I mentioned last week that the eclectic-finds-blog, Super Punch, is having a contest during December for artists on a fairy tale theme - sci-fi fairy tales to be exact.
Fairy tales are a popular choice for advanced quilters (many of whom might be considered fiber artists with their innovative use of dying fabrics, applique and embroidery combinations). I have a few unique artworks in my archives to show you sometime, including the original subject I was looking for - a Princess and the Pea quilt - but while I didn't find any P&tP quilts that stood out to me, I did find a simpler, lovely multi-tale quilt for sale on Etsy. It comes with a rod pocket sewn into it so you can choose to use it as a wall hanging if you wish.
This one is by MoonGazerQuilts and I'd consider grabbing it myself if it had a more gender-neutral color for the border. It's called "Fairy Tales and Dreams" and you can find the quilt HERE (for under $50!) and also see the details of a lovely Noah's Ark quilt at the shop too.
I was searching for drinks on a fairy tale theme and found this lovely looking bottle called Snow Queen Vodka. Apparently it's a multi-award winning 'distill' (I think that's the right word) and people are raving about how smooth and fine it is. It's also, so I'm reading, not marketed in any normal sort of fashion - the company relies on word of mouth, which keeps it from being well known and ultra commercial- exactly what the company wants (apparently). Although it's classed as a luxury vodka it's not priced like one (you can find 750ml bottles for around $30), which is very nice.
Here's a little story I found to go with it:Once upon a time there was a vodka called Snow Queen. She was born in the far-away land of Kazakhstan. Her father was the finest organic wheat and her mother was the purest water that flowed through the snow-capped mountains. Soon, Snow Queen became known as the smoothest, most beautiful vodka of them all. (FTNH edit: 'she' actually won the Gold Medal last year at the Vodka Masters.) Experts came from far and wide and were amazed that such a perfect drink existed. They showered her with prizes. Gold Medals. Awards and Diplomas. But what is the secret of her beauty? It was quite simple. Unlike any other vodkas, Snow Queen had been distilled not once, twice, thrice, not even four times. She had been distilled five times. That's what gave her such a unique, smooth, velvety taste.Love it. I'm a sucker for products that have a story developed to go with them, I'm afraid - especially if they're fairy tale themed.
(FTNH edit: here comes my favorite part) But, of course, as happens so often in fairy tales, her beauty carried a terrible curse. For whoever put Snow Queen to his lips was condemned to fall in love with her for the rest of his life.
The official website is HERE (aim the target at your country for your language) but you can buy bottle online all over the place, all over the world.
These aren't cheap but I wouldn't expect sterling silver frogs with 18k gold crowns to be found at a bargain-basement price. Good timing for the release of "The Princess and the Frog" movie, some very nice Frog Prince cuff links from Red Envelope, found HERE. These would made a lovely wedding gift too.
NOTE: As usual, please note I am not affiliated with any of these stores or products. I do not receive any commission from any visit to the site or any purchase. These are just items I thought may interest people as fairy tale themed gifts for the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yuletide/Holiday Season. :)
I missed "Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister" when it was shown on TV (based on the book of the same name, by Gregory Maguire, which is a retelling of Cinderella) by only a couple of hours and have had it in my TiVo 'watch-list' ever since. It's never aired again, as far as I know and I've only seen dubious looking DVDs available (see the 'cover' above). I can't believe they haven't officially released this mini-series as I often hear requests for it. (Probably mired down in a copyright issue.) What I didn't realize is that some kind person put it on YouTube a while back for us all to see. (Yay! And thank you to them!)
I found this really great set of photos on deviantArt by a Cosplay group who really thought about what they were doing with the costumes, the props (yes, they made them too), the concepts and the photography. This was an entry for AFA 2009 (Anime Festival Asia) at the end of November.The Beginning of a beginning
"Off with her head!", the heartless Queen commanded.
And heartless was right - for to rule with fist and scepter, to command both fear and respect, the Queen had her own heart locked up in a secret dungeon somewhere beneath her castle's winding shadowy halls.
But all secrets find their way out.
With the help of a whispered clue from a mischevious Cheshire Cat, a defiant Alice freed herself from the grasp of the royal guards, dove into the darkness of the castle dungeons and stole the Queen's heart.
The furious Queen and her soldiers chased after her. And Alice, desperate to escape, leapt into the Rabbit's time portal and found herself in a world and time completely different from hers - one where clockwork constructs roamed the streets and steam powered engines reigned supreme.These guys did a really great job of their own retelling of the Alice in Wonderland story. It's nice to see such a professional approach.
They even made a little film:
I haven't tried this but I like the idea of a puzzle game based on The Snow Queen. The storyline is pretty similar to the fairy tale, though Kai is Gerda's brother, not her childhood sweetheart.Enter a quaint, whimsical snow village with Greta as she searches for her missing brother. Kidnapped by the evil Snow Queen, you must match tile sets and melt the ice to free him. Move along the map towards the Queens castle and witness six stunning lands. Snow Queen Mahjong is packed full of classic gameplay, three difficulty levels, and exciting new twists.My understanding of mahjong is that's it's mainly a strategy game with a little luck thrown in. I haven't trialed this myself so suggest you download the free version and check it out if you're thinking of gifting it. You can download a free version to trial it and the full version is under $10.
You can find the game HERE and HERE, with the second site having a preview of the screens and a demo video.
This makes complete sense and is sweet and fairy tale-ish too: nesting dolls that are actually measuring cups.
You can find them HERE (but be sure to shop around as I don't think the is the only place offering them).
One more featurette before the big release day tomorrow. This one revives my enthusiasm for seeing the movie (the opening scene with the young Tiana greatly dampened it for a while there).
This featurette is called Magic of the Bayou and gives us glimpses of scenes we haven't seen before. I particularly like the way the good magic of Mama Odie (in the movie it's voodoo) balances the bad of Dr. Facilier (also voodoo).
Nice use of color palettes for good vs evil, yes? You may notice there's also a strong set of shapes for each set: long, lean and stretched for the baddies, round, earthy and comfortably plump for the good. I've yet to see all the magic effects but the clips I've seen and pics like these show curly, sinuously moving creeping magic for Dr. Facilier while Mama Odie's is strong and ray-like.
Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" is finally opening Friday (December 11th, 2009) and the 'pre-buzz' (from all those who are managing to get into the exclusive previews) is excellent from many different quarters.
Here's a little treat, especially if you love New Orleans-type jazz and zydeco (albeit rather Disney-fied). Disney has released the soundtrack to listen to online (for free).
The link is HERE.
You can see a track listing with some other details HERE.
