Dirty Pretty Things Give-a-Way!

Update: The winner of my "Where's the Party" mini print is THIS OLD HEN HOUSE. Congratulations! You can still get your own print by going to my shop. Thanks to all of you who entered.

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◦ ◦ ○ "Where's the Party" Mini Print! ○ ◦ ◦

I love this painting and I love to give things to you..., so I've decided to have a give-a-way to combine both!

I am giving away a free mini-print of my painting entitled "Where's the Party"

All you have to do to enter is...
Leave a comment in this post with a clear way for me to get in contact with you should you be the winner.

This contest is open to everyone and I will ship to anyone, wherever you may be in the world. I will pay shipping too!
One entry per person, please. Comments in other posts will not be counted.
Duplicates will be deleted. :)

The drawing for this give-a-way will be held once this post reaches 50 comments.

I will then enter all of you Pretties by writing your names on paper and picking the winner's name out of a hat...the old-fashioned way! Winner will be announced here and contacted.

So, do not delay, enter today...and best of luck to you!

xxx
Raven

Dirty Pretty Things FEATURED!

Hello, my Pretties!

After a bout with the flu, I am back... and with tears of joy in my eyes. I've been featured by Indie-pendence. If you haven't been reading this blog on a daily, then you need to add it to your list and do so immediately.


Her blog features bits & bobs of high-quality, handcrafted goods, new artists and unique handmade products. Plus you'll find a monthly giveaway from Indie designers.

I want to personally thank MaryAnn from the bottom of my heart.

Now, go read all her sweetness and then do some shopping!

xxx
Raven

Angelina, Brad...and another Cutie on the way!

Seems like all the celebs are trying to keep their pregnancies hush-hush for as long as they can these days...and one can totally understand why. The paps always at the ready, trying to get the first photo of their ever-growing baby bumps.








One recent speculation was that Angelina and Brad were expecting child number 5, since she's been sporting loose garb lately and suspiciously wore a flowing gown to the SAG Awards.



This past Saturday, Angelina posed with Brad Pitt on the carpet at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Brad wearing an outfit that looked as if it were taken straight off the back of someone in the Seventies and Angelina wearing a simple, yet revealing black gown [pictured above], which clearly showed off her developing baby bump.




All the gossip hounds are now wagging their tongues again... that their latest speculation has been confirmed!

The growing Jolie-Pitt family currently includes Maddox {6}, Pax {4}, Zahara {3}, and Shiloh {1}. A source close to the couple says they are "thrilled to be adding to their brood." ...and we're pretty happy that another cutie is indeed on the way...Yay!

Pretty Things Fashion: The Oscars

Here are our picks for best dressed at the 80th Annual Academy Awards...

Katherine Heigl - The epitomy of classic Hollywood glamour and set the red carpet on fire simply stunning in her crimson silk georgette Escada column one-shoulder gown, with draped and pleated bodice.

Marion Cotillard - A modern mermaid in her intricately detailed custom-made Jean Paul Gaultier gown.

Cameron Diaz - Stunning in a Dior by John Galliano blush pink silk tafetta gown with drape details and Bulgari jewels.

Renée Zellweger - She sparkled in a sexy hand embroidered Carolina Herrera gown and Cartier jewels.

Penélope Cruz - So pretty in a Chanel Couture navy feather-adorned embroidered gown, designed by Karl Lagerfeld just for her.

Forest and Keisha Whitaker -Best dressed couple on the red carpet. Forest Whitaker had the perfect accessory on his arm as he walked down the red carpet with his gorgeous wife Keisha.

Kristin Chenoweth -Stunning old-fashioned sex appeal in her Fred Leighton diamond hair clips.

Pretty Things Spotlight: ScarlettCat

ScarlettCat was one of the first artists who caught my eye when I joined Etsy last year.

To this day, her sassy little vixens remain near and dear to my heart, as I too have always had an obsession with the gorgeous curvy-ness of the female form.

Her flirty, big-eyed, big-breasted girls are not only great eyecandy, they remind us all to always embrace our sexy fun fearless female selves! meeeeow!

"I'm drawn to subjects that have an outwardly childlike appeal, but perhaps something a little darker lurking beneath the surface..."

