a gorgeous giveaway with artist darrin davis of crazy uncle art studios!

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have i got a treat for you today, nicies!

it's with great pleasure that i celebrate the launch of a wonderful new handmade fine art shop that's very near and dear to my heart.  hip hip hurray! & three cheers for one of my favourite folks in the whole wide world, my fabulous & talented brother, darrin davis, and the opening of his boutique Crazy Uncle Art Studios.

darrin says it best: "Crazy Uncle Art Studios "Balances Fine-Art Snobbery & Greasy Kids Stuff!"  - i create handmade art from the heart, ranging from vibrant, engaging fine-art Nursery Paintings and Prints for the kiddies to dramatic, breath-taking Black and White nature photography for the non-diapered! :)  This shop is like a favourite family diner for the eyes, providing nourishing treats to young and old, with the added bonus of a 100% no-heartburn guarantee!"

indeed, this shop is a veritable wonderland of fabulous gifts for everyone on your Holiday list!  

• how about an adorable personalized animal painting on canvas for your favourite little ones?  
• or a giclee print from his evocative "men wearing hats, crying" series for a favourite art-loving friend?  
• or ordering a few sets of his ever-expanding & mesmerizing "wanderlust" nature photograph notecards as the perfect everyone-will-love-them gift for co-worker gift exchanges, teachers, neighbours and more this gift-giving season!

on a personal note: darrin is the gosh-darn best brother around. his amazing talent in so many creative spheres always inspires me - among his many talents he's also a brilliant musician - isn't almost home so lovely? and remember his fabulous canadian playlist here?  

and... he's a true nicey! he's the most hilariously fun & funny person in the world and i love how you can sense his fabulous being in every piece of art he crafts from his amazing eye for colour-play to his captivatingly rich photography. love you, brother!

so be sure to visit darrin around the web, and read on to
WIN a $50 gift card to crazy uncle art studios! woohoo!

darrin davis
crazy uncle art studios shop | facebook | twitter | the darrin davis band
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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one way to enter is to grab one of my rikrak studio buttons,

like this one for YOUR BLOG! here they are!

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and add it to your blog!

{ ... just copy & paste the text in the box above onto your blog sidebar! thanks! }

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:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have numerous entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as its own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of this  giveaway will be chosen on nov.8th @ 12:01 am EST.
d) open to contestants worldwide.
e) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.

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my favourite things: my brother

best friends by my wire empire

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today's a very special day on the rikrak calendar!
it's my dear brother's birthday!

i'm a lucky sister.

i have this wonderful, fun, generous, kind, most hilarious, creative power-house (six-string sweetheart is the perfect wednesday pick-me- up!), brilliant, super-gregarious, thoughtful brother who i just love & adore.

he inspires me to think great things, be a more loving person, and to embrace hard times with grace and understanding. he would be just the kind of brother i would craft for myself if i could. he's fabulous. he really really is.

too many times to count he has helped me see the other sides of things i thought were most certainly *this way* or *that way*, turned my day around with a cheery call or note, and brought me to happy tears laughing deep and healing belly laughs with his adorable antics.

he's also the gosh-darn best uncle ever to our little rikrak. and that's just a whole new level of praise for him. thanks, sweetie.

i confess:
i haven't always been the best sister to that little brother of mine {insert younger years recollections here: me as mrs. bossypants. him as poor victim to my dictatorship.} but i'm delighted beyond words we've become the best of friends as adults.

so happy birthday, dearest brother!
you're the best.

have a great brother?
what do you especially love about him?!

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playlists: for canada day with darrin davis

i just love a great playlist. i think it stems back to those glorious mixed tapes days where i'd either make, sometimes receive and always always covet a fabulous collection of tunes by various great artists! *bliss!* ... so i've asked some wonderful artists if they'd make up a little playlist on a theme for this rikrak studio series. i thought we might get a glimpse into what musically inspires these fabulous folks... i'm thrilled to present the next in the series. today, on Canada Day, it's playlists: with my wonderful brother, darrin davis: my favourite songs by Canadians.

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records- screenprinted flat notes by heatherjeany

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dj: darrin davis
theme: my favourite songs by Canadians

Neil Young | Barstool Blues
Joni Mitchell | Case of You
Leonard Cohen | Diamonds in The Mine
Oscar Peterson | Canadiana Suite
Hank Snow | I’ve been Everywhere
The Band | Ophelia
The Foggy Hogtown Boys | Stomp of Approval
The Be Good Tanyas | The Littlest Birds
Mr. Something Something | Bike Power!
Brian Macmillan | Another Day
The Donefors | In A Cornfield
The Good Lovelies | Lie Down
Julian Fauth | Flying Crow
Carly and Mark | Where You Live

Other Great Canadian Artists I’ve been listening to this month:
Cindy Doire
Pamela Brennan
The Parkas
Lake of Stew
Jay Clark and the Jones
Diana Catherine
Sarah Burton

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Darrin writes: " I feel very blessed to have been brought up in a country so steeped in great music. Many of my favourite musicians are Canadians, and CBC radio is such a supportive place fostering so many strong talents. Having just recently toured the country for the 1st time, I can truly say that Canadian music lovers are an enthusiastic, loving bunch. (regardless of what Mr. Billy Bob Thorton may ramble on about.) And let’s not forget that the genre we now acquiesce to calling ‘Americana’ was actually created by 4 Canadian boys and their American drummer; a group called The Band. There’s an old wood and steel track running straight through from Hank Snow, to Joni Mitchell, to Oscar Peterson, to Mr. Something Something that connects this beautiful, diverse land with powerful stories, brilliant technical proficiency and funky, danceable rhythms. Happy Canada Day!"

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the strip performing live!

thanks so much, nicey!
i just love love love your canadiana playlist!

folks.. i've gotta tell you...
i just adore that wonderful brother of mine!

not only does that darrin davis has a fabulous ear for great music, (and has pretty much introduced me to at least 1/2 of the wonderful music i've come to love! otherwise i'd just be dancing away to my good old 80's tunes day & night!) ... but he's an amazing musician as well.

i've had the delightful pleasure of seeing his fabulous talent grow from first mastering the sax & guitar @ a very young age, to being such a proud sister as he shines with various bands. he just wows folks with his versatile array of instrumental prowess on a remarkable number of instruments, his fabulous voice, & his amazing songwriting!

darrin's fabulous album
(featuring some of his wonderful artwork, too! woohoo)

i'm so fortunate to have such a fabulous, talented, considerate, friendly, hilarious, handmaking-loving, great-encourager-of-a-brother & dearest friend in him! if you ever have the chance to meet darrin, you're a lucky lucky soul... he's fantastic!.. guaranteed! so torontonians: check here for upcoming show dates & go see him play! it's a great show!

his band, the strip, released their wonderful album last winter, & you can buy it here on indiepool. "fusing jazz, alt-country, folk and rock", it's a glorious listen & zoomed right to the top of the indie music charts! woohoo! so be sure to visit his band's myspace, too, for lots of fun listening! yay handmade music!

so yay to great brothers!
isn't handmade (& canadian!) music grand!
& happy canada day, lovelies.
hope it's filled with fabulous tunes!

::: lovelies: who are your favourite canadian musicians?
tell us! i'll try to include as many as i can in the follow up post! ::

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