playlists: by mchen {& a giveaway, too!}

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! for me, a personal playlist is a magical grouping of songs. *bliss!* ... so i've asked some wonderful artists if they'd make up a little playlist on a theme for this new rikrak studio series. i thought we might get a glimpse into what musically inspires these fabulous folks... i'm thrilled to present the first: playlists with mchen: songs to howl along to!

mixed tape pouch by BraveMoonman

ever meet someone and feel instantly musically kindred!?
i'm fortunate to say that about mchen... she's golden! & i first came to know her thru her wonderful love & support of live music...

let's start with her delightful playlist (just click the titles to hear!):

dj: mchen of mchenwears
playlist: songs i love to belt out - loudly!

.............................

1. Light of the Moon by Joel Plaskett
2. Deep Red Bells by Neko Case
3. Rhythm & Blues Alibi by Gomez
4. Oh, Alberta by Elliott Brood
5. I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues by Elton John (guilty pleasure)
6. Robots by Dan Mangan
7. See You on the Moon by Great Lake Swimmers
8. Winter by Tori Amos
9. One Two Three Four by Feist (also the Sesame Street version)
10. Black Boys on Mopeds by Sinead O'Connor
11. Shelter by Ray Lamontagne
12. Don't Be So Mean Jellybean by Justin Rutledge

..................................

"I'm a music-head. I love going to live shows, hearing new tunes, witty lyrics, and finding songs that I can relate to. My brain ties memories to music strongly; I often relate songs to specific moments in time or people. I often turn to music, whether I need a pick-me-up, a calm-me-down, a distraction, or good company.

While compiling this, I realized I like belting out slow tunes. It's these kinds of songs I play while doing illustrations: moving enough to keep the creative juices flowing but calm enough for me to keep the pen steady!
Maybe one day, I can give you my go-go-go silkscreening playlist :)"

.............................

thanks so much, nicey!

i've gotta tell you.. Emily Chen of mchen is one fabulous soul! we started to get to *know* of one another thru twittering this year, and i soon came to adore her lovely blog. i noticed that her fabulous posts would often include a musician i myself adored, or one that she would introduce me to that i would shortly LOVE! isn't that a wonderful thing!

as the merriment of life would have, it was soon discovered that not only did we live in the same city, love lots of the same music, but that we lived... that's right, on the SAME street! we soon met for a delightful teaparty, and as the afternoon slipped by, i was smitten! what a genuine, real life sweetie mchen is! i've gotta say... she's really really wonderful.

i just adore her kind heart, fun personality & artistic brilliance! and super excitingly - she's just launched her newest line of handmade silkscreened shirts: the re{verb} line! so be sure to visit her wonderful shop and check them out for yourselves! and she now has adorable kids wear, too! woohoo! i've seen the shirts first hand and they're gorgeous!

...................

and... for even more fun...
AN MCHEN GIVEAWAY!!
emily has kindly offered to give
ONE lucky rikrak studio blog reader
their choice of ANY mchen tshirt in her shop! WOW! so fun!!!

..................
so here's how it works:

1. there will be 2 possible entries per person.
a) one entry: leave a comment in this post with a link to your favourite item from mchen's gorgeous shop. www.mchen.etsy.com

b) 2nd entry: leave a comment in this post with a song YOU'D have on your own playlist of songs to howl along to. what song do you love to belt out & sing?

2. please leave each entry as it's own individual comment.

3. i will draw one winner via random.org on tuesday may 26th @ 9pm EST.
please make sure i can contact you thru your comment post.

thanks so much! and happy singing-along-to!

{ps: i'll be drawing the winner of my OTHER giveaway tomorrow (friday) evening..
there's still time to enter that giveaway, too!}

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playlists & a giveaway: with Off the Hooks

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! for me, a personal playlist is a magical grouping of songs. *bliss!* ... so i've asked some wonderful artists if they'd make up a little playlist on a theme for this new rikrak studio series. i thought we might get a glimpse into what musically inspires these fabulous folks... i'm thrilled to present the next: playlists with Off the Hooks: rad folk music for rad crafters! and check out the other great playlists here.

