Thursday, June 30, 2011

the summer schedule

happiness by my camera bag
...............

new bat time, but the same bat channel... 
or so batman would say.

welcome to the summer, sweeties.

the wee ones are out of school and it's time for lots of outdoor playing at the park with little rikrak, picnics at the beach and a little change of schedule around these parts!

so starting tomorrow the new summer rikrak studio hours will be: 

monday-wednesday-friday { july 1-15} 
a little break { july 16 - august 16} 
monday-wednesday-friday  { august 18-29}

there'll be lots of fun happening (whether i'm here or there!) 
and fun giveaways, games and all that good stuff we usually chat about, nicies.

so kick up your feet and get ready for a great summe, cutiepies!

change of schedule at your place these days? 
what have you got planned for over the summer?
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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

a gorgeous clutch purse giveaway!


good golly i adore beautiful clutch purses!
(i'm a wee bit addicted, truth be told!) 

so have i got a gorgeous giveaway for you nicies today!

the beautiful jenny pong design studio is offering ONE lucky rikrak studio reader a chance to WIN a gorgeous LAURA clutch in your choice of available colours! WOW - that's a $48 value!

and aren't they amazing? 

i just love this beautiful shop: filled with gorgeous party bags, bridesmaids purses, accessories and more all in beautiful BEAUTIFUL luxurious fabrics. *swoon*

take a visit to jenny pong's today... and read on to WIN one for yourself!







1. visit the beautifu jenny pong studio. 
tell us what your favourite item is.
=   1 entry
2. heart/fave the jenny pong studio on etsy.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry


3. visit jenny's other lovely shop: jpbeads. 
... tell us what your favourite item is there.
= 1 entry
 

4. become a friend/ like jenny on facebook.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry

5.  post about this giveaway {with a link here} on YOUR facebook page.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry

6. follow BOTH tina { she's @jpbeads } AND the rikrak shop (that's me! @therikrakshop )  on twitter
... & tell us.
= 1 entry


... & tell us.
you can become a google friend connect *follower* by clicking "follow" on the top left of the blog home page OR subscribe via email or *reader* on the left hand column.
= 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 rikrak studio buttons,
like this one from the left hand sidebar, for YOUR BLOG!


the rikrak studio



the rikrak studio


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 its own comment. thanks!

c) using random.org, 1 winner of the jenny pong giveaway will be chosen on 
thursday, july 7th @ 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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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

lucky!



lucky dice letterpress print by stukenborg
...............

well sweet peas... we have a winner!

congrats goes out to random.org's #77 ... lily of vintage whale... yay: you've won yourself the gorgeous tina fussell brooch & ring set! what a sweet shop you have. love your style.

and cool cats - there's still just enough time to enter the *i love my sponsors* june $25 shopping spree giveaway! it ends this thursday! hurry on over!

wishing you all the luck in the world sweeties. 
feeling lucky of late?
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Monday, June 27, 2011

the art of the flower


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clockwise from top left: 

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wowsers. 
do i ever love the POP of flowers around here this week. 
rich gorgeous blooms artfully zooming up here there and everywhere.

i think my all-time fave would be the gorgeous delicate peony!

last month, during the *i love my sponsors* giveaway i asked:   what's YOUR favourite springtime / early summer flower?

i include a sampling of your lovely choices here today.

what's your favourite early summer flower? 

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

and abby love the tulip.

the lilac makes

adore the daffodil.

leslie (& i!) love the hydrangea

forget-me-nots have bethany swooning.

masha loves the poppy.

daisies inspire moira.

and eden 
swoons for the calla lily. 

 ....................

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Friday, June 24, 2011

play day



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


it's little rikrak's *play day* at school.

did you have this as a child?
a series of crazy outdoor stations where kids play on teams to compete in obstacle courses, funny relays;  snack of freezies and wait for the megaphone blast to move to the next silly station?

i gotta tell you. i didn't love it. not at all.
but little rikrak: it's surely his favourite day! all the running around and crazy athletics = just his thing! :)

i guess as adults we've come to think that obstacle courses are more of a daily challenge, then the fun of shimmying through a giant tube and passing a bouncyball over-and-under thru a line of giddy primary sweeties!

thank goodness for kids reminding us even obstacles can be superfun, that no challenge is too big, and that being silly and fun is what we all need everyday!


hope you have a totally playful, obstacle-FREE weekend, nicies.
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Thursday, June 23, 2011

what are we reading? {part 3}


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

sure has been a busy week here: renewing my crush on a mannequin, giving away lots of fun prizes, excitedly getting ready for summer & remembering our first art & celebrating my little sweetie's birthday!!

so let's cheer our thursday by taking a little break, and hear what you're reading these days.
tell us {&  what do you think of it so far?}

hope your day is filled with yummy tales, nicies!

