Archive for the ‘Words Words Words’ Category
Periscope
Monday, September 21st, 2015
quick paint sketch of a hummingbird by Amy Crook, livepainted on Periscope
What’s Periscope, you might ask?
- Periscope is an app (owned by Twitter) that lets you make live videos with your phone.
- Periscope videos (or scopes) last 24 hours before they vanish forever.
- I have Periscope set to tweet when I’m on live.
- You can watch on the app or on the web, including the replay (for as long as it lasts).
- You don’t have to make videos to have an account and watch them.
- You can text chat to the person making the video, share the video on Twitter, and give them “hearts” by tapping on the screen during the live feed.
- Yes, it’s yet another form of social media.
- Kind of like Youtube and Snapchat had a baby and sold it to Twitter.
- But I actually really like it.
- My username is, predictably, amysnotdeadyet.
I’m using it to make art! Or, well, to let you watch me make art. I painted the little hummingbird sketch above live on Periscope the other day, and below there’s two more things that owe their lives to me wanting to draw something on Periscope.
Eames & Arthur bookmarks by Amy Crook
Well, actually Eames and Arthur (above) owe their existence in part to Periscope, and in part to wanting to work on their character design for a commission. But the merdude below was one of my first Periscope experiments!
Merdude watercolor sketch by Amy Crook on Periscope
You can see at the top of the page I wrote, “Hi! I can’t see you chat,” because when I’m drawing or painting the phone is up over my shoulder and, like everything on Periscope, the chats are ephemeral and disappear before I can go looking.
I’m amysnotdeadyet on Periscope — come say hi!
Categories: People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Words Words Words
Tags: arthur, bookmark, eames, hummingbird, inception, merman, pen and ink, pencil, periscope, sketch, watercolor, words
How to Support Your Artist
Monday, August 17th, 2015
You like my art and you want to support me, but you’re not sure how, especially if you don’t have a lot of cash to spread around. Here’s a bunch of ways to lend a hand, and help me keep making the art that you love (and feeding my cats, whom you presumably also love):
- Share: Tweet! Facebook! Email! Share my art, my posts, my shop links and all the ways to find me with the people who think you’re the cat’s meow. Cost: Free!
- Join my List: If you want to know when there’s special things for sale, like original art bookmarks and printed umbrellas, this is the place to be. Cost: Free!
- Fiction: I write stories! If sweet gay romances and magic are your thing, then you can get my books on Amazon. Even if you’ve got Kindle Unlimited, I still get paid a little bit when you read! Cost: $1+
- Redbubble: Buy cards, bookmarks, stickers, shirts, and even socks! Redbubble’s sticker sheets are my favorite thing, but the make a lot of really neat stuff, now with Amy art. Cost: $2+
- Patreon: You can support me like an old-fashioned patron of the arts with a monthly donation of whatever size your budget can support. You’ll get something in return, whether it’s sneak peeks, sketches, or my undying gratitude. Plus cat pics! Cost: $3+
- Ko-fi: Drop me a tip! Ko-fi doesn’t charge me fees, so I just pay the Paypal cut and get to use your pocket change to buy cat toys and tea. This is a wonderful option for those who don’t want to commit to Patreon. Cost: $3+
- Spoonflower: Fabric! If you’re a quilter, sewing maven, or just want swatches of fabric to fondle, you can buy stuff from my shop here and I get a wee percentage. Cost: $5+
- Buy Original Art: This is the top tier of awesomeness. You can set up a payment plan or just drop it all at once and get instant gratification. The Floating Gallery runs once a month, so stop in and see what calls to you. Cost: $200+
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: info, words
It’s a new novel!
Wednesday, June 24th, 2015
I wrote another novel! I guess that shouldn’t seem so amazing after the third time, but it really still does, to me. It’s available on Amazon as either a Kindle ebook, or a real, physical book.
Unboxed is a gay romance with a magical realism twist. Immerse yourself in a whole new world with two kinds of magic: the box and key system that matches up soulmates, and the single, small magical talent that every person’s born with. The shenanigans involve both kinds of magic and our previously boring heroes being dragged into the plot quite without their consent.
I designed an elegantly simple cover this time around with subtle woodgrain to gorgeous golden filigree. You know I love the spirals.
You can go buy the whole thing on Amazon, or read a little sample here.
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: unboxed
Random Recipe: Earl Grey Vodka
Monday, June 22nd, 2015
It’s Earl Grey vodka! Yum, yum.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m in love with Earl Grey tea. I usually have upwards of half a dozen different kinds of Earl Grey in my cupboards, from vanilla to floral to straight-up bergamot. Captain Picard has a special place in my heart for his love of the beverage, as does James Bond’s newest Q.