...................................

brrrrr... it's 0 degrees celcius here this morning, and as the brilliant autumn leaves shimmy to the ground thoughts turn toward warming up our hands and heads and homes. so what a perfect time to welcome the lovely OfftheHooks to the rikrak studio! it's Ashley to the rescue!

warmth just exudes from Ashley's gorgeous eco-aware shop, that's filled with lovely handspun & hand-dyed yarns, & beautiful crochet and knit works. she handcrafts delights to warm everything from our hands & hearts & homes. so lovely! be sure to check out her gorgeous legwarmers, fingerless gloves & scarves to start!

AND offthehooks also offers handspun or hand-dyed yarns for the Do-It-Yourself-er in your home... i just can't stop oogling at those gorgeous, colorful yarns... so READ ON to see how you can win one! woohoo!

and her playlist is just as wonderful & warm! so without further ado, let's take a listen {love the theme!}:

....................................

theme:"rad folk music for rad crafters!"
dj: Ashley of Off the Hooks

1.) Corb Lund- This is my prairie
Corb is from southern Alberta where I'm from too! A great song about what's happening in Alberta these days with all our oil.

2.) Pete Seeger- Little Boxes.
Pete is such a great musician and spokesperson for working people around the world. That, and he always has great, handmade knit clothing! I think his wife must be a knitter, he's got on a cuddly sweater on in this video:

3.) Buck 65- Blood of a young wolf.
Buck 65 is currently one of my favorite Canadian artists; great poetry, great imagery, I like to call it "Hobo hop". He also hosts the Drive radio show on CBC radio 2 every weekday- love it!

4.) Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings- This Land is Your Land.
If you ever have a chance to see these guys live, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! Sharon can sure groove- I don't know how the band keeps up with her!

5.) Bruce Cockburn- Laughter.
What can I say- One of the greats. This is early, early stuff.

6.) Neil Young - After the Garden is Gone.
Another great, and another artist you must see in concert.

7.) Little Miss Higgins- Dirty Old Tractor Song.
What could be better than a song about planting a garden? Love her guitar and country style, from my neighbour province, Saskatchewan!

8.) Old Man Luedecke- I quit my job.
I always think of Etsy's "quit your day job" when I hear this song! A great celebratory song about everyone's dream come true!

9.) Harry Manx- Take This Hammer.
Harry Manx makes great music here he is live- pretty amazing!

10.) Johnny Cash- Man in Black.
I can't make any playlist without including Johnny Cash.

....................................

in Ashley's own words: "I LOVE listening to great tunes while I'm spinning yarn, crocheting or knitting up a storm, or kettle dyeing fleece in the kitchen. I really love music that conveys an important message or tells a story; whether it be about peace, equality, treading lightly on the earth, or music that makes a statement or educates the listener about something important happening now or in history. What's even better is when this is combined with great musical talent. I find when I am crafting, my mind opens up and I really get into the music. Just like the handmade movement, I think it's so important to support local artists who are musicians. I've been so lucky to see some great artists perform over the last couple of years, and a few are included below."

....................................

woowee! i LOVE this playlist, Ashley!
so many of my very own faves on here, too! i'd love to have a rockin' craft party with you! :)

now... while you're checking out all of these funfun tunes, wait til you see what OffTheHooks is offering to one lucky rikrak studio reader!

.......................................

the Off The Hooks giveaway!
one lucky reader will win

YOUR CHOICE of ONE handspun or hand-dyed yarn
from the Off the Hooks shop, up to a $25.00 value!




woowee! if only i could knit or crochet! i LOVE those gorgeous yarns!
so snuggly & gorgeous!
just think of the wonderful things you could make with them!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

here's how to enter the giveaway!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

1. go visit the lovely Off the Hooks shop.
... take a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favourite warm-you-up goodie from her shop & why.= 1 entry

2. leave us a comment on YOUR FAVE folksy song you love to craft to!
... = 1 entry

3. visit the Off the Hooks blog (it's a beauty!) and leave her a comment on a post
... then come back here and tell us about it. = 1 entry.