Spotlight: ScarlettCat

* Tell us a bit about yourself I'm Scarlett, a self-taught Aussie artist living in Melbourne with two demanding cats and an easy-going boyfriend. During the day I work as a senior copywriter in an advertising agency and at night I draw and work on my Etsy shop. I've learnt mainly by studying the work of my favourite artists - Mark Ryden's amazingly detailed paintings, Audrey Kawasaki's haunting girls and Fafi's sexy little vixens. I opened an Etsy shop for my art and cards in 2007 and I've just started selling my art, hair clips, mirrors and buttons at Gallery 696 in Melbourne - a wonderful gallery that gives newcomers the exposure they need.

* What inspires you? I'm always inspired. And I have to be - in advertising you're only as good as your last concept, so I have to make sure the reservoir of ideas in my head is constantly topped up. For my art, I find a lot of inspiration in magazine images. I'm a bit like a teenage boy when it comes to collecting pictures of gorgeous women! Of course, my interests lie in their clothes, eye shadow, lippy, cheekbones and haircut. I'm like a pack rat when it comes to collecting images. My bookshelf is piled high with children's books and art monographs. And I have files of visual reference that I've been collecting since I was at high school. As well as the parade of models and actresses they contain pages of pictures of flowers and insects, umbrellas and armchairs, rabbits and teacups, all waiting to be used in an illustration. I enjoy collecting these things as much as I enjoy illustrating them.

* Apart from creating things, what do you do for fun? I'm obsessed with brunch and good coffee. Every weekend my boyfriend and I head out to one of the local cafes and potter around- we always do the quiz in the paper together! We also both spend plenty of time with my best friend from high school, her hubby and their darling baby boy, who's a constant source of inspiration and amusement. I read voraciously, love watching movies and (at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd!) I do a cryptic crossword every night before bed.

* What has been your most memorable moment selling your art? I've only been on Etsy since April 2007, and I'm still over the moon every time I sell something. The fact that people want my art in their home never ceases to thrill me! Hitting the top sellers list early this year was also a wonderful (and so far, unrepeatable!) surprise. I'm also very lucky to have quite a few regular customers and I just love seeing the same people coming back to my shop. I'm getting to know which customer will be interested in which piece and I really enjoy the customer service aspect of running an online store.

* Any advice for fellow artists... Keep at it and network like there's no tomorrow - persistence and a dollop of shameless promotion never hurt anyone! And get your work 'out there' any way you can. When I first started drawing regularly, I'd put my latest picture on my wall at work and it was the best thing I could have done. People would come in and talk about what I'd drawn or give me pointers and suggestions to make it better. It's much harder to improve if you hide your work away and never let it see the light of day!

* Anything else you'd like to add about yourself or your work. I create my art to make people

(including myself!) happy. It's meant to be light and fun and enjoyable and playful - and I hope it makes people smile!















Etsy Shop: http://scarlettcat.etsy.com
Blog: http://scarlettcat.blogspot.com

Fashion Maven... Vivienne Westwood

A self-taught designer, Vivienne Westwood has been a queen in British fashion for four decades, surviving in a highly competitive industry without compromising her ideals.

She famously dressed the Sex Pistols [along with Malcolm McLaren] in their original punk rock style at their first gig, complete with outrageous hair and make-up, safety pins, razor blades, chains on clothing and spiked dog collars used as jewelry. Westwood invented the slashed 'A' symbol for Anarchy and was the first to wear underwear as outerwear.

Westwood has brought an original slant to the fashion world and is responsible for many fashion ideas that we now take for granted.

Her first official collection was in 1981, during London's Fashion week and she has maintained the title "Queen of Quirk" ever since, her vision at times at odds with the rest of the fashion world.

In October 1991 and 1993 she was named British Designer of the Year and was awarded the OBE by HM the Queen. Westwood began to attract society clients.

Although her clothes are often revolutionary, she has embraced traditional British fabrics and materials, such as tartan plaids, making them her own with the unusual elements of her style, including frayed hems, torn seams, bustles, exaggeratedly high shoes, etc... serving only to make the overall effect of her designs all the more shocking. She has provoked outrage, amusement and ultimately respect.