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

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

your first art

 little rikrak's first art love: column by ulysse comtois
..............

what was the first piece of ART you really remember seeing in life?
how does it affect your artistic sensibilities, ideas, inspirations and creativity today?

this week is little rikrak's birthday.
among his many fabulous traits (i'm biased - what can i say?) is his sincere love of,  and joy for, art & design. i see it in the way he looks at shapes and spaces; how he excitedly talks about lines and curves / shadows and light; how he handmakes with great enthusiasm, and vigour. 

i also admire his wise appreciation of handmaking and art at such a young age. 
i was thinking last night about the first art i really remember him adoring: i think it would whole-heartedly be the "column" by Ulysse Comtois : it's a brilliant piece  - a lightweight aluminum sculpture of 67 movable plates.  everytime he sees it his eyes are WILDLY WIDE - interactive art at its best!

the first time i really remember feeling moved by a piece of art was my recollection of seeing lawren harris' *mt. lefroy* at the amazing mcmichael gallery. i was about 8.

infact, i'll confess, that piece of art stands out to me because i detested it so much. i so passionately despised the dark lines,  menacing light and surrealist imagery. perhaps it is so vivid of a memory for me as i realized in that moment the emotional response one could so feverishly have (good or bad) to art. 

how art can create opinion.
it's a wonderful thing, isn't it!
so what are your first memories of fine art? 
what painting, sculpture, photograph, illustration stands out in your personal fine art history? 
i'd love to hear.

(just incase you haven't had the joy of playing with it yourself yet, here's an animated short of some of the fun possibilities column illicits!)


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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

summer savings: come advertise with the rikrak studio blog!


happy first day of summer, sunshines!

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

update: june 23rd, 9:00 am
4 spots left, nicies!
would love to have you!

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

i just love my sponsors!

i'm so thankful for their kind and crafty support each month! and i'm just delighted with how things are going & growing here on the blog with you lovelies. thank you.


so in honour of SUMMER! (yay!) and SAVINGS! (yay!) i'm very happy to be offering a few new ad spots for July & August COMBINED at a very special savings price of just $20 per ad! WOW! 

it's just $20 for the whole FABULOUS SUMMER!


that's right ... not only is it a special summer ad spot sale price, but it's like buying one SALE sponsor spot and getting an extra month for FREE!

i only have a few spots left for july & august, but i wanted everyone to know about the celebratory fun!






please note: as always there will be a limited number of spots: so please let folks know early! i'm happy to say july is nearly booked now! yay!

if you feel that your shop, group or blog would be a good fit with the rikrak studio blog feel & focus, please email me at ---> rikrakmail @ yahoo.com <--- .

there's lots of continued fun coming up on the blog this summer: funfun guests, more fabulous giveaways you're not going to want to miss, great games, fantastic features and, as always, a few extra fun surprises, too. being part of the fun is a great way to boost sales, gain exposure and build your little business in the handmade community, too!


i'm a handmaker & mommy and know it's a challenging economic time out there... so i try to keep the rates nice & reasonable.

i also love designing ads for folks that need them, too.
so just let me know if i can help!

so come & be part of the fun!
thanks so much, lovelies!
and yay yay yay to summer!
k.
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congrats!

 savoury campfire chai recipe from the beautiful *blessed bee* blog! congrats! 
{and yum!} 
................


two fabulous winners to report today, sweeties!

{ i } congrats to the lucky winner of the beautiful valerie tyler designs twig earrings... random.org's #33 the little red door 
{i'm SUCH a fan of the amazing little red door: famous for her fabulous miniature ceramic houses. i know you love 'em too!

{ ii } congrats to the winner of the gorgeous vadjutka textile necklace giveaway - random.org's #31 blessed bee - zoe - gosh - i just love your beautiful blog & shop, sweetie! many congrats!

AND

fear not... 2 other super giveaways you can still enter on the blog this week lovelies.


&


have a lucky day!
 ................

 adorable mini ceramic houses by the fabulous little red door.



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Monday, June 20, 2011

so i had a crush on a magical mannequin....

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

once upon a time i had a crush on a mannequin.
it was an early childhood kinda crush. 
on a mannequin who magically turned into a man when the store closed at night. 
did you love jeff from that tv classic "today's special" too?

i mean, c'mon - what was there not to love? 

he could sing and dance
boy - could he sing and dance!

and he was so kindly and all.

*sigh*
i confess this today because  TVO, a publicly-funded education broadcast station here in ontario (something of a provincial PBS) , is turning 40 this year. in my humble opinion, 40 fabulous years of the BEST in kids' educational entertainment (back in my day it was polka dot door and today's special!) , amazingly pioneering first-person documentaries, wonderful public affairs shows highlighting critical debates in our province, some of my favourite artistic and political interviews over the years, and oh so much more (like crushable MANnequin's!) ... most of which are now available in their fabulous online archive for free.

these days, i'd also recommended their fabulously fun tvokids webite, filled with over 160+ educational-ish free games for all ages ... lots of great creative arts ones....(and yay - they're  NOT violent! ) AND i love how TVO actively helps kids deal with real-life worries: interactive programs on school-yard bullying, spaces to THINK about and discuss the stresses of life and school for the under 12 age-group, the hi's and low's of pre-teen daily LIFE!

little rikrak and i give it a BIG thumbs up!

so happy birthday, TVO! you're wonderful!
here's to THOUGHTFUL programming for all ages.

what was your favourite kids show growing up?
any mannequin crushes?

