Pikaland

Tattly

Tattoos have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I can identify and understand the reasons why people have it, but I’ve always been chicken to have one thing permanently marked on my body. Call me indecisive or that I’m being irrationally fickle – but if I had my way from the beginning, my whole body would be covered in all sorts of illustrations that you could just hang me up on the wall.

But you don’t have to go through such permanent measures any more because Tattly is here! The site was founded by Tina Roth Eisenberg (of Swiss Miss) and features adorable designer temporary tattoos from the likes of artists Julia Rothman and Marc Johns. The sets on Tattly will be able to satisfy those who have cravings of self mark-making, with all the fun but without the pain and regrets.

Top to bottom: Menagerie set by Amy Blay, You’re Very, Very Late set and Complete Kitchen set by Julia Rothman.

Happy {Chinese} New Year!

It’s a little weird to have two “Happy New Year” posts one after another, especially if they are less than one month apart; but today marks the first day of the new lunar calendar as we head into the year of the Dragon! This year we’re celebrating it a little low-key – me with my parents and sister, and it’s been brilliant so far, mainly because it meant that I had to stop myself from further spring cleaning (and I’ve used up a good few weeks for cleaning not one, but TWO houses!)

I’m a little exhausted, but I’m extremely happy for being able to put my weary feet up just a bit before I commence work again! Here’s to a fabulous dragon year ahead with lots of exciting things to come! 😀

{Artwork credit: Year of the Dragon 2012 Zen Sumi Original Painting Art Card by ZenBrush on Etsy!}

Review: Quoteskine Volume 1

When the tough gets going, some people buckle or wring their hands and cry about it. But not Lee Crutchley, oh no. After he came back from a solid year of traveling (after selling off his stuff and quitting his job), he found himself in a recession. He braced himself for a job-less time, but didn’t want his downtime to be of waste – and so Quoteskine was born.

Featuring lyrics and quotes that he has gathered along the years, he started the Quoteskine blog (quoteskine is a combination of the qord “quotes” and “moleskine”) with the mission of drawing a quote every weekday to keep his creative juices flowing. His blog got picked up by quite a few website (including ours) and gathered momentum from then on. Last year, Lee published his first Quoteskine book – a greatest hits of sorts from his weekday exercises – all filled with quotes that he has penned down in his Moleskine in chronological order.

I like how simple his idea is, and that he lives and breathes it completely. His passion for his quotes and lyrics shine through in every page; but most of all I admire his can-do attitude and how he chooses to be an optimist in a time where it was simply easier to just be pessimistic about things. And look how far he has come!

You can get a copy of Quoteskine Volume 1 at his shop where he also has postcards, tees and prints for sale!

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Happy weekend folks! The Chinese New Year is coming up and there’s much spring cleaning to be done to welcome the year of the dragon – so I’m putting down my drawing brush and my mouse and picking up a broom and duster instead for the weekend!

Catch you here again next week!