"I am a great believer in copying; there has never been an age in which people have so little respect for the past."

Showing in London for the first time in nine years this season, Vivienne Westood shows no sign of giving up her crown...and YAY for that, as she still never ceases to delight us!

Here are some favourite looks from the Vivienne Westwood Red Label Collection, Autumn/Winter 2008...

Anthropologie-ish Finds...

I love this treasury by Lagelle featuring a lot of little lovelies one might find in a store like Anthropologie...and she's included my Asian Candles!

Such Lovelies...

The Last Sitting...Again

In 1962, photographer Bert Stern shot a series of photos of Marilyn Monroe at the Hotel Bel-Air that have collectively come to be known as "The Last Sitting." The photographs are arguably the most famous images ever captured of America's most famous actress. Six weeks after she had posed, Monroe was found dead of an apparent barbiturate overdose.

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Fast forward forty-six years later:
Stern re-shoots these classic shots...with none other than Lindsay Lohan.

Ohhh, they are trying to relate Lindsay to Marilyn in so many ways to make it seem like this was a perfect match, but it just doesn't work.

Better to leave well enough alone...
Why redo something that was so beautifully done in it's original form?


Miss Marilyn is probably rolling over in her grave.

Lindsay in no way matches the beauty of Marilyn...not even close! At best these photos are bad knock-offs. Lindsay looks more like a hooker or drug addict caught in the act in most of them.

Also, her body doesn't even compare...Marilyn had a womanly hourglass figure and that creamy white smooth skin and wasn't covered in freckles. Marilyn just exuded sex. I don't feel that from Lindsay ever.

Stern said the project also grew out of his interest in “controversial women,” or “bad girls,” like “Britney, Paris, and Lindsay.” Monroe was, in a sense, the original tabloid queen.

I think Stern would have been better off shooting Lindsay for her first "sitting" with Playboy or Penthouse then, don't you think?

(all photos: New York Magazine)

Springtime Treats

We're definitely ready for Spring...so, here are some Springtime Treats to help you get excited for the season!

Springtime Treats...

• • TiedUpMemories - April in Paris Necklace
  • Dirty Pretty Things- Ginseng Pear Bath Salts
  • SplendorSoaps - Lime Mint Soap
  • Thomasina - Vintage Asian Inspired Dress
  • GoldenbergDesigns - Horizontal Striped Vase
  • AppleCreekDesigns - Princess Garden Glass Pendant

Brewery Artwalk Spring Dates Announced!

Mark your calendars!

The dates for the next Brewery Artwalk have been announced and YOU are invited!

This Spring, the Brewery Artwalk will be held Saturday, April 5th & Sunday, April 6th in downtown Los Angeles. The Brewery Artwalk is a twice yearly event where you can visit the working studios of resident artists...and me and Mikiep will be there!

If you'd like to come and want to be on our guest list, please comment here or convo me with your regular email and I will make sure you get an invite and give you further details.

◦ ○ ● Carnivale ● ○ ◦

I've got BIG plans for my exhibit at this show! My exhibit will be entitled "Carnivale" ...and it will be full of all the weird and wunderful things that have been spinning around in my head for the past several months:
Siamese twins, oddly shaped women and lots more to be seen at the freak show, so stay tuned!

I've been working on new paintings and have started some new sculpture pieces as well.
Here's a sneak peek of just some of my art in the works:




Candles, bath salts and lots of other goodies of mine will also be at the show as always. I am trying to also have my new line of candles ready, but as of right now, I can't promise that they will be finished and perfected.

Not much time and still lots to do!

And, for those of you who can't make it to the show, some of my new work will be posted in my shoppe.

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Mikiep will be showing his new illustrations and black and white photography. You can check out his past works at mikiep.com.

Hopefully, we'll get to meet even MORE of you Pretties... Will we see you there?

xxx
Raven

Pretty Things Spotlight: Elizabeth Rosas

I love the raw elegance of the jewelry created by Elizabeth Rosas.


She creates each piece by hand, shaping metal into one of kind simple pieces that perfectly depict the complicated nature of its subject.

"...nothing I make is intended to be perfect."

Lost in the intrinsic beauty of each piece, you feel as if you can almost smell the fragrance of each flower and stroke each petal. You want to touch and feel the natural simplicity and feel the metal against your skin...