...........

polka dot door






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Friday, June 17, 2011

the collectors: vintage wallets


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

i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series:  quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) you can also check out my  *the collectors* series on Etsy, based on these posts! hope you'll just love vintage men's wallet collecting with debra of dahlila, found. 
.................................



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

who (are you) :  Hello. My name is Debra, but mostly I'm known as Dahlila, Found on Etsy--as in what did she find now?

what (are you collecting) : Men's vintage leather wallets, but I love coin purses too--with kiss clasps! They're snappy! You can hold them in your hand, slip them into a pocket. It's like owning a secret. I may have been a pick pocket in another life.

when (did you start) : When I started buying for my shop. There's always a bin of wallets at the thrifts. They're old and worn, divinely soft, the quintessential patina.

how (many do you have?) I buy them with good intentions to sell, but right now I seem to own more than I have parted with: 15, maybe 20. If I wasn't diligent I'd own so many more.

where (do you find them) :  In men's pockets. Did I say that aloud?

where (do you keep them) : I usually have at least one on my desk. I like to toy with it when I'm thinking. Some people fiddle with Slinkies or prayer beads, I have wallets.

what (‘s an interesting story behind one) : In a man's leather billfold, I found a Greyhound baggage stub for Chayenne, Wyoming, dated June 29, 1962.

what(piece would you like to add): I can't imagine. It's about finding something I never knew existed. I stumble across them and they end up in my hand, then my pocket. Don't worry; I do pay for them...really.

why (do you love them) :  Besides having the softest leather imaginable, something you want a whole couch in, I can take it with me. I don't really need the whole couch, just one little wallet and I can walk out the door. I may have also been wanted for my fast fingers in another life. I always seem to be looking for escape routes too. Hm?

which (one is your favorite) & why : I have a  white leather woman's billfold on my desk right now, embossed alligator, worn and nicked. It has a kiss-clasp coin pocket with a real snap. I keep saying I'm going to sell it, or use it, but it's been sitting here for months. I don't think it's going anywhere.

what (else do you collect) : pebbles, beach glass, bobbles, old buttons. See, it really is a pocket thing. 

............... 

so many thanks debra! love your collection: just perfect for father's day!

hope you'll take a moment to browse the fabulous california vintage, accessories & decor shop of Dahlila Found, too!  it's a delightful mix of eclectic finds, one-of-a-kind vintage beauties and more. you've got such a great eye, debra! thanks for sharing!

dahlila found

............... 





{and happy father's day, sunday, to all the amazing dads, grand-dads, brothers, uncles, teachers, coaches, role-models, and all-around wonderful men in our world that create a community of love & kindness for my own child & children everywhere.  i've said this before,  and i'd like to say it again: i certainly agree with the idea that *it takes a village* to raise a child. cheers to the fathering figures out there that teach great things through their examples everyday!}
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Thursday, June 16, 2011

a gorgeous giveaway with traveling mama




lovely.
lovely lovely lovely.
everything about tina fussell and her beautiful creative life and her wonderful world of ideas are just lovely to me. 

one of my favourite bloggers, tina's traveling mama blog tells the delicious tales of one family's life living and thriving around the world, mixed with delightful equal doses of candor, wit, beauty and wisdom.

hope you'll visit the travelling mama blog and tina's beautiful handmade shop, too. it's filled with charming jewelry, sweet photographs and whimsical delights!


tina fussell





and now, one lucky rikrak studio reader will WIN
---> one turquoise romance brooch & one *my ruffled turquoise* ring, 
as pictured below.




1. visit the beautiful travelinmama shop.
tell us what your favourite item is.
=   1 entry
2. heart/fave the travelinmama shop on etsy.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry
.. & tell us. 
= 1 entry 
 

4. become a friend/ like tina on facebook.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry

5.  post about this giveaway {with a link here} on YOUR facebook page.
...  & tell us.
=   1 entry

6. follow BOTH tina { she's @tinafussell } AND the rikrak shop (that's me! @therikrakshop )  on twitter
... & tell us.
= 1 entry


... & tell us.
you can become a google friend connect *follower* by clicking "follow" on the top left of the blog home page OR subscribe via email or *reader* on the left hand column.
= 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. in the spirit of the traveling mama, tell us somewhere YOU'D love to travel to.
= 1 entry

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


the rikrak studio



the rikrak studio


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

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


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


:: RULES ::
a) it is possible to have a maximum of 11 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as its own comment. thanks!

c) using random.org, 1 winner of the tina fussell giveaway will be chosen on 
friday, june 24th @ 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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