4. tweet on twitter
about this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here. please be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! :) = 1 more possible entry.

5. blog about
this giveaway and leave us a link to it in a separate comment here.= 1 more possible entry

6. follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog
and leave me a comment here telling us that you do! = 1 more possible entry.

7. :: PLEASE NOTE: each entry must be it's own comment.. thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 6 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the Off the Hooks giveaway will be chosen on
tuesday october 20th @ 9pm EST.
d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one. thanks.
................................................

stay warm, cuties!

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the art of the bath: with the spa goddess

breathe in.

breathe out.

walk to bathtub.

turn on water.

indulge!

is there ANYTHING more relaxing then a quiet, peaceful, hot water bath?! good heavens no.

so i've invited a bathtime guru to join us today on how to craft the perfect bath. welcome welcome to  the talented jessica of Spa Goddess /  Angel Face Botanicals. i just adore jessica's gorgeous nature-inspired shop - filled with eco-friendly aromatherapy bath & beauty creations! luxurious scrubs, organic facial care, yummy butters, lotions & delightful fizzes  inspire the imagination & senses! Spa Goddess is a handmaking superstar, and has the testimonials, reviews and mega press features to show for it!

it's a real treat to have such an eco-forward handmaking wonderwoman with us... and i hope you'll read on to see you YOU can WIN a Spa Goddess gift voucher! {FUN!} 

spa goddess

shop | site | twitter | blog | facebook

but first... let's hear a glorious, invigorating yet relaxing playlist by our artist to help craft the perfect bath!

......

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! for me, a personal playlist is a magical grouping of songs. *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: playlists with Spa Goddess. and check out the other great playlists here.

.........

bath art  

:: top :: istanbul print by stephanielevy

:: bottom :: bathtub fine art print by janeheller

jessica writes: My products are quite sensory engaging many of our senses: smell, touch, sight, and somewhere in there, also mood, emotion & inspiration. I do a regular theme on my blog  called The Art of the Bath  where I feature a photo/painting/illustration of an amazing bathtub: modern, outdoor, cozy, luxe, rustic, candlelit, humorous, etc. Often I will describe a real or fantasy bathing experience involving a collection of my products whose scent/function complete the mood created by the photo.

For my playlist, I’ve chosen some of my favorite music to create a decadent bathing experience and take The Art of the Bath to the next level with another of our senses: sound. These are the complete albums so the different moods created by each artist/compilation will flow consistently through the entire bath. 

theme: the art of the bath

dj: jessica of spa goddess

1. Miles Davis, Ascenseur pour l'echafaud  

2. Nick Drake, Pink Moon 

3. Bon Hiver, For Emma, Forever Ago

4. Zero 7, When it falls

5. Café del Mar - Volumen Siete

6. Dead Can Dance, Toward the Within

7. Bach , Brandenburg Concertos

8. Air, Moon Safari

9. Chet Baker, Jazz Around Midnight

10. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin

....................

and now... ONE lucky rikrak studio reader will WIN...

---> a $30 spa goddess gift voucher <----

1. visit the lovely spa goddess shop. 

...  tell us about your favourite goodie & why you love it!

=   1 entry

2. heart/fave the spa goddess shop on etsy.

...  & tell us.

=   1 entry

3. follow jessica's blog. 

...  & tell us.

=   1 entry

4. join the spa goddess facebook group. 

...  & tell us.

=   1 entry

5. follow BOTH the spa goddess (she's  @spagoddess ) the rikrak shop (that's me! twitter.com/therikrakshop)  on twitter

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

6.  follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

7. share a favourite song that fits jessica's fun *songs for a great bath* playlist!

= 1 entry

8. tweet on twitter

... about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! 

= 1 entry

9. blog about this giveaway

... come back and tell us.

= 1 entry

10. grab one of my NEW rikrak studio buttons,
like this one from the left hand sidebar, for YOUR BLOG!

<center><a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiorectangle.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiosquare.jpg" /></a></center>

and add it to your blog!

