Thanks to Rasco From RIF for the link.
Books as decor
Here's a new twist on a wall of books. It's at a hotel in Germany featured at the blog, Design Crisis. Most of the decor centers around books - lampshades, side tables, walls, you name it. I wouldn't want to have to dust the place, but it still looks pretty cool. Click the image to see more...
Thanks to Rasco From RIF for the link.
Thanks to Rasco From RIF for the link.
Figs!
The figs are here!! I have a big fig plant next to my fireplace. Last time I checked for ripeness, all I saw were little green rocks. But look what I found this morning!!!! YUM!!! I LOVE figs! So does Bernie - he got the first one! :)
Elizabeth Bleumle on Book Covers
The owner of the Flying Pig in Vermont (and co-author of Shelf-Talker) gathered a pretty amazing post recently on trends in book covers: The Season of Windblown Hair - Or, the Zeitgeist of Book Covers. She broke them into categories such as "florals, branching out, wings," etc.
I hate to think how much time it took to pull this post together, but it is truly fascinating to see how similar covers end up looking, and to see the overall design influences. And I have to admit, I find most of them absolutely beautiful and would be proud to be the author of any one of them. Click on the image above to go see lots more!
Pannell Award-Winning Little Shop of Stories Turns Five
Anyhow, read more about their upcoming birthday celebrations (big party on July 29th) at the ABA (American Booksellers Association) website: Pannell Award-Winning Little Shop of Stories Turns Five!
Photo courtesy of Toni Rhodes of Reading Rhino.
Coloring Page Tuesday - Summer Reading
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We're in the thick of summer and people are heading for beaches, pools or backyard sprinklers. Of course, I hope summer also means you have more time to read. I heard of one young reader who actually prefers books over ice-cream! (Okay, so her Mom owns a book store and she may be a little biased!)
I drew this Summer Reader ages ago for the SCBWI Bulletin, but only just now have turned it into a coloring page. When you click through, you'll just get the line-art, but I thought I'd share the shading on this smaller version.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Look what Julie did!
We're in the thick of summer and people are heading for beaches, pools or backyard sprinklers. Of course, I hope summer also means you have more time to read. I heard of one young reader who actually prefers books over ice-cream! (Okay, so her Mom owns a book store and she may be a little biased!)
I drew this Summer Reader ages ago for the SCBWI Bulletin, but only just now have turned it into a coloring page. When you click through, you'll just get the line-art, but I thought I'd share the shading on this smaller version.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Look what Julie did!
Author's Guild's opinion on Wylie/Amazon: http://tiny.cc/f9et5 with a P.S. http://tiny.cc/d5uhn - wow.
Luv Monster #2
Remember my promise to be more creative? And how that led to my Luv Monster? Well, I've done it again. Here is Luv Monster #2. (That's a pink beak sticking out.) What say you?
Hermes or Seuss Sneakers
For your fave Rick Riordan fan (or for me), Adidas sneakers with wings!!! Perfect to wear to your local Camp Half-Blood!
(Thanks to Fuse #8 for the link to 4YA.)
Not your thing? Maybe you'd prefer the Dr. Seuss Cons (at the Huffington Post). (Must admit I find these much more tasteful.)
(Thanks to 100 Scope Notes for the heads up.)
A Walk on the Beach
Have you had the chance to visit a beach yet this summer? If not, how about this? Enjoy these sand images by artist Jim Deneven. (Click the image to go see more - they're truly stunning.)
Thanks to Design Crisis for the link.
Old Spice Guy on Libraries
Give it up for Old Spice and their new ad campaign which is a complete viral HIT. Here's the Old Spice guy on Libraries!
(Thanks to author Tracy Barrett for the heads up.)
And a spin-off which just gets better...
(Thanks to NPR's "Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might be Libraries" for the link. And by the way - it's totally worth a read so click on over!)
(Thanks to author Tracy Barrett for the heads up.)
And a spin-off which just gets better...
