10% off any purchase this week for using coupon code: fhtagn in my store
This discount applies to original art, and items already on sale as well, a double-discount.
Adventure Mission Generator V.2.0
The new Adventure Mission Generator is now online and running.
I added this mission generator last year to the Miskatonic Archive in order to make my days a bit more interesting, keep the ideas fresh, or at least somewhat random. It was still in its beta stage back then.
Apologies to those who were damaged or killed in the mechanical breakdowns and malfunctions caused September 8, 2008, I do hope you are feeling better for this glorious day of unveiling.
New to this mission generator:
1) Lots
2) A static image with text in the image, instead of text upon a background, this makes it compatible with most everything – no more stylesheets in LJ throwing it off, no more codemuching in myspace to throw it off.
3) A different mission per each name per each day of the year. No more having to type different names to get better missions… just come back tomorrow, if you survive.
4) The image generated is permanent, in other words, it is not going to change on your profile the next day. Yes, this means you must come back to get another one, but it saves you from proudly displaying a neat mission, and looking silly when another less flattering one replaces it.
5) It is an excellent merging of various types of server-side and client side code – since I am amazing, I thought it would be fun to make something of my wide assortment of skills and languages.
6) I really do not get to say that often about myself. If there is one thing I am incredibly adept at, it is anything algorithmic – which there was a lot of in this exercise. No randoms – same mission per name per day. Test results posted on your pages remain the same, even if I reprogram everything here. Yay. I am happy with it.
Adventure Mission Generator copyright © 2008, 2009 Myke Amend
Flying Puppets: The Jules Verne
Carl Rankin makes these planes from everyday materials such as straws, trash bags, tape, thread, and offers on his site rather inexpensive books and Cd guides to creating these doubly-inexpensive works of wonder.
His gossamer-winged “Jules Verne” can be seen in greater detail at Flying Puppets, and can be seen in action at BoingBoing.
*Story Lead Credit: Thank you Travis Fessler of the brilliant and talented Anachronistic Entertainment Troupe: The Pickled Brothers
The Jules Verne
* 56″ wingspan
* 14 ounces flying weight, 1.7 oz/ square foot wingloading.
* Made of drinking straws, tape, thread and yellow Reynolds sandwich wrap.
* This plane flew at the 2007 AMA convention.
* Carl Rankin’s picture is in the May 2007 Model Aviation Magazine, pg. 20 (holding the Jules Verne and wearing a Transmitter Tray by Jeff Sandler (rctraymanusa.com).
Spooky Smile Mini Trio and Grand Re-opening 10% off
I’ve been working away 30 to 40 hour days to get my store up and running again and completely restocked. I can say that now, aside from t-shirts, comics, and a few other such things which really do not sell much at this venue anyway, everything current is stocked and I am good to go.
I am kicking this off by issuing a 10-percent off coupon. Use it as many times as you would like to through June 20th, share it with others. The coupon code is mxlplk just keep in mind that because of the way my cart handles coupons, the items will not be itemized in your paypal payment, just a total. Your purchase will however be recorded in the store, and in the email confirmation you receive from the store. So, don’t worry – I’ll know what you ordered.
There are also many new items available, as well as many old items which were never available before.
One of the most note-worthy new additions is a trio from a small series of small paintings called “smile”. The original paintings of the girl-thing, creepy plant, and psycho robot are not up for sale in the store
The Cephalopods Can Hear You
Octopus and squid can hear.
The discovery resolves a century-long debate over whether cephalopods, the group of sea creatures that includes octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautiluses, can hear sounds underwater.
Compared to fish, octopus and squid do not appear to hear particularly well.
(found via Chad Savage of <a href=”http://savagesinister.com/”>Sinister Visions/Sinister Missives</a>)
Coming to this Space
I’ve used a lot of my time this weekend link building: one of many necessary evils which come with being an artist on the web these days.
I’ll be working through the day at adding original works and mini prints, and then from there, I am going to be finishing out commissions while brainstorming on ways to make some very unique completely hand-pulled reproductions of some of my works.
