Ontario that allows visitors to swim with the polar bears! Before you get your knickers in a knot, it's not dangerous. The pool is designed so that a thick wall of plexiglas separates the bears from the swimmers.

Even though the habitat is open year round, the option to swim with the bears is only available during the summer. Both kids and adults are welcome to partake in the fun! Unfortunately, the habitat is closed for the 2011 summer season, but will opened back up soon! Man, I really want to swim with the Bears!

Cosmik Souls

Okay Boils and Ghouls, I have another seller I would like you to meet. Her name is Joan and I met her through an Etsy Team I am in. She has some very unique items in her shop that deserve attention! Many of her items are accessories that are handmade with a vintage feel. Most of them look more like pieces of art than something you would wear on a special occasion. I recently began talking with Joan and I learned a bit about her. The following are some questions I asked her as well some pictures of items that are currently for sale in her shop, cosmiksouls.

Here is some basic info about the owner of cosmiksouls:

My name is Joan M Kelly and I live in Eastern Long Island NY. I grew up on LI and been there all my life and love it. I adore life by the beach and could not survive without a beach community ... at least I don't think ;) I have been married for 25 years to my soulmate and have a lovey daughter with a heart of gold who will be a college graduate in Entetainment and Event Management soon. She helps me with many administrative and event tasks for my biz as does the hubby as he is the business minded one and has been in the corporate world his entire professional career now owning his own biz in the financial field. I am all artist having a background in classical ballet, a degree in fashion, and a background in altered couture as well as teaching, exhibiting and selling at art leagues and venues in LI. I am returning to my fashion design roots after 21 years of being full time mom and corporate wife and am finding it all to come back so naturally as I began creating from the time I was very young and remained creative throughout the years bringing many art projects and programs to the local school district. Too boot, I also returned to dance 5 years ago. This time my genre is Ballroom and I have competed and showcased often. Guess this all leaves you wondering what my age ?;) I turned 50 this year, but don't look or behave it and often time I being mistaken for much younger because of my sense of style, fitness and zest for life including my new couture design biz.

Vintage Inspired Rococo Peacock Feather Choker With Vintage Brooches and Rhinestones

1.How long have you been jewelry and accessories?

I worked in Jewelry and Accessories as part of my fashion training in college; really on purpose because I have always had such a deep love of frilly adornments, creating many for myself since I was a child and wearing them about and people loving them. I think I always knew I would end up back here ... with my new brand. Cosmik Souls began the same way. I began creating to deal with the grief I felt upon my dad's passing a year and a half ago. As I wore it about town I got stopped everywhere and asked about who the designer was and how they could own a piece, hence a tribute line to my dad was born His name was Cosmos, hence Cosmik Souls.

Vintage Inspired Marylin Monroe Pendant With Glass Pearls and Tulle Bow

2. Apart from crafting, do you have another job?

This Cosmik venture has become a full time thing for me as I sell on consignment, FaceBook, Etsy and locally and have a couture one of a kind business model. I also work with talent agencies, photographers and models on collaborative assignments. I do all of my own design, crafting, photo, marketing and shipping as well. My studio is in my home so it allows for me to be home for my family and dogs, including a rescue puppy.

Rococo Lace Choker with Feathers and Vintage Jewels

3. Where do you get your inspiration from?

First of have to give kudos to my dad for a lifetime of creative and humanitarian inspiration. He was incredibly talented all though art was a hobby for him and very was generous to those in need. I feel as if my dad is working along side me on this as I feel his presence always. I also work with 6 charities with my brand, as he taught me well. My inspiration is so intrinsic to my being that things just come to me on recall as I design. My vintage inspiration comes from a love of history including family history back to my roots. Old family photos are priceless and I adore the family mix I am comprised of. Half homeland of Greece as I am second generation American on my dad's side ... and half heartland as my mom's family were original settlers in the Midwest. Can't beat that combo of inspiration ;)

Purple Hearts And Flower Romantic Charm Cuff

4. What is your most favorite item in your shop and why?

It is hard to pick a favorite item in my shop as I love it all but I am known for my lace and feathered chokers and cuffs. MY Baroque Bridal Choker has been a Cosmik Souls fave and I love it for it's soft, elegant yet sexy statement and it's versatility to be worn and treasured as a heirloom piece long after the nuptials. From engagement party to wedding day ... to a great honeymoon bu dour beauty to wow the new hubby ... also rocks with a great pair of jeans !!!

Vintage Inspired Baroque Lace Bridal Choker With Rosettes,Cameo,Ribbon and Bleached Peacock Feathers

5. How would you describe your creative process?

My creative process begins with an inspiration that begins to play out in my minds eye. Then I begin to lay it all out and add and subtract what looks and feels right. I feel as if my pieces sort of speak to me guiding me where to go. Nothing is complete until my heart and soul tell me so.

Red Resin Rose On Brass Filigree Charm Necklace

6. Where would you like to be in ten years?

In ten years I hope to have Cosmik Souls recognized as an established upscale haute couture brand and a go to brand for truly special pieces. The sky is the limit really and I believe it is heading where it belongs.

Pearl Choker With Fun Skull

7. What advice would you give to a new Etsy Seller?

For any new Etsy seller my advise would be to realize that we all started at the beginning and had so much to learn ... it's not just you ... I am still learning everyday. Also to join the Etsy Teams and community ... I have made the most awesome friends there and learned so much about how to use the Etsy site from them. We also all help validate each other as artisans. It's a great site ... be patient and your hard work will pay off.

