(Gemini wallpaper by Citronrouge.com. Click image for wallpaper size and check out her other great stuff on her site)

This past Saturday I had the all-too-rare privilege of being able to just sit in front of my computer and search the internet to my heart’s content. My journey began by spending some time on Friday Favorite artist Anne-Julie Aubry‘s wonderful site. I used her links page to launch out on pathways that took me all over the place, some of which I feel the need to share with you. But first:

Mondays can be a real drag for those of us who have spent a relaxing weekend reading, surfing (da net of course), and spending time with family. The melancholy of Monday was lifted as I traveled over to Endicott Studio’s website this morning. For lo and behold their Monday video was an interview with a musician I had previously not heard of: Karine Polwart. I highly recommend you follow the link now and watch this brief interview. It not only allows you to hear samples of her beautiful vocals and guitar playing but you can also experience her wonderful Scottish accent. It is fascinating seeing her songwriting notebooks, just getting that little glimpse into the way she creates. The interview ends with her playing “The Sun’s Comin’ Over the Hill” and the scenery of the Scottish countryside is lovely. I also recommend you check out the other two-part interview linked to in the Endicott post. And, after that, head over here to her My Space site and allow yourself to be bathed in her glorious music. Open it up in another window, or tab, and use it as the background music for the rest of the places I am taking you to. It makes perfect travel music. My favorites are the first song “Rivers Run” and the later song, “Daisy”. I see another CD purchase or two in my near future.

I know I say this frequently, but if you do not regularly visit the Endicott Studio blog you are really cheating yourself out of a great deal of weekly enchantment.

Tunes ready? Okay, let’s go:

1. First stop, Gelaskins.

These removable art prints for laptops, Ipods, and the I-phone are just too cool. Makes me wish I was more up to speed with current technology. These are really inexpensive and there are some great art pieces there. Here are just a few of examples of the artists featured on the site. For fun I chose artists that I have already featured as Friday Favorites:

(Brian Despain)

(Kathie Olivas)

(Audrey Kawasaki)

2. Next Stop, Wonderland…or darn near. Miss Clara’s!

Miss Clara would undoubtedly be a Friday Favorite if more examples of her artwork were available for download. Perusing her site it appears she makes enchanting creations and then photographs them and digitally enhances them to make these marvelous images. I highly recommend spending some time perusing her many galleries and seeing the images. In the meantime I show you a few examples of her work via the wallpapers she does offer for download on her site. Click on each image for the larger wallpaper size.

3. Now, look up!

Speaking of wallpaper, as part of a promotion for their redesigned website, super-fantastic publisher Tor has been offering weekly wallpapers based on cover illustrations from their books. It should come as no secret that many of the artists Tor uses for book covers are among my favorites. Art director Irene Gallo and the rest of the folks at Tor have incredible taste. Each week two different wallpapers are offered. They are limited and only last for the week so it is important to snag them right away. Here are this week’s offerings. Go sign up for their email reminders, it is worth it! Plus they also send out free e-books! This week’s wallpapers (click for larger image):

(Scott Fischer)

(Shelly Wan)

4. Snack Time!

Goblin Fruit is a poetry zine celebrating its second anniversary. The current issue is described thus”

“this Spring issue is brought to you from the Levant with cedar twigs and a handful of Damascene dust. These poems are wet, deep and sea-salted, sure to leave you breathless as a mermaid’s kiss and just as doomed and desperate. Read them with caution, and make sure you know how to swim, first — or don’t, and see what dreams may come.”

There is a feature on author Catherynne M. Valente whose second volume of The Orphan Tales was recently released and promptly snatched up by yours truly to go on the to read pile. In addition to the interview you can read some of her poetry and if you scroll to the bottom of “The Ballad of All the Things I Might Have Written” you can click a link to listen to her read the poem to you. There are many fantasy/fairy tale related offerings here for the enjoying.

5. Dessert anyone?

Speaking of Catherynne M. Valente, Midori Snyder, co-editor of the Endicott Studio site and all around wonderful person, mentioned on her new blog that this book is soon to be out:

I have been excited about the book ever since the cover image (which can be seen sans graphic design here) was announced. A contest was held and artist Connie Toebe won. Midori Snyder mentions, “I am more than a little pleased by this, not only because I think Connie is a terrific artist, but because the little dress that appears on the cover was made from vintage fabric and lace from my great grandmother.”

Your dessert is to pop over here to view the video that Midori posted today. It is the antithesis of the video that started this post, at least as far as seriousness goes. Check it out.

6. All good things must come to an end.

But don’t be blue, get Blue!

Recent Stainless Steel Droppings visitor (and Endicott reviewer) Elizabeth Genco and artist Sami Makkonen have their first issue due out in July. Elizabeth explains: “BLUE is about a girl whose ex-turned-indie-rock-god comes back and is not as he seems. It’s a bit of a sendup of Bluebeard, a old school fairy tale.”

The art reminds me of a favorite of mine, Ashley Wood (I hope Sami is okay with the comparison) and looks to be great fun. I like both the premise and the art and will be ordering my copy through the shop when the Previews order shows up in May.

Well, that is it for today dear readers….well, not quite. We do have a couple of contest winners to announce, don’t we?

The winner of prize pack number one:

is Vasilly!!!

And the winner of prize pack number two is:

Bellezza!!!

Vasilly and Bellezza, please send me your address information via email at cvincent68 (at) comcast (dot) com.

Please congratulate them both and for those of you who didn’t win I do hope you go spend a bit of money at Anne-Julie Aubry’s store. Her stuff is so great and so inexpensive that you should indulge that urge and pick some up for yourself! 🙂 Speaking of which, check out today’s post to see the great jewelry that she will be adding to her shop in a few days.

I hope you all enjoyed today’s journey around the net. Please stay tuned for more Once Upon a Time II contests and the other fun things I have planned for the next few weeks.

To end, a Public Service Announcement: We currently have 158 book reviews up on the Once Upon a Time II Review Site. Make sure you are checking them out, there are treasures there.