Earl Grey vodka
- 1 bottle of decent vodka*
- 7 bags of Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer tea, or whatever Earl Grey you like best
Put the teabags into the vodka. Wait overnight, at least 12 hours. Remove teabags. That’s pretty much it!
I found literally dozens of different recipes for this, and so I ended up randomly choosing a method and going for it. I did, of course, choose the laziest version.
By itself, I found the vodka way too harsh for my tastes, which is true of basically all flavored vodkas. It’s beautifully scented of both tea and bergamot, but the vodka and tannins made it too rough on the palate for me, so, I put it in cocktails!
Tea Times Two
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part Zen green tea liqueur
- 1/2 part half & half
Since all of my ingredients were cold (including my glass), I just mixed them up and went with it. Otherwise, I’d serve it on the rocks since it’s basically a modified White Russian. The sweetness of the Zen and cream took away the harshness from the vodka and delivered a gorgeous, fragrant tea flavor that I will definitely enjoy again.
Quartermaster
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part Nolet Silver gin
- 1 part sweet vermouth
- dash of lemon bitters
- 2 cherries
I love the idea of martinis, but I don’t actually like the dryness of the usual vermouth. I love sweet alcohol, and the Nolet gin is sweet and very floral, with a delightful rose overtone that follows the juniper when drinking it straight. The lemon bitters help keep the bergamot from drowning in roses, and the cherries are there strictly to allow me to enjoy eating them later.
It’s a nice marriage between a Vesper and my usual “semi-perfect” martini, which is just gin and sweet vermouth with perhaps a dash of bitters.
White Londoner
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part simple syrup or vanilla syrup
- 1 part half and half
Serve this one over ice for a London Fog twist on a White Russian. It’s a lovely sipping drink for those evenings curled up with the cats.
What are you going to make with Earl Grey?
*I used some Crystal Head that was a gift from a friend who knows me far too well. I have named him Dorian. He came with two of the adorable crystal skull shot glasses. It was love at first sight.
PS – If you’re not on my list, you might want to fix that! Bookmark sale starts tomorrow.
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: cocktail, recipe, tea
Giveaway at Geeky Girls Knit
Thursday, June 11th, 2015
The wonderful ladies over at the Geeky Girls Knit podcast are going to review some of my keen Etsy swag, and then give away a pile of goodies including cards, bookmarks, and even some stickers! There’s details on how to enter over on their blog — you do have to have a Ravelry account but even I have one, even though it’s boring.*
Head on over and give them a listen — if you’re a geek and a knitter, they’re a delight.
*Though if anyone wants to knit me that skull cable sweater in my favourites…
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: giveaway
Coming Soon
Tuesday, April 28th, 2015
Seriously, how is Friday the first of May? But true to form, I’m going to have half a dozen new paintings for you to covet and maybe even make your own. Trees and skies, locks and eyes, and a bird or two that flies.
If you’re on my Art Patron’s list, you’ll see a real preview later tonight, just as soon as I get my coding done (copy optional).
Categories: Floating Gallery, Words Words Words
Tags: preview
Bedroom Shelfie
Monday, April 13th, 2015
These are some of the bookshelves in my bedroom. Yes I said some.
I talk a lot about tucking small art into your bookshelves, but rarely show you what I mean by that! Here you can see some of my favorite pieces snuggling up with a bunch of my books, plushies, and other madness.
You can click on the image to see it bigger, though it’s still not really easy to read titles, sorry. Some highlights:
- The box in the lower left contains my few remaining comic issues (it’s actually a stack of two), with a fat quarter of my own Spoonflower fabric on top, because the cats like to sit there and bird watch.
- The long skinny green box in front of all the Jack Skellingtons contains my wand, because I’m just that much of a Harry Potter dork.
- The bookshelf on the left is mostly hardcovers and trade paperback size books. I’ve read more than half, but there’s a bunch I still need to read. My TBR pile is shameful.
- The bookshelf on the left has anthologies, two shelves of graphic novels, some nonfiction including one of my Vertigo Tarot decks, and on the bottom there’s frames and small canvases, plus a box with the remainder of my alphabet. One of those boxes is from the bookstore release of Harry Potter book 7. See above, re: dork.
- I have a Vorpal Bunny, a snow leopard, a handmade plush of The Crow, and a whole lot of other ridiculous things in there with my books and art. 7 of the art pieces are my originals, and the bottom left one is a print from Evil Supply Co.
- There are more cats than Jack Skellingtons, but only if you don’t count the heads. Grumpy Cat is the newest plushie.
So, what’s your favorite that you’ve spotted?
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: shelfie
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