Of Stacks and Cups

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Magic and Wonder Giveaway 1 (Open Internationally)

Hey guys! This month I'm starting a new feature and this time, I'm having some guests over! I've always been a fan of art and creative ventures and so, I decided to feature Etsy sellers on my blog each month in order to promote their work. Each month I'll also have giveaways where one of you will be able to win a free product from the store of the Etsy seller I'm working with.

I also thought that it would be fun to assign a theme to each month and for September, the theme is Magic and Wonder. I'll be hosting two giveaways in line with this theme, so make sure you visit my blog again for the second giveaway which is coming up soon.

Today my Etsy guest is Audra from Mrs Sprocket's Trinkets. Audra is from Florida and makes steampunk handmade jewelry and other trinkets. Her one of a kind artwork is what first caught my eye. The first time I visited her store, it reminded me a bit of the atmosphere from the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Strange and beautiful at the same time.

Interview With Audra

Here's an interview I had with Audra, in which she talks about her early inspirations, her creations and her passion for Anime and Cosplay! You'll find the giveaway at the end of the interview.

1. How did you start your craft?

I have always been into arts, crafts and drawing since I was little, doing things here and there for fun. Friends have told me they liked what I did and the ideas I had and suggested I start making things to sell. So I decided to open up a store. I also take my creations to different conventions.

2. From whom did you take your inspiration?

My mom was very artsy and crafty and my dad was very artistic. So I learned the craft aspects from her and I also love to draw which I got from my dad.

Steampunk charm bracelet

3. Did you take any special classes?

The only thing close to classes were art and sculpture classes I took throughout middle school and high school. Other than that, I’m self-taught with a hint of YouTube watching if I wasn't completely sure how to make something technically come together.

4. What was the first thing you ever crafted?

When I was young the first thing was a clay cup that I made in pottery class and a cat picture I did in art class. They didn't look great, but it was awesome to go through the process of learning how to do both.

5. What was the experience like?

The first time I decided to try making jewelry it was an awesome feeling of “Holy cow I made that and it looks good!”

But the more I make the better they get and the more fun I have. Since I make every piece differently, I get to experiment with what I think looks good but also about what I think the person purchasing it would like and how good would it look with the costume or outfit they would wear it with.

6. What is the favorite thing you ever crafted? Can it still be found in your store?

So far the piece I've made that I liked the most was an Octopus that was made out of melted plastic. And it is still for sale in my store.

7. Are you working on anything new at the moment?

Right now I am working on a steampunk battery operated lamp that will be made from a really awesome bottle that a friend gave to me. I hope to have it ready for the next convention I'm going to in the middle of September. Depending on how much people like it I have quite a few other ideas in mind for similar lamp projects with bottles.

8. What are your other passions and hobbies?

I really love to draw Anime and animals. I enjoy reading, and writing poems. Also love to put together puzzles. I also love going to different conventions like Anime and Cosplaying.

9. Who are your favorite artists?

I love a lot of the old time artists like Monet or Picasso. Their paintings are just beautiful and weird. And I can't think of the specific artists’ names but I love Greek architecture and sculptures.

10. What would you say to an aspiring artist who wishes to commercialize his or her creations?

Do what you enjoy, and if you decide to commercialize your product and you make several different types of things, try to get an idea of what other people like and what others sell.

If you only do one type like drawing or just making jewelry etc. just do what you like and you're good at.

Most importantly make sure to get as much info out on social media as possible since that is the most popular means of communication and buying today.

And if you're able to do so, going to conventions, like Anime, SciFi or comic book conventions, and having a booth or table is a great way to get your name/brand out. I've found from experience that even if what you do isn't directly related to the convention, it doesn’t really matter cause people love the dealer rooms and sometimes, you may sell even better since you have something that is unique to that convention.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the giveaway to win the Into The Mine necklace, made with Bottle, Gear, Clock and Key Charms and Guitar String that was used by the Steampunk band, The Cog Is Dead, in concert!