(Thanks to NPR's "Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might be Libraries" for the link. And by the way - it's totally worth a read so click on over!)
Croakin' and pickin'
Hey! My art is on the Dueling Banjo Pigs blog! This crazy blog is the creation of Guy Francis and Stacy Curtis. Because, y'know, who doesn't like to draw a pig playing the banjo?
Click here to see more pigs!
Click here to see more pigs!
Bookmobile Parade!
Bookmobiles ROCK! And the American Libraries site recently posted Bookmobiles on Parade held during the 2010 ALA (American Library Association) Annual Conference in Washington, DC. (Click the image to view the slideshow.) How cool is this!?
(Thanks to the RIF - Reading is Fundamental - blog for the heads up!)
Coloring Page Tuesday! - On the Farm
Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and to view more coloring pages - click here!
This week's coloring page was a request by Tobi-Dawne Smith. She said, "The wee girlie just asked me to find a picture of a farm. Don't suppose you'd consider tackling a small barn with a couple critters."
Ha - love to! I loves me some farm critters.
It also gave me the chance to cover a few other requests for pigs, sheep, horses and such. All together now... Moo! Nay! Bah! Oink! Cluck! Quack! and Cockadoodledoo!... (And yes, that may have to be the title of my next book.)
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Look what Jackie Watts created!
This week's coloring page was a request by Tobi-Dawne Smith. She said, "The wee girlie just asked me to find a picture of a farm. Don't suppose you'd consider tackling a small barn with a couple critters."
Ha - love to! I loves me some farm critters.
It also gave me the chance to cover a few other requests for pigs, sheep, horses and such. All together now... Moo! Nay! Bah! Oink! Cluck! Quack! and Cockadoodledoo!... (And yes, that may have to be the title of my next book.)
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Learn about my bilingual picture book Paco and the Giant Chile Plant ~ Paco y la planta de chile gigante - click the cover.
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Look what Jackie Watts created!
The Stacks by Scholastic
As publishers scramble to find their place in this new digital reading environment, Scholastic has created something very interesting, and maybe very smart. It's called The Stacks. It's still in beta, but it's a safe place for kids to gather, find books to read, games to play, create a fun profile and chat about books on message boards. In other words, it's got just about everything a young reader could want.
The limitation is, of course, The Stacks will only be offering books Scholastic publishes (I think) but they're a big house and that's still an enormous selection.
If you check it out, will you report back and let us know what you think?
Camel Book Drive
On the subject of bookmobiles, the Camel Book Drive in Kenya has got to be the most unusual. But maybe one of the most important. Hubbie and I honeymooned in Kenya and it is a truly magical place. However, literacy is LOW and very few kids actually own a book. Kenya is also a very big place. So if the kids can't go to the books, the books will humpity, humpity on a camel to the kids. Fantastic!
Click the photo (from the website) to learn more.
Jazz Pianist/Afro Connoisseur Eric Lewis
I'm on vacation - so I'm sharing some joy...
Jazz Pianist Eric Lewis from NPR on Vimeo.
Thanks to Joshua Blankenship for the link.Bookmobiles in History
I've posted before about some unusual bookmobiles, like the bicycle book mobile and the tank bookmobile. Well, the Saint Paul Public Library has a page dedicated to bookmobiles from the past: Bookmobile History and Photo Album. Including the one below. It's groovy to see the evolution of these, and to see how eager the kids were to find a new treasure. In fact, this may have to become a new tag theme at dulemba.com - bookmobiles. Gotta luv 'em.
Thanks to Julie Fortenberry at children's illustration for turning me onto this!
Hands, hands, hands
I know AT&T created their new ads hoping they will go viral - and so they must. Because they really are beautiful and creative. All were created using hands and a little paint... Go to The Creative AT&T Advertisements at Funzug.com to see them all.
I'm wondering if this is the same artist I featured way back in 2007, Hand Painting - How Cool is That! - Guido Daniele. Or if Guido just started a movement. Hm!