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

11. :: PLEASE NOTE: 

each entry must be it's own comment.

thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 10 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the spa goddess giveaway will be chosen on friday october 15th @ 11pm 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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giveaway & a playlist: with nesting emily

what is an artist?

a creator? a visionary? a creative powerhouse that can effectively articulate emotion + ideas into inspiring expressive form?

for me, the  mutli-media superstar emily jull of nesting emily embodies all of these truly admirable attributes (and more!)  ... i love emily's art!

as a longtime admirer of her work, i'm constantly amazed & inspired by the fantastical ways emily creates beautiful & functional new works in ceramics & textiles. 

it is delightfully mesmerizing for me to see her art so brilliantly marry kntting or fibres or felting,  & porcelain forms in such invigorating, organic ways. a trip to her amazing gallery of a shop is a breath of inspiring fresh air ... just like a gorgeous autumny walk!

so i hope you'll read on to find out how you can WIN one of emily's gorgeous works from her fabulous new knit obi vase collection!

but first, a delightful autumny playlist from our artist!

nesting emily

shop | flickr

......

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! for me, a personal playlist is a magical grouping of songs. *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: playlists with nesting emily! and check out the other great playlists here.

.........

theme: Songs for an Autumn walk

dj: emily jull of nesting emily

September- by Pomplamoose 

(Maybe the best, happiest cover of all time!) 

The Shape of My Heart- by Noah and the Whale 

(Oh so sweet, these boys are)

 

Echo Beach- by Martha and the Muffins 
(I am a child of the 80's and this in a fav)

 

My Moon My Man- by Feist

(Simply too good not to include)

You're a Wolf- by Sea Wolf 

(My favourite walking song) 

St. Francis- by Ohbijou  

(My favourite Canadian band- they are amazing live!) 

Mykonos- by Fleet Foxes 

(Not since Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young have a group of men sung so beautifully) 

Devil Spoke- by Laura Marling  

(I love her voice so much!!!) 

Heartbeats- by Jose Gonzalez  

(Maybe the other best cover of all time- so pretty.) 

Undertow- by Warpaint 

(these gals are my newest musical find & I am so smitten!) 

.........

thanks so much, emily! what a fabulous playlist!

and now... one lucky rikrak studio reader will win... 

---> this amazing emily jull original knit obi vase <----

valued at $40.

emily writes about the giveaway item:  I am premiering this line on the rikrak blog. This is a knit obi bottle/vase. It is my ode to the great knitters and spinners of our craft community. It comes with a removeable obi (scarf, sweater) of hand spun yarn (this one is by funky caroline) that way it can be enjoyed with it's obi, bare or someone can add their own (knit, sewn, etc). This one is about 7 inches tall by about 4 inched across. It is lined with moss green glaze and can hold water or other liquids (could add cork to have it hold oil etc).

 

1. visit the lovely nesting emily shop.

...  tell us about your favourite goodie & why you love it!

=   1 entry

2. heart/fave the  nesting emily shop on etsy.

...  & tell us.

=   1 entry

3. follow emily on flickr.

...  & tell us.

=   1 entry

4. share a favourite song that fits emily's fun *songs for an autumn walk* playlist!

= 1 entry

5. share a link to a fabric/yarn that you would use to create your own beautiful obi

= 1 entry

6.  follow or subscribe to the rikrak studio blog

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

7. follow  the rikrak shop (that's me! twitter.com/therikrakshop)  on twitter

... & tell us.

= 1 entry

8. tweet on twitter

... about this giveaway and come back here and tell us! be sure to include @therikrakshop so i can find you! 

= 1 entry

9. blog about this giveaway

... come back and tell us.

= 1 entry

10. grab one of my NEW rikrak studio buttons,
like this one from the left hand sidebar, for YOUR BLOG!

<center><a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiorectangle.jpg" /></a></center>

<center><a href="http://rikrakstudio.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="the rikrak studio" src="http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/rikrakstudio/therikrakstudiosquare.jpg" /></a></center>

and add it to your blog!

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

11. :: PLEASE NOTE: 

each entry must be it's own comment.

thanks! ::

..........................................

:: RULES ::

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 10 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the nesting emily giveaway will be chosen on monday october 11th @ 11pm 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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