It’s been a long hard 2 years and we’re finally seeing some payoff for our due diligence. While we can’t reveal just who has affections for my art, I can tell you the Pure Breed Dogs will be announcing their presence soon.

Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, we’re enjoying a glass of 1997 Regusci Merlot -a bottle Andrew picked up on his first visit to Napa several years ago.

Our Rating: 1997 Regusci Merlot:
Nose: Smells woody; faint oak.
Taste: Bit of a burn, so cinnamon and a bit of Pepper, with strong overtones of cherry, and a little strawberry.
Mellows quite a bit over time.

Good food pairings:
Would go very well with a salad that has a raspberry vinaigrette: must include cheese.

Speaking of cheeses… a cave aged Gruyere

Meat:
Grilled pork tenderloin with grilled onions and a rosemary red wine reduction.
Andrew also says that it will pair very well with lambchops. I, however, won’t eat lamb simply because of my love for Mary’s pet.

Paired very well with Andrew’s pizza tonight

This sweet nectar of Bacchus must be savored slowly.

Pts: 87-92
Stars ★★★★✩

Cheers! ~Lisa

I just got some fabulous news yesterday and I need your help! It is my job to illustrate 4 more dogs within the next four weeks.

Currently, I’m working on the Schnauzer and perhaps the Dachshund. What would be the next two dogs you’d like to see?

To purchase: Pure Breed Fine Art Prints & Cards

Thanks much!
XO ~Lisa

It appears as though the fun is finished on Facebook, at least for a little while. It doesn’t take long for the scurvy to find their way into clenches and ruin a good thing.

This month, I’ve just read a Special Alert: Facebook Issues New Policy Regarding Conducting Sweepstakes and Contests by Winston & Strawn, outlining the policy for administering sweepstakes and contests through Facebook.

As an creative entrepreneur, I’ve done my best to uphold the ethics while running my giveaways. My attitude is a bit casual for now, until I hire a team of attorneys who dictate that I must submit a conspicuous list of terms 10 miles long. Until then, it’s based on a gentleman’s agreement (I take those very seriously) that I uphold my end of the deal. Please forgive me if I’m a little late in choosing a winner -I’m striving to get better at the timing.

I’ve also called a spade a spade when it comes to parasites clamouring to my site to get something just for free rather than being a true fan. Sure, we all love free stuff, but I celebrate my fans by giving a little back and I’ll know right away if you’re here for just the beer.

Until then, I’ve got some delicious giveaways to launch! Stay tuned!

Alliteration Fliteration
AdAge is telling us creatives to get over our fear of alliteration & rhyming.

Why?

Because Mother Goose & Dr. Suess (oooh, I rhymed) was more than a handful a childhood stories to learn by, the these schemas taught us memorization. Singing also teaches memorization, but not many are fascinated with being included in my personal musical.

Simple, familiar sounds work easier at recall magic.

Alliteration is the repetition of the first consonant sound in a phrase. It’s also consider a ‘head rhyme’ because the rhyming begins at the start of the word.

“Bumbling, babbling band of baboons” (Goblet of Fire.)

Rhyming can be used in a specific and a general sense. Feminine, masculine, dactylic, syllabic, imperfect, semirhyme, assonance, consonance, half-rhyme are myriad way one can work unaided recall.

Rhyme Time
Loose Goose
Rumble and Tumble

Slogans: “One flick of your Bic, I can see you’re a hick.’”

When I need to memorize words, phrases or ideas, I run thru the list of synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms to speed the recall process.

Product Alliteration
While you’re busy managing your memorization, one should also look at business names, processes, and products that need to be named and labeled. When we were crafting the calligraphic style of my pets in 2001, we ran thru a dozen names before Andrew announced, “CalligraphyCats.”

It made perfect sense. It’s alliterative and it elucidates the form, function, and output of my product.

So, the next time you’re dreaming and scheming of your new product line, head to the alliteration station and get your rhyme on.

