Sharing the love: a shameless promotion

I cannot contain myself any longer. My dear friend Joseph "Panhead" Peck has a debut CD that will soon be released.

Here is the cover of the CD that will hit the stores on April 6.

Joseph sent me this message last week:

DEAR FRIENDS & FAMILY,

My band Babylon Saints has produced their debut self-titled album which is being officially released on Citation Records April 6, 2010. However, our friends & family don't have to wait till April 6, you can receive your discounted copy now. We are shipping physical copies of the CD immediately to friends & family at a discounted rate of $10 per CD plus Shipping. Everyone who buys a box of 10 or more CDs will receive FREE shipping! The album makes a great gift so if you have a birthday, anniversary, or any other special occasion coming up why not give the gift of a Babylon Saints CD?. This album, in my opinion, is by far the best work of mine yet and I'm pretty amazed at the quality of the entire packaging from the tones we got in the studio, the individual musician's performances, the mixes, mastering, and the look & feel of the physical package. I'm sincerely asking that you'll consider picking up a copy or two or ten and share this music with your loved ones. You can hear a few of our songs online at the following web site:

www.myspace.com/babylonsaints

If you would like to download the album from iTunes rather than purchase a physical copy, please do so on or after April 6.

CD(s) + Shipping Cost

1-2 CDs add $2 for shipping

3-9 CDs add $3 for shipping

10 CDs - FREE Shipping

Please Mail all Checks to:

BABYLON SAINTS

7095 HOLLYWOOD BLVD. #1318

LOS ANGELES, CA 90028

Please make checks payable to Babylon Saints or Citation Records.

If you would like to pay with a credit card online please let me know and I can send you a PayPal Invoice via Email.

Also, please be sure to include the address you would like your order shipped to.

Additional questions? Email me at joseph@babylonsaints.com or call me at 213.840.6892

From the bottom of my heart, thank you very very much for the continued support. I truly appreciate all the love and praise you've given me over the years, this is just the beginning.

With much love & respect,

Joseph

BABYLON SAINTS - Authentic, Passionate, Soulful

www.babylonsaints.com

www.facebook.com/babylonsaints

www.twitter.com/babylonsaints

Joseph “Panhead” Peck

Steel Pannist / Percussion

Babylon Saints

7095 Hollywood Blvd., #1318

Los Angeles, CA 90028

Mobile: 213.840.6892

Email: joseph@babylonsaints.com

Web: http://www.babylonsaints.com

I hope the above links are clickable. I wasn't sure I got them right and had no way to check until it posts.

The band is comprised of these members.



Here's one review of the band by Citation Records:

The name Babylon Saints is both a contradiction in terms as well as an excellent way to disarm the potential listener of their expectations. So to simply say that the four members of Los Angeles-based group play reggae rock, albeit extremely catchy reggae rock, would be rather deceiving. Singer Matt Gerovac, drummer Brandon Petersen, bassist Tyler Drake, and steel drummer Joseph “Panhead” Peck can offer a better set of groovy descriptions for their sound: Authentic. Soulful. Funk. Honest. Caribbean. American. African. Brazilian. Spicy. Danceable. And, as Peterson puts it, “it’s like if Steel Pulse, the guys from Weather Report, and Men At Work were riding a bike down Sunset Boulevard.”

Just like this colorful imagery, the Babylon Saints members themselves are an assortment of backgrounds and musical perspective. Their collective passion for reggae music was formulated within the schools, streets, and music venues of Anaheim and Whittier, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, the Virgin Islands, Cleveland, OH, Boca Raton, FL, Wichita, KS, Trinidad, WI, and local Los Angeles. Whether it was a Blues Brothers movie (Petersen), a set of pots and pans (Panhead), a vacuum created after quitting baseball (Gerovac), or growing up in a musical environment (Drake) that got them to where they are now, what all four Saints have in common is their dedication to getting their sound heard.

Babylon Saints, formerly known as MG3, practically live on the road, and have swept California with what Gerovac calls the group’s “gushing warm groove.” Their performances draw on the freedom to not only showcase each instrument, but to feed off and accentuate each member’s sounds and rhythms. Babylon Saints are building a robust live performance schedule with plans for expanded U.S. and international tour stops in support of the upcoming record. Their self-titled debut album on Citation Records, due in early 2010, will include songs that, Panhead would like you to know, might possibly ravish your face off. In a good way.