Since Giclees are so incredibly accurate, so vivid in color, so perfect in contrast – it is really hard to make hand-pulled prints and make them better than the less expensive giclees – and I really do like to make giclees available to the people who frequent this site.
So, the task at hand is to come up with something that can be done by hand, and yet is more awesome than an actual-sized limited edition 200-years archival reproduction on canvas.
I think I have something in mind, some research and trial runs will tell if my idea is feasible, but I do hope to be announcing something extra special within this week.
Until then, wish me luck on finishing up these projects, and please don’t take it to heart if for some reason I do not get back to you as quickly as normal. I will be back soon.
Also, I wanted to add that I am trying to offer free advertising to fellow steampunks. These buttons top the links page, and float right below the headline article on the main page, really good placement. The button size is 117×60 pixels. You can contact me through my contact page if you are interested, I am giving first consideration to people who are willing to give return links, and of course people I am friends with on the various social networking sites and steampunk boards.
Gargantuan War Machines: Airborne Carriers and Giant Robots
The 59-foot-tall Gundam in Tokyo is now finished, surely developed as a countermeasure against the China’s recent development of flying aircraft carriers such as those reportedly seen on google maps in a lake near Shanghai (below) and that reported in the China Military Report, best described by others as a ripoff of the Giant Helicarrier from SHIELD (second below).
Still, these are not as impressive or elegant as the airborne aircraft carriers of history, such as the USS Macon or her sister ship the USS Akron, which, sadly, crashed off the coast of New Jersey on April 4th 1933, killing 73 crew and passengers.
The Wonder that was the USS Macon, and her demise, will be the subject of a special airing on National Geographic on Saturday August 1st at 3PM.
Additionally, a great picture of the Akron can be found <a href=”http://www.ottens.co.uk/gatehouse/akron-over-manhattan”>here</a> at the Gatehouse
Steampunk Crucifix and Lovecraftian Tie Tack
It is a little known fact that a line of Popes dating back to the Middle Ages have secretly indulged in Steampunk. The Vatican’s favourite pets are mad scientists, kept inventing in a basement. This hush-hush hobby of the Popes of times past and present has led to an astonishing Steampunk museum in the darkest corners of the Vatican. The Pope wears the only key for the museum under his robes, to be passed on to the next hat in line. This large crucifix from the museum has been attributed to the Knights Templar.
Steampunk Crucifix by Insectus (blog link), who, like Catherinette Rings, makes some pretty awesome jewelry. Dr. Insectus’ Etsy store can be found here: insectus.etsy.com
See also (below): Amazingly creepy and rustic looking “Beholder” (AD&D) tie-tack by Catherinette Rings (Etsy Link):
(I can’t wear jewelry. My blood is pure acid. But the things these two sellers create, make me really wish things were otherwise)
Free WallPaper: Thanks for the Ether (Antarctic Experiment in sepia)
New Steampunk Wallpaper: “The Antarctic Experiment” (Sepia antiqued variant of the original image), 1280 x 1024, from the series “Airships and Tentacles” – a Jules Verne and Hp Lovecraft Inspired series of explorers in dirigibles in precarious situations.
Click image below to download or view:
A color version of this, in 1280×1024 and in 1600×1200 is available at Ettadiem.com
New Limited Edition Giclees
New for summer is an extensive collection of engravings as limited edition giclees on Hahnemuhle fine-art rag paper format.
Each giclee has rough straight-torn edges and a border of 2.5 to 3 inches of this beautiful rag paper, making for an additional 5 to 6 inches in each direction – meaning more wall coverage.
Each these bold limited edition giclees are enlargements of the original highly detailed engravings, showcasing the fine linework and detail within each piece, and making for a wonderful block-print appearance.
To go straight to the prints from engravings, simply choose prints(engravings) in the catalogue listing (right), or click here.
*Also: for those who like to collect mini prints and small prints for scrapbooking purposes, those are next to come… an entire line of every artwork from this site (and some not yet here) will all be available in sizes of 5×7 or smaller.
There are many items now added to the now-better-organized store, and many more items to follow. Please continue to check in this next 7 days.