Now, I think this just might help with my podcasting… Stay tuned!

This is image is life size; we're Scobbits.

H1N1 Avoidance Squad

An impromptu Halloween costume to distribute candy to the visiting mobile germ factories.

Hazmat Suits, $10.99
Sneeze Guards – $15.99
Avoiding the Swine Flu at Halloween – Priceless

This idea should really be attributed to Madam who claimed that they would be hiding during the trick-or-treating part of the holiday.

Trick or Treating Protocol
Friday Night, we decided it would be best to take the whole ‘hand the candy out rather than have the children reach for it themselves’ to a whole new extreme.

BTW, who allows kids grab for their own candy? IMO, I think Halloween has evolved into an entitlement fest rather than a fun, stand-at-the-door and yell “Trick or Treat” at the top of one’s lungs. Am I wrong? Do you know how many kids I have had to train over the years to understand Trick or Treating protocol?

Who’s Got Swine Flu?
Do you know how many kids admitted to just getting over being sick w/it? Ick!
Anyhow, we had a black light that we would wand over each kid and tell them that we were with the CDC and we need to make sure they weren’t contaminated. When I decided they were clear, Andrew would provide them with treats via tongs to candy to bag.

During this profiling experiment, I happened to choose one kid who had a tiny spot on a t-shirt. I pointed out, “What’s this? What’s this?” His face was a white as his shirt. It was then I yelled to a wandering Andrew, “2319! Andrew! We’ve got a 2319!” (ala Monster’s Inc.) “Get the hose!” A neighborhood dad, “David” stepped up behind him and said, “This kid just yakked all the candy he consumed just before arriving here!”

Ewwwww. So glad I had the tongs.

We weren’t sure just how much we would annoy parents by donning these costumes, but many of them had a very good sense of humor about it. Just so you know, we live in a quiet neighborhood where the folks know us, but rarely see us. While they’re busy shuffling kids off to extracurricular activities, we’re busy working by candlelight on design projects in Studio54.

Halloween Yard Evolved
I am sad that we only get a dozen trick-or-treaters each year and that the week spent in the yard decorating isn’t worth it. One neighbor told me last night that the adjacent ‘hood was bursting at the seams with hundreds of kids and parties. Our hood must be so boring.

The Best Part
Hazmat Suits, $10.99
Sneeze Guards – $15.99
Writing off the entire costume – Priceless

We get to write off the entire costume because we’ll be using these in the workshop! Yee-haw! Now that I’ve acquiesced to evolving the yard into just costumes, we’ll be planning each year with the same in mind. This is just another way this CreativeGoddess can enjoy pulling double-duty with our purchases!

So, do you love our costumes or what?

I’m a huge fan of Halloween, as any of my friends know and I also love to bring in the spookiness for a night or two. If you’re expecting a few ghouls as guests this season, I’d recommend a few tips to maintain the air of mystery and prevent the creepiness from going over the top.

For that classic drama and suspense, I’ve outlined 3 ways to vamp up your crypt:

• Captured Spirits
• Framing Your Past
• Black Noir Alchemy
• +Bonus: Black Humour of Horror Wine Label to print & affix

Captured Spirits
No, not the alcohol kind -at least not yet anyway. Haunting that tablescape and other quiet areas of your home will be easy with spirits caught in clear vases. You’ll need:

• Clear or even transparent vases
• Cheese Cloth or other light-weight, light-toned fabric
• Clear Tape

Directions:

1. Cut a Ghost: Trace around your hand on the fabric like a mitten and add a thumb to opposite side: Voila! A ghost! Add a couple of holes for the eyes if desired.
2. Trap the Spirit: Snag a piece of clear tape and affix to the bottom of the ghost (perpendicular) because then you’re going to use the tail of that tape to affix to the inside bottom of the clear vase.
3. After you have affixed the ghost inside the vase, turn the vase upside down. Voila! You have a captured spirit!