The good news is, if you want to buy their CD before April 6, I have received permission from Joseph to allow me to extend the above offer to you, my loyal blog readers. I understand the CD cost will be more on or after April 6.

On a personal note, tomorrow I begin Earth Month, where I will feature a daily post that incorporates something recycled, upcycled, found, or green, culminating on Earth Day, which turns 40 this year. I also hope to find interesting blogs to showcase that follow this same principle every day.

It is only fitting that today belongs to my dear friend Joseph "Panhead" Peck. The link will take you to his web site, Panhead Music, which is in the process of being redesigned. Thanks to all my loyal readers for allowing me to shamelessly promote this CD. I certainly wish him success. And yes, that's him at the very bottom, playing with Cyndi Lauper and Scott Weiland of Stone Cold Pilots.

Doesn't exactly look like Tea this Tuesday

I'm having a ball participating in Tea Tuesday (or is it Tuesday Tea?), thanks to Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons. This is such a fun collaboration with so many warm and supportive players. What I like is, it allows me to use another, totally different art form to feature on my blog.


Kimmie said there was no longer a specific theme, and also no rules that you have to drink tea on Tea Tuesday, so I decided before it got too warm to enjoy hot chocolate, I would make some today. It's great early in the morning, or late in the evening. What the heck? I like it any time. The trick is to keep it hot and what better way than my "graduation" mug with its own lid.

And what would hot chocolate be without home made marshmallows? These were made by my friend Dana and they melt easily in the hot chocolate.

Marshmallows are surprisingly easy to make. Here is an easy recipe Dana followed for making them.

Ingredients:

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites, room temperature
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Prepare an 8 x 12-inch non-metal baking dish (Dana used glass) with confectioners' sugar by covering it with foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle a generous dusting of confectioners' sugar over the entire pan using a sieve. Set the pan aside while you prepare the marshmallows. Save some of the sugar for later use.

2. In a small saucepan, heat 3/4 cup water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and stir briefly. Let the gelatin sit for 5 minutes, until it is completely absorbed by the liquid. Set the pan over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture is liquid.

3. Place the gelatin mixture in a heat safe bowl and allow to cool slightly while you make the syrup.

4. Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a large pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, then stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil.

5. Continue boiling until mixture reaches 260 degrees (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. This process will take awhile, so move on to the next step while the sugar syrup cooks.

6. While the sugar syrup is boiling and the gelatin is cooling, place room temperature egg whites in a bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Once the sugar syrup nears 245 degrees, begin to beat the egg whites. Beat them until they hold firm peaks, but do not overbeat or they will be crumbly. If the egg whites are ready before the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature, stop the mixer until the sugar syrup is ready.

7. Once the sugar syrup reaches 260 degrees, add the warm liquid gelatin mixture into the syrup using a whisk.

8. With the mixer on low speed slowly pour the syrup and gelatin mix into the egg whites.

9. Once all of the syrup/gelatin mix is poured, turn the mixer to medium-high. Continue beating until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape and is completely opaque. Depending on your mixer, this will take about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping.

10. Carefully pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan prepared in step 1, using a rubber spatula to scrape it from the sides of the mixing bowl.

11. Spread the marshmallow in a smooth, even layer using the spatula.

12. With a sieve, generously dust confectioners' sugar over the top.

13. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until the marshmallow dries out. It actually took three days for Dana's to dry enough to cut.

14. Once the marshmallow has set, dust a cutting board with a generous layer of confectioners' sugar. Lift the marshmallow from the pan using the foil as handles, and flip it face down on the prepared surface. Peel the foil off the top of the marshmallow, and dust the top of the candy with more sugar. Keep dusting throughout the entire cutting process.

15. Spray a large, sharp chef's knife or kitchen scissors with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the marshmallow block into 1" squares, or whatever size marshmallows you desire. You can also grease your hands with nonstick cooking spray, if you plan to handle the marshmallows. Dana suggested also using metal cookie cutters to cut different shapes out of the marshmallow.