Vintage Inspired Steampunk Skull Cameo Cocktail Ring

If you are interested in any of the items you saw or heard about, please check out Cosmik Souls. Also feel free to check out Joan's other sites, which include Facebook, Twitter, and Sense of Fashion.

Exciting news!

This Ghoul has some exciting news!I have kept this to myself for a few weeks, and only a few people were aware of what I am about to reveal!

Here it goes! A few weeks ago I had a rather large order for a lady in Australia. She ordered many of my skeleton hand accessories and a few necklaces as well, along with some hair clips. I didn't second guess why this lady was ordering so much, I just thought she might be buying these items to resell in a shop down under. However, curiosity got the best of me and I sent said lady an e-mail asking her why the large order. Apparently the lady has a clothing line that she is kicking off and wanted to have her models wear my accessories that she purchased and then give them to her models as payment.

I was in shock.

I have kept in contact with this fashionista and as soon as the show is said and done, I will be getting pictures of her models wearing my items. I am very excited about this and I can't wait until I see the pictures. Hopefully, I will also be able to chat with the designer and ask her some questions as I do in my featured shop posts. So keep an eye out for that post! I am not 100% sure when her show will be, but rest assured, I will let everyone know when I have pictures! Okay, I am done being giddy and bragging! At least for the time being.

New Listings for June

This month I have been a busy ghoul! I have been hard at work making new items, applying for events, celebrating birthdays, and even looking at houses with my fiance! It's been an exciting month so far and it's not even half way over! Today I was able to put up some new necklaces! They all feature movies from the 80's and 90's and there are a bunch of John Waters themed necklaces too! So check them out while they are still around!

Christian Slater as Happy Harry Hard-On in Pump Up the Volume

Winona Ryder and Christian Slater in Heathers

Park Posie as Mary in Party Girl

Mark from Empire Records

Nancy from The Craft

There are many more new items to come, so be on the lookout!

I wanna be a scream queen!

Working in a bookstore has so many ups and downs. There are good books and there are bad books. There is the employee discount and then there are the paper cuts. It can be a love hate relationship. One day I was lucky enough to stumble across a book called The Scream Queen's Survival Guide: Avoid machetes, defeat evil children, steer clear of bloody dismemberment, and conquer other horror movie cliches by Meredith O'Hayre. Ohh, I had no idea what I was in for when I made this purchase, but I can honestly say it is one the best books I have read in a long time. I might be biased due to my fascination for horror films, but it really is that amazing of a book! I laughed, I reminisced, and it made me wish I was a scream queen!

This book is filled with hilarious chapters filled with vital information if you happen to find yourself in a horror movie like situation. For instance, in the chapter called "Freaky Locales" the author says "If some place seems too good to be true, don't get a hotel room there," and then goes on to mention Hostel. If you saw it, you know what she's talking about! She has advice for almost every situation and circumstance you can think of and have seen on the bog screen.

Some of her advice includes:

• Keep your V-card
• Keep your play list light, you ever hear of anyone getting cut when they're cuttin' footloose?
• Don't ignore your visions
• Don't bother with the fuse box
• Hold that sigh of relief until daylight
• Never babysit (from my favorite chapter: "That's one f***ed-up little kid"
• Skip Prom
• Stay out of the crop circles
• Don't go looking for your pet in a dark and sketchy place

The author even references current horror movies such as Jennifer's Body, though, like most horror movies these days, it felt more like a comedy, but then again I am kind of f-ed in the head. The end of the book contains a list of the author's "must see scary flicks". I have seen almost all of them and the ones I haven't are in my Netflix que.  Overall, I love this book and I have read it several times and have quoted it more than a fair amount of times. I am really happy I bought this book because it makes me smile just knowing it's on my bookshelf.

Coming Clean

I admit it! I love horror movies! I love hearing the sirens of scream queens, blood drenched scenes, and killers that don't run, yet always manage to kill their prey. I wish everyday was Halloween and I love Ministry for making a song titled as such. I love all types of scary movies whether they be good, bad, b rate, classic, foreign, black and white, or even a bit artsy..... that last comment was for you, Antichrist with Willem Dafoe! As much as I love these, there is something even more horrifying that I love. Some call these things guilty pleasures, I call them the true dark side. They following is a list, in no particular order of my guilty pleasures. It is time for me to come clean!

- iCarly
- Dawson's Creek
- Teen movies from any decade (Jawbreaker and Heathers are bad ass and are not guilty pleasure!)
- Drive Me Crazy
- The Secret Life of the American Teenager (which is terrible and I only watch because I like the "slut")
- Coyote Ugly
- Spice World (stfu)
- Wizards of Waverly Place
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- Boy Meets World
- The Prince and Me
- Bring It On and all the sequals that followed
- Whatever It Takes
- She's All That
- Loser
- Get Over It
- Center Stage
- She's the Man
- Teen Witch
- Encino man
-John Tucker Must Die
- Dick
- Freaky Friday
- A Cinderella Story
- Legally Blonde
- Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (not really embarrassed by this one or the sequal)
- Get Over It

Yeah, I can pretty much say if it has Julia Stiles, Hillary Duff, Kirsten Dunst, Britney Spears, Melissa Joan Hart, Molly Ringwald, Mandy Moore, or one of The Cories in it, I probably like it, own it, and have seen it a few hundred times.

I have no idea why I like these things so much. It just amazes me that I can watch every single Sleepaway Camp and then want to watch a Mandy Moore movie. Oh well. Like I said, I am just coming clean!