Spotlight: Elizabeth Rosas

*Tell us a bit about yourself: My name is Elizabeth Rosas, I currently live in San Francisco, but I am a traveling silversmith. I take my torch, a box of silver and small jewelry tools and sets up my studio where ever I can. My studios range from a garage in Florida to a basement in San Francisco and a small room in Brooklyn. I am a full time artist, a part-time teaching artist and a lifetime student. Several years ago, amidst a stunning home and in the amazing city of Chicago I realized the trappings of a ‘normal’ life were not for me. The time had come to shed away all that was supposed to bring me happiness. I knew I was an artist— I had begun my study and work as a silversmith in Mexico a few years before, but the journey to “myself” and to the art still lay ahead. I sold everything that I owned; so many beautiful things —
I got it down to the minimum and thus began my movable lifestyle and first honest attempt at a simpler way of existing. It was during this time that my art began to take on a very specific look. It became very natural and understated—it began to mirror my life.

*What inspires you?
The modern use and trust of the natural form—the idea that nothing is perfect and that all things are changeable; the acceptance of the imperfect as true perfection…this is, in part, the strength of my work. Beautiful and simple— this is what I hope people feel when they connect to my work. and 70’s music and depressing love songs are my muse when making jewelry. I look at a piece of metal and I ask myself, “What can I make out of this”? I never draw my ideas, I just move metal shapes around then hammer, shape, texture, sand, and solder.

*Apart from creating beautiful things, what do you do for fun?
I like to go on discovery walks, even though I moved to San Francisco in 1997 and have lived here on and off since then, there is still so much to discover. I love to admire and photograph the architecture, and the street art.

*Any advice for fellow artists...
It’s O.K. to compare yourself to others but never stop creating because you think you’re not as good. Basically, be patient and kind to yourself .




Etsy Shop: eRosasjewelry

True Love

I love love love these sweet True Love prints by Mikiep! I have them framed and on the wall in front of my desk so that I can look at them every day.

They are both artists who handcraft hearts to give to their true loves! Awww....

True Love...

The Little Craftsman by Mikiep
This little boy was born without a Heart.
With Spirit and Passion, he crafted one of wood in his workshop so that someday he would be able to give it to his soul mate.

The Little Seamstress by Mikiep
This little girl was born without a Heart.
With Love and Hope, she crafted one of fabric in her sewing room, so that someday she would be able to give it to her soul mate.

Happy Valentine's Day...My "Gift" to You

Since I can't give each and every one of you something for Valentine's Day today, I'd at least like to tell you how you can get something for FREE!

Suze Orman, an internationally acclaimed personal finance expert, started giving away a copy of her new book, "Women and Money" for FREE yesterday on the Oprah show. Go to this page and scroll down to find the book download.

You must download your free copy, [available in English and Spanish], by 5pm today CST. [That's Central Standard Time here in the US, so do the time calculations if you happen to be outside the USA].
I hope you enjoy it as I have been...
You can also visit her website here to send her a personal "Thank You".

Happy Valentine's Day!
xxx
Raven

Pretty Things Fashion: The Grammys

It's been a crazy week so far, so I haven't had a chance to post the prettiest things I found from the Grammys...

Fergie:
Glowing and sweet like sunshine in her Calvin Klein buttercup yellow gown and Cartier diamonds on the red carpet...
Then in a beautiful Grecian style gown with draping tie-neck scarf from Versace for her performance, Miss Fergie topped my list of best dressed.





























Faith Hill & Tim McGraw:
The ever-beautiful Faith Hill looked so very elegant in this one-shoulder Valentino gown. Country-rocker hubby Tim McGraw looked quite suave in black as well!

Cyndi Lauper:
She's always had that quirky style I've loved, especially since I was a teen in the 80's, so I'm happy to see that she's found a way to still remain the Cyndi we know and love...and keep her personality as she "matures". At 54, she's looking better than ever. Kudos, Cyndi...You looked fabulous in your leather and lace!












Paramore:
I liked their young, quirky 80's style...Yes, even if Hayley Williams IS wearing a see-thru dress with socks and open toed shoes.