Ideas

• Make a few of these guys in various vase sizes (at least 3) for intrigue.
• If you only have 1 vase, make him a centerpiece by adorning the surrounding edge w/leaves, rocks, and other natural elements.
• Name them and create a backstory for them to scare your friends.

Framing Your Past
Idolize your ancestors -or someone else’s- is very cheap and easy. By taking a quick tour through an old cemetery, you should find carved ornamental tombstones to take a few charcoal rubbings. You’ll need:

• Newsprint (pads available at local art store)
• Charcoal
• Cheap Hairspray (aerosol or pump) or fixative
• Clear Double-Face Tape or Temporary Spray Mount

Directions:

1. Take a Tour: Find your local ghastly cemetery and scout for the most ornate chiseled headstones you can find -it’ll be in within the families that had the most money to spend so look for tall angels and obelisks.
2. Transfer the Past: Once you’ve found the ideal artwork, pull a sheet of newsprint from your pad and do your best to capture the entire image. Rubbing with the long side of the charcoal will create a quicker transfer than the end. If you’re alone, get close to the work by leaning your forearm against the top of the paper and rubbing with the opposite hand downward.
3. Spray to Fix: Once done, spray the charcoal rubbing with cheap hairspray or even a fixative from the art store. If you’re using the cheap hairspray, don’t freak when drips appear on the paper -they will disappear. Spraying in the open while on location will allow you to stack your rubbings for the ride home (no transfer the backside of your new ancestral artwork)!
4. Spray to Affix: As the Swedes replace daily decor for the Christmas season, I give you permission to do the same for this ghastly season. If it’s a nice day, spread your new rubbings face down on the ground (getting them dirty will add to the effect) and lightly spray them with repositioning spray (found at the art store) -allow to dry for about 5-10 minutes. Important: You want repositioning or temporary spray, not permanent spray mount. Ask if you don’t know. Please keep this task away from children & pets as it’s never good to inhale anything.
   
5. Affix & Adorn: Take them into the featured room and apply them to your walls. (As always, please test a discrete area on your wall before going whole hog on your wall. I don’t want angry emails.)
6. Create a backstory for them to creep-out your friends.

Ideas:

• Affix one as a showcase piece above a sideboard with lighting and treats, or
• Affix them together by overlapping them a bit (3 different sizes, 3 different heights) to create intrigue.

Black Noir Alchemy
To bring out the inner alchemist in you, using club soda straight up as a drink or a feature item under black light promotes a glowing effect. You’ll need:

• Black light(s) bulbs (switch out your incandescents throughout the house)
• Club Soda
• Various glassware (test tubes, rock glasses, tall glasses, clear bottles)

Ideas:

• Glow in the Glass: Drink straight up.
• Bottled Alchemy: Fill clear bottles and place within your tablescapes near blacklight.
• Potpourri: Fill clear bowl, sprinkle the deadheads from your mum plants that are dying on the porch.

Black Humour of Horror
A few years ago, I decided to make fun of the current ghouls in office by making a ghastly wine label based on the 4 Humors. Headed to a party, we needed to bring a bottle of wine and with an $8 shiraz, we concocted a storyline based on the 4 humors and applied it to, well, the 4 political humors in office.

The backstory of the 4 Humors of Horror

If you like it, please download and use for your enjoyment. The design is just a bit different because I couldn’t find the original file! Oy! Must have been lost in computer transition.

Click Image to enlarge & Download

You’ll need:

• 4 Humors File (above)
• Parchment paper (sold at art store in calligraphy area)
• Print
• Frying pan (yes, you read correctly)
• Spray mount or double-faced tape

Directions:

1. Printed Humor: Print the piece on parchment paper
2. Aged by Tear: Use a ruler as a straight edge to rip against making an deckled aged effect
3. Aged by Heat: On low-heat, place your printed wine label on parchment into the pan. Watch closely as the paper begins to reveal brown spots for further aging. Please, please, please, keep a close eye on this because this process goes very fast. I recommend printing out a few test pieces to understand the aged heating process to your liking.
4. Affix to bottle with spray mount or double-faced tape.