16. Either dredge the cut edges of each marshmallow square or dust the entire square in more confectioners' sugar so they are not sticky.

I probably could have told you this in about six steps, but I wanted to explain the recipe Dana's way.

Don't forget to go to Kimmie's blog to find links to the other participants. And please don't forget to tell them you stopped by for a visit.

Speaking of participants, one of those participants is Meadowlark Days. I enjoyed reading all her previous Tuesday Tea posts. Her photos are pretty amazing, too. She also makes scrapbook pages, handmade cards, and other art. Some of her art was just published in Somerset Memories. I'm sure you'll enjoy her blog as much as I do.

Birthday blessings

Yesterday, my dear friend Sally turned 65. She was really happy about it, too. I would not be so happy if I was turning 65, but for her it was a new milestone. I took Sally to one of her favorite Chinese restaurants for an early afternoon lunch. We timed it such that there were a few customers, but not crowded.

For her gift, I took a page out of Patty Szymkowicz's playbook when I sewed Sally's envelope shut.


I thought it would be much easier than ripping out staples or dealing with packing tape,

but Sally didn't realize she could pull one end and the entire thing would come apart. I finally had to open it for her, a feat that was so easy, even I could do it with my arthritic fingers.

Once inside the envelope, she looked at the gift that was wrapped in clear plastic,


then went for the one that was wrapped in some of my deli paper. I'm finding so many uses for this versatile paper. I used some left over from my flowers I made a few weeks ago.

Sally inspects her Burt's Bees heavy duty repair cream. The day that Dana and I went to the health food store, I asked the lady what was best for cuts on the hands or fingers that wouldn't heal. She pointed me to this stuff, a Burt's Bees product I had never used.

Next, Sally opened her other gift, a hand crocheted hat.

Next she fixated on getting the Burt's Bees tin open.

I had to help her with that, too, since I have fingernails and she doesn't.

Soon it was food to the rescue. There was a ton of veggie foods on the buffet, along with a wonderful tomato shrimp dish. I ate till I hurt.

After the meal, Sally showed me her new driver's license, which was a strip of thermal paper. Then she opened her fortune cookie while I finished my meal.

After she read it, she laughed so hard, I couldn't get a good photo. What did it say? "You are known for your organization skills." We both agreed that was supposed to be mine, because nothing could be further from the truth in Sally's world.

When Sally asked what I was working on, I told her I was still trying to finish my Hands AB. She held up her hands and offered them as a digital remembrance of the day and a possible AB spread.

All in all, it was a really, really fun day. No art, but lots of laughs and Chinese food shared with a friend.

Would you like to spend a day in the country? If so, head on over to Heather Cameron's blog and spend A day in the country or possibly a day reading her blog. Heather and her family live in Canada on a farm, named Missing Goat. Why? Because their goat is missing. Read Heather's delightful stories as she takes you through her day, which includes (time permitting) cooking from scratch (including sharing recipes), decorating her home (and photographing it for several high end magazines), and other delightful events. If you like a down to earth, enjoyable folksy read, this blog is for you. And Heather might even have some homemade bread and butter ready for you to sample.

Silent Sunday: A city within a city (part 2)

Silent Sunday's blog

Yesterday, thanks to Marilyn Rock, I was guided to Marion Bockelmann's blog, bockel24. Marion lives in Germany, but her art comes from heaven! Her blog is filled to the brim with ATCs, Gothic Arches, journals, altered books, and collages to inspire you. You may even want to join her 4th Annual ATC swap. It doesn't take too many posts to know that Marion is a stamper, and from perusing her art, it looks like she has thousands of them and knows how to use them to her advantage. Be prepared to stay awhile. Marion's art is incredible and she posts nearly every day. I hope you enjoy her blog and her art as much as I do.

Earth Hour

Save the planet, one light bulb at a time.

The Book Guild meets tomorrow

The Book Guild meets tomorrow at The Altered Page. Click on Seth's lovely art above and be taken there. Be sure to bookmark his blog. His art is incredible. But that's not what this announcement is about. I'll let Seth tell you about it in his own words:

Welcome to The Book Guild, the second project from The Pulse -- The State of the Art -- a survey in words and pictures of the online artist community. All artists participating in The Pulse were asked to name their favorite art books. In the end, there was a list large enough to create one amazing art library, especially since more than 40 of the artists responded with more than one favorite!