Thanks to Kevan Atteberry for the 'hands' up!
Coloring Page Tuesday! - Sea Serpent
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This week's coloring page was requested by Marguerite La Riviere, Library Director at the Kegoayah Kozga Library in Nome, Alaska. Woosie!
Like many libraries across our Nation this summer, their summer reading program is "Make a Splash, Read!" They are embracing the theme using pirates and Sea Serpents!
Considering I've never met a Sea Serpent or Sea Monster in person, I had to get creative here. So, this is my best guess as to what a friendly (of course) one would look like!
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Click the iPhone to learn about my app - Lula's Brew - also available for the iPad!
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
This week's coloring page was requested by Marguerite La Riviere, Library Director at the Kegoayah Kozga Library in Nome, Alaska. Woosie!
Like many libraries across our Nation this summer, their summer reading program is "Make a Splash, Read!" They are embracing the theme using pirates and Sea Serpents!
Considering I've never met a Sea Serpent or Sea Monster in person, I had to get creative here. So, this is my best guess as to what a friendly (of course) one would look like!
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Click the iPhone to learn about my app - Lula's Brew - also available for the iPad!
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Library of the Early Mind (trailer)
"Library of the Early Mind" will have its first screening at Harvard in October. Man, I wish I could be there. This looks like an amazing project by Adam Gopnik - children's author and The New Yorker magazine essayist. (The site has some wonderful interviews - so go check it out!)
Twilk.com - Show your friends!
This is cool. With Twilk.com you can add all the profile photos of your twitter friends as your twitter background. The more you tweet with somebody, the more likely they are to show up. Share your love!!!Like this example from their website:
Don't Like Reading? Read On...
Thanks to Alison Morris of PW Shelftalker for turning me on to this awesome post at Offbeat Earth. There are some fantastic creations with books like this and more at Don't like reading? Read on... - you gotta go see.
Luv Monster
In my attempt to be more creative, outside of books, I finished my Luv Monster! I don't know why I make these things, but I just seem to enjoy doing embroidery-like stitching on felt. Hm. Anyhow, I hope to make a slew of Luv Monsters and then maybe sell them in a gallery or on eBay. Think there will be a market? :)
To Kill a Mockingbird turns 50!
The classic is getting older, but not showing its age! Along with giving it a read, I have two friends who have written related books. IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD by Loretta Ellsworth and UP CLOSE: HARPER LEE by Kerry Madden.
Along with these, Monroeville, Alabama (where the book is set and where Harper Lee grew up) will have an official celebration July 8-11. Learn more at www.tokillamockingbird.com.
Coloring Page Tuesday! - Lucky Duck
Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and to view more coloring pages - click here!
Hooboy it's hot here. They don't call it Hotlanta for nuthin'! How about where you live? Do you have access to water? Submerge thyself! (And then go in and cool off while you watch the Tour de France.)
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Click the iPhone to learn about my app - Lula's Brew - also available for the iPad!
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Check out what Deebi created for her classroom:
And Belinda had her students create workbooks using my duck as the cover. Aren't they cute?
Hooboy it's hot here. They don't call it Hotlanta for nuthin'! How about where you live? Do you have access to water? Submerge thyself! (And then go in and cool off while you watch the Tour de France.)
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.
Click the iPhone to learn about my app - Lula's Brew - also available for the iPad!
Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!
Check out what Deebi created for her classroom:
And Belinda had her students create workbooks using my duck as the cover. Aren't they cute?
Being Creative
A friend and I were talking the other day about the crazy things we like to make other than children's books. And then there's Amy Timberlake's new blog Show and Tell Me. And it occurred to me that it's been a long time since I've just goofed off, messed around, created something just for the sake of making it.
The proof? I've gathered some photos of things I've made in the past, like puppets, dolls, gourds, bronze casting, etc. (See it HERE), and there just ain't enough there.
Granted, I gave a TON of stuff away. This was the last puppet of about a dozen I made, although I'm working on a stuffed version right now (well, this past winter).