Here are a few things to know about this giveaway:

It's open internationally.
All the Magic and Wonder giveaways end on the 30th of September.
The winners of all the Magic and Wonder giveaways will be announced on the 1st of October.

Good luck everyone!

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Cover Art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

August Wrap-Up (15 books!)

September is here and it's time for another monthly wrap-up. It's so weird to think that Halloween is next month. I mean, this year seems to be flying by so fast!

So this month I read a total of 15 books. While I didn't read as many novels as I did last month, I read quite a few comics and a bunch of children books. And starting with these, we have...

The Children Books

I was tidying up the cupboard where I keep all my childhood books when I found the Enid Blyton novels I used to love as a kid. I don't have any full series of hers or anything but the ones I own are quite well-loved. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I decided to re-read a few of those books. The first two I read were story collections involving fairies, pixies, talking toys and lots of magic. While some stories have aged a little bit, Enid Blyton's writing remains as beautiful and addictive as ever. The collections I read were The Fairies' Shoemaker and Other Stories and The Smickle Smockle and Other Stories. I gave both 4 stars. The next Enid Blyton book I read was The Secret of Moon Castle. While their families are renting an old castle, a group of children stumble across a mystery and strive to uncover it, finding secrets and having exciting adventures along the way. I loved re-reading this one. I gave it 4 stars as well.

I also read The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels, which I gave 3 stars. While the illustrations were absolutely charming, the stories came off as a bit too naive, and that too, even for a children book. The illustrations are so gorgeous though that if I had to give a rating based on that alone, I would have given the book 5 stars.

The Comics

I also read volumes 1-7 of Fables, written by Bill Willingham. OMG, this series. It started out just okay and turned out to be utterly amazing. I gave vol. one 3 stars, vol. two 4 stars and vol. three 3 stars. At that point I thought the storyline was rather unique and the characters quite interesting. Then I read vol. four and it BLEW ME AWAY. This one is called March Of The Wooden Soldiers and it's where the action really begins. So if you read the first volumes and aren't much impressed, do read on! I promise you won't regret it. I gave volumes four, five and six a rating of 5 stars each. Vol. seven wasn't my favorite and I gave it only 3 stars. I'm very eager to read the next volumes as soon as I get my hands on them though because this series in general is just fan-tas-tic! And the artwork, too, is really cool.

The Classics

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..." This famous quote is the first line of Rebecca, the bestselling classic by Daphne du Maurier. While it took me a few chapters to really get into the story, this book ended up winning me over. It's a classic suspense novel with hints of romance and I had honestly never really read a novel like this before. A young, and rather naive woman arrives at the estate of Manderley as Maxim de Winter's second wife. While she's at first as eager as she is intimidated by her new life, she soon realizes that the shadow of her husband's first wife, Rebecca de Winters, lingers still in the great house. So strong is Rebecca's presence that though she's dead, she begins to unravel the new Mrs de Winter's life. I loved this book and gave it 4 stars. It has Gothic undertones and comes to a correspondingly befitting ending.

I also read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and again, really loved it. I gave it 5 stars and devoured it over the course of a couple of days. It's a coming of age story that shows themes like racism and social acceptance through the eyes of a child. I loved it so much that I was actually a bit scared to read Go Set A Watchman. I'm reading it though and I'll be sharing my thoughts on it in my next wrap-up.

I also really enjoyed A Room With A View, by E.M. Forster. During her vacations in Italy, Lucy meets two men. One is a lower class young man who unexpectedly catches her attention and the other is the richer and more socially acceptable man she ends up getting engaged to. The other man's presence in her life however soon starts to change Lucy and the way she looks at the world. As the story unfolds, Lucy now has to choose between the man whom society would have her marry and the one she believes she might find true happiness with.