The Book Guild will meet every Sunday, rain or shine. So stop by to be introduced to a whole new library of art-related books. The Guild will be more than just a list however. There will be links, book reviews, giveaways, and interviews with many of your favorite authors. And I promise you that there will be some major events that are guaranteed to knock your handmade socks off!!

Like any good book club, there needs to be members. And that is where YOU come in. I am hoping you will participate by leaving comments related to the books in each post - for example thoughts, book reviews, personal experiences, or a link back to your own blog posts that include artwork based on a project in the listed books.

So join the club and come to The Book Guild. And mark your calendars. The first meeting will be held on Sunday March 28th. See you there!

So now you have Seth's personal invitation. Don't be shy. Step right up and leave a piece of your mind or a link to your art. See you there tomorrow.

While you're waiting for Sunday, here's a book that I finished last night.

Modern Paint Effects by Annie Sloan (Firefly Books, 2000) is a treat for those of us who love making backgrounds. Granted, it was written for the person wanting to paint their walls, but many of our mixed media backgrounds can be made using these same techniques.

The book begins by explaining the differences among the various paint finishes from matte to high gloss and from transparent to opaque. Many of our gels, glazes, and other mediums can be added to our acrylic paint to achieve these same effects. I believe this book could be of value if you are looking for a way to spice up your art.

There is definitely no shortage of photographs in this well designed book. Every detail is covered, along with a finished wall or project.

Lines and shapes are only two of the items covered. Can't you just see that wall on the right as a background for your art journals? Wouldn't it be a great way to document each day of a month of journaling?

Each section begins with an explanation of what you'll learn in the chapter. Different techniques are shown on this page, and there is also a section devoted to each of these, along with many others in the chapter on "Stripes."

All of the projects were designed and written by the author, except for Phillip Bailey, who helped with Polished Plaster, found on pages 48-53. The other acknowledgments were for artists contributing items, such as wall art used in the photos, not actual painting techniques.

One of my favorite chapters was on metallics and one of my favorite techniques turned a salad bowl destined for the trash into a designer bowl (see middle photo, left page).

Although I didn't recycle any wooden pieces, I combined metallic paint and stripes to create a nice background (on paper) that I hope to use soon. I got so many ideas from this book, I can't begin to describe them all. There's even a section on collage and one on frottage, laying a newspaper over wet paint, rubbing it into the paint, then removing the newspaper. Sounds altered to me! And it sounds like a technique many of us have used on our paper backgrounds. So, even though this book was not written for the mixed media or altered artist, it pays to look beyond the obvious when finding books at your library. I would highly recommend this book if you are unsure about different types of paint, or just want a bit of inspiration for making unique backgrounds.

Have you ever wanted to know what it's like to have a book published? Since I've been on a book kick these past two days, I think you'll enjoy today's blog. Follow Pam Carriker from conception to present as she documents her journey in writing an art related book. I sat yesterday reading every post she has written after I followed the link from Seth's blog to hers. Check out Art at the Speed of Life, where Pam documents the process of making art and writing a book at the same time. Always inspiring and positive (although I'm sure she was under lots of pressure at times), Pam's blog is a great read with great art and photographs included along the way. While you're there, be sure to check out the contributing artists listed on her sidebar.

Five fabulous giveaways

I thought you, my dear followers, RSS feed readers, and those who just come to see what I'm up to each day, might want to know about five fabulous giveaways this week. When I started this post, there were two, then three, then four, then I found a final one as my brain went into overdrive.

One is by Patty Szymkowicz at Magpie's Nest. Check out her lovely bird nest charms here.

The second giveaway is by Marlynn at Honesuckle Breeze. She is giving away the book she's been discussing all week. Check out her giveaway post here.

And run, don't walk, to Seth Apter's giveaway at The Altered Page. I should have said something sooner, but somehow I forgot to put it on my calendar. See the specific post here, which ends late tonight.