But this is the stuff that keeps our juices flowing. Trying new things, and creating just for myself. I am going to try to make a concerted effort to add more images to this page - by making new stuff. So I says to myself. So there, Self!
The proof? I've gathered some photos of things I've made in the past, like puppets, dolls, gourds, bronze casting, etc. (See it HERE), and there just ain't enough there.
Granted, I gave a TON of stuff away. This was the last puppet of about a dozen I made, although I'm working on a stuffed version right now (well, this past winter).
But this is the stuff that keeps our juices flowing. Trying new things, and creating just for myself. I am going to try to make a concerted effort to add more images to this page - by making new stuff. So I says to myself. So there, Self!
Writer's Roost Blackberry Pie
Happy July 4th!!! To celebrate I will share one of my personal favorite traditions... the picking of wild blackberries to make a pie...
Writer's Roost Blackberry Pie
Ingredients:
4 cups hand-picked blackberries (wash thoroughly!)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. drambui, bourbon or rum
dash of salt
zest and juice from one orange (or 2 tbsp. orange juice)
1 box pie pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (2 rounds)
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. white sugar
Directions
1. Comine berries with sugar, flour, liquor, salt, orange juice and zest - mix well and let mascerate for a bit. Meanwhile, roll out bottom crust, place in pie dish (don’t grease) and poke with a fork a few times. Dish berry mixture into crust with slotted spoon, leaving out extra liquid. Roll out second pastry, place on top and crimp edges. Cut “X” in center and fold back edges. Brush entire top with milk then dust with the tablespoon of sugar.
2. Bake at 425 degree F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Let cool thoroughly and serve!
OMG! Friend and illustrator Mark Braught emailed me with a photo of him dolled up for the 4th and his pie creation. Hilarious!!! (He said it was delicious!)
And here's a piece of the pie and blackberry frozen yogurt we made over the holiday weekend. Eat up! :)
Writer's Roost Blackberry Pie
Ingredients:4 cups hand-picked blackberries (wash thoroughly!)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. drambui, bourbon or rum
dash of salt
zest and juice from one orange (or 2 tbsp. orange juice)
1 box pie pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (2 rounds)
2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. white sugar
Directions
1. Comine berries with sugar, flour, liquor, salt, orange juice and zest - mix well and let mascerate for a bit. Meanwhile, roll out bottom crust, place in pie dish (don’t grease) and poke with a fork a few times. Dish berry mixture into crust with slotted spoon, leaving out extra liquid. Roll out second pastry, place on top and crimp edges. Cut “X” in center and fold back edges. Brush entire top with milk then dust with the tablespoon of sugar.
2. Bake at 425 degree F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Let cool thoroughly and serve!
OMG! Friend and illustrator Mark Braught emailed me with a photo of him dolled up for the 4th and his pie creation. Hilarious!!! (He said it was delicious!)
And here's a piece of the pie and blackberry frozen yogurt we made over the holiday weekend. Eat up! :)
Dragon Boat Races - Heartbeat Charity
A few months ago I was approached by the colleagues working in the congenital heart and pregnancy services at Southampton University Hospital Cardiac Centre in Wessex, England. They were trying to raise funds for their Heartbeat Charity to purchase heart scanning equipment for high risk pregnancies through their 2010 Dragon Boat Challenge. And they needed a mascot.
They found my happy dragon online - who has a heart at the end of his tail and was perfect for this cause. I was happy to let them use my art for such a worthy cause. All I asked in return is they send me a t-shirt and photos. Well, the t-shirt is on its way and the photos are fantastic. (Click here to see more pictures and here to learn more about the challenge.) Best of all, so far they've raise £1,678.50 which surpasses their goal for this much needed equipment! Good all around!
P.S. - I receive tons of requests to use my art for fund-raising activities. As long as my art is not being sold to do so, I usually say a very hearty 'yes' - but please ask and check my Angel Policy for details. Thanks!