***
There are so many more ideas, but I thought I could give you 4 great starts to help fill your crypt with dark ambiance.

What are your favorite, no-cheese ways of getting in the spirit?

Happy Halloween!
Ghastly Yours, Elizadeath (Lizzie) Ste.Wart

As much as I’d like to boycott mornings, I cannot. If it weren’t for mornings, I wouldn’t have evenings to share with MAndrew.

Calling all Cirque du Soleil Junkies
I found a clip of one of my all time favorite productions of Cirque du Soleil’s: Quidam.

After experiencing this over 8 years ago, I’ve become quite the Cirque junkie and I think I’m due for another fix! NYC is getting a permanent installation… I would love to swing a long weekend and surprise Andrew with a performance. I just surprised him with an air guitar performance the other day -he hasn’t been the same since.

To date, we’ve seen Quidam, Dralion, Ka, Zumanity, Corteo, & Delirium. Which ones have you seen?

Calling all Creatives
While it might be a bit of a stretch for me to run away with the Cirque, here’s a video of dream job opportunities:

If I had a chance, I’d work as a musician (trumpet), set designer, costume designer, or work really hard to be the acrobatic woman on the red silk drapes. What creative job would you snag for yourself?

Change Up Your Gym Routine…
Did you know that Cirque & Reebok are teaming up to create a workout for women called Jukari? How cool is that?

If I can’t run away with Cirque, perhaps I can workout with Cirque.

Creatively Yours,
Lisa

It’s that time of year again, my haunted goulfriends!

If you didn’t catch last years mini episode of The Haunted Bride complete with Wallpaper & Postcards, you’re in for a treat!! I’m making up a few more Wallpapers for Haunted Season and I’m hoping to have the available in the next few days.

Meanwhile, enjoy The Haunted Bridge again and as always… Happy Halloween!

Ghastly Yours,
Lisa

As a perpetual designer in motion, I’ve been unhappy with the results of the eCart I implemented at the beginning of the year for CalligraphyPets. The real thing I was enamored with was the coupon offer I could apply to products for my customers, but yet, something was missing: the front page for starters.

I thought by striving to integrate both ecstewart.com and calligraphypets (on the citymax platform), that you would have a relatively seamless task of shopping for goods. Alas, I can’t really put my finger on why I didn’t make many sales this year because with this year being a down economy, it was really a crap shoot for any kind of baseline efforts.

CalligraphyPets.com New Site

So, my incessant need for ease of use, I am rebuilding the site. This is a WordPress site (I doubt that you care that much) that provides incredible innovation while allowing me to make changes as many time as I blink my eyes. As much as I love Web design and coding, I’d really rather be spending my time on my art and product development.

CalligraphyPets.com is still a work in progress, but the bulk of it is uploaded. It’s still not an eCart (I provide links to the current citymax base) but I am currently looking into Amazon Payments as they appear to offer flexible payment and promotion features for those of us who are building our empires.

Thus, I have a few questions for you:

1) Take this link to the new CalligraphyPets site and look around.

2) This is the current eCart for CalligraphyPets. If you haven’t been here, please take a look around and pretend you’re shopping.

3) Since every Web site is an island, we’ve been experimenting with 1000Markets to augment the shopping experience. Take this link to our shop.

4) If you had a say, would you enjoy shopping at our site on 1000Markets exclusively? Would you still consider us as fine artisans or do you believe this would harm our brand and prefer to shop under the ECStewart & CalligraphyPets home umbrella?

5) Would you love to see Calligraphypets brand new site as a shop?

If you have any other comments or questions, please let us know! I build these sites for you and I want to make sure you get the best experience possible from us.

Thank you so much!
~Lisa