Finally Also, Cheryl at Healing Woman is having a pasta maker giveaway that she is offering, along with a fabulous lasagna recipe. The giveaway is here.

And finally (yep, I'm pretty sure I've covered everyone), one of my favorite authors, Christine Clemmensen is also having a giveaway. Thankfully, my oversight didn't mean you are left out of the running for these lovely earrings. You have until April 8 to sign up. See her giveaway post here.

Sorry, no photos with these giveaways, but that's because they don't require sidebar icons or any hoops to go along with their giveaways. Purely reaching out on my part.

A bit of this and that

I spent most of my day yesterday with Dana. Our first stop was to a cool restaurant for breakfast. Although I am not a breakfast fan, choosing to eat around 2 in the afternoon, I wanted to have breakfast with Dana, who eats a morning meal and one in the evening with her husband.

So off we went to this cool restaurant in our neighborhood, where the juke boxes are still on the tables


and the menu was written on a chalk wall.


Dana and I both wanted breakfast


and chose the breakfast menu over the others.


I actually forgot to take a photo of our breakfasts until we had dug into our meals. Cheese omelets, hash browns, wheat toast, and coffee were our choices.

The rest of the day was spent working at Dana's new house. Most everything that is going in the sale, is now boxed and labeled "sale." A few boxes were labeled "Save for Dana."

It felt weird to get home before dark, so I decided to read a couple of books I got from the library.


Left: Button! Button! by Terry Taylor (Lark Books, 2008). Right: A Very Beaded Christmas by Terry Taylor (Lark Books, 2009).

For those of you who are into mixed media and assemblage, the name Terry Taylor will be quite familiar to you. His name is what drew me to these books. However, that is where the similarity ends. Both books were a real disappointment, although the Christmas book was better than the button book.


Again, both of these were collaboration books. The button book had 50 projects, each designed by one of 20 or so artists. Sadly, I couldn't find a single acknowledgment of an author until I was uploading the photos. You can see the designer's name if you look closely in the lower left under the photo. What a strange place, I thought. The instructions were not accompanied by any step out photos, so some of the instructions were hard to follow. Others were OK, since most were easy. This one began with purchased bangles,


and this one began with a purchased pillow form and cover.


Here you begin with a dish towel and simply sew on a few buttons. So the book wasn't a total waste of time, Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons recently (and cleverly) recovered some buttons. See her post for details. There was a project called "Decoupage Buttons" in the book. I have to admit, I think Kimmie's were prettier than the book project, but here are some tips that might help you (after you visit Kimmie's blog and check out her post.

From page 41 of the book, a project designed by Terry Taylor, here are some tips:

Use thin, flexible papers for best results. Handmade Asian papers and tissue papers are a delight to work with. Use either patterned or plain papers as desired.

Taylor's instructions were to paint the buttons, allow to dry, then cover with torn papers using decoupage medium. Per Taylor:

If the buttons are going to receive a lot of wear and tear, give them a protective coat of acrylic varnish after they have dried thoroughly.

The designers were given a bit of a writeup in the back (click to enlarge and you might be able to see a few names), but the photographers were give "credit" status.

The Christmas book had more complicated designs in it, but once again, the instructions were not easy to follow. This one page (on the left) listed both materials and instructions.


Although the photos were wonderful, it certainly didn't make up for the lack of visual instructions.


Of all the projects in the book, this one was my favorite. I will be making a few of these soon. You begin with an old cookie cutter that you spray paint, add a big sheet of double sided tape, throw in a few tiny beads, then larger beads, then cover with jeweler's glue. As always, I'll be substituting the double sided tape and jeweler's glue with something I have here. I did like the clever way the author recycled old cookie cutters, though. Two thumbs up for that project. However, of the 46 projects, I would only try two or three of them. My advice? Save your money and see if your library carries this book, then go out and get one of Terry Taylor's assemblage books.

Speaking of books, last night I got an e-mail from Anna Miller telling me about an article that Online Degree had just posted. The article gives 100 tips for creating your own personal library. I thought the tips and tools could apply across disciplines, so that is why I'm adding it to my daily links. If you have stacks and stacks of books, or just one, but want to start your own library, be it craft or differential equations books, you might just enjoy reading this article.