This Month's Favorite

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a book that will give you all the feels, gut you mercilessly and make you feel all warm and fuzzy again, all within a few pages. Henry has a rare disease that makes him uncontrollably travel back and forth in time. Clare is his soulmate. While Henry was 28 when he first met her, Clare actually met him for the first time when she was 6 when an older Henry time-traveled to her. This book brings a new take on the subject of time-traveling and shows how these two people fall in love, more than once, and move ahead despite the uncontrollable forces in their lives. A truly beautiful book that I would recommend to everyone. 5 stars, of course.

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Cover Art by Of Stacks and Cups via Pagemodo

Saturday, August 29, 2015

The 'Would You Rather' Book Tag

I was tagged by my blogger friend, the lovely Lanie from Lanie's Book Thoughts. This tag was originally created by YouTuber Rachel Reads and you can check out the original video here. These questions are insanely on point and were a lot of fun to answer!

1. Would you rather read only trilogies or stand alones?

I love trilogies and series. Staying with your favorites for more than one book is great. You get to read more about the characters and worlds you love best and get to watch those characters develop and grow with each installment. However, being the story lover that I am, if I had to pick, I would read only stand alones. That way I can discover much more new stories and universes. I would probably be a lot more book hangover though.

2. Would you rather read only male or female authors?

Hmm, these questions are not getting easier are they? I'm all for gender equality and stuff so left to me, I wouldn't even select one over the other. But if I had to pick though... I guess I would go with the female authors. I mean, we girls have to support each other right?^^

3. Would you rather shop at Barnes & Nobles or Amazon?

Well this is an easy one 'cause we don't have Barnes & Nobles here XD. Actually I buy most of my books online. I usually go for The Book Depository because of the free shipping but to answer the question, yep, I would rather shop at Amazon.

4. Would you rather all books become movies or TV shows?

Oh, this is hard. On one hand more stuff from the book could be done in a TV show but then again, you would have to wait for months, or even years, to get to see that epic conclusion you loved in the books. On the other hand, movies are shorter and your favorite characters would have less screen time than in a TV show. Okay, I'm going with the TV shows I guess! And speaking of that, who else is hyped for Shadowhunters?!

5. Would you rather read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?

Being an avid reader, I usually read A LOT per week. Although five is definitely too much for me in a week, I would go for that. I mean, 5 pages? In a week?? I would go crazy waiting to know what happens next in the story!

6. Would you rather be a professional reviewer or author?

Okay, you want to know a little secret of mine? To become an author has been a dream of mine for years. I've even written a few books in French and stories in both English and French. It's just that in recent years, I've come to realize that maybe I enjoy reading stories more than I like writing them. I'll never stop writing. I just don't think I'll ever do it as a published author. Becoming a professional reviewer though sounds awesome and I would love to be one.

7. Would you rather only read your top 20 favorite books over and over or always read new ones that you haven't read before?

I love to re-read my favorite books. Some I've even re-read more than 5 times. But if I had to pick, I would choose to always read new books. Like I said before, I'm just a sucker for stories and would hate not being able to discover new ones.

8. Would you rather be a librarian or book seller?

A book seller! That's actually another of my secret (now not so much!) bookish dreams. I want to end up working in the publishing industry one day. And in a perfect world, I would have my very own bookstore. I even know what I would call it. Am I looking too much into this??

9. Would you rather only read your favorite genre, or every genre except your favorite?

Even if it's my favorite genre, if I had to read books strictly from it, I would eventually get bored. Not being able to read my favorite genre would be hard but I'd rather be able to read books from many different genres.

10. Would you rather only read physical books or eBooks?

I buy a lot of books on my Kindle from Amazon, mostly because I like being able to read anywhere I want without having to tote my books around. That being said though, I have a preference for physical books. They smell the way only books can smell, they look great on my bookshelves and I can actually use bookmarks from my ever-growing collection with them. So even if life without eBooks would be harder for my bookish self, I would rather read only physical books.